Oak Ridge Today

Friends of Library has authors table, readings at Secret City Festival

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Danita "Dee Dee" Ashley

Danita “Dee Dee” Ashley

The Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library will participate in the Secret City Festival held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, by sponsoring local authors. The authors will be in the Club Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, autographing and selling their books at the following times:

Friday, June 8

  • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Danita “Dee Dee” Ashley; Charles and Beverly Connor
  • 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Connie Green; Carol Grametbauer
  • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Wes Sims

Saturday, June 9

  • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Carol Oen; Judy DiGregorio
  • 12 p.m.-2 p.m.: Shirley Raines; Patricia Hope
  • 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Ray Smith

The featured local authors will read from their work at 15-minute intervals, and they include: [Read more…]

New anthology published, author reading & signing May 6

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In Gods Hand

The Writers of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church have published an anthology, “In God’s Hand,” featuring poems, essays, memoir, and fiction from some of the area’s top writers. Readings from the book will be the program for the Grace Lutheran Church Flower Festival Tea at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6. The readings will be followed by a book sale and autograph session. The book costs $15. All proceeds from the sale will go toward literary scholarships.

The book features 50 writers from seven states, including well-known writers such as KB Ballentine, Bill Brown, Judy DiGregorio, Sue Weaver Dunlap, Penny Dyer, Carol Grametbauer, Connie Jordan Green, Jane Hicks, Elizabeth Howard, Marilyn Kallet, Denton Loving, John C. Mannone, Linda Parsons, Phyllis Price, Jane Sasser, Wes Sims, Kory Wells, Sylvia Woods, and others, many from Oak Ridge and the surrounding area, a press release said.

The Flower Festival celebrates the 70th anniversary of Grace Lutheran Church and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with the theme “For the Beauty of the Earth,” based on the hymn by that name. In addition to the readings, the Flower Festival will feature a flower show, exhibits from Boy and Girl Scouts, children’s activities, a plant swap (all on Saturday 1-4), and a music program in the church sanctuary at 3 p.m. Sunday, the press release said.

Arissa Garden Club of Oak Ridge, a group that meets at Grace, is holding a flower show during the Festival, including both flower arrangements and horticulture specimens. The show will open on Saturday afternoon and remain in place through the music program on Sunday afternoon. [Read more…]

Local author has few more talks on new humor book

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Judy DiGregorio

Judy DiGregorio

Local author Judy DiGregorio has had several talks in Oak Ridge and surrounding areas on her new humor book, “Tidbits,” and she has two remaining. The talks include the following:

  • November 18, 11:30 a.m.—talk at Oak Ridge Women’s Club, First Christian Church, Oak Ridge
  • November 20, 10 to 2 p.m.—signing at Merle Norman Cosmetics, Oak Ridge
  • December 3, 12 p.m.—talk at North Knoxville Rotary, Litton’s, Fountain City
  • December 7, 2 p.m.—talk at Jefferson Middle School
  • December 16, 11 a.m.—talk at Knoxville Writers Group, Naples Restaurant, Knoxville

Judy’s books are available in Oak Ridge at Through the Looking Glass in Jackson Square, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Book Store on North Tulane Avenue, and Unique Design Beauty Salon, 1128 Oak Ridge Turnpike, or you may order one online from Celtic Cat Publishing at http://celticcatpublishing.com/.

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Vocalist, pianist to perform Hispanic music in Coffee Concert on Sunday

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Judy DiGregorio and Vera Maya

Vocalist Judy DiGregorio, left, and pianist Vera Maya will perform Hispanic music during the first Coffee Concert of the season on Sunday. (Submitted photo)

 

The first Coffee Concert of the season will feature a vocalist and pianist performing Hispanic music on Sunday.

Mezzo soprano Judy DiGregorio and pianist Vera Maya will perform Ladino folk songs from Sephardic Jews and works by composers such as Valverde, Granados, Dominguez, Lara, Grever, Sanchez de Fuentes, Padilla, and Lecuona, a press release said.

It’s the first Coffee Concert of the season for the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, and it starts at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, October 26, at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Guest column: The procrastination predicament

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Judy DiGregorio

Judy DiGregorio

When I have less than 24 hours left to meet a writing deadline, I am as jumpy as a kangaroo rat in a room full of cats. Ideas tumble around in my head like bingo balls in a metal cage as I mentally kick myself for procrastinating again.

I don’t procrastinate quite as much in the winter as I do in the spring, when blue skies and balmy breezes tempt me to take long walks at the marina where I can watch the great blue heron fishing along the bank or the rowers skimming across the lake. I also enjoy sitting on my back deck observing the nuthatches, chickadees, and goldfinches. The only thing I don’t enjoy this time of year is parking myself at the computer and writing.

