Spinning Toward the Sun: Essays on Writing, Resilience, & the Creative Life

by Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Sean Petrie, Erin Entrada Kelly

A guidebook for creatives

Featuring contributions from a diverse group of over 30 nationally-celebrated authors and Western NC powerhouse creatives, Spinning Toward the Sun offers insights on persevering in the creative journey, along with specifics about craft.

100% of proceeds to Hurricane Helene recovery

With all of its proceeds donated to Beloved Asheville and World Central Kitchen, Spinning also serves as a heartfelt act of solidarity, of how we can all play a role in helping heal our communities — and each other — when we need it most.

286 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2025

About the author

Nora Shalaway Carpenter's novels and anthologies have been named "Best of the Year" by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Bank Street Books, and A Mighty Girl, and have won accolades including the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, the Whippoorwill Award for authentic rural fiction, and the Nautilus Award championing "better books for a better world." She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and serves as faculty for the Highlights Foundation's Whole Novel Workshop and Intro to Short Fiction class. Learn more at noracarpenterwrites.com.

Reviews

[Jessica Rinker · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a contributor to this inspiring anthology, I'm obviously biased, but this is such a unique combination of craft lessons, reflections on life and writing, and more. There's quite literally something for everyone inside. What an honor to not only be along a very talented group of creators, but to help serve a community in need, as 100% of the proceeds from this book are going to two organizations helping in Asheville, NC's recovery after Hurricane Helene. For anyone who has not been in a major disaster (I've been in a couple, myself), the recovery and rebuilding process goes far beyond what you will ever see in the news. So, please support this cause, buy a copy for yourself or as a gift for someone who is a writer, or is interested in writing, or needs a little hug from an incredibly giving community. It's why we all came together, to do a little something in a situation that feels like there is no way to help. And huge thanks to Nora and Sean (and all the others) who made it happen. Now, here's to selling a million copies!

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is a fundraiser for those affected by Hurricane Helene, with a number of writers submitting essays about a variety of perspectives on the writing life.