Dear Literary Folk,
The Literary Update keeps growing each month as more of you send me announcements and features you’d like the literary community to know about. Here’s how you can help keep the Update current.
In my “low tech” way, I create the Update by cutting and pasting, so please make sure the announcements you send are 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. Finally, it always helps if you 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)
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.
The deadline for announcements is the last day of each calendar month.
Sixteen Rivers’ Benefit will honor Kay Ryan
Our new U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan will be the featured poet at a benefit for Sixteen Rivers Press on October 11, 2008.
Information about this event can be found on the Sixteen Rivers website: http://sixteenriverspress.blogspot.com/ If you’d like to receive an invitation, e-mail me at tehret99@comcast.net.
West Ireland Literary Tour and Writing Retreat, Summer 2009
I will be leading a small group of writers on a literary tour and writing retreat in West Ireland, June 28-July 11, 2009.
We will stay in a private lodge on Galway Bay near the picturesque village of Ballyvaughan, visit various sites in Counties Galway and Clare, including Poulnabrone Dolmen, a burial tomb more than 5,000 years old, Coole Park, the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, and an excursion by boat to the Aran Islands. We’ll tour Yeats’s homes at Thoor Ballylee and Sligo, wander among local fairy rings and fairy wells, and cap the trip with a Medieval banquet of traditional food, drink, Irish song and poetry at Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara;
Ballyvaughan and its neighboring village of Kinvara are two of the most scenic places in Ireland, nestled between the hills of the Burren and the sea, on the southern shore of Galway Bay. The area surrounding Ballyvaughan is a limestone or karst region of haunting beauty.
Besides the tour described above, this is also planned as a writers’ retreat, including eight writing sessions with time to walk, drift, daydream, write in your journal, and share your work in a supportive group.
The cost for the trip is $2,350. This includes a private room, your meals, transportation, daily writing sessions, and the side trips listed above. Airfare is not included.
I currently have room for two travelers to join us. If you’d like to sign up, or learn more about the itinerary, please contact Terry Ehret by October 27 at tehret99@comcast.net.
Poetry of Remembrance Community Reading
Friday, October 24, 6 – 9 PM
Petaluma Art Center, 230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
Each autumn for the past several years, I’ve helped host a bilingual Poetry of Remembrance Community Reading as part of celebration of El Dia de los Muertos. This year, the reading will be held at Petaluma’s new Art Center on Friday, October 24. The new location and the Friday evening timeslot will allow us a full three hours of ceremony, altars, offrendas, pot-luck supper, and community reading. Featured guests hosts include Joaquin Lopez, Jabez Churchill, Armando Garcia Davila, and Beatriz Lagos.
As a community reading, the evening is open to all who would like to read a poem to honor the memory of someone they have lost. Contact me to be included in the program, and time your reading to fit within the 3-5 minute time frame. Bring along a favorite dish of the person you are honoring to be shared in our potluck supper.
The evening begins with a ceremony and performance in the Art Center’s altar exhibit, followed by supper and the community reading with our featured hosts in the Art Center’s open classroom space.
The Bilingual Poetry of Remembrance Community Reading is part of a two-week celebration of El Dia de los Muertos, Petaluma 2008, featuring community altars, bilingual storytelling, sugar skull workshops, music, dance, and a Procession with Giant Puppets: from Helen Putnam Plaza to St. Vincent de Paul Plaza.
Admission is free. For more information about the Dia de Los Muertos events, check out the website at www.petalumaartscouncil.org
To sign up to read, please contact Terry Ehret at tehret99@comcast.net.
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County-Wide Literary News
Happy Birthday to our former Poets Laureate, Don Emblen and David Bromige
Don and David both celebrate birthdays this month. In their honor, here is a poem by each:
“Once…”
Once in a dream of Meaning Meaning drifting came
into a mise-en-scene I thought Saskatchewan
or thought some extra holding up a cue-card
that said it was, as in another part of Shakespeare
We rejoice for the brown grass or simpler,
the hour itself, the first flakes named at all
because they hint of a prior fall, the prairie
white with it, the soft inviting banks
beside where the hiway is becoming inaccessible.
from Threads, Black Sparrow Press, 1976.
It Happens
by Don Emblen
How beautiful,
this humdrum February afternoon,
to rise from grubbing stubborn weeds
and see my friend’s grown daughter
walking toward me up the drive.
