Mary Anderson Parks, left, takes a turn at the microphone
at the Nov. 15 "Use the News" workshop. See
Member News for more details.
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WNBA Events
•The next WNBA-SF board meeting is set for 6-8pm on Thursday, Dec
7, at the Café at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. E-mail maryeknippel@gmail.com by Dec. 4 if you have anything you
would like to have added to the agenda or have any questions. Open to all members,
board meetings are usually held at the museum cafe on the first Thursday of the
month.
•'Tis the Season! Celebrate the holidays in a cozy
and intimate setting with your fellow WNBA members on Wednesday, Dec 13,
5:45-8pm, at 1029 Jones St, between California and Pine streets. Free parking on
Pine at 5:45-5:50pm. Come share holiday stories from seasons past and create new
ones. This is a marvelous annual tradition. Please bring a nosh to share and a
wrapped book to exchange. Our hosts will be Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada. If
you have any questions, call 415-673-0939.
•Don't miss the special board meeting and brunch to get a great start on
2007 on Saturday, Jan 6, 9am-1pm at the home of WNBA-SF president Mary E.
Knippel. The future of WNBA-SF depends on all of us to be involved in what we do
next. Please bring your passion for WNBA-SF and your creative spirit to this
long range planning session. We will spend the morning strategizing about
programs and future networking opportunities for WNBA-SF. There will be ample time
for a walk on the coastal trail, a wander down to the beach to feel the sand
between your toes, an amble through the quaint shops on Half Moon Bay's historic
Main Street, or to go in search of a new volume of verse at one of our local
independent bookstores. If you have a suggestion of something that needs to be
addressed at this brainstorming/organizational meeting, please e-mail maryeknippel@gmail.com by Jan 4 so she can be sure everyone's
items are included in the agenda.
•New Year, New Creative You Workshop sponsored by WNBA-SF on Saturday,
Jan 27, 9-11:30am in the historic train depot in Half Moon Bay. Are you
ready to think outside the box, to create a new you in 2007? WNBA-SF president Mary
E. Knippel and Luisa Adams have put together a program to give you new tools to
help you to get 2007 off to an enthusiastic start and reawaken the body-mind-spirit
connection with exercises to inspire peak performance in the physical and mental
realm.
Luisa is an award-winning writer, educator, workshop leader and Brain Gym®
instructor/consultant. Brain Gym® integrates the body and the mind; enhancing
learning and performance in all areas. Luisa will help participants learn methods
to focus, set priorities and relieve stress through self-help activities. This
program addresses the physical components of learning and stresses learning through
movement. It builds on what the learner already knows and does well.
Mary, a freelance writer, editor, artist, long-time journal enthusiast and
creativity ally will lead participants in a creative journaling experience which
will include collage and a short writing exercise. A journal is a record for
yourself, about yourself, and an empowering path to self-discovery and change.
Writing in a journal is another connection to working on our inner life and outer
relationships.
The cost is $20 for WNBA-SF members and $25 non-members. For more information
e-mail Mary at maryeknippel@gmail.com, or call 650-361-0344. Mail your
registration fee by Jan 15 to New Year, New Creative You, WNBA-SF Chapter, 2261
Market St #164, San Francisco, CA 94114.
•The WNBA-SF chapter newsletter, the BookWorm, is published the first of
every month. We love to announce members' publications, articles, book-signings,
workshops, awards or other milestones. The deadline for submissions is the
20th of each month; please send items to wnbaeditor@vom.com.
(If you don't receive a "got it" response within a few days of sending your e-mail,
please try again.)
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Classes, Conferences, and Other Writing
Announcements
San Francisco Writers Conference
When: Feb 16-18
Where: Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco
Cost: $595; to register: www.sfwriters.org
Details: This event brings literary agents, publishers and editors from the West
Coast and New York to the historic Mark Hopkins Hotel over President's Day Weekend.
The weekend will include more than 40 workshops. Among this year's keynote speakers
will be Po Bronson (Why Do I Love These People?), Debbie Macomber
(Susannah's Garden), and Firoozeh Dumas (Funny in Farsi). Indulge in
writing workshops taught by best-selling authors. Meet editors and agents looking
for new talent. Take time to network with other writers. Discover cutting edge
information on publishing. This is a great place to get serous about your writing
career.
