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Mission Statement
The Woman's National Book Association is a national organization of women and men who
work with and value books. WNBA exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of
the book.
The Women's National Book Association was established in 1917, before women in America had the
right to vote.
The San Francisco branch of WNBA is one chapter in a vibrant organization with over 800 members
across the county. Each branch has its own flavor and lively events to honor books—the creation of books, the
world of books, and allied arts.
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Events
Please consider joining us soon at one of our events. The networking possibilities alone, not to mention the
chance to make new writer-friends, is what WNBA is all about.
Wednesday, Dec. 14: Holiday Celebration
Ring out the old and bring in the new with the WNBA board and membership at this gala event. Check our upcoming
newsletters for updates!
For the above WNBA events, please RSVP to our Hospitality Chair, Vicki Weiland, at vcweiland-writer@yahoo.com. Or
you can call 415-614-2533.
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Announcements
The 1st ANNUAL San Francisco Writers Conference Writing Contest: Writers of all genres are invited to
compete and win in four categories plus one overall grand prize in the First Annual San Francisco Writers
Conference Writing Contest. Open to everyone, the categories are fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children's
books. The Overall Grand Prize is $500 cash, plus a chance for publication as the winner's entire manuscript will
be read by a publishing industry professional. The First Place winner in each category will receive $250 plus a
winner certificate and the Runner Up in each category will win $100 cash plus a winner certificate. The Entry Fee
is $25 per submission.
Materials must be received by December 31, 2005. Finalists in each category will be notified by January 31,
2006. Winners will be announced at the 2006 San Francisco Writers Conference, February 17-19, 2006, at the Mark
Hopkins Hotel on San Francisco's historic Nob Hill.
For further details, please visit www.sfwriters.org or email contest@sfwriters.org.
The Journal: William Allen Non fiction Writing Contest: The Journal's annual William Allen Creative
Nonfiction Contest has issued a call for entries. This annual competition honors the work of William Allen, the
founding editor of The Journal. The Journal is excited to have Sue William Silverman as this year's judge. She is
the internationally acclaimed author of the memoir LOVE SICK. She has also written two volumes of poetry
and numerous essays, stories, and poems that have appeared in places as far ranging as Redbook and the Chicago
Tribune.
The William Allen Creative Nonfiction Prize offers $500 and publication of the winning essay in the
Spring/Summer 2006 issue of The Journal. Feel free to submit work that explores any style, subject matter, and
form of the nonfiction genre. Please submit only previously unpublished material. The Journal accepts
simultaneous submissions as long as you let them know if the essay is accepted elsewhere. All entries will be
considered for publication. Entry fee for the contest is $10. Make check or money order payable to: The Journal.
Manuscripts should be double-spaced and should not exceed 6,500 words. To keep the judging anonymous, only list
contact information on a separate cover letter. For a list of winners, include SASE.
For more information, go to www.english.osu.edu/journals/the_journal.
The address for mailing is William Allen Nonfiction Prize - The Journal, Department of English, The Ohio State
University, 164 West 17th Ave, Columbus OH 43210.
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Classes
Write Your Memoir Online, with Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D.
Have you been meaning to write your personal story? Do you have a book you'd like to work on but don't have time
for classes? Join Linda Joy Myers' online memoir class. Self-paced, includes phone consultations, exercises, and
feedback. $150 for 4 classes / $225 for 6 classes. Visit www.memoriesandmemoirs.com or email
Linda (writeforlife@earthlink.net) for more details.
Master Poetry and Fiction Program with Joan Gelfand, author of SEEKING CENTER
From your first draft to the stage, Joan Gelfand, author of SEEKING CENTER, will coach participants in
public readings. Learn how to choose the right poem, essay or story for a memorable reading. Classes will include
writing exercises and workshops. Our class 'finale' will be a group reading at a popular San Francisco venue.
Joan is President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Women's National Book Association and has over twenty years
writing, publishing and training experience. Awarded the Chaffin Fiction Prize for 2005, her publication credits
include The New York Times, Poets & Writers, If Women Ruled the World, Streets of New York, The Meridian
Journal of Contemporary Poetry and numerous literary journals and publications.
Enrollment in the program is limited. Classes take place: January 9th - February 27th, 2006. Mondays 7pm - 9pm
in San Francisco. Fee: $245 before December 31, 2005, $295 after. You can register for the Program with PayPal by
clicking on www.jg.typepad.com/ciel/poetryprogram. For more information, contact Joan at joangelfand@pacbell.net or call
415-665-9292.
Advanced Fiction Workshop with Ellen Sussman, author of ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS
Ellen Sussman will be offering a ten-week writing course this winter, at her house in Los Altos Hills. If you're
interested, contact her at ellen@ellensussman.com. For more information about Ellen check out her website: www.ellensussman.com. The workshop will take
place on Thursday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30. Dates: Jan 5 – April 6 (skipping a couple of dates in the middle). Cost:
$500 for ten classes.