The sun behind her makes a halo
of her reddish hair, her face
already sanctified by smiles
she bends upon her sleepy babe I arms.
And from the open window,
my wife and friends,
a trio practicing—flue, piano, violin—
some Duruflé variations,
closely braided, many-colored strands
of one melodic dream,
so fluid and so lyrical I catch my breath.
And then their laughter
when they interrupt themselves
to start again.
I drop my trowel
and stand amazed
by such an old, old dream come true,
this interwoven love amid joy and work and beauty
given me, this ordinary day.
from Petaluma Poetry Walk 10 Year Anthology, Petaluma Poetry Walk Press, 2007
Many Thanks to our Literary Leaders
Katherine Hastings’s WordTemple Series kicked off last month at Copperfield’s Books in Montgomery Village, with a reading by Janine Canan.
The series continues on Friday, October 10 at 7 PM with a reading by Mike Tuggle, Sarah Maclay, and Jessica Fisher. The newly updated website has all the details about the fabulous Fall Season at www.wordtemple.com. You can also find the readings in the monthly calendar of events below. WordTemple is also on air at KRCB 91.1 FM on Wednesdays at 7 PM.
The Sonoma County Book Festival was a great hit on Saturday, September 20. Thanks to the Literary Arts Guild and all their volunteers for organizing and hosting this annual gathering of the literary tribes.
Thanks also to Geri di Giorno and her volunteers—Bill Vartnaw, Carl Macki, Michelle Baynes, Richard Benbrook, and others—for the thirteenth annual Petaluma Poetry Walk on September 21. This event continues to amaze and delight.
And finally, hurrah and huzzah to Dixie Lewis and judie goldberg of PenHouse Ink for their work in bringing us the 2nd annual Guerneville Poetry Walk.
How lucky we are to have literary leaders like this who bring together, season after season, a stellar cast of local and nationally known authors!
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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
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Gospel Music, Dramatic Readings, Art Programs
Part of the Big Read Sonoma County
Gospel music, dramatic readings, and art programs are among the many projects to receive mini-grants from The Big Read Sonoma County. Led by KRCB Public Broadcasting, it is funded in part by the National Endowment of the Arts. All projects are based upon this year’s selected book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a classic novel about coming of age and confronting racism in the South in the middle of the 20th Century. Project-related events will take place between September 20 and October 31, 2008 in various locations throughout the county.
Eight mini-grants, totaling $5000 went out to individuals and organization, such as Analy High School (Sebastopol) math teacher Dave Casey who will work with students to develop a fractal tree of connections between the Maycomb residents, the Santa Rosa Senior Center will be pairing seniors with local high school students to read the novel and other books on similar themes, and KGGV radio (Guerneville) will air a Reader’s Theater group reading of the movie script.
Other grantees included actor and author David Templeton who coordinated a dramatic scene presentation during the recent Sonoma County Book Festival, Sebastopol Center for the Arts for their book-related collage project and discussion group, and the Sonoma Community Center and Readers’ books which have planned a variety of events ranging from a forum with community leaders to a gospel choir concert.
“We were very pleased to receive such creative project ideas,” said Robin Metalitz, Project Director of the Big Read Sonoma County and KRCB Outreach Coordinator. The Selection committee was comprised of volunteers from the Sonoma County Public Library Foundation and Sonoma State University.
The Big Read Sonoma County is facilitated by KRCB in partnership with the Sonoma County Library, Sonoma County Public Library Foundation, the Arts Council of Sonoma County, Sonoma County Book Festival, Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa Junior College and Copperfield’s Books. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
Dates and times for events are still being finalized. To learn more about The Big Read Sonoma County, or any of these events, visit www.bigreadsonoma.com or call Robin Metalitz, KRCB Outreach Coordinator at 707-584-2005.
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.
Publication Party for Homeless In Petaluma by Michelle Baynes
(New Way Media) Photos by Debra Simons
Saturday October 4, 2008
5:00 – 7:00pm
Petaluma Kitchen
301 Payran
Petaluma
Bring canned food and be part of helping to feed people
Contact information:
Michelle Baynes
(707) 326-3773
News from East County
Arthur Dawson—Community Leader
Sonoma Poet Arthur Dawson has been selected as the 2008 Community Leader. For more information about the award and Arthur’s work in the Sonoma County literary community, visit the Literary Update’s website at http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/arthur-dawson-sonomas-literary-community-leader/.
