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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
JOIN WNBA MEMBERS AT THE OAKLAND LITERATURE & WORLD MUSIC EXPO THIS LABOR
DAY WEEKEND
If you love music and literature, then the Oakland Literature and World Music Expo
on Labor Day Weekend is the place to be. Come on down to City Center Plaza, where
artists, musicians and authors will be spending three days jamming to the sights
and sounds of the Bay Area cultural experience. The exciting line up of literary
festivities includes a publishing panel featuring WNBA member agents Michael Larsen
and Elizabeth Pomada on Saturday, and readings by WNBA member authors Joan Gelfand,
Linda Joy Myers, and Teresa LeYung Ryan on Monday. Go to www.artandsouloakland.com/main and click on Entertainment
Lineup for more information and the schedule of events.
THE 6TH ANNUAL EXPO FOR THE ARTIST & MUSICIAN: Sept. 10, 2005, SomArts,
San Francisco
The Sixth Annual Expo for the Artist & Musician takes place on Saturday,
September 10, 2005, 11:00am-6:00pm at the SomArts Gallery, 934 Brannan St (cross:
8th St), San Francisco CA 94103. This Expo is the Bay Area's only grassroots
connection festival for independent arts, music and culture—an all-day extravaganza
featuring over 100 arts organizations, free workshops, performances, and hundreds
of local artists and musicians. Attendees can browse tables staffed by local
galleries, nonprofits, collectives and small businesses; present their portfolios
and music demos; and participate in seminars on marketing their art, finding
grants, starting a collective, building a home recording studio, understand
artists' legal issues and much more.
Admission is only $2 at the door, and no one is turned away for lack of funds.
The WNBA will be hosting a table at this event. To join us, please contact WNBA
author member Derek Muk at: derekmuk@jps.net.
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005: Pitch Your Book to the Right Folks: Meet Agents
and Editors
A signature WNBA-SF event, this year we're doing things a little differently. Join
us for the Women's National Book Association - SF "Pitch Your Book!" Night on
September 22, 2005. Last year our Agent's Panel drew a record enthusiastic crowd, a
good percentage of whom were published and poised-to-publish writers. This year our
event allows WNBA members and other Bay Area writers to learn from literary agents'
and acquisition editors' expertise. The evening will provide an opportunity to
interface individually with them while enjoying a lovely dinner overlooking the San
Francisco Bay.
This year's agents include:
- Jennifer Jaeger, Associate Agent - Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
- Ted Weinstein - Literary Management
- Robert Preskill - LitWest Group - Attorney, Legal and Literary
Representation
- Summer Dawn Laurie - Senior Editor - TenSpeed Press
- Catherine Fowler - Agent, Redwood Agency
- Donna Levin - Agent, Manus & Associates Literary Agency
- Dena Fischer - Agent, Manus & Associates Literary Agency, Palo
Alto
- Lisa Campbell - Associate Editor, Chronicle Books
"Pitch Your Book!" will take place at: Swiss Louis Restaurant at Pier 39
(www.swisslouis.com), Thursday, September 22, 2005:
- 5:30pm Cocktails and Networking
- 6:30 pm Dinner (an agent and/or editor will be seated at each table)
- 7:30-9:00pm Individual manuscript pitching by attendees (sign up at the
event)
Whether you decide to pitch or not, come with your book idea, manuscript and
passion and we'll provide the professional expertise to get you on your way. In
order to facilitate the efficient matching of writers' work with appropriate agents
and editors, all WNBA members will be sent a list of participating Literary Agents
and Acquisition Editors and their areas of interest.
Price: $39 member / $45 non-member (You may sign up as a member that night with
check for $84 made out to WNBA-SF) / $45 walk-in. No-host bar, full-course dinner,
parking (first two hours validated). Please RSVP by September 15, 2005 as this
event fills quickly. Contact Vicki Weiland at: vcweiland-writer@yahoo.com or call her at 415-614-2533. Remit
check to: Women's National Book Association-SF c/o Vicki Weiland, PO Box 641796,
San Francisco CA 94164-1796.
October 8-9, 2005: THE NCIBA TRADESHOW:
The Northern California Independent Bookseller Association Tradeshow, one of the
trade's largest annual events, will take place this year from Oct. 8-9,
10:00am4:00pm. As we did last year, the WNBA-SF will exhibit information about our
organization and our members at this exciting event. Ten current WNBA-SF members
are invited to staff our booth for 2-hour shifts, working in pairs, and enjoy the
tradeshow. NCIBA is a convention where publishers court booksellers with their new
releases, demos, and autographing sessions by authors. NCIBA is a WNBA member, and
we proudly cheer for them.
