Dear Literary Folk,

Again, I have sad news to offer. Our dear friend David Bromige, poet, teacher, mentor, trickster and artist extraordinaire, passed away yesterday, June 3. To Cecelia and family, the thoughts and heartfelt sympathy of the literary community are with you. David’s remarkable career and his wide influence on so many writers earned him a place of honor and esteem all our minds and hearts.

To read the many comments and tributes from the writers who knew David, and to leave a comment of your own, visit this link: http://bromige.wordpress.com/memories-thoughts-reflections/.

To read more about David’s life and work, here are some links:

David Bromige 1933-2009

http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/05.27.09/lit-0921.htm

http://bromige.wordpress.com

http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/bromige/

Photo by Rychard Denner

Dear Literary Folk,

As you know, I’m going to be taking a break from producing the Literary Update in June and July. It’s a labor of love, but always well worth it, if just for the pleasure of staying in touch will all of you. Of course, such efforts help nourish the literary community, keeping you all in touch with each other, too.

I want to acknowledge someone who’s been at this far longer than I, someone who is in many ways an inspiration to me and my work, and who is the engine behind so much of what goes on the literary world in the Bay Area and beyond.

Joyce Jenkins, founding editor and publisher of Poetry Flash and its online incarnation (www.poetryflash.org), has been creating the literary calendar and providing us with the news of readings, events, workshops, new publications and much more for decades! Along with her business partner Richard Silberg, Poetry Flash has run an important poetry and literature reading series, originally at Cody’s, and now at Moe’s Books and Diesel, A Bookstore in Berkeley. They have sponsored and organized the annual Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival and the Northern California Book Reviewers Awards.

Poetry Flash has been an essential part of my own writing career starting in the early 1980s when I was a grad student at San Francisco State. I looked to Joyce’s notes in every issue and followed her recommendations on where to send my work;  I relied on the calendar to find open mic venues and reading series where I could try out new poems and join in the live literary scene; and I followed closely the ongoing,  passionate debates on both sides of the  Language Poetry/Neo-Formalists gang skirmishes.

When I moved to Petaluma in 1990, Poetry Flash helped me discover my new community here in Sonoma County, and even to advertise my creative writing workshops when I was ready to launch those. Joyce and Richard have been welcome faces at local literary events, such as the Sonoma County Book Festival, the Petaluma Poetry Walk, WordTemple Poetry Series where we’ve all been able to sample their publications and to read or listen to their own poetry.

When Sixteen Rivers Press began its fledgling experimental poetry publishing venture, Joyce and Richard were always supportive, and always made room in their popular reading series for our newly published authors.  And just this past April, Joyce sent me the letter announcing that Lucky Break, my newest publication, had been nominated by the Northern California Book Reviewers. The photograph above was taken at the Awards Ceremony on April 19.

Lucky me. Lucky us.

But to survive these tough times, Poetry Flash needs our help and support.  I encourage you to consider making a donation, however small, to Poetry Flash. You can do so by sending a check to:

Poetry Flash,

1450 Fourth Street, #4

Berkeley, California 94710
Or, if it is easier, just visit www.PoetryFlash.org and click on Donate. [tax-deductible donation, 501(c)3, federal tax #94-3096270]

Thank you all, and may the muses in all their forms be with you.
Terry Ehret

May/June Calendar of Literary Events

Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update

May 1, 200

Dear Literary Folk,

Farewell to Don Emblen—poet, mentor, friend

Brian Boldt sends this message:

“Don Emblen, who taught English at SRJC for nearly 30 years until his retirement in the mid-’80s, died on April 27 at his home in Santa Rosa. He was chair of the English Department in the ’70s, chosen as the county’s first poet laureate in 2000, the proprietor of the Clamshell Press and a friend and major supporter of Sonoma County poets for decades. Biographer of Peter Mark Roget, Don published a dozen volumes of first-rate poetry.”

Besides his own accomplishments as a prolific and skilled poet, Don published many Sonoma County poets and mentored many more. He was dedicated to a life of letters, metaphorically and physically, setting type in his workshop for broadsides and chapbooks by writers both local and international stature, including Tomas Transtromer, Al Young, and our own dear Judy Stedman.

Don and I worked together on several projects, including the Poetry on the Bus project, which he started during his tenure as poet laureate. He is pictured above with me and Geri Digiorno on the day the project was re-launched, each bus carrying broadsides of poems by Sonoma County  adults and youth which he had hand-set and printed.

He will be deeply missed as he was deeply loved. On behalf of the Sonoma County literary community, I wish to extend our deepest sympathies to Linda and family.

On the occasion of his 90^th birthday last October, I composed a poem based on a dream in which Don made a spectacular appearance. Here it is:

Man of the Seas, Maker of Metaphors

for Don Emblen

I dreamed last night of a poet’s gathering

in a small room behind your house, smelling of inks

and hand-made paper, cradles of broadsides, drawers of fonts,

letters waiting to be arranged. Tranströmer was there.

Szymborska, too. It seemed you’d invited the living

and the dead from the six directions to raise

a glass of wine or smoke or sage or darkness.

I stood outside, peering through a tiny window

at this gathering, ingathering, and troubled by—

oh, I don’t know what—mistakes, or muteness.

What in our dreams can feel like nakedness.

And so instead I walked the garden, remembering

how once you’d said, “Come, pick the strawberries.

They’re small and sweet, and more than I can use.”

But the time for fruit was behind me, the autumn light

already shifting into minor key.

I walked along the wooden fence, and you

were there beside me. “Look!” you said, and pointed

to a hill in the distance near my house, but green,

as you’d once seen it in a New Year’s poem.

“The hills don’t need our words,” you said. But in October

would the grass be green if you hadn’t

written it one fine January morning?

Far away, and just across the garden,

the poets laughed and talked, some living in

their bodies still, some climbing down from shelves

to raise a toast to you, the man of the seas,

maker of metaphors. And how you came

to be beside me as we walked and in the crowded room

with all your guests and ghosts, I cannot say.

I know that suddenly the fence between

your October garden and my life

made me sad, made my heart sore, as if

every swan had flown away. You opened

your hand, and there inside your palm were letters,

tiny metal blocks as in a child’s game.

I studied them, trying to find the word

that you were offering me. Once I thought “dread,”

once “shore,” and one time “music.”  All the while

you smiled, chuckling at my confusion, opened

and closed your hand. Each time I thought

that I could see the word, a new one formed.

And then you were gone. I was alone. But the fence

that had made me so sad, so angry, was rolled up

like a Torah scroll, holding perhaps, the letters

from your hand, or the green hills of winter,

or the far-off laughter of things about to be born.

Terry Ehret

Literary Update Takes a Break in June and July

For those of you who depend on the Literary Update to announce readings and workshops, or to find the literary events you’re looking for, please know that I will be taking a break from producing the Literary Update this summer. There will be no Literary Update in June and July. A wedding and travel plans will be keeping me busy and out-of-touch for a couple of months.

For all events in June and July, please send your announcements to Tom Lombardo, who has graciously agreed to post them on his website:

www.sonomaword.org. You can reach Tom via e-mail at tomlombardo@comcast.net. For more information about Tom’s website, scroll down to the County Wide News category.

Call for Poetry – Your Favorite Poems

In celebration of our love of Poetry, Sebastopol Center for the Arts will present a Favorite Poems Community Reading hosted by Larry Robinson on Thursday, June 4th at 7:00 pm at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.

Modeled on the readings initiated by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, this event will bring together a wide range of people and poems into one memorable evening. You are invited to submit a copy of your single favorite poem, famous or otherwise, one that is not a poem written by you, a friend or relative, but one that you have read, perhaps many times, and to which you feel a personal attachment, along with a brief statement about the poem’s significance in your life. Readers will be selected from among the entries to give a wide variety and breadth to the evening’s readings.

Deadline to enter is May 1, 2009.

Entry Guidelines:

• Entries must be typed in a font no smaller than 12 pt. Times New Roman (or equivalent).

• Entries must be submitted on 8½ x 11″ pages, with margins no less than 1 inch around.

• Entry must identify the person submitting the poem, as well as the author.

• Entries mailed to SCA must have a S.A.S.E. (self addressed stamped envelope) for

notification of selection status. Entries will not be returned.

Selection:

• The host will select 10 – 15 pieces to be read the evening of June 4. Poems should take no more than 5 minutes to read or recite.

• The reading will be Thursday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. at SCA.

• Selected entries will be displayed in a binder at SCA during the month of June.

Deadlines & Fees:

• There is no entry fee, but entries must be received by May 1, 2009.

• Only one entry per person may be submitted.

• Mail or deliver hard-copy entry with completed entry form to: Favorite Poems, SCA , 6780

Depot St., Sebastopol, CA 95472

• Selections will be made by May 20, 2009.

• For more information, call Sebastopol Center for the Arts @ 707-829-4797 or email

Larry Robinson at Lrobpoet@sbcglobal.net

The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.

Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/

Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com

WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com

Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us

Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm

SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.

The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.

Friday, May 1: Deadline for submitting your favorite poem entry in the Sebastopol Center for the Arts Favorite Poem Community Reading. Guidelines can be found in the previous section of the Update. For more information, call Sebastopol Center for the Arts @ 707-829-4797 or email Larry Robinson at Lrobpoet@sbcglobal.net

Friday, May 1 at 7 PM: Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will give a reading and talk on Japanese linked verse.  They will be joined by Mendocino poet Sandy Berrigan.  The event will be held at Many Rivers Books & Tea  103 S. Main St. in Sebastopol. For details, scroll down to “News from West County.”

Saturday, May 2 at 3 PM: Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will be reading works of original literature. This reading will inaugurate the 2009 Snake River Reading Series hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Mike Tuggle.  Location: Gold Coast Coffee, Moscow Rd and Hwy 116 in Duncans Mills. For details, scroll down to “News from West County.”

Saturday, May 2, 5-7 PM: Poetry Out Loud, a nation-wide poetry recitation program for high-school students, will be having a reprise of our illustrious county-wide event. Several of the school champions will be reciting, as well as their poet-coaches and the judges who evaluated their work. The event will be at Copperfield’s Books, 138 N. Main St., Sebastopol, CA 95472, 707-823-261. In-store contact: Robin Laine, Manager. Learn more about POL at www.poetryoutloud.org.

Sunday, May 3, 2-4 PM: Wine and Words: Livermore’s Poet Laureate, Connie Post, invites you toattend a continuing Livermore Poetry Series, held at the Martinelli Conference and Event Center, catered by Garre Winery and Café, 3585 Greenville Rd. Featured poet is Rick Campbell, followed by open mic (one poem per reader- 40 lines or less). $5.00 for admission; free to students with valid ID. Contact: Connie@poetrypost.com for further information or visit www.poetrypost.com.

Sunday, May 3 5-9 PM: Michael Krasny of KQED’s Forum in conversation with

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and A Botany of Desire. Winemaker Dinner

with Robert Sinskey Vineyard, Jeff Virnig, winemaker. (This event is currently sold out.) Location: The French Garden Restaurant and Bistro, 8050 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Tel. 707- 824-2030.For more information, check the website: www.frenchgardenrestaurant.com.

Sunday, May 3 at 4:00 pm: Sonoma County historians Gaye LeBaron and John LeBaron; authors Chester Aaron and Robin Beeman; pianist Gienna Michel Gonnella.  Union Hotel, 3703 Main St ., Occidental. Audience participation with memories, stories, etc. encouraged. Sponsored by Occidental Center for the Arts. Fixed price dinner available after event, $15.00 includes salad, bread, and pasta or pizza. Inquiries and reservations:  (707)- 874-9392 .

Sunday, May 3, 2-5 PM: Celebration of the Sitting Room’s 28th birthday and also of our 2009 publication, “Far From Home:  Lessons Learned,” edited by that indefatigable traveler AND editor, Rosemary Manchester and available for a small donation. Our entertainment will be readings by the authors in our new book. Refreshments will a birthday cake and the traditional Sitting Room punch.  No need to call to reserve your place – just show up with bells on and if you wish, a present for the Sitting Room (anything on paper, from poem to book to check – and some practical people even bring her toilet paper!) Kids are welcome, by the way – last year they seemed to be having more fun than anybody else.  Let’s all have fun and make wishes for the Sitting Room’s future while enjoying some memories from the past.  Old friends and new ones, the best combination. Location: 2025 Curtis Drive, just off Petaluma Hill Rd., south of E. Cotati Blvd. near Sonoma State University. Wear flat shoes and bring a sweater.

Questions:  call JJ Wilson, 795-9028

Saturday, May 9: Susan Hagen’s Spring Story Circles For Women. Details can be found in the “Current Workshops” category below, or by contacting Susan:

www.womenatgroundzero.com.

hagen@womenatgroundzero

707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Saturday, May 9 at 3 PM: Jonah Raskin at the Community Center, Sonoma

Saturday, May 9, 1:30 PM: Copperfield’s in Santa Rosa presents Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone. Location: 2316 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.

Sunday, May 10 at 2 PM: SoCoCo At the Toad Poetry Reading Series’ featured readers will include Katherine Hastings, Bill Vartnaw, Amy Trussell, Abby Bogomolny, Karl Frederick, and Hannah Wahlstrum.  Location: 116 Fifth St, Santa Rosa (near Old Railroad Square).   Admission is free.  (707) 573-5935.

Tuesday, May 12, 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Café presents Meg Hamill. Meg Hamill’s Trillions & Trillions of Heartbeats (2008), in collaboration with artist Ted Keller, holds 23 poems.  Each lament celebrates a vanished species, lost because of human intervention.  Her poems, wakeup signals to ongoing mass extinction on the planet, speak too of coffee shops and Darwin, duality and nonattachment, Indra’s web and Modern Life.  In Death Notices (2007), Meg extends imagined obituaries of the dead on all sides in Iraq—GIs, suicide bombers, children at play,  Halliburton’s laborers—and addresses America’s inability to grieve the losses of war. Meg is a teacher in the California Poets in the Schools program and is a freelance writer and editor. She was graduated with an MFA from Mills College. Read more at www.meghamill.com.

Open mic: Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments  . Donations appreciated. Location: Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (One block east of plaza) Healdsburg, CA 95448. Call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111.

Thursday, May 14 at 7:00-8:30 PM: Stephie Mendel, Karla Clark, Daniel Polikoff, Catharine Clark-Sayles Rose Black  will be reading new work at the Tuburon-Belvedere Public Library,1501 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon.

Sunday, May 17, 11:30-1 PM: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street. Hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Bring a poem to share (written by your favorite poet or your own!). Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Sunday, May 17, 2-4 PM: Third Sunday Salon presents Jonah Raskin, with his new book, Field Days, A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California. Open mic for short works of literary intent. FREE … Open to the public. Location: City Hall, 401 Grove Street.

Contact: 707-433-7119 or vilmaginz@aol.com

Sunday, May 17, 12:30-1:30 PM: Third Sunday Poetry Reading & Poetry Open Mic presents their featured reader: Award-winning Poet, Geri Digiorno. Hosted by Sher Lianne and John Christian. Poetry open mic. Bring a poem to share. Donation appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-6600. http://www.sonomaword.org/Sher_Christian.php

Sunday, May 17, 2:00-3:30 PM: The Power of Writing to Heal, facilitated by Sher Christian, writer and teacher. Bring a journal and pen. Sliding scale $1 – $20. Peace & Medicine Healing Center, 6771 Sebastopol Avenue, (Hwy 12), Sebastopol.  http://www.sonomaword.org/Sher_Christian.php. Details in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops section below.

Thursday, May 21, 7-9 PM: Writers Forum of Petaluma proudly presents Julianne Balmain, aka Nadia Gordon. Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma

$15 at the door. For more details, scroll down to the “Current and Upcoming Workshops section” under Petaluma Writers Forum.

Friday, May 22-Sunday, May 24: Susan Bono and Patti Trimble’s  6th Annual Point Reyes Writing Retreat.  Cost is $185 ($175 members). A no-pressure, focused, writing retreat at the stunning Drake’s Beach Lifeboat Station- for anyone who enjoys writing about-or in- nature: the Pacific Ocean, elephant seals, wildflowers, a sky filled with stars. Short workshops on poetry, memoir, and essay. (Bunk) accommodations w/potluck dinner. Pt. Reyes Field Seminars. www.ptreyes.org/fieldseminars/or (415) 663-1200.

Thursday, May 28 at 7 PM: Jonah Raskin at Copperfields’s Sebastopol

Sunday, May 30, 2-4 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its ODD MONTH READING series returns May 30, 2009. The theme is “Mostly Poetry,” since April was National Poetry Month and we’re having a Poetry Contest as part of our Redwood Writers 2009 Conference in October. We encourage everyone to come out, listen, and relax during this exciting literary afternoon. Sonoma County authors will read excerpts from their original poems or other literary pieces. Local author and Redwood Writer member, Ann Wilkes, will emcee this event, which will take place from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Healdsburg branch of the Sonoma County Library, on 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-3772. Center Street is the cross street. The general public is welcome. This is a free event.

Wednesday, June 3, 7-9 PM: The North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) presents -How To Get Started As A Children’s Writer: The Ten Things You Need To Know To Blast Your Career From Hobby to Professional by Hillary Homzie. This meeting will be held at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Donation $10. SCBWI is a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. For details, scroll down to the full announcement in “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below, or visit the website at www.scbwi.org <http://www.scbwi.org>.

Thursday-Sunday, June 4-7: Wellspring Writers Weekend: Treat yourself to an inexpensive, local writers’ retreat at Wellspring, a quiet collection of cabins along the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. This three-day program includes lodging for 3 nights, plus workshops and a consultation with a writer-mentor of your choice: Maya Maya Khosla, poetry, Charlotte Gullick, fiction, Todd Evans, playwriting, Bob Stanley, non-fiction. Details are included below in “County-Wide Information.” www.wellspringrenewal.org or contact Todd Evans at evansol@sbcglobal.net

Thursday, June 4, 7 PM: In celebration of our love of Poetry, Sebastopol Center for the Arts will present a Favorite Poems Community Reading hosted by Larry Robinson on Thursday, June 4th at 7:00 pm at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 6780 Depot Street

Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Saturday, June 6, 2-4 PM: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club participates each year in Cotati Conversations. The event takes place at the Cotati Community Center – Stony Point Classroom (#7), at E. School and W. Sierra Streets (216 E. School St.), Cotati, CA, 94931, (707) 792-4600 ext. 640. There is no charge to attend. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Sunday, June 7, 3-5 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its June 7th meeting will feature author David Corbett, who will talk on the topic of “Write What You Know.” Location: Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

Saturday, June 20, 10 AM to 4 PM: Saturday, June 20, 2009, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Story Stalking: Historical Fiction Writing Workshop with novelist Molly Dwyer, $75, Mariposa Center, Ukiah, Pre-register through June 5 using on-line form at www.mollydwyer.com; registration information: Dot, (707) 463-2736 or 272-8305; mailing address for completing registration: 1117 West Perkins St., Ukiah, CA. For more information, scroll down to “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below.

Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month.  Calendar entries are easier to include if they follow the format you see above, and if you can keep the information brief.

County-Wide News

Tom Lombardo sends this special message for Sonoma County Authors:

The Arts Council of Sonoma County has launched a new site, www.sonomaword.org, which we hope will make it easier for people to find you and to connect with the literary scene in our area.

The site, which Tom is developing, is free and 100% devoted to marketing you and your books!

You will have your own page, and sometimes you will be the site’s home page, as it randomly selects a writer for the home page every time someone visits.

1.  Your bio

2.  Your photo

3.  Links to your YouTube  videos

4.  Links to your site and your blog

5.  Title of the book you’re promoting, so I can create an Amazon link for it

6.  A summary of your book or a quote from a review — any blurb you want

7.  A passage from your book (this is really important)

8.  Links to any articles written about you

9.  Anything else you want on the page

In the Fall of 2009 the Arts Council will integrate “Word Trails” into the “Art Trails” event that attracts so much attention. Word Trails will be modeled on Art Trails, but it is completely separate. More on that later; but know that it is my intent to have every author in the area promoted at www.sonomaword.org well before then.

I look forward to hearing from all of you soon –

Cheers,

Tom Lombardo
707.338.5337
tomlombardo@comcast.net

Redwood Writers Announces Poetry Contest Winners in Honor of National Poetry Month

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces the winners of its Poetry Contest. The contest was, in part, a celebration of National Poetry Month in April and part of the California Writers Club centennial celebration. It was open to all residents living in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. All submissions were previously unpublished works and they were judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion.

Winners were announced at the Redwood Writer’s – CWC general meeting held on April 5th. More than 40 entries were received from 26 contributors. The following poets won the contest:

First: Arlene L. Mandell for “Spring Thaw, Yosemite”

Second: Ana Manwaring for “View from a Gondola”

Third: Teresa Fahey Roach for “Earth Song”

Cash prizes of $50, $35, and $20 were awarded to the winners during the presentation at the Redwood Writers April 5th general meeting. Their poems will be published in The Redwood Writer newsletter in the near future.

The contest was organized by Juanita Martin and judged by Jennie Frost-Butler and Brenda Bellinger.

Santa Rosa Junior College Announces the Winners of the 2009

Literary Scholarships and Awards Winners

James C. Cortage and Clara Hall Cortage Scholarship:
Nicholas Titman, Jason Rosten, David Chernus, Tessa Rissacher , Julia Davis

Genevieve Mott Memorial Literary Scholarship: Martina Hutchins

American Legion Auxiliary Theodore Roosevelt Post #21, Eliza London Shepherd Literary Scholarship: Morreen Iverson

Don Emblen Literary Scholarship: Ben C, Rutherford

Duncan Frazier Award: Gretchen M. Rowe

Congratulations to all the winners! For more information about the English Department’s Creative Writing Classes, Literary Awards and Scholarships, visit the website: http://www.santarosa.edu/english/srjc_creative_writing.html

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces its support for Cotati Conversations

Local Sonoma County poets and writers will read original works and have their books available for sale. Local author and Redwood Writer president, Karen Batchelor, will emcee the event, which will take place on Saturday, June 6th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Cotati Community Center – Stony Point Classroom (#7), at E. School and W. Sierra Streets (216 E. School St.), Cotati, CA, 94931, (707) 792-4600 ext. 640, www.ci.cotati.ca.us.

Authors will share stories, poems, essays and conversation with our friends in the community. Come mix and mingle with authors who will answer questions, sign books, and chat about reading and writing. Confirmation of the following authors attending include: Mary Lynn Archibald, Ana Manwaring, Jennie Frost Butler, George Rathmell and Catharine Bramkamp. Our theme is Writers of the West. Redwood Writers Club members will give some historical information about the Club too.

The general public is welcome. This is a free event and no registration is required.

The 29th Napa Valley Writers’ Conference

July 26–31, 2009

Our 2009 conference features poets Elizabeth Alexander, Carl Dennis, Jane Hirshfield, and David St. John, and novelists Robert Boswell, Peter Ho Davies, Antonya Nelson, and ZZ Packer.

Rolling applications begin March 1

Applications to the 2009 program will be considered between March 1 and June 1. Admissions will be announced on a rolling basis, beginning March 15 and continuing at intervals of about two weeks thereafter. We suggest you apply by April 1 for priority admission and a better chance at your choice of workshop.

Please see www.napawritersconf.org for complete information on the Conference and for application forms. To receive a printed brochure and application, call 707-967-2903 or email writecon@napavalley.edu .

Wellspring Writers’ Weekend

June 4-7, 2009

Treat yourself to an inexpensive, local writers’ retreat at Wellspring, a quiet collection of cabins along the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. Work on Poetry, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, or Drama in small groups with excellent teachers in a beautiful setting. This three day program includes lodging for 3 nights, plus workshops and a consultation with a writer-mentor of your choice:

Wellspring Writers-in-residence for 2009:

Maya Khosla, poetry. Author of Keel Bone, Web of Water and Heart of Tearing, Ms, Khosla has won many awards for her writing, including the Dorothy Brunsman Award in 2003.

Charlotte Gullick, fiction. Recipient of the Christopher Isherwood Fellowship, Ms. Gullick teaches creative writing and directs the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. Her novel By Way of Water has received much critical acclaim.

Todd Evans, playwriting. With the production of his third play, Battle Road, Mr. Evans continues to explore historical and personal events, to the delight of California audiences.

Bob Stanley, non-fiction. Professor Stanley offers a supportive approach for the first-time writer, as well as a critical eye for advanced memoirists. He has studied with Stephen Yenser, Billy Collins and Galway Kinnell.

Cost of program includes three nights’ lodging, all meals and writers’ program:

Lodges or Cabins with Bath  $345

Rustic Cabins                     $315

Tent Cabins                       $300

To reserve, email Wellspring at wellsprg@pacific.net, or call 707-895-3893

For details, go to Wellspring’s website at  www.wellspringrenewal.org or contact Todd Evans at evansol@sbcglobal.net

Al Young to be Keynote Speaker for October Conference of Redwood Writers

Redwood Writers, the Redwood branch of the California Writers Club, is pleased to announce Al Young as our keynote speaker for the October 23, 2009 pre-Conference dinner event at Santa Rosa’s Flamingo Hotel and Resort, running from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Al’s talk will be “How the Rainbow Works: Reflections on Poetry and Survival.” He recently returned from three days of Smithsonian interviews for their jazz history archives and will have lots to share.

Cost for the evening is $50.00 per ticket. Al Young is part of an evening of poetry featuring Armando Garcia-Davila, Mike Tuggle, Sonoma County Poet Laureate, and two members of Sixteen Rivers Press, Carolyn Miller and Lynne Knight. The all-day conference follows the next day, October 24th, and pricing for the session will be published in the near future.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place the next day, October 24, 2009, from 7:30 am – 6:00pm (including check-in from 7:30 – 8:15am), at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa, 2777 Fourth Street, 95405, (707) 545-8530. This one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting. For more information, go to http://www.redwoodwriters.org/conference.html.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

News from East County

Thanks to Juanita Martin for providing this month’s East County news.

 
UniverSoul Reading Series

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

News from West County

Thanks to Pat Nolan for providing this month’s West County news.

Many Rivers Book & Tea, Sebastopol
Friday, May 1st at 7PM, Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will give a reading and talk on Japanese linked verse.  Poet Keith Abbott teaches writing and art at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.  Pat Nolan is a poet and long time Sonoma County resident, and has been writing Japanese linked verse with numerous collaborators for over thirty years.  They will be joined by Mendacino poet Sandy Berrigan.  The event will be held at Many Rivers Books & Tea  103 S. Main St. in Sebastopol.

Gold Coast Coffee, Duncans Mills
Saturday, May 2nd at 3 PM Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will be reading works of original literature.  Keith Abbott, novelist and poet, had been published widely in numerous literary magazines around the world.  His memoir of Richard Brautigan, Downstream from Trout Fishing in America is reprinted by Astrophil Press in 2009. Pat Nolan is the author of sixteen books of poetry, most recently Ah Bolinas! a limited edition travel journal in the Basho tradition. This reading will inagurate the 2009 Snake River Reading Series hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Mike Tuggle.  Gold Coast Coffee is located at the intersection of Moscow Rd and Hwy 116 in Duncans Mills.

Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.

There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations.  Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM.  Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig.  KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM.  Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.

Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.

News from North County

Thanks to Cynthia Beecher and Vilma Ginzberg for providing this month’s North County News.

Center Literary Café

Meg Hamill on Tuesday, May 12 7-9 PM

Meg Hamill’s Trillions & Trillions of Heartbeats (2008), in collaboration with artist Ted Keller, holds 23 poems.  Each lament celebrates a vanished species, lost because of human intervention.  Her poems, wakeup signals to ongoing mass extinction on the planet, speak too of coffee shops and Darwin, duality and nonattachment, Indra’s web and Modern Life.  In Death Notices (2007), Meg extends imagined obituaries of the dead on all sides in Iraq—GIs, suicide bombers, children at play,  Halliburton’s laborers—and addresses America’s inability to grieve the losses of war.

Meg is a teacher in the California Poets in the Schools program and is a freelance writer and editor. She was graduated with an MFA from Mills College. Read more at www.meghamill.com.

Open mic    Bring prose or poetry to share
Doors open at 6:30
Light refreshments   Donations appreciated

centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. For information, call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111

centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Healdsburg Literary Arts Guild

Sunday, May 17, 2 to 4 PM

Third Sunday Salon  at City Hall, 401 Grove Street

Featured reader: Jonah Raskin,

with his new book, Field Days, A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California

Open mic for short works of literary intent. FREE … Open to the public

Contact: 707-433-7119 or vilmaginz@aol.com

Sunday, May 24, 2 to 4 PM : Tenth annual Graveside Readings

Oak Mound Cemetery  on Piper Street

A program of reverent and irreverent poems and short prose relevant to the Memorial Day weekend, read by members and friends of the Healdsburg Literary Guild

FREE … Open to the public

Contact: Chris Peasley, 838-7497

Sonoma County in Print

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy. You’re announcement will run for three Updates.

Linda Loveland Reid’s novel, Touch of Magenta,

will be available on May 9 at local bookstores and on Amazon.com.  For more information go to www.lindalovelandreid.com

Touch of Magenta explores, through the lives to two women, the right we all have to know our personal history; that all secrets be revealed, all lies untold.

The story is set in Sonora’s California gold country, Chinatown, Italy, Singapore, and England.

Coming bookstore events include:

May 9 Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30, at Copperfield’s Books, Santa Rosa in Montgomery Village

May 16, Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30 at Copperfield’s Books in Healdsburg

June 6 Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30 at Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma

June 13 Meet & Greet, Sat 1-3:00 at Copperfield’s Books in Napa

June 18 Book Signing, Thur 7pm at River Reader in Guerneville

June 27 Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30 at Copperfield’s Books in Calistoga

Stand by for more bookstore events in July and August.

Donna Emerson’s Body Rhymes from Finishing Line Press

I am happy to announce to my friends and acquaintances that my poetry collection from Finishing Line Press, Body Rhymes, comes out this spring. Since this is a limited edition collection, you may order now to reserve a copy. The press run will be determined by the number of orders made before April 10.The book, with a color photograph of mine on the cover, will be mailed to you by the end of May.

“Donna Emerson’s poems—each a small, complete world—reveal their tenderness in detail. The poet William Carlos Williams once said ‘Perception is the first act of imagination,’ and with her photographer’s eye, Emerson invites the reader to see, as if for the first time, what is extraordinary even in the most familiar.  But as a poet, she also listens, deeply and intently, to her subject, whether it is a landscape, a memory, or one of the unforgettable souls she has counseled, struggling to reconcile themselves with mortality. And it is with a listening heart that the reader feels with her a wonder at the courage she has witnessed, and inspiration at the truth she captures.”

Terry Ehret, author of Lucky Break

“A lilting voice from a new poet.  A new daughter is not all that Donna Emerson gave birth to in her 50s.  Her poems are loaded with rich imagery and memory.”
Susan Swartz, author of The Juicy Tomatoes Guide to Ripe Living After 50

Books can be pre-ordered through the website at  www.finishinglinepress.com. Click on “New Releases and Forthcoming Titles,” scrolling down alphabetically.

Pierette Mimi Poinsett

Rose-Anne Clermont has written an article about my challenges in the Women’s International Perspective e-zine.  The photographer who is uncredited is Michi Adams of Rohnert Park Petaluma. Below is the link:

http://thewip.net/contributors/2009/02/living_one_day_at_a_time_in_th.html
Over the last three years, I have been writing creative non-fiction and poetry. Going into “the family business”:)  A memoir cookbook is in the works.

Pierrette Mimi Poinsett MD

http://www.snapdiva.blogspot.com

aka the Yayayarndiva on http://www.ravelry.com

Mary Lynn Archibald named in national “Best Books” 2008

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced that Mary Lynn Archibald was a finalist in THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS (NBBA). Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007.

This is the third finalist award (the second in the HUMOR category) for Mary Lynn Archibald, for her book, Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, which has attained something of a cult following here in the west. “Always a bridesmaid,” she says.

Mary Lynn Archibald is available interviews to discuss her latest book and related topics. Contact 707-395-0542 or marylynn@winecountrywriter.com

Bill Vartnaw ‘s new book, Suburbs of my Childhood, came out on January15th.  Bill says, “This is a book of mostly early poems, lots of seventies, a few eighties and a couple of nineties about my mother, 74 pages.” For more information or to order the book, contact Bill at  taureanhorn@hotmail.com.  Taurean Horn Press’ address is P.O. Box 641097, San Francisco, CA 94164-1097.

Jeane Slone has just published She Flew Bombers From the Factories to the Bases. People can order it from my web site at www.jeaneslone.com.

Jean Heglund writes, “She Flew Bombers is a fascinating account of one woman’s love of flying and her involvement with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Anyone interested in Aviation History, Women’s History, or the World War II “war effort” will appreciate Jeane Slone’s careful research, as well as her ability to bring this little-know aspect of the US history to life so vividly.”

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has just published an anthology entitled Hair Pieces, containing the poetry and prose of 51 of her writing students. Hair Pieces is available for purchase at Copperfields and also at harlmarg@sonic.net. For information about Margaret’s Writing Practice workshops, scroll down to the section “Current and Upcoming Workshops.”

Ann Wilkes’s Awesome Layratt

Ann Wilkes’ first book, Awesome Lavratt (2009) is a tongue-in-cheek space opera with mind control, passion and adventure. Her stories have appeared in online zines and anthologies.  She lives in California’s wine country with her husband, Patrick and their youngest son. She’s working on two novels while still cranking out the short funny stories that characterize her writing style. Visit her website, http://www.annwilkes.com, for a full bio, her blog and links to online stories.

Marisol Schowengerdt.’s A Selfish Life?

Marisol is a first-time author with a self-published book, A Selfish Life?, released in October 2008.  This fictional work sells throughout Sonoma and Napa county.

The book focuses on the other side of motherhood; the not-so-perfect, yet rarely admitted, side of childrearing.  The confrontation to an unspoken reality is embedded in the lives of four women who confront the dilemma of choosing freedom over motherhood, guilt over consequence, and nature over science.

Please visit the website at www.aselfishlife.com for an author biography and a listing of outlets currently carrying this book.

Post your comments on our blog at www.aselfishlife.blogspot.com.  Whether or not you have read my book, I am sure most of you know people who have had to deal with teenage pregnancies, infertility, and/or indecision about becoming a parent.  I would like to give others a complete perspective about the choices being made and the circumstances that drive the decision of whether or not to have a baby, keep the baby, or buy a baby.

It’s a complicated topic and everyone has an opinion so let’s all share them so that others can take from them for their own decision making.  Please feel free to send this around to everyone you know, the more feedback the better.

Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.

Shelley Singer’s Blackjack

BLACKJACK–now available also in E-book and CD-Rom from SynergEbooks.com and major ebookstores–starring Rica Marin, spy and torch singer in the Balkanized world of 2066. Written as Lee Singer. Read the first chapter on Singer’s website.
.
Shelley Singer also does manuscript consulting, mostly fiction, fiction of all kinds. Singer will be teaching a workshop on Dialogue for the Redwood Writers at the end of January.

Calls for Submission

If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.

If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:

http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/

http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm

Glimmer Train Call for Submissions

The Short Story Award for New Writers competition closes May 31. We’re looking for original, unpublished stories by writers whose fiction has not been presented in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. Word count range: 500 – 12,000. First-place wins $1,200 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories Issue 74. Second- and third-place winners win $500/$300 (or, if chosen for publication, $700).

For details, visit the website: http://www.glimmertrain.com/shorawfornew2.html

MEMOIR (and) Call for Submissions

MEMOIR (and) is an up-and-coming print journal for the exploration of memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. Our nonprofit mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, personal and critical essay, graphic narratives, narrative poetry, “flash memoir,” autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, journalistic accounts,  narrative photography and more.  We award four cash prizes twice yearly and charge no entry fee. All work submitted to MEMOIR (and) is eligible to win a prize.

The reading period for Spring+Summer 2010 (Issue 6) is upon us! Accepting traditional and experimental prose, poetry, graphic memoir, narrative photography, lies, and more from 5/1/09 through 8/15/09.

Four prizes up to $500 available for prose, poetry and graphic memoirs. All submissions eligible for contest entry.

For guidelines, contest info and online submissions, visit www.memoirjournal.com.

The Los Angeles Review, established in 2003, is the voice of Los Angeles, and the voice of the nation. With its multitude of cultures, Los Angeles roils at the center of the cauldron of divergent literature emerging from the West Coast. Perhaps from this place something can emerge that speaks to the writer or singer or dancer or wild person in all of us, something disturbing, something alive, something of the possibility of what it could be to be human in the 21st century.