I’d like to extend the invitation to Arthur and to all our readers from Sonoma, Boyes Hot Springs, Glen Ellen, Valley of the Moon, (or the bordering Napa County) to send us word of the events and happenings in your area.
News from West County
Thanks to Renee Owen and Pat Nolan for their contributions below.
Haiku Poets of Northern California
October 23rd, 2008, 7:30-8:30 PM: Garry Gay, creator of the Japanese linked poetic form rengay, as well as co-founder & president of the Haiku Poets of Northern California (HPNC), and John Thompson, longtime HPNC member and contributor to the popularity of the rengay form, celebrate the release of their first book of rengay, The Unlocked Gate, with a reading at Many Rivers Books and Tea, 130 South Main St., Sebastopol, in Sonoma County. For more information see: www.manyriversbooks.com
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.
News from North County
Thanks to Cynthia Beecher and Vilma Ginzberg for the information below.
The Center Literary Café
Tuesday October 14, 2008 7–9 pm
Open mic — Bring prose or poetry to share
Book Sale table for authors to sell
Doors open at 6:30
Featured reader is Hannah Maggiora.
In her fifth decade, Hannah Maggiora became a student in the MFA Program in Writing at University of San Francisco. Initially concerned about her aging brain cells, she was deliciously surprised to encounter the most enriching two-and-a-half years of her writing life. She emerged from the program with a book she named Natural Patterns. It reflects her attraction to non-fiction prose, and inability to shed her love/hate relationship with poetry. Natural Patterns is being readied for publication.
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
Poetry on the Patio
Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 3:30
An afternoon of poetry, film and hearty eating with Chester Aaron, writer and garlic farmer; Bart Schneider, novelist and musician; and Mike Tuggle, Sonoma Poet Laureate
Location: A Divine Affair [new restaurant], 330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. Contact Kahleen Nowak 433-1035. Reservations suggested [$40]
Healdsburg Literary Guild’s Third Sunday Salon
Sunday, October 19, 2008, 2 to 4 PM
Featured writer Tom Mariani after usual open mic
FREE, open to the public
Contact: 433-7119 or 836-9586
Location: Healdsburg City Hall, 401 Grove Street at North
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.
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.
The California Writers Club
The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces its support for Cotati Conversations – an afternoon with local authors featuring a
western theme. 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, October 18th from 1:30 to 3:30 pm at the Cotati Community Center, 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: Rob Loughlan, Mary Lynn Archibald, Ana Manwaring, Jennie Butler, and many more.
The general public is welcome. This is a free event and no registration is required.
The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club also announces that its November 2nd meeting will feature Molly Dwyer who will talk about Synchronicity & Sensibilité in writing. 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.
The CWC invites Sonoma County writers to join the local branch of the Redwood Writers. Scroll down to “Ongoing Writing Groups” for more information about the Redwood Writers monthly meetings and authors’ events, or visit their website: http://www.redwoodwriters.org.
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!”
Haiku Poets of No. California.
Join us on October 26th, 2008 for our quarterly reading & meeting. The featured reader will be Marianna Monaco, longtime HPNC member well-known for her brilliant senyru. There will also be a lengthier program (usually a presentation or workshop related to one of the Japanese forms), and time for all attendees to read and share haiku and tanka, along with news and announcements, 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.
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.
People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group
Sunday, October 19th 11:30-1:00pm 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
Poetry Critique Group Forming
Open to poets of all levels who want feedback on their poems in a supportive, honest environment. A weekday morning (still to be determined) in Sebastopol, maybe bi-monthly or weekly, depending on the interest. Call Claire at 824-9621 or email: cdrucker_2000@yahoo.com
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. Sundays 2-4 PM: Wine and Words: Livermore’s Poet Laureate, Connie Post, invites you to attend a continuing Livermore Poetry Series. Featured Reader begins at 2 p.m. Location: Martinelli Event Center. 3585 Greenville Road. Open Mic will take place. Catered by Garré Winery and Café. One poem per reader (40 lines or fewer). For directions, go to www.garrewinery.com.
3. Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Poetry, Pints, and Prose hosted by Michelle Baynes upstairs at Finbar Devine’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. 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: 145 Kentucky St., Petaluma, Ca. Phone (707) 762-9807 or (707) 762-9800.
4. 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
5. 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.
