| North Carolina
Experience 2005 Presenters View the Activities |
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| Artists/Illustrators | |
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Name: Nicole
Arnold Address: 1610 Bridges Drive, High Point, NC 27262 Phone: 336-887-8383 e-mail: nicole.arnold@alumni.duke.edu website: Biographical Information: A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Nicole Carter Arnold drew pictures from the time she could hold a pencil. Even when writing her alphabet, Nicole decorated every letter. By the time she was a teenager, she knew that one day she would make a career out of her creativity. Nicole graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in May 2000. Her senior year was spent in an intensive independent study under art professor Ginna Davidson. From 2000 to 2002, Nicole illustrated the children?s picture book The ?Reel? Thing: A Story of Hope and Joy using colored pencils. The scenes from the book are faithful executions of the rural, mountainous landscape of North Carolina?s Blue Ridge Mountains where Nicole spent her summers with her grandmother. In 2005, Nicole is illustrating Gloria Houston?s chapter book Littlejim to be released by High Country Publishers. She also is illustrating a children?s picture book about a boy with autism for a project with Future Horizons (autism publisher). In addition to promoting her book at signings and school visits, Nicole constantly works to improve her technique by teaching and exhibiting her artwork. The artist has shown her florals, landscapes and portraits in various North Carolina galleries and institutions. The influence of Nicole?s favorite artist, Mary Cassatt, has informed much of Nicole?s use of color and her tender, poignant treatment of subject matter. Nicole accepts private commissions for portraits of children, adults, and pets. Providing music on the piano, Nicole volunteers at Maryfield Nursing Home. She is on the Executive Board and the Board of Directors for the Theater Art Galleries, a non-profit art education center. Nicole founded the Women Artist League of the Triad which seeks to encourage and promote the work of local female artists. Currently, Nicole teaches courses in pastel painting and book illustration at the Sawtooth Center for Visual Art in Winston-Salem, NC. Nicole resides in High Point, NC, with her husband and daughter. Books In Print: Programs/workshops offered: Age/grade level of preferred audience: Fees: |
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Name: Joan
Carris Address:238 North Shore Road, Beaufort, NC 28516-7901 Phone: 252 -504-6240 e-mail: jocarris@clis.com website: www.joancarrisbooks.com Biographical Information: Primary Writing Form : Novels for middle-grades; Early Chapter books. Secondary Writing Form: English textbooks and test prep material for high school and junior college. Commentaries for Public Radio. Honors: Junior Literary (now Library) Guild books: The Revolt of 10-X (1981); Pets, Vets, and Marty Howard ((1985). CBS Story Hour Special: Witch-Cat, from 1985 through 2000. When The Boys Ran The House , Winner of Children's Choice Award in TN 1985, in IA 1985, and in IN 1986. Aunt Morbelia and The Screaming Skulls , Masterlist title in several states, SLJ Starred Review 1990. Recorded Books: Aunt Morbelia and The Screaming Skulls, Witch-Cat, and Beware The Ravens, Aunt Morbelia. Foreign translations The Revolt of 10-X in French; Just A Little Ham in Finnish and French, and Beware The Ravens in French (all Castor Poche, with Flammarion). Most of my books have been masterlist titles in several states. Book Clubs: Trophy, Troll, Weekly Reader, Scholastic. Personal: Yes, I was born. In Toledo, Ohio. If I'd known that the woman writing the Nancy Drew series lived there, too, I'd have camped out on her doorstep. I grew up in Toledo, loving music and art classes and loathing math. I spent summers in southwestern Kentucky, with my father's sisters and brothers who lived on farms or ran small, general stores. Those summers were a startling and healthy contrast to the school years in a northern suburb focused on careers and academic achievement. In college at Iowa State, I majored in English, speech, and French. Much later I did graduate work at Drake University in Des Moines and at Hofstra U on Long Island. Eventually I got a Master of Arts in Children's Literature at Hollins University. As a kid, I majored in reading for pleasure. Fantasy and fairy tales at first, then moving on to Anne of Green Gable s and Little Women . I sobbed over the Terhune tearjerkers, but kept reading them because I am a fool for any animal story. I've always preferred funny books, like Winnie The Pooh , but there was a dearth of funny books. Maybe that's why I insist on trying to write them! I began writing in school, luckily an outstanding school with superior English teachers. They assigned lots of writing and I enjoyed doing it. My nice English grades contrasted sadly with those in math. (I now know that I have dyscalculia, the flip side to dyslexia--what a relief to have an explanation!) When I was 38, I began trying to write, not daring to think it might become a career, but I needed something I could do at home until our kids were older. As soon as our youngest, Brad, went to kindergarten, I retreated to my tiny office room--too hot in summer, too cold in winter--and stayed there until Brad got home. That's when I taught myself most of what I know about writing, which is a story you'll hear from most writers. We all basically teach ourselves. In 1978, I wrote a short story for children, and that day flew by. It was as though a bank of stage lights had gone on over my head. Ta da! THAT's what I was supposed to be writing. I believed then, and I believe now that writing for children is a most important kind of writing. Children often realize amazing, comforting truths in their books, and this knowledge helps them to become whole, healthy people. Writing for young people is more demanding than writing for adults, as E.B. White gladly told anyone who asked, yet I find it the most satisfying. Where do you live now? Etc.. When I began writing we lived outside Princeton, New Jersey. Since then I've lived in England and suburban Washington, D.C. Now we have a home on the edge of Beaufort, where the temptation to watch the egrets, gulls, herons, and hummingbirds--instead of writing--is a huge temptation indeed. I'm married to the father of our 3 terrific "kids": Mindy, mother of Ryan, who is a senior in high school; Leigh Ann, mother of Emma Grace(8) and Margaret Olivia (4), and Brad, dad to Benjamin (2.5). My life is probably over-stuffed. First, I write--my next book is Welcome To The Bed and Biscuit , from Candlewick, Fall 2006. I teach professional writing for Duke University here at their marine lab on Pivers Island. I operate a very busy website--www.joancarrisbooks.com--and I do commentaries for Public Radio East. When I can grab a free moment, I enjoy gardening and jumping up and down(called Water Aerobics) in the health club's pool and reading and going out to eat. I especially enjoy a good card game or a movie with friends. If life threatens to get even a tiny bit boring, Emma and Margaret come down from New Bern with their parents to liven things up. The best fun, though, is writing something that "works." Writing ( Jan, please keep 1 st 2 paragraphs the same. Pick up with new 3 rd paragraph, given here.) As for writing forms, my favorite has ended up being the short chapter book, even though they're tricky to do well. A good chapter book should offer all the richness of character and plot that a full middle-grade novel does, yet in half the space. I admit to being very proud of Howling for Home, my first short chapter book about a puppy who had to learn to live in a human house and go to dog obedience school. The next short chapter book is Welcome To The Bed and Biscuit , for ages 7 to 11, from Candlewick Press. This book is set at a pet boarding facility out in the country, run by a retired, widowed vet named Dr. Adam Bender. His own house pets become annoyed, jealous, and puzzled by something that Grampa brings home after helping neighbors put out a disastrous fire on their farm. Wicked Water (2005), my latest book, is especially for North Carolina. I thought it was important (about 40 different reasons!) for young readers to understand what happens when nature's disasters are exacerbated by humanity's failure to live and plan intelligently. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd followed two hits by Hurricane Dennis, creating major flooding in eastern Carolina. Yet we can't blame the hurricanes entirely when people build too close to major streams and rivers, leave their dogs tied to their kennels during a flood, etc. The damage in Kinston (and other towns) was appalling. Can we learn from this story?? Despite its somber setting, this is a funny, upbeat book about the days following Hurricane Floyd, when the Am. Humane Associaton's crews rescued so many pets. (Keep paragraph 4 as is, and print here.) Please list books published not currently in print.
