About the Conference

Exploring the theme “A Sense of Place," small select groups of conference attendees experience working under the guidance of notable writers. Founded in 2016 as a partnership between the Transylvania County Library and Brevard College, the annual conference consists of writing workshops for select participants and public readings by the workshop leaders free to the community.

The Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference is sponsored by the Transylvania County Library Foundation and Brevard College.

Our Mission

The Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference (LGRWC) is a unique creative experience for writers which aspires to foster reading, writing, creativity, and a sense of place in Transylvania County.

The Transylvania County Library is a vital, trusted source for discovery, inspiration, and innovation at the heart of a community that celebrates learning, creativity, and curiosity.

Brevard College provides an experiential liberal arts education that encourages personal growth and inspires artistic, intellectual, and social action.

As partners, Brevard College and the Transylvania County Library Foundation seek to enrich the cultural and educational life of Transylvania County by nurturing and developing the LGRWC. Through intensive community-building creative workshops and public readings, the LGRWC will offer Transylvania County residents the opportunity to interact with renowned authors, engage in meaningful conversation about writing and place, and strengthen ties across generations by reaching out to the diverse population of Transylvania County.

Our People

Conference Director - Alyse Bensel

Alyse Bensel is an assistant professor of English at Brevard College, where she directs the Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference. She is the author of Rare Wondrous Things: A Poetic Biography of Maria Sibylla Merian (Green Writers Press, 2020), and three chapbooks, including Lies to Tell the Body (Seven Kitchens Press, 2018). She serves as Poetry Editor for Cherry Tree.

transylvania county Library Director - Rishara Finsel

Rishara Finsel was raised in Bat Cave, NC. She attended Berea College where she received her undergraduate degree in Art and Industrial Technology Management, and UNC Greensboro where she received her Master’s in Library and Information Science. Most recently Rishara served as the Director of the Polk County Public Library, and she previously worked as the Senior Librarian for Public Services at the Flathead County Library System/ImagineIF Libraries in western Montana.

Conference Brevard College STUDENT ASsISTANTS - TBA

Young Writers’ Conference STAFF

James Everett (Poetry Workshop)
Adam Mills (Nonfiction Workshop)
Jessie Tucker

Application Readers

Margaret Brown, Professor of History, Brevard College
Susan Chambers, Reference Librarian, Transylvania County Library
James Everett, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Brevard College
Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Brevard College
Adam Mills, Assistant Professor of English, Brevard College
Joshua Wilkey, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Student Success, Brevard College