6. 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
7. 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.
8. ODD Month Readings HEATWAVE Odd Month Reading 2-4PM Featuring Local Authors Free Public event. The Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Sonoma Hwy (Hwy 12), across from Sonoma Mission Inn, Sonoma. Parking is limited. Consider carpooling and save on gas too! 707-939-1905 This reading is OPEN to non-members but is NOT open mic. 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. Find us in Cotati in September.
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. Those workshops coming up in October or November are listed alphabetically by workshop leader or sponsor. Additional details about these workshops, as well as a list of websites for these and other local workshop leaders, are available at the end of the Literary Update.
If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description to tehret99@comcast.net.
“Nourish” Retreat with Sher Christian
You and your friends and loved ones are invited to Nourish, our fabulous women’s retreat at Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, October 16 to 19, a weekend to remember for many years to come. You will be amazed at the strong connection to joy you will bring back from this experience. This powerful group of women will help you connect with your magnificence in many fun and delightful ways. We are offering a great discount of $625, rather than the current $800.
Nourish will provide many opportunities for nourishment of body, mind, and spirit. Savor scrumptious, healthy meals, strolls in the oak-filled hills, soaks in the hot tub, swims, modules on nutrition, visioning, creativity and writing, feng shui, herbs. Choose to get a massage or read, go to daily meditation and/or yoga. We’ll have many surprises, sweet camaraderie, circle, ceremony, singing, poetry with music, and fun entertainment. Contact Karen Kappa at 707 665-0809 or kjcappico@earthlink.net for more information or to enroll.
Warmly,
Sher Lianne Christian
Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction with Dan Coshnear
Fiction Writers and Creative Non-Fiction Writers, please consider joining a workshop in progress, led by Dan Coshnear, hosted by Harry and Linda Reid in Penngrove (directly across the street from entrance to SSU). We meet for three hours on Wednesday evenings from 6-9pm. We potluck and then get down to business. We plan to meet on 9/17, 10/1, 10/15 & 10/29. We’re looking for up to five new members. Cost is $100. for four sessions. Please contact me, Dan Coshnear, if you have questions or wish to enroll – dan@coshnear.org or 707-869-0329.
Marlene Cullen’s Jumpstart Writing Workshop (Freewrites)
New Jumpstart Writing Workshop with Marlene Cullen starts October 1.
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, short stories. Bring a notebook and fast moving pen.
Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am - 5 weeks $50 (Petaluma resident); $55
(non-resident)
October 1 to November 4
Location: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd.
More information: www.thewritespot.us or mcullen@comcast.net
Suzanne Murray’s 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,
October 14 to November 4, $100 paid by 10/7, $115 after
Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12
October 14 to November 4, $100 paid by 10/7, $115 after
One-Day Workshops
Saturday, October 25, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 10/17, $85 after
Saturday, November 22, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 11/14, $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
Rilke Workshops with Daniel Polikoff
Rilke scholar Daniel Polikoff will give four Rilke workshops this Fall, to be held at a private home in Kentfield, Thursday mornings, from 9:30-1:30.These workshops are part of an ongoing monthly series. The following note from Daniel includes a description of this year’s workshops, plus information about Daniel himself.
For more information, please call Rose Black at 510.633.1888.
This year’s Rilke workshops will focus upon the climax of Rilke’s poetic career. We will complete our reading of his “Duino Elegies,” and proceed to encounter “closely” his “Sonnets to Orpheus.” (Though we will avail ourselves of various translations in addition to the German, we will work most closely with my own translation of the sonnets.) Naturally, we’ll address the mythic figure of Orpheus, and discuss how this unusual sequence figures as a culminating distillation of the whole of Rilke’s poetic soul-work.
Daniel Polikoff received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Cornell University and his Diploma in Waldorf Education from Steiner College. He has taught literature in 4 Waldorf schools, and lectured and given workshops (many on Rilke) in such places as Notre Dame University, the California Institute of Integral Studies, the SF Jung Society, and the Napa Valley Writer’s Conference. Daniel Polikoff is the author/translator of “Parzival/Gawain: Two Plays from The Grail” by A.M. Miller, translated and edited by Daniel Polikoff (Steiner College Press, 2003); his first collection of poetry, “Dragon Ship,” was published by Tebot Bach Press this year. He has also published poetry and translations in more than fifty literary journals, and is currently completing a book on Rilke…a project closely coordinated with his ongoing Bay Area Rilke workshops.
