49th Annual John Fox, Jr. Literary Festival

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Big Stone Gap, VA -- The MECC Foundation is pleased to announce the 49th annual John Fox, Jr. Literary Festival featuring New York Times best-selling author Jeannette Walls, on Wednesday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. The festival is free and open to the public.

 In coordination with the festival event, the MECC Foundation will host the 38th Annual Lonesome Pine Short Story Contest and the 21st Annual Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest. For the first time ever, the MECC Foundation will host a writing contest for elementary age students. The deadline for submitting entries is Monday, February 24 at 4:30 p.m. Entry categories include adult, high school (grades 9 through 12), and middle school (grades 6 through 8) and elementary (K-5) categories.  Contest rules and information about the festival is available on the MECC Foundation website at https://www.mecc.edu/jffestival/. Winners of the contest will be announced during the Literary Festival Event. All winners will receive a cash prize.

 

The 49th Annual John Fox, Jr. festival will have a featured discussion from Walls. Following the presentation, the MECC Foundation will feature a special luncheon with House at the John Fox Jr. home in Big Stone Gap beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the luncheon are $30 and can be ordered by calling the MECC Foundation office at 276-523-7466. Tickets are limited, so please reserve early for this event.

 

Jeannette Walls, who is originally from Phoenix and grew up moving around the country with her family, is the bestselling author of The Glass Castle, a memoir that recounts her dysfunctional and nomadic upbringing. The Glass Castle has been a New York Times bestseller for over eight years and was named one of the top 10 books of the decade by Amazon. In 2017, The Glass Castle was made into a movie starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts. Walls is also the author of two other New York Times bestsellers, The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the best books of 2009 by the New York Times Book Review. Walls was the recipient of the Christopher Award, the Books for Better Living Award, and the American Library Association’s Alex Award. Her newest book, Hang The Moon, was published in March 2023 and was named a LibraryReads Pick for March 2023 and a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Oprah Daily, Elle, and LitHub.

Hailed as one of the world’s most gifted storytellers, Walls has been sharing her remarkable story of resilience and redemption with audiences since The Glass Castle was first published in 2005. Her memoir documents her and her siblings’ unconventional upbringing, detailing a childhood spent in extreme poverty and chaos with parents who, despite their flaws, taught them to embrace life fearlessly. She continues to captivate audiences with her incredible story and offers a unique perspective on how to overcome unimaginable obstacles, confront challenges, and pursue a life of authenticity.

Walls graduated from Barnard College, which she was able to attend through a combination of grants, scholarships, and a year spent answering phones on Wall Street. She has written for New York magazine, Esquire, and MSNBC, and has appeared on The Today Show, Primetime, and The Colbert Report. After many years in New York, Walls currently lives with her husband in rural Virginia.

For more information on the MECC Foundation, please visit our website at www.meccfoundation.org.  

 

Click Here to Download "Finneus Finds His Way."

 38th Annual Lonesome Pine Short Story Contest

Sponsored by Lonesome Pine Arts and Crafts, Inc.

 

CONTEST RULES

 

  • Stories will be accepted in three categories:

Contest Prizes
  Adult High School

(Grades 9-12)

 Middle School

(Grades 5-8)
First Place $200 $150 $100
Second Place $100 $75 $50
Third Place $75 $50 $25

 

 

 
 
 
 



  • Only one (1) short story submission per author is allowed. (Authors may submit one entry in the short story contest AND one entry in the poetry contest.  If you wish to enter both contests, your entries may be submitted together in one envelope, but they must be clearly marked.)
  • Maximum length: 1,700 words.  Submissions must be typed and bound with paper clips (NO STAPLES!).  Entries must be submitted on 8½ x 11  Entries should be written in an easily legible typeface (such as Times New Roman, Arial, etc.).  Please avoid elaborate or cursive typefaces.  Font size should be at least 12 point and no larger than 14 point.
  • Deadline for submission: 4:30 p.m., Monday, February 24, 2025.  Submissions must be postmarked or delivered to the MECC Foundation Offuce in Dalton Cantrell Hall by the deadline.  Late submissions will not be considered.
  • Winners will be invited to accept their awards at the John Fox, Jr. Festival on Wednesday, March 12 2025, at 10 a.m. at a link to be announced.
  • A typed cover page must accompany the story. It should include:
    • Name (Your name should appear ONLY on the cover page and NOT on the story)
    • Complete Address
    • Daytime telephone number
    • Alternate telephone number (if available)
    • Title of the story (Should appear on cover page AND the first page of the story)
    • Number of words in the story
    • Contest Category (adult, high school, or middle school)
    • Name of school (if submitted in the high school or middle school category)
  • DO NOT include any supplemental information with your entry (i.e. biographical data on the author, background information on the story, etc.). These items will NOT be read or considered by contest judges.
  • DO NOT include your name anywhere on the entry, except for the cover page. Judging is anonymous, and all identifying information will be removed from the story prior to judging.
  • Entries placing in the contest (first, second, third, or honorable mention) will be published on the Mountain Empire Community College website and in a booklet to be distributed to attendees at the John Fox, Jr. Festival. By entering the contest, an author consents to these methods of publication.

