Join us for our upcoming Literary Open Mic featuring two of Berea’s authors, Bernard Clay and Rachel Burnside.

Kentucky native Bernard Clay grew up in Louisville. He has spent years developing a deep appreciation of the state's unique natural and urban areas. Bernard is a member of the Affrilachian Poets collective. His work can be found in various journals and anthologies. He currently lives on Scorpion Hollow Farm in eastern Kentucky with his herbalist partner Lauren, founder of Resilient Roots, where he homesteads and continues writing.

Rachel is a screenwriter, filmmaker, and musician. Her written works have received high recognition from the Chicago Screenplay Awards and the San Diego Movie Awards. Since she was very young, she has enjoyed the art of storytelling in many forms and was introduced to scriptwriting in a college class. After completing her B.A. in Theatre from Berea College, she obtained her law degree from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and is now a licensed attorney in Kentucky.