Hedgehogs In The Closet Aunt Morbelia and The Screaming Skulls Pets, Vets, And Marty Howard Beware the Ravens, Aunt Morbelia The Greatest Idea Ever Rusty Timmons' First Million The Revolt of 10-X Just A Little Ham Stolen Bones Howling for Home S.A.T. Success (from 1982-2000--now under new authorship) Titles Currently In Print:
NEW ! Wicked Water- --Middle Grades--Softcover---North Shore Books A Ghost of a Chance --Mid-Grades--Softcover--North Shore Books When The Boys Ran The House --Mid-Grades--Softcover--North Shore Bks. Witch-Cat --Mid-Grades--Softcover--North Shore Books Panic Plan for SATs-- High School--Softcover--Thomson/Peterson's In-A-Flash: Vocabulary for Standardized Tests and for Life --High School-- Softcover--Thomson/Peterson's Success With Words --High School & Junior College--Softcover-- Thomson/Peterson's Contact Information: Joan D. Carris, 238 North Shore Drive, Beaufort, NC 28516--7901 E-mail: jocarris@clis.com Website: www.joancarrisbooks.com Recent Appearances: Central Missiouri State Children's Literature Festival--yearly, since 1989. Crystal Coast Book Festival, Nov. 2005; NC IRA Convention, Winston-Salem, 2005; NC LIbrary Association, October 2005; Public Radio East and Craven Community College Lecture Series, Feb. 2006. Misc. classroom visits. Programs/workshops offered: 1)Writing seminars for teachers or for students age 9 or above 2) Author talks on topics of teachers'choice. E.g., hunting for fossils (Stolen Bones); pirates (A Ghost of a Chance); How/Why Authors Write; Understanding Genre: What makes a Fantasy/Comedy/Tragedy/Classic ( of any genre); Humor and Its Importance Age/grade level of preferred audience: Grades 3 - 8 3) Also, I do speak to large (auditorium-sized) groups of parents, students, and teachers about the PSAT and SAT exams. CAN they prepare and raise their scores? HOW can they prepare and do better? What can teachers do to enhance test scores WITHOUT altering their curricula. Etc. Age/grade level of preferred audience: Adults, Teens Fees: To be arranged (depends on time involved and distance) |
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Name: Carol
Crane Address: 165 Lumina Place Holly Springs, NC 27540 Phone: 919-557-7633 Fax: 919-557-9797 e-mail: ccranelit@aol.com website: www.carolmcrane.com Biographical Information: Author Carol Crane is a national presenter using trade books as a source for immersing into the curriculum. See website! Carol Crane, with thirty-five years experience in children's literature as an educational consultant, has become widely recognized by many schools and educators for her expertise in children's literature. She has conducted in-service seminars for teachers at many schools across the country. Carol also works with children as an author. At a recent reading conference at the University of Alabama, she was described as, ---"A walking, talking bibliography of children's books." With respect to furthering the education process through reading, Mrs. Crane is actively involved wth the MICHIGAN READING ASSOCIATION, FLORIDA READING ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION, THE WHOLE LANGUAGE UMBRELLA and NCTE. Her thematic approach to learning has been widely accepted and successfully used by many reading teachers. Nine years ago, Mrs. Crane instituted a summer reading program. Teachers, media specialists and librarians have attended her "Bed, Breakfast and Books" seminars across the country. The assembling of attending authors, pre-publications of children's books, and sharing of ideas among fellow teachers has been a very important reading event. In October 2000 a new book authored by Mrs. Crane was released. S is for Sunshine, a Florida Alphabet, which brings together the flora and fauna, geography and history of the Sunshine State with entertaining poems and fascinating facts for young children. It won the National Book Award for the state of Florida. In October 2001 a new book called Sunny Numbers was released, also a book about Florida with a math and science theme. In addition, L is for Lone Star, a Texas Alphabet was published in the fall of 2001. In March 2002, L is for the Last Frontier, an Alaska Alphabet was released. In the fall of 2002, two new state books were available P is for Peach, a Georgia Alphabet and P is for Palmetto, a South Carolina Alphabet. Spring of 2003, Y is for Yellowhammer, an Alabama Alphabet was released as well as T is for Tar Heel, a North Carolina Alphabet. Also, in the fall of 2003 a Thanksgiving book , P is for Pilgrim, A Thanksgiving Alphabet encompassing core democratic values, was published as well as a new number book for Texas called Roundup!! Wright Numbers, A North Carolina Number Book was just released in the fall of 2005. Sleeping Bear Press the publisher has a web page. The address is sleepingbearpress.com. A teacher's resource guide may be downloaded for many of the alphabet books. These guides list multiple activities for each letter. Books In Print: Wright Numbers, A North Carolina Number Book; T is for Tar Heel, A North Carolina Alphabet; P is for Pilgrim, A Thanksgiving Alphabet; P is for Palmetto, A South Carolina Alphabet; S is for Sunshine, A Florida Alphabet; L is for Lone Star, A Texas Alphabet; L is for the Last Frontier, An Alaska Alphabet; P is for Peach, A Georgia Alphabet; Y is for Yellowhammer, An Alabama Alphabet Programs/workshops offered: Alphabetically learning about North Carolina PROGRAM ELEMENTS:This information will help you design your schedule of activities. A typical "day" includes 4 presentations each 45 minutes long. (Plus a twenty minute visit to a kindergarten). If I am scheduled for a half-day, I will do 2 presentations each 45 minutes long. I do not know the size of your school, so it is up to you to book sessions accordingly. Grades 1 and 2 Approx. 45 minutes Age/grade level of preferred audience: K - 6 Fees: $750.00 a day |
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Name: Sarah
