The recently-published anthology, 27 Views of Wilmington: The Port City in Prose and Poetry, compiles literary pieces from 27 accomplished, local writers – in addition to an introduction by Celia Rivenbark. It’s produced by Eno Publishers -- a very small non-profit that puts out about two books a year. 27 Views of Wilmington is the last in the 27 Views series, which now has eight different editions, spotlighting Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Asheville, Raleigh, and Greensboro – among others.
In writing about the collection, Ben Steelman of the StarNews said, “This book is a tribute to the depth of our literary bench.”
On this edition of CoastLine, we meet three members of that bench.
Rhonda Bellamy is the Executive Director of the Arts Council in Wilmington and New Hanover County. She co-founded the Black Arts Alliance and the North Carolina Black Film Festival, and she has authored and edited three books. Prior to her work with the Arts Council, she served as News Director for Cumulus Broadcasting and hosted a daily talk show.
Dr. Jim Leutze is probably best known locally for his service as Chancellor of UNCW from 1990 to 2003. He created an international affairs program on PBS called Globe Watch, was a member of the North Carolina Progress Board, and is the author of Entering North Carolina Set Clocks Back 100 Years, a political history of the state.
Dana Sachs is a former journalist and the author of several books of fiction and nonfiction, including The House on Dream Street and The Secret of the Nightingale Palace. She made a film documentary with her sister, Lynne Sachs, about postwar Vietnam. And she writes Lunch with a Friend, a regular feature in Salt magazine.
