Sevierville Chamber Presents Second Annual Rose Glen Literary Festival Featuring Local Authors, Storytellers
Reece Ripatti shares the history of Rose Glen during the 2010 Rose Glen Literary Festival
The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce will present the second annual Rose Glen Literary Festival at Walters State Community College Sevier County Campus on Saturday February 26 from 9am-2pm.
The event will feature lectures and book signings with local authors, tales from local storytellers and a special luncheon with keynote speaker Fred Brown, author of several books based in Appalachia including “The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith.”
“Last year’s event was extremely successful and we hope to build on that this year,” says Sevierville Chamber of Commerce special projects facilitator and event organizer Carroll McMahan. “The variety of writers participating in the 2011 event year should appeal to most everyone’s taste. I encourage anyone interested in literature and local culture to attend.”
Mary Phillips-Marsang signs copies of her children’s book
Confirmed writers for the Rose Glen Literary Festival include Robert Allen (retired FBI Agent) and Steve Watson (retired TBI agent) who are co-authors of “The Perry’s Camp Murders” as well as J.C. and Margaret McCauley, co-authors of “Growing Up in Cade’s Cove”. Other authors include Cathy Wilhelm (“Inside the Darkness, a Walk Through Grief”), Ersa Rhea Smith (“Flying Bullets and the Resplendent Badge”), Emma Catlett and Glenna Julian (“Kodak Historical Cookbook”), Laura Long Martin (“A Beautiful View: Reflection on Bluff Mountain by Matriarch Marian Oates”), Veta King (“History of Pigeon Forge” and “Images of America, Pigeon Forge”), Lyn Bales (“Natural Histories” and “Ghost Birds”), Mary Phillips (“Booger: A Tall Tale”), Eric Ball (“Blue Mountain Mist Cookbook”), Greg Johnson (Sanctuary), Donnie Lamon (“Riding to Newport”), Dr. Bruce Wheeler (“A Mountain City in the New South”), Jack Hodge, Arthur McDade (“Smoky Mountain Days” and “The Natural Arches of Big South Fork”) and Steve Cotham (“Great Smoky Mountains National Park”).
This year the festival will also showcase members of the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association. Cuz Headrick, Janice Brooks-Headrick, Susan Fulbright and Rick Elliot will each host a session of storytelling and there will be a workshop on how to collect and save your family history.
All of the authors presented at the Rose Glen Literary Festival are either from Sevier County or have written books about Sevier County.
There is an $18 charge for attending the keynote luncheon, which includes a gourmet chicken pot pie lunch, a gift from The Old Mill Pottery and an opportunity to win door prizes. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. There is no fee to attend the other workshops during the day. To reserve your tickets, call Carroll McMahan at (865) 453-6411.
