The name Bloodroot Mountain is significant to us for more than one reason. Not only was it the setting of Amy's first novel, it has since become the name of the 17-acre forest farm where our Writers' Studio is located. We began our efforts last year under the title of our annual literary festival, the Laughing Heart Literary Festival. Now that our emphasis (and non-profit Charter) has shifted, and because the name has such significance to us, we’re calling our non-profit organization Bloodroot Mountain.
So, we would like to welcome you to Bloodroot Mountain, and to our updated website, created to keep you informed of our efforts. We have an exciting year ahead as we embark on our first publishing endeavor, Modern Appalachia: A Self-Portrait Series, and roll out our Writer-in-Residence Program. Our festival last year was a wonderful experience for us, and the feedback we received suggests participants shared the same sentiment. We anticipate next summer’s festival to be every bit as meaningful. Once again, as part of the festival, and in partnership with several Appalachian regional universities, we will include scholarship-funded workshop opportunities for a small group of college students. We are also pleased to announce that our inaugural literary prize, the Bloodroot Mountain Book Prize, will be awarded at the 2018 festival as well.
We believe individuals steeped in the mountain geography, culture, and environment throughout Appalachia--South, Central, and North--have so much in common. We’re all formed and informed by the same unique terroir, and our shared sense of place. We hope you’ll join us on our journey, our trek along the Appalachian Trail, as we begin to deepen our roots in a modern Appalachia, and widen our reach for emerging writers from Georgia to Maine, in hopes of inspiring new authors, readers, and communities.
OUR OCTOBER BOOK RECOMMENDATION:
The Art of Loading Brush: New Agrarian Writings
- Wendell Berry
Welcome, Friends, to Bloodroot Mountain,
Trent Thompson
Director
