Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update
March 1, 2008
Dear Literary Folk,
Congratulations to Grace Erny, winner of this year’s Sonoma County Poetry Out Loud Competition
On Friday, February 22, fellow judges Don Emblen, Elizabeth Herron, Geri Digiorno, and I had the pleasure of listening to 12 local high school students perform poems they had committed to memory in the Poetry Out Loud contest, cosponsored by Arts Council of Sonoma County, the NEA, and California Poets in the Schools.
Sonoma Academy senior Grace Erny took first place, and will go on to the state competition in Sacramento on March 14. Last year, the 2007 Sonoma County winner, Karen Hong, went on to become the 2007 California State champion, and competed in the National “Poetry Out Loud” finals in Washington DC.
On behalf of Sonoma County’s literary community, we salute all the participants, and we wish Grace the best of luck in her next level of competition.
Thanks to all those who helped with the program and with preparing the young performers: Mike Tuggle (emcee); Phyllis Meshalum (coordinator); Penelope LaMontagne (accuracy judge);Jodi Hottel, Juanita Martin, and others (coaches); the band for their fabulous musical interludes; and Chops Teen Center in Santa Rosa for hosting the event.
The Debut of Lucky Break
I cordially invite you all to come to the debut reading from Lucky Break.
I’ll be part of the next WordTemple Poetry Series with fellow Sixteen Rivers colleague, poet Gillian Wegener, and SRJC colleague, poet Donna Emerson, on Friday, March 7th at 7 PM. The WordTemple series is hosted by Katherine Hastings at Copperfield’s Books in Montgomery Village,
To see a current list of my upcoming readings in Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area, check out the calendar listings below or visit http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/terry-ehrets-readings-and-book-events-for-2008/
To read more about the reading and about the book, check out the Argus Courier article by Sonoma State University student Casey Pomicpic: http://www1.arguscourier.com/article/20080228/COMMUNITY/164031568
For more on the WordTemple series, visit Katherine’s website at http://www.wordtemple.com
Celebrating Women’s History Month
Below are some of the events around the county (and beyond) in celebration of women and women authors.
Annette Vallon: a Novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton
Saturday, March 1
2 to 4pm
The Sitting Room
170 E. Cotati Avenue
www.SittingRoom.org
Come have tea with James Tipton who will tell us about why and how he chose to write a novel on Annette Vallon usually known only as an early chapter in Wordsworth’s romantic life. Born into a world of wealth and pleasure, Annette enjoys the privileges of aristocracy, but a burning curiosity and headstrong independence set her apart. Set amid the terror and excitement of the French Revolution, Tipton’s evocative novel is the story of a woman who has for too long been relegated to the shadows of history.
International Women’s Day Poetry Reading
March 8, 2008 at 7 pm
Sponsored by the Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Celebrating Women Now & Then
What do you love about your grandmother? What woman changed your life? What surprised you most about becoming a woman? Who are we?
We invite you to participate – women, men, and children – in this reading.
Please send your phone number and e-mail to Nancy Dougherty at ncaversd@sonic.net or Jennifer Morella at the Art Center (707-829-4797) to add you to the list we are keepingin the office. Due to time constraints, there will be a limited number of readers. We look
forward to hearing from you!
Location: Petaluma Copperfield’s Books & Music on 140 Kentucky St.
SRJC Petaluma Campus Women’s History Month
Creative Writing Students Read with Terry Ehret
Monday, March 10, 7 PM
At the Atrium, Highfeather Café
680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma
Catch the Petaluma celebration of SRJC’s talented creative writing students. This event will also mark the Petaluma debut of Lucky Break.
Getting Connected with your Fellow Writers
Being a writer can be a lonely business. But since I moved to Sonoma County in 1990, I’ve been blessed to become a part of a remarkably supportive literary community. Below you will find a number of invitations from writers and literary groups in Sonoma County.
Centa Theresa’s Invitation to a Spring Reading
It’s Spring! A party, reading & open mic! Mar/28th 7:30pm @ 2150 Los Olivis Rd. Santa Rosa, Ca. 95404: Celebrate the spoken word, and my birthday at my home, in honor of my friend, CD Collins, who will be visiting from Boston, by way of Kentucky. Light fare, drink, and a chance to share your poems, memoir, excerpts from works-in-progress. As space is limited, please RSVP to Centa Theresa at vicenta@sonic..net, or call 707-478-5903. Carpooling is highly recommended. I look forward to sharing our work.
Centa Theresa’s poems have been published in various West Coast publications, most recently in DrumVoices Revue, and a prose poem upcoming in Tiny Lights. She has authored the letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light, published by Clamshell Press. Centa is currently writing a lyric memoir, and makes art on occasion, exhibiting in Bay Area galleries.
A Kentucky native, CD Collins follows the storytelling traditions of the South, both as a solo artist and when accompanied by musicians. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines including StoryQuarterly, Salamander, Phoebe and The Pennsylvania Review. She is the recipient of numerous prizes for her poetry and has released two award-winning compact discs, “Kentucky Stories” and “Subtracting Down.” CD may be contacted at Dawson77@aol.com or through her website www.cdcollins.com
Redwood Writers Invites New Members
If you are thinking of joining Redwood Writers, now would be a good time to do it.
Our VINTAGE VOICES anthology deadline is coming up (March 7), and it’s a perk of membership. In fact, joining now will give you a few months free!! Get the application from our website, www.redwoodwriters.org.
Brief info on our 2008 anthology.
Length: 2,050 words, which includes a 50-word author bio.
Theme: Four-part harmony (poetry, short story, essay, memoir)
Format: Indent each paragraph. Do not justify margins. Do not press “enter” at the end of the line, unless you are starting a new paragraph.
To submit: E-mail to pattyler@cds1.com
We are looking forward to your submissions and membership applications.
Karen Batchelor
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. It’s 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.
ATTENTION all musicians, poets, artists and patrons of the arts:
Come check out open mike poetry and music the first Sat. of each month,
starting Feb. 2, 2008, 5 pm -8 pm.
The Barking Dog Cafe
18133 Hwy 12,
Sonoma, Ca. 95476
Hosted by Juanita J. Martin,
2005-06 Sonoma County Library Slam Champion
Call Juanita @ (707) 435-1807
for more information or call
the cafe @ (707) 939-1905
SRJC’s Literary Journal First Leaves Returns in 2009!
