Blount County is rich in many things, from gorgeous scenery to good food, and one of the things we have in abundance is good writing.
At the Blount County Public Library’s annual Anna Belle Smith Literary Festival in October, for example, more than 50 authors presented their work and met with fans and prospective readers. The Tremont Writers Conference, “Appalachian Life in Literature,” just finished with its second year, unites local writers with well-known regional authors. And East Tennessee publisher, Howling Hills Press, just put out its second volume of Appalachian spooky stories, “24 Tales.”
One person who connects all these threads is Blount County Public Library’s Writer-in-Residence, Sheri McCarter. McCarter stepped into that role when her daughters were preparing to leave for college. “It was an opportunity to pursue something that was just for me and fill up my time in a meaningful way,” she said, adding, “I love teaching writing.”
One thing McCarter is passionate about is connecting writers with each other and with readers. In addition to the conference and literary festival, she has created a writing group, Nouveau Fifty, and mentors writers of all ages one-on-one. Reflecting on this work, she said, “Writers come to writing from all kinds of backgrounds and with a variety of hopes for their writing. Some hope to be published, of course, but just as many want to record family stories or do it for their own pleasure. It is my honor to serve and promote them all.”
Youngsters are natural writers, McCarter said, and she’s seen the evidence in her own pupils: “I see my students use their creativity every day. They invent entire worlds, and it happens authentically. They don’t have to carve out time for it. They don’t get blocked in their creativity. All they need is for adults to get out of their way.”
These young writers are not beset by the worries that often stymie adults, she added: “The worlds they invent are for their own enjoyment. They don’t worry about measuring up to a perceived standard; it’s not about competition or striving for perfection. Somewhere along the line, that gets trained out of us, and we become inhibited.”
She hopes that other writers can find their way back to that early, authentic voice. For herself, McCarter enjoys the freedom writing gives her: “Writing is permission to love those parts of myself, give them the freedom to play again. It’s very liberating when I get out of my own way.”
Interesting in Writing and Learning Opportunities?
Local writers can reach out to McCarter at the Blount County Public Library (bcpl.wir@blounttn.org or https://www.bcfol.org/writer-in-residence/ ).
Other opportunities to connect with writers or find space to write:
Books by local authors are available at Blount’s bookstores: Neighborly Books (1-6 E. Broadway Ave.) and Southland Books and Cafe (1505 E. Broadway Ave.), and in the Bookmark Cafe of the Blount County Public Library (508 N. Cusick St.).