WOW! Women on Writing
When: Mar 3
Where: Skyline College, San Bruno
Cost: $60 until Jan. 26; $85 until Feb. 23; $100/door, Students $25 thru Feb. 23.
To register or for more information: www.smccd.net/accounts/skywow
Details: WOW! 2007 is the fifth annual conference celebrating International
Women's Day. This year's keynote speaker will be Ayelet Waldman, author of Love
& Other Impossible Pursuits, Daughter's Keeper and The
Mommy-Track Mysteries. Among the many workshops and panel discussions will be
"Transforming Grief Into Potent Writing by WNBA-SF members Teresa LeYung
Ryan (Love Made of Heart), and Lynn Scott (A Joyful Encounter:
My Mother, My Alzheimer Clients and Me).
Conference participants come from the nine Bay Area counties and beyond,
bringing together a remarkable range of ages from 11 to 90-something. Skyline
College is a center for the intellectual nurturance of women of all ages, extending
far beyond the numbers who regularly enroll in courses. The conference brings
together faculty, staff, students and community members with culturally diverse
writers and artists who introduce new ideas and pedagogies associated with women's
studies curriculum in colleges and universities.
Jack London Writers Conference
Sponsored by San Francisco Peninsula Branch of California Writer's Club
When: Mar 24
Where: Crown Plaza Hotel, Foster City
Cost: $150 ($125 CWC members), $95 full time students. Registration and more
information: www.sfpeninsulawriters.com
Details: Spend one incredible day with successful authors and teachers,
including WNBA-SF's Ellen Sussman. Among the 16 workshops will be: Finding
Your Writer's Voice, First Draft/Second Draft, Creating Blockbuster Plots
(presented by WNBA-SF's Martha Alderson) Romancing the Page, Moving the Plot
Through Dialogue, Writing for Children, Creating Characters that Leap off the Page
and more.
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WNBA-National News
•On Dec 3 at a special ceremony in New York, Dr. Perri Klass, a
pediatrician and the author of several books on parenting and medicine, will be
officially presented with the 2006 WNBA Award. An announcement about this event was
published in the Nov 15 issue of the New York Times. Perri is also the
president of the literacy program Reach Out and Read. This award is presented every
other year to an American women whose work in the book world goes "beyond the
duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation." Eleanor Roosevelt,
Rachel Carson and Barbara Tuchman are among previous winners. WNBA-SF Past
President Joan Gelfand will be attending the award ceremony, and will tell us all
about it in the January issue of the BookWorm.
•Attention WNBA-SF Authors: Gain more internet
presence by submitting your book information to the new WNBA Author Section on
the WNBA National web site. To be included in the WNBA Author Section, current
members of WNBA-SF must send their information in a Microsoft Word attachment to:
maryeknippel@gmail.com with WNBA author listing in the subject
line by Dec 30. Members should include: their name (first and last name and middle
initial if it has been included in the publication), book title(s), publisher(s),
and date(s) of publication for any book they have written and/or illustrated, a web
site address, and any award bestowed on the work(s).
•The WNBA national newsletter, the Bookwoman, goes out to nine chapters
with more than 900 members nationwide. Joan Gelfand ( joangelfand@pacbell.net) is our SF chapter correspondent;
please contact her if you have news you'd like sent to this national
newsletter—talks, publications, appearances, awards, reviews or feature-length
article ideas.
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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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In This Issue
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Welcome
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Welcome to the December 2006 edition of Bookworm, with news and events highlighting
San Francisco WNBA members!
"Why do writers write? Because it isn't there."—Thomas Berger
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From Our Chapter President
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Dear WNBA Friends,
As I am writing this, I am thinking about the holidays I enjoyed
as a child. I can smell the fresh pine trees and almost taste
Grandma's buttery, wafer thin, sugar cookies that practically
melted in your mouth. How fortunate for me that I live on the coast
where many of California's Christmas trees are grown; so I can
easily find my favorite Nobel Fir with silvery needles. And my
sugar cookies may not have the Christmas magic Grandma sprinkled
into every batch she made for us, but they will be pretty darn
close.
Before the hustle and bustle of December swallows us up,
please check the
WNBA Events section for details on these
activities, and remember to mark your calendars for these exciting
events:
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Mary E. Knippel
Sharie Cohen Photography |
- Thursday, Dec 7 join us for the monthly board
meeting.
