Since the last issue of this literary magazine, Ligonier Valley Writers hosted authors Faith Adele, Kirk Nesset, Ellen McGrath Smith, and Karen Williams in the Fred Rogers Center at St. Vincent College and celebrated local authors and their recent publications at a reception and book sale at Ligonier Valley Library. We held readings for our Flash Fiction winners and honored Student Poetry Contest winners, their teachers, and their families at events at Barnes & Noble. The student readings, prizes, certificates, and keepsake booklets of all winning poems have become very popular and enable us to build a community of future readers and writers.
LVW is partnering with the Ligonier Valley YMCA to conduct a series of writers’ workshops. The Y received one of only twelve prestigious national grants from YMCA-USA to present “Writer’s Voice” as a community outreach for adults and children. The nine-part series taught by LVW members includes How to Write Ghost Stories, Storyboarding the Hero's Journey, Writing Poetry, Memoir Writing for adults and teens, Practical Writing (Essays and Letters), Playwriting (Mysteries), Research: CSI for Writers, Hands-On CSI for Kids, and Family Round Robin Storytelling.
Thanks to director Rebecca Dunn, author Mary Ann Mogus, and a host of dedicated actors and crew, our Mystery Dinner Theater expanded to two performances. Because this fundraiser supports the cost of The Loyalhanna Review, we are still able to bring the publication to you free of charge.
With assistance from the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library and The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, LVW presented Oprah Book Club author Tawni O’Dell for a wonderfully well-received talk, book signing, and reception held at Westmoreland County Community College.
We have continued to reach out to area art organizations and provide the opportunity for artists to showcase their work in our publication. Held at Latrobe Art Center, our publication party honors both artists and authors.
This year our annual summer Writers’ Conference at Ligonier Camp and Conference Center will bring four multiple award-winning authors to our community: Anahita Firouz for fiction, Chris O’Toole for nonfiction feature articles, Jan Beatty for poetry, and Greg Joseph of The Clarks for songwriting.
None of these wonderful events could take place without the financial support and dedicated efforts of our members. We hope you will join our membership. Help Ligonier Valley Writers look forward to next year, when we will be celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary.
Ruth McDonald, Editor in Chief, Loyalhanna Review