Petaluma Writers Forum
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
Sponsored by the Petaluma Arts Council (www.petalumaartscouncil.org) and
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
Scott Reid’s Updraft: An Online Poetry Workshop to Ignite Your Imagination
This long-distance learning adventure is for all ages and levels of experience. All you need is the desire to make better poems and a willingness to study the craft of poetry.
In this workshop, you have the opportunity to:* Meet poets from around the world * Make new friends * Write a new poem every week * Take a class that fits into your schedule * Have fun We meet online Saturday mornings for guided writing exercises. Students engage in brainstorm techniques and writing assignments that focus on various aspects of poetry. Upon finishing the first draft, we post our writing to a private discussion board and then
critique follows. Throughout the week, we revise and post our second drafts. Students receive peer feedback as well as individual mentoring from the instructor.
Class begins 13 September, 2008 and runs for six weeks.
Instructor Scott Reid, MA presents poetry writing classes for children in Sonoma County with California Poets in the Schools. His poems have appeared in Blue Unicorn, The Berkeley Poetry Review, Melic Review, Sow’s Ear, and The Dickens, and he has received writing fellowships to the Squaw Valley Writers’ Conference, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. As presenter of poetry for adults since 1989, he
has taught many classes in poetry at the Albany Adult School. The Updraft poetry workshop is starting its eighth year.
For information about the class, please visit:
http://www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html
Writing Workshops with Clara Rosemarda
Deep Inquiry: A Memoir Workshop
It’s the depth of inquiry, says Vivian Gornick, that guides us into memoir. On this Day of the Dead we will enter our personal archives to explore our lives and those who have kept us company along the way. We will quiet the mind to expand on what is there. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.
Saturday, November 1st, 10am – 5pm fee $95 ($85 if paid by October 18th) Space is limited.
Contact Clara: 707:579-2081 rosen@sonic.net
WRITING FROM YOUR CORE: A Creative Writing Workshop
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 workshop will inspire your muse to write from a core place. Through meditation, visualizations, and other exercises that quiet the mind and expand the imagination, you will access core images, ideas, and memories. I provide a comfortable safe environment for the writer to emerge. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.
5 sessions begin Wednesday, November 5th, 7 – 9:30pm OR
Thursday, November 6th, 10am – 12:30pm
fee $150 ($140 if paid by October 22nd) Space is limited.
Contact Clara: 707:579-2081 rosen@sonic.net
More information about Clara Rosemarda can be found at the end of the Update.
Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writer’s Sampler Part XIX
SCA announces the 19th 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. Instructors include Mike Tuggle (Oct. 6), Guy Biederman (October 13) , Claire Drucker (Oct. 20) and Jewel Mathieson (Oct. 27).
Classes are Monday evenings October 6 – October 27 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.
A detailed list of Writer’s Sampler presentations appears at the end of the Update.
Lisa Shulman’s Workshops for Kids and Teens
Express yourself through poetry, prose, scripts, and other types of writing. No homework, no due dates, no grades. Just fun group and individual writing activities in a relaxed setting.
Teen Writing Workshop
Dates: 4 Wednesdays, 4-5:30 pm, October 15 to November 5, $40 (partial scholarships available) Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931
Just Write! Creative Writing for Kids and Teens
For ages 11-14. 6 Thursdays, October 16-–November 20, 3:45–5:15 pm
Fee: $90. Contact the Sebastopol Center for the Arts (707)829-4797 to register.
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 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, September 3 to November 19, $60
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931
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.
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
Sitting Room Seeks Submissions
for its 2009 Publication, Far From Home: Lessons Learned
Sometimes we have to leave home to find ourselves. Perhaps yo 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.
October Calendar of Literary Events
The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me, and a sample of the literary presentations at various bookstores. 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, October 4, 5-7 PM: Publication Party for Homeless in Petaluma, by Michelle Baynes (New Way Media) Photos by Debra Simons. Location: Petaluma Kitchen, 301 Payran, Petaluma. Bring canned food and be part of helping to feed people. Contact information: Michelle Baynes (707) 326-3773.
