Sonoma County Writers’ Guide Update
May 1, 200
Dear Literary Folk,
Farewell to Don Emblen—poet, mentor, friend
Brian Boldt sends this message:
“Don Emblen, who taught English at SRJC for nearly 30 years until his retirement in the mid-’80s, died on April 27 at his home in Santa Rosa. He was chair of the English Department in the ’70s, chosen as the county’s first poet laureate in 2000, the proprietor of the Clamshell Press and a friend and major supporter of Sonoma County poets for decades. Biographer of Peter Mark Roget, Don published a dozen volumes of first-rate poetry.”
Besides his own accomplishments as a prolific and skilled poet, Don published many Sonoma County poets and mentored many more. He was dedicated to a life of letters, metaphorically and physically, setting type in his workshop for broadsides and chapbooks by writers both local and international stature, including Tomas Transtromer, Al Young, and our own dear Judy Stedman.
Don and I worked together on several projects, including the Poetry on the Bus project, which he started during his tenure as poet laureate. He is pictured above with me and Geri Digiorno on the day the project was re-launched, each bus carrying broadsides of poems by Sonoma County adults and youth which he had hand-set and printed.
He will be deeply missed as he was deeply loved. On behalf of the Sonoma County literary community, I wish to extend our deepest sympathies to Linda and family.
On the occasion of his 90th birthday last October, I composed a poem based on a dream in which Don made a spectacular appearance. Here it is:
Man of the Seas, Maker of Metaphors
for Don Emblen
I dreamed last night of a poet’s gathering
in a small room behind your house, smelling of inks
and hand-made paper, cradles of broadsides, drawers of fonts,
letters waiting to be arranged. Tranströmer was there.
Szymborska, too. It seemed you’d invited the living
and the dead from the six directions to raise
a glass of wine or smoke or sage or darkness.
I stood outside, peering through a tiny window
at this gathering, ingathering, and troubled by—
oh, I don’t know what—mistakes, or muteness.
What in our dreams can feel like nakedness.
And so instead I walked the garden, remembering
how once you’d said, “Come, pick the strawberries.
They’re small and sweet, and more than I can use.”
But the time for fruit was behind me, the autumn light
already shifting into minor key.
I walked along the wooden fence, and you
were there beside me. “Look!” you said, and pointed
to a hill in the distance near my house, but green,
as you’d once seen it in a New Year’s poem.
“The hills don’t need our words,” you said. But in October
would the grass be green if you hadn’t
written it one fine January morning?
Far away, and just across the garden,
the poets laughed and talked, some living in
their bodies still, some climbing down from shelves
to raise a toast to you, the man of the seas,
maker of metaphors. And how you came
to be beside me as we walked and in the crowded room
with all your guests and ghosts, I cannot say.
I know that suddenly the fence between
your October garden and my life
made me sad, made my heart sore, as if
every swan had flown away. You opened
your hand, and there inside your palm were letters,
tiny metal blocks as in a child’s game.
I studied them, trying to find the word
that you were offering me. Once I thought “dread,”
once “shore,” and one time “music.” All the while
you smiled, chuckling at my confusion, opened
and closed your hand. Each time I thought
that I could see the word, a new one formed.
And then you were gone. I was alone. But the fence
that had made me so sad, so angry, was rolled up
like a Torah scroll, holding perhaps, the letters
from your hand, or the green hills of winter,
or the far-off laughter of things about to be born.
Terry Ehret
Literary Update Takes a Break in June and July
For those of you who depend on the Literary Update to announce readings and workshops, or to find the literary events you’re looking for, please know that I will be taking a break from producing the Literary Update this summer. There will be no Literary Update in June and July. A wedding and travel plans will be keeping me busy and out-of-touch for a couple of months.
For all events in June and July, please send your announcements to Tom Lombardo, who has graciously agreed to post them on his website:
www.sonomaword.org. You can reach Tom via e-mail at tomlombardo@comcast.net. For more information about Tom’s website, scroll down to the County Wide News category.
Call for Poetry – Your Favorite Poems
In celebration of our love of Poetry, Sebastopol Center for the Arts will present a Favorite Poems Community Reading hosted by Larry Robinson on Thursday, June 4th at 7:00 pm at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.
Modeled on the readings initiated by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, this event will bring together a wide range of people and poems into one memorable evening. You are invited to submit a copy of your single favorite poem, famous or otherwise, one that is not a poem written by you, a friend or relative, but one that you have read, perhaps many times, and to which you feel a personal attachment, along with a brief statement about the poem’s significance in your life. Readers will be selected from among the entries to give a wide variety and breadth to the evening’s readings.
Deadline to enter is May 1, 2009.
Entry Guidelines:
• Entries must be typed in a font no smaller than 12 pt. Times New Roman (or equivalent).
• Entries must be submitted on 8½ x 11″ pages, with margins no less than 1 inch around.
• Entry must identify the person submitting the poem, as well as the author.
• Entries mailed to SCA must have a S.A.S.E. (self addressed stamped envelope) for
notification of selection status. Entries will not be returned.
Selection:
• The host will select 10 – 15 pieces to be read the evening of June 4. Poems should take no more than 5 minutes to read or recite.
• The reading will be Thursday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. at SCA.
• Selected entries will be displayed in a binder at SCA during the month of June.
Deadlines & Fees:
• There is no entry fee, but entries must be received by May 1, 2009.
• Only one entry per person may be submitted.
• Mail or deliver hard-copy entry with completed entry form to: Favorite Poems, SCA , 6780
Depot St., Sebastopol, CA 95472
• Selections will be made by May 20, 2009.
• For more information, call Sebastopol Center for the Arts @ 707-829-4797 or email
Larry Robinson at Lrobpoet@sbcglobal.net
May/June Calendar of Literary Events
The monthly calendar reflects announcements sent to me. To get a more complete list of author-events and workshop schedules, addresses and directions to the event locations, as well as bios of the presenters, you can use these links.
Copperfield’s Books http://www.copperfields.net/
Readers’ Books www.readersbooks.com
WordTemple Poetry Series http://www.wordtemple.com
Petaluma Writers’ Forum and Jumpstart Writing Workshops: www.thewritespot.us
Sebastopol Center for the Arts http://www.sebarts.org/index.htm
SoCoCo Poetry Reading Series edcoletti@sbcglobal.net.
The Sitting Room www.sittingroom.org.
Friday, May 1: Deadline for submitting your favorite poem entry in the Sebastopol Center for the Arts Favorite Poem Community Reading. Guidelines can be found in the previous section of the Update. For more information, call Sebastopol Center for the Arts @ 707-829-4797 or email Larry Robinson at Lrobpoet@sbcglobal.net
Friday, May 1 at 7 PM: Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will give a reading and talk on Japanese linked verse. They will be joined by Mendocino poet Sandy Berrigan. The event will be held at Many Rivers Books & Tea 103 S. Main St. in Sebastopol. For details, scroll down to “News from West County.”
Saturday, May 2 at 3 PM: Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will be reading works of original literature. This reading will inaugurate the 2009 Snake River Reading Series hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Mike Tuggle. Location: Gold Coast Coffee, Moscow Rd and Hwy 116 in Duncans Mills. For details, scroll down to “News from West County.”
Saturday, May 2, 5-7 PM: Poetry Out Loud, a nation-wide poetry recitation program for high-school students, will be having a reprise of our illustrious county-wide event. Several of the school champions will be reciting, as well as their poet-coaches and the judges who evaluated their work. The event will be at Copperfield’s Books, 138 N. Main St., Sebastopol, CA 95472, 707-823-261. In-store contact: Robin Laine, Manager. Learn more about POL at www.poetryoutloud.org.
Sunday, May 3, 2-4 PM: Wine and Words: Livermore’s Poet Laureate, Connie Post, invites you toattend a continuing Livermore Poetry Series, held at the Martinelli Conference and Event Center, catered by Garre Winery and Café, 3585 Greenville Rd. Featured poet is Rick Campbell, followed by open mic (one poem per reader- 40 lines or less). $5.00 for admission; free to students with valid ID. Contact: Connie@poetrypost.com for further information or visit www.poetrypost.com.
Sunday, May 3 5-9 PM: Michael Krasny of KQED’s Forum in conversation with
Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and A Botany of Desire. Winemaker Dinner
with Robert Sinskey Vineyard, Jeff Virnig, winemaker. (This event is currently sold out.) Location: The French Garden Restaurant and Bistro, 8050 Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Tel. 707- 824-2030.For more information, check the website: www.frenchgardenrestaurant.com.
Sunday, May 3 at 4:00 pm: Sonoma County historians Gaye LeBaron and John LeBaron; authors Chester Aaron and Robin Beeman; pianist Gienna Michel Gonnella. Union Hotel, 3703 Main St ., Occidental. Audience participation with memories, stories, etc. encouraged. Sponsored by Occidental Center for the Arts. Fixed price dinner available after event, $15.00 includes salad, bread, and pasta or pizza. Inquiries and reservations: (707)- 874-9392 .
