Coffee Night poetry and prose reading at UVa-Wise April 5

The community is invited to join the Jimson Weed literary journal and the Department of Language and Literature at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise on Tuesday, April 5, for Coffee Night, a reading/performance event dedicated to the poetry and prose of campus and community creative writers.

Coffee Night begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel of All Faiths and continues until 8:30 p.m. The spring 2005 issue of the Jimson Weed also will be premiered.

Featured presenter Rita S. Quillen, an Appalachian poet, will read some of her recent poetry and excerpts from her new novel, Finding Ezra. A native of Scott County, Quillen is the author of October Dusk, Counting the Sums, and Looking for Native Ground: Contemporary Appalachian Poetry, a critically acclaimed study of contemporary Appalachian poets. Quillen's work has been featured in many periodicals and anthologies. Her most recent publication "Five Poems" appears in the Anthology of Southern Appalachian Women Writers and her personal essay "Counting the Sums" is included in the award-winning Bloodroot: Appalachian women Writers. She has also contributed an entry on "A History of Appalachian Stereotypes" to the Encyclopedia of Appalachia. Her short story, Elizabeth's Lovelife, earned an honorable mention in the Harriette Arnow Short Story competition of the Appalachian Writer's Association in 2002.

Quillen received her master's degree from East Tennessee State University and has taught literature, writing, and creative writing at ETSU-Kingsport Center, Northeast State Technical Community College, and Mountain Empire Community College. Currently, she is associate professor of English at MECC.

Chancellor Emeritus Joseph Smiddy, an eminent Appalachian musician, will be an honored guest presenter and will bring his music to the event. Coffee Night also features "Spring Highland Voices: Writers and Performers of the College and Community," including Jeanie Brehl, Peyton Russo, Pamela Gilmer, Neva Hamilton, Billie Jean Scott, John Reeves, Roger Hagy, Jr., Stephanie Tolliver, David Johnson, Sarah Gilliam, Erin Dalton, Kara Dalton, Casey Zaczek, Madeline Flannery-Kincer, Jesse Baker, and more.

For more information, contact the Office of College Relations at (276) 328-0130.