Ross Ballard II,  WV’s only audiobook producer,  giving his presentation Saturnday morning

When I first started out in the Library School at the University of Minnesota in Sept. 1977, lots of film friends asked me why I did that rather than go to a film school, etc. I told them that I loved books as much as I love film. This year I once again attended the WV Book Festival, spending two hours on Saturday at the WVLC booth. I arrived at 9:45 am to attend my first event, leaving around 3 PM. Below are some of the photos I took. Even though the attendance seemed low, I thought the events were as good as ever, and unfortunately, I was unable to attend all of the ones I really wanted to…including Terry Lively presenting her book/film, “Crossings – Bridge Building in West Virginia” and several others.

Wess and Nickey Harris, publishers of William C. Blizzard’s When Miners March, talking to customers. Ross Ballard, top, created the fantastic audiobook version of Blizzard’s landmark book

 

New director of WVU Press, Carrie Mullen, and Dr. Rebecca Bailey, at the WVU Press booth. Dr. Bailey wrote the just published book,  ”Matewan – Before the Massacre.”

Kathryn and Davitt McAteer in front of the WVU Press booth. McAteer wrote award-winning book on the greatest mine disaster in US history, Monongah 1907

David Schau, West Virginia librarian at Kanawha County Public Library, introduced McAteer before his presentation. Schau is responsible for ordering all books, films, etc. about West Virginia for the largest public library system in the state

Jim Haught, editor of The Charleston Gazette, wrote a new book, “Fascinating West Virginia.” Haught was the WVLA Author of the Year several years ago, compiling an amazingly productive list of books besides his decades-long work as a reporter and editor at West Virginia’s largest newspaper. I programmed my first WV film series with him and the Unitarian Fellowship in Charleston, starting around 1979

Jim Haught visiting the WVLC booth on Saturday

Carol Campbell, introducer for Ann Pancake, of “Strange As This Weather Has Been.”  Ann and her sister Catherine created one of WV’s landmark films on MTR, “Black Diamonds.” I mailed two films about their distant relative Breece Pancake to Catherine this summer. Hopefully the Pancake sisters will be able to make a good film about one of WV’s most intense authors someday

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