We dedicate the sixth issue of The Los Angeles Review to Wanda Coleman. We invite both published and emerging writers to submit their work to the editors listed below, and we thank you for being part of The Los Angeles Review.

Submission Guidelines:
Issue No. 6¨is scheduled to be released in 2009. Submissions accepted from March 1 to June 1 via email only.

Indicate title and word count in the subject heading. Please include a cover letter and bio in the body of the email and attach your piece as a single .doc or .rtf attachment.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted if noted in the cover letter. No multiple submissions, please. Response tim
e is 2-3 months.

Writers published in the 2009 Los Angeles Review will receive one contributor copy in exchange for first North American serial rights.

Guidelines:
Fiction and nonfiction: We seek essay, memoir, and commentary told as compelling, focused, sustained narrative in a distinctive voice, rich with detail. Send 1,000-4,000 words or delight us with flash nonfiction that cat-burgles our expectations. In fiction we’re looking for to hard-to-put-down shorties under 500 words and lengthier shorts up to 4,000 words–lively, vivid, excellent literary fiction.

Poetry: Please submit 3-5 poems that will surprise us, wow us, and make us wish we’d written them ourselves. We are open to form, free verse, prose poems, and experimental styles. Our only criterion is quality.

Reviews: We welcome reviews of new and recent books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, particularly of books that have not received the critical attention they deserve. Send reviews of three to six pages. No need to query the editor beforehand.

Translations: Please submit 3-5 translated poems that open the poet’s original vision to an English-speaking audience.

Send all submissions to appropriate department email:
Editor: lareview.editor@gmail.com
Fiction Editor: lareview.fiction@gmail.com
Poetry Editor: lareview.poetry@gmail.com
Nonfiction Editor: lareview.nonfiction@gmail.com
Translation Editor: lareview.translations@gmail.com
Review Editor: lareview.bookrevie
ws@gmail.com

New Millennium Contest Deadline June 17, 2009
To Enter our Summer 2009 New Millennium writing awards, read on.

$4,000 in Prizes, plus publication in NMW and on the Web at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com

$1,000 for best Fiction; $1,000 for best Poem; $1,000 best Nonfiction; $1,000 best Short-short Story

(Nonfiction includes humor, memoir, creative nonfiction, travel, opinion, essay, interview, features, investigative reporting, etc.)

Winners of NMW Awards are showcased along with interviews, profiles and tributes to writers such as Khaled Hosseini (The Kite-Runner), J. D. Salinger, Julia Glass, Kurt Vonnegut, Shel Silverstein, George Garrett, Ken Kesey, John Updike, Lee Smith, Cormac McCarthy, Lucille Clifton, Shelby Foote, Paul West, Norman Mailer, Sharyn McCrumb, William Kennedy, Walker Percy, Robert Penn Warren, Faulkner, Hemingway, Dickinson, Keats and many others. Also, prize-winning stories, poems & articles, humor, graphic arts, provocative commentary and more.

To Enter, follow these Guidelines, or enter on-line at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com and click on awards and contests or click here www.writingawards.com (shortcut). When entering online, include title page or cover letter in the file with your submission. It’s easy.

1. No restrictions as to style, content or number of submissions. Enter as often as you like.
2. Winners and selected finalists—including all poetry finalists—will be published in our 2009-10 issue and/or on-line at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com.
3. Send between now and midnight of June 17, 2009. This deadline may be extended once-only.
4. Simultaneous & multiple submissions welcome.
5. Each fiction or nonfiction piece is counted as a separate entry, and should total no more than 6,000 words except Short-short Fiction (no more than 1,000 words). Winners plus selected finalists will be published.
6. Each poetry entry may include up to three poems, not to exceed five pages total per entry. Famed poet and essayist Nikki Giovanni will serve as top poetry judge, and all 20 poetry finalists will be published.
7. Include name, phone, address, email & category on cover page only and upload along with each submission in a single file.
8. Manuscripts not returned. Include email address or SASE for list of winners.
9. Include $17 check payable to NMW with each submission.
10. Enter online at www.writingawards.com or send by U.S. Mail or other carrier to: “NMW” Room EM, PO Box 2463, Knoxville, TN, 37901.

To order a sample issue, add $12.

Current and Upcoming Workshops

Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops, classes, and consultations. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, and some are retreats. Workshops for this month are listed below. A more complete list of workshop leaders and their contact information appears at the end of this article.

If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description (150 words or less) to tehret99@comcast.net.

Stephen Altschuler’s Coaching Service for Non-fiction Writers.

My speciality is personal experience writing, but cover all aspects of the non-fiction genre. I’ve been writing and getting published since 1969. My latest book is The Mindful Hiker (2004), and have written four other books. My website which tells more of my work and this service is www.firstpersonwriting.com .

Stephen Altschuler
stephenaltschuler@mac.com

Susan Bono and Patti Trimble’s 6th Annual Point Reyes Writing Retreat

With poet/essayist Patti Trimble and essayist/publisher Susan Bono

May 22-24  7:30 PM Fri – 4 PM Sun  $185 ($175 members)

A no-pressure, focused, writing retreat at the stunning Drake’s Beach Lifeboat Station- for anyone who enjoys writing about-or in- nature: the Pacific Ocean, elephant seals, wildflowers, a sky filled with stars. Short workshops on poetry, memoir, and essay. (Bunk) accommodations w/potluck dinner. Pt. Reyes Field Seminars. www.ptreyes.org/fieldseminars/ or (415) 663-1200.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro’s Sonoma County Writing Practice

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro teaches eight week long writing semesters out of her Santa Rosa downtown office. Three different class times are offered each week. Margaret uses poetry and meditation for inspiration and writers are encouraged to read their work in a supportive atmosphere. The memoir is a valuable form for dropping deeper into the self allowing memories to come forth. This process allows space for self-knowledge to occur. For more information or to receive a flyer call (707)575-8820 or email Margaret at harlmarg@sonic.net. The website for Sonoma County Writing Practice is www.handwritingonline.net

Sher Christian Workshops and Consultations

The Power of Writing to Heal

Sunday, May 17, 2:00 to 3:30 P.M. facilitated by Sher Christian, writer and teacher. “Through story we draw connections between the happenings of life and the lessons of Spirit. Such awareness transforms life from a series of random events to the poetic realm of a sacred tale.” Sue Monk Kidd.  Healing unfolds as we express our attempts to understand our experiences, ourselves, our truth. Join us on a journey into your personal story through writing exercises. Bring a journal and pen. Sliding scale $1 – $20. Peace & Medicine Healing Center, 6771 Sebastopol Avenue, (Hwy 12),  Sebastopol,

707 823-4206 Sher’s blog is www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/ or go to http://www.sonomaword.org/Sher_Christian.php

Intuitive, Poetic Phone Consultations

Understand and transcend life challenges, fulfill potential, meet goals, increase well being through attunement to the inner voice, instinct, and poetry of the soul. Life purpose clarity.

MONTHLY COACHING SPECIAL; $50 per month for 45 minutes or $90 per month for 1 1/2 hours. Minimum sign-up for three months. Email poetrytalks@neteze.com for more information. Learn more about Sher at www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com.

Sher Christian has 20 years experience with intuitive coaching. She is a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner and iridologist and has studied aromatherapy. She is the author of “Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry” and co-creator with her husband John Christian of the CD “Sweet Tongue”. She taught creative writing and poetry courses for Sierra College. Sher was a highlighted presenter at The International Flower Essence Conference in Australia and was a core leader of Nourish, the successful women’s retreat in Sonoma last October.

Expressive voice, recording, and/or music and sound effects for your book on CD

Sher Christian is available for voiceover. John Christian does recording, sound effects, and original music on keyboard, accordion, or Hammond organ for your projects.

E-mail for information and a demo on Mp3.

poetrytalks@neteze.com

Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry

CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music

www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com

Dan Coshnear’s Writing Workshop

There are a few slots open for the Spring/summer writing workshop led by Dan Coshnear. Class meets at a home in Rohnert Park on Tuesday nights from 6:00 – 9:00. We meet every other week – the following dates: 4/7, 4/21, 5/5, 5/19, 6/2, 6/16. Cost is $150. for 6 classes. (Rates are negotiable and payment can come in installments.)

If interested or you would like more info please contact Dan Coshnear – dan@coshnear.org – or 707-869-0329 as soon as possible.

Amber Coverdale Sumrall’s Writing Retreat in Point Reyes

There is one opening available for the May 15 – 18 Point Reyes three-night writing retreat. Lodging will be in a rustic four-story house on seven acres of forested land, just up from the water on Tomales Bay in Inverness. Carpooling will be available.

We will meet to write Friday evening Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings with the rest of the days free for exploring the area, as we choose. Cost for the three nights will be $275 with breakfasts included Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. There is a large kitchen for meal preparation if you want to bring your own food. Markets and restaurants are nearby, some within walking distance.

Point Reyes, as many of you know is a stunningly beautiful place, especially in the spring, with many amazing places to walk, write and explore. This retreat is limited to twelve participants. All participants will need to bring either a set of twin sheets or sleeping bag, and towel. No linens are provided.

Please let me know if you would like to come or want more information.

Amber Coverdale Sumrall

841 Laurel Glen Rd.

Soquel, CA 95073

(831)477-4375

acsumrall@cruzio.com

www.ambersumrall.com

Marlene Cullen’s Writing Workshops

Jump into writing with Marlene Cullen. Bring a notebook and fast moving pen.

Next Jumpstart session: May 5 – May 26 – 4 weeks

Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am      $60 (Petaluma resident); $65, (non-resident)

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd.,  Petaluma, CA

Register online:   http://activenet6.active.com/petalumarec/

Register in person: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma

For more information:  www.thewritespot.us or mcullen@comcast.net

Molly Dwyer Historical Fiction Workshop

Registration is now open for Story Stalking: Historical Fiction Writing Workshop with novelist Molly Dwyer in Ukiah.

This historical fiction writing workshop, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on June 20 takes place at Mariposa Center, a rural retreat in an oak-filled canyon ten minutes from Ukiah/Highway 101 in Mendocino County. The $75 workshop fee includes a copy of Dwyer’s award-winning novel, “Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein” and a box lunch. Early registration is advised, as space is limited.

For registration forms and workshop details, go to www.mollydwyer.com or call Dot at (707) 463-2736 or 272-8305.

Molly Dwyer’s debut novel, published last year, won a national award for historical fiction and was recently nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Fiction as one of the best works by a Northern California author published in 2008.

During the daylong workshop, Molly will use guided and free writing experiences, conversation, and presentation to explore four aspects of writing historical fiction: research, framing, structure, and ethics. She goes beyond standard linear approaches to research, such as internet and primary sources, to include intuitive methods, such as dreaming and synchronicity. In framing a story, Molly addresses how to shape fact into fiction and develop a strong sense of time and place with special attention to the sensibilities of characters living in another period or culture. She’ll suggest ways to structure a complex story that facilitate movement between research and writing, exploring background, foreground and back-story elements. Finally, Molly will examine ethical questions in writing historical fiction, including how to stretch the facts to fit the fiction and how to transform fiction to fit the facts, as well as how to strike a balance between the two.

Dwyer has received glowing reviews for her presentations and workshops throughout the western United States and internationally. “Molly Dwyer gave one of the best, most articulate presentations about writing I have ever experienced, at any venue,” says Cindy Pavlinac, Vice President of the California Writers Club Marin Branch. Molly’s perspective is grounding, informative, inspiring, and current.”

CB Follett, Rebecca Foust, and Susan Terris

Poetry Publishing Workshop

Saturday May 16 9am – 12 noon, at Falkirk Cultural Center

This workshop will aim at providing tips and strategies for getting your poems published in journals and magazines, how to deal with rejections, etc.

$10.00 for Marin Poetry Center members, $15.00 for others.

For information, contact Susan Terris: SDT11@aol.com.

It is not necessary to sign up in advance, but it might help when arranging for workshop handouts or setting up chairs to have an estimate of how many people are planning to come.

Susan Hagen’s May/June Writing Events for Women with

May 1-3 Writing Retreat for Women in Camp Meeker

1. $425 includes meals and a private room with shared bath at St. Dorothy’s Rest and Retreat Center in Camp Meeker, CA.

Saturday StoryCircles for Women in Sonoma County

May 9 (Sebastopol)

June 6 (Bodega Bay)

The StoryCircle is a day-long gathering of women who meet to write, share, reflect, and remember who we are.  Come once, come every month, or enroll as often as you like.  Diversity of the group and a growing pool of participants make each month’s gathering distinctive and fresh.  Beginning and experienced writers welcome.  $85 per session.

Susan Hagen

The Women at Ground Zero Project
(707) 888-0849
hagen@womenatgroundzero.com

www.womenatgroundzero.com

Mendocino Coast Writers Conference Registration opens April 15

Be first in line for the workshop leader you’ve dreamed of working with. Look for our conference brochure in the mail next week. The registration form will also be available online at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_regn.html. Fill out the form, mail it in with your check or credit card information, and registrar Barbara Lee will stack up your envelopes in postmark order, ready for processing when registration opens April 15. Remember, workshops with highly-regarded presenters fill quickly; we don’t want you to be disappointed.

We regret that the accounting system at College of the Redwoods does not allow us to offer online registration.

If you need help with fees, see our Financial Aid page at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_aid.html. For discounts available to Mendocino County students and residents, see our Registration page at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_regn.html.

For workshop details and links to the presenters’ websites, please check http://www.mcwc.org. Dates for our conference are Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, August 2, 2009.

Suzanne Murray: The Heart of Writing

The Heart of Writing

Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray

Four-Week Classes, Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Tuesday Mornings, 9:30 am to noon,

May 19 to June 9, $100 paid by 5/12, $115 after

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12

May 19 to June 9, $100 paid by 5/12, $115 after

One-Day Workshops

Saturday, May 30, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 5/22, $85 after

downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Small supportive groups. Good for beginners and experienced writers as well as all styles of writing.

Learn simple, powerful techniques to find your voice, tell your stories, calm your inner critic, enter the creative flow, jumpstart your writing and support your creative self. Find support and encouragement and an understanding of the craft of writing and the joyful heart of the creative process.

for more information call or email Suzanne at 707.360.7776 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website:www.creativitygoeswild.com

North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

*Wednesday, June 3, 7-9 PM: *The North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) presents -* *How To Get Started As A Children’s Writer: The Ten Things You Need To Know To Blast Your Career From Hobby to Professional by Hillary Homzie. This meeting will be held at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Donation $10. SCBWI is a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. For details, scroll down to the full announcement in the “County Wide News” section below, or visit the website at www.scbwi.org <http://www.scbwi.org>.

North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) features Hillary Homzie in their second meeting 7-9 pm, Wednesday, June 3rd, in the library at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 6780 Depot St., Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-4797. The title of her talk is “How to get started as a Children’s Writer: The Ten Things You Need to Know to Balst your Career from Hobby to Professional.

Hillary Homzie is a visiting associate professor at Hollins University where she teaches in the graduate M.F.A. program in children’s writing. She is the author of the forthcoming tween novel, Things Are Gonna Get Ugly (Simon & Schuster, June 2009) as well as the successful chapter book series Alien Clones From Outer Space (Simon & Schuster), which is being made into an animated television series. In a feature story on her writing workshops, the Los Angeles Times said: “Homzie was very attentive, as well as appreciative and encouraging for almost two hours of bliss.” She has been privately coaching both published authors and aspiring authors for eight years, several of whom have achieved publishing success with major national accolades.

Gwynne O’Gara’s Writing Workshops

For more information and to register, call (707) 823-2993 or e-mail gwynn@gwynnogara.com.

The workshops will be held at the Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati, Cotati, CA.

Gwynn O’Gara is the author of Snake Woman Poems (Beatitude Press) and the chapbooks Fixer-Upper (dpress) and Winter at Green Haven (Word Temple Press). She is active with California Poets in the Schools, and performs with The Redheads and pianist Rob Catterton. In addition to various anthologies, her work has been published in the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Minnetonka Review and Yellow Silk, and will appear in future issues of Argestes, descant, Evansville Review and Beatitudes Golden Anniversary Edition.

Petaluma Writers Forum

Writers Forum of Petaluma proudly presents Julianne Balmain, aka Nadia Gordon.

Thursday, May 21, 2009 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma

$15 at the door

Feeling Mysterious? How to Write a Great Mystery Novel (and Why You Should). They’re among the most popular books published, and no wonder. Mystery novels are fun to read, fun to write, and a great way to improve your skills as a fiction writer. Whether you write or aspire to write short stories, literary fiction, romance novels, screenplays, or thrillers, trying your hand at a classic mystery novel is an excellent way to learn more about character development, timing, plot, and suspense–all essential and valuable skills, no matter what kind of fiction you write. In this workshop, we’ll explore the mystery as a form, including how to get started, create an outline, map out a plot, and ultimately sell your mystery

novel. You’ll learn how to:

* Create characters readers care about.

* Move the plot forward.

* Create suspense.

* Deliver a satisfying ending.

* Design, pitch, and sell one mystery or a series.

Julianne Balmain is the author of numerous books on food, sex, and generally having a good time, including the Kama Sutra Deck: 50 Ways to Love Your Lover. Writing as Nadia Gordan, she is the author of the Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley mystery series, including Sharpshooter, Death by the Glass, Murder Alfresco, and, coming in April 2009, Lethal Vintage, all from Chronicle Books. Gordon’s culinary mystery novels have been called “jolly, high-calorie pleasure” by the Chicago Tribune, “highly enjoyable” by the Washington Post, and “rapturous” by the Los Angeles Times.  Julianne lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.nadiagordon.com

Supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from the Hearst Foundation.

For more information: www.thewritespot.us

Marlene – mcullen@comcast.net

Laurie Reiche ‘s Writing Soiree

Laurie leads writing workshops the third Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM at her home.

The focus is generating new work, both poetry and prose. Sliding scale. For more information, call 415-892-9430 or e-mail p.reiche@comcast.net.

Lessen-Reiche has facilitated workshops for many years. She was the 2006 Winner of Lilith Magazine’s Second Annual Charlotte Newberger National Poetry Award. Her work has also appeared in magazines such as SUNY Upstate Medical Journal: The Healing Muse, and The Southern Poetry Review.

Clara Rosemarda’s Writing Workshops

Clara Rosemarda, MA, writer, counselor, coach, and
workshop leader, has been working with beginning and mainstreams writers for over 25 years. Her prose and poetry is published in literary journals. She is coauthor of STEEPED: In the World of Tea.

Lisa Shulman’s Workshops for Young Writers and Children’s Book Writers

Two Summer Classes for Young People Who Write:

Art and Writing Camp for Girls 11-14. Be an artist in the morning and a writer in the afternoon. In the mornings artist Malia MacDiarmid will show you how to use basic design in drawing, painting, jewelry-making, block printing, and fabric painting. In the afternoons let your imagination soar and your pen go wild with author Lisa Shulman as we write poetry, short stories, scripts, and more.
Session 1: June 29-July 2, M-Th,10 am–3 pm,
Session 2: July 7-10, T-F, 10 am–3 pm
Cost: $200/session if paid by June 1 (includes $25 materials fee); $225 after June 1
For more information or to register, contact Malia 576.1335, email malia@maliamacdiarmid.com or Lisa 823.0431, lisa@lisashulman.com

About the Instructors:
Malia MacDiarmid has been a working artist for 30 years, showing and selling her jewelry and art in stores and juried shows across the country. She’s also worked for many years in children’s theatre, directing, designing sets, and creating costumes.

Lisa Shulman began writing at age 6, and hasn’t stopped since. She has written numerous books for children, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop and The Moon Might Be Milk. As a visiting author, she speaks to hundreds of students about writing each year. Lisa has taught writing at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, College for Kids, and the Reach Creative Arts Magnet Program at Brookhaven Middle School.

Just Write! Creative Writing for Kids and Teens
at SRJC’s College for Kids
This class is for kids who love to write. Explore poetry, short stories, scripts, and other types of writing with children’s author Lisa Shulman. We’ll play with elements of writing such as character, dialogue, sensory details, and metaphor in a fun, relaxed setting. Let your imagination soar and your pen go wild! Each class will include fun group and individual writing activities. For students entering grades 6-9.
Session 1: Monday-Thursday, June 15-18, 1-4 pm, $127
Session 2: Monday-Thursday, June 22-25, 1-4 pm, $127

Contact the Community Education at SRJC (707)527-4372 to register.
Lisa Shulman began writing at age 6, and hasn’t stopped since. She has written numerous books for children, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop and The Moon Might Be Milk. As a visiting author, she speaks to hundreds of students about writing each year. Lisa has taught writing at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, College for Kids, and the Reach Creative Arts Magnet Program at Brookhaven Middle School.

www.lisashulman.com

Books by Lisa Shulman:
Old MacDonald had a Woodshop
The Matzo Ball Boy
The Moon Might Be Milk
Over in the Meadow at the Big Ballet

Centa Theresa: Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers

THE POD: ART & WRITING

workshops & monthly creative projects coaching circle…

Centa Theresa, M.A.

www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net
CREATIVE PROJECTS COACHING: Whether you have a manuscript in the making that

you can¹t seem to finish, a body of artwork that needs more of your time, an

idea you¹d like to see manifest but have no plan, etc., I help you to

clarify the vision, identify challenges, claim successes and keep

accountable for stated intentions. Private sessions held in my home

office/studio in Santa Rosa. Call for further inquiry.

ART/WRITING PROCESS: Through dialogue, meditation, free-writing exercises

and the exploration of various art media, focus on a question or theme of

present concern and let the process unfold. Come one time or for a

predetermined series of private sessions in my home studio. Call for further

inquiry.

Call for free consultation. 707-478-5903. www.centatheresa.com

<http://www.centatheresa.com> . vicenta@sonic.net

Centa Theresa M.A. has exhibited her art in Bay Area galleries & had poems

appear or are forthcoming in such journals as Harpur Palate, Eclipse, The

Hurricane Review, Tiny Lights, and DrumVoices Revue. Centa has authored the

letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light. She currently

teaches art at Napa State Hospital and has trained in ³creativity coaching²

with Eric Maisel.

Pat Tyler Quick Start Writing Workshops

QUICK START WRITING WORKSHOPS by Pat Tyler

THURSDAY MORNINGS – 9:30 TO 11:30 A.M. – $14.00

A FUN, SAFE PLACE TO WRITE

APRIL – MAY – AND JUNE -

ROHNERT PARK COMMUNITY CENTER

www.writetoday.net – pat.tyler@att.net 707-696-9640

A list of other Sonoma County writing workshop leaders appears in the details about workshops and events at the end of the update. Feel free to contact them about their private consultations or to find out when their next workshops will be.

Sonoma County Writers

Offering Workshops and Consultation

Stephen Altschuler www.firstpersonwriting.com

Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com

Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro harlmarg@sonic.net

Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org

Sher Christian poetrytalks@neteze.com

Marlene Cullen www.thewritespot.us/ or mcullen@comcast.net

Georgette G. deBlois GGdeB@aol.com.

Nancy Dougherty and Geri Digiorno ncaversd@sonic.net

Terry Ehret tehret99@comcast.net

Susan Hagenhagen@womenatgroundzero.com

Suzanne Murray suzmurr@yahoo.com

Laure Reiche p.reiche@comcast.net

Pauline Reif paulineerh@yahoo.com

Clara Rosemarda rosen@sonic.net

Scott Reid Serkes www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html>http: //www.sonic.net

Lisa Shulman www.lisashulman.com.

Shelley Singer http://www.shelleysinger.com

Centa Theresa, m.a.,Writing & Creative Projects Coach

www.centatheresa.com

creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com

Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net

Writers’ Connections

If you’d like to invite others in the literary community to join your writers’ group or network, send an announcement to tehret99@comcast.net.

WESTWORD SECOND SUNDAY SALONS @ SEBASTOPOL, 4-6PM

All poets and writers are welcome to hear and read at monthly gatherings in the quiet comfort of the Center’s west-corner Library Room. Come hear and share home-grown literature, and your writing process, problems, and motives with colleagues in our sessions facilitated by Gor Yaswen, for $1 donation to the Center. Listeners also are cordially invited to these-smoke-and-fragrance-free meetings. For info. call: 707-829-1549

Location: SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6780 DEPOT STREET (@ BROWN ST. & behind Seb. Deli.)

GOR YASWEN
YASWEN@AOL.COM

Blog with me about: “Inspiring Young Children to Read”…

Reading aloud to young children yields benefits aplenty. The NAE sez it this way:

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required
for eventual success in reading – is reading aloud to children.”
– Commission on Reading of the National Academy of Education

There are five well defined ‘Facts, Advantages and Benefits’ to reading aloud
that I’ve summarized here in relation to Ocean Rudee & Company’s program offerings:
https://www.oceanrudee.com/what.is.ocean.rudee.and.company.html#readaloud

I’d love to hear other thoughts and ideas (from any of you within the Sonoma County
Literary Update universe) in relation to your experiences, ideas and outlooks toward
the future – in regards to reading, books, reading aloud, inspiring young children,
early childhood education, multi-media programming, literacy and the like.

My blog is located here: http://oceanrudee.blogspot.com/

I await hearing the sounds of your keystrokes and absorbing your insights accordingly.

Responsively Reading Aloud I am,

Paul Ennis
pwe@ oceanrudee.com

Sitting Room Book Discussion Group

We meet 2-4 on the third Wednesday of every month, skipping December, at The Sitting Room and are always open to new readers. For more info, email Joanne Page at jpage@sonic.net.  (The January 21 book is Pat Barker’s first novel in her trilogy about World War I, “Regeneration.”)

The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club.

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its April 5th meeting will feature author Kevin Smokler. He will give a talk called, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Publishing, But Were Afraid to Ask.”

The meeting runs from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati.

The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

About Kevin Smokler:

Kevin Smokler is the editor of Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times (Basic Books, 2005) which USA Today called “provocative, irreverent and fun.” He speaks throughout North America on writing, publishing and the endurance of the arts in the digital 21st century. He lives in San Francisco.

For more information please visit http://www.kevinsmokler.com/.

About Redwood Writers:

Redwood Writers is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club, the nation’s oldest professional club for writers, founded in 1909.  Its motto is “writers helping writers.” Early members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, Joaquin Miller and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. The Club has more than 1,200 members statewide.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place on October 24, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa. Our one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Call for Scriptwriters on Weekly Radio Show

Are you an accomplished scriptwriter looking for a long-term project to sink your creativity into? Ocean Rudee & Company of Sebastopol is in the process of pulling together a team of 4 to 6 ‘scriptors’. Project responsibilities will include: the development of an ongoing series of radio serial dramas and related multi-media programs for children from 4 to 8-years of age (as well as their parents, teachers and primary caregivers).

Prior experience writing for children is not necessary. An understanding of how to write for continuity, how to maintain and adhere to a well developed set of character profiles, the ability to function well as a team player, a love of children’s literature and an abiding commitment to the muse – are essential.

If this is you, please visit Ocean Rudee’s website (www.oceanrudee.com) and send them off an e-mail expressing your interest in learning more.

.

Join the Staff of First Leaves
If you have ever wanted to be on the staff of an energetic, literary journal and learn the process of compiling a publication, plan to join English 80 (3 unit, CSU transferable) for the Spring ’09 semester. Students enrolled in English 80 are involved in all aspects of producing a literary journal (with the guidance of the instructor), from approving submissions to putting the actual journal together. Evaluating other people’s work is a great way to learn your own strengths and weaknesses. The class is fun, collaborative, and project-based: we will produce a high-quality, well-designed magazine. We welcome the participation of people throughout the North Bay, including mature working adults, young adults, teens and retirees.

Contact Instructor Abby Bogomolny for more information: (707) 522-2779

Have You ‘Jacket-Flapped’ Lately?
JacketFlap is an international social networking community where you can connect with upwards of 5,000 published authors and illustrators of books for Children and Young Adults. Paul Ennis of Sebastopol reports: “I’ve been a member of JacketFlap (http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=OceanRudee) since late-June of 2008. My efforts to produce audio books for children and source read-aloud materials for my radio program production project (targeting an October 2009 broadcast premiere) have been greatly enhanced by the people I’ve been able to meet through JacketFlap. It’s FREE to join, the community is a vibrant one that does not seem to generate junk e-mails to any great degree and the atmosphere is very professional. If you are ready to network with folks around the world in the children’s book publishing industry this is an online community you need to be a part of. Their membership includes: children’s book authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishing companies, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, teachers, students and just plain old ordinary folks who love children’s literature. Check it out – you’ll have fun in the process!”

The International Women’s Writing Guild

The IWWG is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart—the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions—alongside conventional logic. For more information about how to join the IWWG, contact Caroline Brumleve: e-mail iwwg@iwwg. org or visit their website at www.iwwg.org.

Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings

SUNDAYS

First Sunday of the month: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends), from 3-5 pm. at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. A small fee of $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Second Sunday of the month: Westwood Second Sunday Salons, 4-6 PM. All poets and writers are welcome to hear and read at monthly gatherings in the quiet comfort of the Center’s west-corner Library Room. Come hear and share home-grown literature, and your writing process, problems, and motives with colleagues in our sessions facilitated by Gor Yaswen, for $1 donation to the Center. Listeners also are cordially invited to these-smoke-and-fragrance-free meetings. For info. call: 707-829-1549. Location: SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6780 DEPOT STREET (@ BROWN ST. & behind Seb. Deli.) For more information, contact GOR YASWEN YASWEN@AOL.COM

Sunday afternoons at 2 PM: SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series - With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa.  Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM.  Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system.  They are very excited about working with us.  So please do note the new time of day.  For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net

Third Sundays 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Third Sundays12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz

Poetry Reading. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.

Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguires Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com.

 
MONDAYS

First Monday of the Month: Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) Writers meet in the "New Room", Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave.Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381 or http://www.uusantarosa.org/ Meetings are held in the afternoon, 4 - 6 pm, and again in the evening, 6:45 - 8:45 pm. Focus: Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biographies, the Great American novel, poems, essays, song lyrics, reports, term papers, cook books, web pages, blogs, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where you can improve and hone your writing skills.The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at UUCSR is not required. UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com

TUESDAYS

Second Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Cafe hosts a featured writer and an open mic reading at the Healdsburg Senior Center 133 Matheson St. (one block east of the Plaza). Light refreshments are served. Admission is free ($5.00 donation encouraged).  Contact: Cynthia Helen Beecher (707) 696-1111.

SATURDAYS

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

Intermittently Scheduled Events

ODD Month Readings is sponsored by the Redwood Writers Club. The readings are open to non-members, but are not open mic format. Contact Ann Wilkes at critiquegrpcoord@redwoodwriters.org or 707-792-1704 to get on the list or for more information. Redwood Writers roves the county with talented writers for your listening pleasure.

Haiku Poets of No. California. Join us for our free quarterly readings & workshops. A featured reader, often longtime HPNC members, will present a short reading of haiku and/or other Japanese genre poetry. Each meeting also offers a lengthier program (usually a presentation or workshop related to one of the Japanese forms). There will be one or more round-robin readings, where all attendees have an opportunity, open-mic style, to read and share one or more haiku and tanka. Also news and announcements, including upcoming events, submission calls and brief introductions of any new books of interest, as well as time for socializing and refreshments. A book table is set up for the sale and purchase of HPNC and other books (you may bring your own publications if you have some to sell). Our meetings and special events, which are open to both members and nonmembers, are held quarterly at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, building C, room 235, from 1 to 5 PM. For more information, or to become an HPNC member (which includes a subscription to our renowned semiannual journal Mariposa and a quarterly newsletter) go to the HPNC website at www.haiku-poets-northern-california.com.

How to List Your Announcements in the Literary Update

1. Include the words “Literary Update” in your subject heading.

2. Make sure your announcement is concise, carefully proofread, and copy-edited. Also keep in mind that I can only include announcements that are plain text and presented in the e-mail message (no flyers, PDF’s, or attachments with special formatting please). Retyping text and reformatting special fonts from flyers takes time, sometimes causes errors, and may result in announcements being left out of the Update.

3. Suggest the category where you’d like it placed. These are listed here:

• Monthly Calendar of readings, events and workshops (Please use abbreviated format: Day, date, time: title of event, presenter(s), location, cost, contact information)
• County-Wide Literary News (general interest announcements)
• News from East County (Sonoma area)
• News from North County (Healdsburg area)
• News from West County (Occidental/Guerneville area)
• Sonoma County in Print (new books/chapbooks/CDs by Sonoma County writers)
• Call for Submissions (local literary journals, magazines, contests)Upcoming Workshops and Conferences (current workshops you are offering)
• Writers’ Connections (invitations to join groups, formal or informal)Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
• Sonoma County Workshop Leaders (e-mail and website contacts)

Deadline

The deadline for announcements is the last day of each calendar month. If your event is early in the month, send it two months ahead to make sure it gets in the calendar in a timely fashion

Donation

For those who regularly announce their workshops, readings, or services here, a donation of $10/year is appreciated to keep the update and its website going. Donations from regular readers are welcome, too! If you’d like to find out how you can help, please contact me at tehret99@comcast.net.

Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update

April 1, 2009

Dear Literary Folk,

Happy National Poetry Month!

Literary Update Takes a Break in June and July

For those of you who depend on the Literary Update to announce readings and workshops, or to find the literary events you’re looking, please know that I will be taking a break from producing the Literary Update this summer. There will be no Literary Update in June and July. A wedding and travel plans will be keeping me busy and out-of-touch for a couple of months.

For all events in June and July, please send your announcements to Tom Lombardo, who has graciously agreed to post them on his website: www.sonomaword.org. You can reach Tom via e-mail at tomlombardo@comcast.net. For more information about Tom’s website, scroll down to the County Wide News category.

Since Tom’s website has a calendar of literary events, it would make sense to always cc him whenever sending announcements to me in the future. Tom once again extends his invitation to all Sonoma County Writers to create their own authors’ pages on his website and to promote their writing, readings, and workshops on Sonoma Word. Details in the County Wide News below.

♦ ♦ ♦

Lucky Break nominated for the Northern California Book Reviewers Award in Poetry

I’m very pleased to announce that my newest book, Lucky Break was among five books nominated this year for an NCBRA award in poetry.

You are all cordially invited to attend the awards ceremony when the winners will be announced in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation, and children’s literature. The line-up of this year’s nominees promises an exciting program. I’m thrilled and honored to be in such illustrious company.

The 28th Annual Northern California Book Awards will be held Sunday, April 19, at Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin at Grove, at 1:00 p.m. Immediately following the awards, a reception with book signing will begin in the Latino/Hispanic Room at the Library. The ceremony and reception are free and open to the public.

For more information about the NCBRA, please visit this link: http://www.poetryflash.org/NCBA.09.html.

Here are the 2009 nominees in all the categories:
Fiction

Lady Lazarus, Andrew Foster Altschul, Harcourt

Doctor Olaf van Schuler’s Brain, Kirsten Menger-Anderson, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

The Delivery Room, Sylvia Brownrigg, Counterpoint

Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein, Molly Dwyer, Lost Coast Press

No One You Know, Michelle Richmond, Delacorte Press

Poetry

Lucky Break, Terry Ehret, Sixteen Rivers Press

The Date Fruit Elegies, John Olivares Espinoza, Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe

Inverse Sky, John Isles, University of Iowa Press

Sleeping It Off in Rapid City, New & Selected, August Kleinzahler, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

the true keeps calm biding its story, Rusty Morrison, Ahsahta Press

General Nonfiction

Physics for Future Presidents:The Science Behind the Headline

Richard A. Muller, W.W. Norton

The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment

Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich, Island Press

A Romance on Three Legs:Glenn Gould’s Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano

Katie Hafner, Bloomsbury

Towers of Gold:How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California
Frances Dinkelspiel, St. Martin’s Press

In Defense of Food:An Eater’s Manifesto
Michael Pollan, The Penguin Press

Creative Nonfiction

Hallelujah Junction:Composing an American Life
John Adams, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The Middle Place, Kelly Corrigan, Voice

Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction
David Sheff, Houghton Mifflin

Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy:On Being an American Citizen
Susan Griffin, Trumpeter

Children’s Literature

Steinbeck’s Ghost, Lewis Buzbee, Feiwel & Friends

Just In Case:A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book, Yuyi Morales, Roaring Brook Press

Facts of Life: Stories, Gary Soto, Harcourt Children’s Books

A Life in the Wild:George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts
Pamela S. Turner, Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The Dragon’s Child:A Story of Angel Island

Laurence Yep and Dr. Kathleen S. Yep, HarperCollins

Translation

The Old Man’s Verses, Ivan Divis, Translated from Czech by Deborah Garfinkle,\

Host Publications

Odes and Elegies, Friedrich Hölderlin, Translated from German by Nick Hoff
Wesleyan University Press

State of Exile, Cristina Peri Rossi, Translated from Spanish by Marilyn Buck

City Lights Publishers

Senselessness, Horacio Castellanos Moya, Translated from Spanish by Katherine Silver
New Directions

Belonging:New Poetry by Iranians Around the World, Translated from Persian by Niloufar Talebi, North Atlantic Books

Special Recognition Award

Paintings in Proust:A Visual Companion to In Search of Lost Time
Eric Karpeles, Thames & Hudson

Fred Cody Award For Lifetime Achievement Community & Literature

Novelist, publisher, and playwright Dorothy Bryant

April Calendar of Literary Events

The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.

v      Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/

v      Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com

v      WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com

v      Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us

v      Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm

v      SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.
v      The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.

