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(To read this e-letter on our website, click here.
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In This Issue
From Our
Chapter President
WNBA-SF
News
Member
Profile: Bookworm talks to...
WNBA-National
News
Member
News
From Our Literacy Liaison
Announcements
Link to Renew
Memembership
WNBA-SF News
Silent Auction & Annual Author
Showcase
On Nov. 3, 2-4:30pm at the historic Mechanics'
Institute in San Francisco, WNBA-SF will host our inaugural
Silent Auction and 13th Annual Author Showcase. Along
with our accomplished Author Showcase, we will be conducting a
spectacular silent auction offering prize such as:
- A furnished apartment in Paris
- Consultations with agents
- Professional manuscript review
- Publicity and marketing consultation
- Distinctive wines
- Dinner gift certificates
- Signed copy of the autobiography of Rosa Parks
- Free advertising with Bay Area Business Woman Bay Area
Business Woman
- And much more!
Registration is $15 in advance; $20 at the door.
Click here to RSVP via
PayPal.
Participating WNBA-SF authors will
include:
 Amy Gorman,
Aging Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual
and Performing Women Artists 85-105
www.agingartfully.com |
 Joan
Gelfand, Seeking Center: A
Collection of Poems |
Ruth Silnes, Keeping
Ahead of Winter: 4100 Nautical Miles Inside
America
www.ruthsilnes.com
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Glenda G. Ewing, Mirror
of My Soul
G.G. Bliss Publishing |
 Rita Lakin,
Getting Old Is To Die For, Getting Old Is
Criminal, Getting Old Is the
Best Revenge, and Getting Old Is
Murder
www.ritalakin.com
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 Teresa LeYung
Ryan, Love Made of
Heart
www.lovemadeofheart.com |
 Shyne,
My Human Heart www.shynespoems.com |
 Wendy Nelson
Tokunaga, Midori by
Moonlight www.wendytokunaga.com |
Cheryll W.
Crane, Lady Lazarus
www.cheryllwcrane.com |
Luisa Adams,
Woven of Water 
http://rp-author.com/Adams |
Martha Alderson,
Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple
www.blockbusterplots.com |
Micky Duxbury,
Making Room in Our Hearts: Keeping Family Ties Through
Open Adoption
http://mickyduxbury.com |
Space is limited for this event.
Click here to RSVP via
PayPal.
Need to renew your dues or Join WNBA?
Click Here!
October 10, 2007: Beth Lisick brightens
up work week at WNBA-SF Literary Salon
Several members, including WNBA-SF founder Effie Lee Morris,
kicked off National Reading Group Month by attending the WNBA-SF
hosted Literary Salon on October 10th. Like kids in a
classroom, attendees enjoyed the down-to-earth, comedic stories
of San Francisco Literacy Laureate Beth Lisick. As
suggested in last month’s newsletter, she did indeed tell us all
how we too can land a book deal without writing up a proposal or
pitching an agent. Her advice: simply follow your heart,
write what you know, and have a bit of luck and a ton of patience
(she also mentioned that dressing up like a banana makes the
entire process more fun).
Along with these words of wisdom, the audience had the
pleasure of hearing chapter one of her soon-to-be-released
self-improvement guide, Helping Me Help Myself, due out
in December. As Beth read, laughter from the diverse
audience filled the comfy/cozy space of the BookStop in West
Portal followed by friendly conversations over wine and
appetizers.
WNBA-SF would like to send a warm thank you to Beth
Lisick and all of the members who were able to make it out for
this event. Our next Literary Salon will be held after the
New Year and will be announced in next month's
Bookworm. We hope to see you there!
Beth Lisick is the author of
Everybody into the Pool, a New York Times Extended List
Bestseller and Entertainment Weekly's List of Top 10 Nonfiction
Books of 2005. A more thorough introduction to Beth’s work
can be found at www.bethlisick.com.
Beth Lisick, Effie Lee Morris, Adele Horwitz,
and Mary E. Knippel at Oct. 10th Literary Salon.