Sunday, May 3, 2-5 PM: Celebration of the Sitting Room’s 28th birthday and also of our 2009 publication, “Far From Home: Lessons Learned,” edited by that indefatigable traveler AND editor, Rosemary Manchester and available for a small donation. Our entertainment will be readings by the authors in our new book. Refreshments will a birthday cake and the traditional Sitting Room punch. No need to call to reserve your place – just show up with bells on and if you wish, a present for the Sitting Room (anything on paper, from poem to book to check – and some practical people even bring her toilet paper!) Kids are welcome, by the way – last year they seemed to be having more fun than anybody else. Let’s all have fun and make wishes for the Sitting Room’s future while enjoying some memories from the past. Old friends and new ones, the best combination. Location: 2025 Curtis Drive, just off Petaluma Hill Rd., south of E. Cotati Blvd. near Sonoma State University. Wear flat shoes and bring a sweater.
Questions: call JJ Wilson, 795-9028
Saturday, May 9: Susan Hagen’s Spring Story Circles For Women. Details can be found in the “Current Workshops” category below, or by contacting Susan:
707-888-0849 or 209-745-9029.
Saturday, May 9 at 3 PM: Jonah Raskin at the Community Center, Sonoma
Saturday, May 9, 1:30 PM: Copperfield’s in Santa Rosa presents Mary Lynn Archibald and Jeane Slone. Location: 2316 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
Sunday, May 10 at 2 PM: SoCoCo At the Toad Poetry Reading Series’ featured readers will include Katherine Hastings, Bill Vartnaw, Amy Trussell, Abby Bogomolny, Karl Frederick, and Hannah Wahlstrum. Location: 116 Fifth St, Santa Rosa (near Old Railroad Square). Admission is free. (707) 573-5935.
Tuesday, May 12, 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Café presents Meg Hamill. Meg Hamill’s Trillions & Trillions of Heartbeats (2008), in collaboration with artist Ted Keller, holds 23 poems. Each lament celebrates a vanished species, lost because of human intervention. Her poems, wakeup signals to ongoing mass extinction on the planet, speak too of coffee shops and Darwin, duality and nonattachment, Indra’s web and Modern Life. In Death Notices (2007), Meg extends imagined obituaries of the dead on all sides in Iraq—GIs, suicide bombers, children at play, Halliburton’s laborers—and addresses America’s inability to grieve the losses of war. Meg is a teacher in the California Poets in the Schools program and is a freelance writer and editor. She was graduated with an MFA from Mills College. Read more at www.meghamill.com.
Open mic: Bring prose or poetry to share. Doors open at 6:30. Light refreshments . Donations appreciated. Location: Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St. (One block east of plaza) Healdsburg, CA 95448. Call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111.
Thursday, May 14 at 7:00-8:30 PM: Stephie Mendel, Karla Clark, Daniel Polikoff, Catharine Clark-Sayles Rose Black will be reading new work at the Tuburon-Belvedere Public Library,1501 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon.
Sunday, May 17, 11:30-1 PM: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street. Hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Bring a poem to share (written by your favorite poet or your own!). Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com
Sunday, May 17, 2-4 PM: Third Sunday Salon presents Jonah Raskin, with his new book, Field Days, A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California. Open mic for short works of literary intent. FREE … Open to the public. Location: City Hall, 401 Grove Street.
Contact: 707-433-7119 or vilmaginz@aol.com
Sunday, May 17, 12:30-1:30 PM: Third Sunday Poetry Reading & Poetry Open Mic presents their featured reader: Award-winning Poet, Geri Digiorno. Hosted by Sher Lianne and John Christian. Poetry open mic. Bring a poem to share. Donation appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-6600. http://www.sonomaword.org/Sher_Christian.php
Sunday, May 17, 2:00-3:30 PM: The Power of Writing to Heal, facilitated by Sher Christian, writer and teacher. Bring a journal and pen. Sliding scale $1 – $20. Peace & Medicine Healing Center, 6771 Sebastopol Avenue, (Hwy 12), Sebastopol. http://www.sonomaword.org/Sher_Christian.php. Details in the “Current and Upcoming Workshops section below.
Thursday, May 21, 7-9 PM: Writers Forum of Petaluma proudly presents Julianne Balmain, aka Nadia Gordon. Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma
$15 at the door. For more details, scroll down to the “Current and Upcoming Workshops section” under Petaluma Writers Forum.
Friday, May 22-Sunday, May 24: Susan Bono and Patti Trimble’s 6th Annual Point Reyes Writing Retreat. Cost is $185 ($175 members). A no-pressure, focused, writing retreat at the stunning Drake’s Beach Lifeboat Station- for anyone who enjoys writing about-or in- nature: the Pacific Ocean, elephant seals, wildflowers, a sky filled with stars. Short workshops on poetry, memoir, and essay. (Bunk) accommodations w/potluck dinner. Pt. Reyes Field Seminars. www.ptreyes.org/fieldseminars/or (415) 663-1200.
Thursday, May 28 at 7 PM: Jonah Raskin at Copperfields’s Sebastopol
Sunday, May 30, 2-4 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its ODD MONTH READING series returns May 30, 2009. The theme is “Mostly Poetry,” since April was National Poetry Month and we’re having a Poetry Contest as part of our Redwood Writers 2009 Conference in October. We encourage everyone to come out, listen, and relax during this exciting literary afternoon. Sonoma County authors will read excerpts from their original poems or other literary pieces. Local author and Redwood Writer member, Ann Wilkes, will emcee this event, which will take place from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Healdsburg branch of the Sonoma County Library, on 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, 707-433-3772. Center Street is the cross street. The general public is welcome. This is a free event.
Wednesday, June 3, 7-9 PM: The North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) presents -How To Get Started As A Children’s Writer: The Ten Things You Need To Know To Blast Your Career From Hobby to Professional by Hillary Homzie. This meeting will be held at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Donation $10. SCBWI is a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. For details, scroll down to the full announcement in “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below, or visit the website at www.scbwi.org <http://www.scbwi.org>.
Thursday-Sunday, June 4-7: Wellspring Writers Weekend: Treat yourself to an inexpensive, local writers’ retreat at Wellspring, a quiet collection of cabins along the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. This three-day program includes lodging for 3 nights, plus workshops and a consultation with a writer-mentor of your choice: Maya Maya Khosla, poetry, Charlotte Gullick, fiction, Todd Evans, playwriting, Bob Stanley, non-fiction. Details are included below in “County-Wide Information.” www.wellspringrenewal.org or contact Todd Evans at evansol@sbcglobal.net
Thursday, June 4, 7 PM: In celebration of our love of Poetry, Sebastopol Center for the Arts will present a Favorite Poems Community Reading hosted by Larry Robinson on Thursday, June 4th at 7:00 pm at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 6780 Depot Street
Sebastopol, CA 95472.
Saturday, June 6, 2-4 PM: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club participates each year in Cotati Conversations. The event takes place at the Cotati Community Center – Stony Point Classroom (#7), at E. School and W. Sierra Streets (216 E. School St.), Cotati, CA, 94931, (707) 792-4600 ext. 640. There is no charge to attend. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.
Sunday, June 7, 3-5 PM: The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its June 7th meeting will feature author David Corbett, who will talk on the topic of “Write What You Know.” Location: Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.
Saturday, June 20, 10 AM to 4 PM: Saturday, June 20, 2009, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Story Stalking: Historical Fiction Writing Workshop with novelist Molly Dwyer, $75, Mariposa Center, Ukiah, Pre-register through June 5 using on-line form at www.mollydwyer.com; registration information: Dot, (707) 463-2736 or 272-8305; mailing address for completing registration: 1117 West Perkins St., Ukiah, CA. For more information, scroll down to “Current and Upcoming Workshops” section below.
Don’t see your event in the calendar? Check to make sure you sent your announcement by the deadline. I am happy to include all announcements, text only (no PDF please), sent to me by the end of each calendar month. Calendar entries are easier to include if they follow the format you see above, and if you can keep the information brief.
County-Wide News
Tom Lombardo sends this special message for Sonoma County Authors:
The Arts Council of Sonoma County has launched a new site, www.sonomaword.org, which we hope will make it easier for people to find you and to connect with the literary scene in our area.
The site, which Tom is developing, is free and 100% devoted to marketing you and your books!
You will have your own page, and sometimes you will be the site’s home page, as it randomly selects a writer for the home page every time someone visits.
1. Your bio
2. Your photo
3. Links to your YouTube videos
4. Links to your site and your blog
5. Title of the book you’re promoting, so I can create an Amazon link for it
6. A summary of your book or a quote from a review — any blurb you want
7. A passage from your book (this is really important)
8. Links to any articles written about you
9. Anything else you want on the page
In the Fall of 2009 the Arts Council will integrate “Word Trails” into the “Art Trails” event that attracts so much attention. Word Trails will be modeled on Art Trails, but it is completely separate. More on that later; but know that it is my intent to have every author in the area promoted at www.sonomaword.org well before then.
I look forward to hearing from all of you soon –
Cheers,
Tom Lombardo
707.338.5337
tomlombardo@comcast.net
Redwood Writers Announces Poetry Contest Winners in Honor of National Poetry Month
The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces the winners of its Poetry Contest. The contest was, in part, a celebration of National Poetry Month in April and part of the California Writers Club centennial celebration. It was open to all residents living in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. All submissions were previously unpublished works and they were judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion.