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
UUCSR Writers Invites New Members
The next UUCSR Writers meeting date is Monday, March 3, 2008, from 4 – 6 pm in the Green Room at the Unitarian Universalist Church Santa Rosa.
About the UUCSR Writers
Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biography, the Great American novel, short story, poetry, essays, dissertation, Master’s thesis, song lyrics, report, term paper, cook book, web pages, blogging, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where serious writers improve and hone their writing skills.
The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) is not required. We meet once a month in the “Green Room” at UUCSR in Santa Rosa, CA on the First Monday of the month from 4:00-6:00pm.
UUCSR Online Writers
Can’t attend monthly meetings? Live in another City, State or Country? Request an Invitation to join our “Online Writers” Blog. You can learn more about our group, and current “Works-in-Progress”, at the UUCSR Writers Blog.
Information
UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com
Calls for Submission
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:
http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses.
I also include recommended links for publishing on my website’s consultation page:
http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm
Here area some current calls for submission, both local and national.
Greetings from Nimrod International Journal.
Nimrod’s editor has written to me about the 30th annual Nimrod Literary Awards: The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry and the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction, and I want to encourage you all to submit this year.
The Awards offer first prizes of $2,000 and publication and second prizes of $1,000 and publication, along with a trip to Tulsa to receive the Awards and take part in our annual writing conference. The postmark deadline for this year’s Awards is April 30th, 2008.
The Awards are among the most distinguished literary prizes in the country. Past winners include Sue Monk Kidd, Kate Small, Diane Glancy, Steve Lautermilch, Thomas Gough, Felicia Ward, and Ruth Schwartz. My series of poems about Picasso’s portraits of women won first prize in 1995, and I have been very fortunate to be a finalist in 1997 and again in 2007. Local authors Margaret Kaufman and Devika Brandt were also semifinalists in 2007.
To see the rules for submission, visit Nimrod’s website: www.utulsa.edu/nimrod
The 2008 Burning Bush Poetry Prize
This prize honors work that inspires readers to work for social justice. First Prize receives $200 and online publication. Two honorable mentions also published online in In Our Own Words. Send 3 poems, any style/length and $10 entry fee with SASE. Name/address/poem titles on separate sheet by June 1st, 2008. Burning Bush Publications, P.O. Box 4658, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. Guidelines: www.bbbooks.com
The Sitting Room’s Readers Unite is Seeking Submissions for 2008
Spirit Matters: Spiritual Voices in a Secular Age.”
The annual Sitting Room Publication offers you the opportunity to express yourself and share your thoughts. So many of you responded to the 2006 topic, “Books that Changed Us”, that we stayed with that theme for 2007 . Your essays were wonderful! Once again we urge you to take up your pen, open up your word processor, sharpen your pencil. Send us your thoughts on Spirit Matters: Spiritual Voices in a Secular Age. Do you find inspiration in the beauty of nature? Music? Art? Perhaps the Spirit has spoken to you in a still, small voice, or a sudden blazing revelation, or a gradual enlightenment over time.
The due date for your work has been extended to March 15, 2008.
Those of you who respond will see your words in print, and will be invited to join your fellow seekers in a convocation on June 8, as described on the front page. We offer you a chance to meet one another and, if you wish, share your ideas. Carol Flinders, whose writing on women mystics past and present has inspired her readers, will join us to help guide our discussion. Please limit your offering to four hundred words, to fit on a single printed page. We welcome your prose, poetry and art. The material must be camera-ready, with generous right and left-side margins. Include a title, along with your name and any contact information you are willing to have published. Send your piece by regular mail to:Publication Project, The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Avenue, Cotati, CA 94928. Questions? Email the editor, Rosemary Manchester, at r_manchester@comcast.net or JJ Wilson at boxcar@sonic.net. Or call Rosemary at 707 823 3477
Contribute to First Leaves
The Santa Rosa Junior College Literary Journal seeks quality poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, photographs and drawings for its Spring 2009 issue. Open to students, staff and faculty of SRJC and all residents of the Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Lake counties, First Leaves accepts postal and email submissions.
You may send any of the following:
Poetry: up to 5 poems. Fiction: 1 short story (up to 4,000 words), or up to 3 short-shorts. Plays: 1 dramatic piece up to 4,000 words. Creative Nonfiction: 1 piece up to 4,000 words. Photographs/Drawings: up to 5 prints or digital files. Do not send originals. We require B&W work for the inside of the magazine, but color may be considered for the cover.
Comics: 1 brief graphic story.
Postal submissions should include an SASE (self addressed, stamped envelope) and/or an email address for reply only. Submissions will not be returned. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable if so noted. Please do not include your name on your manuscript. All work (including work submitted by First Leaves staff members) will be judged anonymously. Include a 3 X 5 index card with the titles of each piece, along with your name/address/phone/email. Please also include a 30-word autobiographical statement.
Due Date: February 2, 2009 for the Spring 2009 issue. Final decisions will be made in March. The magazine will be constructed in March and April ‘09 and it will be published in May ’09 (if the Muses approve.) Mail submissions to
First Leaves c/o Abby Bogomolny
English Department
Santa Rosa Junior College
1501 Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
You may also submit via email to abogomolny@santarosa.edu <mailto:abogomolny@santarosa.edu> , but only Word files will be considered.
New March Writing Workshops
Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, some are retreats. Below are those offered in March. Details about these and other ongoing workshops can be found at the end of the Update.
1. Susan Hagen Writing Circles and Retreat
Susan Hagen’s Writing Circles and Writing Retreats for Women
2008 Day-Long Writing Circles for Women - $85
March 15, April 5, May 10, June 14. Each group meets from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Santa Rosa. $85 per session.
May 2-4, 2008: Writing Retreat for Women at St. Dorothy’s Rest in Occidental — $425
2. Lisa Shulman’s Writing Workhops for Youth and Teens
(These have already started, but check with Lisa about openings)
Children’s Writers Critique Group
Dates: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 7-9pm, February 6 to April 23, $60
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931
Just Write! Creative Writing for Kids and Teens
4 Thursdays, February 28–March 20, 3:45–5:15 pm. $60
Location: Sebastopol Center for the Arts
3. Bob Engles: ‘Moving Words’ Workshop
A movement/writing workshop exploring personal and universal story.