Froeber Address: 3211 Gait Way Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Phone: 919-933-5710 Fax: 919-968-6384 e-mail: toucanpress@aol.com website: www.pelicanandpelicant.com Biographical Information: Sarah Froeber loves children. She loves to teach them, read to them and write for them. "Pelican and Pelicant" is her first book, but the author has worked with and for children for the past 35 years. With a masters degree in child psychology, Sarah did research on patterns of parenting, directed two demonstration day care centers, and taught child development classes in high schools and community colleges. A trained actress, she co-founded and served as artistic director and resident playwright of the award winning Jelly Educational Theater. Sarah herself was named to "Who's Who in America" in 2002 for her work on behalf of young people. With both her plays and her book, Sarah has intended to empower children and their caregivers by confronting emotional and social issues of concern to them. A portion of the after tax profits from the sale of "Pelican and Pelicant" will be donated to the Jelly Foundation she created to "sweeten the lives of children". Books In Print: Pelican and Pelicant Programs/workshops offered: I am the author of several plays and one book for children. I am also a trained actress. I am available to read and discuss my children's book Pelican and Pelicant at schools and libraries. Iam also available to discuss the art of writing with children. Age/grade level of preferred audience: Elementary school aged children (K-3) Fees: $100 for a 45 minute to one hour session |
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Name: Stephanie
Greene Chapel Hill, North Carolina Full information about my books, biography, programs, and fees can be found on www.Visitingauthors.com Age/grade level of preferred audience: Grades K-5. |
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Name: Gail
Haley Address: P.O. Box 1027 Blowing Rock, North Carolina 28605 Phone: 828-262-2270 828-758-5379 E-mail: haley_gail@hotmail.com website: www.gailehaley.com Biographical Information: Books In Print: Kokopelli; Costumes for Plays and Playing; A Story, A Story, Mountain Jack Tales; The Post Office Cat Programs/Workshops Offered: From Celts (THE GREEN MAN) to Cherokee (TWO BAD BOYS) to Appalachia (MOUNTAIN JACK TALES), Gail Haley's stories told in pictures and print celebrate cultural diversity. The only person to have received both THE CALDECOTT MEDAL (A STORY, A STORY) and England's KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL (THE POST OFFICE CAT), Gail Haley brings a unique understanding of the art of storytelling to the children in your classrooms and media centers. * Take your students behind the scenes in the process of researching, writing and illustrating children's books. * Examine original art, preliminary sketches, book dummies. * Watch a demonstration of linoleum cutting or other illustration techniques by this acclaimed artist. * Host a book fair and autograph session. * Listen as an author critiques student's stories. * Meet Gail Haley's puppet creations. * Learn Critical viewing skills from her two textbooks for Libraries Unlimited. [Imagine that: Developing Critical Viewing and Thinking Through Children's Literature; and Visual Messages: Integrating Imagery Into Instruction] Age/grade level of preferred audience: Fees: |
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Name: Gloria
Houston
For scheduling workshops or author appearances, call Cheryl Thompson at 704-542-6497 website: www.gloriahouston.net. All books are available at www.sunnybrookstore.com Biographical Information: Go to www.gloriahouston.net. Books In Print: Bright Freedom's Song; Littlejim's Gift;Mountain Valor;The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree; My Great Aunt Arizona; How Writing Works (writing methods textbook) Littlejim reprint available soon from High Country Publishers, Ltd. Age/grade level of preferred audience: Any age or grade level;prefer school aged students or adults. Fees: Vary, according to presentation. Available from Cheryl Thompson |
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Name: Elizabeth McDavid Jones Address: 1104 North Overlook Drive, Greenville, NC 27858 Phone: 252-321-0512 e-mail: childwriter@yahoo.com website: www.elizabethmcdavidjones.com Biographical Information: It is no accident that THE NIGHT FLYERS, the first of Elizabeth Jones' American Girl History Mystery novels, is set in Currituck, on the coast of North Carolina. Ms. Jones has lived all over the state—from the mountains to the piedmont to the sand hills and "down east" in Greenville, where she now resides. Ms. Jones was born in South Carolina, but moved to Raleigh, NC as a toddler. She attended Appalachian State and graduated from East Carolina University in 1981. Her first career was social worker, then full-time motherhood. During these years, she taught herself the craft of writing and managed to sell stories and articles to top-notch children's magazines such as Highlights, Cricket, Children's Digest, and Turtle. Desiring professional training, Ms. Jones returned to East Carolina and enrolled in the Creative Writing track in the English Department there. In 1996, she received her M.A. in Literature and afterwards taught at East Carolina and Pitt Community College in Greenville. Ms. Jones' historical piece on the Woolworth sit-ins, "The Sit-ins That Shook Up the Nation," was named History Feature of the Year by Highlights in 1998, and her first novel, THE NIGHT FLYERS, won the 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Juvenile Mysteries, and is a Scholastic Book Club selection. GHOST LIGHT ON GRAVEYARD SHOALwas a 2003 Agatha Finalist. Her other books, all historical mysteries, are SECRETS ON 26TH STREET, WATCHER IN THE PINEY WOODS, and MYSTERY ON SKULL ISLAND. Her newest book is PERIL AT KING'S CREEK, a 'Felicity" mystery, due out in Mrch 2006.Ms. Jones' stories and plays have also appeared in American Girl magazine. Since July of 2000, she has been writing full-time, as well as teaching writing classes for both adults and children. Books In Print: The Night Flyers; Secrets on 26th Street; Watcher in the Piney Woods; Mystery of Skull Island; Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal Study Guides available on website for all titles Programs/workshops offered: See my website under School and Library visits Age/grade level of preferred audience: Fees: Begin at $500 - please contact me for fee schedule. |
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Name: Kelly Starling Lyons Address: P.O. Box 1341, Durham, NC 27702 Phone: 919-656-0298 e-mail: e-mail@kellystarlinglyons.com website: www.kellystarlinglyons.com Biographical Information: Kelly Starling Lyons is a seasoned features journalist who specializes in writing about relationships, family, personal struggles, and black history for newspapers and magazines. Her stories have won awards from the North Carolina Press Association, Syracuse Press Club and Syracuse University. Her first children's book, Eddie's Ordeal, explores themes including no-pass, no-play rules, intergenerational relationships, friendship and the civil rights movement. Lyons enjoys school visits and working with children on fiction and non-fiction writing, discussing black history, and uncovering family stories. She lives in Raleigh with her husband and daughter. Visit my website www.kellystarlinglyons.com Books In Print: Eddie's Ordeal - publiushed by Just Us Books Programs/workshops offered: Fiction writing workshop Non-fiction writing workshop: Gives children tools to write about their lives and the lives of people they know. Family history workshop: Teaches children to be researchers, interviewers, and writers who uncover family stories. Civil rights and youth workshop: Discuss young people's involvement in the civil rights movement and get children thinking and writing about the issues. Age/grade level of preferred audience: Ages 8 - 13 Fees: Negotiable |