Winners were announced at the Redwood Writer’s – CWC general meeting held on April 5th. More than 40 entries were received from 26 contributors. The following poets won the contest:
First: Arlene L. Mandell for “Spring Thaw, Yosemite”
Second: Ana Manwaring for “View from a Gondola”
Third: Teresa Fahey Roach for “Earth Song”
Cash prizes of $50, $35, and $20 were awarded to the winners during the presentation at the Redwood Writers April 5th general meeting. Their poems will be published in The Redwood Writer newsletter in the near future.
The contest was organized by Juanita Martin and judged by Jennie Frost-Butler and Brenda Bellinger.
Santa Rosa Junior College Announces the Winners of the 2009
Literary Scholarships and Awards Winners
James C. Cortage and Clara Hall Cortage Scholarship:
Nicholas Titman, Jason Rosten, David Chernus, Tessa Rissacher , Julia Davis
Genevieve Mott Memorial Literary Scholarship: Martina Hutchins
American Legion Auxiliary Theodore Roosevelt Post #21, Eliza London Shepherd Literary Scholarship: Morreen Iverson
Don Emblen Literary Scholarship: Ben C, Rutherford
Duncan Frazier Award: Gretchen M. Rowe
Congratulations to all the winners! For more information about the English Department’s Creative Writing Classes, Literary Awards and Scholarships, visit the website: http://www.santarosa.edu/english/srjc_creative_writing.html
The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces its support for Cotati Conversations
Local Sonoma County poets and writers will read original works and have their books available for sale. Local author and Redwood Writer president, Karen Batchelor, will emcee the event, which will take place on Saturday, June 6th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Cotati Community Center – Stony Point Classroom (#7), at E. School and W. Sierra Streets (216 E. School St.), Cotati, CA, 94931, (707) 792-4600 ext. 640, www.ci.cotati.ca.us.
Authors will share stories, poems, essays and conversation with our friends in the community. Come mix and mingle with authors who will answer questions, sign books, and chat about reading and writing. Confirmation of the following authors attending include: Mary Lynn Archibald, Ana Manwaring, Jennie Frost Butler, George Rathmell and Catharine Bramkamp. Our theme is Writers of the West. Redwood Writers Club members will give some historical information about the Club too.
The general public is welcome. This is a free event and no registration is required.
The 29th Napa Valley Writers’ Conference
July 26–31, 2009
Our 2009 conference features poets Elizabeth Alexander, Carl Dennis, Jane Hirshfield, and David St. John, and novelists Robert Boswell, Peter Ho Davies, Antonya Nelson, and ZZ Packer.
Rolling applications begin March 1
Applications to the 2009 program will be considered between March 1 and June 1. Admissions will be announced on a rolling basis, beginning March 15 and continuing at intervals of about two weeks thereafter. We suggest you apply by April 1 for priority admission and a better chance at your choice of workshop.
Please see www.napawritersconf.org for complete information on the Conference and for application forms. To receive a printed brochure and application, call 707-967-2903 or email writecon@napavalley.edu .
Wellspring Writers’ Weekend
June 4-7, 2009
Treat yourself to an inexpensive, local writers’ retreat at Wellspring, a quiet collection of cabins along the Navarro River in Mendocino County, California. Work on Poetry, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, or Drama in small groups with excellent teachers in a beautiful setting. This three day program includes lodging for 3 nights, plus workshops and a consultation with a writer-mentor of your choice:
Wellspring Writers-in-residence for 2009:
Maya Khosla, poetry. Author of Keel Bone, Web of Water and Heart of Tearing, Ms, Khosla has won many awards for her writing, including the Dorothy Brunsman Award in 2003.
Charlotte Gullick, fiction. Recipient of the Christopher Isherwood Fellowship, Ms. Gullick teaches creative writing and directs the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. Her novel By Way of Water has received much critical acclaim.
Todd Evans, playwriting. With the production of his third play, Battle Road, Mr. Evans continues to explore historical and personal events, to the delight of California audiences.
Bob Stanley, non-fiction. Professor Stanley offers a supportive approach for the first-time writer, as well as a critical eye for advanced memoirists. He has studied with Stephen Yenser, Billy Collins and Galway Kinnell.
Cost of program includes three nights’ lodging, all meals and writers’ program:
Lodges or Cabins with Bath $345
Rustic Cabins $315
Tent Cabins $300
To reserve, email Wellspring at wellsprg@pacific.net, or call 707-895-3893
For details, go to Wellspring’s website at www.wellspringrenewal.org or contact Todd Evans at evansol@sbcglobal.net
Al Young to be Keynote Speaker for October Conference of Redwood Writers
Redwood Writers, the Redwood branch of the California Writers Club, is pleased to announce Al Young as our keynote speaker for the October 23, 2009 pre-Conference dinner event at Santa Rosa’s Flamingo Hotel and Resort, running from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
Al’s talk will be “How the Rainbow Works: Reflections on Poetry and Survival.” He recently returned from three days of Smithsonian interviews for their jazz history archives and will have lots to share.
Cost for the evening is $50.00 per ticket. Al Young is part of an evening of poetry featuring Armando Garcia-Davila, Mike Tuggle, Sonoma County Poet Laureate, and two members of Sixteen Rivers Press, Carolyn Miller and Lynne Knight. The all-day conference follows the next day, October 24th, and pricing for the session will be published in the near future.
The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place the next day, October 24, 2009, from 7:30 am – 6:00pm (including check-in from 7:30 – 8:15am), at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa, 2777 Fourth Street, 95405, (707) 545-8530. This one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting. For more information, go to http://www.redwoodwriters.org/conference.html.
Additional contact information:
Redwood Writers, P.O. Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
News from East County
Thanks to Juanita Martin for providing this month’s East County news.
UniverSoul Reading Series
The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.
News from West County
Thanks to Pat Nolan for providing this month’s West County news.
Many Rivers Book & Tea, Sebastopol
Friday, May 1st at 7PM, Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will give a reading and talk on Japanese linked verse. Poet Keith Abbott teaches writing and art at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Pat Nolan is a poet and long time Sonoma County resident, and has been writing Japanese linked verse with numerous collaborators for over thirty years. They will be joined by Mendacino poet Sandy Berrigan. The event will be held at Many Rivers Books & Tea 103 S. Main St. in Sebastopol.
Gold Coast Coffee, Duncans Mills
Saturday, May 2nd at 3 PM Pat Nolan and Keith Abbott will be reading works of original literature. Keith Abbott, novelist and poet, had been published widely in numerous literary magazines around the world. His memoir of Richard Brautigan, Downstream from Trout Fishing in America is reprinted by Astrophil Press in 2009. Pat Nolan is the author of sixteen books of poetry, most recently Ah Bolinas! a limited edition travel journal in the Basho tradition. This reading will inagurate the 2009 Snake River Reading Series hosted by Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Mike Tuggle. Gold Coast Coffee is located at the intersection of Moscow Rd and Hwy 116 in Duncans Mills.
Low Power Literary Radio in West Sonoma Co.
There are two monthly book shows on local low power FM radio stations. Nearing its second anniversary, Off The Shelf, airs at 8 PM on the first Sunday of the month on Guerneville’s KGGV 95.1FM. Hosted by Peter Andrews and Pat Nolan, the May 4th edition of Off The Shelf will feature travel writer Laurie Gough whose latest book is Kiss The Sunset Pig. KGGV offers streaming at www.kggvfm.org. Book Flaps, the nexus between Books and Life, hosted by Suzanne Lang and Pat Nolan is offered on Occidental’s brand new radio station, KOWS 107.3 FM, on the last Thursday of the month at 5 PM. Previous shows have featured discussions on consciousness and guest poets from the West County.
Brian Martens has a radio show on KGGV FM in Guerneville, the website is KGGVFM.org and the show is on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings of the month, from 10:00-11:00pm. Brian recites poetry and plays eclectic music. Brian features many other poets as well and often has a theme involved. The station is low power so anyone outside of Guerneville has to go to kggvfm.org and click on the streaming link, wait for the commercial to finish and then the station will come through.
News from North County
Thanks to Cynthia Beecher and Vilma Ginzberg for providing this month’s North County News.
Center Literary Café
Meg Hamill on Tuesday, May 12 7-9 PM
Meg Hamill’s Trillions & Trillions of Heartbeats (2008), in collaboration with artist Ted Keller, holds 23 poems. Each lament celebrates a vanished species, lost because of human intervention. Her poems, wakeup signals to ongoing mass extinction on the planet, speak too of coffee shops and Darwin, duality and nonattachment, Indra’s web and Modern Life. In Death Notices (2007), Meg extends imagined obituaries of the dead on all sides in Iraq—GIs, suicide bombers, children at play, Halliburton’s laborers—and addresses America’s inability to grieve the losses of war.
Meg is a teacher in the California Poets in the Schools program and is a freelance writer and editor. She was graduated with an MFA from Mills College. Read more at www.meghamill.com.
Open mic Bring prose or poetry to share
Doors open at 6:30
Light refreshments Donations appreciated
Healdsburg Senior Center, 133 Matheson St. (one block east of plaza), Healdsburg, CA 95448. For information, call Cynthia Helen for info 707 696-1111
Healdsburg Literary Arts Guild
Sunday, May 17, 2 to 4 PM
Third Sunday Salon at City Hall, 401 Grove Street
Featured reader: Jonah Raskin,
with his new book, Field Days, A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California
Open mic for short works of literary intent. FREE … Open to the public
Contact: 707-433-7119 or vilmaginz@aol.com
Sunday, May 24, 2 to 4 PM : Tenth annual Graveside Readings
Oak Mound Cemetery on Piper Street
A program of reverent and irreverent poems and short prose relevant to the Memorial Day weekend, read by members and friends of the Healdsburg Literary Guild
FREE … Open to the public
Contact: Chris Peasley, 838-7497
Sonoma County in Print
If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to tehret99@comcast.net. Be sure to include information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy. You’re announcement will run for three Updates.