Sunday, Mar. 9, 1:30 PM in the Sebastopol Center of the Arts Music Room,
4. The Heart of Writing – Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray
Four-Week Class: Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, March 4 to March 25
5. WriteMind™ Workshops: Finding Your Individual Voice
with Clara Rosemarda
8 week classes begin Wednesday, March 26th AND Thursday, March 27th
6. Petaluma Writers Forum
March 20 at 7 PM: Elizabeth Crane presents “Organize for Success”
7. Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers Sampler
March 3: Michael Shapiro — A SENSE OF PLACE: How to Imbue One’s Writing with This Essential Eement.
March 10: Dan Coshnear — Beneath Those Lovely Sentences: Attempts to Describe Story Structures
March 17: Jamey Genna — Writing the Quickie: Flash Fiction
March 24: Elizabeth Carothers Herron – THE GIVEN AND THE MADE: Dreams and Poetry as Gestures of the Soul
Here is a list of Sonoma County writing workshop leaders, in case you’d like to contact them for more information about the workshops listed above, or about when their next workshops will be:
Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com
Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com
Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org
Marlene Cullen mcullen@comcast.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 vicenta@sonic.net
Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net
Workshop Series:
Petaluma Writers Forum www.thewritespot.us
Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers Sample lindag@sonic.net
How to send announcements to the Literary Update
I aim to make the monthly updates as inclusive as possible. If you have a workshop, event, contest, or call for submission to announce to the Sonoma County literary community, please send it to me as an e-mail message by 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. Your announcement should be brief, carefully proofread, and should include date, time, location, costs, and contact information. I regret I am not able to include attachments or PDF’s.
To read the current literary update and see archives from the past six months, you can go either visit my website or go directly to www.literaryfolk.wordpress.com. You can send your friends here if they are not currently on my e-mail distribution list.
As you know, I don’t charge a subscription fee, but for those of you who regularly advertise your workshops on the website and in the monthly updates, donation of $10/year would help cover these costs. If you’d like to contribute, e-mail me at tehret99@comcast.net. And thanks to all who have already donated. I’m happy to say, your contributions have taken care of the set up costs for the website.
At the end of the update, you will find the list of ongoing writing events and and details about other workshops (alphabetical by workshop leader), calls for submission, and contests listed in the calendar. These include the following:
Ø Susan Bono’s and Patti Trimble’s Point Reyes Writing Retreat
Ø Sher Christian’s Workshops Workshops with Marlene Cullen
Ø Bon Engels’ Moving Words Workshop
Ø Susan Hagan’s Writing Circles and Retreat
Ø Douglas Kenning’s Literature and History Classes
Ø Suzanne Murray’s The Heart of Writing: Workshops
Ø Petaluma Writers Forum
Ø Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers Sampler
Ø Laurie Reiche’s Writing the Sentence of Chronic Illness Workshop
Ø Lilith Rogers’ Environmental Education Project
Ø Lisa Shulman’s Workshops for Teens and Youth
Ø Centa Theresa Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation
Ø Pat Tyler’s 2008 Quick Start Writing Workshops
Ø 7th Annual Pleasanton Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival Saturday & Sunday, April 5&6,
Ø 2008 Pleasanton Arts Festival Prose and Poetry Contest (deadline March
Ø New Millennium Contest
Ø Ginosko Literary Journal Call for Submission
Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
1. 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.
2. 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
3. First 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.
4. First Saturday of each month starting Feb. 2, 2008, 5 pm -8 pm. at The Barking Dog Café, 18133 Hwy 12, Sonoma, Ca. 95476. The reading series is hosted by Juanita J. Martin,2005-06 Sonoma County Library Slam Champion. Call Juanita @ (707) 435-1807 for more information or call the cafe @ (707) 939-1905.
Calendar of Literary Events
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 Center Cafe in Healdburg: http://www.mcrory.com/litcafe/index.php
v WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com
v Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us
v SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.
v The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.
Saturday, March 1, 2-4 PM: The Sitting Room presents author Jamie Tipton reading from his new novel, Annette Vallon. Location: 170 E. Cotati Avenue. www.SittingRoom.org
Sunday, March 2, 2-4:30 PM: Toppers Poetry Circle presents “Words To Winter by
poems as bird sounds, rain patter, a moon-cake, life’s fruit” with Linda Kammer, Raphael Block, Paula Matzinger, Nancy Dougherty, Mimi Whittaker, Cam Cunningham, and Jamey Genna, followed by songs of Raphael and Theodora Block and open mike. Location:the French Garden, 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol.
Sunday, March 2, 4 PM: Dorothy Bryant will discuss her latest novel THE BERKELEY PIT
a tale of two cities: Butte, Montana, site of toxic pit mine remains, and Berkeley, California, cradle of 1960s idealism. Location: Book Passage,51 Tamal Vista Blvd,Corte Madera. Phone:415.927.0960.
Monday, March 3 406 PM: UUCSR Writers will meet in the “Green Room” on Monday, March 3
at UUCSR, 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381, Can’t attend monthly meetings? Live in another City, State or Country? Request an Invitation to join our Online Writer’s Blog. 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.
Tuesday, March 4 7-9 pm: Literary Center Café presents Sonoma County’s poet laureate, Mike Tuggle. Doors open at 6:30 for socializing. Open mic: bring prose /poetry to share. Authors, bring your books to the sale table. Location: Healdsburg Senior Center,133 Matheson St, one block east of the Plaza, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Wed., March 5th. Occidental Oddities. *Readings of comic pieces by local writers: Guy Biederman, Marylu Downing, Patrick Fanning and Judith Felix Moorman plus music by the duo Tonebent (Bill Horvitz and Robin Eschner). Music and reading at 7:00 p.m. A benefit for the Occidental Center for the Arts. Suggested donation $10. Optional fixed price dinner 5:30-7:00 p.m., $15, includes salad plus pasta or pizza. Union Hotel, 3703 Main St., Occidental. Reservations suggested: (707)874-9392.
Thursday, March 6th at 7:30 PM: SoCoCo presents David Beckman, Jonah Raskin, Kathleen Winter, Roland Jacopetti, Caryl Fuller, Terry Ehret (Ed’s Emceeing not reading)
Friday, March 7 at 7 PM: WordTemple Poetry Series presents Sixteen Rivers latest poetry publications by Terry Ehret and Gillian Wegener, with Petaluma poet Donna Emerson.
Word Temple Series, Copperfield’s Books in Santa Rosa, 2316 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa, CA. (707) 578-8938.
