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August 8, 2007

Breakthrough book

Former Blazer teacher gets collection of poetry published

BY LEE WARD / THE INDEPENDENT

Huntington — While some rarely read poetry, Laura Treacy Bentley gets a daily dose.

“Poetry should be every day, not just at births and deaths and weddings and sentimental occasions,” she said. “People shouldn’t be afraid of it.”

Bentley, a Huntington resident, is the author of the book “Lake Effect,” a collection of poetry published by Bird Dog Publishing, a division of Bottom Dog Press in Huron, Ohio.

One of the first pages of the book acknowledges where many of the poems have already been published and includes such prestigious periodicals as Poetry Ireland Review, Antietam Review, Eureka Literary Magazine and The Prairie Home Companion web site. More locally, she has had poetry published by Wind and the Jesse Stuart Foundation accepted one of her works in a collection of Appalachian love stories.

However, what’s on the cover represents one of the highlights of her writing career: a cover line written by author Ray Bradbury: “Everywhere I look these days no poetry is being written. There is a lot of pretend poetry, but nothing really fine. With this book it makes it very easy for me to say: Laura Bentley, I dub thee poet supreme,” Bradbury writes.

Bentley said she first made contact with Bradbury, author of “The Martian Chronicles,” “Fahrenheit 451” and a host of short stories, anthologies and poetry, by writing him a fan letter.

“He wrote back” she said, adding that he often answers fan letters and maintains correspondence with readers.

A highlight of her career was his asking her to come to California to join him for a reading.

Like many writers, Bentley grew up being an avid reader, coming home with 10 library books at a time as a child.

She majored in English and speech at Marshall University and later earned a master’s degree from the same institution.

She taught English full time for 20 years, including a few years at Paul G. Blazer High School, and is an adjunct professor at Marshall now.

In 2001, her husband became ill, prompting her to cut back her teaching to part time and giving her the opportunity to concentrate on her writing.

Since then, her poetry has been widely published in the United States and Ireland and she’s attended numerous writer’s workshops across the country, including the Hindman Settlement School.

While her publisher markets and sells the book, Bentley has been making appearances to promote it, doing readings and signings in the Tri-State and beyond.

She recently did a signing at Tamarack in Beckley, which sells only arts and crafts by West Virginia artists who must be accepted by a panel of jurors.

She also has finished a novel and is looking for an agent for it.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

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