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Name: Consie
Powell Address: 5208 Olive Road, Raleigh, NC 27606 Phone: 919-851-1320 e-mail: consbuff@earthlink.net website: www.consiepowell.com Biographical Information: Consie Powell grew up in California, where animals and the out-of-doors were her constant companions. She went to college in Minnesota, graduating witha B.A. in Fine Arts, and went on to earn a Master's degree in Elementary Education. Her graduate work steered Consie into the creation of art and stories for young people. Marriage to her biologist husband added opportunities to be involved with scientific research and to continue a life centered on the natural world. Consie has written and illustrated A Bold Carnivore: An Alphabet of Predators,Old Dog Cora and the Christmas Tree, Amazing Apples, Leave Only Ripples: A Canoe Sketchbook, The First Day of Winter, and has illustrated Who Lives in the Snow? by Jennifer Berry Jones. Consie illustrates, designs, edits and occasionally writes the North Carolina WILD Notebook, a monthly young readers' feature in Wildlife in North Carolina magazine. She has created illustrations for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, the NC Zoo, and numerous scientific publications. Consie lives in Raleigh with her husband, Roger, and their 2 dogs. They have an animal-loving daughter, Virginia, now grown and on her own. Books In Print: NEW - Leave Only Ripples: A Canoe Country Sketchbook and The First Day of Winter; Old Dog Cora and the Christmas Tree; Who Lives in the Snow?; A Bold Carnivore: An Alphabet of Predators; Amazing Apples; Wildlife in North Carolina magazine monthly feature North Carolina WILD Notebook Programs/workshops offered: My school and library presentations usually share the experience of creating a picturebook, starting with the initial idea, and following it through the various stages of creation, culminating with a finished book. As writer and illustrator, I can share a broad perspective of both the writer's and illustrator's work. I bring samples of early drafts of writing and illustrating, as well as materials used for illustrations and samples of finished artwork. Additional areas that can be included or concentrated on, as they pertain to my books: keeping a field sketchbook with written notes and sketches; acrostics as a style of writing; artwork sketches as rough drafts. Age/grade level of preferred audience: ages 9, 10, and 11; grades 3, 4, 5 Fees: $650 for a full day session (up to 4 presentations of a 45-minute program), $350 for a half day session (up to 2 presentations of a 45-minute program), plus mileage for locations outside the Triangle area. (Programs are for small, immediate groups, not to exceed 35-40 kids, preferably in smaller groups) |
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Name: Cheryl Shelton-Roberts & Bruce Roberts Address: 3601 Meadow Drive, Morehead City, NC 28557 Phone: 252-247-5436 Fax: 252-240-3037 Biographical Information: Cheryl Shelton-Roberts is cofounder and president of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, a non-profit group dedicated to preserving the lighthouses and artifacts of the old U.S. Lighthouse Service since 1994. She is editor of the society's quarterly newsletter Lighthouse News, now in its ninth year. She is author of Lighthouse Families, a highly acclaimed book about the families that lived at the lighthouses and kept the lights burning during the time before the U.S. Coast Guard took over responsibility for the lights. She completed the comprehensive guide Moving Hatteras: Relocating the Cape Hatteras Light Station to Safety, as approved by National Park Service historians and engineers of International Chimney, Inc., contract manager of the relocation project. She wrote the acclaimed guidebook North Carolina Lighthouses, and co-authored an in-depth book Cape Hatteras: America's Lighthouse. A native North Carolinian and teacher for two decades, Cheryl is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She did extensive graduate work to develop her own curriculum in gifted education. For the last decade she and her husband, Bruce Roberts, former Director of Photography for Southern Living Magazine, have been photographing America's lighthouses and talking with the people who were born and lived in them. As a volunteer for the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, Cheryl edited a volume of lighthouse family stories. The commemorative book Hatteras Keepers Oral and Family Histories was presented to over 1,100 Hatteras keepers' descendants at a Homecoming May 4-6, 2001. She feels that the surviving children of lighthouse keepers are a disappearing resource for connection with our maritime history and that their memories and pictures must be recorded for future generations. Cheryl is the recipient of the coveted "Keeper of the Light" award from the American Lighthouse Foundation for her volunteer work in the lighthouse community and her efforts to preserve American lighthouses and the history of the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Bruce Roberts is former Director of Photography and Senior Photographer at Southern Living Magazine in Birmingham, Alabama. Before joining Southern Living he was a member of the legendary early 1960s photo staff of The Charlotte Observer, which pioneered the use of the 35-mm camera and natural light for newspaper photography. During this time he received numerous awards for his photography in state and national competitions. Bruce freelanced for Time Life Books, Sports Illustrated, as well as both Time and Life Magazines. His photography as appeared in a number of books including Where Time Stood Still: A Portrait of Appalachia, picked by the New York Times as one of the best children's books for 1970, The Face of North Carolina, and You Can't Kill the Dream. For over twenty years lighthouses have become his favorite subject. His renowned lighthouse photography has appeared in hundreds of books and magazines including Southern Lighthouses and American Lighthouses. He has been co-author and illustrator of several southern ghost books including Lighthouse Ghosts. Bruce is also a recipient of the "Keeper of the Light" award from the American Lighthouse Foundation for his preservation work as co-founder of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society. Bruce and Cheryl live in Morehead City, NC, and enjoy visiting the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Books In Print: Lighthouse Families; Lighthouse Ghosts; Southern Lighthouses; NC Coastal Lights Packet (exclusively from Broadfoot's of Wendell); North Carolina Lighthouses Programs/workshops offered: History of Lighthouses; Family life at Lighthouses; Moving of the Hatteras Lighthouse - how it was done; Shipwrecks & lighthouses; Graveyard of the Atlantic Age/grade level of preferred audience: 4th and 8th grade Fees: negotiable |