Wednesday, April 1, 709 PM: North Bay Children’s Writers and Illustrators presents Lisa Shulman. This first meeting of the North Bay Children’s writers and illustrators will be held on April 1st  from 7pm to 9pm in the library at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 6780 Depot St, Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-4797. These sessions are sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. Donation $10.  For details, scroll down to the full announcement in the “County Wide News” section below, or visit the website at www.scbwi.org.

Friday, April 3 at 8 PM: Opening performance of  Douglas Kenning and Patti Trimble’s THE LOOM AND THE SHIP-a twice traveled Odyssey at NOHspace in San Francisco. Performances continue on April 4, 10, 11. Location: 2840 Mariposa St. San FranciscoDetails included in the “County Wide News” category below. For further info look at: http://www.theatreofyugen.org/calendar.html

For reservations call: 1-415-621-7978

Saturday, April 4, 7 PM: Book Passage in Corte Madera hosts a book party and reading to celebrate Sixteen Rivers newest publications: Again by Lynne Knight, and Light, Moving by Carolyn Miller. Location: 51 Tamal Vista Boulevard, Corte Madera. Tel: 415-927-0960.

Sunday, April 5, 2:00 to 3:30 P.M: The Healing Power of the Senses, Playshop. Peace in Medicine Education Center and Healing Studio, Gravenstein Station, 6771 Sebastopol Ave., (Hwy 12) Sebastopol. 707 823-4206. Donations Appreciated. Details included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. Contact Sher Christian: www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/

Monday, April 6, 6:30-9:00 PM: Reception and reading for the release of Sometimes in the Open, an anthology of California Poets Laureate. Location: 2509 R Street, Sacramento. Telephone: (916) 979-9706. For more information about the anthology and the readings, you can visit this link:http://www.sacramentopoetrycenter.org/.

Monday, April 6, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series presents Geneen Roth – Loving the Craft, the Mundane, and the Truth in Non-fiction and Memoir. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below.

Wednesday, April 8. 7-9 PM: Hospice of Petaluma and Memorial Hospice present Raphael Block, Sonoma County poet, reading his work as part of  Hospice of Petaluma’s Community Education Series. Raphael Block is a father/son, single parent/widower, teacher/learner, poet/struggling human being to mention a few categories. Experiences of loss and gain break out beyond all categories and point us toward our humanity. Raphael will share his experiences through stories, poems and songs. Location: Hospice of Petaluma, 416 Payran Street, Petaluma, CA, 707-778-6242.

Saturday, April 11, 2-4 PM: ” Season of Verse ” is a poetry reading and open mike event at the Vallejo Public Library, Kennedy Branch. This event is for National Poetry Month. It features Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and  Robert M. Shelby, Benicia Poet Laureate. The open mike portion will begin at 2 pm and will be hosted by Ms. Martin. There will be a book signing and light refreshments. This event will be in the Joseph Room of the library on the 2nd floor. For more information, contact Nancy Atkins at 1-866-572-7587, Vallejo Public Library, 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo, Ca. 94590

Saturday, April 11 at 7 :30 PM: Japanese Poetry & Music at the Gualala Arts Center, including sushi and plum wine, sake or tea, as part of the Redwood Coast Whale and Jazz Festival. Performances include: Renee Owen  reading her haibun, accompanied by musician Brian Foster on the shakuhachi flute; Don McLeod, composing and dancing a butoh theatre piece from Basho: The Complete Haiku by Jane Reichhold, internationally renowned haiku poet; Mariko Kitakubo of Tokyo, dressed in kimono, will perform her tanka in Japanese, with Linda Galloway reciting translations; Shirley Muramoto, on the koto (harp), and Karl Young, on the shakuhachi (bamboo flute).For more information about this event or the performers, see the Gualala Arts Center website at www.gualalaarts.org.

Saturday, April 11: Susan Hagen’s Spring Story Circles For Women is a day-long gathering of women who meet to write, share, reflect, and remember who we are.  Come once, come every month, or enroll as often as you like.  Meditation, guided imagery, and nature-based practices help set aside the thinking mind and clear a path to the deeper inner life. You’ll learn simple techniques for effortless writing and share your stories in a safe, supportive circle of women.  Diversity of the group and a growing pool of participants make each month’s gathering distinctive and fresh.  Each gathering limited to 10 women; beginning and experienced writers welcome; $85 per session. 

www.womenatgroundzero.com.

hagen@womenatgroundzero

707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 pm: Parthenon West Review celebrates its newest issue with a readubg at Pegasus Books Downtown, 2349 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley. The reading features Alice Jones, Barbara Claire Freeman, and Nguyen Do.

Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 PM: The Second Saturday Truth Be Told series at the

Sebastopol Center for the Arts presents a special early Earth Day event with very special guest Rachel Carson author of Silent Spring (actually, it’s Lilith Rogers pretending to be Rachel Carson and the very extra special Sebastopol poet and performance artist the one and only Magick treating us to her fabulous and profound words of wisdom and beauty. $10-$20 donation or whatever you can.Contact: lilithrogers1@juno.com or 523-9907 fmi

Monday, April 13, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series presents Gwynn O’Gara – Sex, Love & Marriage-Writing non-sentimental poems about highly charged themes. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below.

Tuesday, April 14, 7-9 PM: Center Literary Café presents Hair Pieces, an anthology by Sonoma County Writing Practice authors Nan Koontz, Margaret Caminsky Shapiro, Marie Galletta. Open mic: Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments. Donations appreciated. Location: Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. For information, call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111. centerliterarycafe@gmail.com.

Thursday, April 16, 7:00- 9:00 PM: Petaluma Writers Forum presents Pauline Laurent, “The Courage to Write the Story that Scares You.” Location: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma. Cost: $15 at the door. For more information: www.thewritespot.us, or contact Marlene Cullen – mcullen@comcast.net.

Saturday, April 18, 2:00 PM: Copperfield’s Books in Healdsburg presents Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone. Location: 104 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, CA, 95448

Saturday, April 18, 1:30pm: Copperfield’s Books in Healdsburg presents Elizabeth Cunningham reading from Bright Dark Madonna: A Novel (The Maeve Chronicles).

April 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm: Third Sunday Poetry Reading and Open Mic, , hosted by Sher & John Christian.  Joan Parisi Wilcox, accompanied by Paul Armstrong on guitar, will read poetry on topics from science to mysticism to the vagaries of love. Sher will read poetry with John’s keyboard accompaniment. Bring a favorite poem to share. Donations Appreciated. Coffee Catz, Gravenstein Station, 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. 707 829-6600.

Sunday, April 19, 1 PM: The 28th Annual Northern California Book Awards will be held Sunday, April 19, at Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin at Grove, at 1:00 p.m. Immediately following the awards, a reception with book signing will begin in the Latino/Hispanic Room at the Library. The ceremony and reception are free and open to the public.

Sunday, April 19, 1- 4 PM: The Healdsburg Literary Guild celebrates National Poetry Month with a gathering of Poets Laureate of Sonoma and adjoining counties, reading from a just-published anthology of Laureates’ works, Sometimes in the Open, at the Third Sunday Salon, City Hall, 401 Grove Street, Healdsburg, from 2 to 4 PM.  Guest host will be Bob Stanley of the Sacramento Poetry Center who compiled the collection. For more information, contact: 433-7119.

Monday, April 20, 7-9 PM: Writing coach Clara Rosemarda and writer/poet/editor Arlene Mandell are offering a free workshop on “Finding the Right Writing Group” at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.  All poets, romance writers, essayists, memorists and playwrights wanting to find a congenial group to meet regularly and discuss their work are invited to attend.  Please bring a one-page sample of your work.  For more information, contact Arlene at poetessxyz@sbcglobal.net.

Thursday, April 23, 7:30 PM: Readers’ Books hosts Sixteen Rivers’ 10th Anniversary Reading. Members of this groundbreaking poetry collective, which includes Sonoma County Poet Laureate Terry Ehret, will gather in The Reading Garden to help us celebrate National Poetry Month and ten years of great poetry publishing.

Friday, April 24th, 6-8:30pm: Teen Poetry Competition & Open Mic. The Awesome Alliance of Justice, Napa Main Library’s teen advisors, working with the Napa City-County Library, present a Teen Poetry Competition and Open Mic event. The competition is open to recitations of original poetry by teens. Competition spots are limited. Applications can be picked up at the library reference desk. The Open Mic portion and audience seating of the event are free and open to all community members. Location: Napa Main Library Community Room, 580 Coombs St., Napa, CA 94559. Contact:James Mah jmah@co.napa.ca.us

Saturday, April 25, 2:00 PM: Copperfield’s Books in Napa presents Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone. Location: 3900 A Bel Aire Plaza Napa, CA.

Sunday, April 26 from 1 p.m. to 5 pm: Second Annual Marin Poetry Festival at the Sausalito Bay Model Visitor’s Center, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, Calif. 94965. Cost: $5 suggested donation (no one turned away). For details about the featured poets and musicians presenting at the festival, scroll down to the “County Wide Announcements,” or contact Martin Hickel at: 415.382.8022 or  poetnews@sonic.net.

Monday, April 27, 6pm-9pm: Copperfield’s Books presents Aviva Zornberg, author of The Murmuring Deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious. Location: Shomrei Torah – 2600 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa.

Friday, May 1 at 7 PM: Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will give a reading and talk on Japanese linked verse.  They will be joined by Mendacino poet Sandy Berrigan.  The event will be held at Many Rivers Books & Tea  103 S. Main St. in Sebastopol. For details, scroll down to “News from West County.”

Saturday, May 2 at 3 PM: Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will be reading works of original literature. This reading will inagurate the 2009 Snake River Reading Series hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Mike Tuggle.  Location: Gold Coast Coffee, Moscow Rd and Hwy 116 in Duncans Mills. For details, scroll down to “News from West County.”

Saturday, May 9: Susan Hagen’s Spring Story Circles For Women. Details can be found in the “Current Workshops” category below, or by contacting Susan:

www.womenatgroundzero.com.

hagen@womenatgroundzero

707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Saturday, May 9 at 3 PM: Jonah Raskin at the Community Center, Sonoma

Saturday, May 9, 1:30 PM: Copperfield’s in Santa Rosa presents Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone. Location: 2316 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.

Sunday, May 17 at 2 PM: Jonah Raskin at Sunday Salon, Healdsburg

Thursday, May 28 at 7 PM: Jonah Raskin at Copperfields’s Sebastopol

Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month.  Calendar entries are easier to include if they follow the format you see above, and if you can keep the information brief.

County-Wide News

Montgomery High School Student Named Winner in
Sonoma County “Poetry Out Loud” Contest

Amber Seira, a senior from Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa, took first place in the Sonoma County “Poetry Out Loud” competition on Saturday, February 21, 2009.  Amber was one of thousands of students across the state to participate in the national recitation contest, a program hosted locally by the Arts Council of Sonoma County, statewide by the California Arts Council.  The program was started by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to engage high-school students in the presentation of poetry through memorization and performance. Ms. Seira advances to the California state finals in Sacramento on Sunday, March 22nd and Monday, March 23rd.  At stake are hundreds of dollars on the state competition level and thousands at the national finals of Poetry Out Loud.

With eleven participating schools from Cloverdale to Sonoma, the program has reached approximately 1,500 students in Sonoma County.  “Poetry Out Loud gives our students an opportunity to engage deeply with classical poetry; enlivening that process through a competitive model,” shares Karin Demarest, Arts Education Consultant with the Arts Council of Sonoma County.  “It’s a fantastic collaboration between national, state and local organizations, all who are dedicated to sustaining poetry as an oral art form.”

All eleven Sonoma County competitors recited two poems to a rapt audience of 150 people at the Glaser Center on Saturday evening.  Amber’s first poem, “Bilingual/Bilingue” by Rhina P.Espaillat, brought a hush over the room.  “I was deeply moved and inspired by the courage and grace of the contestants, as well as their skill at understanding, interpreting and reciting the poems,” commented Larry Robinson, Sebastopol City Councilman, and the evening’s emcee.

On March 23, 2009, the California State Competition of Poetry Out Loud, National Recitation Contest, took place in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol Building in Sacramento. 40,000 students from around California competed in class-, school- and county-wide contests in 2009. Spencer Klavan of Santa Barbara County won first place and will represent California in the national contest, held in Washington D.C. on April 27 and April 28. Students from all 50 states will compete with Garrison Keillor, Tyne Daly, Luis Rodriguez acting as judges, and NPR’s Scott Simon acting as emcee.

Congratulations to Youth Writing Award Winners

Jackie Kremer, Laura Kincaid, Lindsay Koslowsky

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces the winners of its 4th Annual Youth Writing Writing Contest held for student residents of Sonoma County, aged 15 to 22.

First place was awarded in three categories to the following students:

First place in Short Story went to Jackie Kremer of Montgomery High School for “Harvey the Octopus.”

First place in Poetry was awarded to Laura Kincaid of Petaluma High School for “Open.”

First place for a Blog Rant went to Lindsay Koslowsky of Sonoma State University for “Why Vegetarianism?”

Each winner received a cash prize and is having her short story published on the Redwood Writers web site. Entries were judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion.

The winning entries may be viewed on-line at: http://www.redwoodwriters.org/.

Second Annual Marin Poetry Festival
Sunday April 26, 3309 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sausalito Bay Model Visitor’s Center
2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, Calif. 94965
$5 suggested donation (no one turned away)

Featured Poets
Kay Ryan – Poet Laureate of the United States
Jack Hirschman – 2007 Poet Laureate of San Francisco
Agneta Falk – Poet, International editor, translator, activist
Clive Matson – Winner 2003 PEN/O. J. Miles National Literary Award
Sharon Doubiago – Winner of three Pushcart Prizes, The Hazel Hall Oregon Book Award
Albert Flynn DeSilver – Poet Laureate of Marin County
Performance Poetry – 16th & Mission’s Verso Al Fresco

Featuring Music by

Avotcja – Latin/Jazz artist and poet with percussion of Ian Dogole
Kirk Lumpkin and the Word-Music Continuum
Owen Davis – words & percussion
Steve Shain – bass

Sponsored by Marin Poetry Center, The Rebound Bookstore of San Rafael, Book Passage of Corte Madera and the Army Corps of Engineers Bay Delta Model.

A great day with a wonderful setting (outdoor amphitheatre or indoor hall — weather depending), with a line-up of terrific poets promises an unforgettable afternoon of poetry and music at a unique venue.
Book and CD signings by the poets and musicians.
Seating available, or bring a blanket or “beach folder” for personal comfort.
For info/interviews contact Martin Hickel at: 415.382.8022 or  poetnews@sonic.net

Once Upon a Rhyme: The Magical Language of Picture Books
Join children’s author Lisa Shulman as she discusses techniques for creating lively picture book stories that are fun to read, fun to listen to, and can be read over and over without driving anyone crazy!

Lisa is the author of many books for children, including the picture books Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy, and The Moon Might Be Milk.

She was a judge for the 2008 Golden Kite Awards in the picture book text category, and facilitates a critique group for children’s writers. Lisa lives in Sebastopol with her family.
www.lisashulman.com

Books by Lisa Shulman: Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy
The Moon Might Be Milk, Over in the Meadow at the Big Ballet

This first meeting of the North Bay Children’s writers and illustrators will be held on April 1st  from 7pm to 9pm in the library at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 6780 Depot St, Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-4797. Donation $10.

These sessions are sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books.

www.scbwi.org

The Loom and the Ship: A Twice-Traveled Odyssey

An Original Work by Patti Trimble and Douglas Kenning

at NOHspace
2840 Mariposa St. San Francisco

THE LOOM AND THE SHIP is a two-person presentation-plus koros-of Homer’s Odyssey, in which Penelope has her say. The elegant and insightful text is adapted, written, and performed by poet Patti Trimble (Penelope) and storyteller Douglas Kenning (Odysseus). A stunning three-person koros-vocalists Devi Mathieu, Julia Norton, and Irina Mikhailova speak as the gods, sing as the sirens, and wail for humanity-as veteran musicians Clark Welsh and Vince Delgado invoke ancient melodies and moods on strings, flute, and percussion. Admission is $20, or pay what you can. Reservations: NOHspace 415 621 7978 www.theatreofyugen.org/calendar.html

This Spring, the  San Francisco Bay Area is staging Homer!-with MOMA’s The Return of Ulysses; Theater of Yugen’s The Iliad Project; ACT’s War Music, and Jonathan Shay’s film, Odysseus in America. On April 3,4,10, and 11, THE LOOM AND THE SHIP presents an unique approach to the familiar epic, as Patti Trimble and Douglas Kenning allow Odysseus’ faithful queen, Penelope equal heroes’ billing. Douglas Kenning tells of Odysseus’ journey, with the dignity, enthusiasm, and pride of the ancient hero. Performance poet Patti Trimble weaves a thoughtful monologue from Penelope’s point of view, unraveling and reweaving the fabric of heroism. Trimble and Kenning’s careful research-  with lines adapted from the poets Sappho and Hesiod, and ancient hymns and plays-  reveals the back-story of the the sirens and other monsters, brings insight to the daily life of Homer’s women, and revitalizes the depth of Homer’s tale-  and we end up thinking about our own wars, loves, journeys, and famiies.Hello friends and neighbors and colleagues—

Thanks to help from many of you, we’ve revised the text of  THE LOOM AND

THE SHIP-a twice traveled Odyssey—and will present the fully-realized performance at NOHspace in San Francisco on Friday and Saturday nights, April 3, 4, 10, 11.

We’ve also added a set,lights, two fabulous musicians on Mediterranean instruments (Clark Welsh and Vince Delgado) . . . and a chanting/singing KOROS of three fantastic singers (Devi Mathieu, Julia London, and Irina Mikilhova).

For further info look at: http://www.theatreofyugen.org/calendar.html

For reservations call: 1-415-621-7978

Hope to see you there!

Patti Trimble and Douglas Kenning

Tom Lombardo sends this special message for Sonoma County Authors:

The Arts Council of Sonoma County has launched a new site, www.sonomaword.org, which we hope will make it easier for people to find you and to connect with the literary scene in our area.

The site, which Tom is developing, is free and 100% devoted to marketing you and your books!

You will have your own page, and sometimes you will be the site’s home page, as it randomly selects a writer for the home page every time someone visits.

Please take a look to see what we’re up to.   Each page is different depending on how much content the author gave me.  The more the merrier!!

If you would, please respond to this email with as many of these things as possible:

1.  Your bio

2.  Your photo

3.  Links to your YouTube  videos

4.  Links to your site and your blog

5.  Title of the book you’re promoting, so I can create an Amazon link for it

6.  A summary of your book or a quote from a review — any blurb you want

7.  A passage from your book (this is really important)

8.  Links to any articles written about you

9.  Anything else you want on the page

In the Fall of 2009 the Arts Council will integrate “Word Trails” into the “Art Trails” event that attracts so much attention. Word Trails will be modeled on Art Trails, but it is completely separate. More on that later; but know that it is my intent to have every author in the area promoted at www.sonomaword.org well before then.

PLEASE forward this email to any writer you know who should be included in the site.

I look forward to hearing from all of you soon –

Cheers,

Tom Lombardo
707.338.5337
tomlombardo@comcast.net

Al Young to be Keynote Speaker for October Conference of Redwood Writers

Redwood Writers, the Redwood branch of the California Writers Club, is pleased to announce Al Young as our keynote speaker for the October 23, 2009 pre-Conference dinner event at Santa Rosa’s Flamingo Hotel and Resort, running from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Al’s talk will be “How the Rainbow Works: Reflections on Poetry and Survival.” He recently returned from three days of Smithsonian interviews for their jazz history archives and will have lots to share.

Cost for the evening is $50.00 per ticket. Al Young is part of an evening of poetry featuring Armando Garcia-Davila, Mike Tuggle, Sonoma County Poet Laureate, and two members of Sixteen Rivers Press, Carolyn Miller and Lynne Knight. The all-day conference follows the next day, October 24th, and pricing for the session will be published in the near future.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place the next day, October 24, 2009, from 7:30 am – 6:00pm (including check-in from 7:30 – 8:15am), at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa, 2777 Fourth Street, 95405, (707) 545-8530. This one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting. For more information, go to http://www.redwoodwriters.org/conference.html.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

News from East County

Thanks to Juanita Martin for providing this month’s East County news.
UniverSoul Reading Series

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

News from West County

Thanks to Pat Nolan for providing this month’s West County news.

Many Rivers Book & Tea, Sebastopol
Friday, May 1st at 7PM, Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will give a reading and talk on Japanese linked verse.  Poet Keith Abbott teaches writing and art at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.  Pat Nolan is a poet and long time Sonoma County resident, and has been writing Japanese linked verse with numerous collaborators for over thirty years.  They will be joined by Mendacino poet Sandy Berrigan.  The event will be held at Many Rivers Books & Tea  103 S. Main St. in Sebastopol.

Gold Coast Coffee, Duncans Mills
Saturday, May 2nd at 3 PM Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will be reading works of original literature.  Keith Abbott, novelist and poet, had been published widely in numerous literary magazines around the world.  His memoir of Richard Brautigan, Downstream from Trout Fishing in America is reprinted by Astrophil Press in 2009. Pat Nolan is the author of sixteen books of poetry, most recently Ah Bolinas! a limited edition travel journal in the Basho tradition. This reading will inagurate the 2009 Snake River Reading Series hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Mike Tuggle.  Gold Coast Coffee is located at the intersection of Moscow Rd and Hwy 116 in Duncans Mills.

Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.

There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations.  Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM.  Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig.  KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM.  Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.

Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.

News from North County

Thanks to Cynthia Beecher and Vilma Ginzberg for providing this month’s North County News.

Announcements for the Center Literary Café

Tuesday April 14, 7-9 PM

Center Literary Café presents Hair Pieces, an anthology by Sonoma County Writing Practice authors Nan Koontz, Margaret Caminsky Shapiro, Marie Galletta

Sonoma Country Writing Practice is a community of writers. We meet in our writing circle once a week to pour out our stories. We sit together, with notebook and pen in hand, and write using a jump-off line. We write rapidly for ten minutes without lifting our pens or editing as we go, writing into the deepest levels of our stories. We write because we love the art and craft of placing words one after another on the thin blue line.

Writing Practice evokes our Muse, the voice that encourages us. And because this style is called practice, we feel a freedom that allows memory to reveal stories that need to be told.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has been teaching Writing Practice for the past 10 years. She was born and educated in the Republic of South Africa and often writes her African stories. Margaret was inspired to publish the writings of her students and so Hair Pieces was born.

Check out the website:  www.handwritingonline.net

Open mic: Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments. Donations appreciated.

Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. For information, call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111

centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Healdsburg Literary Arts Guild

Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Healdsburg Literary Guild celebrates National Poetry Month with a gathering of Poets Laureate of Sonoma and adjoining counties, reading from a just-published anthology of Laureates’ works, Sometimes in the Open, at the Third Sunday Salon, City Hall, 401 Grove Street, Healdsburg, from 2 to 4 PM.  Guest host will be Bob Stanley of the Sacramento Poetry Center who compiled the collection.

It is a rare occasion when poets of this caliber gather in such numbers to share with the public and with other writers their acclaimed talent with words.  Among those expected to appear will be Mike Tuggle, Sonoma County’s present Poet Laureate; Vilma Ginzberg, Healdsburg’s present Literary Laureate; Jim Lyle, Lake County’s first Poet Laureate; and others. Contact: 433-7119

Sonoma County in Print

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy. You’re announcement will run for three Updates.

Donna Emerson’s Body Rhymes from Finishing Line Press

I am happy to announce to my friends and acquaintances that my poetry collection from Finishing Line Press, Body Rhymes, comes out this spring. Since this is a limited edition collection, you may order now to reserve a copy. The press run will be determined by the number of orders made before April 10.The book, with a color photograph of mine on the cover, will be mailed to you by the end of May.

“Donna Emerson’s poems-each a small, complete world-reveal their tenderness in detail. The poet William Carlos Williams once said ‘Perception is the first act of imagination,’ and with her photographer’s eye, Emerson invites the reader to see, as if for the first time, what is extraordinary even in the most familiar.  But as a poet, she also listens, deeply and intently, to her subject, whether it is a landscape, a memory, or one of the unforgettable souls she has counseled, struggling to reconcile themselves with mortality. And it is with a listening heart that the reader feels with her a wonder at the courage she has witnessed, and inspiration at the truth she captures.”

Terry Ehret, author of Lucky Break

“A lilting voice from a new poet.  A new daughter is not all that Donna Emerson gave birth to in her 50s.  Her poems are loaded with rich imagery and memory.”
Susan Swartz, author of The Juicy Tomatoes Guide to Ripe Living After 50

Books can be pre-ordered through the website at  www.finishinglinepress.com. Click on “New Releases and Forthcoming Titles,” scrolling down alphabetically.

Pierette Mimi Poinsett

Rose-Anne Clermont has written an article about my challenges in the Women’s International Perspective e-zine.  The photographer who is uncredited is Michi Adams of Rohnert Park Petaluma. Below is the link:

http://thewip.net/contributors/2009/02/living_one_day_at_a_time_in_th.html
Over the last three years, I have been writing creative non-fiction and poetry. Going into “the family business”:)  A memoir cookbook is in the works.

Pierrette Mimi Poinsett MD

http://www.snapdiva.blogspot.com

aka the Yayayarndiva on http://www.ravelry.com

Mary Lynn Archibald named in national “Best Books” 2008

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced that Mary Lynn Archibald was a finalist in THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS (NBBA). Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007.

This is the third finalist award (the second in the HUMOR category) for Mary Lynn Archibald, for her book, Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, which has attained something of a cult following here in the west. “Always a bridesmaid,” she says.

Mary Lynn Archibald is available interviews to discuss her latest book and related topics. Contact 707-395-0542 or marylynn@winecountrywriter.com

Bill Vartnaw ’s new book, Suburbs of my Childhood, came out on January15th.  Bill says, “This is a book of mostly early poems, lots of seventies, a few eighties and a couple of nineties about my mother, 74 pages.” For more information or to order the book, contact Bill at  taureanhorn@hotmail.com.  Taurean Horn Press’ address is P.O. Box 641097, San Francisco, CA 94164-1097.

Jeane Slone has just published She Flew Bombers From the Factories to the Bases. People can order it from my web site at www.jeaneslone.com.

Jean Heglund writes, “She Flew Bombers is a fascinating account of one woman’s love of flying and her involvement with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Anyone interested in Aviation History, Women’s History, or the World War II “war effort” will appreciate Jeane Slone’s careful research, as well as her ability to bring this little-know aspect of the US history to life so vividly.”

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has just published an anthology entitled Hair Pieces, containing the poetry and prose of 51 of her writing students. Hair Pieces is available for purchase at Copperfields and also at harlmarg@sonic.net. For information about Margaret’s Writing Practice workshops, scroll down to the section “Current and Upcoming Workshops.”

Ann Wilkes’s Awesome Layratt

Ann Wilkes’ first book, Awesome Lavratt (2009) is a tongue-in-cheek space opera with mind control, passion and adventure. Her stories have appeared in online zines and anthologies.  She lives in California’s wine country with her husband, Patrick and their youngest son. She’s working on two novels while still cranking out the short funny stories that characterize her writing style. Visit her website, http://www.annwilkes.com, for a full bio, her blog and links to online stories.

Marisol Schowengerdt.’s A Selfish Life?

Marisol is a first-time author with a self-published book, A Selfish Life?, released in October 2008.  This fictional work sells throughout Sonoma and Napa county.

The book focuses on the other side of motherhood; the not-so-perfect, yet rarely admitted, side of childrearing.  The confrontation to an unspoken reality is embedded in the lives of four women who confront the dilemma of choosing freedom over motherhood, guilt over consequence, and nature over science.

Please visit the website at www.aselfishlife.com for an author biography and a listing of outlets currently carrying this book.

Post your comments on our blog at www.aselfishlife.blogspot.com.  Whether or not you have read my book, I am sure most of you know people who have had to deal with teenage pregnancies, infertility, and/or indecision about becoming a parent.  I would like to give others a complete perspective about the choices being made and the circumstances that drive the decision of whether or not to have a baby, keep the baby, or buy a baby.

It’s a complicated topic and everyone has an opinion so let’s all share them so that others can take from them for their own decision making.  Please feel free to send this around to everyone you know, the more feedback the better.

Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.

Shelley Singer’s Blackjack

BLACKJACK–now available also in E-book and CD-Rom from SynergEbooks.com and major ebookstores–starring Rica Marin, spy and torch singer in the Balkanized world of 2066. Written as Lee Singer. Read the first chapter on Singer’s website.
.
Shelley Singer also does manuscript consulting, mostly fiction, fiction of all kinds. Singer will be teaching a workshop on Dialogue for the Redwood Writers at the end of January.

Calls for Submission

If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.

If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:

http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/

http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm

MEMOIR (and) Call for Submissions

MEMOIR (and) is an up-and-coming print journal for the exploration of memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. Our nonprofit mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, personal and critical essay, graphic narratives, narrative poetry, ”flash memoir,” autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, journalistic accounts,  narrative photography and more.  We award four cash prizes twice yearly and charge no entry fee. All work submitted to MEMOIR (and) is eligible to win a prize.

Our next reading period begins May 1, 2009 and ends August 15, 2009.

Submissions may be made online with our Submissions Manager tool at http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/general-submissions/, or by mailing to us at PO Box 1398, Sausalito CA 94966-1398.  Submission guidelines are available on the website at www.memoirjournal.com/submissions or can be requested by mail or phone at (415) 339-4130.

The Los Angeles Review, established in 2003, is the voice of Los Angeles, and the voice of the nation. With its multitude of cultures, Los Angeles roils at the center of the cauldron of divergent literature emerging from the West Coast. Perhaps from this place something can emerge that speaks to the writer or singer or dancer or wild person in all of us, something disturbing, something alive, something of the possibility of what it could be to be human in the 21st century.

We dedicate the sixth issue of The Los Angeles Review to Wanda Coleman. We invite both published and emerging writers to submit their work to the editors listed below, and we thank you for being part of The Los Angeles Review.

Submission Guidelines:
Issue No. 6¨is scheduled to be released in 2009. Submissions accepted from March 1 to June 1 via email only.

Indicate title and word count in the subject heading. Please include a cover letter and bio in the body of the email and attach your piece as a single .doc or .rtf attachment.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted if noted in the cover letter. No multiple submissions, please. Response tim
e is 2-3 months.

Writers published in the 2009 Los Angeles Review will receive one contributor copy in exchange for first North American serial rights.

Guidelines:
Fiction and nonfiction: We seek essay, memoir, and commentary told as compelling, focused, sustained narrative in a distinctive voice, rich with detail. Send 1,000-4,000 words or delight us with flash nonfiction that cat-burgles our expectations. In fiction we’re looking for to hard-to-put-down shorties under 500 words and lengthier shorts up to 4,000 words–lively, vivid, excellent literary fiction.

Poetry: Please submit 3-5 poems that will surprise us, wow us, and make us wish we’d written them ourselves. We are open to form, free verse, prose poems, and experimental styles. Our only criterion is quality.

Reviews: We welcome reviews of new and recent books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, particularly of books that have not received the critical attention they deserve. Send reviews of three to six pages. No need to query the editor beforehand.

Translations: Please submit 3-5 translated poems that open the poet’s original vision to an English-speaking audience.

Send all submissions to appropriate department email:
Editor: lareview.editor@gmail.com
Fiction Editor: lareview.fiction@gmail.com
Poetry Editor: lareview.poetry@gmail.com
Nonfiction Editor: lareview.nonfiction@gmail.com
Translation Editor: lareview.translations@gmail.com
Review Editor: lareview.bookrevie
ws@gmail.com

News from New Millennium Writings
Famed poet Nikki Giovanni will serve as final poetry judge in the Summer 2009 Poetry Contest. See below for Guidelines. Meanwhile, judging is under way in the Obama Millennium Awards and in the Winter 2008-09 Writing Awards which had a deadline of Jan. 31.
We will begin announcing winners in April.
To Enter our Summer 2009 New Millennium writing awards, read on.

$4,000 in Prizes, plus publication in NMW and on the Web at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com

$1,000 for best Fiction; $1,000 for best Poem; $1,000 best Nonfiction; $1,000 best Short-short Story

(Nonfiction includes humor, memoir, creative nonfiction, travel, opinion, essay, interview, features, investigative reporting, etc.)

Winners of NMW Awards are showcased along with interviews, profiles and tributes to writers such as Khaled Hosseini (The Kite-Runner), J. D. Salinger, Julia Glass, Kurt Vonnegut, Shel Silverstein, George Garrett, Ken Kesey, John Updike, Lee Smith, Cormac McCarthy, Lucille Clifton, Shelby Foote, Paul West, Norman Mailer, Sharyn McCrumb, William Kennedy, Walker Percy, Robert Penn Warren, Faulkner, Hemingway, Dickinson, Keats and many others. Also, prize-winning stories, poems & articles, humor, graphic arts, provocative commentary and more.

To Enter, follow these Guidelines, or enter on-line at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com and click on awards and contests or click here www.writingawards.com (shortcut). When entering online, include title page or cover letter in the file with your submission. It’s easy.

1. No restrictions as to style, content or number of submissions. Enter as often as you like.

2. Winners and selected finalists—including all poetry finalists—will be published in our 2009-10 issue and/or on-line at www.writingawards.com.

3. Send between now and midnight of June 17, 2009. This deadline may be extended once-only.

4. Simultaneous & multiple submissions welcome.

5. Each fiction or nonfiction piece is counted as a separate entry, and should total no more than 6,000 words except Short-short Fiction (no more than 1,000 words).

6. Each poetry entry may include up to three poems, not to exceed five pages total per entry. All 20 poetry finalists will be published.

7. Include name, phone, address, email & category on cover page only.

8. Manuscripts not returned. Include email address or SASE for list of winners.

9. Include $17 check payable to NMW with each submission.

10. Enter online at www.writingawards.com or send by U.S. Mail or other carrier to: “NMW” Room EM, PO Box 2463, Knoxville, TN, 37901.

Glimmer Train

Glimmer Train’s  Family Matters competition closes April 30. We’re looking for original, unpublished stories on family, word count range: 500 – 12,000. First place wins $1,200 and publication in Issue 76 of Glimmer Train Stories. Second- and third-place winners receive $500/$300 (or, if chosen for publication, $700).

For information about this and other upcoming competitions, visit Glimmer Train’s  submissions webpage:

http://www.glimmertrain.com//writguid1.html

Current and Upcoming Writing Workshops

Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, and some are retreats. Workshops for this month are listed below. A more complete list of workshop leaders and their contact information appears at the end of this article.

If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description to tehret99@comcast.net.

Arlene Mandell and Clara Rosemarda

Writing coach Clara Rosemarda and writer/poet/editor Arlene Mandell are offering a free workshop on “Finding the Right Writing Group” on Mon., April 20, from 7-9 p.m. at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.  All poets, romance writers, essayists, memorists and playwrights wanting to find a congenial group to meet regularly and discuss their work are invited to attend.  Please bring a one-page sample of your work.  For more information, contact Arlene at poetessxyz@sbcglobal.net.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro’s Sonoma County Writing Practice

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro teaches eight week long writing semesters out of her Santa Rosa downtown office. Three different class times are offered each week. Margaret uses poetry and meditation for inspiration and writers are encouraged to read their work in a supportive atmosphere. The memoir is a valuable form for dropping deeper into the self allowing memories to come forth. This process allows space for self-knowledge to occur. For more information or to receive a flyer call (707)575-8820 or email Margaret at harlmarg@sonic.net. The website for Sonoma County Writing Practice is www.handwritingonline.net

Sher Christian Workshops and Consultations

The Healing Power of the Senses, Playshop

Sunday, April 5, 2:00 to 3:30 P.M.,   Learn how creating a new and positive relationship with the five senses and sensuality heals body, mind, and soul. In this class Sher Christian will read poetry that deepens sensory awareness.  Participate in journaling, sharing, and sensory fun. Bring a notebook and pen. Peace in Medicine Education Center and Healing Studio, Gravenstein Station, 6771 Sebastopol Ave., (Hwy 12) Sebastopol. 707 823-4206. Donations Appreciated. Learn more about Sher at www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/
“Life shimmers with a vibrant magnificence that brings deep, satisfying pleasure when received with sensory presence.” Sher Lianne Christian

Intuitive, Poetic Phone Consultations

Understand and transcend life challenges, fulfill potential, meet goals, increase well being through attunement to the inner voice, instinct, and poetry of the soul. Life purpose clarity.

