New River college sets fall Appalachian writing class

New River Community and Technical College will offer an Appalachian Folklore and Heritage Writing class at its Nicholas County Campus in Summersville, West Virginia, on Thursday evenings beginning Sept. 16, 2021, from 6 to 8 p.m.

At the conclusion of the five-week course, participants will receive a bound, hard-back book of the stories written in the class, according to instructor Barbara Crawford.

“Geographical isolation in the Appalachian Mountains created an area of unsurpassed beauty and a people with a rich cultural history,” Crawford said.

“Before the advent of highways, formal schooling, medical advancements, the weather channel and certainly the internet, communities had to be attentive to signs of things to come and lessons learned from past occurrences.

“A need to understand natural phenomenon was woven with the native intelligence of the people from this region that led to a beautiful tapestry often referred to as folklore.”

Tuition for the class is $100, plus $25 for a copy of the book, and preregistration is required by Sept. 9, 2021.

“The class will collect folklore indicative to our region, attempt to understand the collected samples, and compile these regional treasures into a book. Original artwork, photographs, and family anthologies may also be submitted as components of the book,” Crawford said.

Visit www.newriver.edu/community for more information on upcoming classes or register for the course or contact Gloria Kincaid (304-793-6101, gkincaid@newriver.edu).

New River’s Workforce Education Division provides community education classes and employable educational opportunities including noncredit courses, workforce development programs, and customized training.