- Wednesday, Dec 13 we'll gather for a delightful
holiday tradition, the annual WNBA-SF party.
- Saturday, Jan 6, all are welcome to a special
board meeting, brunch and long-range planning session at
my home in Half Moon Bay.
- Saturday, Jan 27, WNBA-SF presents a New Year,
New Creative You Workshop.
Again, details on all these activities are in this newsletter's
WNBA Events section; be sure to check them out and add
them to your calendar.
Also of interest to our many authors: post your book details on
the national WNBA website—see
WNBA-National News for specifics. Don't miss the Dec 30
deadline. Be sure to check this website ( wnba-books.org) to see the books published by
WNBA members nationwide.
By now you should have received a WNBA-SF survey letter from me,
I hope you will take a minute to fill it out and return it. If you
did not receive a survey letter, please e-mail me at maryeknippel@gmail.com and I will send one out
to you. Your input is important.
Our annual Authors Showcase on Nov. 15 at Caesar's Restaurant in
San Francisco was a wonderful example of an educational as well as
entertaining program from WNBA-SF. Elisa Southard and Teresa LeYung
Ryan did a terrific job using tongue-in-cheek role-playing and
examples of conversation starters from newspaper headlines.
Everyone in the room had a chance to share about what they were
working on and learn networking techniques.
Blessings to you all,
Mary
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Welcome New Members!
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| •Adina Sara records her personal experiences through
creative non-fiction, poetry and songs. Her first release of original
songs, Feel A Change in 1978, chronicled the upheaval and
reformation after a divorce. In 1990 two CDs, Love Song to
Myself and Just For The Son (Beacon Music) grew from her
losses, struggles and triumphs after her home caught fire. Her book of
poetry, Garden Grows, was inspired by all her gardening
mistakes, and since 2001 she's been writing a gardening column for a
local newspaper. Her short fiction, essays and poetry have appeared in
a number of publications. Throughout these creative ventures, Adina
supported herself as a legal secretary, which resulted in the book
100 Words Per Minute: Tales From Behind Law Office Doors (2006,
Regent Press), giving an intimate look inside the quirky world of law
offices. Adina is currently at work on a compilation of essays about
family and friends, as well as a novel about a woman who decides to
reshape her life at age 73. For more information, visit www.adinasara.com. |
| •Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer is especially interested in how
the writing process can help people living with mental illness. For
eight years she has taught a writing class for people with depression
or bipolar disorder (manic depression), meeting at Stanford University.
After earning her PhD in biology from Stanford, she became ill with
bipolar disorder while working as a science journalist. Beth believes
writing extensively contributed significantly to her gradual recovery.
Now she is writing a book on this topic, Illuminating Words: The
Power of Writing to Ease Depression, and blogging at WriteOutOfDepression.blogspot.com. She and her
husband will adopt a baby from China in 2007. |
•Judy Wirzberger has been writing, she says, since she fell
in love in the seventh grade and her diary became the recipient of
her Jane Austin ramblings. Judy cut her reading tooth on Alfred
Tehrune's stories of Lad, a dog, and spent enjoyed countless
slumber parties with Sue Barton's Cherry Ames and the fictional
Caroyln Keene's Nancy Drew.
Judy Wirzberger, left, relaxes with
WNBA-SF Treasurer Teresa LeYung Ryan
at the 2005 "Pitch Your Book".
Judy became a writer when she walked into Barnes and Nobel one
October evening and saw a sign inviting writers to join a creative
writing group. She struggled to turn in 3,000 words at each
twice-monthly meeting. She finished Ladies of the Lake and
revised it while attending conferences, classes, workshops and
writer retreats. It morphed into Two for Tea and Judy is now
patrolling the literary street for an astute agent. She is
currently working on Serina's Summer, a mother's reaction to
her daughter's descent into madness. Besides writing, Judy enjoys
collecting books signed by authors she has actually met.
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Member Profile: Bookworm talks to Deborah Grossman, author of
Goldie & Me
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WNBA-SF member Deborah Grossman (Goldie & Me, September
2006) is a Bay Area wine and food journalist, a developmental editor and an
award-winning poet. In addition she's a dining columnist for Diablo magazine
and a regular contributor for Napa Sonoma. Deborah's recent culinary travels
have taken her to Australia, Italy, Mexico, and Israel. She also writes for Food
Arts, Wine & Spirits, The Wine Report, Chef,
National Culinary Review, Santé, and the San Francisco
Chronicle.
