Staff File Photo by Tim Barber
Area book stores regularly host local and visiting regional and national authors, such as Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek magazine, who speaks to a packed room at Rock Point Books.What makes us special?The Fellowship of Southern Writers was founded in 1987 by 26 distinguished Southern writers, including novelists, poets, historians, playwrights, critics and editors. The Fellowship meets during the Chattanooga Arts and Education Council's Conference on Southern Literature. The last conference was held in Chattanooga in April 2009. The next conference will be held in Chattanooga in 2011.Lupton Library at UTC maintains a noncirculating collection of many of the members' works as the Arlie Herron Collection of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.For more information, visit their web site at: www.thefsw.org.
Whether you are a published author or someone who would like to put your family history down on paper for future generations, the Chattanooga Writers Guild can help.
Established in 2001 as a means for writers to network, share successes and struggles, and learn from one another, the group began with 30 members and now averages about 150 members, according to co-founder and past president Jennifer Hoff.
"We have people at all levels, from people who have always wanted to write their memoirs for their family to people who are making a living as a writer," Mrs. Hoff said. "Most members are beginner to intermediate level writers."
Writers join the guild for three primary reasons, she said.
"The big interest is how to get published," she said. "You've put all this effort into your work and now you want to share it."
The other two reasons networking and the independent study groups that meet separately from the main guild meeting held the second Tuesday of each month at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library. A guest author is featured at these main meetings.
The independent study groups are genre specific. (Information about each group can be found at right.)
In addition to the writers guild, most of the area book stores host readings and book signings featuring local and regional authors on a weekly basis. That schedule can be found each Friday in FYI Weekend or online at fyi.timesfreepress.com.
The city is also home to Rhyme N Chatt Interactive Poetry Organization, which is designed "to provide a fun, interactive format by which poetry can be openly shared and discussed," according to its mission statement at www.rhymenchatt.org.
It was founded in 1999 by Vincent Phipps.
Chattanooga Writers Guild Independent Study Groups
Cleveland Writers Group is an online Yahoo Group created for writers within a 100 mile radius of Cleveland, Tenn. Go to Yahoo.com, click on Entertainment, click Groups and search for writers groups in Cleveland, Tenn. They also occasionally hold open mic nights and regular meetings at a restaurant.
Fiction Writers Group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Wally's Restaurant at the exit of I-75 and Ringgold Road. For more information and directions, contact Lantz Powell 893-5539.
Poetry Writers Group meets on the third Thursday of each month 7-9 p.m. at various locations. For more information, contact Helga Kidder at 875-0378.
Nonfiction Writers Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7-9 p.m. at New Hope Presbyterian Church off Shallowford Road. Contact Sherry Poff for more information at 892-9408 or 987-6650.
Writing for the Christian Market meets the third Tuesday of each month from 6-8 p.m. in Room 404 of the Tower at First Presbyterian Church on McCallie at Douglas. Park behind the church and use the rear entrance. For more details, contact Marcia Swearingen at 842-6477.
Reading Writers meets the First Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the East Ridge Retirement Center, 1417 Mack Smith Road. For more information, contact Ray Zimmerman at 991-9437.