Part of my problem is I write over 50 columns per year, so a deadline dangles in front of me almost every week. I do press releases for the Oak Ridge Playhouse, humor columns for two magazines, and miscellaneous articles for other publications. If I didn’t have deadlines to motivate me, I don’t know if I’d ever write anything. But deadlines don’t prevent me from procrastinating. [Read more…]

Varying Degrees performs final concert at Oak Ridge Library

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Varying Degrees Christmas 2011

Varying Degrees is pictured above during Christmas 2011. From left are Marsha Howard, Betsy Abernathy, Judy DiGregorio, Kathy Gillenwaters, Amy Souleyrette. (Submitted photo)

Varying Degrees—a vocal group composed of Amy Souleyrette, Betsy Abernathy, Judy DiGregorio, Kathy Gillenwaters, and pianist Marsha Howard—will perform their final concert on Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 7-7:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Public Library.

The group has sung together for six years and has appeared on WBIR-TV, “Rock to Bach,” the Tennessee Mountain Writers’ Conference, Holiday Lights at Methodist Medical Center, and numerous area churches and civic groups. The group thanks the public for their past support and invites everyone to come hear their Christmas concert, which is free of charge.

Oak Ridge Playhouse welcomes back ‘Annie,’ this weekend through Dec. 8

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“Little Orphan Annie” may have disappeared from the comic pages of American newspapers, much like newspapers themselves, but her spirited message of hope lives on thanks to Broadway and the beloved musical that bears her name. To kick off the holiday season, she returns to Oak Ridge Playhouse once again.

Boasting one of Broadway’s most memorable scores, including “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” and the ever optimistic “Tomorrow,” the original Broadway production of Annie opened in 1977, winning Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Now produced all over the world, it is ranked among the top 20 longest running shows in Broadway history, and continues to be one of the most successful musicals ever. [Read more…]

DiGregorio among featured storytellers at student writers gala

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Judy DiGregorio

Judy DiGregorio of Oak Ridge will be one of the featured storytellers at the Student Writers Membership Gala on Sept. 14 in Kingston.

Local humorist Judy DiGregorio, along with Elizabeth Rose and Bill Landry, will be among the featured storytellers at the Student Writers Membership Gala sponsored by the Roane County Writers group from 5 to 8 pm Saturday, Sept. 14, at the historic Roane County Courthouse in Kingston.

The fundraiser is for scholarships and the annual Student Writing Contest. The Gala will feature a wine and cheese bar, fire-seared Asian cuisine from WokChow, music by Jeff Nelson and the Sunshine Station Band, and an art exhibition by the Arts Council of Roane County. Attendance is by invitation only and requires a minimum donation of $35. To request an invitation, email [email protected] or call (865) 354-8658 by Sept. 11.

 

Author DiGregorio a special guest at Southern Women Expo this week

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Judy DiGregorio

Judy DiGregorio

Oak Ridge author Judy DiGregorio is one of the special guests for the first-ever Southern Women Expo to be held at the Knoxville Expo Center on Friday and Saturday, a press release said.

DiGregorio is the author of “Life Among the Lilliputians” and “Memories of a Loose Woman” from Celtic Cat Publishing. She also has a CD of humorous stories called “Jest Judy.” Her work has appeared in “The Army Times,” “The Writer,” “ByLine Magazine,” “Chicken Soup Books,” “The Oak Ridger,” and numerous other publications. [Read more…]

Guest column: The tree that keeps on giving

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I looked out the kitchen window one cold March morning and suddenly noticed a new tree standing in our backyard—a six-foot, straggly evergreen with bits of tinsel still clinging desperately to its branches. The tree had not been there the day before. Since we had neither a son named Jack nor any magic beans, we knew one of our mischievous friends had planted the tree.

“I know exactly who did this,” said my husband Dan. “It had to be Danny Sutton. That rascal loves playing practical jokes. Remember the time he took those squirt guns to that wedding?”

Dan soon confirmed that Danny was the culprit, and a new post-holiday tradition began. Each year Danny found a new spot in our yard to deposit his old Christmas tree, and it was often days later before we realized he had done it.

[Read more…]

Humorist DiGregorio a guest on Tennessee Shines radio show Monday

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Judy DiGregorio

Judy DiGregorio

Oak Ridge humorist Judy DiGregorio will be a guest on the Tennessee Shines radio show on Monday night.

It’s her second appearance on the show, which is broadcast on WDVX 89.9 FM from the Knoxville Visitors Center on Gay Street.

DiGregorio is author of “Life among the Lilliputians, “Memories of a Loose Woman,” and “Jest Judy” (on compact disc).

[Read more…]