Vol 22/Issue 5
greater owensboro chamber of commerce
MAY
CHAMBER MATTERS 2024
Rooster Booster, sponsored by New Beginnings, to feature Kentucky Poet Laureate and Grammy Nominee, Silas House The Chamber will host its Rooster Booster breakfast this Thursday, May 2 at 7:30 a.m. at the Owensboro Convention Center (501 West Second Street). The program is sponsored by New Beginnings. The featured speaker will be Silas House, Kentucky Poet Laureate and Grammy nominee.
Reserve your spot now at www.chamber.owensboro.com or by calling the Chamber office at (270) 926-1860 by 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1. COST IN ADVANCE: $15 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members. COST AT THE DOOR: $20 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members.
Silas House
In a world where the prevalence of sexual assault remains an alarming reality, organizations dedicated to providing support and healing are invaluable pillars of strength. One such business, New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services, stands at the forefront of this crucial mission. New Beginnings offers a comprehensive range of support services tailored to the needs of survivors of sexual assault. From immediate crisis intervention to long-term counseling and advocacy, their team of trained professionals provides unwavering support every step of the way. The organization operates on the principle of empowerment, recognizing that each survivor’s journey is unique and deserving of personalized care. At the heart of New Beginnings is a commitment to creating a safe and nurturing environment where survivors can find solace, understanding, and the resources they need to reclaim their lives. Their services encompass trauma-informed therapy, legal advocacy, support groups, and prevention education programs for all ages. Beyond individual support, New Beginnings actively engages with the community to raise awareness, challenge societal norms, and advocate for systemic change to prevent sexual violence. Through partnerships with law enforcement, healthcare providers, and educational institutions, they work tirelessly to promote a culture of consent, respect, and accountability. In a landscape where the effects of sexual assault can be pervasive and enduring, New Beginnings shines as a beacon of hope and healing. Their dedication to survivors’ well-being not only restores dignity but also serves as a testament to the power of compassion and solidarity in overcoming adversity. New Beginnings is in Owensboro with satellite offices in Hartford and Henderson. For more information go to www.nbowensboro.org
Silas House is the nationally bestselling author of the novels–Clay’s Quilt, 2001; A Parchment of Leaves, 2003; The Coal Tattoo, 2005; Eli the Good, 2009; and Same Sun Here (co-authored with Neela Vaswani) 2012, Southernmost (June 2018), and Lark Ascending (September 2022) –as well as a book of creative nonfiction– Something’s Rising, co-authored with Jason Howard, 2009; and three plays. Lark Ascending, a novel set in the near future about a young Appalachian man walking across Ireland with a dog and a mysterious woman after an environmental catastrophe. The novel was a SIBA bestseller and has also been chosen as a Booklist Editor’s Choice, one of Salon’s favorite books of the year, one of Garden and Gun’s selections for Best Southern Books of 2022, and as a top ten most recommended book by independent booksellers across the entire nation in the monthly Indie Next List. House is a former commentator for NPR’s “All Things Considered”. His writing has appeared recently in Time, The Atlantic, Ecotone, The Advocate, Garden and Gun, and Oxford American. He is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the recipient of three honorary doctorates, and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Appalachian Book of the Year, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Lee Smith Award, and many other honors, including an invitation to read at the Library of Congress. Southernmost was a longest finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and appeared on several Best of 2018 lists including The Advocate, Booklist, Paste, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, and others. The book was given the Weatherford Award as well as the Judy Gaines Young Award. House was an executive producer and one of the subjects of the documentary Hillbilly, which is now available on Hulu. The film won the Audience Award from the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Media Award from the Foreign Press Association. As a music journalist House has worked with artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Jason Isbell, Senora May, Leann Womack, Charley Crockett, John R. Miller, and many others. House is also host of the popular podcast “On the Porch”. In 2021 he was the recipient of the Governor’s Award from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear for his service to the arts in his home state. Most recently, Silas House has been awarded the 2023 Southern Book Prize in Fiction for his novel, Lark Ascending. House was chosen for the Duggins Prize, the largest award for an LGBT writer in the nation, and in 2020 he was chosen as the Appalachian of the Year in a nationwide poll and given the Artist Award by Governor Andy Beshear as part of the Governor’s Awards in the Arts. House serves as the NEH Chair of Appalachian Studies at Berea College, on the fiction faculty at the Naslund-Mann School of Creative Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, and as a series editor for Fireside Industries at the University Press of Kentucky. He is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and Spalding University. House, a native of Whitley County and Laurel County, Kentucky, now lives in Lexington.