Missive from The South; Four upcoming events announced

High summer is here and the glories of The South are in full bloom all around me. 

Tomatoes and plums plucked from roadside stands. Rich, thick zoysia grass glistening with dew in the mornings. Monstrous resurrections of Kudzu hugging the roadsides. The smell of smoke and barbecue drifting through the air. 

Though I love the unrepentant green of this time of year, the heat and humidity border on unbearable and I think it is just a matter of luck and time before I start to summer in the mountains.  (A man can dream, right?) 

I’ve let my writing field grow fallow for most of this year. After kicking January off with a bang of 10,000 words into a sequel for, “The Last Wizard at The End of The World,” I’ve taken a much-needed break from novel writing. I’ve completed a short story I am currently shopping. I also delved into the archives for some poetry I submitted. I am pleased to announce that the poem, “Winter Wind,” will be published in this year’s anthology, “The Reach of Song,” by the Georgia Poetry Society. The anthology drops in late July and will be available on amazon and through there website. 

Starting in August and running through October, I have four dates slated for readings, panels and classes. These events take place throughout mid and west Georgia, metro Atlanta and North Carolina. I’d love to see you and chat at one of these events. All the details are below.  Thanks to the great individuals and organizations who help put these events together, including T.M. ‘Mike’ Brown, Scott Ludwig, Donna Black and the entire Hometown Novel Nights crew.

I am also pleased to announce that, “Alexandria Reborn,” the second book in the Alexandria Rising Chronicles is available on audible as of spring 2022. Narrator Thomas Cassidy did another fantastic job with his reading of this work. Please check it out. 

I’m working on an article on Byron Herbert Reece which is scheduled to be published in September on Applachiabare.com so keep your eyes open for that. Reece is a favorite of mine and a tremendously overlooked Georgia poet.

Travel well, be safe and enjoy your summer. 

Best, MWM

SCHEDULE 

August 18, 6:30 until 8 p.m: Reading at Coweta FORCE with Sharpsburg Mayor Blue Cole. This event is sponsored by Hometown Novel Nights. https://www.cowetaforce.org. hometownnovel.com

August 27. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Sharpsburg Book Fair. Sharpsburg A.O. Community Center and Grounds. I will serve as a Panelist alongside Martha Boone and multiple other writers. In addition to meeting and chatting with writers, there will also be food trucks on the grounds. The event is sponsored by the Town of Sharpsburg and Hometown Novel Nights. 

September 3, Time TBA: Writing workshop at Montreat Conference Center with Central Presbyterian Church, Montreat, N.C. 

October 8, 1 to 3 p.m. Pretty Good Books, LaGrange, Georgia: Rising Georgia Authors event. More details coming.