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Name: Anne
Russell Address: 602 Bradley Creek Point, Wilmington, NC 28403 Phone: 910-256-3457 e-mail: arussell9@ec.rr.com Biographical Information: A native of Raleigh, lives at Wrightsville beach; author of 7 books, 12 plays, 2 screenplays; was director of the arts for city of Raleigh, entertainment editor of Raleigh News & Observer, press clerk of NC General Assembly; also a professor of communications, a mediator and a psychotherapist. Anne has a PhD in American Studies and an MA in Creative Writing. She also did postgraduate study at the Lucy Daniels Center of Pyschoanalysis and Creativity in Raleigh. Books In Print: Seabiscuit, Wild Pony of the Outer Banks; NC Portraits of Faith; Wilmington, A Pictorial History; No More Sorrow to Arise (play); Midnight at the School for Common Sense (folklore) adaptation of a screenplay based on the Fort Fisher hermit Programs/workshops offered: ~ playwriting and screenwriting workshops ~ program on North Carolina wild ponies ~ journalism workshops ~ workshops on North Carolina writers ~ workshops on the 1898 Wilmington political coup ~ workshops on Creativity Age/grade level of preferred audience: any age Fees: to be negotiated, depending on length of program and distance travelled |
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Name: Lynn
Salsi Address: 3103 Henderson Road, Greensboro, NC 27410 Phone: 336-547-9315 ; cell 336-655-2717 e-mail: BSALSI@triad.rr.com website: www.lynnsalsi.com Biographical Information:Lynn grew up in Columbia, SC and grqaduated with a BA in Journalism from the Univeristy of South Carolina. She spent most of her childhood summers in Franklin, NC exploring and collecting artifacts and rocks with her father who was a noted "rock hound." She always enjoyed listening to family stories about the old days, making it through the Great Depression and the old home place. She says that the stories came because her mother used to say, "We come from a long line of talkers." She admits to collecting stories like some people collect match books, or china, or dolls. That's how she began talking to other people about their family history. When Ray Hicks asked her to "take down" his version of the Jack Tales she didn't stop there. She turned the story of his life into Young Ray Hicks Learns to Tell the Jack Tales. Books in Print: Young Ray Hicks Learns to Tell the Jack Tales, Portsmouth Island Outer Banks Treasure, Guilford County, Heart of the Piedmont, Columbia, SC, A Southern Capital, Images of Carteret County, Images of Craven County, Voices of the Crystal Coast, The History of NC State University, The North Carolina Imagination Box Programs: The Appalachian Story Quilt- a lively presentation of stories of real people from the 1800s to the present. This program illustrates the unique culture of the Appalachian Mountains. Handmade quilts are used to tell the stories. The history of the Jack Tales is included. for grades 3 - adult The History of North Carolina in 40 Minutes - This is a fun-filled very fast paced presentation of how North Carolina became settled. This presentation particularly covers the various cultures who came between 1565 and 1800. It includes articles from old newspapers, funny stories, polices and laws, transportation (the importance of and what was done). This makes hisotry fun. This also works well with 4 or 5 student assistants. or grades 3 - adult The Jack Tales This presentation can be tailored for K through adult. The old Jack Tales based on the traditional stories from 1770s are told using audience participation, sound effects, pantemime, and exaggeration. It inclludes the story of how Ray Hicks received the tales from a line of descendency from the 1770s. This program is fascinating and fun for all ages. Note: Lynn is experienced in working with students and teachers. She spent eight years as a children's playwright and theatre director. She has a knack for working with classroom readers theatre, tandem storytelling, and story drma. She teaches teacher re-certification at two community colleges. Her specialties are reading across the curriculum, writing for fourth to eighth grade, storytelling, and NC history. Fee: $750.00 for a full day; $400.00
for half day (outside of a 40 mile radius of Greensboro
add mileage and travel expenses) Note: 1. Lynn does not mind being co-oped by two schools on the same day if they are not far apart and there is time for her to have lunch between appearances. 2. She is happy to sign books. 3. She can furnish teaching materials in advance of a visit. 4. She likes to talk to students in classrooms as well as mainstage presentations. She enjoys the feedback that students give her. 4. She is willing to talk with teachers or students over lunch. Some schools request that she have lunch with students who are avid writers or who have won a reading competition at school. 5. If a school is planning an all day Appalachian festival or an author's day talk to her about bringing her balladeer who plays the fiddle, dulcimer, banjo, harmonica, and guitar. They do an impressive mainstage program together and split up to visit various classrooms. Her illustrator is sometimes available. Lynn is available for elementary, middle school, high school, teacher in-service. Books In Print: Guilford County Heart of the Piedmont; The North Carolina Imagination Box; Young Ray Hicks Learns the Jack Tales; Columbia South Carolina A Southern Capital; Craven County; Carteret County; Portsmouth Island Outer Banks Jewel; The History of North Carolina State University Programs/workshops offered: Age/grade level of preferred audience: |
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Name: Eleanora
