Presnell poetry book, play document work in Asheboro’s textile mills

Life and work in Asheboro’s textile mills are the focus of a series of events in October built around Asheboro native Barbara Presnell’s book of poetry Piece Work.

Presnell will read from her work at a reception sponsored by the Friends of the Library, 7 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at the Randolph Arts Guild’s Sarah Smith Self Gallery. The reception is free and the public is invited.

Then, Randolph Community College will host the Touring Theatre Ensemble of North Carolina’s dramatization of Piece Work, 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, at the RCC Auditorium. A discussion led by Presnell, Touring Theatre Artistic Director Brenda Schleunes and the cast will follow.

The performance is free; seats can be reserved by calling 633‐0244 (leave your name, phone number and number of tickets required) or at www.2009piecework.eventbrite.com.

Meanwhile, library’s Senior Book Club will discuss Piece Work at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 15, at the Asheboro library.

Based loosely on the textile manufacturing plant where Presnell’s father worked until his death in 1969, Piece Work uses the voices of workers to tell the story of an industry that once flourished in the region, shaping the lives of people who worked in the plant as well as those who lived among them, and chronicles the industry's demise in the early 2000s.

A portion of the poems was awarded the 2004 Linda Flowers Prize from the North Carolina Humanities Council. The full collection won the 2006 Cleveland State University (CSU) Poetry Center’s First Book Prize, and was published by CSU in 2007.

Presnell, whose poetry has appeared in many journals and anthologies, now lives in Lexington.

The Touring Theatre’s adaptation of Piece Work premiered in May at the Greensboro Historical Museum. The Greensboro‐based troupe is a non‐profit, professional theatre company that produces original productions based on literature and historical documents.