Ponies, Parentage and Promise: Writing the American Western from a Southern Skyline Writing Workshop
“Ponies, Parentage, and Promise: Writing the American Western from a Southern Skyline” is presented by Thomas Eaton on May 17 at 4:00 pm in the Fayetteville Public Library, Henry Board Room. Registration is required; the workshop is free.
The American South and the American West—not so different. The South knows its Great War; the West fought other wars. We will explore the connections between the southern soldier and the western pioneer, identify the enemy, and find the romance that exists in both cultures by looking at their respective landscapes and original value systems. In the process of reexamining the southern soldier and western pioneer, we’ll develop new writing tools and explore different story-building techniques.
Thomas Eaton, a fourth-generation Wyoming native known for writing American Gothic Realism, focuses on the American West and rural America as it attempts to blend the past with the present. He has authored several short stories, including traditional western fiction in Rough Country, Showdown, The American West E-zine, and is author of Stories from Mission County. His latest work, Why I Can’t Leave Shadyville Court will be released in 2017. He was recognized in the 2001 National William Faulkner Short Story Competition for his short story, “Antelope,” and a two-time award winner from Journey’s Magazine for fiction. His western work includes four traditional western short stories, “Nellie Parker Weeps to the Moon,” “Give the Devil a Daisy,” Duel at Finger Rock,” and “The Zippo Man.” Eaton has been named the fiction judge for the 2017 Wyoming Writers Conference. He resides in Little Rock during the academic year and on his family ranch in Wyoming during the summers. The four thousand acre ranch celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2016 under the same family brands.
The workshop is free; registration is required with online registration beginning May 1, 2017.
Nancy Hartney
Nancy Hartney writes fiction, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction articles. Her full bio can be found at NancyHartney.com.