Reflections on the New River

From its headwaters in western North Carolina near the Tennessee line, the New River runs north 337 miles, cutting through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia on its way to the Ohio. No big cities inhabit its banks—just a few small towns along the way—and it carries no significant commercial traffic. The age of the New is debated, but it is certainly one of the world’s oldest rivers, predating the Atlantic Ocean. This anthology assembles history, poetry, essays and stories by writers who have been inspired by the ancient and secluded stream, and from those whose lives are connected to its flow. Contributors hail from Ashe, Alleghany, Watauga and Wilkes counties in North Carolina, as well as Virginia and West Virginia.

Chris Arvidson is a writer who has worked in land and water conservation. She lives in West Jefferson, North Carolina.

Scot Pope is a photographer, musician and writer. He lives in Creston, North Carolina.

Julie E. Townsend has taught writing for twenty-three years at UNC-Charlotte and Appalachian State University. She lives in Fleetwood, North Carolina.

Edited by Chris Arvidson, Scot Pope and Julie E. Townsend

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 196
Bibliographic Info:
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9590-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1953-8
Imprint: McFarland

Preface  1
Scot Pope: Silver Sisters 3 • Ode to the New 4 • The Old 5
Clyde Edgerton: Would You Do a Little Something for Me? 7
Becky Mason Stragand: The New Point of View 10
Janet C. Pittard: Gathering Memories 17
Suzanne Moore: Finding a New Life 24
Tammy Wahpeconiah: Catch and Release 31
Tim Thornton: Except in Whispers 33
Joseph Bathanti: Near Fayette Station 40
Naomi Faw: Time Traveling 41
Patricia D. Beaver: Headwaters and Borderlands 48
Jasmene Braden: Another Day in the Office 56
Kathryn Z. Birgel: Lucky Am I 61
Chris Arvidson: Marigold 62
Ken Burrows: Almost Heaven 69
Evalynn Halsey: River Dreams 75
Ron Joyner: Between the Rivers of Heaven and Earth 77 • Music of the Waters 82
Sandra Lake Lassen: Coming Home 86
Barbara Presnell: Healing Waters 90
Nancy Zoppi: Piece of Mind 96 • Ancient Water 96 • Telling Stories 97
Cat Pleska: Wild and Wonderful 99
Jim Minick: Because in the Village of Where 105
Rebecca Gummere: The Stone 106
Diana Renfro: Not for Sale 111
Ann Goethe: The River: Polar Vortex 116
Kelly McCoy: RiverGirl 119
John G. MacConnell: Really … Thirty Three Billion Molecules? 122
Caroline Kane Kenna: Between the Bridges 130
Barbara Kidd Lawing: River Speak 135
Sam Shumate: Ramblings 142
Annehart Herrick: Blue Heron on South Fork 149 • The Canadians 150
Russ Halberstadt: Easier to Dig 152
Melissa Edmondson: Keep Moving 157
Ann Gilbert: Small and Mighty 161
Sarah Wadsworth: A Serious Relationship 164
Julie E. Townsend: Foot Dunking 171
Henry Doss: Not So Different 174
About the Contributors  183: :