Sunday, October 5 at 2 PM: A group reading by participants of Diane di Prima’s “Hanging Out and Writing Workshop” at the Center for Visionary Women: Allegra Brucker, Cathrine Craig, Geri Digiorno, Geba Greenberg, Sara Maria Larsen, Elsa Marley, Margaret O’Hanlon, Stephanie Silvia and Roberta Werdinger. Location: Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia Street between 15th& 16th Sts. Admission $5.
Sunday, October 5 at 3 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club presents Guy Biederman who will talk about “Why I Will Not Write Today!” His talk involves fun exercises to get started and keep writing. It also covers, with broad strokes, elements of “lowfat fiction” story structure and creative exploration on paper. 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.
Monday, October 6, 7-9 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler presents Mike Tuggle – POETRY AS ACT. Location: 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.
Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m: WordTemple Poetry Series presents Mike Tuggle, Sarah Maclay and Jessica Fisher at Copperfield’s Books, Montgomery Village Santa Rosa.
Saturday, October 11 at 7 PM: Sixteen Rivers Press hosts a reading by US Poet Laureate Kay Ryan. The evening is a benefit for the non-profit, regional poetry publishing collective. Visit the website for more information: www. sixteenrivers.org. Click on “events.”
Sunday, October 12, 2-4 PM: Lizann Bassham will read from both her books, Barefoot, a coming of age story set in northern California, and One of Another, a novel about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati.
Monday, October 13 at 7 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler presents Guy Biederman – WRITING WITH SCISSORS (& tape) Location: 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.
Details about Guy Beiderman and the Writers’ Sampler Series can also be found at the end of the Literary Update.
Wednesday, October 15 at 7 PM: WordTemple on KRCB 91.1 FM presents HELEN ADAM and KRISTIN PREVALLET. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1909, Helen Adam became a vital participant in the San Francisco Renaissance. WordTemple host Katherine Hastings talks with Kristen Prevallet, editor of A Helen Adam Reader, plays recordings of Helen Adam performing her work. This is a program of high historical, feminist and poetic interest.
Thursday, October 16, 7 to 9 PM: Petaluma Writers’ Forum presents Rob Loughran “ Five Things I Wish I Did Not Know About Writing.” Location: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma. $15 at the door.
Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 3:30 PM: An afternoon of poetry, film and hearty eating with Chester Aaron, writer and garlic farmer; Bart Schneider, novelist and musician; and Mike Tuggle, Sonoma Poet Laureate. Location: A Divine Affair [new restaurant], 330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. Contact Kathleen Nowak 433-1035. Reservations suggested [$40]
Saturday, October 18 at 6 PM: Potluck and Program on Early California Woman Artists. Charize Stasz will present a program on women artists 1852-1930 who were widely known in their lifetimes, but not widely displayed today. The potluck will begin at 6 PM, the program follows at 7. For those coming to the Potluck, bring Caifornia food. Location: JJ Wilson’s house, 2025 Curtis Drive, Rohnert Park, just off Petaluma Hill Road near East Cotati. For more information call JJ as 795-9028.
Sunday, October 19 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places,and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Café, 189 H Street in Petaluma, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon.
Theme: Hanging Poems in Trees.
Sunday October 19, 2 to 4 PM: Healdsburg Literary Guild’s Third Sunday Salon presentes featured writer Tom Mariani after usual open mic. FREE, open to the public. Contact: 433-7119 or 836-9586. Location: Healdsburg City Hall, 401 Grove Street at North.
Monday, October 20 at 7 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler presents Claire Drucker – THE CHANT POEM OR WRITING POEMS THAT SING. Location: 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.
Details about Clair Drucker and the Writers’ Sampler Series can also be found at the end of the Literary Update.
Thursday, October 23, 7:30-8:30 PM: Garry Gay, creator of the Japanese linked poetic form rengay, as well as co-founder & president of the Haiku Poets of Northern California (HPNC), and John Thompson, longtime HPNC member and contributor to the popularity of the rengay form, celebrate the release of their first book of rengay, The Unlocked Gate, with a reading at Many Rivers Books and Tea, 130 South Main St., Sebastopol, in Sonoma County. For more information see: www.manyriversbooks.com
Friday, October 24, 6 – 9 PM: Poems of Remembrance: An Evening of Bilingual Poetry at the Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville Street next to Petaluma’s visitor center. The evening will include a pot-luck supper with favorite dishes of those whose memory we wish to honor, and poems to honor the dead, read in Spanish and English by members of the Sonoma County community. Featured poets are Beatrice Lagos, Joaquin Lopez, Jabez Churchill, and Armando Garcia Davila. To join the community readers, contact Terry Ehret at tehret99@comcast.net. You can get the complete list of events at the Petaluma Arts Council Website: www.petalumaartscouncil.org
Monday, October 27 at 7 PM: Sebastopol Center for the Arts Writers’ Sampler presents Jewel Mathieson – 5RHYTHMS READING. Location: 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.Details about Jewel Mathieson and the Writers’ Sampler Series can also be found at the end of the Update.