E. Tate e-mail: ablessing@members.authorsguild.net website: www.eleanoraetate.com Biographical Information: Eleanora E. Tate, a native of Canton, Missouri, spent her first grade in a one-room school. She was graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, and after majoring in journalism (news editorial), was graduated from Drake University there. She was news editor of the Iowa Bystander weekly newspaper, and a reporter for the Des Moines Register and Tribune newspapers. Among other reference encyclopedias, she is included in Gale Research's Contemporary Black Biographies, volume 20; Something About the Author; and Who's Who Among African Americans. She is a 1981 Bread Loaf Fellow. Ms. Tate is a member of Concerned Citizens Operation Reach-Out Organization, North Carolina Writers' Network, The Authors Guild, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. The 1991-92 national president of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc., Ms. Tate and her husband, noted photographer Zack E. Hamlett, III, currently live in Knightdale, North Carolina. Ms. Tate speaks widely on children's literature in schools, libraries, on college campuses, and at conferences. She was a featured speaker at the 1995 Whole Language Umbrella in Windsor, Ontario Canada; at the 1996 Fifth Regional Caribbean Conference of the International Reading Association in Hamilton, Bermuda; a 2002 featured "AviD Author" for the Des Moines Public Library, Des Moines, Iowa; and a featured speaker at the American Library Author Award" honoree. Ms. Tate wrote her first short story when she was in third grade, and she's been writing ever since. Her books celebrate neighborhoods, communities, and the children and families who live there. Books In Print: The Minstrel's Melody; Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!; The Secret of Gumbo Grove; African American Musicians; A Blessing in Disguise; Just an Overnight Guest; Retold African Myths; To Be Free. Programs/workshops offered: Packets available upon request - Briefly, I share myself, and the reading and writing experience to classes in third through eighth grades. Age/grade level of preferred audience: Grades 3-8 (elementary schools) Fees: Available upon written request. |
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Name: Theodore
Taylor Address: 1856 Catalina Street, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 website: www.theodoretaylor.com Biographical Information: Please visit he website www.theodoretaylor.com Books In Print: NEW! Making Love to Typewriters (autobiography) The Cay: Doubleday / Avon; Air Raid-Pearl Harbor: Harcourt The Children's War: Doubleday The Maldonado Miracle: Harcourt Battle In The Arctic Seas: Thomas Y. Crowell Teetoncey: Harcourt Teetoncey and Ben O'Neal: Harcourt The Odyssey of Ben O'Neal: Harcourt Battle Off Midway island: Avon The Trouble With Tuck: Doubleday / Avon HMS Hood vs. Bismark: Avon Battle In The English Channel: Avon Rocket Island: Avon Walking Up A Rainbow: Harcourt The Hostage: Delacorte / Dell Sniper: Harcourt Brace / Avon Tuck Triumphant: Doubleday / Avon The Weirdo: Harcourt / Avon Maria: Harcourt Brace / Avon Timothy Of The Cay: Harcourt / Avon Sweet Friday island:
Harcourt Bomb: Harcourt / Avon Rogue Wave and Other Red-Blooded Sea Stories: Harcourt / Avon A Sailor Returns: Blue Sky Press Lord of the Kill: Blue Sky Press Ice Drift: Harcourt Arctic Summer: Harcourt The Boy Who Could Fly Without a Motor: Harcourt Books for adults: The Magnificent Mitscher: W.W. Norton Fire On The Beaches: W.W. Norton The Body Trade: Fawcett Special Unit Senator: Random House (with Robert Houghton) A Shepherd Watches, A Shepherd Sings: Doubleday (with Louis Irigaray) Jule: Random House The Cats Of Shambala: Simon and Schuster (with Tippi Hedren) The Stalker: Donald I. Fine / Pocket Books Monocolo: Donald I. Fine / St. Martins To Kill The Leopard: Harcourt / Pocket Books Programs/workshops offered: Taylor recently underwent quintuple bypass surgery and was advised not to make cross country trips at this time. He was delighted to "participate" in the North Carolina Experience by phone. Prior to the event he signed copies of his new autobiography as well as The Weirdo and the Outer banks trilogy.A few copies are still available. |
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Name: Stephanie
Tolan Address: 4511 Eagle Lake Drive, Charlotte, NC 28217 Phone: 704-504-5044 Fax: 704-504-5044 e-mail: StefT@carolina.rr.com website: www.stephanietolan.com Biographical Information: Stephanie S. Tolan's earliest memories involve books -- those that were read to her and those she read to herself, often late at night with a flashlight under the covers. She always thought there was a special magic in the little black marks on paper that could turn into whole worlds and real people. Born in Ohio and raised in Wisconsin, she wrote her first story in the fourth grade. It was thrilling to discover she could make the magic herself, and she decided then and there to be a writer. Other ambitions came and went, but writing stayed on, and she majored in creative writing at Purdue University, then went on to a Master's Degree in English. Marriage and the sudden addition to her life of three young stepsons, and then a son, forced writing into the nooks and crannies, but she wrote poetry and plays for adults as she taught college English. Her husband's career in professional theatre moved the Tolan family around the country, and writing was a comforting constant. In the mid-seventies, Stephanie began working in the Poets-in-the-Schools program in Pennsylvania. Her first group of students were fourth and fifth graders, and she found among them a new generation of intense readers, still using the flashlight-under-the-covers trick. "They brought back to me that special reading joy that most adults -- even the readers among us -- have lost, and I wanted to try my hand at writing for those kids, so like myself at their age and yet so different." The difference, she felt, was less in the children themselves than in the fast-changing world they lived in. Her writing for children and young adults, beginning with Grandpa--And Me in 1978, has reflected that contemporary world. Tolan's suspense novel, A Good Courage, looks at the dark side of life in a fictional cult/commune. Plague Year is a harrowing story of hatred, fear and harassment in a small town high school, and the violence eventually spreads into the community. With Who's There? and The Face in the Mirror, Tolan ventures into the spine-tingling realm of the contemporary ghost story. Save Halloween! tells of conflicts faced by Johnna Filkins, daughter of an evangelical Christian minister, when her understanding of democracy collides with her family's wish to impose their beliefs on their hometown. And Ordinary Miracles revisits the Filkins family, this time following Mark, one of the twin future preachers, who meets a Nobel laureate and must find a way to reconcile his faith with the world of contemporary science. Stephanie Tolan is also