October 13, 2007: WNBA Panel Inspires
Mills College Alumnae
WNBA members Linda Lee, V.P., SF Chapter;
Martha Alderson, SF Chapter, and Joan
Gelfand, Secretary SF Chapter, and VP, WNBA National)
were invited to speak to Mills Alumnae at the annual reunion on
campus Saturday October 13. The group included current and
graduated MFA students, aspiring and established writers from the
Mills Community. The three panelists spoke on “Turning Challenges
Into Success” covering several critical aspects and strategies
such as creative ways of using the Internet; hiring consultants
to help craft and hone your plot and story line, and developing
the discipline and a strong constitution for submitting work on a
regular basis. Mills Alum gratefully engaged in a lively
discussion after the presentations which also included an
introduction on the importance of networking and learning about
what WNBA has to offer.
Monthly Board
Meeting
The next meeting of the WNBA-SF board will be held
Thursday, Nov. 1 . All members are welcome to
attend the monthly meeting at the Museum of Modern Art Café in
San Francisco, 6-8pm, on the first Thursday of each month.
Contact Mary
to add agenda items or if you have any questions about the
board. Please note, there will be no December board
meeting.
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WNBA-National News
2008 National Meeting &
WNBA-SF 40th Anniversary Party
WNBA-SF is hosting the 2008 WNBA National Board Meeting, but it
won't be all business. We're having a party! WNBA-SF is
celebrating our 40th Anniversary on Sunday, June 8.
Our kick-off celebration will be the 12th Annual Effie Lee
Morris Children's Lecture on Friday, June 6, 3:30 p.m. at the San
Francisco Main Library. The business meetings will take place in
San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, Sunday all day and Monday
morning (June 7-9, 2008); WNBA members may attend non-voting
sessions. All of the sessions are full of varied discussions, but
every agenda item pertains to furthering our mission of world
wide literacy and fostering professional development of women in
the book industry.
We'll love your help to plan the WNBA National meeting
as well as a spectacular 40th Anniversary Party. Join us on Sat.,
Dec. 1, 10 a.m. (SF location TBA) to discuss the weekend's
festivities. Please send RSVP to Mary.
National Book Group
Month
Last month WNBA celebrated National Reading Group Month
(NRGM) to mark the 90th anniversary of the association's
founding. "Part of WNBA's mission is to promote reading and the
value of books, so we are proud to organize the first-ever
National Reading Group Month. Reading groups inspire, transform
and educate. They foster community and instill an appreciation
for the written word," says Laurie Beckelman, national WNBA
president of the Women's National Book Association. "The launch
of National Reading Group Month is a perfect way to celebrate our
90th anniversary, one that will create a legacy that grows richer
year by year, as more and more friends of the book step up with
new and creative ways to support reading groups."
WBNA-SF held their own literary saloon with author Beth Lisick
to honor National Reading Group Month. Click here to read event
review.
90 Books for 90 Years
The Detroit and LA chapters are both considering collecting 90
books to donate to a local charity in celebration of WNBA's 90th
year. WNBA-SF president Mary E. Knippel would like to not only
collect books for the 90th, but also do something to mark the San
Francisco chapter's 40th anniversary in 2008. Please send your
ideas/comments to Mary to suggest a local charity for
this chapter's donation. i.e.: a woman's shelter would be a
very appropriate recipient. This is a lovely way to mark
our anniversary and provides a great opportunity for local
publicity.
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From Our Literacy
Liaison
Dear WNBA-SF Chapter Members,
We'd love to hear about how you're promoting literacy in your
community. Email me your story and I'll share it with fellow
members so that we can further promote you and the organization
you're helping.
This month we profile Sara Cassella, our new Newsletter committee
member who says:
I discovered Project Read through the September issue of
the Bookworm. After perusing the material at
Project Read, (which I
encourage everyone to do), I was astounded that one out of
every five people in our city is illiterate.
Unfortunately, this statistic seems to be the standard for
the entire American population meaning that 20% of our
nation's population cannot sit down to read a newspaper,
magazine, or book! I am proud to be an American;
however, I am not proud to be part of a nation with such a
high level of illiteracy. The organizers at Project
Read feel the same way, and have developed a way for us to
help. Working one-on-one with an adult who has made the
choice and commitment to learning to read will be one of the
most rewarding aspects of your life.
Thank you, Sara, for taking on this major commitment to help
another community member. I hope you'll report back in a
few months. Keep inspiring us.
For members who live or work in SF and are interested in helping
adult-learners through Project Read, their training schedule is
below.