Saturday, March 8 at 2 PM: Geri DiGiorno hosts a reading from the Petaluma Poetry Walk Tenth Anniversary Anthology. Location: Helen Putnam Community Forum Room at the Petaluma Public Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr., Petaluma, CA 94952. (707) 763-9801
Saturday, March 8 at 7 pm at the Petaluma Copperfield’s Books & Music on 140 Kentucky St. International Women’s Day Poetry Reading, sponsored by the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.
Sunday, Mar. 9, 1-3:30 PM: Moving Words’ Workshop. A movement/writing workshop exploring personal and universal story. The format combines improvisational theater and movement exercises with prompted free writes. Facilitated by Bob Engel a local actor and writer. This is not about technique. Experimental. Experiential. Deep. Fun. Real.
Location: Sebastopol Center of the Arts Music Room. For more information please visit www.poetslicense.ORG. Sliding scale $8 to $16. Please register in advance. Call or write Bob with your questions – 707-829-1710 or poetslicense@gmail.com.
Monday, March 10 at 7 PM: Terry Ehret and SRJC Creative Writing Students. In Celebration of Women’s History Month. Petaluma Campus of SRJC (location to be announced later), 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma, CA 94954.
Friday, March, 14, 7 PM: Poetry at the Parkside: Poets Jonah Raskin, Jennie Orvino, and featured reader, Stephen Kessler. $5 admission includes a glass of wine, a beer or non alcoholic beverage. Dierk’s Parkside Café is located at 404 Santa Rosa Avenue, south of Luther Burbank Gardens, across the street from Greyhound bus station. (707) 573-5955 café phone.
Saturday, March 15, 2-4 PM: The Sitting Room presents Shedding Grace and Other Stories. Mab Maher, a veteran of the Sitting Room, has published a book of memoirs and short stories titled Shedding Grace. She will reading from her book at the Sitting Room and talk about her life and her writing. In the December issue of Women’s Voices, Ida VSW Red wrote of Mab’s work, “Some of the most fascinating themes woven through the collection are questions of ‘difference,’ obedience, forgiveness, and the challenge of accepting joy in imperfect conditions. Her grandmother’s blindness, mother’s crippling arthritis, the rigors of a nun’s life and a brief need to be ‘left alone to be crazy’ — all held the protagonist in. Finally she breaks loose, expresses her rage, and makes a rich, productive life for herself.”
Saturday, March 22 2-4 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club
announces that its ODD MONTH READING series returns. The theme is
THE MARCH HARE’S LITERARY TEA and we encourage everyone to BYOT (Bring
Your Own Tea) and relax during this literary afternoon. Local Sonoma County writers will
read selections from their new or most popular works of mystery thriller, fantasy, and
science fiction. Ann Wilkes and Ana Manwaring host the reading series, 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Sebastopol Branch of the Sonoma County Public Library (7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol). The general public is welcome.
Details about Workshops, Events,
Contests, and Calls for Submission
4th Annual Pt. Reyes Writing Retreat
Facilitated by Patti Trimble and Susan Bono
7:30 p.m. Friday, May 23–4 p.m. Sunday, May 25.
Pt. Reyes Lifeboat Station at Chimney Rock
$175 ($170 members)
This year’s annual foray into the wilderness of words will be held at the old Pt. Reyes Lifeboat station, a location with ocean views and our own private (end of Drake’s) beach! Our peaceful, rustic retreat (think summer camp!) is for anyone who enjoys writing. We will spend the weekend weaving images and thoughts from our memories and from our observations of the natural world. There will be (optional) workshops on poetry, memoir/essay, and we will share new work in our small, supportive community. Accommodations included at the Pt. Reyes Lifeboat Station. Meals are potluck.
Contact Cathy @ PT. Reyes Field Seminars to register: 415-663-1200.
For additional information:
Workshops with Sher Christian
RESTORATIVE YOGA WORKSHOP with Poetry
Treat yourself to 1-1/2 hours of deep relaxation, releasing stress and tension from your body and mind as you allow your body’s innate healing capacities to emerge. Extremely gentle. Enjoy inspiring poetry written and read by Sher Christian to enhance and deepen the positive effects of the poses.
WHEN: Friday, January 4th, 6-8 pm (First Friday of each month)
WHERE: Sonoma Body Balance, 210 Vallejo Street, Suite C, Petaluma (by Whole Foods)
COST: $20 prepaid, $25 at the door
(Reservations required; limit of 8 students)
CONTACT: Dana Davis at (707) 658-2599 or dana@sonomabodybalance.com. Checks can be mailed to: PO Box 2880, Petaluma, CA 94953. “This class was so deeply nourishing and relaxing, I actually slept the whole night through, not even a bathroom wake-up call.
“Intuitive Consultations with Insightful Poetry chosen for each individual
with Sher Lianne Christian, author of Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry and CD, Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music
Illuminating sessions to remember what will move you through challenge to fulfillment. Experience the power of deep seeing and understanding Hear poetry that takes you deeper into your authenticity.
Blog: http://lusciouspoetry.blogstream.com/
Saturday, January 5, and Saturday, January 19, 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. at Cotton Rose, 851 Gravenstein Highway South, Sebastopol, 823-5854
Call ahead to confirm. Appointment encouraged. Cotton Rose is closed for the holidays until January 4.
Phone consultations are available at your convenience.
E-mail poetrysher@gmail.com to schedule.
Writing Workshops 2008 with Marlene Cullen
www.thewritespot.us mcullen@comcast.net
Jumpstart Writing Workshop (Freewrites)
Using little 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, short stories. Bring a notebook and fast moving pen. Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am - 4 weeks $32 (Petaluma resident); $37 (non-resident) Session 1: January 15 to February 5, 2008 Session 2: February 12 to March 4 Session 3: March 11 to April 1 Session 4: April 8 to April 29 Revision Writing Share your written work with like-minded writers. We’ll provide recommendations for appropriate changes and further development. Thursdays, 9:00 to 11:30 am - 8 weeks $80 (Petaluma resident); $85 (non-resident) Session 1: January 17 to March 6, 2008 Session 2: March 13 to May 1 Write To Take Care Of Yourself Explore your journey through writing. Saturday, 9:30 to 11: 30 am – 1 day $30 (Petaluma resident); $35 (non-resident) Session 1: March 29 Session 2: April 26 Location: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., 2 ways to register: Online: www.activenet.active.com/petalumarec Walk-in: 320 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, CA
Bob Engles: ‘Moving Words’ Workshop
A movement/writing workshop exploring personal and universal story. The format combines improvisational theater and movement exercises with prompted free writes.