Her book Goldie and Me explores freedom, friendship and food through the
lens of poetry. It features poems by Deborah and her feisty 88-year-old mother,
Goldie. Deborah has held readings at Barnes & Noble, Towne Center Books and
other venues. Plus, her poems and essays have won awards through the Las Positas
College Literary Arts Contest, the Ina Coolbrith Circle's Annual Poet's Dinner and
the Pleasanton Poetry, Prose and Art Festival. Deborah edited the amazon.com
bestseller, Break Through the Noise by WNBA member Elisa Southard.
Deborah received her postgraduate degree from University College, London,
England and then worked in four states for DuPont. She enjoys exploring wine
country back roads with her husband Michael. She is a member of the American
Society of Journalists and Authors and the Association of Food Journalists.
- When did you start writing?
- In the fourth grade, I "published" a book of my favorite quotations with a
few of my own. By the time I was 13, I wrote and delivered an essay about civil
rights which won the school's oratorical contest. In high school, I ran around
with the literary crowd and published some poems in literary magazines. But I
didn't pick up my creative pen again until six years ago when I jumped from the
corporate mother ship and swung into a new career as a journalist.
- Why did you choose your particular genre?
- My core genre is food and wine journalism. I chose librarianship for my
postgraduate degree because I loved the research as much as the writing of
college term papers. But I detoured into DuPont, doing systems work and then
human resources (HR). My commitment to HR was based on my passion for
communication skill-building in the company. Later, I unleashed my inner writer
and immediately gravitated to the food and wine arena, a natural decision since
I'm obsessed with thoughts about food and my next meal. Writing poetry is a
great counterpoint to journalism. Rather than crafting 1,800 words on, say,
Francis Ford Coppola's two wineries, I stretch my creative muscles to write 75
words about the symbolism of birds perched on traffic poles or the experience
of riding a train to Auschwitz.
- What inspired you to choose your subject matter?
- The inspiration for Goldie and Me came from attending
workshops with other poets and creative nonfiction writers, going to the
supermarket, observing and interacting with family and friends, listening to
compelling music and movies, retreating with writing buddies, waiting for the
traffic light to turn green and otherwise poking around the world with an eye
for discovery. As for my food and wine writing, I look for trends and keep my
eyes and ears open. Ideas come from the clerk at the drugstore, reviewing new
cookbooks, tasting new wine varietals, and reading umpteen newspapers and
magazines.
- How difficult / easy has your experience been as a published
author?
- Bringing Goldie and Me to market has been rewarding—an opportunity
to see the book industry from the inside-out. Although poetry is gaining a
stronger foothold in the literary world, publishing a book of poetry translates
into targeting a niche market. Membership in WNBA has given me a strong edge on
who's who and what's what in the publishing world. Participating in the WNBA
booth at the recent NCIBA Oakland event was educational. I met independent book
store owners who are open to readings and holding inventory for local
authors.
- What advice would you give other aspiring authors?
- Look for ideas from successfully published books in your field and outside
your field. Each genre has its own quirks and hierarchies, but general
principles exist on marketing and selling. Persistence and continual learning
are crucial to success. Reframing turn-downs and rejections into constructive
learning is very helpful.
- Anything else you would like to share with the WNBA?
- Look for complimentary creative pursuits to improve your writing. This
could be watercolor as a switch from mysteries or haiku as a break from novel
writing. Talk to everyone about your book—you never know who knows someone in
the book industry.
Are you a WNBA-SF member and published author? Would you like to share
your story with WNBA-SF? Contact newsletter editor Patricia Lynn Henley
(wnbaeditor@vom.com) about the Member Profile section of
BookWorm.
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Member News
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Danna Troncatty Leahy discusses her
book
with mock interviewer and workshop leader Elisa
Southard
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"Use the News" transforming
By Sherry Belul
WNBA members who attended the November 15, Use the NEWS to Promote
Yourself workshop will never look at a newspaper the same way again!