well known as an advocate for extremely bright children. (For information about gifted and talented children visit Hoagies' Gifted Education Page.) She co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, Guiding the Gifted Child, and has written many articles about the challenges gifted "asynchronous" children and adults face as they find a way to fit into their world. She lectures throughout the country to audiences of parents, educators and counselors attempting to find ways to meet the children's needs. Her experiences with these "amazing, off-the-charts" young people inspired the themes of Welcome to the Ark, a powerful novel about four brilliant young misfits in a world teetering on destruction. The first volume of a projected trilogy, Ark is followed by Flight of the Raven. Mrs. Tolan currently lives on a little lake in a big woods in Charlotte, NC with her husband, one dog, one cat, two fish and plenty of outdoor creatures. Books In Print: Bartholomew's Blessing; Surviving the Applewhites; Ordinary Miracles; Plague Year; The Face in the Mirror; Welcome to the Ark; Flight of the Raven Programs/workshops offered: I've done many varieties of programs from general talks about my work to writing workshops. I can generally tailor presentations to the needs of the presenting organization. I also talk to teachers and/or parents about the special needs of gifted children. Age/grade level of preferred audience: upper elementary through high school Fees: $2,000 per day plus expenses |
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Name: Carole
Weatherford Address: 3313 Sparrowhawk Drive, High Point, NC 27265 Phone: 336-887-4505 e-mail: weathfd@earthlink.net Webssite: www.caroleweatherford.com Biographical Information: Primary Writing Form: Children's Books Secondary Writing Form: Poetry, creative nonfiction Honors: North Carolina Children's Book Award Finalist, 2005-2006. Juvenile Literature Award, American Association of University Women-North Carolina, 2002. Teachers Choices Short List, International Reading Association-Children's Book Council, 2003. Center for Children's Books, Best Books for 2002. Voices of Youth Advocates, Poetry Picks, 2002. Carter G. Woodson Award, National Council for the Social Studies, 2001. Notable Trade Books for Young People, National Council for the Social Studies, 2001 and 2003. Writers Fellowship, North Carolina Arts Council, 1995 and 2001. NAACP Image Award Finalist, Children's Literature, 2000. Emerging Artist Grant, Central Piedmont Artists Hub Program, 1999 and 2002. Writer-in-Residence, The Writer's Way Program, Gaston Public Library, 1998 and 1999. Reader, Blumenthal Writers & Readers Series, North Carolina Writers' Network, 1998. Caldwell Nixon Award, North Carolina Poetry Society, 1997. Furious Flower Poetry Prize, James Madison University, 1995. Winner, North Carolina Writers' Network Harperprint Chapbook Competition, 1995. Arts-in-Education Grant, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Arts Council, 1993. Winner, Blumenthal Writers & Readers Series, North Carolina Writers' Network, 1991. Winner, North Carolina Writers' Network Black Writers Speak Competition, 1991. Personal: I was born and raised in Baltimore, Md., and dictated my first poem to my mother on the way home from first grade. She asked my father, a high school printing teacher, to print some of my early poems on the letterpress in his classroom. I was thrilled to see my work in print. I grew up in a household with my parents, both of whom were educators, brother and maternal grandmother. My paternal grandmother lived just two blocks away and walked to our house almost every day. I earned a B.A. in promotion from American University, an M.A. in publications design from the University of Baltimore, and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. I live in High Point, N.C., with my husband, Ronald, a minister, and our children, Caresse (born in 1987) and Jeffery (born in 1989). When I'm not writing, I enjoy gardening, sewing, gourmet foods, and traveling to museums, parks and historic sites. I also like to walk, swim, cycle and play tennis. At home, I work in the family room, kitchen or home office. In 2002, I was appointed distinguished visiting professor at Fayetteville State University. My past jobs include posts as director of communications at the National Bar Association and vice president of a public relations firm. Writing: My family's first born, I was an only child until my brother arrived ten years later. I was never lonely, though. I had books, a hi-fi, my father's jazz collection, a backyard swing, plenty of friends and grandmothers who were a constant presence. They passed time cooking, quilting, humming hymns and watching soap operas. They taught me how to play checkers and dominoes. I grew up in Baltimore but have roots on a Maryland farm that dates back to the Reconstruction. That land links me to my heritage and inspires my literary mission: to mine the past for family stories, fading traditions and forgotten struggles. Poetry is my first love, but I also write historical fiction and creative nonfiction. In all my writing, research is key. So is practicing my craft. Please list books not currently in print (titles only): The Tan Chanteuse - 1995, limited edition poetry chapbook for adults Princeville: The 500-Year Flood, 2001 Grandma and Me , 1997 Me and the Family Tree , 1997 Please list titles currently in print: Poetry Books (* indicates adult titles) Stormy Blues. New Orleans: Xavier Review Press, 2002.* Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People. Hardcover. All ages New York: Philomel Books, 2002. Original poems and archival photographs span 400 years of African-American history.
Sidewalk Chalk: Poems of the City. Juvenile. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2001. Twenty-one poems celebrate the joys of growing up in the city. The Sound that Jazz Makes . All ages. New York: Walker, 2000. Poetic text and luminous oil paintings trace the roots of jazz from Africa to America.
The Tar Baby on the Soapbox. Fayetteville, NC: Longleaf Press, 1999.* Nonfiction Books (* indicates adult titles)A Negro League Scrapbook. All ages. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2005. Lively verse, fascinating facts, vintage photos and sports memorabilia recall the glory days of black baseball. The Carolina Parakeet: America's Lost Parrot in Art and Memory. Avian Publications, 2005.* Great African-American Lawyers: Raising the Bar of Freedom . Young adult reference. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2003. The African-American Struggle for Legal Equality in American History . Young adult reference. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2000.