SPRING SPECIAL: Receive a quarter hour free ($25 value) when you pay for a $50 half hour session, or receive a half hour free ($50 value) when you pay for a $90 one hour session.

MONTHLY COACHING SPECIAL; $50 per month for 45 minutes or $90 per month for 1 1/2 hours. Minimum sign-up for three months. Email poetrytalks@neteze.com for more information. Learn more about Sher at www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com.

Sher Christian has 20 years experience with intuitive coaching. She is a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner and iridologist and has studied aromatherapy. She is the author of “Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry” and co-creator with her husband John Christian of the CD “Sweet Tongue”. She taught creative writing and poetry courses for Sierra College. Sher was a highlighted presenter at The International Flower Essence Conference in Australia and was a core leader of Nourish, the successful women’s retreat in Sonoma last October.

Expressive voice, recording, and/or music and sound effects for your book on CD

Sher Christian is available for voiceover. John Christian does recording, sound effects, and original music on keyboard, accordion, or Hammond organ for your projects.

E-mail for information and a demo on Mp3.

poetrytalks@neteze.com

Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry

CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music

www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com

Dan Coshnear’s Writing Workshop

There are a few slots open for the Spring/summer writing workshop led by Dan Coshnear. Class meets at a home in Rohnert Park on Tuesday nights from 6:00 – 9:00. We meet every other week – the following dates: 4/7, 4/21, 5/5, 5/19, 6/2, 6/16. Cost is $150. for 6 classes. (Rates are negotiable and payment can come in installments.)

If interested or you would like more info please contact Dan Coshnear – dan@coshnear.org – or 707-869-0329 as soon as possible.

Amber Coverdale Sumrall’s Writing Retreat in Point Reyes

There is one opening available for the May 15 – 18 Point Reyes three-night writing retreat. Lodging will be in a rustic four-story house on seven acres of forested land, just up from the water on Tomales Bay in Inverness. Carpooling will be available.

We will meet to write Friday evening Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings with the rest of the days free for exploring the area, as we choose. Cost for the three nights will be $275 with breakfasts included Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. There is a large kitchen for meal preparation if you want to bring your own food. Markets and restaurants are nearby, some within walking distance.

Point Reyes, as many of you know is a stunningly beautiful place, especially in the spring, with many amazing places to walk, write and explore. This retreat is limited to twelve participants. All participants will need to bring either a set of twin sheets or sleeping bag, and towel. No linens are provided.

Please let me know if you would like to come or want more information.

Amber Coverdale Sumrall

841 Laurel Glen Rd.

Soquel, CA 95073

(831)477-4375

acsumrall@cruzio.com

www.ambersumrall.com

Marlene Cullen’s Writing Workshops

Jumpstart Writing Workshop (Freewrites)

April 7 to April 28

This is the place to jump into writing. Join us for fun and lively writing experiences. There will be no critiquing or judging of your writing. This workshop is for your enjoyment and can lead to short stories, novels, memoir, personal essay and poetry. Bring a notebook and fast moving pen.

Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am

4 weeks $60 (Petaluma resident); $65,(non-resident)

For more information:  www.thewritespot.us or mcullen@comcast.net

Molly Dwyer Historical Fiction Workshop

Story Stalking: Historical Fiction Writing Workshop with novelist Molly Dwyer takes place from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on June 20, 2009 at Mariposa Center, a rural retreat in an oak-filled canyon ten minutes from Ukiah in Mendocino County. The $75 workshop fee includes a copy of her award-winning novel, “Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein” and a box lunch. Molly will use guided and free writing exercises, conversation, and presentation to explore four aspects of writing historical fiction:

• Research: Including linear approaches (such as the internet, primary sources, and period literature) and intuitive methods (such as travel, location scouting, dreaming, and synchronicity).

• Framing: How to shape fact into fiction and develop a strong sense of time and place with special attention to the sensibilities of characters living in another period or culture.

• Structure: How to organize a complex body of work to facilitate movement between research and writing, and how to coordinate between background, foreground and back-story material.

• Ethics: How to stretch the facts to fit the fiction and transform fiction to fit the facts, and how to strike a balance between the two.

For more workshop information-www.mollydwyer.com and molly@mollydwyer.com; for registration information-Dot Brovarney, (707) 463-2736 or BandB@pacific.net; mailing address for registration: 1117 West Perkins St., Ukiah, CA 95482

“GLOWING! Molly Dwyer gave one of the best, most articulate presentations about writing I have ever experienced, at any venue. I highly recommend her. Molly’s perspective is grounding, informative, inspiring, and current. Write on!”-Cindy Pavlinac, Vice President, California Writers Club Marin Branch

Molly has been a transformational educator for twenty years. She earned an MA from SSU and a PhD from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She studied creative writing with Irish poet, Seamus Heaney, fiction writing at Galway University in Ireland, novel writing with England’s prestigious Arvon Project and literature in an Oxford University summer program. Her debut novel, “Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein” was recently nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Fiction as one of the best works by a northern California author published in 2008.

CB Follett, Rebecca Foust, and Susan Terris

Poetry Publishing Workshop

Saturday May 16 9am – 12 noon, at Falkirk Cultural Center

This workshop will aim at providing tips and strategies for getting your poems published in journals and magazines, how to deal with rejections, etc.

$10.00 for Marin Poetry Center members, $15.00 for others.

For information, contact Susan Terris: SDT11@aol.com.

It is not necessary to sign up in advance, but it might help when arranging for workshop handouts or setting up chairs to have an estimate of how many people are planning to come.

Susan Hagen’s Spirit and Heart: a Writing Retreat for Women

May 1-3, 2009

St. Dorothy’s Rest and Retreat Center, Camp Meeker, CA

$425 includes meals and a private room with shared bath for 3 days and 2 nights.

At this retreat, we’ll tend to the writer’s spirit and heart.  Using meditation, guided imagery, and nature-based practices, we’ll set aside the thinking mind and clear a path to the deeper inner life.  With gentle guidance, you’ll learn simple techniques for effortless writing and share your stories in a small, safe, supportive circle of women.  Most participants are amazed by what they write in community and inspired by the gift of deep listening they receive from others.  Beginning and experienced writers welcome.

“The retreat was truly magical and amazing.  I marvel now at how easily the words flow onto the page.”  Delia Hulke, San Francisco

“The stories were deep in my bones.  They are just pouring out of me.”   Kathleen Munson, Santa Rosa

“Healing, nourishing, soul-filling.  This really works!”  Carol Tragash, Sonoma

Susan Hagen’s Saturday StoryCircles For Women

$85 per session

The StoryCircle is a day-long gathering of women who meet to write, share, reflect, and remember who we are.  Come once, come every month, or enroll as often as you like.  Diversity of the group and a growing pool of participants make each month’s gathering distinctive and fresh.  Each gathering is limited to 10 women; beginning and experienced writers welcome.

“I feel no judgment as I am safely led to share the stories of my life.  Equally magical is listening to the stories of the other women in my circle.  I realize I am not so different, and therefore not alone.”       - Carol Everest, Glen Ellen

Saturday, April 11 (Napa)

Saturday, May 9 (Sebastopol)

Saturday, June 6 (Bodega Bay)

Susan Hagen is an award-winning nonfiction writer, writing teacher, vision quest guide, and co-author of the post-9/11 book, Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion.  Her writing programs are inspired by the vision quest, an annual journey into the wilderness that clarifies and informs her life and work.

Susan Hagen

The Women at Ground Zero Project
Office Phone:  (209) 745-9029
Sonoma County cell: (707) 888-0849
Sacramento Area cell: (209) 329-7519
hagen@womenatgroundzero.com
www.womenatgroundzero.com

Susan Hagen’s Women’s Vision Quest

Susan Hagen co-guides a 10-Day Women’s Vision Quest every summer for women called to leave their daily lives behind and return to the earth for renewal, clarity, and guidance.  This year’s vision quest is August 6-15 in the Inyo Mountains of Southeastern California.

Susan Hagen is an award-winning nonfiction writer, writing teacher, vision quest guide, and co-author of the post-9/11 book, Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion.  Her writing programs are inspired by the vision quest, an annual journey into the wilderness that clarifies and informs her life and work.

www.womenatgroundzero.com.

hagen@womenatgroundzero

707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Douglas Kenning’s Short Courses

Osher Institute classes for the over 50s, classes taken for the joy of learning, with no assignments, no tests, and no credit.

Romantic Poetry: Thursdays, 15~1700, 2 April – 14 May (-7 May), Sonoma State University class at Oakmont in Santa Rosa.  (707) 664 2394

Classical Myth & Mythology: Mondays, 10~1145, 14 April~1 June. Univ. of San Francisco, Fromm Institute, 2130 Fulton Street, SF. 415.422.6805

History of Jerusalem: Mondays, 14~1600, 13 April~18 May.  SF State, SF State Downtown Campus, 835 Market St., San Francisco.  415.405.7700 [press 5]

dkenning@sicilyonline.it

Mendocino Coast Writers Conference Registration opens April 15

Be first in line for the workshop leader you’ve dreamed of working with. Look for our conference brochure in the mail next week. The registration form will also be available online at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_regn.html. Fill out the form, mail it in with your check or credit card information, and registrar Barbara Lee will stack up your envelopes in postmark order, ready for processing when registration opens April 15. Remember, workshops with highly-regarded presenters fill quickly; we don’t want you to be disappointed.

We regret that the accounting system at College of the Redwoods does not allow us to offer online registration.

If you need help with fees, see our Financial Aid page at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_aid.html. For discounts available to Mendocino County students and residents, see our Registration page at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_regn.html.

For workshop details and links to the presenters’ websites, please check http://www.mcwc.org. Dates for our conference are Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, August 2, 2009.

Suzanne Murray: The Heart of Writing

Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray

Four-Week Classes, Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Tuesday Mornings, 9:30 am to noon,

April 7 to April 28, $100 paid by 3/31, $115 after

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12

April 7 to April 28, $100 paid by 3/31, $115 after

One-Day Workshops

Saturday, April 18, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 3/13, $85 after

downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Small supportive groups. Good for beginners and experienced writers as well as all styles of writing.

Learn simple, powerful techniques to find your voice, tell your stories, calm your inner critic, enter the creative flow, jumpstart your writing and support your creative self. Find support and encouragement and an understanding of the craft of writing and the joyful heart of the creative process.

for more information call or email Suzanne at 707.360.7776 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website:www.creativitygoeswild.com

Workshops with Gwynne O’Gara

Lighting Our Own Flames-Writing That Frees Our Genius

How do we address the gift of poetry? Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, Genius is the power for lighting your own flame. The Romans believed genius to be a guardian spirit that comes to us at birth with the fullness of our undeveloped powers, which it offers to us as we grow. Gratitude moves a person to labor in the service of her genius, which finds freedom through her work.

Each week we’ll taste a different poet-Hopkins, Roethke, Stafford, Levertov, Oliver and Hirshfield-and savor the ways each frees her own genius. We’ll write and share our own poems and explore how to feed our own flames.

Tuesday Nights, 7-9, March 17-April 21. All levels, genders and ages are welcome. $75 for all six classes. For more information and to register, call (707) 823-2993 or e-mail gwynn@gwynnogara.com.

The workshops will be held at the Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati, Cotati, CA.

Gwynn O’Gara is the author of Snake Woman Poems (Beatitude Press) and the chapbooks Fixer-Upper (dpress) and Winter at Green Haven (Word Temple Press). She is active with California Poets in the Schools, and performs with The Redheads and pianist Rob Catterton. In addition to various anthologies, her work has been published in the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Minnetonka Review and Yellow Silk, and will appear in future issues of Argestes, descant, Evansville Review and Beatitudes Golden Anniversary Edition.

Petaluma Writers Forum

Thursday, April 16, 2009 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma

$15 at the door

Pauline Laurent   The Courage to Write the Story that Scares You

Pauline Laurent stumbled upon writing in an attempt to save her life. It worked. It also produced a work of art that Jonah Raskin, professor at Sonoma State University, said is “Undeniably moving.” Maybe it’s not only the mechanics and the style of our writing that produces profound art. Maybe it’s our willingness to allow writing to be the container for a story, the telling of which, could transform us. On April 16, Pauline will share her

story of writing and publishing the memoir that transformed her life.

PAULINE LAURENT is a Certified Professional Life Coach, a gifted public speaker, and the author of Grief Denied A Vietnam Widow’s Story. She has been a keynoter at national conferences, appeared on CNN, and many network news shows. She was featured on Bill Moyer’s Journal along with Maxine Hong Kingston in May of 2007. She has taught memoir writing at Fishtrap Writer’s Conference. Before writing her memoir, she was on staff with Landmark Education Corporation and led many parts of their advanced course on the

West Coast. She currently works with clients nationally as a life coach. She can be reached at 707-578-4226.

For more information about Pauline visit her websites at www.griefdenied.com and www.gutsycoaching.com

Supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from the Hearst Foundation.

For more information: www.thewritespot.us

Marlene – mcullen@comcast.net

Laurie Reiche

Writing Soiree

Laurie leads writing workshops the third Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM at her home.

The focus is generating new work, both poetry and prose. Sliding scale. For more information, call 415-892-9430 or e-mail p.reiche@comcast.net.

Lessen-Reiche has facilitated workshops for many years. She was the 2006 Winner of Lilith Magazine’s Second Annual Charlotte Newberger National Poetry Award. Her work has also appeared in magazines such as SUNY Upstate Medical Journal: The Healing Muse, and The Southern Poetry Review.

Pauline Reif

Spring is almost here! And the Sacred She are gathering for the next Retreat Day. Please join me for a day of settling in to your own deep knowing in a community of loving respect, compassion and celebration of the sacred feminine energies that can ground and restore us during these tumultuous and difficult times.

If you’ve already expressed an interest for this date, please call or e-mail to confirm and hold your spot as soon as possible. The fee for this day is $135.00 but I do provide a sliding scale, so please ask as I’m happy to work with you on this.

I’d appreciate you forwarding the attached flier to those you feel might be interested.

With love and gratitude,

Pauline

Clara Rosemarda’s Writing Workshops

FINDING YOUR WRITE MIND:
Creative Writing & Meditation Workshops

6 sessions begin:
Wednesday April 15th, 7-9:30pm OR
Thursday, April 16th, 10am-12:30pm

Take a leap into the unknown! Through meditation, visualizations, and other exercises that quiet the mind and expand the imagination, you will access and activate your creative muse. I provide a comfortable safe environment for the writer to emerge. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers. Fee $180 ($170 if paid by
April 7th)  Contact Clara: 707:579-2081 rosen@sonic.net

THE NEXT LEVEL: A Revision Workshop
4 sessions begin:
Friday, May 1st 10am-1pm

Have you been filling notebooks with writings that get tossed in a box and are crying to get out? Are you ready to pull some of your prose and poetry out of those voluminous notebooks, polish them up, and take them to the next level? Then, this is the workshop for you. Class size will be limited. The fee is $140 ($125 if paid by April 20th). Contact Clara: 707:579-2081 rosen@sonic.net

Clara Rosemarda, MA, writer, counselor, coach, and
workshop leader, has been working with beginning and mainstreams writers for over 25 years. Her prose and poetry is published in literary journals. She is coauthor of STEEPED: In the World of Tea.

Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series

Lively, homework-free workshops for writers. 7-9 pm @ SCA, 6780 Depot Street in Sebastopol.

Fees: $15 per class; $50 for all 4

Call 829-4797 for details

This series is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation.

Marianne Rogoff’s 2009 Classes

Feasts, Fasts, Fights: Turning Point Meals

March 17-April 14, 6:30-8:30pm

5 sessions, weekly on Tuesdays

$155 at Book Passage: bpclasses@bookpassage.com

Organize the stories of your life around memorable meals. Highlight your style, rituals, and traditions. Describe the sensory textures of food, tables, still life, surroundings. Consider topics such as abundance, perfection, gluttony, solace, indulgence, and satisfaction.

mrogoff@cca.edu * 415.455.0781

April 6: Geneen Roth – Loving the Craft, the Mundane, and the Truth in Non-fiction and Memoir

How do you stay true to what you love to write about without getting swept away into dreams of what sells or what is most literary? How do you find and keep finding your own voice without taking on other writer’s voices? And how, when you write about your family,

do you keep your relationships with said family while telling the truth? One of the most challenging things about writing non-fiction including memoir is keeping yourself honest whether you are writing about being abused or going to the grocery store. Honest about

what truly moves you, honest about finding and writing in your own voice, and honest about that line between what happened and embroidering what happened to make a good story. Geneen is the author of seven books, including The New York Times bestseller,

When Food is Love. Her most recent book is The Craggy Hole in My Heart and The Cat Who Fixed It. Geneen has appeared on many national television shows including Oprah, 20/20, and Good Morning America. She has written a monthly column in Good Housekeeping Magazine since 2007.

April 13: Gwynn O’Gara – Sex, Love & Marriage-Writing non-sentimental poems about highly charged themes

How can we solitary writers evoke intimacy and commitment in fresh and thoughtful verse? To get to the core of things, we’ll experiment with image-driven poetry that brings opposites together, pollinates the flowers, and leads to fruit. Bring poems, paper and

pencil. Gwynn O’Gara is the author of three collections of poetry, Snake Woman Poems (Beatitude Press), Fixer-Upper (dpress), and Winter at Green Haven (Word Temple Press). She performs her work regularly with The Redheads as well as with pianist Rob Catterton. She’s active with California Poets in the Schools and lives in Northern California with her husband, dog and apple tree.

Lisa Shulman’s Children’s Writers Critique Group

Join other children’s writers in discussing and critiquing your picture book manuscripts, easy readers, chapter books and novels for young people. This is a useful and supportive group for all levels of experience. Facilitated by children’s author Lisa Shulman.

Dates: 5 Wednesdays: February 18; March 4, 18; April 15, 29; 7-9pm, $50
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931

For more information and to reserve a space, email lisa@lisashulman.com

Lisa Shulman is the author of several picture books, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy, and The Moon Might Be Milk. She has recently finished a middle-grade novel and has written dozens of children’s books for the educational market. Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for adults have appeared in various journals. You can visit her online at
www.lisashulman.com

Centa Theresa: Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers

THE POD: ART & WRITING

workshops & monthly creative projects coaching circle…

Centa Theresa, M.A.

www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net
CREATIVE PROJECTS COACHING: Whether you have a manuscript in the making that

you can¹t seem to finish, a body of artwork that needs more of your time, an

idea you¹d like to see manifest but have no plan, etc., I help you to

clarify the vision, identify challenges, claim successes and keep

accountable for stated intentions. Private sessions held in my home

office/studio in Santa Rosa. Call for further inquiry.

ART/WRITING PROCESS: Through dialogue, meditation, free-writing exercises

and the exploration of various art media, focus on a question or theme of

present concern and let the process unfold. Come one time or for a

predetermined series of private sessions in my home studio. Call for further

inquiry.

Call for free consultation. 707-478-5903. www.centatheresa.com

<http://www.centatheresa.com> . vicenta@sonic.net

Centa Theresa M.A. has exhibited her art in Bay Area galleries & had poems

appear or are forthcoming in such journals as Harpur Palate, Eclipse, The

Hurricane Review, Tiny Lights, and DrumVoices Revue. Centa has authored the

letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light. She currently

teaches art at Napa State Hospital and has trained in ³creativity coaching²

with Eric Maisel.

Pat Tyler Quick Start Writing Workshops

A safe, fun place to write

Rohnert Park Community Center

Thursday Mornings, 9:30 – to – 11:30,

April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

May 7, 14, 21 and 28

www.writetoday.net

pat.tyler@att.net

(707) 696-9640

A list of other Sonoma County writing workshop leaders appears in the details about workshops and events at the end of the update. Feel free to contact them about their private consultations or to find out when their next workshops will be.

Sonoma County Writers

Offering Workshops and Consultation

Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com

Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro harlmarg@sonic.net

Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org

Sher Christian poetrytalks@neteze.com

Marlene Cullen www.thewritespot.us/ or mcullen@comcast.net

Georgette G. deBlois GGdeB@aol.com.

Nancy Dougherty and Geri Digiorno ncaversd@sonic.net

Terry Ehret tehret99@comcast.net

Susan Hagenhagen@womenatgroundzero.com

Suzanne Murray suzmurr@yahoo.com

Laure Reiche p.reiche@comcast.net

Pauline Reif paulineerh@yahoo.com

Clara Rosemarda rosen@sonic.net

Scott Reid Serkes www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html>http: //www.sonic.net

Lisa Shulman www.lisashulman.com.

Shelley Singer http://www.shelleysinger.com

Centa Theresa, m.a.,Writing & Creative Projects Coach

www.centatheresa.com

creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com

Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net

Writers’ Connections

If you’d like to invite others in the literary community to join your writers’ group or network, send an announcement to tehret99@comcast.net.

WESTWORD SECOND SUNDAY SALONS @ SEBASTOPOL, 4-6PM

All poets and writers are welcome to hear and read at monthly gatherings in the quiet comfort of the Center’s west-corner Library Room. Come hear and share home-grown literature, and your writing process, problems, and motives with colleagues in our sessions facilitated by Gor Yaswen, for $1 donation to the Center. Listeners also are cordially invited to these-smoke-and-fragrance-free meetings. For info. call: 707-829-1549

Location: SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6780 DEPOT STREET (@ BROWN ST. & behind Seb. Deli.)

GOR YASWEN
YASWEN@AOL.COM

Blog with me about: “Inspiring Young Children to Read”…

Reading aloud to young children yields benefits aplenty. The NAE sez it this way:

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required
for eventual success in reading – is reading aloud to children.”
– Commission on Reading of the National Academy of Education

There are five well defined ‘Facts, Advantages and Benefits’ to reading aloud
that I’ve summarized here in relation to Ocean Rudee & Company’s program offerings:
https://www.oceanrudee.com/what.is.ocean.rudee.and.company.html#readaloud

I’d love to hear other thoughts and ideas (from any of you within the Sonoma County
Literary Update universe) in relation to your experiences, ideas and outlooks toward
the future – in regards to reading, books, reading aloud, inspiring young children,
early childhood education, multi-media programming, literacy and the like.

My blog is located here: http://oceanrudee.blogspot.com/

I await hearing the sounds of your keystrokes and absorbing your insights accordingly.

Responsively Reading Aloud I am,

Paul Ennis
pwe@ oceanrudee.com

Sitting Room Book Discussion Group

We meet 2-4 on the third Wednesday of every month, skipping December, at The Sitting Room and are always open to new readers. For more info, email Joanne Page at jpage@sonic.net.  (The January 21 book is Pat Barker’s first novel in her trilogy about World War I, “Regeneration.”)

The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club.

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its April 5th meeting will feature author Kevin Smokler. He will give a talk called, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Publishing, But Were Afraid to Ask.”

The meeting runs from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati.

The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

About Kevin Smokler:

Kevin Smokler is the editor of Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times (Basic Books, 2005) which USA Today called “provocative, irreverent and fun.” He speaks throughout North America on writing, publishing and the endurance of the arts in the digital 21st century. He lives in San Francisco.

For more information please visit http://www.kevinsmokler.com/.

About Redwood Writers:

Redwood Writers is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club, the nation’s oldest professional club for writers, founded in 1909.  Its motto is “writers helping writers.” Early members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, Joaquin Miller and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. The Club has more than 1,200 members statewide.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place on October 24, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa. Our one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Call for Scriptwriters on Weekly Radio Show

Are you an accomplished scriptwriter looking for a long-term project to sink your creativity into? Ocean Rudee & Company of Sebastopol is in the process of pulling together a team of 4 to 6 ’scriptors’. Project responsibilities will include: the development of an ongoing series of radio serial dramas and related multi-media programs for children from 4 to 8-years of age (as well as their parents, teachers and primary caregivers).

Prior experience writing for children is not necessary. An understanding of how to write for continuity, how to maintain and adhere to a well developed set of character profiles, the ability to function well as a team player, a love of children’s literature and an abiding commitment to the muse – are essential.

If this is you, please visit Ocean Rudee’s website (www.oceanrudee.com) and send them off an e-mail expressing your interest in learning more.

.

Join the Staff of First Leaves
If you have ever wanted to be on the staff of an energetic, literary journal and learn the process of compiling a publication, plan to join English 80 (3 unit, CSU transferable) for the Spring ‘09 semester. Students enrolled in English 80 are involved in all aspects of producing a literary journal (with the guidance of the instructor), from approving submissions to putting the actual journal together. Evaluating other people’s work is a great way to learn your own strengths and weaknesses. The class is fun, collaborative, and project-based: we will produce a high-quality, well-designed magazine. We welcome the participation of people throughout the North Bay, including mature working adults, young adults, teens and retirees.

Contact Instructor Abby Bogomolny for more information: (707) 522-2779

Have You ‘Jacket-Flapped’ Lately?
JacketFlap is an international social networking community where you can connect with upwards of 5,000 published authors and illustrators of books for Children and Young Adults. Paul Ennis of Sebastopol reports: “I’ve been a member of JacketFlap (http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=OceanRudee) since late-June of 2008. My efforts to produce audio books for children and source read-aloud materials for my radio program production project (targeting an October 2009 broadcast premiere) have been greatly enhanced by the people I’ve been able to meet through JacketFlap. It’s FREE to join, the community is a vibrant one that does not seem to generate junk e-mails to any great degree and the atmosphere is very professional. If you are ready to network with folks around the world in the children’s book publishing industry this is an online community you need to be a part of. Their membership includes: children’s book authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishing companies, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, teachers, students and just plain old ordinary folks who love children’s literature. Check it out – you’ll have fun in the process!”

The International Women’s Writing Guild

The IWWG is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart-the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions-alongside conventional logic. For more information about how to join the IWWG, contact Caroline Brumleve: e-mail iwwg@iwwg. org or visit their website at www.iwwg.org.

Ongoing Writers’ Groups

and Open Mic Readings

SUNDAYS

First Sunday of the month: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends), from 3-5 pm. at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. A small fee of $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Second Sunday of the month: Westwood Second Sunday Salons, 4-6 PM. All poets and writers are welcome to hear and read at monthly gatherings in the quiet comfort of the Center’s west-corner Library Room. Come hear and share home-grown literature, and your writing process, problems, and motives with colleagues in our sessions facilitated by Gor Yaswen, for $1 donation to the Center. Listeners also are cordially invited to these-smoke-and-fragrance-free meetings. For info. call: 707-829-1549. Location: SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6780 DEPOT STREET (@ BROWN ST. & behind Seb. Deli.) For more information, contact GOR YASWEN YASWEN@AOL.COM

Sunday afternoons at 2 PM: SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series - With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa.  Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM.  Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system.  They are very excited about working with us.  So please do note the new time of day.  For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net

Third Sundays 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Third Sundays12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz

Poetry Reading. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.

Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguires Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com.

 
MONDAYS

First Monday of the Month: Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) Writers meet in the "New Room", Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave.Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381 or http://www.uusantarosa.org/ Meetings are held in the afternoon, 4 - 6 pm, and again in the evening, 6:45 - 8:45 pm. Focus: Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biographies, the Great American novel, poems, essays, song lyrics, reports, term papers, cook books, web pages, blogs, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where you can improve and hone your writing skills.The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at UUCSR is not required. UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com

TUESDAYS

Second Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Cafe hosts a featured writer and an open mic reading at the Healdsburg Senior Center 133 Matheson St. (one block east of the Plaza). Light refreshments are served. Admission is free ($5.00 donation encouraged).  Contact: Cynthia Helen Beecher (707) 696-1111.

SATURDAYS

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

Intermittently Scheduled Events

ODD Month Readings is sponsored by the Redwood Writers Club. The readings are open to non-members, but are not open mic format. Contact Ann Wilkes at critiquegrpcoord@redwoodwriters.org or 707-792-1704 to get on the list or for more information. Redwood Writers roves the county with talented writers for your listening pleasure.

Haiku Poets of No. California. Join us for our free quarterly readings & workshops. A featured reader, often longtime HPNC members, will present a short reading of haiku and/or other Japanese genre poetry. Each meeting also offers a lengthier program (usually a presentation or workshop related to one of the Japanese forms). There will be one or more round-robin readings, where all attendees have an opportunity, open-mic style, to read and share one or more haiku and tanka. Also news and announcements, including upcoming events, submission calls and brief introductions of any new books of interest, as well as time for socializing and refreshments. A book table is set up for the sale and purchase of HPNC and other books (you may bring your own publications if you have some to sell). Our meetings and special events, which are open to both members and nonmembers, are held quarterly at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, building C, room 235, from 1 to 5 PM. For more information, or to become an HPNC member (which includes a subscription to our renowned semiannual journal Mariposa and a quarterly newsletter) go to the HPNC website at www.haiku-poets-northern-california.com.

How to List Your Announcements in the Literary Update

1. Include the words “Literary Update” in your subject heading.

2. Make sure your announcement is concise, carefully proofread, and copy-edited. Also keep in mind that I can only include announcements that are plain text and presented in the e-mail message (no flyers, PDF’s, or attachments with special formatting please). Retyping text and reformatting special fonts from flyers takes time, sometimes causes errors, and may result in announcements being left out of the Update.

3. Suggest the category where you’d like it placed. These are listed here:

• Monthly Calendar of readings, events and workshops (Please use abbreviated format: Day, date, time: title of event, presenter(s), location, cost, contact information)
• County-Wide Literary News (general interest announcements)
• News from East County (Sonoma area)
• News from North County (Healdsburg area)
• News from West County (Occidental/Guerneville area)
• Sonoma County in Print (new books/chapbooks/CDs by Sonoma County writers)
• Call for Submissions (local literary journals, magazines, contests)Upcoming Workshops and Conferences (current workshops you are offering)
• Writers’ Connections (invitations to join groups, formal or informal)Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
• Sonoma County Workshop Leaders (e-mail and website contacts)

Deadline

The deadline for announcements is the last day of each calendar month. If your event is early in the month, send it two months ahead to make sure it gets in the calendar in a timely fashion

Donation

For those who regularly announce their workshops, readings, or services here, a donation of $10/year is appreciated to keep the update and its website going. Donations from regular readers are welcome, too! If you’d like to find out how you can help, please contact me at tehret99@comcast.net.

March Calendar of Literary Events

Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update

March 1, 2009

Dear Literary Folk,

Whew! Even with a two week running start compiling the March Update, it’s clear the month ahead is going to be busy and exciting. Get your traveling shoes on!

As of January, I’ve moved the calendar, with the abbreviated notice of all the month’s events, to the top of the Update, and hope this makes the newsletter more useful to you. If you’d like to see your event listed in the calendar, be sure to send me an abbreviated announcement with the day, date, time, event title, location, cost (if any), and contact information.

A Journey into Ireland’s Literary Revival

As many of you know, I lead creative writing workshops at the Sitting Room. This year, the Monday Poetry workshop has been meeting to read and discuss the works of W.B. Yeats, and some of those writers will be traveling with me to West Ireland for a literary tour of” Yeats Country” and a writers’ retreat.

Recently, travel author and photographer Todd Felton contacted me about coming to Sonoma County to present a slide show based on his new book on the literary history of West Ireland.

One of the things I’ve learned about Sonoma County over the past year is how many Yeats fans and lovers of Irish culture there are. I decided that, rather than asking Todd Felton to make his presentation just to the Sitting Room workshop, I’d open the event to the entire literary community. I hope you’ll consider celebrating St. Patrick’s Day (one day later) at SRJC’s Doyle Library in Santa Rosa. Here’s your invitation:

Come to the West of Ireland!

On March 18 at 7 PM, travel author and photographer Robert Todd Felton presents a slide show and discussion of his new book, A Journey into the Irish Literary Revival. Part history, part travel guide and part biography, this fascinating, beautiful book examines the landscapes which inspired writers such as W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, John Millington Synge, and Sean O’Casey. From Galway and the Aran Islands, to County Mayo and County Sligo, and from Dublin to Wicklow, Felton showcases the locations where many of Ireland’s finest writers shaped an enduring vision of the country.

Robert Todd Felton has written about Thoreau’s Walden Pond, Yeats’ Ireland, and Emerson’s Boston. He has also penned articles on hiking in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac, exploring Hunter S.Thompson’s Las Vegas, and driving through Austria where the hills are alive with The Sound of Music. His previous publications include A Journey into the Transcendentalists’ New England (from Roaring Forties Press), as well as Walking Boston from Wilderness Press. His shorter work has been published in National Geographic Traveler, Backpacker, The Gemutlichkeit Newsletter, Draft, and Automotive Traveler. His photographs have appeared in books, journals and in exhibitions across New England.

Admission is free. Parking Fee is $3.00.

When: Wednesday, March 18 at 7 PM

Where: Doyle Library, Room 4420, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa Campus, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Phone: (707) 527-4391

Guidelines for Submitting Announcements to the Literary Update

For complete guidelines for submitting announcements for the monthly Literary Update, please visit the literary folk website: http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/how-to-send-announcements-to-the-literary-update/

Or simply scroll down to the very end of each month’s e-mail update.

The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.

Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/

Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com

WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com

Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us

Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm

SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.

The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.

Sunday, March 1, 3:00- 5:00 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club presents Christi Phillips, who will talk about the writing process, research, the special requirements of historical fiction, what it takes to be a working novelist, and all aspects of the publishing business. Ms. Phillips worked in one of the top literary agencies in New York in the late 1980s, which has provided her with insight into the publishing process. Location: Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

Sunday March 1: Deadline for submitting your 5-minute play for the staged readings scheduled for the Poetry/Play Day at the Petaluma Arts Center. Details are included in the “Calls for Submission” section of the Literary Update below. For more information, contact Nancy Long at nshasha@earthlink.net.

Wednesday, March 4, 5-8:30 PM: Sonoma County Library presents Writers’ Nights.

Aspiring writers are invited to come and enjoy brief presentations by experienced writers followed by time to work on their own projects. Coffee and research assistance will be available. Featured author for March 4 is Debbie Koehler – fantasy novelist. For more information, please call the Central Library at 545-0831.

Wednesday, March 4 and March 18, 7-9 PM: Sue Capella’s workshop on writing the artists’s statement. For details, see “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below, or visit the Website for the Petaluma Arts Center:www.petalumaartscouncil.org. Phone: 707-762-5600

Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8, 10 AM: “Telling Difficult Stories” Workshop and Performance. Workshop is Sat., March 7 10 AM – 5 PM. The performance is Sun., March 8, 10 AM – 2 PM at Orchard Spotlight 515 Orchard St, Santa Rosa. For details about the workshop and performance, scroll down to the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. or contact Jennie Orvino (707) 527-0747 or email jennieo@sonic.net.

Saturday, March 7, 1-4 PM: “Bay Area Poets Laureate” A Reception in Livermore hosted by Livermore Poet Laureate Connie Post. Location: Livermore Public Library, 1188 S. Livermore Ave. Livermore, CA 94550. This gathering is being held  as a reception to kick off the photography exhibit “Poets Laureate in California” by Ronna Leon (photographer). Refreshments will be served. From 2-3 p.m. Bay Area Poets Laureate will read poems.

For more information contact: Connie Post   connie@poetrypost.com

Saturday, March 7, 7:00 p.m. At Cantina SF (basement level) Performances by Craig Santos Perez, Dietlind Vander Schaaf, Arthur Patterson, Suzanne McConnell, MaryLee McNeal, and featuring acclaimed author and local literary heroine Kate Brady, author of Curled in the Bed of Love and The Mechanics of Falling and Other Stories. Cantina SF is located at 580 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-398-0195 (www.cantinasf.com). Free Admission. For more information, to subscribe, or to inquire about future events, please email babble@babylonsalon.com

Saturday, March 7, 6-8 PM: The first Sat of each month Juanita Martin hosts UniverSoul open mi  poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn). For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com.

