Site search
sponsored by
News
ENLARGE
Farris Jones is soliciting poems from northern Nevada poets for a publication sponsored by the Nevada Arts Council.
FERNLEY - Ferris E. Jones (also known as Ed) is becoming good at acquiring grants from The Nevada Arts Council. This is his second year to garner an award, the Jackpot Grant, to publish poetry by Nevada poets.
“Forty-five people vied for three grants through the Nevada Arts Council,” Jones said. “You have to submit a long explanation of what your project is.”
For his efforts, Jones was awarded $600 to publish a book of poetry by northern Nevada poets. He will rely on volunteers to help with the project in order to stretch the money far enough to cover the costs.
Jones used last year’s grant to produce a quarterly brochure, “The Inquisition,” dubbed the “voice of Nevada poets.” The brightly colored publication is offered free in racks inside various establishments, including the Fernley Starbucks store and other sites throughout northern Nevada.
“We have them in nine local cities and libraries as far away as Hawthorne,” Jones said. “When we have a poetry gathering in Fernley it brings people from Reno, Smith Valley, Stagecoach, Yerington, Dayton, Fallon and Wadsworth.”
The poetry reading draws a crowd that fills the local coffee house to capacity, Jones said.
He, along with volunteers, maintains a Web site which is a “non-profit community for poets.” Jones says he didn’t set out to be non-profit, but has not been making a profit on his many projects so far.
With the success of “The Inquisition,” Jones decided to use this year’s Jackpot Grant to produce a book of poetry by local poets and is looking for submission from which he plans to choose works from 50 poets to include in the book.
Currently in the planning stages, Jones says plans are for 100 pages in a soft covered publication. “It may be illustrated,” he added.
Jones started writing around age 16. “It was music first. Lyrics. Songs that were basically poetry,” he said. He kept journals and, 30 years ago, as a student at the University of Nevada Reno, produced his first poetry leaflet.
“It was a crude version of ‘The Inquisition’ during the 80s,” he stated.
In the early 1990s he began to see his pieces published in magazines and periodicals. While working a full-time job, Jones published his first book of poetry in 2004.
Until recently he wrote, “specifically poetry. Now, I’m trying my first attempt at a screen play called ‘The Pool,’” Jones said.
As for the Fernley poetry gatherings, “I’ve been in Fernley eight years. I felt like we needed something to get people together. There was nothing to pool all the local people together and poetry gatherings are relatively inexpensive things to do,” Jones said.
Nevada poets who are interested in submitting their work for publication in the book will receive a free copy of the finished product if their work is selected for print. The book will be launched at Starbucks in Fernley during a March poetry gathering. It will be for sale on Amazon.com, lulu.com and barnesandnoble.com. Other items Jones is involved with are on Cafepress.com/ferrisjones where poetry and Lyon County-related products such as T-shirts, mugs and hats are available.
Submissions are open from January 1 to February 15. Mail manuscripts to: The Inquisition, P.O. Box 257, Fernley, NV, 89408.
For more information, visit the Web site www.theinquisitionpoetry.com, or contact Jones at ferris_jones@sbcglobal.net.
“Forty-five people vied for three grants through the Nevada Arts Council,” Jones said. “You have to submit a long explanation of what your project is.”
For his efforts, Jones was awarded $600 to publish a book of poetry by northern Nevada poets. He will rely on volunteers to help with the project in order to stretch the money far enough to cover the costs.
Jones used last year’s grant to produce a quarterly brochure, “The Inquisition,” dubbed the “voice of Nevada poets.” The brightly colored publication is offered free in racks inside various establishments, including the Fernley Starbucks store and other sites throughout northern Nevada.
“We have them in nine local cities and libraries as far away as Hawthorne,” Jones said. “When we have a poetry gathering in Fernley it brings people from Reno, Smith Valley, Stagecoach, Yerington, Dayton, Fallon and Wadsworth.”
The poetry reading draws a crowd that fills the local coffee house to capacity, Jones said.
He, along with volunteers, maintains a Web site which is a “non-profit community for poets.” Jones says he didn’t set out to be non-profit, but has not been making a profit on his many projects so far.
With the success of “The Inquisition,” Jones decided to use this year’s Jackpot Grant to produce a book of poetry by local poets and is looking for submission from which he plans to choose works from 50 poets to include in the book.
Currently in the planning stages, Jones says plans are for 100 pages in a soft covered publication. “It may be illustrated,” he added.
Jones started writing around age 16. “It was music first. Lyrics. Songs that were basically poetry,” he said. He kept journals and, 30 years ago, as a student at the University of Nevada Reno, produced his first poetry leaflet.
“It was a crude version of ‘The Inquisition’ during the 80s,” he stated.
In the early 1990s he began to see his pieces published in magazines and periodicals. While working a full-time job, Jones published his first book of poetry in 2004.
Until recently he wrote, “specifically poetry. Now, I’m trying my first attempt at a screen play called ‘The Pool,’” Jones said.
As for the Fernley poetry gatherings, “I’ve been in Fernley eight years. I felt like we needed something to get people together. There was nothing to pool all the local people together and poetry gatherings are relatively inexpensive things to do,” Jones said.
Nevada poets who are interested in submitting their work for publication in the book will receive a free copy of the finished product if their work is selected for print. The book will be launched at Starbucks in Fernley during a March poetry gathering. It will be for sale on Amazon.com, lulu.com and barnesandnoble.com. Other items Jones is involved with are on Cafepress.com/ferrisjones where poetry and Lyon County-related products such as T-shirts, mugs and hats are available.
Submissions are open from January 1 to February 15. Mail manuscripts to: The Inquisition, P.O. Box 257, Fernley, NV, 89408.
For more information, visit the Web site www.theinquisitionpoetry.com, or contact Jones at ferris_jones@sbcglobal.net.