Winter Session at The Writing Salon: Jan/Feb/March 2006 Classes
The current Fall Session of classes at The Writing Salon is winding down, and the upcoming Winter Session course
descriptions, dates and times are now posted on the website: www.writingsalons.com. You may sign up
online, over the phone, or by mail. The Writing Salon notes that they prefer that you sign up online if at
all possible, because you'll receive an automated email confirmation followed by an email receipt. It's a
much faster and more efficient way to register.
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In This Issue
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Welcome
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Welcome to the December edition of Bookworm, our monthly Newsletter—news and events featuring San Francisco WNBA
members!
I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I
want and what I fear —Joan Didion
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Call for Volunteers
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We need your help! The WNBA-SF Board is working hard to make WNBA an organization that supports, promotes, and
assists writers, readers, and the endangered art of literacy. In order to make us even stronger, we need volunteers
interested in writing for our BookWorm; be a liaison correspondent for our national newsletter, BookWoman; and help
staff our events. If you are interested in volunteering, please send us an e-mail at womensnationalbookassoc-sf@earthlink.net and let us know your interest and availability.
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From Our President
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December brings the holidays and the end of the year. At this time of year I find myself taking stock, assessing
what's working, what's not. I find myself grateful for the many wonderful colleagues and friends in the WNBA who
have sparked my creativity and taught me so much.
It's the end of the year, but it's still a nascent millennium. Thanks to the hard work of WNBA's National
officers, the WNBA is moving into the next century as an Internet savvy organization. Our Immediate Past National
President, Margaret Auer has been busy compiling a web-based directory of every WNBA member in all nine chapters.
When it's complete, you will have access to a fantastic database of over 900 members - members who can be a
resource and answer questions about the literary world.
In addition, the New York City Chapter is now offering streaming access of all their panels. Access to the
panels is via a password that will be e-mailed to you by mid-December. Please watch for it, and be aware that we
will not use the word PASSWORD in the subject heading for security reasons. The e-mail title will be: "Please
take note." Let us know what you think of the panels, of our chapter, and website. We welcome feedback and
participation.
The entire board of the WNBA-San Francisco wishes all of you a Happy Holiday season. We hope to meet many of
you at our Holiday Party on December 14th. Check the website (www.wnba-sfchapter.org) for details. —Joan
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Member News
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WNBA SF member Catherine Burr announces the upcoming publication of two novels. SILICON SECRETS (
New Line Press, 2006. ISBN: 1892851016 $14.95) is a love story set in the modern gold rush days of Silicon
Valley. DESIRES AND DECEPTIONS (New Line Press, 2006. ISBN: 1892851024. $14.95.) is the story of a young
girl's journey into womanhood and a business venture that brings her to grips with her romantic ambition and
conflicting values. Bestselling author Catherine Burr is the recipient of the "Outstanding Author Award" from
Book Review Café and a two-time inductee in the Saratoga "Authors Hall of Fame." The Midwest Book Review calls
her, "a genuinely gifted author [with] an undeniable ability to craft memorable characters and …unpredictable
events ... Highly recommended!" Visit Catherine at www.catherineburr.com.
WNBA SF member Jin McBurney-Lin announces the spring publication of MY HALF OF THE SKY (Komenar
Publishing, May 2006. ISBN: 0977208117. $24.95.) This moving novel follows the tale of Li Hui, a contemporary
Chinese woman of marriageable age whon finds herself caught in the crucible of change affecting her village. As
conflicting guidance and advice come from all corners of her world, she struggles with finding love and acting
with honor.
WNBA SF member Lynn Scott announces the publication of A JOYFUL ENCOUNTER: My Mother, My Alzheimer
Clients, and Me (iUniverse. November 2005. ISBN: 0595362117. $12.95). Ms. Scott's poignantly recounts her
experiences working with the special folks in an Alzheimer's unit, during which time she healed her relationship
with her late mother. Please visit Lynn at www.lynnscottbooks.com for more information.
WNBA SF member Elaine Dallman announces the publication of her chapbook of poetry, NEVADANS. The
chapbook is being distributed by the San Francisco nonprofit, Women in Literature. The renowned poet Mary Stewart
Hammond has said this about NEVADANS: "These poems possess a wry vision rich in subtle ironies and
emotional generosity … the language and imagery are as gritty and spare as Nevada itself." Ms. Dallman has
directed workshops in Southern Illinois and the University of Nevada at Reno. For ordering information, please
visit www.elainedallman.com.
WNBA SF member Virginia W. Thomson has published her historical novel LAWSON'S CASTLE (February,
2001. AuthorHouse. ISBN: 1588203166. $26.95) Set during the Napoleonic era and the freeing of the slaves in
Barbados, this novel of romance and suspense features historical details of the authentic castle, which still
stands today. For more information, please visit www.lawsonscastle.com.