Sunday, March 8 at 2 PM: SoCoCo At the Toad Poetry Reading Series – Ed Coletti’s popular series at 116 Fifth St, Santa Rosa (near Old Railroad Square).  Featured readers will include Elizabeth Herron, David Beckman, Jack Crimmins, Maya Khosla, Martin Hickel, and Greg Mahrer. Admission is free.  573-5935.

Tuesday, March 10, 7-9 PM: Center Literary Café in Healdsburg presents River Ranger, Cowboy Poet & The Stumptown Poetry Posse. Open mic. Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments   Donations appreciated. Location: Healdsburg Senior Center,133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza),Healdsburg, CA 95448. Call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111.centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 10, 9:30-noon and 7-9:30 PM: Suzanne Murray’s The Heart of Writing workshops begin. Details included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below.For more information call or email Suzanne at 707.360.7776 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website: www.creativitygoeswild.com.

Wednesday, March 11, 5-8:30 PM: Sonoma County Library presents Writers’ Nights. Aspiring writers are invited to come and enjoy brief presentations by experienced writers followed by time to work on their own projects. Coffee and research assistance will be available. Featured author for March 11 is Michael Shapiro-author of A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration (Travelers’ Tales). For more information, please call the Central Library at 545-0831.

Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 6:30 PM: V-Day Petaluma presents a benefit production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues with a cast and crew of Petalumas and special guests Mayor Pam Torliatt and Congresswoman Lynne Woolsey. Location: Petaluma Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. Admission $20 general, $15 student/senior. For more information, contact Susan Ortiz, 707-769-8460, susan@vdaypetaluma.org.

Saturday, Marcy 14: The first of Susan Hagen’s Spring StoryCircles For Women, a day-long gathering of women who meet to write, share, reflect, and remember who we are. $85 per session. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. For more information, check the website at www.womenatgroundzero.com or contact Susan at hagen@womenatgroundzero. Phone:707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Sunday, March 15, 11:30 am -1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Sunday, March 15, 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Terry Ehret and Geri Digiorno will be the featured poets at the Coffee Catz monthly Poetry Reading & Open Mic, hosted by Sher and John Cristian. Donations Appreciated. Coffee Catz Café, 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.

Sunday, March 15, 3-6 PM: Laurie Reiche’s monthly Writing Soiree. Laurie leads writing workshops the third Sunday of every month at her home. The focus is generating new work, both poetry and prose. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. For more information, call 415-892-9430 or e-mail p.reiche@comcast.net.

Tueday, March 17, 6:30-8:30 PM: Marianne Rogoff’s 2009 Classes begin at Book Passage in Corte Madera. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. Contact: bpclasses@bookpassage.com or mrogoff@cca.edu Phone: 415.455.0781

Tuesday, March 17, 7-9 PM: “Lighting Our Own Flames-Writing That Frees Our Genius”: first in a series of Tuesday evening workshops with Gwynne O’Gara at the Sitting Room in Cotati. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. For more information and to register, call (707) 823-2993 or e-mail gwynn@gwynnogara.com.

Wednesday, March 18, 5-8:30 PM: Sonoma County Library presents Writers’ Nights.

Aspiring writers are invited to come and enjoy brief presentations by experienced writers followed by time to work on their own projects. Coffee and research assistance will be available. Featured author for March 18 is Susan Bono-freelance editor and publisher of Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative. For more information, please call the Central Library at 545-0831.

Wednesday, March 18, 7 PM: A Journey into Ireland’s Literary Revival-Slide show and discussion with travel author and photographer Todd Felton. Doyle Library, Room 4420, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa Campus, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Phone: (707) 527-4391. Admission is free. Parking is $3.00.

Thursday, March 19, 7:00- 9:00 PM: Petaluma Writers Forum presents “Unlock that Metaphor,” a workshop led by Patti Trimble. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below. Location: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma. Cost: $15 at the door. For more information: www.thewritespot.us, or contact Marlene Cullen – mcullen@comcast.net.

Saturday, March 21 at 1:30 PM: Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma presents Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone. Location: 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma, CA, 94952.

Monday, March 23, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series presents Gerald Haslam – Dialects and Dialogue. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below.

Wednesday, March 25, 5-8:30 PM: Sonoma County Library presents Writers’ Nights.

Aspiring writers are invited to come and enjoy brief presentations by experienced writers followed by time to work on their own projects. Coffee and research assistance will be available. Featured author for March 25 is Vicki Delaney-Canadian mystery writer of Valley of the Lost. For more information, please call the Central Library at 545-0831.

Thursday, March 26, 9:30 AM to noon: Marlene Cullen’s Revision Workshop begins. See details in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below, or visit the website at www.thewritespot.us.

Saturday, March 28, 10 AM-5 PM: “Sacred She”:One Day Workshop with Pauline Reif will explore historic and metaphoric archetypes, icons and mirrors will serve to reflect and affirm our contemporary woman journeys, creating community that is both safe, supportive, and inspiring. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below. For further information contact Pauline: 925/284-1509 or paulineerh@yahoo.com

Saturday, March 28, 2 PM -8 PM: A DAY OF RUSH WRITING, 5 MINUTE PLAYS & BEAT POETS: Saturday, March 28th at the Petaluma Art Center 230 Lakeville Street Petaluma. Food and drink. FREE. Schedule: 2:00pm rush writing and mike reading/3:30pm Stage readings of the 5 Minute Plays/6:30pm Beat Poets Read. Info.: www.petalumaartscouncil.org or Nancy Long nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno adageri@aol.com

Venue Website .

Saturday, March 28, 4 p.m.: Richard Beban will be the featured poet at Rebound Bookstore, 1611 4th Street, San Rafael 94901.  (415) 482-0550. There’s an open mike. Easy-to-find:  http://www.reboundbookstore.com.

Saturday, March 28. 8:00 pm. Who’s Your Dada? Occidental Community Center/YMCA, Bohemian Highway at Graton Rd., Occidental.  Local playwrights, songwriters and poets direct and perform their own skits, one-acts, satiric verse and comic songs.  Includes: Guy Biederman, Elizabeth Fuller and Conrad Bishop of Independent Eye, Jonah Raskin, Peter Krug, and Patrick Fanning. In spirit of Dadaists, audience encouraged to come dressed in inappropriate and outlandish costumes and heckle cast.  Suggested donation $20 benefits Occidental Center for the Arts. Reservations@(707)874-9392. For questions, please contact Judith Moorman, fleelix@earthlink.net.

Sunday, March 29 6-8:30 PM: Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguire’s Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com.

Monday, March 30, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series presents Rebecca Lawton – Lasagna or Ratatouille? Creating Your Story from Scratch. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below.

Wednesday, April 1, 709 PM: North Bay Children’s Writers and Illustrators presents Lisa Shulman. This first meeting of the North Bay Children’s writers and illustrators will be held on April 1st  from 7pm to 9pm in the library at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 6780 Depot St, Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-4797. These sessions are sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. For details, scroll down to the full announcement in the “County Wide News” section below, or visit the website at www.scbwi.org.

Monday, April 6, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series presents Geneen Roth – Loving the Craft, the Mundane, and the Truth in Non-fiction and Memoir. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below.

Wednesday, April 8. 7-9 PM: Hospice of Petaluma and Memorial Hospice present Raphael Block, Sonoma County poet, reading his work as part of  Hospice of Petaluma’s Community Education Series. Raphael Block is a father/son, single parent/widower, teacher/learner, poet/struggling human being to mention a few categories. Experiences of loss and gain break out beyond all categories and point us toward our humanity. Raphael will share his experiences through stories, poems and songs. Location: Hospice of Petaluma, 416 Payran Street, Petaluma, CA, 707-778-6242.

Saturday, March 28. 8:00 pm. Who’s Your Dada? Occidental Community Center/YMCA, Bohemian Highway at Graton Rd., Occidental.  Local playwrights, songwriters and poets direct and perform their own skits, one-acts, satiric verse and comic songs.  Includes: Guy Biederman, Elizabeth Fuller and Conrad Bishop of Independent Eye, Jonah Raskin, Peter Krug, and Patrick Fanning. In spirit of Dadaists, audience encouraged to come dressed in inappropriate and outlandish costumes and heckle cast.  Suggested donation $20 benefits Occidental Center for the Arts. Reservations@(707)874-9392. For questions, please contact Judith Moorman, fleelix@earthlink.net.

Monday, April 13, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series presents Gwynn O’Gara – Sex, Love & Marriage-Writing non-sentimental poems about highly charged themes. Details are included in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section of the Literary Update below.

Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month.  Calendar entries are easier to include if they follow the format you see above, and if you can keep the information brief.

Special Events at SRJC for Women’s History Month

SRJC WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH MARCH 2009 – PETALUMA CAMPUS

All of these events are FREE and open to the public!

Hip Hop Dance Kick-off Event Featuring SRJC Student Performers

Monday, March 2, 12:00-1:00 pm, Rotary Plaza

Iron Jawed Angels: A Film Presentation and Discussion

Tuesday, March 3, 6:00-9:00 pm, Reading Room, Mahoney Library

A film presentation of the history of the women’s suffrage movement, followed by a panel discussion led by Women’s History instructors Alice Roberti and Anne Donegan.

Women, Land, Identity: Contemporary Aboriginal Painting, with Virginia May

Wednesday, March 4, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Mahoney Library

Virginia May will discuss women’s identity with land in contemporary Australian Aboriginal painting. Co-sponsored by SRJC Arts & Lectures.

Women’s History Oral History Projects

Wednesday, March 18, 12:00-1:30 pm, Room PC 657

Instructor Alice Roberti’s Women’s History class will present their oral history projects. This will include a brief viewing of film clips and discussion of these fascinating women in history.

Conversation on Palestine

Tuesday March 24, 12:00-1:20 pm, Room PC 657

Therese Walrath, a native-born Palestinian, and Laure Riechek, a French Jew who survived the Holocaust, discuss the Israel/Palestine conflict. Can a peaceful solution be found that provides a Jewish homeland while respecting the rights of the Palestinians?

Madres y Hijas Bridging Two Cultures: Latina Mother/Daughter Panel Discussion

Wednesday, March 25, 11:00-12:00 pm, Mahoney Library Reading Room

Latina women and their daughters will talk about how they bridge two cultures: mothers’ vs. daughters’ values. The daughters will discuss how they find their identities between two cultures, and the mothers will discuss what values they teach and want their daughters to keep.

Readings by Featured Writer Meredith Norton & Creative Writing Students

Monday, March 30, 5:00-6:30 pm, Mahoney Library Reading Room

A reading of works by women who use personal experience to shape their art.

All events are sponsored by the SRJC Women’s History Month Committee. Call 527-4586 for more info. For the most updated calendar information, please visit the SRJC website: www.santarosa.edu and look for the link to the Women’s History Month calendar. A $3 day use fee will be required to park on campus.

County-Wide News

Congratulations to Youth Writing Award Winners

Jackie Kremer, Laura Kincaid, Lindsay Koslowsky

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces the winners of its 4th Annual Youth Writing Writing Contest held for student residents of Sonoma County, aged 15 to 22.

First place was awarded in three categories to the following students:

First place in Short Story went to Jackie Kremer of Montgomery High School for “Harvey the Octopus.”

First place in Poetry was awarded to Laura Kincaid of Petaluma High School for “Open.”

First place for a Blog Rant went to Lindsay Koslowsky of Sonoma State University for “Why Vegetarianism?”

Each winner received a cash prize and is having her short story published on the Redwood Writers web site. Entries were judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion.

The winning entries may be viewed on-line at: http://www.redwoodwriters.org/.

Sonoma County Library presents Writers’ Nights

Aspiring writers are invited to come and enjoy brief presentations by experienced writers followed by time to work on their own projects. Coffee and research assistance will be available.

Wednesday nights in March in the Forum Room of the Central Library

Doors open at 5 PM.

Presentations will take place at 6 PM

Open writing time 7 – 8:30 PM

Presenters will be:

March 4th Debbie Koehler – fantasy novelist

March 11th Michael Shapiro-author of A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk      About Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration (Travelers’ Tales)

March 18th Susan Bono-freelance editor and publisher of Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative

March 25th Vicki Delaney-Canadian mystery writer of Valley of the Lost

For more information, please call the Central Library at 545-0831.

Elizabeth Beechwood

Materials Management

Sonoma County Library

707-545-0831 ext. 565

Once Upon a Rhyme: The Magical Language of Picture Books
Join children’s author Lisa Shulman as she discusses techniques for creating lively picture book stories that are fun to read, fun to listen to, and can be read over and over without driving anyone crazy!

Lisa is the author of many books for children, including the picture books Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy, and The Moon Might Be Milk.

She was a judge for the 2008 Golden Kite Awards in the picture book text category, and facilitates a critique group for children’s writers. Lisa lives in Sebastopol with her family.
www.lisashulman.com

Books by Lisa Shulman: Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy
The Moon Might Be Milk, Over in the Meadow at the Big Ballet

This first meeting of the North Bay Children’s writers and illustrators will be held on April 1st  from 7pm to 9pm in the library at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 6780 Depot St, Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-4797.

These sessions are sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books.

www.scbwi.org

Coming in April: The Loom and the Ship:

An Original Work by Patti Trimble and Douglas Kenning

Hello friends and neighbors and colleagues-

Thanks to help from many of you, we’ve revised the text of  THE LOOM AND THE SHIP-a twice traveled Odyssey-and will present it again at NOHspace in San Francisco on Friday and Saturday nights, April 3, 4, 10, 11.

We’ve also added a set . . . lights . . . two fabulous musicians on mediterranean instruments (Clark Welsh and Vince Delgado) . . . and a chanting/singing KOROS of three fantastic singers (Devi Mathieu, Julia London, and Irina Mikilhova).

We’re hoping you mark your calendars – so you can see our finished product, and please tell your friends. Info and reservations at: http://www.theatreofyugen.org/calendar.html

Hope to see you there!

Patti Trimble and Douglas Kenning

Saturday, March 28. 8:00 pm. Who’s Your Dada? Occidental Community Center/YMCA, Bohemian Highway at Graton Rd., Occidental.  Local playwrights, songwriters and poets direct and perform their own skits, one-acts, satiric verse and comic songs.  Includes: Guy Biederman, Elizabeth Fuller and Conrad Bishop of Independent Eye, Jonah Raskin, Peter Krug, and Patrick Fanning. In spirit of Dadaists, audience encouraged to come dressed in inappropriate and outlandish costumes and heckle cast.  Suggested donation $20 benefits Occidental Center for the Arts. Reservations@(707)874-9392. For questions, please contact Judith Moorman, fleelix@earthlink.net.

Host a Foreign Exchange Student From the U. S. Department of State:
“Secondary School Student exchange programs have been part of U. S. public diplomacy efforts since 1949. These programs promote mutual understanding by providing foreign students the opportunity to study in American high schools while living with an American host family. Not only are the students themselves transformed by these experiences, so, too, are their families, friends, and teachers back home. Americans, such as the host families, students, and sponsor representatives whose lives intersect with these students benefit as well. The long-term success of the current model is based on the relationship between the participant and the host family, the success of which is the result of an act of generosity and citizenship.”

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Hosting a foreign student helps to promote mutual understanding and world peace. Hosting is also a FUN and EDUCATIONAL experience!  Cultural Homestay International (CHI) is a U.S. Government approved, non-profit cultural exchange program founded in 1980. Please visit our web site. http://www.chinet.org

Our students are carefully screened. They are required to have their own spending money and they carry medical/dental insurances.
To inquire about hosting a foreign student, please contact:

Sher Christian
Academic Coordinator
Cultural Homestay International

poetrysher@gmail.com

Tom Lombardo sends this special message for Sonoma County Authors:

The Arts Council of Sonoma County has launched a new site, www.sonomaword.org, which we hope will make it easier for people to find you and to connect with the literary scene in our area.

The site, which Tom is developing, is free and 100% devoted to marketing you and your books!

You will have your own page, and sometimes you will be the site’s home page, as it randomly selects a writer for the home page every time someone visits.

Please take a look to see what we’re up to.   Each page is different depending on how much content the author gave me.  The more the merrier!!

If you would, please respond to this email with as many of these things as possible:

1.  Your bio

2.  Your photo

3.  Links to your YouTube  videos

4.  Links to your site and your blog

5.  Title of the book you’re promoting, so I can create an Amazon link for it

6.  A summary of your book or a quote from a review — any blurb you want

7.  A passage from your book (this is really important)

8.  Links to any articles written about you

9.  Anything else you want on the page

In the Fall of 2009 the Arts Council will integrate “Word Trails” into the “Art Trails” event that attracts so much attention. Word Trails will be modeled on Art Trails, but it is completely separate. More on that later; but know that it is my intent to have every author in the area promoted at www.sonomaword.org well before then.

PLEASE forward this email to any writer you know who should be included in the site.

I look forward to hearing from all of you soon –

Cheers,

Tom Lombardo
707.338.5337
tomlombardo@comcast.net

Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone announce the following dates for “meet and greet” opportunities

Saturday, March 21, 1:30 PM

Copperfield’s Books

140 Kentucky St., Petaluma, CA, 94952

Saturday, April 18, 2:00 PM

Copperfield’s Books

104 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, CA, 95448

Saturday, April 25, 2:00 PM

COPPERFIELD’S BOOKS

3900 A Bel Aire Plaza Napa, CA

Saturday, May 09, 1:30 PM

Copperfield’s

2316 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

Note: Mary Lynne and Jeane’s new publications are included in the section “Sonoma County in Print” below. Scroll down for details.

News from East County

Thanks to Juanita Martin for providing this month’s East County news.

UniverSoul Reading Series

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

News from West County

Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.

There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations.  Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM.  Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig.  KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM.  Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.

Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.

News from North County

Announcements for the Center Literary Café from Cynthia Beecher

Tuesday, March 10, 7-9 PM

Join River Ranger and his Stumptown Poetry Posse as they give us a glimpse of the Cowboy’s way of lookin’ at life.

River Ranger was born right in the middle of the heyday of “B-Western” movies. The heroes of those movies and the songs they sang made a permanent impression underneath his cowboy hat. He has never bought into the hustle and bustle lifestyle. He lives as much by the Cowboy Code as is possible in this day and age.

He spends his Saturday mornings hosting “Stumptown Radio Round-up” on Guerneville’s local radio station KGGV, 95.1fm and streaming at KGGVfm.org.

Part of his show is always dedicated to Cowboy Poetry, something that he discovered a few years ago. “Seems to fit my way of lookin’ at the world,” says River Ranger. “Life is a challenge, you just got to get up on it and ride!”

Tuesday March 10, 2009     7-9 PM

Open mic  Bring prose or poetry to share

Doors open at 6:30

Light refreshments   Donations appreciated

Healdsburg Senior Center

133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza)

Healdsburg, CA 95448

Call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111

centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Tuesday April 14, 7-9 PM

Center Literary Café presents Hair Pieces, an anthology by Sonoma County Writing Practice authors Nan Koontz, Margaret Caminsky Shapiro, Marie Galletta

Sonoma Country Writing Practice is a community of writers. We meet in our writing circle once a week to pour out our stories. We sit together, with notebook and pen in hand, and write using a jump-off line. We write rapidly for ten minutes without lifting our pens or editing as we go, writing into the deepest levels of our stories. We write because we love the art and craft of placing words one after another on the thin blue line.

Writing Practice evokes our Muse, the voice that encourages us. And because this style is called practice, we feel a freedom that allows memory to reveal stories that need to be told.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has been teaching Writing Practice for the past 10 years. She was born and educated in the Republic of South Africa and often writes her African stories. Margaret was inspired to publish the writings of her students and so Hair Pieces was born.

Check out the website:  www.handwritingonline.net

Open mic: Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments. Donations appreciated.

Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. For information, call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111

centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

News items from the Healdsburg Literary Guild

Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion 2005/2006, will be a featured writer at the Healdsburg Literary Salon, Healdsburg City Hall, Sunday, March 15th, 2009, from 2-4 pm. She will talk about her background and how she became published a poet and writer. She will read her work, do a mini show and tell, give a peptalk for poets and answer questions.

Ms. Martin hosts UniverSoul,  a monthly poetry and music open mike event at Barking Dog Cafe in Boyes Springs, across from the Sonoma Mission Inn. She has read her work at the Sonoma Book Festival and the Petaluma Poetry Walk. She is an active member of the California Writers Club-Redwood Branch. Her work has appeared in journals such as Rattlesnake Review and Street Spirit Magazine.

Sonoma County in Print

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy. You’re announcement will run for three Updates.

Donna Emerson’s Body Rhymes from Finishing Line Press

I am happy to announce to my friends and acquaintances that my poetry collection from Finishing Line Press, Body Rhymes, comes out this spring. Since this is a limited edition collection, you may order now to reserve a copy. The press run will be determined by the number of orders made before April 10.The book, with a color photograph of mine on the cover, will be mailed to you by the end of May.

“Donna Emerson’s poems-each a small, complete world-reveal their tenderness in detail. The poet William Carlos Williams once said ‘Perception is the first act of imagination,’ and with her photographer’s eye, Emerson invites the reader to see, as if for the first time, what is extraordinary even in the most familiar.  But as a poet, she also listens, deeply and intently, to her subject, whether it is a landscape, a memory, or one of the unforgettable souls she has counseled, struggling to reconcile themselves with mortality. And it is with a listening heart that the reader feels with her a wonder at the courage she has witnessed, and inspiration at the truth she captures.”

Terry Ehret, author of Lucky Break

“A lilting voice from a new poet.  A new daughter is not all that Donna Emerson gave birth to in her 50s.  Her poems are loaded with rich imagery and memory.”
Susan Swartz, author of The Juicy Tomatoes Guide to Ripe Living After 50

Books can be pre-ordered through the website at  www.finishinglinepress.com. Click on “New Releases and Forthcoming Titles,” scrolling down alphabetically.

Pierette Mimi Poinsett

Rose-Anne Clermont has written an article about my challenges in the Women’s International Perspective e-zine.  The photographer who is uncredited is Michi Adams of Rohnert Park Petaluma. Below is the link:

http://thewip.net/contributors/2009/02/living_one_day_at_a_time_in_th.html
Over the last three years, I have been writing creative non-fiction and poetry. Going into “the family business”:)  A memoir cookbook is in the works.

Pierrette Mimi Poinsett MD

http://www.snapdiva.blogspot.com

aka the Yayayarndiva on http://www.ravelry.com

Mary Lynn Archibald named in national “Best Books” 2008

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced that Mary Lynn Archibald was a finalist in THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS (NBBA). Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007.

This is the third finalist award (the second in the HUMOR category) for Mary Lynn Archibald, for her book, Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, which has attained something of a cult following here in the west. “Always a bridesmaid,” she says.

Mary Lynn Archibald is available interviews to discuss her latest book and related topics. Contact 707-395-0542 or marylynn@winecountrywriter.com

Bill Vartnaw ’s new book, Suburbs of my Childhood, came out on January15th.  Bill says, “This is a book of mostly early poems, lots of seventies, a few eighties and a couple of nineties about my mother, 74 pages.” For more information or to order the book, contact Bill at  taureanhorn@hotmail.com.  Taurean Horn Press’ address is P.O. Box 641097, San Francisco, CA 94164-1097.

Jeane Slone has just published She Flew Bombers From the Factories to the Bases. People can order it from my web site at www.jeaneslone.com.

Jean Heglund writes, “She Flew Bombers is a fascinating account of one woman’s love of flying and her involvement with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Anyone interested in Aviation History, Women’s History, or the World War II “war effort” will appreciate Jeane Slone’s careful research, as well as her ability to bring this little-know aspect of the US history to life so vividly.”

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has just published an anthology entitled Hair Pieces, containing the poetry and prose of 51 of her writing students. Hair Pieces is available for purchase at Copperfieldsand also at harlmarg@sonic.net. For information about Margaret’s Writing Practice workshops, scroll down to the section “Current and Upcoming Workshops.”

Ann Wilkes’s Awesome Layratt

Ann Wilkes’ first book, Awesome Lavratt (2009) is a tongue-in-cheek space opera with mind control, passion and adventure. Her stories have appeared in online zines and anthologies.  She lives in California’s wine country with her husband, Patrick and their youngest son. She’s working on two novels while still cranking out the short funny stories that characterize her writing style. Visit her website, http://www.annwilkes.com, for a full bio, her blog and links to online stories.

Marisol Schowengerdt.’s A Selfish Life?

Marisol is a first-time author with a self-published book, A Selfish Life?, released in October 2008.  This fictional work sells throughout Sonoma and Napa county.

The book focuses on the other side of motherhood; the not-so-perfect, yet rarely admitted, side of childrearing.  The confrontation to an unspoken reality is embedded in the lives of four women who confront the dilemma of choosing freedom over motherhood, guilt over consequence, and nature over science.

Please visit the website at www.aselfishlife.com for an author biography and a listing of outlets currently carrying this book.

Post your comments on our blog at www.aselfishlife.blogspot.com.  Whether or not you have read my book, I am sure most of you know people who have had to deal with teenage pregnancies, infertility, and/or indecision about becoming a parent.  I would like to give others a complete perspective about the choices being made and the circumstances that drive the decision of whether or not to have a baby, keep the baby, or buy a baby.

It’s a complicated topic and everyone has an opinion so let’s all share them so that others can take from them for their own decision making.  Please feel free to send this around to everyone you know, the more feedback the better.

Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.

Shelley Singer’s Blackjack

BLACKJACK–now available also in E-book and CD-Rom from SynergEbooks.com and major ebookstores–starring Rica Marin, spy and torch singer in the Balkanized world of 2066. Written as Lee Singer. Read the first chapter on Singer’s website.
.
Shelley Singer also does manuscript consulting, mostly fiction, fiction of all kinds. Singer will be teaching a workshop on Dialogue for the Redwood Writers at the end of January.

Debby Cooper’s Chapbook Publications

Sonoma poet Debbie Cooper has eight chapbooks, ranging in publication date from 1996 through 2007. You (or other interested parties) can find info about these books by going to our website, which is www.edcooper.com — if you have any questions, you can contact her at debby@edcooper.com

Two Online Novels by Jo Lauer

Waltzing With the Azaleas (a transgender coming of age tale), and Sojourner (a lesbian love story with a reincarnation twist), are available for on-line download at http://www.e-lesmag.com/tocles.html through GLB Publishers.

Catherine Bramkamp’s Time is of the Essence!

Number two in the Allison Little series, this adventure is set in the fictitious town of Claim Jump located in the real setting of the Sierra Foothills. The plot involves fire, mayhem, murder, recycling and of course

Books available on Amazon.com
For more information: Bramkamp.pnn.com
Contact the author – Bramkamp@yahoo.com or 707 478 1855

Calls for Submission

If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.

If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:

http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/

http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm

Redwood Writers Announces Poetry Contest in Honor of National Poetry Month and the 100^th Anniversary of the California Writers Club

Redwood Writers announces a poetry contest with a submission deadline of March 15th. The cost is $5 per entry for up to three poems. Winners will be announced at the Redwood Writer general member meeting on April 5th.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries as follows: first place – $50, second place – $35 and third place – $20. There will also be honorable mention certifcates for 4th and 5th place. Entries will be judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion. Entry guidelines are found on the Redwood Writers web site: http://www.redwoodwriters.org/poetry2009.html.

Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

The contest is open to residents of the Redwood Empire. This includes counties of Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Lake, Marin and Mendocino.
Become a part of history. Submit your poems by the deadline of March 15th, 2009. Send your completed form, fee and poems to Redwood Writers, PO Box 4687, Santa Rosa, Ca. 95402

Redwood Writers is one of 18 branches of the California Writers Club. California Writers Club turns 100 this year. This year is a celebration of literary greats such as Joaquin Miller, George Sterling, Jack London and California’s first Poet Laureate, Ina Coolbrith, founders of the group.

Redwood Writers are always looking for writers like you. Check out Redwood Writers on the web at www.redwoodwriters.org and consider becoming a member.

 Call for Entries: Five-Minute Plays are needed for the Poetry/Play Day in March at the Petaluma Art Center. Writers, now is your chance to put pen to paper and create a funny or serious dialogue about love, death, taxes, pumpkin pie, anything! Plays chosen will be read by writers or actors on stage at the Art Center. Deadline: March 1st. Contact: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net for more info. Event is organized by Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon and Geri DiGiorno of the Petaluma Poetry Walk.

Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series

$3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press for one book of short fiction andn one book of poetry. One runner up in each category will receive a $1,000 prize. Submissions will be accepted between January 15 and March 16, 2009. For details about the submission guidelines, check out the website: www.paririeschooner.unl.edu.

MEMOIR (and) Call for Submissions

MEMOIR (and) is an up-and-coming print journal for the exploration of memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. Our nonprofit mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, personal and critical essay, graphic narratives, narrative poetry, ”flash memoir,” autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, journalistic accounts,  narrative photography and more.  We award four cash prizes twice yearly and charge no entry fee. All work submitted to MEMOIR (and) is eligible to win a prize.

On 11/1/08, MEMOIR (and) begins accepting submissions for the Fall+Winter 2009 Issue. This reading period extends until 2/15/09. Submissions may be made online with our Submissions Manager tool at http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/general-submissions/, or by mailing to us at PO Box 1398, Sausalito CA 94966-1398.  Submission guidelines are available on the website at www.memoirjournal.com/submissions or can be requested by mail or phone at (415) 339-4130.

For complete guidelines and more information, scroll down to the end of the Literary Update.

Current and Upcoming Workshops

Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, and some are retreats. Workshops for this month are listed below. A more complete list of workshop leaders and their contact information appears at the end of this article.

If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description to tehret99@comcast.net.

Sue Capella

Petaluma Arts Center

230 Lakeville Street ▪ Petaluma ▪ 94952

TO SIGN UP & FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.petalumaartscouncil.org

707-762-5600

Writing an Artist’s Statement

Instructor: Sue Capella

Adults.

2 Wednesdays: March 4 & 18

7-9:00 p.m.

Fee: $35 Materials Cost: none

In two fun meetings, write an Artist Statement that draws viewers in and intensifies the

power and beauty of your artwork. We’ll help each other discover what is interesting aboutour work and creative process; get those discoveries down on paper quickly and easily; follow simple writing tips for transforming our notes into an Artist Statement that truly reflects our relationship with our art. (No writing experience necessary.) Bring an example of your work (an original piece or photo) to the first meeting.

Sue Capella is a writer, photographer and mixed media artist who has written about

creative people for over 25 years. She writes for newspapers, magazines and the Web and

serves as a writing coach to local artists.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro’s Sonoma County Writing Practice

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro teaches eight week long writing semesters out of her Santa Rosa downtown office. Three different class times are offered each week. Margaret uses poetry and meditation for inspiration and writers are encouraged to read their work in a supportive atmosphere. The memoir is a valuable form for dropping deeper into the self allowing memories to come forth. This process allows space for self-knowledge to occur. For more information or to receive a flyer call (707)575-8820 or email Margaret at harlmarg@sonic.net. The website for Sonoma County Writing Practice is www.handwritingonline.net

Sher Christian

For information about Sher’s upcoming workshops, e-mail her at poetrytalks@neteze.com.

Sher Christian offers expressive voice, recording, and/or music and sound effects for your book on CD

Sher Christian is available for voiceover. John Christian does recording, sound effects, and original music on keyboard, accordion, or Hammond organ for your projects.

E-mail for information and a demo on Mp3.

poetrytalks@neteze.com

Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry

CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music

www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com

Marlene Cullen’s Writing Workshops

Revision Writing Workshop: Share your written work with like-minded writers who will offer suggestions and recommendations for changes and development. Limited to six participants.

Thursdays, 9:30 am to 12:00 noon

6 weeks $90 (Petaluma resident); $95 (non-resident)

March 26 to April 30.

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA

Register online: http://activenet6.active.com/petalumarec/

Register in person: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma

New! First three Saturdays in May: Writing Workshops at Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus. For more information: www.thewritespot.us

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Susan Hagen’s Spring Story Circles For Women

Saturday, March 14 (Santa Rosa)

Saturday, April 11 (Napa)

Saturday, May 9 (Sebastopol)

Saturday, June 6 (Bodega Bay)

The StoryCircle is a day-long gathering of women who meet to write, share, reflect, and remember who we are.  Come once, come every month, or enroll as often as you like.  Meditation, guided imagery, and nature-based practices help set aside the thinking mind and clear a path to the deeper inner life. You’ll learn simple techniques for effortless writing and share your stories in a safe, supportive circle of women.  Diversity of the group and a growing pool of participants make each month’s gathering distinctive and fresh.  Each gathering limited to 10 women; beginning and experienced writers welcome; $85 per session.

www.womenatgroundzero.com.

hagen@womenatgroundzero

707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Writing Retreats for Women

Susan Hagen facilitates Women’s Writing Retreats every spring and fall at St. Dorothy’s Rest and Retreat Center in Camp Meeker, CA.  This year’s dates are May 1-3 and November 6-9.

Women’s Vision Quest

Susan Hagen co-guides a 10-Day Women’s Vision Quest every summer for women called to leave their daily lives behind and return to the earth for renewal, clarity, and guidance.  This year’s vision quest is August 6-15 in the Inyo Mountains of Southeastern California.

Susan Hagen is an award-winning nonfiction writer, writing teacher, vision quest guide, and co-author of the post-9/11 book, Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion.  Her writing programs are inspired by the vision quest, an annual journey into the wilderness that clarifies and informs her life and work.

www.womenatgroundzero.com.

hagen@womenatgroundzero

707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.

Suzanne Murray: The Heart of Writing

Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray

Four-Week Classes, Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Tuesday Mornings, 9:30 am to noon,

March 10 to March 31, $100 paid by 3/3, $115 after

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12

March 10 to March 31, $100 paid by 3/3, $115 after

One-Day Workshops

Saturday, March 21, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 3/13, $85 after

downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Small supportive groups. Good for beginners and experienced writers as well as all styles of writing.

Learn simple, powerful techniques to find your voice, tell your stories, calm your inner critic, enter the creative flow, jumpstart your writing and support your creative self. Find support and encouragement and an understanding of the craft of writing and the joyful heart of the creative process.

For more information call or email Suzanne at 707.360.7776 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website:www.creativitygoeswild.com

Loren Niemi, and Elizabeth Ellis “Telling Difficult Stories” Workshop and Performance

Sat., March 7, 2009, 10 AM – 5 PM

Sun., March 8, 2009, 10 AM – 2 PM

Orchard Spotlight

515 Orchard St, Santa Rosa

What are difficult stories, why must we tell them, and how can we do it truthfully and artfully? Find out the answers at a two-day workshop especially for storytellers, writers, therapists, lawyers, ministers, social workers or anyone who has a need to tell stories that are hard to hear or tell. It takes place on Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Orchard Spotlight, 515 Orchard Street, Santa Rosa. Cost for the workshop is $200, which includes individual coaching work on stories and a copy of Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories, co-authored by workshop facilitators Elizabeth Ellis and Loren Niemi. To register, call (707) 527-0747 or email jennieo@sonic.net.

Cost: $200 (limited scholarships available)

Where: Orchard Spotlight, 515 Orchard Street, Santa Rosa*

To register or for more information, call Jennie Orvino (707) 527-0747 or email jennieo@sonic.net

Workshop Leader Bios

Elizabeth Ellis is a versatile, riveting teller of stories of heroic American women and personal stories both hilarious and poignant. Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the NEA, she is a recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award from the Texas Storytelling Association. Loren Niemi is a storyteller of philosophically-engaging and emotionally-nuanced tales, a public policy consultant and trainer. He is also the author of The Book of Plots in addition to co-authoring Inviting the Wolf  In. Ellis and Niemi have each been working with and telling these kinds of stories for over 30 years and will help workshop participants explore painful, shameful or shocking stories with consciousness and compassion.

Evening Performance Open to the Public

On Saturday at 8 p.m. Ellis and Niemi, both veterans of International storytelling and fringe festivals, will give a public performance on the Orchard Spotlight stage. They will be joined by workshop producer and local poet Jennie Orvino. Admission for the performance is $10 at the door; registered workshop members get in free. General public $10.

Workshops with Gwynne O’Gara

Lighting Our Own Flames-Writing That Frees Our Genius

How do we address the gift of poetry? Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, Genius is the power for lighting your own flame. The Romans believed genius to be a guardian spirit that comes to us at birth with the fullness of our undeveloped powers, which it offers to us as we grow. Gratitude moves a person to labor in the service of her genius, which finds freedom through her work.