Facilitated by Bob Engel a local actor and writer. This is not about technique. Experimental. Experiential. Deep. Fun. Real.
Sunday, Mar. 9th in the Sebastopol Center of the Arts Music Room,
both venues from 1-3:30 p.m.
Experience of the creative does not depend on analysis to be useful. It is sufficient, transformative, healing, comforting, informative, magical — pick a word that doesn’t set off your own personal BS detector. — When we see another person struggle, we develop a compassion which extends to include ourselves.
For more information please visit www.poetslicense.ORG. Sliding scale $8 to $16. Please register in advance. Call or write Bob with your questions – 707-829-1710 or poetslicense@gmail.com.
Susan Hagen Writing Circles and Retreat
2008 Day-Long Writing Circles for Women - $85
Beginning and experienced writers alike will benefit from this powerful method of writing practice with Women at Ground Zero author Susan Hagen. Susan’s writing programs are intuitive and experiential, with a unique blend of guided imagery and nature-based practices designed to set aside the thinking mind and clear a path to the deeper inner life. As women write and share together, each writer gains a deeper understanding of the authentic rhythm of her own voice. Most are amazed by what they write in circle and are inspired by the gift of deep listening they receive from others. Women only. All levels of writing experience are welcome.
Enroll in one or more Saturday sessions: January 19, February 16, and/or March 15. Each group meets from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Santa Rosa.
Office Phone: (209) 745-9029
Sonoma County cell: (707) 888-0849
Sacramento Area cell: (209) 329-7519
Literature and History Classes with Douglas Kenning
Greek Drama, Osher Institute, Dominican Univ. Wednesdays 27 Feb-2 March, 415-458-3763, http://www.dominican.edu/academics/adult/osher/osher.html
Romantic Poetry, Osher Institute, Sonoma State Univ., Wednesdays 2 Apr-21 May, 707-664-2691
History of Sicily, Osher Institute, San Francisco State Univ., Tuesdays 8 Apr-6 May, 415.405.3366 /
415.817.4243; web: http://www.cel.sfsu.edu/
History of Jerusalem, Fromm Institute, Univ. of San Francisco, Mondays, 1300-1500 14 Apr-9 Jun, 415-
422-6805
These are Lifelong Learning lectures, no requirements, no tests, no pressure. Open to all persons over
50 years of age. Call the number listed or see the websites for details.
The Heart of Writing – Four-Week Classes and One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray
Four-Week Class
Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm,
March 4 to March 25, $100 paid by 2/26, $115 after
April 1 to April 22, $100 paid by 3/25, $115 after
register early limited to 12, downtown Sebastopol location
One-Day Workshop
Saturday, March 22, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 3/14, $85 after
register early limited to 12, downtown Sebastopol location
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
What her students say:
Suzanne is more than an excellent teacher. She is an inspiration. Her writing workshops are not only about the craft of writing, but are a journey into the heart of the writing experience. . . – Jill Cagan
Suzanne’s class was tremendously inspiring. She offers a nearly endless variety of tools and creates an atmosphere that is both challenging and unconditionally supportive. She showed me how to side step blocks and let the creativity flow. No question, it is the best writing class I’ve ever taken. – Ed Richards
Suzanne has just the right touch, so supportive and gentle as we birthed our little word babies, she showed us how to see the beauty in them. And it
wasn’t fake! Once she pointed out the beauty, it was there! – Martha Stedman
Suzanne’s knowledge and ability to facilitate the writing process is incredible. – Jody Tucker
Taught by Suzanne Murray. A gifted teacher and creativity coach, now if her eighteenth year offering these classes and workshops, she brings to class a passion for books and working with words and an ability to inspire others to write. An award winning essayist and poet, Suzanne’s work appears in various literary journals including Orion and The Sun.
Petaluma Writers Forum
March 20 Elizabeth Crane Organize for Success
Join us for an interactive evening of relatively painless organizational tips, tricks for getting work accomplished, and stories from my life as a writer’s “spare brain.”
When I started my career as a freelance writer over a decade ago, I didn’t think of myself as a particularly organized person. In the course of my writing career, I met writers who never met deadlines, who struggled to maintain a filing system and who couldn’t keep track of phone appointments and interviews. In some cases, they were letting their lack of organization hurt their careers. Compared to some of my colleagues, I was practically an organizational genius. I put myself in the business of working for other writers, performing all those tasks they found so difficult, and more.
· Can’t keep track of appointments?
· Doing the same job multiple times?
· Losing track of papers?
· Do you run your desk or does your desk run you?
Bring your organizational challenges, roadblocks and woes and we’ll see if we can sort them out.
ELIZABETH CRANE has worked on many book projects and written magazine articles for numerous publications ranging from Parenting to Small Business, and from PCWorld to Cooking Light. In order to keep herself and her family afloat, she has also worked as a produce seller, a chef, a farmers market manager, an editor, a proofreader, and a writer’s assistant. In her years as a part-time helper to other writers, she perfected her ability to organize and has grown from being a valuable assistant to an invaluable associate.
April 17 J.T. Bymaster
Opening to the Wisdom of the Body in the Creative Process
Writing can often become an overly mental process blocking our most basic source of creativity – the body. In this workshop you will begin to learn how to listen more deeply to your body as a way to enhance creativity in your writing. You will also learn how listening to your body more deeply can help you overcome ‘writers block’ or any other hitch in your creative process. Please bring a notebook and pen.
J.T. BYMASTER is a bodyworker, somatic counselor, tai chi and meditation instructor. He has published his own magazine, Tangent Zine, and is currently working on a multimedia project. J.T.’s passion is getting people in touch with their bodies as a way to fuel creativity and insight.
