An Evening at the Roanoke Regional writers Conference

Teacher-writer Cathy Hankla addresses at attentive crowd at the opening session.

Roanoke writer Roland Lazenby (who has 60 books) gives the keynote.

Sarah Beth and Rob Jones talk to writer Neil Sagebiel of Floyd.

Free lunch draws a crowd.

Scholarship winners Laura Hawley (left, first) and Ashley Westmoreland flank their new favorite editr.

Hollins President Nancy Gray.

Roland and Cathy after their talks. Pretty people.

Cathy gets help with her presentation from Vanna Smith.

Some news guys just don't know when to quit.

Lovely Laura Hawley accepts scholarship ...

... from last year's winner Elizabeth Markham.

In the peanut gallery were Susan Ayers (left) and Janeson Keeley chatting.

Roland swears it was this big.

The opening volley of the Fifth Roanoke Regional Writers Conference went off with an enthusiastic crowd and a couple of marvelous tonight at Hollins. Writer and Hollins Professor Cathy Hankla opened the session with a lively talk and author Roland Lazenby talked about the high-end book business, where he dwells.

The conference sold out for the second straight year and gets into its 23 classes and roundtable discussion tomorrow. This is one of the truly fun events of the year for me. See you there.

(Photos by Rob Jones of No B.S. in Floyd and me. Thanks, Rob.)