Each week we’ll taste a different poet-Hopkins, Roethke, Stafford, Levertov, Oliver and Hirshfield-and savor the ways each frees her own genius. We’ll write and share our own poems and explore how to feed our own flames.

Tuesday Nights, 7-9, March 17-April 21. All levels, genders and ages are welcome. $75 for all six classes. For more information and to register, call (707) 823-2993 or e-mail gwynn@gwynnogara.com.

The workshops will be held at the Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati, Cotati, CA.

Gwynn O’Gara is the author of Snake Woman Poems (Beatitude Press) and the chapbooks Fixer-Upper (dpress) and Winter at Green Haven (Word Temple Press). She is active with California Poets in the Schools, and performs with The Redheads and pianist Rob Catterton. In addition to various anthologies, her work has been published in the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Minnetonka Review and Yellow Silk, and will appear in future issues of Argestes, descant, Evansville Review and Beatitudes Golden Anniversary Edition.

Petaluma Writers Forum presents Patti Trimble

Thursday, March 19,  7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma

$15 at the door

Unblock that Metaphor

As writers, we are always on the lookout for the exact metaphor, that precise comparison that helps readers see and understand precisely what we mean. So . . .we go wandering in the metaphorical woods, rooting around in the compost of comparisons . . . and we discover imagery, cliché, analogy, allegory, suggestion, and-every now and then-that perfect zinging comparison. What makes metaphors precise? How can we develop an ear for them? How can we actually search for metaphors and find the best ones? This evening we’ll talk about metaphor and, through writing exercises, expand our inventiveness and skills.

PATTI TRIMBLE is a published poet and essayist. She performs her lyric poetry with musicians in the US and Europe, and was co-founder/co-director of the Tuolomne Meadows Poetry Festival. Patti divides her time between Petaluma and Sicily, where she teaches writing at the Mediterranean Center for Art & Science. She is presently recording a new spoken word CD, writing a book about Abstract Expressionism. She will perform her newest long poem, from Penelope’s point of view, with Douglas Kenning as Odysseus, in “The

Loom and the Ship” at San Francisco’s Noh Space in April 2008.

Supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from the Hearst Foundation.

For more information: www.thewritespot.us

Marlene – mcullen@comcast.net

Laurie Reiche Writing Soiree

Laurie leads writing workshops the third Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM at her home.

The focus is generating new work, both poetry and prose. Sliding scale. For more information, call 415-892-9430 or e-mail p.reiche@comcast.net.

Lessen-Reiche has facilitated workshops for many years. She was the 2006 Winner of Lilith Magazine’s Second Annual Charlotte Newberger National Poetry Award. Her work has also appeared in magazines such as SUNY Upstate Medical Journal: The Healing Muse, and The Southern Poetry Review.

Workshops with Pauline Reif
Pauline Reif will be offering two workshops exploring historic and metaphoric archetypes, icons and mirrors will serve to reflect and affirm our contemporary woman journeys, creating community that is both safe, supportive, and inspiring.

Sacred She: One Day Workshops
Dates March 28, 2009
Time:10am to 5pm.
Cost: Fee: $145.00
$50.00 registration fee due two weeks prior to class. Fully refundable with 72 hour cancellation.
Sliding scale available

Workshop Description: Through storytelling, meditation, writing, and collage art, we will unveil some of the many faces of our Feminine Foremothers, renewing and reclaiming our own wise loveliness and power. In a Sacred Circle of respect, creativity and loving compassion we will celebrate the divine essence of feminine experience in community.

Facilitated by Pauline E. Reif, M.A. Women’s Spirituality

Poet, Writer, Interfaith Chaplain, Spiritual Director, Writer, Mother and Grandmother

Graduate of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA

Mentored by renowned poet author, Judy Grahn of the feminist classics, Another Mother Tongue, The Common Woman Poem, and Blood, Bread and Roses

For further information contact Pauline: 925/284-1509 or paulineerh@yahoo.com

Clara Rosemarda’s Writing Workshops

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FINDING YOUR WRITE MIND, on-going workshops: mornings and evenings.

The creative writing process is a leap into the unknown. It opens us to authentic thoughts and feelings that are often unavailable to the conscious mind. Through meditation, vizualization and other exercises that quiet the mind and expand the imagination, you will access and activate your creative muse. I provide a comfortable safe environment for the writer to emerge. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.

For information: rosen@sonic.net or 707:579-2081

“I have the highest regard and respect for Clara’s work. Her clarity and integrity are impeccable.” –Natalie Goldberg WRITING DOWN THE BONES

Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler Series

Lively, homework-free workshops for writers. 7-9 pm @ SCA, 6780 Depot Street in Sebastopol.

Fees: $15 per class; $50 for all 4

Call 829-4797 for details

This series is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation.

March 23: Gerald Haslam – Dialects and Dialogue

Learn how to make your characters sound like people. What to listen for and how to represent it. Gerald Haslam’s latest publication is a novel, Grace Period (University of Nevada Press, 2006). A contributing writer at the Los Angeles Times’ magazine, West, he was born in Bakersfield and raised in Oildale. He taught for 30 years at Sonoma State University before retiring and is now adjunct faculty at University of San Francisco and Sonoma State. He has one wife (plenty), two dogs (plenty), five kids (plenty), plus ten grandchildren (not nearly enough).Haslam has published four novels, eight collections of short fiction, four non-fiction volumes, three essay collections, and ten booklets or monographs, as well as edited eight anthologies. His work has won numerous honors, including a Commonwealth Club Medal, a Bay Area Book Reviewers’ Award, a Benjamin Franklin Award, and a Josephine Miles Prize. His Workin’ Man Blues won Rolling Stone’s Ralph J. Gleason Award in 2000, while his novel, Straight White Male won the Western States Book Award for Fiction that year. Coming of Age in California: Personal Essays (1990/ 2nd edition 2000), was selected by a San Francisco Chronicle reader’s poll as one of the twentieth century’s 100 most important non-fiction books from the West.

March 30: Rebecca Lawton – Lasagna or Ratatouille? Creating Your Story from Scratch

In this workshop we’ll look at essays and stories that combine seemingly unrelated elements for powerful effect. We’ll discuss examples of the layered essay, the blended story, and the varying techniques used in both to achieve unforgetttable narratives. We’ll

write, so bring your ideas, pen, and notebook, as we’ll devise our own recipes for exciting, inspiring, original works. Rebecca Lawton is an author, editor, and natural scientist whose book Reading Water: Lessons from the River was a 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Bay

Area Bestseller. She is coauthor of three other books of nonfiction, including Write Free:Attracting the Creative Life with Jordan E. Rosenfeld and On Foot in Sonoma with Arthur Dawson. Rebecca’s essays, poetry, and stories have been published in Orion,

Shenandoah, Sierra, THEMA, Tiny Lights, the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, and other journals. She has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, in prose and poetry, and won the 2006 Ellen Meloy Fund Award for Desert Writers, which supported research for

her novel, Oil and Water.

April 6: Geneen Roth – Loving the Craft, the Mundane, and the Truth in Non-fiction and Memoir

How do you stay true to what you love to write about without getting swept away into dreams of what sells or what is most literary? How do you find and keep finding your own voice without taking on other writer’s voices? And how, when you write about your family,

do you keep your relationships with said family while telling the truth? One of the most challenging things about writing non-fiction including memoir is keeping yourself honest whether you are writing about being abused or going to the grocery store. Honest about

what truly moves you, honest about finding and writing in your own voice, and honest about that line between what happened and embroidering what happened to make a good story. Geneen is the author of seven books, including The New York Times bestseller,

When Food is Love. Her most recent book is The Craggy Hole in My Heart and The Cat Who Fixed It. Geneen has appeared on many national television shows including Oprah, 20/20, and Good Morning America. She has written a monthly column in Good Housekeeping Magazine since 2007.

April 13: Gwynn O’Gara – Sex, Love & Marriage-Writing non-sentimental poems about highly charged themes

How can we solitary writers evoke intimacy and commitment in fresh and thoughtful verse? To get to the core of things, we’ll experiment with image-driven poetry that brings opposites together, pollinates the flowers, and leads to fruit. Bring poems, paper and

pencil. Gwynn O’Gara is the author of three collections of poetry, Snake Woman Poems (Beatitude Press), Fixer-Upper (dpress), and Winter at Green Haven (Word Temple Press). She performs her work regularly with The Redheads as well as with pianist Rob Catterton. She’s active with California Poets in the Schools and lives in Northern California with her husband, dog and apple tree.

Lisa Shulman’s Children’s Writers Critique Group

Join other children’s writers in discussing and critiquing your picture book manuscripts, easy readers, chapter books and novels for young people. This is a useful and supportive group for all levels of experience. Facilitated by children’s author Lisa Shulman.

Dates: 5 Wednesdays: February 18; March 4, 18; April 15, 29; 7-9pm, $50
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931

For more information and to reserve a space, email lisa@lisashulman.com

Lisa Shulman is the author of several picture books, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy, and The Moon Might Be Milk. She has recently finished a middle-grade novel and has written dozens of children’s books for the educational market. Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for adults have appeared in various journals. You can visit her online at
www.lisashulman.com

Centa Theresa: Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers

THE POD: ART & WRITING

workshops & monthly creative projects coaching circle…

Centa Theresa, M.A.

www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net
CREATIVE PROJECTS COACHING: Whether you have a manuscript in the making that

you can¹t seem to finish, a body of artwork that needs more of your time, an

idea you¹d like to see manifest but have no plan, etc., I help you to

clarify the vision, identify challenges, claim successes and keep

accountable for stated intentions. Private sessions held in my home

office/studio in Santa Rosa. Call for further inquiry.

ART/WRITING PROCESS: Through dialogue, meditation, free-writing exercises

and the exploration of various art media, focus on a question or theme of

present concern and let the process unfold. Come one time or for a

predetermined series of private sessions in my home studio. Call for further

inquiry.

Call for free consultation. 707-478-5903. www.centatheresa.com

<http://www.centatheresa.com> . vicenta@sonic.net

Centa Theresa M.A. has exhibited her art in Bay Area galleries & had poems

appear or are forthcoming in such journals as Harpur Palate, Eclipse, The

Hurricane Review, Tiny Lights, and DrumVoices Revue. Centa has authored the

letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light. She currently

teaches art at Napa State Hospital and has trained in ³creativity coaching²

with Eric Maisel.

Marianne Rogoff’s 2009 Classes

Feasts, Fasts, Fights: Turning Point Meals

March 17-April 14, 6:30-8:30pm

5 sessions, weekly on Tuesdays

$155 at Book Passage: bpclasses@bookpassage.com

Organize the stories of your life around memorable meals. Highlight your style, rituals, and traditions. Describe the sensory textures of food, tables, still life, surroundings. Consider topics such as abundance, perfection, gluttony, solace, indulgence, and satisfaction.

mrogoff@cca.edu * 415.455.0781

A list of other Sonoma County writing workshop leaders appears in the details about workshops and events at the end of the update. Feel free to contact them about their private consultations or to find out when their next workshops will be.

Sonoma County Writers Offering Workshops and Consultation

Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com

Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro harlmarg@sonic.net

Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org

Sher Christian poetrytalks@neteze.com

Marlene Cullen www.thewritespot.us/ or mcullen@comcast.net

Georgette G. deBlois GGdeB@aol.com.

Nancy Dougherty and Geri Digiorno ncaversd@sonic.net

Terry Ehret tehret99@comcast.net

Susan Hagenhagen@womenatgroundzero.com

Suzanne Murray suzmurr@yahoo.com

Laure Reiche p.reiche@comcast.net

Pauline Reif paulineerh@yahoo.com

Clara Rosemarda rosen@sonic.net

Scott Reid Serkes www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html>http: //www.sonic.net

Lisa Shulman www.lisashulman.com.

Shelley Singer http://www.shelleysinger.com

Centa Theresa, m.a.,Writing & Creative Projects Coach

www.centatheresa.com

creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com

Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net

Writers’ Connections

If you’d like to invite others in the literary community to join your writers’ group or network, send an announcement to tehret99@comcast.net.

Blog with me about: “Inspiring Young Children to Read”…

Reading aloud to young children yields benefits aplenty. The NAE sez it this way:

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required
for eventual success in reading – is reading aloud to children.”
– Commission on Reading of the National Academy of Education

There are five well defined ‘Facts, Advantages and Benefits’ to reading aloud
that I’ve summarized here in relation to Ocean Rudee & Company’s program offerings:
https://www.oceanrudee.com/what.is.ocean.rudee.and.company.html#readaloud

I’d love to hear other thoughts and ideas (from any of you within the Sonoma County
Literary Update universe) in relation to your experiences, ideas and outlooks toward
the future – in regards to reading, books, reading aloud, inspiring young children,
early childhood education, multi-media programming, literacy and the like.

My blog is located here: http://oceanrudee.blogspot.com/

I await hearing the sounds of your keystrokes and absorbing your insights accordingly.

Responsively Reading Aloud I am,

Paul Ennis

pwe@ oceanrudee.com

Sitting Room Book Discussion Group

We meet 2-4 on the third Wednesday of every month, skipping December, at The Sitting Room and are always open to new readers. For more info, email Joanne Page at jpage@sonic.net.  (The January 21 book is Pat Barker’s first novel in her trilogy about World War I, “Regeneration.”)

The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club.

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its April 5th meeting will feature author Kevin Smokler. He will give a talk called, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Publishing, But Were Afraid to Ask.”

The meeting runs from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati.

The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

About Kevin Smokler:

Kevin Smokler is the editor of Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times (Basic Books, 2005) which USA Today called “provocative, irreverent and fun.” He speaks throughout North America on writing, publishing and the endurance of the arts in the digital 21st century. He lives in San Francisco.

For more information please visit http://www.kevinsmokler.com/.

About Redwood Writers:

Redwood Writers is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club, the nation’s oldest professional club for writers, founded in 1909.  Its motto is “writers helping writers.” Early members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, Joaquin Miller and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. The Club has more than 1,200 members statewide.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place on October 24, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa. Our one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Call for Scriptwriters on Weekly Radio Show

Are you an accomplished scriptwriter looking for a long-term project to sink your creativity into? Ocean Rudee & Company of Sebastopol is in the process of pulling together a team of 4 to 6 ’scriptors’. Project responsibilities will include: the development of an ongoing series of radio serial dramas and related multi-media programs for children from 4 to 8-years of age (as well as their parents, teachers and primary caregivers).

Prior experience writing for children is not necessary. An understanding of how to write for continuity, how to maintain and adhere to a well developed set of character profiles, the ability to function well as a team player, a love of children’s literature and an abiding commitment to the muse – are essential.

If this is you, please visit Ocean Rudee’s website (www.oceanrudee.com) and send them off an e-mail expressing your interest in learning more.

.

Join the Staff of First Leaves
If you have ever wanted to be on the staff of an energetic, literary journal and learn the process of compiling a publication, plan to join English 80 (3 unit, CSU transferable) for the Spring ‘09 semester. Students enrolled in English 80 are involved in all aspects of producing a literary journal (with the guidance of the instructor), from approving submissions to putting the actual journal together. Evaluating other people’s work is a great way to learn your own strengths and weaknesses. The class is fun, collaborative, and project-based: we will produce a high-quality, well-designed magazine. We welcome the participation of people throughout the North Bay, including mature working adults, young adults, teens and retirees.

Contact Instructor Abby Bogomolny for more information: (707) 522-2779

Have You ‘Jacket-Flapped’ Lately?
JacketFlap is an international social networking community where you can connect with upwards of 5,000 published authors and illustrators of books for Children and Young Adults. Paul Ennis of Sebastopol reports: “I’ve been a member of JacketFlap (http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=OceanRudee) since late-June of 2008. My efforts to produce audio books for children and source read-aloud materials for my radio program production project (targeting an October 2009 broadcast premiere) have been greatly enhanced by the people I’ve been able to meet through JacketFlap. It’s FREE to join, the community is a vibrant one that does not seem to generate junk e-mails to any great degree and the atmosphere is very professional. If you are ready to network with folks around the world in the children’s book publishing industry this is an online community you need to be a part of. Their membership includes: children’s book authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishing companies, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, teachers, students and just plain old ordinary folks who love children’s literature. Check it out – you’ll have fun in the process!”

The International Women’s Writing Guild

The IWWG is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart-the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions-alongside conventional logic. For more information about how to join the IWWG, contact Caroline Brumleve: e-mail iwwg@iwwg. org or visit their website at www.iwwg.org.

Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings

SUNDAYS

First Sunday of the month: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends), from 3-5 pm. at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. A small fee of $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Sunday afternoons at 2 PM: SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series - With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa.  Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM.  Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system.  They are very excited about working with us.  So please do note the new time of day.  For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net

Third Sundays 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Third Sundays12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz

Poetry Reading. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.

Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguires Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com.

 
MONDAYS

First Monday of the Month: Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) Writers meet in the "New Room", Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave.Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381 or http://www.uusantarosa.org/ Meetings are held in the afternoon, 4 - 6 pm, and again in the evening, 6:45 - 8:45 pm. Focus: Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biographies, the Great American novel, poems, essays, song lyrics, reports, term papers, cook books, web pages, blogs, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where you can improve and hone your writing skills.The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at UUCSR is not required. UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com

TUESDAYS

Second Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Cafe hosts a featured writer and an open mic reading at the Healdsburg Senior Center 133 Matheson St. (one block east of the Plaza). Light refreshments are served. Admission is free ($5.00 donation encouraged).  Contact: Cynthia Helen Beecher (707) 696-1111.

SATURDAYS

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

Intermittently Scheduled Events

ODD Month Readings is sponsored by the Redwood Writers Club. The readings are open to non-members, but are not open mic format. Contact Ann Wilkes at critiquegrpcoord@redwoodwriters.org or 707-792-1704 to get on the list or for more information. Redwood Writers roves the county with talented writers for your listening pleasure.

Haiku Poets of No. California. Join us for our free quarterly readings & workshops. A featured reader, often longtime HPNC members, will present a short reading of haiku and/or other Japanese genre poetry. Each meeting also offers a lengthier program (usually a presentation or workshop related to one of the Japanese forms). There will be one or more round-robin readings, where all attendees have an opportunity, open-mic style, to read and share one or more haiku and tanka. Also news and announcements, including upcoming events, submission calls and brief introductions of any new books of interest, as well as time for socializing and refreshments. A book table is set up for the sale and purchase of HPNC and other books (you may bring your own publications if you have some to sell). Our meetings and special events, which are open to both members and nonmembers, are held quarterly at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, building C, room 235, from 1 to 5 PM. For more information, or to become an HPNC member (which includes a subscription to our renowned semiannual journal Mariposa and a quarterly newsletter) go to the HPNC website at www.haiku-poets-northern-california.com.

How to List Your Announcements Here

1. Include the words “Literary Update” in your subject heading.

2. Make sure your announcement is concise, carefully proofread, and copy-edited. Also keep in mind that I can only include announcements that are plain text and presented in the e-mail message (no flyers, PDF’s, or attachments with special formatting please). Retyping text and reformatting special fonts from flyers takes time, sometimes causes errors, and may result in announcements being left out of the Update.

3. Suggest the category where you’d like it placed. These are listed here:

• County-Wide Literary News (general interest announcements)
• Sonoma County in Print (new books/chapbooks/CDs by Sonoma County writers)
• News from East County (Sonoma area)
• News from North County (Healdsburg area)
• News from West County (Occidental/Guerneville area)
• Writers’ Connections (invitations to join groups, formal or informal)
• Upcoming Workshops and Conferences (current workshops you are offering)
• Call for Submissions (local literary journals, magazines, contests)
• Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
• Monthly Calendar of readings, events and workshops
• Sonoma County Workshop Leaders (e-mail and website contacts)
• Details about Workshops, Calls for Submission, Contests (information that is too lengthy to include in the short features or calendar listings)

Deadline

The deadline for announcements is noon on the last day of each calendar month. If your event is early in the month, send it two months ahead to make sure it gets in the calendar in a timely fashion

Donation

For those who regularly announce their workshops, readings, or services here, a donation of $10/year is appreciated to keep the update and its website going. Donations from regular readers are welcome, too! If you’d like to find out how you can help, please contact me at tehret99@comcast.net.

February Calendar of Literary Events

Happy New Administration to us all! Let’s hope, with all he’s got on his plate, and all the healing this country needs, Obama has the wisdom to keep the arts in his recovery vision, and let’s let our voices be heard on this.

In the first days of the new year, I was listening to NPR’s “This I Believe” radio-essay. That evening’s broadcast was written and read by a gentleman, John Haynes, who has lived in various cities in Europe, and currently in Paris. Every Sunday, he opens his home to 60 people (more in the summer) for a salon. There’s no particular agenda, just a chance for people from all over the world to meet others and share a meal. He’s been doing this for many years. “I believe in introducing people to other people,” he said, convinced that the curiosity, respect, and friendship we bring to such introductions can change the world.

I recently attended two such gatherings, though not on the same scale, and not, alas, in Paris. On the evening of January 10, Santa Rosa writers Toni Wilkes and Greg Randall hosted an intimate evening salon at which I had the pleasure to read. And again on the morning of the inauguration, I enjoyed a champagne brunch with a group of progressive community leaders and artists at the Petaluma home of Margie Helm (whom you know as director of the Petaluma Arts Council’s Dia de los Muertos Celebrations).

I would like to acknowledge those who have opened their homes for gatherings of this kind, large and small, and who, like John Haynes, continue to change the world, one introduction at a time. Later in the Update, you’ll see an invitation from Sher Christian to host an international exchange student. And at the end of the Update, you’ll find a whole array of invitations from writers groups, both formal and informal,  and a list of ongoing readings and open mics you are welcome to join.  Indeed, every calendar event listed here represents the literary community at work.

I’m glad to be a part of it.

And here’s the link to that “This I Believe” segment, if you’d like to hear it yourself. You can even e-mail John Haynes and let him know you’d like to come to one of his salons in Paris.

Inviting The World To Dinnerstory.php?storyId=99172304_

Guidelines for Submitting Announcements to the Literary Update

For complete guidelines for submitting announcements for the monthly Literary Update, please visit the literary folk website: http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/how-to-send-announcements-to-the-literary-update/

Or simply scroll down to the very end of each month’s e-mail update.

The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.

v      Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/

v      Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com

v      WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com

v      Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us

v      Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm

v      SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.
v      The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.

Saturday, February 7, 10 AM to 12:30 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club hosts the third of three writing at the Petaluma Novak Center (the Senior Center). This session is all about “Personal Narrative,” led by Tiny Lights editor Susan Bono. On-site registration begins at 9:45 am sharp for “The Craft of Writing: A Series of Revision Workshops.”   Members $22 , non-member $25 .

Saturday, February 7, 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Peace in Medicine Healing Center presents a class “Peace and Relaxation through Music & Poetry”. John Christian will play music on keyboard composed specifically for the group. For part of the class Sher Christian will accompany him with poetry and guided meditation. Donations appreciated. Location: Peace in Medicine Healing Center, Gravenstein Station, 6771 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy 12), Sebastopol. 707 823-4206

Sunday, February 15, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group

at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Theme: Love Is In the Air. Bring a poem to share (written by your favorite poet or your own!). Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required. Contact: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Sunday, February 15, Noon to 1:00 P.M. Coffee Catz Third Sunday Poetry Reading & Open Mic: A special treat. Hear love poems by featured Reader: Award-winning Poet, Armando Garcia-Davila. Carlo Sullivan of The Don Giovannis will wow us with an Italian and a Spanish song accompanied by John on accordion. Hosted by Sher Lianne and John Christian. Poetry open mic. Donation appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-6600.

Monday, February 16 at 7:30 PM: Moe’s Books in Berkeley presents Joan Gelfand, Geri Digiorno & Kate Braverman. An award-winning poet, Joan Gelfand was the recipient of the Chaffin Fiction Award for “Paris Blues Redux.”  Joan’s story “The Art Critic” was short-listed for a Carver Prize. Geri Digiorno is founder and director of the Petaluma Poetry Walk, an annual celebration of poetry and poets going into its 14th year. Geri was Poet Laureate of Sonoma County for 2006 and 2007. Kate Braverman is the author of four collections of poetry, two collections of short stories, and four novels, including 1979 Lithium for Medea and Palm Latitudes, 1988( from Seven Stories). She has won 3 Best American Short Story Awards, O.Henry Prize, Mississippi Review Prize, Graywolf Creative Nonfiction Prize, Economist Prize, and this year’s Margie Review Poetry Prize. Location: Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704 (510) 849-2087.

Wednesday, February 18, 7:00 PM: The Depot Cafe presents reading excerpts from Gary Carter’s newly published book, A Collection of Short Stories.  Location:  87 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941.  Contact Harriet Carter, hsylvia@sonic.net.

Thursday, February 19, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Petaluma Community Center presents Teresa LeYung Ryan in workshop and a fun brainstorming session to take our writing careers three steps closer to our big goals. Location:  320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma. Cost $15 at the door. Scroll down to “Current and Upcoming Workshops” for details, or visit the website: : www.thewritespot.us

Sunday, February 22, 2 PM: The Sitting Room presents WHEN WE WERE COLORED: A MOTHER'S STORY. We are honored to have as a special guest for Black History Month, Eva Rutland, author of more than 20 novels. She and her daughter and granddaughter will make a presentation on the still timely and relevant story, first published in 1964 and now reissued, of her life in the years before integration, before affirmative action--when discrimination was legally tolerated, and blacks were second-class citizens even in California (from the introduction). Her story is poignant at times, uproariously funny at others, and always down-to-earth. Copies of her memoir are available at The Sitting Room if you want a preview. 170 East Cotati Ave. Cotati. For directions, check the website: www.sittingroom.org.

Monday, February 23, 5:45 to 8:45 PM: Sher Lianne Christian, poet, and John Christian, musician and composer, will share their ’soundscapes’ to delight the senses. “I love to illuminate the mysteries and pleasures of life through the magic of intuition and language,” says Sher. John will improvise pieces on keyboard to enhance Sher’s poetry, as well as perform his own musical compositions that range from boogie woogie to Cajun, blues, and jazz. Location: Arrivederci, an Italian Restaurant, 11 G. St. in San Rafael.

Cover charge of $7 cash includes a 25% discount on food and beverages when ordered and served in the private dining room, and participation in the art raffle. Reserve by calling 415 897-7313 anytime before Monday.

Saturday, February 28, 10 AM-4 PM:The First UUCSR Writers Forum will be held in the Common Room and the Lake Room at the UUCSR, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa. This Forum is open to the public and is Free of Charge. Information: UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com and/or visit the Writers Table in the Social Hall on Sunday mornings.

Sunday, March 1, 3:00- 5:00 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club presents Christi Phillips, who will talk about the writing process, research, the special requirements of historical fiction, what it takes to be a working novelist, and all aspects of the publishing business. Ms. Phillips worked in one of the top literary agencies in New York in the late 1980s, which has provided her with insight into the publishing process. Location: Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month.  Calendar entries are easier to include if they follow the format you see above, and if you can keep the information brief.

County-Wide News

SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE (February 13-15, 2009) ANNOUNCES AN EXPANDED POETRY TRACK FOR 2009

The 6th San Francisco Writers Conference, to be held at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, February 13-15, 2009,  has announced an expanded poetry track. The poetry track will include sessions on craft and becoming a successful poet. Attendees will meet editors who work with poets and they can participate in readings and ‘open mics’. Coordinating the track are UC Davis professor/lecturers Brad Henderson and Andy Jones (also the host of Dr. Andy’s Poetry & Technology Hour on KDVS radio) and Joan Gelfand, president of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA).

The San Francisco Writers Conference will have more than 59 breakout sessions with over 70 speakers, “Speed Dating with  Agents”, and a faculty boasting many bestselling authors including keynoters Richard North Patterson, Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, and Lolly Winston. In addition to poetry, other tracks at the event will include the craft of  fiction and

nonfiction, children’s books and publishing/marketing. Attendees will be able to pitch to literary agents and editors and get feedback on their work.

Registration is $595 until December 31, $625 until February12, Information about the conference and on-line registration are available at www.SFWriters.com www.sfwriters.org

Host a Foreign Exchange Student From the U. S. Department of State:
“Secondary School Student exchange programs have been part of U. S. public diplomacy efforts since 1949. These programs promote mutual understanding by providing foreign students the opportunity to study in American high schools while living with an American host family. Not only are the students themselves transformed by these experiences, so, too, are their families, friends, and teachers back home. Americans, such as the host families, students, and sponsor representatives whose lives intersect with these students benefit as well. The long-term success of the current model is based on the relationship between the participant and the host family, the success of which is the result of an act of generosity and citizenship.”

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Hosting a foreign student helps to promote mutual understanding and world peace. Hosting is also a FUN and EDUCATIONAL experience!  Cultural Homestay International (CHI) is a U.S. Government approved, non-profit cultural exchange program founded in 1980. Please visit our web site. http://www.chinet.org

Our students are carefully screened. They are required to have their own spending money and they carry medical/dental insurances.
To inquire about hosting a foreign student, please contact:

Sher Christian
Academic Coordinator
Cultural Homestay International

poetrysher@gmail.com

Tom Lombardo sends this special message for Sonoma County Authors:

The Arts Council of Sonoma County has launched a new site, www.sonomaword.org, which we hope will make it easier for people to find you and to connect with the literary scene in our area.

The site, which Tom is developing, is free and 100% devoted to marketing you and your books!

You will have your own page, and sometimes you will be the site’s home page, as it randomly selects a writer for the home page every time someone visits.

Please take a look to see what we’re up to.   Each page is different depending on how much content the author gave me.  The more the merrier!!

If you would, please respond to this email with as many of these things as possible:

1.  Your bio

2.  Your photo

3.  Links to your YouTube  videos

4.  Links to your site and your blog

5.  Title of the book you’re promoting, so I can create an Amazon link for it

6.  A summary of your book or a quote from a review — any blurb you want

7.  A passage from your book (this is really important)

8.  Links to any articles written about you

9.  Anything else you want on the page

In the Fall of 2009 the Arts Council will integrate “Word Trails” into the “Art Trails” event that attracts so much attention. Word Trails will be modeled on Art Trails, but it is completely separate. More on that later; but know that it is my intent to have every author in the area promoted at www.sonomaword.org well before then.

PLEASE forward this email to any writer you know who should be included in the site.

I look forward to hearing from all of you soon –

Cheers,

Tom Lombardo
707.338.5337
tomlombardo@comcast.net

News from East County

Thanks to Juanita Martin for providing this month’s East County news.

 
UniverSoul Reading Series

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

News from West County

Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.

There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations.  Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM.  Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig.  KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM.  Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.

Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.

News from North County

Announcements for the Center Literary Café from Cynthia Beecher

Poets Nellie Hill and Gail Larrick
Tuesday February 10, 2009     7-9 PM
Open mic  Bring prose or poetry to share
Doors open at 6:30
Light refreshments   Donations appreciated
Nellie Hill’s poetry and stories have appeared in periodicals including The Harvard Magazine, Poetry East, American Poetry Review (with an introduction by Denise Levertov), Bellevue Literary Review, New Millenium, and Commonweal.   Her work also appears in two books, Astrolabes, and Having Come This Far; and two chapbooks, Geographies and My Daily Walk (Pudding House, 2008).  She has a private acupressure practice in Berkeley.

Gail Larrick retired from a long editorial career. She received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Arizona, where she taught composition and creative writing. She has offered private workshops considering the work of writers inspired by place. Gail’s poetry and prose have appeared in, among others, Madness Network News, Sun, and Women’s Voices, and she is completing her first novel. She is a member of the Scrambled Eggs a group of writers in Healdsburg.

Call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111
centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. Contact centerliterarycafe@gmail.co or call Cynthia Helen Beecher 707 696-1111.

Vilma Ginsberg sends these two news items for the Healdsburg Literary Guild

Annual Literary Valentine

“All Kinds of Love”

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

7:00 – 8:30 PM

Healdsburg Public Library

Center and Piper Streets

Come hear a dozen invited area poets offer up poems of love, along with chocolates and other goodies, in this annual tribute to All Kinds of Love.  David Beckman, Cynthia Helen Beecher, Ed Coletti, Karl W. Frederick, Vilma Ginzberg, Penelope LaMontagne, David Madgalene, Phyllis Meshulam, Chris Peasley, Jeane Slone, Mariam Stephens, Gor Yaswen.  Free and open to the public; no open mic.  Chapbook of new love poems will be available for purchase, proceeds to Healdsburg Arts Council.

Healdsburg Literary Guild’s Third Sunday Salon

Sunday, February 15, 2009

2:00 – 4:00 PM

Healdsburg City Hall

401 Grove Street

Featured Writer Jeane Slone

Open mic

Free and open to the public

Featured writer Jeane Slone introduces her new book, She Flew Bombers,

a funny, sad and heroic story about the strength of one fictional woman, Violet Willey, a WASP during WWII. See details below in “Sonoma County in Print” about Slone’s book.

Sonoma County in Print

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy. You’re announcement will run for three Updates.

Mary Lynn Archibald named in national “Best Books” 2008

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced that Mary Lynn Archibald was a finalist in THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS (NBBA). Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007.

This is the third finalist award (the second in the HUMOR category) for Mary Lynn Archibald, for her book, Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, which has attained something of a cult following here in the west. “Always a bridesmaid,” she says.

Mary Lynn Archibald is available interviews to discuss her latest book and related topics. Contact 707-395-0542 or marylynn@winecountrywriter.com

Bill Vartnaw ’s new book, Suburbs of my Childhood, came out on January15th.  Bill says, “This is a book of mostly early poems, lots of seventies, a few eighties and a couple of nineties about my mother, 74 pages.” For more information or to order the book, contact Bill at  taureanhorn@hotmail.com.  Taurean Horn Press’ address is P.O. Box 641097, San Francisco, CA 94164-1097.

Jeane Slone has just published She Flew Bombers From the Factories to the Bases. People can order it from my web site at www.jeaneslone.com.

Jean Heglund writes, “She Flew Bombers is a fascinating account of one woman’s love of flying and her involvement with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Anyone interested in Aviation History, Women’s History, or the World War II “war effort” will appreciate Jeane Slone’s careful research, as well as her ability to bring this little-know aspect of the US history to life so vividly.”

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has just published an anthology entitled Hair Pieces, containing the poetry and prose of 51 of her writing students. Hair Pieces is available for purchase at Copperfields and also at harlmarg@sonic.net. For information about Margaret’s Writing Practice workshops, scroll down to the section “Current and Upcoming Workshops.”

Ann Wilkes’s Awesome Layratt

Ann Wilkes’ first book, Awesome Lavratt (2009) is a tongue-in-cheek space opera with mind control, passion and adventure. Her stories have appeared in online zines and anthologies.  She lives in California’s wine country with her husband, Patrick and their youngest son. She’s working on two novels while still cranking out the short funny stories that characterize her writing style. Visit her website, http://www.annwilkes.com, for a full bio, her blog and links to online stories.

Marisol Schowengerdt.’s A Selfish Life?

Marisol is a first-time author with a self-published book, A Selfish Life?, released in October 2008.  This fictional work sells throughout Sonoma and Napa county.

The book focuses on the other side of motherhood; the not-so-perfect, yet rarely admitted, side of childrearing.  The confrontation to an unspoken reality is embedded in the lives of four women who confront the dilemma of choosing freedom over motherhood, guilt over consequence, and nature over science.

Please visit the website at www.aselfishlife.com for an author biography and a listing of outlets currently carrying this  book.

Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.

Shelley Singer’s Blackjack

BLACKJACK–now available also in E-book and CD-Rom from SynergEbooks.com and major ebookstores–starring Rica Marin, spy and torch singer in the Balkanized world of 2066. Written as Lee Singer. Read the first chapter on Singer’s website.
.
Shelley Singer also does manuscript consulting, mostly fiction, fiction of all kinds. Singer will be teaching a workshop on Dialogue for the Redwood Writers at the end of January.

Debby Cooper’s Chapbook Publications

Sonoma poet Debbie Cooper has eight chapbooks, ranging in publication date from 1996 through 2007. You (or other interested parties) can find info about these books by going to our website, which is www.edcooper.com — if you have any questions, you can contact her at debby@edcooper.com

Two Online Novels by Jo Lauer

Waltzing With the Azaleas (a transgender coming of age tale), and Sojourner (a lesbian love story with a reincarnation twist), are available for on-line download at http://www.e-lesmag.com/tocles.html through GLB Publishers.

Catherine Bramkamp’s Time is of the Essence!