May 15 Kemble Scott How to write about “touchy subjects”
KEMBLE SCOTT will discuss the challenges of writing about “touchy subjects.” Sex, drugs and violence appear throughout literature, but how do you write about them in a genuine way? And what will your mother think? Scott has practical advice for navigating these issues. He’ll also share tips for aspiring writers trying to get their first books published. In the difficult world of publishing, there are some steps you can take to help you beat the odds. www.kemblescott.com
KEMBLE SCOTT is the author of the bestselling novel SoMa, the story of twentysomethings on the prowl for thrills in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. He’s the editor of SoMa Literary Review (www.somalit.com) and has been honored with three Emmy awards for his work in television news. www.kemblescott.com
June 19 Georgia Hughes
GEORGIA HUGHES is editorial director at New World Library, where she acquires and edits non-fiction books in the areas of animals, spirituality, personal growth, sustainable business, and women’s issues. Before joining New World Library, Georgia worked in bookstores and at Harper San Francisco and Prima Publishing. New World Library has published numerous bestsellers, including Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain and The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. New World Library prints on recycled paper and the offices are powered by solar panels. Recent acquisitions include Forever Ours by Janis Amatuzio, MD, Angel Cats and RESCUED: Saving Animals from Disaster by Allen and Linda Anderson, 20 Something, 20 Everything by Christine Hassler, When Prayers Aren’t Answered by John E. Welshons, and The Three Only Things: Tapping the Power of Dreams, Coincidence, and Imagination by Robert Moss.
July 17 Lizzie Hannon Constellations: Writing From the Summer Sky
We’ll use the science of stars along with the myth and legends associated with planets to send our words into orbit. Our time together will include a guided meditation to the center of creation and prompts leading to individual haiku and a fairy tale. A Hypnotic CD to aid your creativity process at home will be available for a small fee.
LIZZIE HANNON is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who operates “A Better Choice Hypnosis” at Club Vitality in Rohnert Park. This is her second workshop with Writer’s Forum. Her essays, poems and short fiction have been published in several on-line and print anthologies. She is also the morning voice on KRCB Public Radio-91.
August 21 Daniel Coshnear
DANIEL COSHNEAR lives in Guerneville with wife and two children. He works at a group home for men and women with mental illnesses and substance issues and teaches fiction writing through SSU Extension, UC Berkeley Extension and The Sitting Room. He is author of Jobs & Other Preoccupations (Helicon Nine 2000) Willa Cather Award winner, and 2003 BABRA winner. He was awarded the Editor’s Prize from The Missouri Review and received a Fellowship from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation. The short story is his chosen form.
September 18 Armando Garcia-Davila
ARMANDO GARCIA-DAVILA was Healdsburg’s 2002-2003 Literary Laureate. A landscape contractor by profession he says,”I’m a ‘blue collar’ poet. I’m neither an intellectual nor an academic.” He has read from his works on national radio and his short stories and poems were a monthly feature in La Voz bilingual newspaper found throughout northern California.
In addition to being a co-founder of “poetry slams” for the public library, he conducts seminars at high schools, colleges and universities and has been a featured presenter for Arts and Lecture Series at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University. Armando is enormously effective with all audiences and especially enjoys seeing students suddenly wake up to the power and satisfaction that comes with allowing buried thoughts to see the light of day in writing.
October 16 Rob Loughran Five Things I Wish I Did Not Know About Writing
When I stepped from hard manual work to writing, I just stepped from one kind of hard work to another. — Sean O’Casey
While attending writing conferences and seminars Rob Loughran was astounded by the lack of practical, concrete writing advice and the tendency to stress inspiration over perspiration. This short, comprehensive talk will explain a proven, hands-on, no frills method that will help you organize your life in such a manner that your writing goals can be achieved.
You will be challenged, goaded, cajoled and entertained.
The word Muse will only be used derisively.
ROB LOUGHRAN has 17 books in print and has published 250+ articles and short stories in publications ranging from Ladies Circle to American Brewer.
November 20 Susan Swartz
Susan Swartz is a columnist for The Press Democrat.
To contact Marlene: mcullen@comcast.net
Sebastopol Center for the Arts A WRITER’S SAMPLER, PART XVIII
SCA announces the 18th installment of the popular writing classes, “A Writer’s Sampler.” These lively, home-work free sessions feature some of the best instructors in the area, and promise to stimulate every writer’s appetite. This set of instructors includes: Michael Shapiro, Dan Coshnear, Jamey Genna and Elizabeth Herron. Join us and be nourished by these four inspiring evenings.
Classes are Monday evenings March 3 – March 24 from 7 to 9pm at SCA 6780 Depot Street in Sebastopol. Fees: $15.00 per class or $50.00 for all four courses. Bring a notebook and a pen. Ages 16 and above are welcome. For more information please see the SCA’s Class Schedule, call the Center at 829-4797 or visit the website www.sebarts.org.
Sebastopol Center for the Arts is pleased to announce that the Writer’s Sampler classes have been supported in part by Poets & Writers with a grant that it has received from the James Irvine Foundation. For more information about Poets & Writers visit their website at www.pw.org.
March 3: Michael Shapiro — A SENSE OF PLACE: How to Imbue One’s Writing with This Essential Eement.
Whether you’re writing fiction, travel or an investigative piece, incorporating a sense of place will make your writing compelling to the reader. I will discuss how I do this (using all five senses, dialogue, etc.) and give examples from several of the writers I interview for my book, including Isabel Allende, Pico Iyer, Frances Mayes (who’s also a poet), Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux and others.
Michael Shapiro is a freelance writer and editor, whose work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler (cover story May-June 2006), the Washington Post, The Sun, and the New York Times. He is the author of the award-winning A Sense of Place, a collection of interviews with 18 of the world’s leading travel writers.
March 10: Dan Coshnear — Beneath Those Lovely Sentences: Attempts to Describe Story Structures
A story makes an implicit promise and an effective story fills it, often in a surprising way. We’ll be examining the kinds of structures that compel stories forward and that satisfy readers’ expectations. We begin by asking what we expect from a story, then how do contemporary writers pull us in, tip us off balance and still manage to bring the big payoff?
Daniel Coshnear works at a group home for men and women with mental illnesses and substance issues. He teaches writing through a variety of university extension programs. He is author of Jobs & Other Preoccupations (Helicon Nine 2000), winner of the Willa Cather Fiction Award and has received a number of other awards for stories including an Isherwood Foundation Fellowship and the Missouri Review Editor’s Prize. He is currently at work on a new collection of stories.
