KNOXVILLE, TN – Sundress Academy for the Arts, a branch of Sundress Publications, will be hosting an event devoted to Writing and Cooking the South, which will take place on Saturday, May 31, 2014 from 1:00PM – 7:00PM. A multi-genre workshop, the event will focus on the elements of what is considered “Southern” writing. Participants will discover how to incorporate elements of Southern mythos and history into their own storytelling. The workshop will be followed by a cooking demo that includes a number of traditional dishes from various regions of the American South. Participants will then enjoy a three-course dinner where they can sample the prepared recipes. The cost for this day-long workshop is $75.00.
Novice and advanced cooks and writers are welcome. The event is an opportunity for writers to integrate the rich mythologies and histories of the American South into their work and share a meal of traditional and re-imagined food. Participants will have the chance to learn from experienced and talented writers, including Dr. Erin Elizabeth Smith and Dr. Rhonda Lott.
Erin Elizabeth Smith is the Creative Director at the Sundress Academy for the Arts and the author of two full-length collections, The Fear of Being Found (Three Candles Press, 2008) and The Naming of Strays (Gold Wake Press, 2011). Her poems have appeared in numerous journals, including Mid-American, 32 Poems, Zone 3, Gargoyle, Tusculum Review, and Crab Orchard Review. She earned her PhD in Creative Writing at the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi and teaches a bit of everything in the English Department at the University of Tennessee. She also serves as the managing editor of Sundress Publications and Stirring.
Rhonda Lott, an alumna of the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi, recently earned her doctorate in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry from Texas Tech University. She has worked with Sundress Publications since 2008 as both an editor and artist-in-residence with contributions of poetry broadsides and book covers. Her writing has appeared internationally and locally in a variety of venues, including Hayden’s Ferry Review, cream city review, and The Los Angeles Review, as well as the Knoxville Film Festival 7-Day Shootout.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot today! The only requirements are a laptop and an appetite!