Saturday, November 1, 11 AM: Bilingual Story Time for Preschoolers: stories, songs, and poetry for ages 2-5 at the Petaluma Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma. This event is part of the two week celebration of El Dia de los Muertos. You can get the complete list of events at the Petaluma Arts Council Website: www.petalumaartscouncil.org
Saturday, November 1, Noon-4 PM: Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival at Civic Center Mark, MLK Jr. Way at Center Street, Berkeley. A Day of Poetry, Music and Environmental Activism with Robert Hass, Jane Hirshfield, Brenda Hillman, Chris Olander, Camile Dungy, Mike Tuggle, and more. Free admission.
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.
Sonoma County Writers
Offering Workshops and Consultation
Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com
Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com
Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org
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
creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com
Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net
Details about Workshops, Events,
Contests, and Calls for Submission
Below, you will find the list of ongoing writing events and details about other workshops (alphabetical by workshop leader), calls for submission, and contests listed in the calendar. .
Sher Christian
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.
Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry
CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music
www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com
Nourish Retreat
You and your friends and loved ones are invited to Nourish, our fabulous women’s retreat at Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, October 16 to 19, a weekend to remember for many years to come. You will be amazed at the strong connection to joy you will bring back from this experience. This powerful group of women will help you connect with your magnificence in many fun and delightful ways. We are offering a great discount of $625, rather than the current $800.
Nourish will provide many opportunities for nourishment of body, mind, and spirit. Savor scrumptious, healthy meals, strolls in the oak-filled hills, soaks in the hot tub, swims, modules on nutrition, visioning, creativity and writing, feng shui, herbs. Choose to get a massage or read, go to daily meditation and/or yoga. We’ll have many surprises, sweet camaraderie, circle, ceremony, singing, poetry with music, and fun entertainment. Contact Karen Kappa at 707 665-0809 or kjcappico@earthlink.net for more information or to enroll.
Warmly,
Sher Lianne Christian
Intuitive Phone Consultations & Poetic Inspiration
Voiceover, Recording, & Music
Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry
CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music
Buy Now: Click on link. Go to store. www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/
Suzanne Murray The Heart of Writing – Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops
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.
Suzanne’s current workshops are listed in the Update above. For more information call or email Suzanne at 707.874.9614 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website: www.creativitygoeswild.com
Petaluma Writers Forum October and November workshops are listed under “Upcoming Workshops” above.
Laurie 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”
Clara Rosemarda
Deep Inquiry: A Memoir Workshop
It’s the depth of inquiry, says Vivian Gornick, that guides us into memoir. On this Day of the Dead we will enter our personal archives to explore our lives and those who have kept us company along the way. We will quiet the mind to expand on what is there. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.
Saturday, November 1st, 10am – 5pm fee $95 ($85 if paid by October 18th) Space is limited.
Contact Clara: 707:579-2081 rosen@sonic.net
WRITING FROM YOUR CORE: A Creative Writing Workshop
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 workshop will inspire your muse to write from a core place. Through meditation, visualizations, and other exercises that quiet the mind and expand the imagination, you will access core images, ideas, and memories. I provide a comfortable safe environment for the writer to emerge. Open to beginning as well as seasoned writers.
5 sessions begin Wednesday, November 5th, 7 – 9:30pm OR
Thursday, November 6th, 10am – 12:30pm
fee $150 ($140 if paid by October 22nd) Space is limited.
Contact Clara: 707:579-2081 rosen@sonic.net
“One can write nothing readable unless one constantly struggles to efface one’s own personality. Good prose is like a window pane.” George Orwell from “Why I Write”
For over 25 years Clara Rosemarda, writer and inspirational teacher, has been creating workshops that help writers of all kinds release their deepest and truest writing voices. She teaches in Santa Rosa and internationally. Her poems and essays have been published in literary journals such as Tiny Lights:A Journal of Personal Essay, and in the anthology, Zebulon Nights. She is co-editor and contributor of the literary anthology, STEEPED: In the World of Tea (Interlink Publishing, 2004).
