“I’ve been going to Clarksdale for years, to listen to the blues, visit friends, gather material for writing, and to re-charge. In 2012 I invited two writer friends to join me there, for work and play. In December 2012 I met up with Elizabeth Stuckey-French and Nance Van Winckel for a week at Seven Chimneys. We stayed in the absolutely charming “shacks,” as they are called. Each one is unique and cozy, with handmade quilts and original art. We walked on the levee on the Mississippi River, an ever-changing visual delight. We had many fine meals in town and as the guests of Shonda Warner in the main house at Seven Chimneys. And each frosty morning we made a pot of coffee and set to work. Nance was working on EVER YRS, a novel in prose and photos. Elizabeth and I were working on a collaborative project, WHERE WICKED STARTS, a Young Adult novel. It’s testimony to the supportive solitude we found at Seven Chimneys that both projects were published in the fall of 2014. EVER YRS was published by Twisted Roads Publications. WHERE WICKED STARTS was published by Lacewing Books. In addition to our own work, we volunteered to teach an afternoon writing workshop for teens at Griot, an after school program in Clarksdale. The students surprised us with their brilliant rap messages. We enjoyed giving back to the community.”
-Patricia Henley, author of HUMMINGBIRD HOUSE, a finalist for the National Book Award