Linda Loveland Reid’s novel, Touch of Magenta,
will be available on May 9 at local bookstores and on Amazon.com. For more information go to www.lindalovelandreid.com
Touch of Magenta explores, through the lives to two women, the right we all have to know our personal history; that all secrets be revealed, all lies untold.
The story is set in Sonora’s California gold country, Chinatown, Italy, Singapore, and England.
Coming bookstore events include:
May 9 Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30, at Copperfield’s Books, Santa Rosa in Montgomery Village
May 16, Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30 at Copperfield’s Books in Healdsburg
June 6 Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30 at Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma
June 13 Meet & Greet, Sat 1-3:00 at Copperfield’s Books in Napa
June 18 Book Signing, Thur 7pm at River Reader in Guerneville
June 27 Meet & Greet, Sat 1:30-3:30 at Copperfield’s Books in Calistoga
Stand by for more bookstore events in July and August.
Donna Emerson’s Body Rhymes from Finishing Line Press
I am happy to announce to my friends and acquaintances that my poetry collection from Finishing Line Press, Body Rhymes, comes out this spring. Since this is a limited edition collection, you may order now to reserve a copy. The press run will be determined by the number of orders made before April 10.The book, with a color photograph of mine on the cover, will be mailed to you by the end of May.
“Donna Emerson’s poems—each a small, complete world—reveal their tenderness in detail. The poet William Carlos Williams once said ‘Perception is the first act of imagination,’ and with her photographer’s eye, Emerson invites the reader to see, as if for the first time, what is extraordinary even in the most familiar. But as a poet, she also listens, deeply and intently, to her subject, whether it is a landscape, a memory, or one of the unforgettable souls she has counseled, struggling to reconcile themselves with mortality. And it is with a listening heart that the reader feels with her a wonder at the courage she has witnessed, and inspiration at the truth she captures.”
Terry Ehret, author of Lucky Break
“A lilting voice from a new poet. A new daughter is not all that Donna Emerson gave birth to in her 50s. Her poems are loaded with rich imagery and memory.”
Susan Swartz, author of The Juicy Tomatoes Guide to Ripe Living After 50
Books can be pre-ordered through the website at www.finishinglinepress.com. Click on “New Releases and Forthcoming Titles,” scrolling down alphabetically.
Pierette Mimi Poinsett
Rose-Anne Clermont has written an article about my challenges in the Women’s International Perspective e-zine. The photographer who is uncredited is Michi Adams of Rohnert Park Petaluma. Below is the link:
http://thewip.net/contributors/2009/02/living_one_day_at_a_time_in_th.html
Over the last three years, I have been writing creative non-fiction and poetry. Going into “the family business”:) A memoir cookbook is in the works.
Pierrette Mimi Poinsett MD
http://www.snapdiva.blogspot.com
aka the Yayayarndiva on http://www.ravelry.com
Mary Lynn Archibald named in national “Best Books” 2008
USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced that Mary Lynn Archibald was a finalist in THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS” 2008 AWARDS (NBBA). Awards were presented for titles published in 2008 and late 2007.
This is the third finalist award (the second in the HUMOR category) for Mary Lynn Archibald, for her book, Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, which has attained something of a cult following here in the west. “Always a bridesmaid,” she says.
Mary Lynn Archibald is available interviews to discuss her latest book and related topics. Contact 707-395-0542 or marylynn@winecountrywriter.com
Bill Vartnaw ‘s new book, Suburbs of my Childhood, came out on January15th. Bill says, “This is a book of mostly early poems, lots of seventies, a few eighties and a couple of nineties about my mother, 74 pages.” For more information or to order the book, contact Bill at taureanhorn@hotmail.com. Taurean Horn Press’ address is P.O. Box 641097, San Francisco, CA 94164-1097.
Jeane Slone has just published She Flew Bombers From the Factories to the Bases. People can order it from my web site at www.jeaneslone.com.
Jean Heglund writes, “She Flew Bombers is a fascinating account of one woman’s love of flying and her involvement with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Anyone interested in Aviation History, Women’s History, or the World War II “war effort” will appreciate Jeane Slone’s careful research, as well as her ability to bring this little-know aspect of the US history to life so vividly.”
Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro has just published an anthology entitled Hair Pieces, containing the poetry and prose of 51 of her writing students. Hair Pieces is available for purchase at Copperfields and also at harlmarg@sonic.net. For information about Margaret’s Writing Practice workshops, scroll down to the section “Current and Upcoming Workshops.”
Ann Wilkes’s Awesome Layratt
Ann Wilkes’ first book, Awesome Lavratt (2009) is a tongue-in-cheek space opera with mind control, passion and adventure. Her stories have appeared in online zines and anthologies. She lives in California’s wine country with her husband, Patrick and their youngest son. She’s working on two novels while still cranking out the short funny stories that characterize her writing style. Visit her website, http://www.annwilkes.com, for a full bio, her blog and links to online stories.
Marisol Schowengerdt.’s A Selfish Life?
Marisol is a first-time author with a self-published book, A Selfish Life?, released in October 2008. This fictional work sells throughout Sonoma and Napa county.
The book focuses on the other side of motherhood; the not-so-perfect, yet rarely admitted, side of childrearing. The confrontation to an unspoken reality is embedded in the lives of four women who confront the dilemma of choosing freedom over motherhood, guilt over consequence, and nature over science.
Please visit the website at www.aselfishlife.com for an author biography and a listing of outlets currently carrying this book.
Post your comments on our blog at www.aselfishlife.blogspot.com. Whether or not you have read my book, I am sure most of you know people who have had to deal with teenage pregnancies, infertility, and/or indecision about becoming a parent. I would like to give others a complete perspective about the choices being made and the circumstances that drive the decision of whether or not to have a baby, keep the baby, or buy a baby.
It’s a complicated topic and everyone has an opinion so let’s all share them so that others can take from them for their own decision making. Please feel free to send this around to everyone you know, the more feedback the better.
Mariam Stephens has just published the first of her tales from her Irish childhood, Healings; as well as a CD of the stories read in her own lilting voice. See her website www.MariamStephens.com for information.
Shelley Singer’s Blackjack
BLACKJACK–now available also in E-book and CD-Rom from SynergEbooks.com and major ebookstores–starring Rica Marin, spy and torch singer in the Balkanized world of 2066. Written as Lee Singer. Read the first chapter on Singer’s website.
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Shelley Singer also does manuscript consulting, mostly fiction, fiction of all kinds. Singer will be teaching a workshop on Dialogue for the Redwood Writers at the end of January.
Calls for Submission
If you have a call for submission or a contest of interest to Sonoma County writers, send it to tehret99@comcas.net.
If you’d like to explore ways to get your writing out of the drawer and into print, check out the information on the Literary Folk website and on my personal website:
http://literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses/
http://www.terryehret.com/consulting.htm
Glimmer Train Call for Submissions
The Short Story Award for New Writers competition closes May 31. We’re looking for original, unpublished stories by writers whose fiction has not been presented in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000. Word count range: 500 – 12,000. First-place wins $1,200 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories Issue 74. Second- and third-place winners win $500/$300 (or, if chosen for publication, $700).
For details, visit the website: http://www.glimmertrain.com/shorawfornew2.html
MEMOIR (and) Call for Submissions
MEMOIR (and) is an up-and-coming print journal for the exploration of memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. Our nonprofit mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, personal and critical essay, graphic narratives, narrative poetry, “flash memoir,” autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, journalistic accounts, narrative photography and more. We award four cash prizes twice yearly and charge no entry fee. All work submitted to MEMOIR (and) is eligible to win a prize.
The reading period for Spring+Summer 2010 (Issue 6) is upon us! Accepting traditional and experimental prose, poetry, graphic memoir, narrative photography, lies, and more from 5/1/09 through 8/15/09.
Four prizes up to $500 available for prose, poetry and graphic memoirs. All submissions eligible for contest entry.
For guidelines, contest info and online submissions, visit www.memoirjournal.com.
The Los Angeles Review, established in 2003, is the voice of Los Angeles, and the voice of the nation. With its multitude of cultures, Los Angeles roils at the center of the cauldron of divergent literature emerging from the West Coast. Perhaps from this place something can emerge that speaks to the writer or singer or dancer or wild person in all of us, something disturbing, something alive, something of the possibility of what it could be to be human in the 21st century.
We dedicate the sixth issue of The Los Angeles Review to Wanda Coleman. We invite both published and emerging writers to submit their work to the editors listed below, and we thank you for being part of The Los Angeles Review.
Submission Guidelines:
Issue No. 6¨is scheduled to be released in 2009. Submissions accepted from March 1 to June 1 via email only.
Indicate title and word count in the subject heading. Please include a cover letter and bio in the body of the email and attach your piece as a single .doc or .rtf attachment.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted if noted in the cover letter. No multiple submissions, please. Response tim
e is 2-3 months.