Number two in the Allison Little series, this adventure is set in the fictitious town of Claim Jump located in the real setting of the Sierra Foothills. The plot involves fire, mayhem, murder, recycling and of course

Books available on Amazon.com
For more information: Bramkamp.pnn.com
Contact the author – Bramkamp@yahoo.com or 707 478 1855

Calls for Submission

If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.

If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:

http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/

http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm

Redwood Writers Announces Poetry Contest in Honor of National Poetry Month and the 100^th Anniversary of the California Writers Club

Redwood Writers announces a poetry contest with a submission deadline of March 15th. The cost is $5 per entry for up to three poems. Winners will be announced at the Redwood Writer general member meeting on April 5th.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries as follows: first place – $50, second place – $35 and third place – $20. There will also be honorable mention certifcates for 4th and 5th place. Entries will be judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion. Entry guidelines are found on the Redwood Writers web site: http://www.redwoodwriters.org/poetry2009.html.

Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

The contest is open to residents of the Redwood Empire. This includes counties of Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Lake, Marin and Mendocino.
Become a part of history. Submit your poems by the deadline of March 15th, 2009. Send your completed form, fee and poems to Redwood Writers, PO Box 4687, Santa Rosa, Ca. 95402

Redwood Writers is one of 18 branches of the California Writers Club. California Writers Club turns 100 this year. This year is a celebration of literary greats such as Joaquin Miller, George Sterling, Jack London and California’s first Poet Laureate, Ina Coolbrith, founders of the group.

Redwood Writers are always looking for writers like you. Check out Redwood Writers on the web at www.redwoodwriters.org and consider becoming a member.

 Call for Entries: Five-Minute Plays are needed for the Poetry/Play Day in March at the Petaluma Art Center. Writers, now is your chance to put pen to paper and create a funny or serious dialogue about love, death, taxes, pumpkin pie, anything! Plays chosen will be read by writers or actors on stage at the Art Center. Deadline: March 1st. Contact: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net for more info. Event is organized by Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon and Geri DiGiorno of the Petaluma Poetry Walk.

Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series

$3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press for one book of short fiction andn one book of poetry. One runner up in each category will receive a $1,000 prize. Submissions will be accepted between January 15 and March 16, 2009. For details about the submission guidelines, check out the website: www.paririeschooner.unl.edu.

Sixteen Rivers Press Call for Submissions: Poetry Manuscripts

Sixteen Rivers Press is a hands-on, nonprofit regional poetry publishing collective centered in the greater San Francisco Bay area. Each year, we have an open, no-fee  manuscript submission period for poets who are interested in joining the press. Up to two new members may be selected through this process.

The submission period is Nov. 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

Our submission guidelines can be found on the Sixteen Rivers website:

www.sixteenrivers.org.

Sixteen Rivers Press Call for Submissions: Poetry Anthology

In addition to our regular call for manuscripts, Sixteen Rivers is also seeking poems of place set in the greater San Francisco Bay Area for an upcoming anthology celebrated the press’s tenth anniversary. We interpret place broadly-it may be natural, cultural, or psychological space. And we interpret the region broadly as well, to include the cities, suburbs, towns, rural and wilderness areas that make up the entire Bay Area watershed.

Please send up to three unpublished or published poems,

plus an SASE, to

Anthology

Sixteen Rivers Press

P.O. Box 640663

San Francisco, CA 94164

For published poems, please include the place and date

of publication and the name of the copyright holder.

Sixteen Rivers Press • P.O. Box 640663 • San Francisco, CA 94164 • Tel: 415-273-1303 • Fax: 415-221-5116

www.sixteenrivers.org • E-mail: info@sixteenrivers.org

MEMOIR (and) Call for Submissions

MEMOIR (and) is an up-and-coming print journal for the exploration of memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. Our nonprofit mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, personal and critical essay, graphic narratives, narrative poetry, ”flash memoir,” autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, journalistic accounts,  narrative photography and more.  We award four cash prizes twice yearly and charge no entry fee. All work submitted to MEMOIR (and) is eligible to win a prize.

On 11/1/08, MEMOIR (and) begins accepting submissions for the Fall+Winter 2009 Issue. This reading period extends until 2/15/09. Submissions may be made online with our Submissions Manager tool at http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/general-submissions/, or by mailing to us at PO Box 1398, Sausalito CA 94966-1398.  Submission guidelines are available on the website at www.memoirjournal.com/submissions or can be requested by mail or phone at (415) 339-4130.

For complete guidelines and more information, scroll down to the end of the Literary Update.

Sitting Room Seeks Submissions

for its 2009 Publication, Far From Home: Lessons Learned

Sometimes we have to leave home to find ourselves. Perhaps you have had this experience, surprised yourself with what you can-or cannot-do. You are far from home, or maybe not so far. Something happens: you meet an attractive stranger-you lose your passport-you miss your plane/train/rickshaw. Now What?

Tell us about it in 400 words or less. You may send prose, poetry, art, a photograph, as long as it meets the criteria. Make it camera-ready, with generous margins. Include a title, your name, and contact information, and instruct us on what information you wish included on the printed page. Questions? Phone or e-mail Rosemary Manchester at 707-823-3477 or r_Manchester@comcast.net

Send your piece by regular mail to The Sitting Room, ATTN: Rosemary Manchester, Editor, Publication project, 170 E Cotati Ave, Cotati, CA 94931. Due Date is Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2009.

Current and Upcoming Workshops

Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, and some are retreats. Workshops for this month are listed below. A more complete list of workshop leaders and their contact information appears at the end of this article.

If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description to tehret99@comcast.net.

Chester Aaron’s Writing Class in Occidental.

Chester Aaron will be leading a writing group for adults who are preparing for publication or writing for their own satisfaction.  All genres except poetry are included. The group will meet alternate Fridays starting in January. The class will be for two hours at a private home in Occidental. The fee is on a sliding scale, $10.00-$20.00. ( Reduced fee can be arranged.)  All fees will be donated to The Occidental Center for the Arts.  Chester Aaron has published 18 books for adults and adolescents, both fiction and non-fiction.  He has also designed a program for PBS featuring memoir writings of older adults which will be broadcast weekly on PBs starting in January. For reservations, questions, etc, please phone 707-874 9392.

Judith Barrington Memoir Workshop

Judith Barrington will be teaching a memoir class At the Almàssera Vella in the village of Relleu (near Alicante, Spain), April 18-25. Judith is the author of Lifesaving: A Memoir, which won the 2001 Lambda Book Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir. She is also the author of Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art and three collections of poetry, including Horses and the Human Soul. She is a faculty member of the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s low-residency MFA Program and also teaches workshops in Britain. For details, scroll down to the end of the Update, or contact Judith at info@judithbarrington.com or through her website: http://www.judithbarrington.com.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro’s Sonoma County Writing Practice

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro teaches eight week long writing semesters out of her Santa Rosa downtown office. Three different class times are offered each week. Margaret uses poetry and meditation for inspiration and writers are encouraged to read their work in a supportive atmosphere. The memoir is a valuable form for dropping deeper into the self allowing memories to come forth. This process allows space for self-knowledge to occur. For more information or to receive a flyer call (707)575-8820 or email Margaret at harlmarg@sonic.net. The website for Sonoma County Writing Practice is www.handwritingonline.net

Sher Christian Workshops

For information about Sher’s upcoming workshops, e-mail her at poetrytalks@neteze.com.

Sher Christian offers expressive voice, recording, and/or music and sound effects for your book on CD

Sher Christian is available for voiceover. John Christian does recording, sound effects, and original music on keyboard, accordion, or Hammond organ for your projects.

E-mail for information and a demo on Mp3.

poetrytalks@neteze.com

Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry

CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music

www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com

Marlene Cullen’s Writing Workshops

Jumpstart Writing Workshop (Freewrites)

Using sparks as prompts for a jumping-off point to encourage and inspire

writing, which can lead to important self-discoveries, and can develop into

novels, memoirs, poems, or short stories. Bring a notebook and fast moving

pen.

Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am    February 17 to March 17 – 5 weeks, $70

Revision Writing

Share your written work with like-minded writers who will offer suggestions

and  recommendations for changes and development.  Limited to six

participants.

Thursdays, 9:30 am to 12:00 noon

8 weeks $120 (Petaluma resident); $125 (non-resident)

January 29 to March 19 – There is room for two participants.

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd.,  Petaluma, CA

New!  First three Saturdays in May: Writing Workshops at Santa Rosa Junior

College, Petaluma Campus.

More information on my website. For more information:  www.thewritespot.us mcullen@comcast.net

Suzanne Murray: The Heart of Writing

Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray

Four-Week Classes, Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Tuesday Mornings, 9:30 am to noon,

February 10 to March 3, $100 paid by 2/3, $115 after

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12

February 10 to March 3, $100 paid by 2/3, $115 after

One-Day Workshops

Saturday, February 21, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 2/13, $85 after

downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Small supportive groups. Good for beginners and experienced writers as well as all styles of writing.

Learn simple, powerful techniques to find your voice, tell your stories, calm your inner critic, enter the creative flow, jumpstart your writing and support your creative self. Find support and encouragement and an understanding of the craft of writing and the joyful heart of the creative process.

for more information call or email Suzanne at 707.360.7776 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website:www.creativitygoeswild.com

Loren Niemi, and Elizabeth Ellis

“Telling Difficult Stories” Workshop and Performance

Sat., March 7, 2009, 10 AM – 5 PM

Sun., March 8, 2009, 10 AM – 2 PM

Orchard Spotlight

515 Orchard St, Santa Rosa

What are difficult stories, why must we tell them, and how can we do it truthfully and artfully? Find out the answers at a two-day workshop especially for storytellers, writers, therapists, lawyers, ministers, social workers or anyone who has a need to tell stories that are hard to hear or tell. It takes place on Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Orchard Spotlight, 515 Orchard Street, Santa Rosa. Cost for the workshop is $200, which includes individual coaching work on stories and a copy of Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories, co-authored by workshop facilitators Elizabeth Ellis and Loren Niemi. To register, call (707) 527-0747 or email jennieo@sonic.net.

Cost: $200 (limited scholarships available)

Where: Orchard Spotlight, 515 Orchard Street, Santa Rosa*

To register or for more information, call Jennie Orvino (707) 527-0747 or email jennieo@sonic.net

Workshop Leader Bios

Elizabeth Ellis is a versatile, riveting teller of stories of heroic American women and personal stories both hilarious and poignant. Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the NEA, she is a recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award from the Texas Storytelling Association. Loren Niemi is a storyteller of philosophically-engaging and emotionally-nuanced tales, a public policy consultant and trainer. He is also the author of The Book of Plots in addition to co-authoring Inviting the Wolf  In. Ellis and Niemi have each been working with and telling these kinds of stories for over 30 years and will help workshop participants explore painful, shameful or shocking stories with consciousness and compassion.

Evening Performance Open to the Public

On Saturday at 8 p.m. Ellis and Niemi, both veterans of International storytelling and fringe festivals, will give a public performance on the Orchard Spotlight stage. They will be joined by workshop producer and local poet Jennie Orvino. Admission for the performance is $10 at the door; registered workshop members get in free. General public $10.

Petaluma Writers Forum proudly presents Teresa LeYung Ryan

“Circle of Sharing for Writers SWAP MEET”

Thursday, February 19, 2009 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma

$15 at the door

Teresa LeYung Ryan will lead a fun brainstorming session to take our writing

careers three steps closer to our big goals.  “YOU, talented writers, hold

the golden keys to success,” says Teresa, who believes we can make our

dreams come true with the help of friends, colleagues, and mentors.

Choose two items from the following list and bring them to the Forum on

February 19th:

v      From the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc.’s website www.aar-online.org, look at their database of agents and print out a few pages;

v      Submission guidelines from 3 agents (usually on their websites);

v      List of clients from 3 agents (also usually on their websites);

v      Home page of 3 publishers;

v      A magazine or newspaper that accepts “first person” type stories;

v      Submission guidelines from 3 magazines or 3 literary journals;

v      Home page of an on-line publication that pays contributing writers;

v      Name and contact info of a writers’ colony;

v      Submission guidelines to a local and national writing contest;

v      Bio and list of events of a living author you most admire (usually on their websites);

v      Date and location (and focus) of a writers’ conference that you’ve been dreaming of attending  http://writing.shawguides.com;

v      Name of your favorite bookstore and their calendar of events;

v      Your local library’s list of events;

v      Your community calendar of events (newspapers, on-line calendars, your city’s website, and city’s cable channel as well).

Teresa LeYung Ryan is a manuscript consultant and career coach for writers. She helps her clients identify their themes and polish their manuscripts, market themselves to agents and publishers, and map out their careers. Teresa’s mother-daughter novel, Love Made of Heart, is archived at the San Francisco History Center, recommended by the California School Library Association, and is used in Sociology classes and Advanced Composition/English-as-a-Second-Language classes. Website: www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Laurie Reiche

Writing Soiree

Laurie leads writing workshops the third Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM at her home.

The focus is generating new work, both poetry and prose. Sliding scale. For more information, call 415-892-9430 or e-mail p.reiche@comcast.net.

Lessen-Reiche has facilitated workshops for many years. She was the 2006 Winner of Lilith Magazine’s Second Annual Charlotte Newberger National Poetry Award. Her work has also appeared in magazines such as SUNY Upstate Medical Journal: The Healing Muse, and The Southern Poetry Review.

Workshops with Pauline Reif
Pauline Reif will be offering two workshops exploring historic and metaphoric archetypes, icons and mirrors will serve to reflect and affirm our contemporary woman journeys, creating community that is both safe, supportive, and inspiring.

Sacred She: One Day Workshops
Dates: February 21, and March 28, 2009
Time:10am to 5pm.
Cost: Fee: $145.00
$50.00 registration fee due two weeks prior to class. Fully refundable with 72 hour cancellation.
Sliding scale available

Workshop Description: Through storytelling, meditation, writing, and collage art, we will unveil some of the many faces of our Feminine Foremothers, renewing and reclaiming our own wise loveliness and power. In a Sacred Circle of respect, creativity and loving compassion we will celebrate the divine essence of feminine experience in community.

Five Day Women’s Writing Circle
Five consecutive Monday evenings, starting January 26

Kali-Ma, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Kuan Yin,Tara, Inanna, The Dakini’s, Sophia
Fee: $175.00  (Sliding scale available) $50.00 registration fee due two weeks prior to class
Fully refundable with 72 hour cancellation prior to first week session

Workshop Description: The five-week workshops delve more deeply into the various aspects of the divine feminine. Through story, ritual, meditation, and discussion, we will unveil the many faces of our Feminine Foremothers, renewing and reclaiming our own wise loveliness and power.We will gather their stories and our own in a sacred circle of respect, honesty, trust and compassion.

Facilitated by Pauline E. Reif, M.A. Women’s Spirituality

Poet, Writer, Interfaith Chaplain, Spiritual Director, Writer, Mother and Grandmother

Graduate of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA

Mentored by renowned poet author, Judy Grahn of the feminist classics, Another Mother Tongue, The Common Woman Poem, and Blood, Bread and Roses

For further information contact Pauline: 925/284-1509 or paulineerh@yahoo.com

Clara Rosemarda’s Writing Workshops
WRITING FROM YOUR CORE: A Creative Writing Workshop
at Santa Rosa Junior College
Saturday, February 7th, 10am – 4pm
Sec.# 9072 at 1523 Emeritus Hall, fee $67

Creative writing propels the writer into the unknown. Strong attention allows us to drop into deep writing. Whether you write prose or poetry, letters or fiction, this class will inspire your muse to write from a core place.  Through meditation and other exercises that expand the imagination, you will learn to access core images, ideas, and memories. Work with this published writer and workshop leader to generate new material, and leave with new tools.  Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers. To register: call 707:527-4372 or www.santarosa.edu/communityed

Presenter, Clara Rosemarda, MA, writer, counselor, and workshop leader, teaches internationally. She works with beginning and mainstream writers. She is co-author and
co-editor of STEEPED: In the World of Tea.

WRITEMIND^TM WORKSHOPS: Creative Writing as Spiritual Practice
6 sessions begin:
Wednesday February 25th, 7-9:30pm OR
Thursday, February 26th, 10am-12:30pm

The creative writing process accesses authentic thoughts and feelings that are often unavailable to the conscious mind. Through meditation, visualizations, and other exercises that quiet the mind and expand the imagination, you will access and activate your creative muse. I provide a comfortable safe environment for the writer to emerge.  Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.

Fee $180 ($170 if paid by February 18th)  Drop-in $35 if
space is available    Contact Clara: 707:579-2081
rosen@sonic.net

“I have the highest regard and respect for Clara’s work. Her clarity and integrity are impeccable.”
–Natalie Goldberg  WRITING DOWN THE BONES

“All my life I knew I had the potential to be a writer, but it wasn’t until I met Clara Rosemarda that I learned how to access my stories and bring them out onto the page.
Working with Clara was like turning on a light bulb– a really, really bright one that has illuminated every aspect of my life.  I truly owe much of the success and satisfaction I enjoy in my creative life to Clara.  She will always be my teacher.”
–Susan Hagen, co-author WOMEN AT GROUND ZERO

“Clara’s intuition counseling, both in her private readings and in her teaching, is a diamond-precise, brilliant and deeply from the earth.  I appreciate the grounded, non-dogmatic sensibility she brings to her work.”    –Kate Green  SHATTERED MOON

Lisa Shulman’s Children’s Writers Critique Group

Join other children’s writers in discussing and critiquing your picture book manuscripts, easy readers, chapter books and novels for young people. This is a useful and supportive group for all levels of experience. Facilitated by children’s author Lisa Shulman.

Dates: 5 Wednesdays: February 18; March 4, 18; April 15, 29; 7-9pm, $50
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931

For more information and to reserve a space, email lisa@lisashulman.com

Lisa Shulman is the author of several picture books, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, The Matzo Ball Boy, and The Moon Might Be Milk. She has recently finished a middle-grade novel and has written dozens of children’s books for the educational market. Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for adults have appeared in various journals. You can visit her online at
www.lisashulman.com

Centa Theresa: Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers

THE POD: ART & WRITING

workshops & monthly creative projects coaching circle…

Centa Theresa, M.A.

www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net
CREATIVE PROJECTS COACHING: Whether you have a manuscript in the making that

you can¹t seem to finish, a body of artwork that needs more of your time, an

idea you¹d like to see manifest but have no plan, etc., I help you to

clarify the vision, identify challenges, claim successes and keep

accountable for stated intentions. Private sessions held in my home

office/studio in Santa Rosa. Call for further inquiry.

ART/WRITING PROCESS: Through dialogue, meditation, free-writing exercises

and the exploration of various art media, focus on a question or theme of

present concern and let the process unfold. Come one time or for a

predetermined series of private sessions in my home studio. Call for further

inquiry.

Call for free consultation. 707-478-5903. www.centatheresa.com

<http://www.centatheresa.com> . vicenta@sonic.net

Centa Theresa M.A. has exhibited her art in Bay Area galleries & had poems

appear or are forthcoming in such journals as Harpur Palate, Eclipse, The

Hurricane Review, Tiny Lights, and DrumVoices Revue. Centa has authored the

letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light. She currently

teaches art at Napa State Hospital and has trained in ³creativity coaching²

with Eric Maisel.

Redwood Writers Club Craft of Writing Workshops

On February 7, RWC hosts the third in the series of Saturday Writing Workshops. $22 for members, $25 for non-members, or you can sign up for the entire series $60 for members, $70 non-members.

The workshop will be held from10:00 AM to 12:30 PM at the Petaluma Senior Center, 211 Novak Drive, Petaluma.

For more information, or to pre-register, click here:
http://www.redwoodwriters.org/workshops2009.pdf

Marianne Rogoff’s 2009 Classes

Feasts, Fasts, Fights: Turning Point Meals

March 17-April 14, 6:30-8:30pm

5 sessions, weekly on Tuesdays

$155 at Book Passage: bpclasses@bookpassage.com

Organize the stories of your life around memorable meals. Highlight your style, rituals, and traditions. Describe the sensory textures of food, tables, still life, surroundings. Consider topics such as abundance, perfection, gluttony, solace, indulgence, and satisfaction.

mrogoff@cca.edu * 415.455.0781

A list of other Sonoma County writing workshop leaders appears in the details about workshops and events at the end of the update. Feel free to contact them about their private consultations or to find out when their next workshops will be.

Sonoma County Writers

Offering Workshops and Consultation

Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com

Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro harlmarg@sonic.net

Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org

Sher Christian poetrytalks@neteze.com

Marlene Cullen www.thewritespot.us/ or mcullen@comcast.net

Georgette G. deBlois GGdeB@aol.com.

Nancy Dougherty and Geri Digiorno ncaversd@sonic.net

Terry Ehret tehret99@comcast.net

Susan Hagenhagen@womenatgroundzero.com

Suzanne Murray suzmurr@yahoo.com

Laure Reiche p.reiche@comcast.net

Pauline Reif paulineerh@yahoo.com

Clara Rosemarda rosen@sonic.net

Scott Reid Serkes www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html>http: //www.sonic.net

Lisa Shulman www.lisashulman.com.

Shelley Singer http://www.shelleysinger.com

Centa Theresa, m.a.,Writing & Creative Projects Coach

www.centatheresa.com

creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com

Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net

Writers’ Connections

If you’d like to invite others in the literary community to join your writers’ group or network, send an announcement to tehret99@comcast.net.

Sitting Room Book Discussion Group

We meet 2-4 on the third Wednesday of every month, skipping December, at The Sitting Room and are always open to new readers. For more info, email Joanne Page at jpage@sonic.net.  (The January 21 book is Pat Barker’s first novel in her trilogy about World War I, “Regeneration.”)

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its January 11th meeting will feature literary agents Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada who will share their ideas about the quality of writing. Their talk is called “New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t Send Out Substandard Work Just Because You’ve Been Procrastinating.”

The meeting runs from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati.

The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

About Laresen and Pomadad:

Michael Larsen – Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents is Northern California’s oldest literary agency, helping writers launch careers since 1972. Members of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Elizabeth, who represents commercial and literary fiction plus narrative non-fiction, and Michael, who handles non-fiction, have sold hundreds of books to more than one hundred publishers. They are also the co-founders of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the Writing for Change Conference.

For more information visit http://www.larsen-pomada.com/lp/index.cfm.

About Redwood Writers:

Redwood Writers is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club, the nation’s oldest professional club for writers, founded in 1909.  Its motto is “writers helping writers.” Early members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, Joaquin Miller and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. The Club has more than 1,200 members statewide.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place on October 24, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa. Our one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Call for Scriptwriters on Weekly Radio Show

Are you an accomplished scriptwriter looking for a long-term project to sink your creativity into? Ocean Rudee & Company of Sebastopol is in the process of pulling together a team of 4 to 6 ’scriptors’. Project responsibilities will include: the development of an ongoing series of radio serial dramas and related multi-media programs for children from 4 to 8-years of age (as well as their parents, teachers and primary caregivers).

Prior experience writing for children is not necessary. An understanding of how to write for continuity, how to maintain and adhere to a well developed set of character profiles, the ability to function well as a team player, a love of children’s literature and an abiding commitment to the muse – are essential.

If this is you, please visit Ocean Rudee’s website (www.oceanrudee.com) and send them off an e-mail expressing your interest in learning more.

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Join the Staff of First Leaves
If you have ever wanted to be on the staff of an energetic, literary journal and learn the process of compiling a publication, plan to join English 80 (3 unit, CSU transferable) for the Spring ‘09 semester. Students enrolled in English 80 are involved in all aspects of producing a literary journal (with the guidance of the instructor), from approving submissions to putting the actual journal together. Evaluating other people’s work is a great way to learn your own strengths and weaknesses. The class is fun, collaborative, and project-based: we will produce a high-quality, well-designed magazine. We welcome the participation of people throughout the North Bay, including mature working adults, young adults, teens and retirees.

Contact Instructor Abby Bogomolny for more information: (707) 522-2779

Have You ‘Jacket-Flapped’ Lately?
JacketFlap is an international social networking community where you can connect with upwards of 5,000 published authors and illustrators of books for Children and Young Adults. Paul Ennis of Sebastopol reports: “I’ve been a member of JacketFlap (http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=OceanRudee) since late-June of 2008. My efforts to produce audio books for children and source read-aloud materials for my radio program production project (targeting an October 2009 broadcast premiere) have been greatly enhanced by the people I’ve been able to meet through JacketFlap. It’s FREE to join, the community is a vibrant one that does not seem to generate junk e-mails to any great degree and the atmosphere is very professional. If you are ready to network with folks around the world in the children’s book publishing industry this is an online community you need to be a part of. Their membership includes: children’s book authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishing companies, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, teachers, students and just plain old ordinary folks who love children’s literature. Check it out – you’ll have fun in the process!”

The International Women’s Writing Guild

The IWWG is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart-the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions-alongside conventional logic. For more information about how to join the IWWG, contact Caroline Brumleve: e-mail iwwg@iwwg. org or visit their website at www.iwwg.org.

Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings

SUNDAYS

First Sunday of the month: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers’ Club are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends), from 3-5 pm. at Marvin’s Restaurant, 7991 Old Redwood Highway, corner of William St., in Cotati. A small fee of $3 for members, $5 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Sunday afternoons at 2 PM: SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series - With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa.  Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM.  Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system.  They are very excited about working with us.  So please do note the new time of day.  For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net

Third Sundays 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Third Sundays12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz

Poetry Reading. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.

Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Formerly Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguires Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com. Location: Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street

 
MONDAYS

First Monday of the Month: Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) Writers meet in the "New Room", Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave.Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381 or http://www.uusantarosa.org/ Meetings are held in the afternoon, 4 - 6 pm, and again in the evening, 6:45 - 8:45 pm. Focus: Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biographies, the Great American novel, poems, essays, song lyrics, reports, term papers, cook books, web pages, blogs, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where you can improve and hone your writing skills.The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at UUCSR is not required. UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com

TUESDAYS

Second Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Cafe hosts a featured writer and an open mic reading at the Healdsburg Senior Center 133 Matheson St. (one block east of the Plaza). Light refreshments are served. Admission is free ($5.00 donation encouraged).  Contact: Cynthia Helen Beecher (707) 696-1111.

SATURDAYS

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

Intermittently Scheduled Events

ODD Month Readings is sponsored by the Redwood Writers Club. The readings are open to non-members, but are not open mic format. Contact Ann Wilkes at critiquegrpcoord@redwoodwriters.org or 707-792-1704 to get on the list or for more information. Redwood Writers roves the county with talented writers for your listening pleasure.

How to List Your Announcements Here

1. Include the words “Literary Update” in your subject heading.

2. Make sure your announcement is concise, carefully proofread, and copy-edited. Also keep in mind that I can only include announcements that are plain text and presented in the e-mail message (no flyers, PDF’s, or attachments with special formatting please). Retyping text and reformatting special fonts from flyers takes time, sometimes causes errors, and may result in announcements being left out of the Update.

3. Suggest the category where you’d like it placed. These are listed here:

• County-Wide Literary News (general interest announcements)
• Sonoma County in Print (new books/chapbooks/CDs by Sonoma County writers)
• News from East County (Sonoma area)
• News from North County (Healdsburg area)
• News from West County (Occidental/Guerneville area)
• Writers’ Connections (invitations to join groups, formal or informal)
• Upcoming Workshops and Conferences (current workshops you are offering)
• Call for Submissions (local literary journals, magazines, contests)
• Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
• Monthly Calendar of readings, events and workshops
• Sonoma County Workshop Leaders (e-mail and website contacts)
• Details about Workshops, Calls for Submission, Contests (information that is too lengthy to include in the short features or calendar listings)

Deadline

The deadline for announcements is the last day of each calendar month. If your event is early in the month, send it two months ahead to make sure it gets in the calendar in a timely fashion

Donation

For those who regularly announce their workshops, readings, or services here, a donation of $10/year is appreciated to keep the update and its website going. Donations from regular readers are welcome, too! If you’d like to find out how you can help, please contact me at tehret99@comcast.net.

Workshops with Pauline Reif
Pauline Reif will be offering two workshops exploring historic and metaphoric archetypes, icons and mirrors will serve to reflect and affirm our contemporary woman journeys, creating community that is both safe, supportive, and inspiring.

Sacred She: One Day Workshops
Dates: January 24, February 21, and March 28, 2009
Time:10am to 5pm.
Cost: Fee: NEW YEAR’S SPECIAL – $99.00 for January class only (regularly $145.00)
$50.00 registration fee due two weeks prior to class. Fully refundable with 72 hour cancellation.
Sliding scale available

Workshop Description: Through storytelling, meditation, writing, and collage art, we will unveil some of the many faces of our Feminine Foremothers, renewing and reclaiming our own wise loveliness and power. In a Sacred Circle of respect, creativity and loving compassion we will celebrate the divine essence of feminine experience in community.

Five Day Women’s Writing Circle
Five consecutive Monday evenings, starting January 26

Kali-Ma, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Kuan Yin,Tara, Inanna, The Dakini’s, Sophia
Fee: $175.00  (Sliding scale available) $50.00 registration fee due two weeks prior to class
Fully refundable with 72 hour cancellation prior to first week session

Workshop Description: The five-week workshops delve more deeply into the various aspects of the divine feminine. Through story, ritual, meditation, and discussion, we will unveil the many faces of our Feminine Foremothers, renewing and reclaiming our own wise loveliness and power.We will gather their stories and our own in a sacred circle of respect, honesty, trust and compassion.

Facilitated by Pauline E. Reif, M.A. Women’s Spirituality Poet, Writer, Interfaith Chaplain, Spiritual Director, Writer, Mother and Grandmother Graduate of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA Mentored by renowned poet author, Judy Grahn of the feminist classics, Another Mother Tongue, The Common Woman Poems and Blood, Bread and Roses

For further information contact Pauline: 925/284-1509 or paulineerh@yahoo.com

Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update

January 1, 2009

Dear Literary Folk,

A new year begins, one I trust will be more hopeful than those we’ve welcomed these past few years. We have much to be thankful for, and despite the continuing economic collapse around us, we can hold in mind that every catastrophe also opens us to possibilities: new ways of imagining and perceiving our own history, landscape, language, time, and relationships.

One blessing that grows stronger each year is the literary community here in Sonoma County. For that, I thank each and every one of you for your talents, your generosity, your commitment to sharing, nurturing, mentoring, celebrating the many gifts of the word.

Guidelines for Submitting Announcements to the Literary Update

For complete guidelines for submitting announcements for the monthly Literary Update, please visit the literary folk website: http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/how-to-send-announcements-to-the-literary-update/

Or simply scroll down to the very end of each month’s e-mail update.

January Calendar of Literary Events

The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.

Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/

Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com

WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com

Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us

Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm

SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.

The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.

Friday, January 2: Deadline for Glimmer Train Fiction Open. Details in “Calls for Submission” below, or visit their website: http://www.glimmertrain.com/fictionopen.html.

Tuesday, January 6 : Suzanne Murray’s “The Heart of Writing” classes begin. For more information, see “Current and Upcoming Workshops” below. You can also call or email Suzanne at 707.874.9614 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website: www.creativitygoeswild.com.

Wednesday, January 7 8:30 PM: Terry Ehret will read at Bistro 33 in Davis at 226 F St., Davis, CA 95616. Phone (530) 756-4556. Click here for Bistro 33 website and directions.

Saturday, January 10, 2-4 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its ODD MONTH READING series returns January 10, 2008. The theme is “Jumpstart,” since January begins a new year. We encourage everyone to come out, listen, and relax during this exciting literary afternoon. Sonoma County authors will read excerpts from their original stories and novels. Local author and Redwood Writer member, Ann Wilkes, will emcee this event at the Rincon Valley branch of the Sonoma County Library, on 6959 Montecito Blvd., Santa Rosa, next door to Maria Carillo High School, 707-537-0289.

The general public is welcome. This is a free event.

Sunday, January 11, 3-5 PM: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends) at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. A small fee of $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Sunday, January 11, 2PM: SoCoCo at the Toad at Toad In the Hole (great pub food, beer, wine & soft drinks) 116 5th St., Santa Rosa (Railroad Square) – Free Admission. Sonoma County Poet Ed Coletti invites you to a reading by 6 poets including Lu Garcia, Mark Eckert,

Gwynn O’Gara, David Madgalene, Ed Coletti, David Bromige.

Monday, January 12: Online Workshops with Jordan Rosenfeld and Maria Schneider begin. See “Current and Upcoming Workshops” below for details, or visit: http://editorunleashed.com/workshops/

Tuesday, January 13, 9:30-11:30 AM: Marlene Cullens’s Jumpstart Workshop begins. Scroll down to “Current and Upcoming Workshops” for details, or contact her www.thewritespot.us .

Tuesday, January 13, 7-9 PM: CENTER LITERARY CAFÉ Presents Poet Joaquin Lopez de San Roman with musician René Jenkins, plus open mic (see details below in “News from North County). Location: Healdsburg Senior Center,133 Matheson St., Healdsburg, CA 95448. Contact centerliterarycafe@gmail.com Cynthia Helen Beecher 707 696-1111.

Wednesday, January 14 and Tuesday, January 15: Clara Rosemarda’s Writemind Workshops begin on Wednesday January 14th, 7-9:30pm or Thursday, January 15th, 10am-12:30pm. See details below under “Current and Upcoming Workshops,” or contact Clara at 707:579-2081   rosen@sonic.net.

Thursday, January 15: Deadline for Kore Press fiction chapbook contest (see details below) or visit their website at www.korepress.org.

Thursday, January 15 9:30-11:30 AM: Marlene Cullens’s Revision Workshop begins. Scroll down to “Current and Upcoming Workshops” for details, or contact her www.thewritespot.us .

Saturday, January 17, 10 Am-4 PM: One-Day Workshop with Suzanne Murray. $75 paid by 1/9, $85 after. Location: downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12. For more information call or email Suzanne at 707.874.9614 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website: www.creativitygoeswild.com.

Sunday, January 18, 11:30-1 PM: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma, 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Theme: Beginnings. Bring a poem to share (written by your favorite poet or your own!). Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Sunday, January 18, 12-1 PM: Third Sunday Poetry Reading & Open Mic at Coffee Catz  invites you to Sebastopol for a poetry reading and open mic. Bring your poetry to read or a favorite poem to share. Ethel Mays will be our featured reader. Ethel Mays is a peripatetic (nomadic) poet and writer from the Sierra Nevada foothills of Eastern Tulare County. She writes sense-of-place pieces based on her rural upbringing and experiences living in three major West Coast cities. Donations Appreciated. Location: 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-6600.

Wednesday, January 21, 7 PM: Wishes and Dreams for the New Year. Noelle Oxenhandler will read from her memoir, The Wishing Year: A House, A Man, My Soul, and conduct a mini-workshop celebrating the link between wishing and writing. Union Hotel, 3703 Main St, Occidental. Suggested donation, $10.00 benefits Occidental Center for the Arts. Fixed price dinner available, 5:30-7:00 pm, $15.00, includes salad, bread, and pasta or pizza. Reservations recommended. Inquiries and reservations: (707) 874-9392. Contact Judith Moorman, fleelix@earthlink.net or Suze Pringle-Cohan, cohanhaven@yahoo.com.

Saturday, January 24, 10 AM to 12:30 PM: First of the Redwood Writers 2009 Writing Workshops. Each workshop is $22 for members, $25 for non-members, or you can sign up for the entire series $60 for members, $70 non-members. Location: Petaluma Senior Center, 211 Novak Drive, Petaluma. For more information, see “Current and Upcoming Workshops” below or visit the website: http://www.redwoodwriters.org/workshops2009.pdf.

Sunday, January 25, 3 PM: Redwood Writer member and author, Ann Wilkes, will launch her science fiction book, Awesome Lavratt (ISBN: 1588329917, 104 pages), through a book signing on January 25, at 3:00 pm, at Borders in Santa Rosa (2825 Santa Rosa Ave., (707) 569-0991).

Saturday, January 31, 10 AM to 12:30 PM: The second of the Redwood Writers 2009 Writing Workshops. Each workshop is $22 for members, $25 for non-members, or you can sign up for the entire series $60 for members, $70 non-members. Location: Petaluma Senior Center, 211 Novak Drive, Petaluma. For more information, see “Current and Upcoming Workshops” below or visit the website: http://www.redwoodwriters.org/workshops2009.pdf

Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month.

News from East County

Thanks to Juanita Martin for providing this month’s East County news.

UniverSoul Reading Series

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

For more literary events, check the Readers’ Books website: www.readersbooks.com

News from West County

Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.

There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations.  Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM.  Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig.  KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM.  Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.

Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.

News from North County

Cynthia Beecher provided the information below.