- November 2007 Tutor Training:
Saturday, 11/3 – Tutor Orientation & Training Pt. 1
(10:00 – 4:00)
Saturday, 11/17 – Tutor Training Pt. 2 (10:00 – 4:00)
- January 2008 Tutor Training: TBA
To attend a training session, please call the
Project Read office at 415-557-4388 so they can mail you
important materials before training begins. Sara
will be in the January training sessions; perhaps you'll want to
join her. If you're interested in other locations, please
email me. Please put "WNBA and Literacy" in your subject
line.
If you decide to get involved, I'd love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
LiteracyLiaison@wnba-sfchapter.org
WNBA-SF Chapter
Board
- President: Mary E. Knippel
- president@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Vice President: Linda Lee
- vicepresident@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Secretary/Past President: Joan
Gelfand
- secretary@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Treasurer: Allegra Harris
- treasurer@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Literacy Liaison: Teresa LeYung
Ryan
- literacyliaison@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Membership Chair: Mary "Shyne"
Lunning
- membership@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Newsletter Editor: Sara Cassella
- newsletter@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Publicity Chair: Barbara Whittaker
- newsletter@wnba-sfchapter.org
- Founding Member: Effie Lee Morris
WNBA National
President: Laurie Beckelman- lbeckleman@aol.com
- SF Chapter Correspondent, National Book
Woman:
- Joan Gelfand
- bookwoman@wnba-sfchapter.org
This e-Letter is a publication of the WNBA-SF Chapter. It is
provided free, via e-mail. ©2007 WNBA-SF Chapter
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From Our Chapter
President
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Dear WNBA-SF Friends,
November is the month when our thoughts turn
to gratitude and  there is so much in my life for
which I am grateful. I give thanks every day
for my family, friends, work that I love, my
health, and the fact that I’m alive to enjoy
all of these things. The recent death of a
close relative, who was only a matter of
days older than me, makes me pause and
absorb this amazing life I have been given.
Life is too precious and too short to waste
time worrying about the past or obsessing
about the future. Being a part of a
community that helps us grow is one way to
honor the gifts we have been given. I'm
grateful to everyone in WNBA-SF who share
this philosophy with me. On that note, I'd
like to share some news about the
newsletter.
Patricia Henley, who has done an
outstanding job with our newsletter, is stepping
down as our editor, but will continue to be a
valuable asset in the production of the
newsletter. We thank her for her continued
contributions to WNBA-SF.
Sara Cassella is a new member
who attended our October board meeting, heard
that we were in need of a volunteer to be the
newsletter editor and decided she'd jump right in
to learn about WNBA-SF from the inside by taking
over the position. She is very enthusiastic about
her new duties working closely with Linda Lee,
our WNBA-SF vice-president and web master, to
insure that the newsletter as well as our
occasional e-blasts reach all of its intended
recipients. I did a short interview with Sara to
get to know her a little better and I’d like to
share her responses with you. (Link to interview with Sara
below.)
Please save these dates:
Don’t miss our Author
Showcase and Silent Auction on Nov. 3,
2-4 p.m. at the historic Mechanic’s Institute
Library in San Francisco. It’s an opportunity to
network with WNBA-SF authors about their recent
publications and a chance to pick up some
wonderful things for the Holidays—which will be
here before you know it. The Silent Auction
features items anyone would appreciate (dinner
and overnight stay at a romantic coastside inn,
award winning wine, unique jewelry) and also some
items especially tailored to appeal to the
writers out there (editing, coaching, creation of
a press release, and critiquing). RSVP
650-361-0344, then go to the web site at
www.wnba-sfchapter.org to
use PayPal to get the
advance $15 price/$20 at the door.
Special guest, WNBA National President Laurie
Beckelman, will be on hand to enjoy the
festivities and congratulate our Showcase
authors.
Please mark your calendar for Sat., Dec.
1, 10am WNBA-SF 40th Anniversary & National
Planning Meeting (SF location TBA). We
will be holding our first committee meeting
devoted to discussing the weekend of June 6-9,
2008 when we will host the WNBA National meeting
and celebrate the 40th anniversary of WNBA-SF. We
want to show off what we love about the Bay Area,
create a memorable visit for the other chapter
officers who will be attending the national
meeting and through a spectacular anniversary
party. All interested parties are welcome; we
need your ideas. Please RSVP to me (Mary) and let
me know you’ll be there.