Writers published in the 2009 Los Angeles Review will receive one contributor copy in exchange for first North American serial rights.
Guidelines:
Fiction and nonfiction: We seek essay, memoir, and commentary told as compelling, focused, sustained narrative in a distinctive voice, rich with detail. Send 1,000-4,000 words or delight us with flash nonfiction that cat-burgles our expectations. In fiction we’re looking for to hard-to-put-down shorties under 500 words and lengthier shorts up to 4,000 words–lively, vivid, excellent literary fiction.
Poetry: Please submit 3-5 poems that will surprise us, wow us, and make us wish we’d written them ourselves. We are open to form, free verse, prose poems, and experimental styles. Our only criterion is quality.
Reviews: We welcome reviews of new and recent books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, particularly of books that have not received the critical attention they deserve. Send reviews of three to six pages. No need to query the editor beforehand.
Translations: Please submit 3-5 translated poems that open the poet’s original vision to an English-speaking audience.
Send all submissions to appropriate department email:
Editor: lareview.editor@gmail.com
Fiction Editor: lareview.fiction@gmail.com
Poetry Editor: lareview.poetry@gmail.com
Nonfiction Editor: lareview.nonfiction@gmail.com
Translation Editor: lareview.translations@gmail.com
Review Editor: lareview.bookrevie
ws@gmail.com
New Millennium Contest Deadline June 17, 2009
To Enter our Summer 2009 New Millennium writing awards, read on.
$4,000 in Prizes, plus publication in NMW and on the Web at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com
$1,000 for best Fiction; $1,000 for best Poem; $1,000 best Nonfiction; $1,000 best Short-short Story
(Nonfiction includes humor, memoir, creative nonfiction, travel, opinion, essay, interview, features, investigative reporting, etc.)
Winners of NMW Awards are showcased along with interviews, profiles and tributes to writers such as Khaled Hosseini (The Kite-Runner), J. D. Salinger, Julia Glass, Kurt Vonnegut, Shel Silverstein, George Garrett, Ken Kesey, John Updike, Lee Smith, Cormac McCarthy, Lucille Clifton, Shelby Foote, Paul West, Norman Mailer, Sharyn McCrumb, William Kennedy, Walker Percy, Robert Penn Warren, Faulkner, Hemingway, Dickinson, Keats and many others. Also, prize-winning stories, poems & articles, humor, graphic arts, provocative commentary and more.
To Enter, follow these Guidelines, or enter on-line at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com and click on awards and contests or click here www.writingawards.com (shortcut). When entering online, include title page or cover letter in the file with your submission. It’s easy.
1. No restrictions as to style, content or number of submissions. Enter as often as you like.
2. Winners and selected finalists—including all poetry finalists—will be published in our 2009-10 issue and/or on-line at www.NewMillenniumWritings.com.
3. Send between now and midnight of June 17, 2009. This deadline may be extended once-only.
4. Simultaneous & multiple submissions welcome.
5. Each fiction or nonfiction piece is counted as a separate entry, and should total no more than 6,000 words except Short-short Fiction (no more than 1,000 words). Winners plus selected finalists will be published.
6. Each poetry entry may include up to three poems, not to exceed five pages total per entry. Famed poet and essayist Nikki Giovanni will serve as top poetry judge, and all 20 poetry finalists will be published.
7. Include name, phone, address, email & category on cover page only and upload along with each submission in a single file.
8. Manuscripts not returned. Include email address or SASE for list of winners.
9. Include $17 check payable to NMW with each submission.
10. Enter online at www.writingawards.com or send by U.S. Mail or other carrier to: “NMW” Room EM, PO Box 2463, Knoxville, TN, 37901.
To order a sample issue, add $12.
Current and Upcoming Workshops
Many Sonoma County writers offer their expertise and writing support through local workshops, classes, and consultations. Some are day-long, some are ongoing, and some are retreats. Workshops for this month are listed below. A more complete list of workshop leaders and their contact information appears at the end of this article.
If you have a workshop you’re offering, send a short description (150 words or less) to tehret99@comcast.net.
Stephen Altschuler’s Coaching Service for Non-fiction Writers.
My speciality is personal experience writing, but cover all aspects of the non-fiction genre. I’ve been writing and getting published since 1969. My latest book is The Mindful Hiker (2004), and have written four other books. My website which tells more of my work and this service is www.firstpersonwriting.com .
Stephen Altschuler
stephenaltschuler@mac.com
Susan Bono and Patti Trimble’s 6th Annual Point Reyes Writing Retreat
With poet/essayist Patti Trimble and essayist/publisher Susan Bono
May 22-24 7:30 PM Fri – 4 PM Sun $185 ($175 members)
A no-pressure, focused, writing retreat at the stunning Drake’s Beach Lifeboat Station- for anyone who enjoys writing about-or in- nature: the Pacific Ocean, elephant seals, wildflowers, a sky filled with stars. Short workshops on poetry, memoir, and essay. (Bunk) accommodations w/potluck dinner. Pt. Reyes Field Seminars. www.ptreyes.org/fieldseminars/ or (415) 663-1200.
Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro’s Sonoma County Writing Practice
Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro teaches eight week long writing semesters out of her Santa Rosa downtown office. Three different class times are offered each week. Margaret uses poetry and meditation for inspiration and writers are encouraged to read their work in a supportive atmosphere. The memoir is a valuable form for dropping deeper into the self allowing memories to come forth. This process allows space for self-knowledge to occur. For more information or to receive a flyer call (707)575-8820 or email Margaret at harlmarg@sonic.net. The website for Sonoma County Writing Practice is www.handwritingonline.net
Sher Christian Workshops and Consultations
The Power of Writing to Heal
Sunday, May 17, 2:00 to 3:30 P.M. facilitated by Sher Christian, writer and teacher. “Through story we draw connections between the happenings of life and the lessons of Spirit. Such awareness transforms life from a series of random events to the poetic realm of a sacred tale.” Sue Monk Kidd. Healing unfolds as we express our attempts to understand our experiences, ourselves, our truth. Join us on a journey into your personal story through writing exercises. Bring a journal and pen. Sliding scale $1 – $20. Peace & Medicine Healing Center, 6771 Sebastopol Avenue, (Hwy 12), Sebastopol,
707 823-4206 Sher’s blog is www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com/ or go to http://www.sonomaword.org/Sher_Christian.php
Intuitive, Poetic Phone Consultations
Understand and transcend life challenges, fulfill potential, meet goals, increase well being through attunement to the inner voice, instinct, and poetry of the soul. Life purpose clarity.
MONTHLY COACHING SPECIAL; $50 per month for 45 minutes or $90 per month for 1 1/2 hours. Minimum sign-up for three months. Email poetrytalks@neteze.com for more information. Learn more about Sher at www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com.
Sher Christian has 20 years experience with intuitive coaching. She is a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner and iridologist and has studied aromatherapy. She is the author of “Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry” and co-creator with her husband John Christian of the CD “Sweet Tongue”. She taught creative writing and poetry courses for Sierra College. Sher was a highlighted presenter at The International Flower Essence Conference in Australia and was a core leader of Nourish, the successful women’s retreat in Sonoma last October.
Expressive voice, recording, and/or music and sound effects for your book on CD
Sher Christian is available for voiceover. John Christian does recording, sound effects, and original music on keyboard, accordion, or Hammond organ for your projects.
E-mail for information and a demo on Mp3.
Book: Star Kissed Shadows, Divining Poetry
CD: Sweet Tongue, Assorted Poetry and Music
www.lusciouspoetry.typepad.com
Dan Coshnear’s Writing Workshop
There are a few slots open for the Spring/summer writing workshop led by Dan Coshnear. Class meets at a home in Rohnert Park on Tuesday nights from 6:00 – 9:00. We meet every other week – the following dates: 4/7, 4/21, 5/5, 5/19, 6/2, 6/16. Cost is $150. for 6 classes. (Rates are negotiable and payment can come in installments.)
If interested or you would like more info please contact Dan Coshnear – dan@coshnear.org – or 707-869-0329 as soon as possible.
Amber Coverdale Sumrall’s Writing Retreat in Point Reyes
There is one opening available for the May 15 – 18 Point Reyes three-night writing retreat. Lodging will be in a rustic four-story house on seven acres of forested land, just up from the water on Tomales Bay in Inverness. Carpooling will be available.
We will meet to write Friday evening Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings with the rest of the days free for exploring the area, as we choose. Cost for the three nights will be $275 with breakfasts included Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. There is a large kitchen for meal preparation if you want to bring your own food. Markets and restaurants are nearby, some within walking distance.
Point Reyes, as many of you know is a stunningly beautiful place, especially in the spring, with many amazing places to walk, write and explore. This retreat is limited to twelve participants. All participants will need to bring either a set of twin sheets or sleeping bag, and towel. No linens are provided.
Please let me know if you would like to come or want more information.
Amber Coverdale Sumrall
841 Laurel Glen Rd.
Soquel, CA 95073
(831)477-4375
Marlene Cullen’s Writing Workshops
Jump into writing with Marlene Cullen. Bring a notebook and fast moving pen.
