Stumptown, WV – Established in 1977, West Virginia Writers, Inc. is the largest all-volunteer, writers’ resource and service organization serving literary interests in West Virginia. Founded on the fundamental principle that the written word is one of the most distinguishing characteristics of all human endeavors, the group’s aim is to expand and develop creative writing and professional opportunities for writers and to connect the state’s writers with others in the literary community and the public at large.
On July 1, 2023, local writer and artist, Lisa Hayes-Minney joined the board of WV Writers, Inc. as 2nd Vice-President. In this position, she supports and coordinates the regional representatives of the organization and helps the organization’s president and 1st Vice-President. Minney has served as the representative for Region 1 (Clay, Gilmer, Braxton, Roane, Calhoun), for the past six years, and has been a member of the organization off and on for the last 25 years.
“I am honored and thrilled to join the board of WV Writers,” Minney said. “The organization respects diversity, embraces inclusion, and works to encourage and empower writers of all ages, levels, and walks of life. It is a wonderful group of people linked by a love for writing, and I welcome anyone interested in writing to join.”
Minney is an award-winning writer involved in the local writing community for three decades. She has been recognized with multiple awards from the WV Press Association and WV Writers, Inc. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from WV Wesleyan College, a BA in Written English and a minor in Journalism from Glenville State University, and an associate degree in liberal arts from Washington State Community College in Marietta, Ohio.
Lisa was a recipient of the Linda Culp Memorial Scholarship Women’s Opportunity Fund from the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, and volunteers for that organization now as well. In the past, her community service has also included commitments to AmeriCorps, Mid-Ohio Valley Edibles, Rush Run CEOS, and the National Weather Service. Minney is currently a member of WV Writers, Inc., the Nonfiction Author’s Association, and the Appalachian Writers Association.
Minney was a member of the Calhoun-Gilmer Writer’s Group, led the Friendly Fonts Writer’s Group, presented the first Literary Fair in Gilmer County, and helped launch the Little Kanawha Reading Series. Her publication, Two-Lane Livin’ Magazine, presented and celebrated a community of columnists for a decade. Her work has been published in Wonderful West Virginia, GreenPrints Magazine, Goldenseal Magazine, Memoir Magazine, Entropy Magazine, and other periodicals. She was a regular columnist for The Hur Herald, The Calhoun Chronicle, and Two-Lane Livin’.
Lisa’s nonfiction essays have been selected for two anthologies, “Mountains Upon Mountains: New Appalachian Nature Writing” from West Virginia University Press and “Feminine Rising: Voices of Power & Invisibility” from Cynren Press. Minney’s books, “Life in the Slow Lane,” and “Essays of Empathy,” as well as her artwork, are available for purchase at twolanestudio.com. Her written work currently appears online at twolanelivin.com and in print in The Trader’s Guide.
More information about WV Writers, Inc., membership options, annual conferences, and writing contests are available at wvwriters.org. More information about Lisa Minney is available at https://lhayesminney.net