March 17: Jamey Genna — Writing the Quickie: Flash Fiction
Sometimes when we write, a story just wants to be shorter than the typical short story. These stories are often referred to as flash fiction, sudden fiction, or even microfiction. They can be stories that need to be less than a thousand words, sometimes less than five hundred words—sometimes they look like poems. What makes these stories, stories? In this class we’ll read several short-shorts, now commonly referred to by industry standards as flash fiction, and we’ll try our hand at writing our own “quickie” pieces of fiction. We’ll ask questions of our writing on whether our story is a scene meant for a longer piece of work or if it is complete and whole as is. Most importantly we’ll ask ourselves what our characters desire and what gives the story its own sense of yearning.
Jamey Genna teaches writing in California and is a graduate from the masters in writing program at the University of San Francisco. Her flash fiction and short fiction has been published in many fine literary magazines both on-line and in print, including Cutthroat, Dislocate, Shade, Pinyon, Storyglossia, Vestal Review, and Verbsap. Her story “Stories I heard when I went home for my grandmother’s funeral” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and her collection of short-shorts and flash fiction was a finalist for the 2007 Elixir Press Chapbook contest.
March 24: Elizabeth Carothers Herron – THE GIVEN AND THE MADE: Dreams and Poetry as Gestures of the Soul
Dreams and Poetry bring together two points of access to the rich field of the unconscious. As a trance state, writing like dreaming, allows us to move into knowledge beyond the realm of the ego. We recognize both states by their dissolution of ordinary boundaries and the forming of fresh unusual associations. In dreams, these associations provide illuminating metaphors. In poetry the associations underlie poetic images. The
images carry insights, much as a traveler carries baggage. They are the camels of poetry, crossing distances previously unimagined. Thus it is that poetry surprises us and informs our lives with renewed vitality. Making a poem is a kind of journey; we end up having arrived somewhere new. If the poem is well-made, readers, too, will find something shifting inside them. Grasping the metaphors of the trance (or the dream) takes concentration. To make the associations live in the poem, as implied or direct metaphors, we must hone the image to its essence, sometimes through ellipse and implication. This
takes practice and a passionate absorption in language itself, a deeper trance. Tonight we will work with this process.
As Professor of Arts & Humanities at Sonoma State University, Dr. Elizabeth Herron taught courses as far ranging as Dreams & Imagination, Ecological Identity, Creative Writing and more. Elizabeth’s essays have appeared in Parabola, Orion, ReVision and EarthSpirit . She is the author of five small books of poetry, and a collection of short fiction. Her collaboration with sculptor Bruce Johnson led to the writing of The Poet’s House, a book length poem.
Laure Reiche
Writing the Sentence of Chronic Illness
Award winning poet Laurie Lessen-Reiche will be facilitating an on-going creative-writing workshop beginning Saturday, May 26th in the comfortable environment of her home for people suffering with chronic illnesses such as CFS, FM, and MS. Herself a sufferer of chronic illness, she’s aware of the frustration and alteration in one’s perception of Self that ongoing illness engenders. As a writer she believes the struggles our bodies endure bring to light meaning and are regenerative when we transform them into the speaking art of poems and stories.
Fee: 270.00$ for 6 week sessions/Saturdays 3 – 5. Snacks, beverages, pillows provided!
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.
Info: (415) 892-9430 or email: p.reiche@comcast.net
Lilith Rogers’ Environmental Education Project Lilith Rogers, who has performed her one-woman Rachel Carson shows for many years, has the following message for the Sonoma County Literary Community. “I am collecting old cell phones--working or not--to recycle for a bit of cash. Then money will go towards my RACHEL CARSON RETURNS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT. Just get in touch with me at Lilithrogers1@juno.com or call me at 707 523-9907 and I'll arrange to pick them up. And tell your friends. I have to send them 25 at a time so I'm spreading the word far and near. “I also have a 30 minute DVD version of my one woman performance of RACHEL CARSON RETURNS available for sale at $25 (includes S/H) or at a discount with your cell phone or if you need one. It's professionally made by Eve Goldberg, a former Hollywood director and film editor. And I'm available to perform live at your home or wherever! “Thanks for your support. Lilith”
Lisa Shulman’s Writing Workhops for Youth and Teens
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 safe and supportive group for all levels of experience. Facilitated by children’s author Lisa Shulman. For more information and to reserve a space, email lisa@lisashulman.com
Dates: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 7-9pm, February 6 to April 23, $60
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931
Just Write! Creative Writing for Kids and Teens
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, as well as time to give and receive supportive feedback on your current projects. For ages 11-14.
4 Thursdays, February 28–March 20, 3:45–5:15 pm. $60
Contact the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (707)829-4797 to register.
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. A former elementary school teacher, Lisa currently teaches a creative writing class for children and teens at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. You can visit her online at www.lisashulman.com
Centa Theresa offers Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers
Helping to define vision & goals for project development, bringing awareness, clarity, committed action, and completion. Offered by phone, in-person, & by email. I also offer consultation services in which I work more directly with you on a project. In the realm of the written word, I have particular interest in poetry, prose poetry, and personal essay. Monthly coaching circle starting soon, bring your vision, your challenges, and your calendars! For further information, or 45 min complimentary session, contact Centa at creativitycoaching@centatheresa.com.
Centa Theresa, M.A.,’s poems have been published in West Coast publications, most recently in DrumVoices Revue, and upcoming in Tiny Lights. She has authored the letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light, published by Clamshell Press. Centa is currently working on a lyric memoir, and on occasion makes art, exhibiting her work in Bay Area galleries.
2008 Quick Start Writing Workshops by Pat Tyler
Jan – thru – April, 2008
Tuesday Evenings, 7-9 PM
The Sitting Room in Cotati
Call Pat 707-696-9640
www.writetody.net
Thursday Mornings 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Rohnert Park Community Center
Call Wendy 707-588-3456
www.writetoday.net
2008 Critique & Revise Writing Workshop
2nd & 4th Thursday Evenings 7-9 PM
The Sitting Room in Cotati
Call Pat 707-696-9640
7th Annual Pleasanton Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival
Saturday & Sunday, April 5&6, 2008
Pleasanton Senior Center, 5353 Sunol Blvd Pleasanton, CA 94566
Join us for a weekend celebration of poetry, prose, and visual arts. One or two day workshops offered.
Sponsored by the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council (PCAC) and the City of Pleasanton.