The event, held at Caesar's Italian Restaurant, began with networking and an
Author Showcase. Eleven authors signed up in advance to display their books:
Sherry Belul, Diana Chambers, Joan Gelfand, Deborah
Grossman, Patricia Lynn Henley, Danna Leahy, Mary Lunning,
Jan Newman, Mary Anderson Parks, Teresa LeYung Ryan, and
Elisa Southard. WNBA members mingled before dinner and browsed tables
stocked with members' books on display.
After dinner Elisa Southard, author of Break Through the Noise,
led the group through hands-on exercises to show how authors can piggyback on the
latest news stories in order to promote their books. After stacks of newspapers
were distributed, participants browsed local, national, international, business and
even the sports sections. They circled headlines that caught their attention and,
with some coaching from Elisa, discovered ways that linked their books to current
events.
Teresa LeYung Ryan saw how she could pitch Love Made of Heart as
part of current discussions and debates about immigration. Elisa and Teresa then
demonstrated through some fun role playing how authors can better capture the
attention of reporters and producers by pitching their books as relevant topics in
the world, connected to current issues in the news, rather than pitching the books
themselves. They spoke a bit about how best to approach a member of the media—
offering some basic do's and don'ts.
Deborah Grossman,
left, is "interviewed" by
Elisa Southard |
Participants then honed their media skills as a
WNBA Authors on the Air radio show guest and received mock
interview by Elisa. Folks in the audience had a chance to hear what
makes each book unique and why it's a "must-read." These quick
interviews gave the authors a chance to practice promoting their books
in front of an audience, as well as to spark conversation amongst the
guests in regards to unique ways each book might be marketed. |
Joan Gelfand, past WNBA president said, "We should have pod-casted this
event." Mary Lunning, aka poet Skyne, requested an "all-day workshop" to
continue the skill building and Danna Leahy, children's book author, said
"Tying current daily news to my book," was the idea she valued most
from the evening. Interested in more visibility for yourself and your book? How
about a half-day workshop? Let us know.
| Following the national success of her debut children's book,
WNBA member Danna Troncatty Leahy has released Bonjour
L'enfant! A Child's Tour of France (AuthorHouse, November 2006,
ISBN 1-4259-6521-0, $16.95), the second title in her picture book
travel series. Enjoy a tour of France through a child's scrapbook. This
hardcover book follows a young boy, his little sister and his beloved
teddy bear on their playful journey around the country. They discover
similarities and differences between France and home while singing
along the Seine River, climbing the Eiffel Tower, running through
lavender fields, eating pomme frites and sun bathing on the French
Riviera. The brilliant watercolor illustrations again captivate any age
reader, while the story introduces exciting new places and more than 50
French words. Très bien! A pronunciation and translation guide is
provided. The target audience is 3-8 years old. To purchase Bonjour
L'enfant! or Ciao Bambino! A Child's Tour of Italy, please
visit www.ciaobambinobooks.com. |
| WNBA-SF member Jennifer K. Sweeney is celebrating the
release of her first poetry book, Salt Memory (Main Street Rag,
2006), by giving two readings in the Bay Area with her mentor from
Vermont College, poet Clare Rossini. "We are also celebrating
Clare's new book, Lingo, (University of Akron Press, 2006), as
Clare makes a rare visit from Connecticut," explains Jennifer. The
readings will be held Friday, Dec 1 at 7pm as part of the "Poets
Pulling Prints" at the Center for the Book, 300 De Haro St, in San
Francisco (415-565-0545; signed letter-pressed broadsheets from these
books will be free to the public) and Sunday, Dec 3, 7:30pm presented
by Poetry Flash at BCC at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley,
(510-486-0698, www.blackoakbooks.com). |
Diane Lebow on the go with Tuareg friends in Libya in
2004
WNBA-SF member Diane LeBow was recently elected 2007 President of the Bay
Area Travel Writers. BATW is an organization of about 150 travel writers and
photographers as well as travel industry associates. It holds monthly meetings with
speakers throughout the Bay Area. Visit www.batw.org for more
information. Diane is a global traveler, a freelance travel writer and a
photojournalist with credits in Salon.com, VIA magazine, Chicago
Sun-Times, Travelers' Tales and Seal Press anthologies. She
recently spoke at the UC Berkeley International House on the topic "Global
Tourism: Perspectives from a Travel Writer and Photo-Journalist." She can be
reached at www.dianelebow.com.
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