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
WRITER’S SAMPLER, PART XIX
SCA announces the 19th 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. Instructors include Mike Tuggle, Guy Biederman, Claire Drucker and Jewel Mathieson. Join us for these four inspiring evenings.
Classes are Monday evenings October 6 – October 27 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.
October 6: Mike Tuggle – POETRY AS ACT
This workshop will center on the poem as occasion, as artifact. On how the poem means rather than the why. How for instance we feel the sound of the poem physically. Participants will bring a short poem of their own which we will read and discuss focusing on this aspect.
Mike Tuggle, the current poet laureate of Sonoma County, is the author, with Susan Kennedy, of Cazadero Poems (Floating Island Press), Absolute Elsewhere (Filos Press). His new book, The Singing Itself, (Running Wolf Press), will be out toward the end of the year.
October 13: Guy Biederman – WRITING WITH SCISSORS (& tape)
Narrow stories, wheel stories, & mobius strip stories. The ending of every tale is inherent in the beginning. We’ll explore this notion of fictional structure with discussion, samples, and in-class low fat fiction writing. We’ll discover how the size and shape of the surfaces on which we place our words affect how and what we write. We’ll have fun. We’ll astonish ourselves. And perhaps we’ll re-invent the wheel (it’s about time, don’t you think?) Bring scissors, tape, and writing utensils, and naturally, never leave home without your Imagination!
Guy Biederman, M.A. is the founder of Lowfat Fiction School of Writing. He publishes Bust Out Stories, is the author of House Samurai (IOTA PRESS), and the creator of several patentless, & ‘utterly frivolous’ inventions. He lives with his family at Haiku House in Sebastopol.
October 20: Claire Drucker – THE CHANT POEM OR WRITING POEMS THAT SING
The chant poem is an ancient oral tradition still practiced in many cultures around the world today that uses repetition to call something, anything, into being, from asking for rain, ensuring a good harvest to releasing illness. In our culture, poetry is enjoying a resurgence in its spoken form but how do we put music into our lines when we sit in front of our computers and compose for the page? Looking at several chant poems and then writing some of our own, we’ll explore how repetition and variations on a theme can sing our words awake, adding musical energy to the language we’re trying to express.
Claire has taught English and creative writing at SRJC for more than 10 years and teaches poetry to children in the public schools through CA Poets In The Schools. Her poems have been published in numerous journals, such as Epiphany, CA Quarterly, Diner, Women Artists Datebook and Puerto del Sol.
October 27: Jewel Mathieson – 5RHYTHMS READING
Bring 2 lines-2 minutes of original poetry or prose. Using movement, rhythm and breath we will investigate how to recite with intention and impact. We will create a sacred, ritual container for a dynamic presentation of our collective wisdom.
Jewel holds a national title for ‘Oral Interpretation of Literature’, a past Slam Champion, a featured poet for Gabrielle Roth, Donna Karan Urban Zen Initiative and Bill Moyers National City Poetry Competition. Jewel is also a founding member of the Center of the Universe Cafe Open Mike Forum and the Poet Laureate of the International 5 Rhythms Dancing Tribe. Her work has been published in Sweat Your Prayers and other books, including her own: Silk Tracks and This Dance.
Lisa Shulman’s Writing Workhops for Youth and Teens
Teen Writing Workshop
Love to write? Express yourself through poetry, prose, scripts, and other types of writing. No homework, no due dates, no grades. Just fun group and individual writing activities in a relaxed setting. Each class includes time to give and receive supportive feedback on your current projects.
Dates: 4 Wednesdays, 4-5:30 pm, October 15 to November 5, $40 (partial scholarships available)
Location: The Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati Ave., Cotati, CA 94931
For more information and to reserve a space, email lisa@lisashulman.com
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.
6 Thursdays, October 16-–November 20, 3:45–5:15 pm
Fee: $90
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 has taught creative writing for children and teens in Sebastopol and at Santa Rosa Junior College. 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 and visit her website at www.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.
Pat Tyler: 2008 Quick Start Writing Workshops
Current Workshops have ended. For information about Pat’s upcoming offerings, call 707-696-9640 or e-mail her at www.writetoday.net.
