CHARLESTON— Writer, translator and photographer Randi Ward, a native of Belleville, will be a guest on Three Things at The Clay Center’s Susan Runyan Maier Sculpture Garden September 15, 2021. Three Things: My First, My Favorite, My Future is a live monthly speaker series showcasing three West Virginians who share personal stories about where they started, what they love, and how they envision their futures. The show is produced and hosted by Mountain Stage’s Jeff Shirley. Season 6, Episode 8 also features the CEO of WV Health Right, Dr. Angie Settle, and filmmaker John Nakashima.
Randi Ward first began translating Nordic poetry at the age of 16, while she was an American Field Service exchange student in Norway, and later earned her MA in Cultural Studies from the University of the Faroe Islands. She is a recipient of Shepherd University’s Appalachian Photography Award, and Cornell University Library established the Randi Ward Collection in its Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in 2015. Her work has been featured on Folk Radio UK, National Public Radio, and PBS NewsHour.
Dr. Angie Settle has been the CEO & Executive Director of the WV Health Right Free Clinic / WVRX since 2014. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from Marshall University in 1997 and her Doctorate in Nursing from the University of Alabama in 2014. Dr. Settle’s care for the most vulnerable people continues through her career and community work today. She is involved with the Charleston Rotary Club and Lion’s Club, serves on the Rural Health Association Board, and the Charleston Mayor’s COVID-19 task force.
John Nakashima has produced, directed, shot, and edited documentaries and music programs for West Virginia Public Television since 1977. He has edited five documentaries that have won regional Emmys. His work explores West Virginia culture in the widest sense: visual and performing arts, traditional and modern culture, historical and contemporary issues. The First 1,000 Days (2015) received a regional Emmy and for it Nakashima was also awarded the Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers of WV. In 2013, he was presented the West Virginia Filmmaker of the Year award by the WV Filmmakers Festival.
The Season 6, Episode 8 show of Three Things will begin at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 15. In-person or virtual tickets are $10, and a season pass is also available here. Presented by FestiVALL, Three Things is sponsored by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the University of Charleston, Taylor Books, the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, United Bank, and the Glotfelty Foundation. Other Season 6 guests include Dr. Sherri Young, Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango, Dr. Mark Hornbaker, Newman Jackson, Cheryl Laws, and Delegate Danielle Walker.