Please note, there will be no December
board meeting at the Museum of Modern
Art.
Thank you to everyone who attended the National
Reading Group Month event with Beth Lisick at
BookShop West Portal (see article below). We had
a terrific time and look forward to our next
event at BookShop where our members will have a
chance to showcase their work.
Whether you are going to Grandma’s house, or
preparing the holiday meal yourself, I wish you
all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Be well,
Mary
Member Profile: Bookworm talks to
Mary Anderson Park Author of They Called
Me Bunny
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WNBA-SF member Mary Anderson Parks is the
author of They Called Me Bunny (November 2006,
Livingston Press). Mary’s novel follows the ingenious amateur
sleuthing of Bunny who at age 12 dyes her hair to look more like
her adoptive parents and at age 16 sets out to find her
biological mother and father, certain that she was stolen from
them.
Mary was born in Ohio on Dec. 13, 1938. When she was 6, her
family moved to San Francisco and she became a city girl - only
returning to Ohio for summers. She married at 19, while
majoring in English at U.C. Berkeley. Living in Berkeley from
1956-66, Mary says, was an amazing, life-changing experience.
When their daughters were 5 and 10, Mary and her family moved to
Toulouse, France for two years, where her husband did physics
research. Here, she studied French as the only American in
a school with students from 33 countries. The next family move
was to Seattle, where Mary finished college and then went to law
school. She worked as an attorney for the Puyallup Indian Nation,
the Seattle Indian Center, and in her last years as a lawyer, the
foster care and adoption program of United Indians of All Tribes
Foundation.
The Indian community taught Mary a lot about love, survival, and
humor - as did her husband, who is Korean and Chinese and was
born and raised in Shanghai. Currently, Mary and her family
reside in Berkeley.
When did you start writing?
I started writing at the age of eight. I hoped to grow up to
be a writer, maybe because I loved reading so much. However, I
got distracted from writing between the ages of about 20 to 50.
Life intervened!
Why did you choose your particular
genre?
I was in a short story writing class in 1992 when the
teacher, Robert Ray [author of "The Weekend Novelist"], suddenly
had us start a novel, using his "five key scenes" method. I guess
he was testing it out. I found that I loved the novel form. It
gives you much more time to develop characters in depth, to
really go inside them. Also, novels are what I like to read, and
one good piece of advice I've heard is to write what you like to
read.
What inspired you to choose your subject
matter?
The inspiration for my two published novels came mostly from
my work with Native American people. That and being in an
interracial marriage for close to fifty years has given
me some understanding of other cultures, and passionate feelings
about racism. I think the most exciting thing about writing is
seeing what comes up, especially when using Natalie
Goldberg's "keep your hand moving" method.
How difficult/easy has your experience been as a
published author?
The hard part was getting published. (And then getting people
to notice that the book is there!) I sent a query letter and
two-page synopsis to more than 150 publishers before getting an
acceptance for my first book, The Circle Leads Home. With
the second book, I pared the list down to about 80, because I
learned from the rejection slips the first time around which
publishers do only non-fiction, deal only with agents,
specialize in horror stories, or whatever.
What advice would you give other aspiring
authors?
Not to give up! Persistence plays a big part in writing and
also in getting published and marketing your work. Try
letting your characters talk to you. Become the character
and say aloud whatever comes up. It was Natalie Goldberg's
Writing Down the Bones that got me writing again. I recommend
it.
Anything else you would like to share with the
WNBA?
I am very grateful for the support we as members give one
another.
Are you a WNBA-SF member and published author? Would you
like to share your story with WNBA-SF? Contact newsletter editor
Sara Cassella
about being featured in the Member Profile section of the
BookWorm.
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Member News
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We applaud WNBA-SF member, Rita Lakin, whose
novel Getting Old is To Die For will be released in
December. Learn more about this comical mystery series by meeting
Rita at our Nov. 3rd Author's Showcase or visiting www.ritalakin.com.
Congratulations goes to Joan Gelfand,
Secretary SF Chapter, and VP, WNBA National, who
had two poems accepted for publication in October: "War Rant" in
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