WNBA SF-member Diane LeBow's work this year has appeared in VIA (AAA) Magazine, Bay Area Travel
Writers' Magazine, and Skirt Magazine. She has been a guest speaker at the Wild Writing Women's Literary Salon,
at a benefit for the Global Fund for Women, and at the NWBA Showcase in SF. Her story "The Fisher Baron's
Secret", which appears in the anthology France: A Love Story, was read on Traveling Music Radio, KUSF 90.3
FM, San Francisco, and can be heard on www.travmusic.com. Her photo of an Afghan woman in Kabul won the BATW Silver Award.
WNBA SF member and our chapter president Joan Gelfand was awarded the Chaffin 2005 Fiction Prize for
her story, "PARIS BLUES REDUX". The prize includes $100. Joan also published—and was paid for!— a poem in The
Jewish Women's Literary Annual.
WNBA SF Member Sherry Richert Belul announces the publication of SIMPLY CELEBRATES: 101 Simple Ways
to Turn Ordinary Days into an Extraordinary Life (Illustrated by Gregory Bracken. Mad Moon Press, 2005.
$15.95. ISBN: 0-9774666-0-4). This whimsical book offers 101 ideas for bringing celebration into everyday life.
Make your days livelier, more fun, more generous, and more spontaneous. Make them simply extraordinary. With 101
full-color watercolor illustrations. For more information, please visit www.SimplyCelebrate.net.
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Member Profile: Rita Lakin, author of Getting Old is Murder
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Author Rita Lakin announces the
release of her novel GETTING OLD IS MURDER (Bantam/Dell ISBN:0-440-24258-4) the first in a new comedy
mystery series. If you're a senior and in trouble, you need to call Gladdy Gold. So reads the ad proclaiming a
new business run by the oldest living PI in Ft. Lauderdale, and maybe the whole world. Gladdy and her
octogenarian pals had been enjoying retirement; reading murder mysteries, seeing lots of movies, playing bingo
and eating early bird dinners, when some of the senior women in their condo began to die. Gladdy is suspicious,
but cute detective Morrie Langford insists they died of old age. With the help of her funny, adorable and
sometimes maddening "girls," (and despite the hindrance of all the quirky, kibitzing condo inhabitants) Gladdy
solves a diabolical crime. No more lounging around the pool - the girls feel energized, and a new career is born.
Rita Lakin was a screen writer in Los Angeles for twenty-five years. She worked in television as a free-lance
writer, story editor, staff writer, wrote many movies for television and finally created her own series which she
also produced and was show-runner. Her credits are numerous, beginning with Dr. Kildare, Peyton Place, Mod Squad
and Dynasty. Rita has also co-written a musical, "Saturday Night at Grossingers", which just finished a
successful run in Los Angeles and will be opening January 10th in Ft. Lauderdale.
Now living in San Rafael, she is writing novels and loving it.
Rita has won the coveted Avery Hopwood Award for Fiction at the University of Michigan. She also won an EDGAR
for one of her television shows. For more information, please visit her at www.ritalakin.com.
BookWorm Talks to Rita Lakin, author of Getting Old is Murder
- Why did you start writing?
- I can't remember a time I didn't write. Even as a child I wrote little stories. I don't actually know
why. It's just what I did. It felt right. It was (and is) something I enjoyed.
- Why did you choose mystery?
- I like the genre. It's my favorite choice of books to read. I think some very good writing is now found
in this genre. I wrote many TV scripts during the years I worked in that field, and always wanted to write
mysteries. I did get a chance to do a few suspense scripts, but not actual mysteries. So now I can spend the
time to do mysteries only.
- Tell us about how you got published.
- I had a NY agent for a year and nothing happened. Then I got a local agent. Nothing happened there,
either. It was after I got advice from another writer to cut almost 100 pages that [the manuscript] sold to
Bantam. I feel very lucky to be with them. My editor, Caitlin Alexander, is very supportive and very good at
what she does.
- How difficult has it been to launch yourself as a published author?
- I'm in the middle of it right now. It's a lot of work and a lot of fun.
- Tell us about your most successful marketing technique.
- I made up a catchy flyer and sent it out to many people and places. My editor and personal PR guy has
sent them out, too. I've gotten very good feedback on them. Ditto with some recipe cards I sent out (recipes
for "murder" from my book) These seem very successful, too.
- What advice would you give to other writers?
- The obvious. Don't talk about it. Do it. And don't give up. If you really have talent, hopefully it will
pay off eventually. Go to good workshops and get some real feedback on your work. Join groups that network.
Like the WNBA.
We wish Rita the best of luck with her novel! If you are a published author and are interested in being
profiled in the next issue of BookWorm, please contact Christopher Gortner at wnbaeditor@mindspring.com.
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