Poet and Playwright Laura Still to Appear at Guild Meeting

     Knoxville poet and playwright Laura Still will be exploring two recent literary endeavors at the March 4 meeting of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild.
     Still will be reading from her collection of poetry, Guardians. The author will also be relating her journey with the book – how it had come about, its theme, design and the process of editing it.
     The remainder of Still’s Guild appearance will be centered on her latest project, Acts of the Apostles, a teaching manual for children’s drama workshops.
     The meeting, which will be open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. at the Laurel Theater, at the corner of Laurel Avenue and 16th Street (in Fort Sanders). A $1 donation is requested at the door. The building is handicapped accessible.
     Laura Still’s Guardians was released this past fall by Celtic Cat Publishing. A work decidedly personal and spiritual in tone, it has proved inspiring, garnering high praise from noted local writers. Marianne Worthington: “Laura Still’s debut collection of poems shimmers like a painting; her word canvas is color-driven with themes of light and shadow that contour a sense of wonder and mystery.” Marilyn Kallet: “Generous, accessible, and unaffected, these poems are like little phoenixes …. Each one of them celebrates the spirit’s victory—art’s victory—over loss and sorrow. Each object, moment, and event is wrapped tenderly in the lyrical weave of redemptive song.” Don Williams: “This is a beautiful gathering of poems. They lift the heart and eyes to numinous windows lit with voice, spirit, grace.”
     While working on Guardians, Laura Still embarked upon Acts of the Apostles, which has just been published by Stony River Media. The book features 25 one-act plays for children, all written by Still and based on Bible stories and themes.
     Complementing this assemblage are various instructional offerings for those who lead theatrical groups for young people. These informative elements encompass the setting up of a drama room, the making of costumes, props and stage sets, and an array of teaching tips.
     Laura Still’s involvement with children and the theater has been both passionate and longstanding. A mother of two, Still has taught Sunday school for 18 years and she has been a drama workshop leader for the Church Street United Methodist Church the past eight years. Apart from her church, Still has served as a stage manager for the Tennessee Stage Company.
     Still’s creativity and commitment to the arts have been expressed in a rich and varied manner, extending well beyond the footlights. She is a member of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild, having served as its treasurer, a workshop instructor, and a judge of its Young Writers’ Poetry Prize.
     Her poems have been published in numerous Guild anthologies; she has been a frequent contributor to the literary journal New Millennium Writings; and her first feature article, “An Angel Above Us,” appeared in the 2009 holiday issue of Cityview magazine.
     Guardians and Acts of the Apostles highlight what has been an especially productive period for the multi-talented Laura Still. During her March Guild appearance, she’ll be covering issues related to each of these volumes: voice, criticism, time management, work habits, and the value of a deadline; it is her hope these topics will generate questions and discussion from listeners. Those in attendance will most certainly be illuminated by Still’s literary discourse – and moved by her personal readings.