If you'd like to sign up for a shift, please e-mail Danna Troncatty Leahy at
dannaleahy@yahoo.com. Danna is a member of our chapter and the
author of Ciao Bambino. She'll create a waiting list if more than 10 members
wish to be staffers. For members who cannot staff, but wish to have their "Data
Sheets" in the WNBA Porfolio, please send one or two 8.5 x 11 sheets to Hospitality
Chair Vicki Weiland, P.O. Box 641796, San Francisco CA 94164-1796.
Vicki will slip your datasheet(s) into a sheet protector (back to back if you
send her two sheets). The WNBA portfolio showcases our members and their work, so
be sure to include your bio, photo, picture of book covers, your contact info, etc.
on your datasheet(s).
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005: WNBA Mixer
Come meet our board and other WNBA-SF members at this informal event, hosted at our
sponsoring bookstore Valencia Street Books. This is a great chance to network with
other writers involved in our organization and meet board members. Tell us what
you'd like to see our WNBA-SF tackle in 2006!
Thursday, Nov. 17: Build Your Reader Base at the 2005 Authors
Showcase
Another signature WNBA event, celebrating our members' achievements: come to this
delightful evening, honoring our ongoing efforts to both increase literacy and
contribute to the canon of books. The evening includes display tables where WNBA
members can show off—and sell—their titles. This year's theme is "Do You Believe in
Magic?" As an exhibiting author, you'll share one magical thing that happened
during the writing or publishing process. Be part of the magic and sign up early to
reserve your place.
Exhibit fee for authors is $64 with dinner included. To attend and enjoy the
books: $39 for WNBA members and $45 for non-members.
Last year was a sell-out, so authors ONLY please sign up today by sending an
email to Elisa Southard at elisa@marketskills.com. Be sure to put WNBA in the subject
box. All others please sign up with Vicki Weiland. (see below)
Friday, Dec. 16: 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 all 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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In This Issue
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Welcome
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Welcome to the September edition of Bookworm, our monthly Newsletter—news and
events featuring San Francisco WNBA members!
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. —William
Shakespeare
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Announcements
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BOARD MEETING, SEPTEMBER 8
The WNBA-SF board will meet on September 8, at 6:45-8:00pm in the lower cafe of the
San Francisco Public Library. We encourage all members and potential members to
attend! NO RSVP required. Please come help us make the WNBA-SF a chapter that
represents all of us. You CAN make a difference in the fight to increase literacy
and appreciation of the incalculable value of reading and books.
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS:
BookWorm and the WNBA need your help! The WNBA-SF Board is working hard to make
WNBA an organization that supports, promotes, and assists writers and literacy. In
order to make us even stronger, we need your help. We are in need of 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.
Thanks!
NOTE FROM OUR CHAPTER PRESIDENT, JOAN GELFAND:
It's been fifteen months since the new board assumed its charge of the WNBA-SF; and
after many hours of hard work I can say not only it was much more of a commitment
than any of us expected, but it has also been a fantastic return on our investment.
Over these past 15 months, I personally have had four pieces published in venues
advertised only to WNBA members. I've been invited to two high profile readings –
the Oakland Literary Expo and Litquake. Just this week, I was interviewed on KPFA
with Al Young, California's Poet Laureate. All these successes have been because of
my friendships with WNBA colleagues. You could say: "Wow. Lucky you." But I'm
writing this message to encourage you, to say, "Please volunteer with us." Indeed,
many of our positions will be open next year and we need able people who are
willing to come onto the board. We want to bring in new people to learn the ropes,
and share the benefits of being associated with a highly respected, national
organization. So, please come our events and attend a board meeting. You'll never
know what could happen!
Joan
The California Writers Club (CWC) Marin branch is offering a special editing
workshop: The Final Draft
What: The Final Draft: Editing For Publication, presented by Charlotte Cook
When: October 16
Where: InnMarin, 250 Entrada Dr, Novato CA
Creative writing workshop where everyone can learn more about editing. Find out
what is necessary to bring your work up to the standards that agents and editors
expect. A hands-on workshop that includes editing attendees' own work. Cost: $75
for CWC (www.cwcmarinwriters.com) members; $90 for nonmembers.
Refreshments, lunch, and handouts included.
Go to website for details about the workshop. To register: Email: mjessex@msn.com.
On September 10, 2005, the North / Central California Society of Children's
Book Writers and Illustrators is offering a conference that will feature an
afternoon social, critique sessions, illustrators question and answer panel,
portfolio discussion groups, plus other speakers.
The conference will take place at the Veterans Memorial Center, 203 E14th St,
Davis, CA 95616, 12:30-5:00pm. This is a Free Event for members; non-members fee is
$25.
For more information, please contact Genny Heikka at hikes@fastkat.com or
Tekla White at tnwrites@cal.net.
Joining Our Voices: Writers Read Out for Women's Rights: A benefit for the
Global Fund for Women.