On-line brochure and registration form available at:
Contest entry deadline: Saturday, March 08, 2008
Early registration deadline: Saturday, March 08, 2008
Last date to register for Festival: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
************
Keynote Speaker: Jane Hirshfield ~ Poet, Essayist, & Translator
Special Event: Z- Space Studio’s Word for Word Youth Arts Program
~ performance & workshop~
“When Tom Smith Caused the 1906 Earthquake” by Greg Sarris
(Sunday 1 PM performance free & open to the public)
************
Featured Festival Events…
Saturday-Sunday: Adult Poetry & Prose Mini-Course
Poetry: Kim Addonizio, www.kimaddonizio.com
Prose: Martha Alderson, www.blockbusterplots.com
Saturday: Adult Poetry Workshops
Kevin Hearle, www.kevinhearle.com
Kathleen Lynch, www.kathleenlynch.com
Saturday: Adult & Teens Prose Workshops
Maureen Biro, www.maureenboydbiro.com
Saturday: Teen Poetry
Connie Post, Livermore Poet Laureate, www.poetrypost.com
Saturday: Youth Poetry
Marta Meltzer, Pleasanton Poet Laureate
Poetry and Prose Contests
-Adult poetry and prose -Teen poetry and prose -Youth poetry
with over $1000 in awards (must be registered to enter)
Also…
*Fine Arts show provided by Pleasanton Art League and other regional artists.
*Literary Row: meet, talk, and mingle with talented local & regional authors
*Saturday evening awards banquet with reading of prize winning poems, contest awards,
door prizes, and music selections by Con Moto.
*Poets Laureate in California Exhibit
Festival information, registration, or brochure:
On-line: www.PleasantonArts.org
Michelle Russo (925) 931-5350, mrusso@ci.pleasanton.ca.us
Kirk Ridgeway, PleasantonPoetry@comcast.net
Contest entry deadline: Saturday, March 08, 2008
Early registration deadline: Saturday, March 08, 2008
Last date to register for Festival: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
2008 FESTIVAL POETRY & PROSE CONTEST
Open only to registered conference attendees. Deadline Saturday, March 08, 2008 (postmark)
For further contest information contact:
Martha Meltzer, Pleasanton’s Poet Laureate, (925) 417-6679, e-mail: m.meltzer@comcast.net
Adult Poetry Short (20 lines or less)
Submission: $3.50 per poem
First prize: $100
Second prize: $50
Third prize: $25
Adult Poetry Long (46 lines or less)
Submission: $3.50 per poem
First prize: $100
Second prize: $50
Third prize: $25
Adult Non-Fiction Prose
Submission: $10.50 per entry
First prize: $100
Second prize: $50
Third prize: $25
Adult Fiction Prose
Submission: $10.50 per entry
First prize: $100
Second prize: $50
Third prize: $25
Teen Poetry (ages 13-19)
Submission: $2.50 per poem
First prize: $100
Second prize: $50
Third prize: $25
Teen Prose (ages 13-19)
Submission: $7.50 per entry
First prize: $100
Second prize: $50
Third prize: $25
Youth Poetry (ages 11-12)
Submission: $1.50 per poem
First prize: $50
Second prize: $35
Third prize: $20
Youth Poetry (ages 8-10)
Submission: $1.25 per poem
First prize: $35
Second prize: $25
Third prize: $15
Youth Poetry (ages 4-7)
Submission: $1.00 per poem
First prize: $15
Second prize: $10
Third prize: $5
Make checks payable to:
Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council (PCAC)
Mail submissions to:
Jim Ott
Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival
c/o UNCLE Credit Union
2100 Las Positas Court
Livermore, CA 94551
RULES: Please read all rules. By entering the contest you certify that you have read them and agree to these contest rules.
NOTE: CONTEST OPEN TO FESTIVAL REGISTRANTS ONLY.
1. Poetry entries: Maximum lines per poem: Short (20), Long (46). Maximum three (3) entries.
Prose entries: 3000 words maximum per each prose piece. Maximum two (2) entries. No co-authored stories.
Entries are to be original works that have never been published nor awarded another contest prize.
2. Entry fee as on prior page. Any form or genre may be entered, short of explicit erotica.
3. Entries must be typed on one side of 8-1/2 x 11” white paper. (One poem per page.)
4. Submit two (2) copies of the entries and a separate cover sheet containing name, address, phone number of the
poet/author, title(s) of entries, e-mail address (if available), age group, and line/word count. Write category and age
group on the top right of each page submitted. No names or copyright markings on entries.
5. Do not send originals – no entries will be returned. No electronic submissions. All entries, registration, and payment
from each registrant are to be sent in one envelope. Each household member should use their own envelope.
6. Entry confers a one-time publishing right; all future rights revert to the author.
7. No revisions and additions will be accepted once initial entry has been received.
8. Send SASE for results. Winners will be notified before March 29, 2008. Decisions of the judge(s) are final.
9. Banquet & Award Ceremony: Winning poems will be read at the banquet and prizes awarded.
FESTIVAL FEES (see brochure or www.PleasantonArts.org for complete details):
1. Saturday & Sunday Poetry & Prose Mini-Courses: $120 early/$135 late registration.
2. Saturday Adult Poetry & Prose workshops: $95 early/$110 late registration.
3. Saturday Youth Poetry morning workshop: $10 early/$15 late registration.
4. Saturday Teen Poetry/Prose workshops: $15 early/$20 late registration (AM or PM workshop only)
$25 early/$35 late registration (AM & PM workshops)
Ginosko Literary Journal Call for Submission
Accepting short fiction & poetry, creative non-fiction and excerpts for the 6th issue of the literary journal Ginosko. Length flexible.
Editorial lead time 1-2 months; accept simultaneous submissions and reprints; receives email & postal submissions. Copyright reverts to author.
Publishing as semiannual ezine–summer & winter. Selecting material for printed anthology.
Check downloadable issues on website for style & tone: http://www.ginoskoliteraryjournal.com/
ezine circulation 2900+. Website traffic150-350 hits/month.
Also looking for artwork, photography, to post on website and links to exchange.
GINOSKO (ghin-océ-koe)
To perceive, understand, realize, come to know; knowledge that has an inception, a progress, an attainment. The recognition of truth by experience.
Member CLMP.
Ginosko Literary Journal
Robert Paul Cesaretti
PO Box 246
Fairfax CA 94978
My-Personal-Growth.com
It was very exciting hearing Marie tell stories of her experiences since The Secret came out. After the overwhelming success of The Secret, it is very encouraging to see how excited Marie is about our project. There is a lot of buzz starting to build o…
By: My-Personal-Growth.com on March 16, 2008
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