Sink or Swim: African-American Lifesavers of the Outer Banks. Intermediate and young adult. Wilmington, NC: Coastal Carolina Press, 1999. (to be reissued by Just Us Books, East Orange, NJ, Spring 2006) A documentary history chronicling the trials, triumphs and true adventures of America's only all-black lifesaving crew. Somebody's Knocking at Your Door: AIDS & the African-American Church. Binghamton: Haworth Press, 1999. Co-authored with Ronald Weatherford.*
Children's Picture BooksFreedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins. Juvenile. New York: Dial Press, 2005. A child's eye view of segregation and the civil rights movement. Jazz Baby. Preschool to primary. New York: Lee & Low, 2002 A rollicking jazz pat-a-cake that gets kids swinging to the beat. Mighty Menfolk. Preschool board book. New York: Black Butterfly, 1997. Distributor: Publishers Group West , 1700 Fourth Street , Berkeley, California 94710 , 1- 800-788-3123 Celebrates community heroes. My Favorite Toy. Preschool board book. New York: Black Butterfly, 1997. Distributor: Publishers Group West , 1700 Fourth Street , Berkeley, California 94710 , 800-788-3123 Shows how a child prefers good, old-fashioned, creative fun. Juneteeth Jamboree . New York: Lee & Low, 1995. 95 Madison Avenue, Suite 1205, New York, NY 10016, 1-888-320-3190, ext. 25 A girl, whose family has recently moved to Texas, experiences Juneteenth, the emancipation holiday. Contact Information: Carole Boston Weatherford 3313 Sparrowhawk Drive High Point, NC 27265 336-887-4505 Recent Appearances: Our Lady of Grace Catholic School, Greensboro Day School, Summit School, Guilford County Schools, Galveston Independent School District, Florida Suncoast Writers' Conference, Authors on the Beach, Booksellers Expo America, American Library Association, North Carolina Reading Association. Programs/workshops offered: Interactive, interdisciplinary, multimedia and multicultural performances and workshops that marry language arts, social studies, music, and motion in celebration of poetry, oral traditions, North Carolina history and African-American heritage. Age/grade level of preferred audience: Pre-K - 12 Fees: $800 - $1200 |
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Name: Terrance
Zepke Address: PO Box 4881, Greensboro, NC 27404 e-mail: tzepke@netzero.com website: www.terrancezepke.com Biographical Information: Award-winning writer/photgrapher Terrance Zepke lives in central North Carolina and a small beach community in South Carolina. She has a master's degree from the University of South Carolina. Ms. Zepke has lived many places, including England and Hawaii, and has traveled all over the world writing and photographing for magazines and newspapers. She has been featured on The Learning Channel, The Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, and numerous publications including The Washington Post, Greensboro News & Record, High Point Enterprise, Our State Magazine, and Coastal Living. Books In Print: Coastal North Carolina: It's Enchanting Islands, Towns and Communities; Lighthouses of the Carolinas; Ghosts of the Carolina Coasts; Pirates of the Carolinas; The Best Ghost Tales of North Carolina; Exploring South Carolina's Islands : The Best Ghost Tales of South Carolina (New!): Exploring South Carolina's Islands: Coastal North Carolina:Its Enchanting Islands, Towns and Communities (New!): Ghosts and Legends of the Carolina Coasts (2005) Programs/workshops offered: - Interactive Pirate Storytelling Presentation - Costumed Ghost Storytelling -General Coastal History and Folklore Discussion Age/grade level of preferred audience: elementary school age Fees: negotiable |
| Authors ~ Storytellers | |
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Name: Ella
Joyce Stewart Address: P.O. 1176, Kinston, NC 28503 Phone: 252-939-9531 e-mail: ejstoryteller@netscape.net Biographical Information: E.J. Stewart was born and reared in North Carolina. This daughter of farmers/sharecroppers uses art as a way to create better communications across race, gender and class lines. And she has won critical acclaim nationally for her storytelling performances, workshops and residencies. Before becoming a professional artist, Ms. Sstewart spent twenty years in Queens County, New York, where she attended Queens College; and where she was director of Youth Employment Programs for ten years. She returned home to North Carolina in 1987. EJ is a former member of the North Carolina State Arts Council, Artist -in-Residence and N.C. Artist Touring Directory. In 1992 she was the recipient of a Charlotte/Mecklenburg Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant. Presently a member of the N.C. Humanities Council Speakers Bureau, Ms. Stewart's program, "Forgotten Rural Black Women" (a case study of farm women) has been presented on university campuses, womens centers, librairies, etc. to rave reviews. She is a member of the National Association of Black Storytellers and the North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers. EJ's original stories "Cheese" and "Sunday Family Dinner"were published in Linda and Clay Goss's Jump Up and Say (Simon and Schuster, 1995). Her "Christmas-In-a Shoebox" is to be included in A Christmas Story, illustrated by James Ransome. Ms. Stewart also co-founded "Sista's Front Porch Productions". Programs/workshops offered: Workshop Facilitator: Theatre Charaterizations; Oral History; Business of Storytelling; Southern Writers; Forgotten Rural Black Women; Reverse Migration Writing in the Familiar Age/grade level of preferred audience: all ages Fees: Please contact me. |
| Performers ~ Musicians | |
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Name: John
Golden Address: 5122 Clear Run Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403 Phone: 910-395-2014 e-mail: john@thegoldengallery.com Biographical Information: Professional storyteller since 1985. Storyteller of the Year (2003) awarded by North Carolina's Storytelling Guild. Songwriter nad folksinger of songs about heroes of the Outer Banks Lifesaving Service and Lighthouse Service. Born in Dania, Florida, in 1941. Retired from US Army Corps of Engineers in 1996. Married to Mary Ellen Golden with two children, Martha and John W. Co-host of folk music program on WHQR Public Radio (91.3 FM) in Wilmington, NC. Four CD's published of folk music and sea songs. Member of the Dram Tree Tellers and the NC Storytelling Guild. Compact Disks Available: Shipwrecks and Sea Songs, Vol.Iand II Colonial Songs and Scottish Ballads Hatteras Memories Programs/workshops offered: : Living history programs in sea captain, colonial and Elizabethan sailor costumes featuring North Carolina characters, legends, ghosts and life-saving heroes. Plays guitar and old-time banjo for students and audiences to sing-a-long to songs and stories. Age/grade level of preferred audience: 4th and 8th grade Fees: $600 per day for 3 performances at one or more sites. |