Next Jumpstart session: May 5 – May 26 – 4 weeks
Tuesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am $60 (Petaluma resident); $65, (non-resident)
Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA
Register online: http://activenet6.active.com/petalumarec/
Register in person: Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
For more information: www.thewritespot.us or mcullen@comcast.net
Molly Dwyer Historical Fiction Workshop
Registration is now open for Story Stalking: Historical Fiction Writing Workshop with novelist Molly Dwyer in Ukiah.
This historical fiction writing workshop, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on June 20 takes place at Mariposa Center, a rural retreat in an oak-filled canyon ten minutes from Ukiah/Highway 101 in Mendocino County. The $75 workshop fee includes a copy of Dwyer’s award-winning novel, “Requiem for the Author of Frankenstein” and a box lunch. Early registration is advised, as space is limited.
For registration forms and workshop details, go to www.mollydwyer.com or call Dot at (707) 463-2736 or 272-8305.
Molly Dwyer’s debut novel, published last year, won a national award for historical fiction and was recently nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Fiction as one of the best works by a Northern California author published in 2008.
During the daylong workshop, Molly will use guided and free writing experiences, conversation, and presentation to explore four aspects of writing historical fiction: research, framing, structure, and ethics. She goes beyond standard linear approaches to research, such as internet and primary sources, to include intuitive methods, such as dreaming and synchronicity. In framing a story, Molly addresses how to shape fact into fiction and develop a strong sense of time and place with special attention to the sensibilities of characters living in another period or culture. She’ll suggest ways to structure a complex story that facilitate movement between research and writing, exploring background, foreground and back-story elements. Finally, Molly will examine ethical questions in writing historical fiction, including how to stretch the facts to fit the fiction and how to transform fiction to fit the facts, as well as how to strike a balance between the two.
Dwyer has received glowing reviews for her presentations and workshops throughout the western United States and internationally. “Molly Dwyer gave one of the best, most articulate presentations about writing I have ever experienced, at any venue,” says Cindy Pavlinac, Vice President of the California Writers Club Marin Branch. Molly’s perspective is grounding, informative, inspiring, and current.”
CB Follett, Rebecca Foust, and Susan Terris
Poetry Publishing Workshop
Saturday May 16 9am – 12 noon, at Falkirk Cultural Center
This workshop will aim at providing tips and strategies for getting your poems published in journals and magazines, how to deal with rejections, etc.
$10.00 for Marin Poetry Center members, $15.00 for others.
For information, contact Susan Terris: SDT11@aol.com.
It is not necessary to sign up in advance, but it might help when arranging for workshop handouts or setting up chairs to have an estimate of how many people are planning to come.
Susan Hagen’s May/June Writing Events for Women with
May 1-3 Writing Retreat for Women in Camp Meeker
- $425 includes meals and a private room with shared bath at St. Dorothy’s Rest and Retreat Center in Camp Meeker, CA.
Saturday StoryCircles for Women in Sonoma County
May 9 (Sebastopol)
June 6 (Bodega Bay)
The StoryCircle is a day-long gathering of women who meet to write, share, reflect, and remember who we are. Come once, come every month, or enroll as often as you like. Diversity of the group and a growing pool of participants make each month’s gathering distinctive and fresh. Beginning and experienced writers welcome. $85 per session.
Susan Hagen
The Women at Ground Zero Project
(707) 888-0849
hagen@womenatgroundzero.com
Mendocino Coast Writers Conference Registration opens April 15
Be first in line for the workshop leader you’ve dreamed of working with. Look for our conference brochure in the mail next week. The registration form will also be available online at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_regn.html. Fill out the form, mail it in with your check or credit card information, and registrar Barbara Lee will stack up your envelopes in postmark order, ready for processing when registration opens April 15. Remember, workshops with highly-regarded presenters fill quickly; we don’t want you to be disappointed.
We regret that the accounting system at College of the Redwoods does not allow us to offer online registration.
If you need help with fees, see our Financial Aid page at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_aid.html. For discounts available to Mendocino County students and residents, see our Registration page at http://www.mcwc.org/mcwc_regn.html.
For workshop details and links to the presenters’ websites, please check http://www.mcwc.org. Dates for our conference are Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, August 2, 2009.
Suzanne Murray: The Heart of Writing
The Heart of Writing
Four-Week Classes & One-Day Workshops with Suzanne Murray
Four-Week Classes, Sebastopol, register early limited to 12
Tuesday Mornings, 9:30 am to noon,
May 19 to June 9, $100 paid by 5/12, $115 after
Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:30 pm, downtown Sebastopol, limited to 12
May 19 to June 9, $100 paid by 5/12, $115 after
One-Day Workshops
Saturday, May 30, 10 am to 4 pm, $75 paid by 5/22, $85 after
downtown Sebastopol, register early limited to 12
Small supportive groups. Good for beginners and experienced writers as well as all styles of writing.
Learn simple, powerful techniques to find your voice, tell your stories, calm your inner critic, enter the creative flow, jumpstart your writing and support your creative self. Find support and encouragement and an understanding of the craft of writing and the joyful heart of the creative process.
for more information call or email Suzanne at 707.360.7776 or suzmurr@yahoo.com or website:www.creativitygoeswild.com
North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
*Wednesday, June 3, 7-9 PM: *The North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) presents -* *How To Get Started As A Children’s Writer: The Ten Things You Need To Know To Blast Your Career From Hobby to Professional by Hillary Homzie. This meeting will be held at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Donation $10. SCBWI is a professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books. For details, scroll down to the full announcement in the “County Wide News” section below, or visit the website at www.scbwi.org <http://www.scbwi.org>.
North Bay Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) features Hillary Homzie in their second meeting 7-9 pm, Wednesday, June 3rd, in the library at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 6780 Depot St., Sebastopol, CA 95472, (707) 829-4797. The title of her talk is “How to get started as a Children’s Writer: The Ten Things You Need to Know to Balst your Career from Hobby to Professional.
Hillary Homzie is a visiting associate professor at Hollins University where she teaches in the graduate M.F.A. program in children’s writing. She is the author of the forthcoming tween novel, Things Are Gonna Get Ugly (Simon & Schuster, June 2009) as well as the successful chapter book series Alien Clones From Outer Space (Simon & Schuster), which is being made into an animated television series. In a feature story on her writing workshops, the Los Angeles Times said: “Homzie was very attentive, as well as appreciative and encouraging for almost two hours of bliss.” She has been privately coaching both published authors and aspiring authors for eight years, several of whom have achieved publishing success with major national accolades.
Gwynne O’Gara’s Writing Workshops
For more information and to register, call (707) 823-2993 or e-mail gwynn@gwynnogara.com.
The workshops will be held at the Sitting Room, 170 East Cotati, Cotati, CA.
Gwynn O’Gara is the author of Snake Woman Poems (Beatitude Press) and the chapbooks Fixer-Upper (dpress) and Winter at Green Haven (Word Temple Press). She is active with California Poets in the Schools, and performs with The Redheads and pianist Rob Catterton. In addition to various anthologies, her work has been published in the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Minnetonka Review and Yellow Silk, and will appear in future issues of Argestes, descant, Evansville Review and Beatitudes Golden Anniversary Edition.
Petaluma Writers Forum
Writers Forum of Petaluma proudly presents Julianne Balmain, aka Nadia Gordon.
Thursday, May 21, 2009 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Petaluma Community Center, 320 No. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma
$15 at the door
Feeling Mysterious? How to Write a Great Mystery Novel (and Why You Should). They’re among the most popular books published, and no wonder. Mystery novels are fun to read, fun to write, and a great way to improve your skills as a fiction writer. Whether you write or aspire to write short stories, literary fiction, romance novels, screenplays, or thrillers, trying your hand at a classic mystery novel is an excellent way to learn more about character development, timing, plot, and suspense–all essential and valuable skills, no matter what kind of fiction you write. In this workshop, we’ll explore the mystery as a form, including how to get started, create an outline, map out a plot, and ultimately sell your mystery
novel. You’ll learn how to:
* Create characters readers care about.
* Move the plot forward.
* Create suspense.
* Deliver a satisfying ending.
* Design, pitch, and sell one mystery or a series.
Julianne Balmain is the author of numerous books on food, sex, and generally having a good time, including the Kama Sutra Deck: 50 Ways to Love Your Lover. Writing as Nadia Gordan, she is the author of the Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley mystery series, including Sharpshooter, Death by the Glass, Murder Alfresco, and, coming in April 2009, Lethal Vintage, all from Chronicle Books. Gordon’s culinary mystery novels have been called “jolly, high-calorie pleasure” by the Chicago Tribune, “highly enjoyable” by the Washington Post, and “rapturous” by the Los Angeles Times. Julianne lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.nadiagordon.com
Supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from the Hearst Foundation.
For more information: www.thewritespot.us
Marlene – mcullen@comcast.net
Laurie Reiche ‘s Writing Soiree
Laurie leads writing workshops the third Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM at her home.
The focus is generating new work, both poetry and prose. Sliding scale. For more information, call 415-892-9430 or e-mail p.reiche@comcast.net.
Lessen-Reiche has facilitated workshops for many years. She was the 2006 Winner of Lilith Magazine’s Second Annual Charlotte Newberger National Poetry Award. Her work has also appeared in magazines such as SUNY Upstate Medical Journal: The Healing Muse, and The Southern Poetry Review.
