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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