Elementary Writing Contest

 Students age 6-10 are encouraged to enter the elementary writing contest featuring MECC mascot Finneus the Fox. Let your creativity shine! Students must reply to the following prompt listed below on one sheet of paper, with a minimum of 40 words and not to exceed 250 words. All entries must include student name, student address, and primary contact, name of school, as well as the contest category (elementary). A link to a short story about Finneus and his adventures can be accessed here:

Prompt:

Imagine you are going on an exciting adventure with Finneus the Fox! Where will you go? What challenges will you face? Will you meet new friends or discover something magical?

Write a story about your adventure with Finneus. You can include fun details about the places you visit, the animals you meet, and how you work together to solve problems. Remember to use your imagination and have fun!

 

Prizes for Elementary Writing Contest
  Elementary
First Place $50
Second Place $25
Third Place $15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mail entries to:          

Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest

Attn: Megan Gibson

 Mountain Empire Community College Foundation

3441 Mountain Empire Road

 Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219

Contact: Megan Gibson at (276) 523-9078; e-mail: mgibson@mecc.edu

21st Annual Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest

Sponsored by MECC Foundation Cultural & Humanities Committee

 

CONTEST RULES

 

  • Poetry will be accepted in three categories:
Contest Prizes
  Adult High School

(Grades 9-12)

 Middle School

(Grades 5-8)
First Place $200 $150 $100
Second Place $100 $75 $50
Third Place $75 $50 $25







  • Only one (1) submission per poet is allowed. (Authors may submit one entry in the short story contest AND one entry in the poetry contest.  If you wish to enter both contests, your entries may be submitted together in one envelope, but they must be clearly marked.)
  • Submissions must be typed and bound with paper clips (NO STAPLES!). Entries must be submitted on 8½ x 11  Entries should be written in an easily legible typeface (such as Times New Roman, Arial, etc.).  Please avoid elaborate or cursive typefaces.  Font size should be at least 12 point and no larger than 14 point.
  • Deadline for submission: 4:30 p.m.,Monday, February 24, 2025.  Submissions must be postmarked or delivered to MECC Foundation Office by the deadline.  Late submissions will not be considered.
  • Winners will be invited to accept their awards at the John Fox, Jr. Festival onTuesday, March 11, 2025 at 10 a.m. at a link to be announced.
  • A typed cover page must accompany your poem. It should include:
    • Name (Your name should appear ONLY on the cover page and NOT on the poem)
    • Complete Address
    • Daytime telephone number
    • Alternate telephone number (if available)
    • Title of the poem (Should appear on the cover page AND the first page of the poem)
    • Contest Category (adult, high school, or middle school)
    • Name of school (if submitted in the high school or middle school category)
  • DO NOT include any supplemental information with your entry (i.e. biographical data on the author, background information on the poem, etc.). These items will NOT be read or considered by contest judges.
  • DO NOT include your name anywhere on the entry, except for the cover page. Judging is anonymous, and all identifying information will be removed from the poem prior to judging.
  • Entries placing in the contest (first, second, third, or honorable mention) will be published on the Mountain Empire Community College website and in a booklet to be distributed to attendees at the John Fox, Jr. Festival. By entering the contest, an author consents to these methods of publication. 

Mail entries to:    
  

Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest

Attn: Megan Gibson

Mountain Empire Community College Foundation

3441 Mountain Empire Road

Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219

Contact:  Megan Gibson at (276) 523-9078; e-mail: mgibson@mecc.edu

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