Clara Rosemarda’s Writing Workshops
Clara Rosemarda, MA, writer, counselor, coach, and
workshop leader, has been working with beginning and mainstreams writers for over 25 years. Her prose and poetry is published in literary journals. She is coauthor of STEEPED: In the World of Tea.
Lisa Shulman’s Workshops for Young Writers and Children’s Book Writers
Two Summer Classes for Young People Who Write:
Art and Writing Camp for Girls 11-14. Be an artist in the morning and a writer in the afternoon. In the mornings artist Malia MacDiarmid will show you how to use basic design in drawing, painting, jewelry-making, block printing, and fabric painting. In the afternoons let your imagination soar and your pen go wild with author Lisa Shulman as we write poetry, short stories, scripts, and more.
Session 1: June 29-July 2, M-Th,10 am–3 pm,
Session 2: July 7-10, T-F, 10 am–3 pm
Cost: $200/session if paid by June 1 (includes $25 materials fee); $225 after June 1
For more information or to register, contact Malia 576.1335, email malia@maliamacdiarmid.com or Lisa 823.0431, lisa@lisashulman.com
About the Instructors:
Malia MacDiarmid has been a working artist for 30 years, showing and selling her jewelry and art in stores and juried shows across the country. She’s also worked for many years in children’s theatre, directing, designing sets, and creating costumes.
Lisa Shulman began writing at age 6, and hasn’t stopped since. She has written numerous books for children, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop and The Moon Might Be Milk. As a visiting author, she speaks to hundreds of students about writing each year. Lisa has taught writing at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, College for Kids, and the Reach Creative Arts Magnet Program at Brookhaven Middle School.
Just Write! Creative Writing for Kids and Teens
at SRJC’s College for Kids
This class is for kids who love to write. Explore poetry, short stories, scripts, and other types of writing with children’s author Lisa Shulman. We’ll play with elements of writing such as character, dialogue, sensory details, and metaphor in a fun, relaxed setting. Let your imagination soar and your pen go wild! Each class will include fun group and individual writing activities. For students entering grades 6-9.
Session 1: Monday-Thursday, June 15-18, 1-4 pm, $127
Session 2: Monday-Thursday, June 22-25, 1-4 pm, $127
Contact the Community Education at SRJC (707)527-4372 to register.
Lisa Shulman began writing at age 6, and hasn’t stopped since. She has written numerous books for children, including Old MacDonald had a Woodshop and The Moon Might Be Milk. As a visiting author, she speaks to hundreds of students about writing each year. Lisa has taught writing at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, College for Kids, and the Reach Creative Arts Magnet Program at Brookhaven Middle School.
Books by Lisa Shulman:
Old MacDonald had a Woodshop
The Matzo Ball Boy
The Moon Might Be Milk
Over in the Meadow at the Big Ballet
Centa Theresa: Creative Projects Coaching/Consultation for Artists & Writers
THE POD: ART & WRITING
workshops & monthly creative projects coaching circle…
Centa Theresa, M.A.
www.centatheresa.com 707-478-5903 vicenta@sonic.net
CREATIVE PROJECTS COACHING: Whether you have a manuscript in the making that
you can¹t seem to finish, a body of artwork that needs more of your time, an
idea you¹d like to see manifest but have no plan, etc., I help you to
clarify the vision, identify challenges, claim successes and keep
accountable for stated intentions. Private sessions held in my home
office/studio in Santa Rosa. Call for further inquiry.
ART/WRITING PROCESS: Through dialogue, meditation, free-writing exercises
and the exploration of various art media, focus on a question or theme of
present concern and let the process unfold. Come one time or for a
predetermined series of private sessions in my home studio. Call for further
inquiry.
Call for free consultation. 707-478-5903. www.centatheresa.com
<http://www.centatheresa.com> . vicenta@sonic.net
Centa Theresa M.A. has exhibited her art in Bay Area galleries & had poems
appear or are forthcoming in such journals as Harpur Palate, Eclipse, The
Hurricane Review, Tiny Lights, and DrumVoices Revue. Centa has authored the
letterset edition, Blameless Recognition of Natural Light. She currently
teaches art at Napa State Hospital and has trained in ³creativity coaching²
with Eric Maisel.
Pat Tyler Quick Start Writing Workshops
QUICK START WRITING WORKSHOPS by Pat Tyler
THURSDAY MORNINGS – 9:30 TO 11:30 A.M. – $14.00
A FUN, SAFE PLACE TO WRITE
APRIL – MAY – AND JUNE -
ROHNERT PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
www.writetoday.net – pat.tyler@att.net 707-696-9640
A list of other Sonoma County writing workshop leaders appears in the details about workshops and events at the end of the update. Feel free to contact them about their private consultations or to find out when their next workshops will be.
Sonoma County Writers
Offering Workshops and Consultation
Stephen Altschuler www.firstpersonwriting.com
Guy Beiderman www.lowfatfiction.com
Susan Bono sbono@tiny-lights.com
Margaret Caminsky-Shapiro harlmarg@sonic.net
Dan Coshnear dan@coshnear.org
Sher Christian poetrytalks@neteze.com
Marlene Cullen www.thewritespot.us/ or mcullen@comcast.net
Georgette G. deBlois GGdeB@aol.com.
Nancy Dougherty and Geri Digiorno ncaversd@sonic.net
Terry Ehret tehret99@comcast.net
Susan Hagenhagen@womenatgroundzero.com
Suzanne Murray suzmurr@yahoo.com
Laure Reiche p.reiche@comcast.net
Pauline Reif paulineerh@yahoo.com
Clara Rosemarda rosen@sonic.net
Scott Reid Serkes www.sonic.net/poetry/albany/workshop/intro.html>http: //www.sonic.net
Lisa Shulman www.lisashulman.com.
Shelley Singer http://www.shelleysinger.com
Centa Theresa, m.a.,Writing & Creative Projects Coach
creatvitycoaching@centatheresa.com
Pat Tyler www.writetoday.net
Writers’ Connections
If you’d like to invite others in the literary community to join your writers’ group or network, send an announcement to tehret99@comcast.net.
WESTWORD SECOND SUNDAY SALONS @ SEBASTOPOL, 4-6PM
All poets and writers are welcome to hear and read at monthly gatherings in the quiet comfort of the Center’s west-corner Library Room. Come hear and share home-grown literature, and your writing process, problems, and motives with colleagues in our sessions facilitated by Gor Yaswen, for $1 donation to the Center. Listeners also are cordially invited to these-smoke-and-fragrance-free meetings. For info. call: 707-829-1549
Location: SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6780 DEPOT STREET (@ BROWN ST. & behind Seb. Deli.)
GOR YASWEN
YASWEN@AOL.COM
Blog with me about: “Inspiring Young Children to Read”…
Reading aloud to young children yields benefits aplenty. The NAE sez it this way:
“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required
for eventual success in reading – is reading aloud to children.”
– Commission on Reading of the National Academy of Education
There are five well defined ‘Facts, Advantages and Benefits’ to reading aloud
that I’ve summarized here in relation to Ocean Rudee & Company’s program offerings:
https://www.oceanrudee.com/what.is.ocean.rudee.and.company.html#readaloud
I’d love to hear other thoughts and ideas (from any of you within the Sonoma County
Literary Update universe) in relation to your experiences, ideas and outlooks toward
the future – in regards to reading, books, reading aloud, inspiring young children,
early childhood education, multi-media programming, literacy and the like.
My blog is located here: http://oceanrudee.blogspot.com/
I await hearing the sounds of your keystrokes and absorbing your insights accordingly.
Responsively Reading Aloud I am,
Paul Ennis
pwe@ oceanrudee.com
Sitting Room Book Discussion Group
We meet 2-4 on the third Wednesday of every month, skipping December, at The Sitting Room and are always open to new readers. For more info, email Joanne Page at jpage@sonic.net. (The January 21 book is Pat Barker’s first novel in her trilogy about World War I, “Regeneration.”)
The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club.
The Redwood branch of the California Writers Club announces that its April 5th meeting will feature author Kevin Smokler. He will give a talk called, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Publishing, But Were Afraid to Ask.”
The meeting runs from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati.
The general public is welcome. A $6 fee is charged for non-members.
About Kevin Smokler:
Kevin Smokler is the editor of Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times (Basic Books, 2005) which USA Today called “provocative, irreverent and fun.” He speaks throughout North America on writing, publishing and the endurance of the arts in the digital 21st century. He lives in San Francisco.
For more information please visit http://www.kevinsmokler.com/.
About Redwood Writers:
Redwood Writers is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club, the nation’s oldest professional club for writers, founded in 1909. Its motto is “writers helping writers.” Early members included Jack London, George Sterling, John Muir, Joaquin Miller and the first California poet laureate, Ina Coolbrith. The Club has more than 1,200 members statewide.
The Redwood Writers 2009 Conference takes place on October 24, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort in Santa Rosa. Our one-day conference, part of CWC Centennial activities statewide, will feature agents, editors, and writers from all genres. They will offer their insights and experiences in the craft of writing at beginning through advanced levels, as well as the encouragement of fellow writers in a relaxed and friendly, wine-country setting.