CENTER LITERARY CAFÉ

Thanks to all who came out for the December 9th Literary Cafe. The biggest turnout of the year, and very festive it was with wonderful readings, music, and sung poems. Wishing you all the best as the year closes out, bringing 2009 hopes and projects and goodwill. It’s been a pleasure serving the writing and listening community in 2008.

Tuesday January 13, 2009  7-9 pm

The Center Literary Café presents poet Joaquin Lopez de San Roman with musician René Jenkins. Come and experience an interactive evening of shamanic poetry and ancient  Instruments featuring Spanish visionary poet, Joaquin Lopez de San Roman and  ceremonial sound healer and musician, René Jenkins.

“We give voice to what the earth would say if it could speak in human language.”

“Our art points out what is already embedded all along the mountains, the rivers, our      gardens, and in our blood.”

www.myspace.com/pangaiaartensemble and www.wholarts.com/vibetherapy

Open mic  Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments. Donations appreciated

Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St.  (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. Contact centerliterarycafe@gmail.co or call Cynthia Helen Beecher 707 696-1111.

Sonoma County in Print

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has just published an anthology entitled Hair Pieces, containing the poetry and prose of 51 of her writing students. Hair Pieces is available for purchase at Copperfields and also at harlmarg@sonic.net. For information about Margaret’s Writing Practice workshops, scroll down to the section “Current and Upcoming Workshops.”

Ann Wilkes’s Awesome Layratt

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that member Ann Wilkes will launch her book, Awesome Lavratt (ISBN: 1588329917, 104 pages), through a book signing in the North Bay on January 25, at 3:00 pm, at Borders in Santa Rosa (2825 Santa Rosa Ave., (707) 569-0991).

The Awesome Lavratt, co-published by Unlimited Publishing and Redwood Writers, is a delightful science fiction tale with believable characters set in a not too distant future. The Book Smugglers writes, “We found the twisty-turny nature of the plot and the unconventional, tongue-in-cheek style of writing brilliant.”

The general public is welcome.

About Ann Wilkes:

Ann Wilkes’ first book, Awesome Lavratt (2009) is a tongue-in-cheek space opera with mind control, passion and adventure. Her stories have appeared in online zines and anthologies.  She lives in California’s wine country with her husband, Patrick and their youngest son. She’s working on two novels while still cranking out the short funny stories that characterize her writing style. Visit her website, http://www.annwilkes.com, for a full bio, her blog and links to online stories.

A Selfish Life?

Marisol is a first-time author with a self-published book, A Selfish Life?, released in October 2008.  This fictional work sells throughout Sonoma and Napa county.

The book focuses on the other side of motherhood; the not-so-perfect, yet rarely admitted, side of childrearing.  The confrontation to an unspoken reality is embedded in the lives of four women who confront the dilemma of choosing freedom over motherhood, guilt over consequence, and nature over science.

Please visit the website at www.aselfishlife.com for an author biography and a listing of outlets currently carrying this  book.

Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.

Debby Cooper’s Chapbook Publications

Sonoma poet Debbie Cooper has eight chapbooks, ranging in publication date from 1996 through 2007. You (or other interested parties) can find info about these books by going to our website, which is www.edcooper.com — if you have any questions, you can contact her at debby@edcooper.com

Two Online Novels by Jo Lauer

Waltzing With the Azaleas (a transgender coming of age tale), and Sojourner (a lesbian love story with a reincarnation twist), are available for on-line download at http://www.e-lesmag.com/tocles.html through GLB Publishers.

Catherine Bramkamp’s Time is of the Essence!

Number two in the Allison Little series, this adventure is set in the fictitious town of Claim Jump located in the real setting of the Sierra Foothills. The plot involves fire, mayhem, murder, recycling and of course

Books available on Amazon.com
For more information: Bramkamp.pnn.com
Contact the author – Bramkamp@yahoo.com or 707 478 1855

Calls for Submission

If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.

If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:

http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/

http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm

Glimmer Train’s December Fiction Open closes January 2. Word count range: 2,000 – 20,000. First place wins $2,000 and publication in Issue 73 of Glimmer Train Stories. Second- and third-place winners receive $1,000/$600 (or, if chosen for publication, $700).

For more information, visit their website at http://www.glimmertrain.com/fictionopen.html.

Kore Press

Tayari Jones to Judge the 2009 Kore Press Fiction Chapbook Competition
Deadline Extended to January 15, 2009
Winner recieves $1,000 plus publication as a stand-alone short story chapbook

Contest Guidelines

This competition is open to any woman writing in English, regardless of nationality.

Now Accepting Online Submissions
Submit your manuscript and the $15 entry fee by using our online submissions process.

All entrants will be notified of results via email.

Manuscripts must be:
· a minimum of 4,000 words and a maximum of 12,000 words
· doublespaced
· paginated
· anonymous (do not include your name anywhere on the manuscript).
· original fiction written by the applicant (translations are not eligible)
· unpublished at the time of submission (if the story is accepted elsewhere during our deliberation process, please notify us immediately)

Call For Entries: Five-Minute Plays are needed for the Poetry/Play Day in March at the Petaluma Art Center. Writers, now is your chance to put pen to paper and create a funny or serious dialogue about love, death, taxes, pumpkin pie, anything! Plays chosen will be read by writers or actors on stage at the Art Center. Deadline: March 1st. Contact: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net for more info. Event is organized by Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon and Geri DiGiorno of the Petaluma Poetry Walk.

Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series

$3000 and publication through the University of Nebraska Press for one book of short fiction andn one book of poetry. One runner up in each category will receive a $1,000 prize. Submissions will be accepted between January 15 and March 16, 2009. For details about the submission guidelines, check out the website: www.paririeschooner.unl.edu.

Sixteen Rivers Press Call for Submissions: Poetry Manuscripts

Sixteen Rivers Press is a hands-on, nonprofit regional poetry publishing collective centered in the greater San Francisco Bay area. Each year, we have an open, no-fee  manuscript submission period for poets who are interested in joining the press. Up to two new members may be selected through this process.

The submission period is Nov. 1, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

Our submission guidelines can be found on the Sixteen Rivers website:

www.sixteenrivers.org.

Sixteen Rivers Press Call for Submissions: Poetry Anthology

In addition to our regular call for manuscripts, Sixteen Rivers is also seeking poems of place set in the greater San Francisco Bay Area for an upcoming anthology celebrated the press’s tenth anniversary. We interpret place broadly-it may be natural, cultural, or psychological space. And we interpret the region broadly as well, to include the cities, suburbs, towns, rural and wilderness areas that make up the entire Bay Area watershed.

Please send up to three unpublished or published poems,

plus an SASE, to

Anthology

Sixteen Rivers Press

P.O. Box 640663

San Francisco, CA 94164

For published poems, please include the place and date

of publication and the name of the copyright holder.

Sixteen Rivers Press • P.O. Box 640663 • San Francisco, CA 94164 • Tel: 415-273-1303 • Fax: 415-221-5116

www.sixteenrivers.org • E-mail: info@sixteenrivers.org

MEMOIR (and) Call for Submissions

MEMOIR (and) is an up-and-coming print journal for the exploration of memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. Our nonprofit mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, personal and critical essay, graphic narratives, narrative poetry, ”flash memoir,” autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, journalistic accounts,  narrative photography and more.  We award four cash prizes twice yearly and charge no entry fee. All work submitted to MEMOIR (and) is eligible to win a prize.

On 11/1/08, MEMOIR (and) begins accepting submissions for the Fall+Winter 2009 Issue. This reading period extends until 2/15/09. Submissions may be made online with our Submissions Manager tool at http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/general-submissions/, or by mailing to us at PO Box 1398, Sausalito CA 94966-1398.  Submission guidelines are available on the website at www.memoirjournal.com/submissions or can be requested by mail or phone at (415) 339-4130.

For complete guidelines and more information, scroll down to the end of the Literary Update.

Sitting Room Seeks Submissions

for its 2009 Publication, Far From Home: Lessons Learned

Sometimes we have to leave home to find ourselves. Perhaps you have had this experience, surprised yourself with what you can-or cannot-do. You are far from home, or maybe not so far. Something happens: you meet an attractive stranger-you lose your passport-you miss your plane/train/rickshaw. Now What?

Tell us about it in 400 words or less. You may send prose, poetry, art, a photograph, as long as it meets the criteria. Make it camera-ready, with generous margins. Include a title, your name, and contact information, and instruct us on what information you wish included on the printed page. Questions? Phone or e-mail Rosemary Manchester at 707-823-3477 or r_Manchester@comcast.net

Send your piece by regular mail to The Sitting Room, ATTN: Rosemary Manchester, Editor, Publication project, 170 E Cotati Ave, Cotati, CA 94931. Due Date is Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2009.

Current and Upcoming Workshops

Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, and some are retreats. Workshops for this month are listed below. A more complete list of workshop leaders and their contact information appears at the end of this article.

If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description to tehret99@comcast.net.

Chester Aaron’s Writing Class in Occidental.

Chester Aaron will be leading a writing group for adults who are preparing for publication or writing for their own satisfaction.  All genres except poetry are included. The group will meet alternate Fridays starting in January. The class will be for two hours at a private home in Occidental. The fee is on a sliding scale, $10.00-$20.00. ( Reduced fee can be arranged.)  All fees will be donated to The Occidental Center for the Arts.  Chester Aaron has published 18 books for adults and adolescents, both fiction and non-fiction.  He has also designed a program for PBS featuring memoir writings of older adults which will be broadcast weekly on PBs starting in January. For reservations, questions, etc, please phone 707-874 9392.

Judith Barrington Memoir Workshop

Judith Barrington will be teaching a memoir class At the Almàssera Vella in the village of Relleu (near Alicante, Spain), April 18-25. Judith is the author of Lifesaving: A Memoir, which won the 2001 Lambda Book Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir. She is also the author of Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art and three collections of poetry, including Horses and the Human Soul. She is a faculty member of the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s low-residency MFA Program and also teaches workshops in Britain. For details, scroll down to the end of the Update, or contact Judith at info@judithbarrington.com or through her website: http://www.judithbarrington.com.

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro’s Sonoma County Writing Practice

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro teaches eight week long writing semesters out of her Santa Rosa downtown office. Three different class times are offered each week. Margaret uses poetry and meditation for inspiration and writers are encouraged to read their work in a supportive atmosphere. The memoir is a valuable form for dropping deeper into the self allowing memories to come forth. This process allows space for self-knowledge to occur. For more information or to receive a flyer call (707)575-8820 or email Margaret at harlmarg@sonic.net. The website for Sonoma County Writing Practice is www.handwritingonline.net

Sher Christian Workshops

For information about Sher’s upcoming workshops, e-mail her at poetrytalks@neteze.com.

Sher Christian offers expressive voice, recording, and/or music and sound effects for your book on CD

Sher Christian is available for voiceover. John Christian does recording, sound effects, and original music on keyboard, accordion, or Hammond organ for your projects.

E-mail for information and a demo on Mp3.

poetrytalks@neteze.com

Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry

CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music

www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com

Marlene Cullen’s Writing Workshops

Jumpstart Writing Workshop (Freewrites)

Using sparks as prompts for a jumping-off point to encourage and inspire writing, which can lead to important self-discoveries, and can develop into novels, memoirs, poems, or short stories. Bring a notebook and fast moving pen.

Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am -  5 weeks $70 (Petaluma resident); $75 (non-resident)

January 13 to February 10

Revision Writing

Share your written work with like-minded writers who will offer suggestions for appropriate changes and recommendations for development. Limited to six participants.

Thursdays, 9:00 to 11:30 am- 8 weeks $120 (Petaluma resident); $125 (non-resident)

January 15 to March 5

Location:Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd.,  Petaluma, CA

Register online:http://activenet6.active.com/petalumarec/

Register in person: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma

New!  First three Saturdays in May: Writing Workshops at Santa Rosa Junior College. More information on my website. For more information:  www.thewritespot.us mcullen@comcast.net

Suzanne Murray’s The Heart of Writing

Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops

Four-Week Classes, Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Tuesday Mornings, 9:30 am to noon,

January 6 to January 27, $100 paid by 1/2, $115 after

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12

January 6 to January 27, $100 paid by 1/2, $115 after

One-Day Workshops

Saturday, January 17, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 1/9, $85 after

downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12

Small supportive groups. Good for beginners and experienced writers as well as all styles of writing.

Learn simple, powerful techniques to find your voice, tell your stories, calm your inner critic, enter the creative flow, jumpstart your writing and support your creative self. Find support and encouragement and an understanding of the craft of writing and the joyful heart of the creative process.

for more information call or email Suzanne at 707.874.9614 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website: www.creativitygoeswild.com.

Clara Rosemarda’s Writing Workshops

WRITEMIND^TM WORKSHOPS: Creative Writing as Spiritual Practice

6 sessions begin: Wednesday January 14th, 7-9:30pm or Thursday, January 15th, 10am-12:30pm

The creative writing process accesses authentic thoughts and feelings that are often unavailable to the conscious mind. Through meditation, visualizations, and other exercises that quiet the mind and expand the imagination, you will access and activate your creative muse. I provide a comfortable safe environment for the writer to emerge. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers. fee $180 ($170 if paid by January 7th)  Space is limited.

Contact Clara: 707:579-2081   rosen@sonic.net

Writing from your Core: A Creative Writing Workshop

at Santa Rosa Junior College
Saturday, February 7th, 10am – 4pm
Sec.# 9072 at 1523 Emeritus Hall, fee $67

Creative writing propels the writer into the unknown. Strong attention allows us to drop into deep writing. Whether you write prose or poetry, letters or fiction, this class will inspire your muse to write from a core place.  Through meditation and other exercises that expand the imagination, you will learn to access core images, ideas, and memories. Work with this published writer and workshop leader to generate new material, and leave with new tools.  Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.  To register: call 707:527-4372 or www.santarosa.edu/communityed

Clara Rosemarda, MA, writer, counselor, and workshop leader, teaches internationally.  She works with beginning and mainstream writers. Her new book is STEEPED: In the World of Tea (2004).

Jordan Rosenfeld and Maria Schneider

Online Workshops on the Business and Craft of Fiction

Fiction Writing: Making a Scene

Start date: Monday, January 12, 2009. Duration: 6 Weeks. Fee: $350

Fiction Workshop Intensive

Start date: Monday, January 12, 2009. Duration: 6 Weeks. Fee: $350.

Marketing: Query Letter Clinic, with Maria Schneider

Start date: Monday, January 12, 2009. Duration: 4 Weeks. Fee: $250.

Online writing: Blogging 101, with Maria Schneider

Start date: Monday, January 12, 2009. Duration: 4 Weeks. Fee: $250.

Visit: http://editorunleashed.com/workshops/ for more information, or to sign up.

Centa Theresa: Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers

THE POD: ART & WRITING

workshops & monthly creative projects coaching circle…

Centa Theresa, M.A.

www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net
CREATIVE PROJECTS/PROCESS COACHING: Ongoing monthly drop-in sessions. Whether you have a manuscript ten years in the making that you can’t seem to finish, a body of artwork that needs more of your focus, an idea for a business but no plan, etc., using a no-guilt premise and basic group format, we will share visions, identify challenges, receive support, applaud successes, share work (optional), and help each other keep accountable for stated intentions. Held in my home in Santa Rosa on the last Sundays of the month, 2-3:30. $20/session. Call beforehand.

ART & WRITING LAB: Drop-in monthly Art & Writing sessions in my home studio. Each month will focus on a theme. Using guided “free-write” exercises, “found” text, objects and images we will explore the theme in various art media. 2-4 pm. Second Sundays of the month in my home studio, Santa Rosa. All skill levels welcome. Call beforehand.

Centa Theresa, M.A. (art and writing) has shown her mixed media work in Bay Area galleries, & published her poems in West Coast journals, & in a letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light, published by Clamshell Press. She is currently sending poems into the world, writing a memoir, and in the planning stages of an art pottery business.

www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net

Redwood Writers Club Craft of Writing Workshops

Reserve January 24, January 31 and February 7, three consecutive Saturdays for the 2009 Writing Workshops. Each workshop is $22 for members, $25 for non-members, or you can sign up for the entire series $60 for members, $70 non-members.

The workshops will be held from10:00 AM to 12:30 PM at the Petaluma Senior Center, 211 Novak Drive, Petaluma.

For more information, or to pre-register, click here:
http://www.redwoodwriters.org/workshops2009.pdf
Where does the story start? Ana Manwaring
Point of View Darrend King Brown
Characterization Robin Beeman
How to Structure a Story Jordan Rosenfeld
Realistic Dialog Shelley Singer
Setting Jean Hegland
Make Your Memoir Read Like a Story Susan Bono
Critiquing a Manuscript Becky Levine
Non-Fiction: Writing Clearly Ransom Stephens

A list of other Sonoma County writing workshop leaders appears in the details about workshops and events at the end of the update. Feel free to contact them about their private consultations or to find out when their next workshops will be.

Sonoma County Writers

Offering Workshops and Consultation

Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com

Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com

Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro harlmarg@sonic.net

Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org

Sher Christian poetrytalks@neteze.com

Marlene Cullen www.thewritespot.us/ or mcullen@comcast.net

Georgette G. deBlois GGdeB@aol.com.

Nancy Dougherty and Geri Digiorno ncaversd@sonic.net

Terry Ehret tehret99@comcast.net

Susan Hagenhagen@womenatgroundzero.com

Suzanne Murray suzmurr@yahoo.com

Laure Reiche p.reiche@comcast.net

Clara Rosemarda rosen@sonic.net

Scott Reid Serkes www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html>http: //www.sonic.net

Lisa Shulman www.lisashulman.com.

Centa Theresa, m.a.,Writing & Creative Projects Coach

www.centatheresa.com

creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com

Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net

Writers’ Connections

If you’d like to invite others in the literary community to join your writers’ group or network, send an announcement to tehret99@comcast.net.

The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its January 11th meeting will feature literary agents Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada who will share their ideas about the quality of writing. Their talk is called “New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t Send Out Substandard Work Just Because You’ve Been Procrastinating.”

The meeting runs from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati.

The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.

About Laresen and Pomadad:

Michael Larsen – Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents is Northern California’s oldest literary agency, helping writers launch careers since 1972. Members of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Elizabeth, who represents commercial and literary fiction plus narrative non-fiction, and Michael, who handles non-fiction, have sold hundreds of books to more than one hundred publishers. They are also the co-founders of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the Writing for Change Conference.

For more information visit http://www.larsen-pomada.com/lp/index.cfm.

About Redwood Writers:

Redwood Writers is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club, the nation’s oldest professional club for writers, founded in 1909.  Its motto is “writers helping writers.” Early members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, Joaquin Miller and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. The Club has more than 1,200 members statewide.

The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place on October 24, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa. Our one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.

Additional contact information:

http://www.redwoodwriters.org

Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Call for Scriptwriters on Weekly Radio Show

Are you an accomplished scriptwriter looking for a long-term project to sink your creativity into? Ocean Rudee & Company of Sebastopol is in the process of pulling together a team of 4 to 6 ’scriptors’. Project responsibilities will include: the development of an ongoing series of radio serial dramas and related multi-media programs for children from 4 to 8-years of age (as well as their parents, teachers and primary caregivers).

Prior experience writing for children is not necessary. An understanding of how to write for continuity, how to maintain and adhere to a well developed set of character profiles, the ability to function well as a team player, a love of children’s literature and an abiding commitment to the muse – are essential.

If this is you, please visit Ocean Rudee’s website (www.oceanrudee.com) and send them off an e-mail expressing your interest in learning more.

.

Join the Staff of First Leaves
If you have ever wanted to be on the staff of an energetic, literary journal and learn the process of compiling a publication, plan to join English 80 (3 unit, CSU transferable) for the Spring ‘09 semester. Students enrolled in English 80 are involved in all aspects of producing a literary journal (with the guidance of the instructor), from approving submissions to putting the actual journal together. Evaluating other people’s work is a great way to learn your own strengths and weaknesses. The class is fun, collaborative, and project-based: we will produce a high-quality, well-designed magazine. We welcome the participation of people throughout the North Bay, including mature working adults, young adults, teens and retirees.

Contact Instructor Abby Bogomolny for more information: (707) 522-2779

Have You ‘Jacket-Flapped’ Lately?
JacketFlap is an international social networking community where you can connect with upwards of 5,000 published authors and illustrators of books for Children and Young Adults. Paul Ennis of Sebastopol reports: “I’ve been a member of JacketFlap (http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=OceanRudee) since late-June of 2008. My efforts to produce audio books for children and source read-aloud materials for my radio program production project (targeting an October 2009 broadcast premiere) have been greatly enhanced by the people I’ve been able to meet through JacketFlap. It’s FREE to join, the community is a vibrant one that does not seem to generate junk e-mails to any great degree and the atmosphere is very professional. If you are ready to network with folks around the world in the children’s book publishing industry this is an online community you need to be a part of. Their membership includes: children’s book authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishing companies, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, teachers, students and just plain old ordinary folks who love children’s literature. Check it out – you’ll have fun in the process!”

The International Women’s Writing Guild

The IWWG is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart-the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions-alongside conventional logic. For more information about how to join the IWWG, contact Caroline Brumleve: e-mail iwwg@iwwg. org or visit their website at www.iwwg.org.

Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings

SUNDAYS

First Sunday of the month: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers’ Club are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends), from 3-5 pm. at Marvin’s Restaurant, 7991 Old Redwood Highway, corner of William St., in Cotati. A small fee of $3 for members, $5 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Sunday afternoons at 2 PM: SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series - With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa.  Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM.  Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system.  They are very excited about working with us.  So please do note the new time of day.  For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net

Third Sundays 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Third Sundays12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz

Poetry Reading. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.

Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Formerly Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguires Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com. Location: Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street

 
MONDAYS

First Monday of the Month: Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) Writers meet in the "New Room", Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave.Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381 or http://www.uusantarosa.org/ Meetings are held in the afternoon, 4 - 6 pm, and again in the evening, 6:45 - 8:45 pm. Focus: Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biographies, the Great American novel, poems, essays, song lyrics, reports, term papers, cook books, web pages, blogs, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where you can improve and hone your writing skills.The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at UUCSR is not required. UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com

TUESDAYS

Second Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Cafe hosts a featured writer and an open mic reading at the Healdsburg Senior Center 133 Matheson St. (one block east of the Plaza). Light refreshments are served. Admission is free ($5.00 donation encouraged).  Contact: Cynthia Helen Beecher (707) 696-1111.

SATURDAYS

The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at  Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.

Intermittently Scheduled Events

ODD Month Readings is sponsored by the Redwood Writers Club. The readings are open to non-members, but are not open mic format. Contact Ann Wilkes at critiquegrpcoord@redwoodwriters.org or 707-792-1704 to get on the list or for more information. Redwood Writers roves the county with talented writers for your listening pleasure.

Memoir Workshop with Judith Barrington

I will be teaching in Alicante, Spain in April 09, a memoir class that might interest you or your students. This will be my fourth class at the Almàserra, a place I’ve grown to love. It’s more affordable this year than it’s been in a long time.

“The unthinkable has happened: London is actually starting to become an affordable destination for American travelers. The pound has dropped to about $1.50 (it was around $2.10 this summer) ” (New York Times, 12/20/08) And plane fares to Europe are falling to very low-levels (check out travelocity.com for example, for fares to London; Easyjet and others offer very cheap flights from London to Alicante).

Here’s the scoop:

April 18th – 25th 2009

At the Almàssera Vella in the village of Relleu (near Alicante, Spain)

“YOUR MEMOIR AND ITS CHARACTERS”: a week-long workshop with Judith Barrington. This course will address the craft of literary memoir with an emphasis on the writing about the characters who appear in your personal story, including you the narrator.

JUDITH BARRINGTON is the author of Lifesaving: A Memoir, which won the 2001 Lambda Book Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for the Art of the Memoir. She is also the author of Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art and three collections of poetry, including Horses and the Human Soul. She is a faculty member of the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s low-residency MFA Program and also teaches workshops in Britain.

ALMASSERA VELLA is a large, village house – Relleu’s original olive press with views of Moorish ruins and surrounding mountains. Opened in 2002 by Christopher and Marisa North as a Literature and Arts Centre, it has comfortable bedrooms, mostly private bathrooms, a large day-room, loggia, a 3000 book library, a refectory and a meeting place with fireplace. Outside there is an extensive rear terrace, swimming pool and almond orchard. In the nearby grounds there is a ruined Moorish farm-house and olive grove.

Check out the web site: http://www.oldolivepress.com

RELLEU is an ancient mountain village in the dramatic Marina Baja mountains. It is a half hour drive from the sea at Villajoyosa and an hour from Alicante airport. Transport is provided from the airport to the village.

THE PRICE of the course is £525 all inclusive (7 nights room and board, and class). Yes it’s in the newly-affordable British pound. Non-participatory partners welcome at 10% reduction. The cuisine is Mediterranean, including excellent local wines. Further details about registration etc.: Christopher and Marisa North, Almàssera Vella, Carrer de la Mare de Deu del Miracle 56, Relleu 03578, Alicante SPAIN – (0034) 966 856003, christopher@oldolivepress.com

I will be glad to answer any questions: info@judithbarrington.com

http://www.judithbarrington.com

How to List Your Announcements Here

1. Include the words “Literary Update” in your subject heading.

2. Make sure your announcement is concise, carefully proofread, and copy-edited. Also keep in mind that I can only include announcements that are plain text and presented in the e-mail message (no flyers, PDF’s, or attachments with special formatting please). Retyping text and reformatting special fonts from flyers takes time, sometimes causes errors, and may result in announcements being left out of the Update.

3. Suggest the category where you’d like it placed. These are listed here:

• County-Wide Literary News (general interest announcements)
• Sonoma County in Print (new books/chapbooks/CDs by Sonoma County writers)
• News from East County (Sonoma area)
• News from North County (Healdsburg area)
• News from West County (Occidental/Guerneville area)
• Writers’ Connections (invitations to join groups, formal or informal)
• Upcoming Workshops and Conferences (current workshops you are offering)
• Call for Submissions (local literary journals, magazines, contests)
• Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
• Monthly Calendar of readings, events and workshops
• Sonoma County Workshop Leaders (e-mail and website contacts)
• Details about Workshops, Calls for Submission, Contests (information that is too lengthy to include in the short features or calendar listings)

Deadline

The deadline for announcements is the last day of each calendar month. If your event is early in the month, send it two months ahead to make sure it gets in the calendar in a timely fashion

Donation

For those who regularly announce their workshops, readings, or services here, a donation of $10/year is appreciated to keep the update and its website going. Donations from regular readers are welcome, too! If you’d like to find out how you can help, please contact me at tehret99@comcast.net.

Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update

December 1, 2008

Dear Literary Folk,

Yikes! The holidays are upon us. The December calendar of events is a little lighter than usual, but these are all events you’ll love. I’ve moved it to the top of the Update, since many of you like to print just this section for your own calendars.

The list of upcoming workshops, writers’ connections, calls for submission, new publications, and the ever-growing ongoing writers’ groups and open mic readings are richer than ever, so please browse the Update at your leisure here or on the website listed above.

I spent a day over the Thanksgiving weekend at the Dickens Faire, held at the Cow Palace Exhibition in San Francisco. For literary folk, this is a terrific alternative to the malls. Beyond the price of admission, you don’t have to buy a thing to have a good time. I spent a half hour with Charles Dickens, listening to a dramatic reading from A Christmas Carol, enjoyed an production of Pirates of Penzance, had high tea at Cuthbert’s Tea Shoppe, danced at Fezziwig’s, and listened to the sea shanties of Paddy West and various musical productions of all kinds. It’s terrific for kids and adults alike. Here’s the website if you’d like to find out more: http://www.dickensfair.com/.

Guidelines for Submitting Announcements to the Literary Update

For complete guidelines for submitting announcements for the monthly Literary Update, please visit the literary folk website: http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/how-to-send-announcements-to-the-literary-update/

Or simply scroll down to the very end of each month’s e-mail update.

December Calendar of Literary Events

The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.

v Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/

v Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com

v WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com

v Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us

v Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm

v      SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.

v      The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.

Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30 PM: Jack & Adelle Foley / Ivan Argüelles reading at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley

Wed. December 3, 2008, at 7 to 8 PM: Healdsburg Public Library, Center and Piper Streets, hosts a reading by Mariam Stephens of her work, including poetry, and stories from her new book, “Healings.”

Friday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. WordTemple Poetry Series presents August Kleinzahler reading from his latest publication Sleeping It Off In Rapid City — Poems New and Selected and Elizabeth Bradfield, author of Interpretive Work. Opening Poet is WordTemple director and host, Katherine Hastings. Location: Copperfield’s Books, Montgomery Village.

Monday, December 8 at 7:30 pm: Readers’ Books presents author Sheri Reynolds has written a lyrical tale about a family of misfits. The protagonist Kendra, or “Kenny,” has lost her mother to cancer and her father to prison for drug-trafficking. Kenny struggles with gender ambiguity—she binds her chest in ACE bandages and keeps her hair cropped short—and tries to secure the love of “Aunt” Glo, her father’s girlfriend and the woman who’s taken her in. The Sweet In-Between is a beautifully written, classic coming-of-age tale.

Tuesday, December 9 at 7 PM: An Evening of Community Spirit Performance & Holiday Cookie Exchange Plan to join us and close out another year of Literary Café Program with an open mic program of prose, poetry, drama, musical accompaniment. Sign up by telephone, email OR be spontaneous and take your chances for the free slots on the night of the performance. Bring your cheering fans. Six minute maximum timed by a festivity bell ringer. Doors open at 6:30. Donations appreciated. Location: Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson Street (first block east of the Plaza), Contact Cynthia Helen 707 696-1111 or centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Wednesday, December 10 at 7:30 PM: Readers’ Books presents Antonio Juhasz with her new book, The Tyranny of Oil. Juhasz, a leading expert on corporations and globalization, impressed us last year with her book, A Game as Old as Empire. In her new book, she develops one of the most penetrating investigations of the U. S. oil industry to date. Juhasz argues for the break-up of big oil and this book becomes an inspiring call to action for citizens interested in reining in the industry.

Sunday, December 21, 11:30-1:00 pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group

at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street. Hosted by Geri Digiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Theme: Hanging Poems in Trees. Bring a poem to share (written by your favorite poet or your own!). Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…) All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com

Sun. December 21, 2008 at 2 to 4 PM: Healdsburg Literary Guild’s Third Sunday Salon, now ending its ninth continuous year as a literary reading/open mic venue, will hold a seasonal all-open-mic reading for poetry and short excerpts from prose with literary intent. Location: City Hall, 401 Grove St. Contact 433-7119.

Sunday, December 21, 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M: Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz. Poetry Reading with Dixon Wragg and his sensual poetry that celebrates the moment, live keyboard accompaniment & poetry open mic with Sher Lianne Christian, author of Star Kissed Shadows and John Christian on keyboard highlighting pieces from their CD Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry & Music. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.Hear some of Sher’s poetry at www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/

Sunday, January 11 3-5 PM: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends) at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. A small fee of $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.

Sunday, January 11, 2PM: SoCoCo at the Toad at Toad In the Hole (great pub food, beer, wine & soft drinks) 116 5th St., Santa Rosa (Railroad Square) – Free Admission. Sonoma County Poet Ed Coletti invites you to a reading by 6 poets including Lu Garcia, Mark Eckert,

Gwynn O’Gara, David Madgalene, Ed Coletti, David Bromige.

Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month.

County-Wide Literary News

WordTemple on KRCB 91.1 FM — December 17, 2008, 7 p.m.

WordTemple with Katherine Hastings features internationally acclaimed poet Leslie Scalapino reading from Its Go In Horizontal — Selected Poems, 1974 – 2006, recently published by the University of California Press. The late Philip Whalen said “Scalapino makes everything take place in real time, in the light and air and night where all of us live, everything happening at once.” The program will also include Vermont poet, Tom Absher reading from his latest book The Paper Rose, and a tribute to Daniel Cassidy, author of How the Irish Invented Slang — the Secret Language of the Crossroads. Cassidy died in October 2008 at the age of 65.

SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series

With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa. Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM. Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system. They are very excited about working with us. So please do note the new time of day. For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net

News from East County

No news this month. Check the Readers’ Books website for author events:

www.readersbooks.com

News from West County

Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.

There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations. Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM. Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig. KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM. Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.

Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.

News from North County

Thanks Cynthia Beecher, and Vilma Ginzberg for the information below.

Wed. December 3, 2008, at 7 to 8 PM: Healdsburg Public Library, Center and Piper Streets, hosts a reading by Mariam Stephens of her work, including poetry, and stories from her new book, Healings.

Literary Café in Healdsburg

An Evening of Community Spirit Performance & Holiday Cookie Exchange

December 9, 2008 7-9 pm Doors open at 6:30

Donations appreciated

Plan to join us and close out another year of Literary Café Program with an open mic program of prose, poetry, drama, musical accompaniment. Sign up by telephone, email OR be spontaneous and take your chances for the free slots on the night of the performance. Bring your cheering fans. Six minute maximum timed by a festivity bell ringer.

Attention all Cookie Bakers: bring a plate of holiday cookies to share with Cookie Lovers

Contact Cynthia Helen 707 696-1111 or centerliterarycafe@gmail.com

Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson Street (first block east of the Plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448

Sonoma County in Print

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy.

Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.

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Bart Schneider’s The Man in the Blizzard

Bart Schneider, new to our literary community, has published several novels, including his newest, The Man in the Blizzard. Here’s a synopsis:

Private eye Augie Boyer is out of sorts. He’s been smoking too much Pontchartrain Pootie, his favorite varietal herb, and scarfing down an excess of fried food. He can’t stop thinking of his ­therapist wife, who left him for another therapist, and despite his new girlfriend’s best efforts, Augie’s testosterone levels have sunk lower than the winter temperatures of Minneapolis.

On the eve of the Republican National Convention, a beautiful, blond violinist with multiple personalities walks into Augie’s office. She draws him into a complex case that involves neo-Nazi violin collectors, mind-control specialists, and thousands of antiabortion activists who’ve come to the Twin Cities for a rally that will bring new meaning to Labor Day. But when Augie uncovers an assassination plot, he must scramble to prevent a deranged act of political violence that strikes dangerously close to home.

With wit, compassion, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, Bart Schneider creates a lovable yet flawed character and delivers a thrilling contemporary tale.

To check out or order Bart’s new novel, here’s Random House’s web address: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307238139

Debbie Cooper’s Chapbook Publications

Sonoma poet Debbie Cooper has eight chapbooks, ranging in publication date from 1996 through 2007. You (or other interested parties) can find info about these books by going to our website, which is www.edcooper.com — if you have any questions, you can contact her at debby@edcooper.com

Two Online Novels by Jo Lauer

Waltzing With the Azaleas (a transgender coming of age tale), and Sojourner (a lesbian love story with a reincarnation twist), are available for on-line download at http://www.e-lesmag.com/tocles.html through GLB Publishers.

Catherine Bramkamp’s Time is of the Essence!

Number two in the Allison Little series, this adventure is set in the fictitious town of Claim Jump located in the real setting of the Sierra Foothills. The plot involves fire, mayhem, murder, recycling and of course

Books available on Amazon.com
For more information: Bramkamp.pnn.com
Contact the author – Bramkamp@yahoo.com or 707 478 1855

Calls for Submission

If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.

If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:

http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/

http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm

Glimmer Train’s December Fiction Open closes January 2. Word count range: 2,000 – 20,000. First place wins $2,000 and publication in Issue 73 of Glimmer Train Stories. Second- and third-place winners receive $1,000/$600 (or, if chosen for publication, $700).

Nimrod International Journal’s upcoming issue will focus on Mexico.

One of the oldest “little magazines” in the country, Nimrod has continually published new and extraordinary writers since 1956. Each year, Nimrod devotes its spring issue to a particular theme, often centered on a particular region of the world. We last visited Mexico in our Latin American issues of 1973 and 1983, and thought it was time to return to explore this complex, historical, and artistically prolific area.

We are interested in receiving poetry, short stories, and personal essays, in English or in translation into English, by those currently living in Mexico, by Mexican residents of the United States and other countries, and by others who write about or from within the culture. Please send no more than 10 pages of poetry, and stories and essays of no more than 7,500 words. Our interest is not limited to any subject or style. Surprise us!

Translations should be accompanied by the original and, when necessary, a release from the author to publish in Nimrod. Nimrod copyrights each issue as a whole and then, on request, is happy to release rights to each author.

If you are living in the United States, please mail your submission to:

Nimrod Journal

The University of Tulsa

800 S. Tucker Dr.