Additional contact information:
Call for Scriptwriters on Weekly Radio Show
Are you an accomplished scriptwriter looking for a long-term project to sink your creativity into? Ocean Rudee & Company of Sebastopol is in the process of pulling together a team of 4 to 6 ‘scriptors’. Project responsibilities will include: the development of an ongoing series of radio serial dramas and related multi-media programs for children from 4 to 8-years of age (as well as their parents, teachers and primary caregivers).
Prior experience writing for children is not necessary. An understanding of how to write for continuity, how to maintain and adhere to a well developed set of character profiles, the ability to function well as a team player, a love of children’s literature and an abiding commitment to the muse – are essential.
If this is you, please visit Ocean Rudee’s website (www.oceanrudee.com) and send them off an e-mail expressing your interest in learning more.
.
Join the Staff of First Leaves
If you have ever wanted to be on the staff of an energetic, literary journal and learn the process of compiling a publication, plan to join English 80 (3 unit, CSU transferable) for the Spring ’09 semester. Students enrolled in English 80 are involved in all aspects of producing a literary journal (with the guidance of the instructor), from approving submissions to putting the actual journal together. Evaluating other people’s work is a great way to learn your own strengths and weaknesses. The class is fun, collaborative, and project-based: we will produce a high-quality, well-designed magazine. We welcome the participation of people throughout the North Bay, including mature working adults, young adults, teens and retirees.
Contact Instructor Abby Bogomolny for more information: (707) 522-2779
Have You ‘Jacket-Flapped’ Lately?
JacketFlap is an international social networking community where you can connect with upwards of 5,000 published authors and illustrators of books for Children and Young Adults. Paul Ennis of Sebastopol reports: “I’ve been a member of JacketFlap (http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=OceanRudee) since late-June of 2008. My efforts to produce audio books for children and source read-aloud materials for my radio program production project (targeting an October 2009 broadcast premiere) have been greatly enhanced by the people I’ve been able to meet through JacketFlap. It’s FREE to join, the community is a vibrant one that does not seem to generate junk e-mails to any great degree and the atmosphere is very professional. If you are ready to network with folks around the world in the children’s book publishing industry this is an online community you need to be a part of. Their membership includes: children’s book authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishing companies, designers, publicists, booksellers, librarians, teachers, students and just plain old ordinary folks who love children’s literature. Check it out – you’ll have fun in the process!”
The International Women’s Writing Guild
The IWWG is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart—the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions—alongside conventional logic. For more information about how to join the IWWG, contact Caroline Brumleve: e-mail iwwg@iwwg. org or visit their website at www.iwwg.org.
Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
SUNDAYS
First Sunday of the month: The Redwood Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday weekends), from 3-5 pm. at the Star Restaurant, 8501 Gravenstein Hwy, corner of Old Redwood Hwy and Hwy 116, in Cotati. A small fee of $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers is asked to cover room rental and light refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Karen at 795-4591.
Second Sunday of the month: Westwood Second Sunday Salons, 4-6 PM. All poets and writers are welcome to hear and read at monthly gatherings in the quiet comfort of the Center’s west-corner Library Room. Come hear and share home-grown literature, and your writing process, problems, and motives with colleagues in our sessions facilitated by Gor Yaswen, for $1 donation to the Center. Listeners also are cordially invited to these-smoke-and-fragrance-free meetings. For info. call: 707-829-1549. Location: SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6780 DEPOT STREET (@ BROWN ST. & behind Seb. Deli.) For more information, contact GOR YASWEN YASWEN@AOL.COM
Sunday afternoons at 2 PM: SoCoCo-At-the-Toad Reading Series - With the closure of Sonoma Coffee Company, the SoCoCo Reading Series will shift to a new venue, day, and time beginning Sunday January 11, 2009 at Toad In the Hole 116 Fifth St. in the Railroad Square area of Santa Rosa. Readings will be held approximately every other month at 2 PM. Toad In the Hole has excellent British pub food and drink and a built in sound system. They are very excited about working with us. So please do note the new time of day. For further information contact SoCoCo-At-the-Toad director and emcee Ed Coletti at edcoletti@sbcglobal.net
Third Sundays 11:30-1:00pm: People, Places and Poetry Discussion Group at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma 189 H street, hosted by Geri DiGiorno and Nancy Long of LiveWire Literary Salon. Writing exercise and reading of your work (only if you want to…)All levels welcomed! No experience required! Last month, twelve people showed up and we had a great time! Couldn’t drag myself out of there! For more info: Nancy Long at nsasha@earthlink.net or Geri DiGiorno at adageri@aol.com
Third Sundays12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. Poetry Reading & Open Mic: Coffee Catz
Poetry Reading. Donations Appreciated. 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 707 829-5643.
Last Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 PM: Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Maguires Pub 145 Kentucky Street in Petaluma. Hosted by Michelle Baynes, the readings begin with a featured reader, followed by open-mic. For more information, contact Michelle at 707-326-3773 or Catherine at 707-338-1554 or e-mail them at PoetryPintsProse@aol.com.
MONDAYS First Monday of the Month: Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa (UUCSR) Writers meet in the "New Room", Unitarian Universalist Congregation Santa Rosa, 547 Mendocino Ave.Santa Rosa, Ca 95401, 707-568-5381 or http://www.uusantarosa.org/ Meetings are held in the afternoon, 4 - 6 pm, and again in the evening, 6:45 - 8:45 pm. Focus: Whatever your creative endeavor: memoirs, letters, history, biographies, the Great American novel, poems, essays, song lyrics, reports, term papers, cook books, web pages, blogs, etc., our focus is to provide an atmosphere where you can improve and hone your writing skills.The UUCSR Writers is open to the novice, the more experienced, and the published author. Membership at UUCSR is not required. UUCSR Writers, Georgette G. deBlois, GGdeB@aol.com, http://uucsrwriters.blogspot.com
TUESDAYS
Second Tuesday of each month 7-9 PM: The Center Literary Cafe hosts a featured writer and an open mic reading at the Healdsburg Senior Center 133 Matheson St. (one block east of the Plaza). Light refreshments are served. Admission is free ($5.00 donation encouraged). Contact: Cynthia Helen Beecher (707) 696-1111.
SATURDAYS
The first Sat of each month, 6-8 pm is UniverSoul open mike poetry and music at Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Hwy 12, Boyes Hot Springs, Ca. 95476(near Sonoma Mission Inn) This venue is hosted by Juanita J. Martin, Sonoma County Library Slam Champion and member of Redwood Writers. This venue welcomes poets and musicians to read and perform on open mike. This venue will host featured poets as well. For more info, call Juanita at (707) 435-1807 or email her at freelance@jmartinpoetwriter.com. You may also call the cafe at (707) 939-1905. Parking is limited.
Intermittently Scheduled Events
ODD Month Readings is sponsored by the Redwood Writers Club. The readings are open to non-members, but are not open mic format. Contact Ann Wilkes at critiquegrpcoord@redwoodwriters.org or 707-792-1704 to get on the list or for more information. Redwood Writers roves the county with talented writers for your listening pleasure.
Haiku Poets of No. California. Join us for our free quarterly readings & workshops. A featured reader, often longtime HPNC members, will present a short reading of haiku and/or other Japanese genre poetry. Each meeting also offers a lengthier program (usually a presentation or workshop related to one of the Japanese forms). There will be one or more round-robin readings, where all attendees have an opportunity, open-mic style, to read and share one or more haiku and tanka. Also news and announcements, including upcoming events, submission calls and brief introductions of any new books of interest, as well as time for socializing and refreshments. A book table is set up for the sale and purchase of HPNC and other books (you may bring your own publications if you have some to sell). Our meetings and special events, which are open to both members and nonmembers, are held quarterly at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, building C, room 235, from 1 to 5 PM. For more information, or to become an HPNC member (which includes a subscription to our renowned semiannual journal Mariposa and a quarterly newsletter) go to the HPNC website at www.haiku-poets-northern-california.com.
How to List Your Announcements in the Literary Update
1. Include the words “Literary Update” in your subject heading.
2. Make sure your announcement is concise, carefully proofread, and copy-edited. Also keep in mind that I can only include announcements that are plain text and presented in the e-mail message (no flyers, PDF’s, or attachments with special formatting please). Retyping text and reformatting special fonts from flyers takes time, sometimes causes errors, and may result in announcements being left out of the Update.
3. Suggest the category where you’d like it placed. These are listed here:
- Monthly Calendar of readings, events and workshops (Please use abbreviated format: Day, date, time: title of event, presenter(s), location, cost, contact information)
- County-Wide Literary News (general interest announcements)
- News from East County (Sonoma area)
- News from North County (Healdsburg area)
- News from West County (Occidental/Guerneville area)
- Sonoma County in Print (new books/chapbooks/CDs by Sonoma County writers)
- Call for Submissions (local literary journals, magazines, contests)Upcoming Workshops and Conferences (current workshops you are offering)
- Writers’ Connections (invitations to join groups, formal or informal)Ongoing Writers’ Groups and Open Mic Readings
- Sonoma County Workshop Leaders (e-mail and website contacts)
Deadline
The deadline for announcements is the last day of each calendar month. If your event is early in the month, send it two months ahead to make sure it gets in the calendar in a timely fashion
Donation
For those who regularly announce their workshops, readings, or services here, a donation of $10/year is appreciated to keep the update and its website going. Donations from regular readers are welcome, too! If you’d like to find out how you can help, please contact me at tehret99@comcast.net.