Thursday evening, Sept. 22, 6:30-8:30pm, at the 1st Unitarian Universalist Center
of San Francisco, 1187 Franklin St at Geary Blvd. Donation: $15 or more.
An evening of true stories, fiction, and poetry offering moving glimpses into
women's lives around the world by Bay Area writers, including Diane LeBow on her
experiences with Afghan women; Clara Hsu reading classical Chinese women's poetry
set to music and performed on traditional instruments by David Wong and Bill
Mercer, and readings by Lucha Corpi, Samina Ali, Laura Fraser, and Elaine Lee.
For RSVPs (appreciated) or more info, contact Nancy Frank at 415-377-3045 or
NCoopFrank@aol.com.
All proceeds go to the Global Fund for Women, which gives grants to women's
human rights groups in over 160 countries working in such critical areas as girls'
access to education, women's economic independence, and stopping violence against
women.
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Member Profile: Cara Black, author of the Aimée Leduc mystery
series
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 New WNBA-SF Member, Cara Black, lives in San
Francisco with her husband, a bookseller and their teenage son. She's a San
Francisco Library Laureate, member of International Crime Writers, Sisters in
Crime and the Marais Historic Society in Paris, in addition to the critically
acclaimed author of five mysteries set in Paris featuring crime investigator,
Aimée Leduc. She writes about the Paris most Americans would never see: the
Pont des Arts at midnight; on duty with cops in a dispatch room in police
headquarters monitoring radio calls; a visit to the unmarked Ministry building
across from the Elysée Palace; a dingy, winding staircase of a 17th century
building on rue des Rosiers. Gritty and steeped in realism, these are mysteries
for the discerning reader.
Her fifth Aimée Leduc mystery, Murder in Clichy, was published in March
2005 by Soho Press. The New York Times says, "Black inhales Paris' essence as if it
were some musky perfume;" the Chicago Tribune says "[she] conveys vividly those
layers of history that make the stones of Paris sing for so many of us."
Please join us in giving Cara a warm welcome to the WNBA! Please visit her at:
www.carablack.com.
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Member News
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At the June American Library Association convention in Chicago, WNBA-SF founding
member and President Emeritus, Effie Lee Morris, was awarded the Trailblazer
Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). The
award is given every five years. The citation reads: "The Trailblazer Award is the
highest tribute conferred by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
Its purpose is to recognize the most outstanding pioneer and trailblazing
accomplishments of African American Librarians. Recipients are selected for their
lasting contributions to the profession, their communities and the nation. This
award is presented to Effie Lee Morris in recognition of your lifelong career as an
activist librarian, an advocate for books and children's services and your
immeasurable service as a founding member of the Black Caucus."
The event was held on the 35th anniversary of the BCALA at Harambee House in
Chicago on Friday, June 24, 2005. Ms. Morris is the seventh recipient of the Award.
Congratulations!
WNBA-SF member Lynn Scott is proud to announce the upcoming October
publication of her non-fiction memoir: A Joyful Encounter: My Mother, My
Alzheimer Clients, and Me. Our own treasurer and author Teresa LeYung Ryan
(Love Made of Heart, Kensington 2002) says, "A Joyful Encounter… is a tender
glimpse into a fragile world where we might find ourselves later in life." Ms.
Scott's book describes her experiences working with the special folks in an
Alzheimer's unit, during which time she healed her relationship with her late
mother. The book is 100 pages, and priced at $12.95. Please visit Ms. Scott's
website at: www.lynnscottbooks.com for more information.
 WNBA-SF Member Kathryn Abajian announces
the publication of First Sight of the Desert: Discovering the Art of Ella
Peacock ($21.95, ISBN 0-87480-799-9, 152 pp., 7 x 9, 10 color
illustrations, 1 photograph, published by the University of Utah Press:
www.uofupress.com) The book – which combines memoir and biography – focuses on
the life and art of Ella Peacock, a 20th century Utah painter. Vern Swanson,
Director of the Springville Museum of Art, hails Ms Abajian's book as one that
"beautifully captures the soul of Spring City and the essence of a unique
artist who lived and painted there." For more information, please visit Ms
Abajian at: www.kathrynabajian.com.
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Classes
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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. Linda's memoir classes in Berkeley will begin again
in September. Visit www.memoriesandmemoirs.com for more details.
Rigorous, fair, and fun fiction writing workshop with award-winning
novelist and short story writer Tom Parker begins in an historic building in
downtown Palo Alto on September 14. Tom offers an innovative teaching approach,
with many successful, highly acclaimed alumni. Ten Wednesday night sessions,
7-10pm. Total cost: $495. Call 650-321-6120 or email tompark@earthlink.net for more information.
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Writing Opportunities
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The Tom Howard/ John H. Reid Poetry Contest:
Postmark Deadline: September 30
Winning poems will win prizes of $1,000, $400, $200, plus four Encouragement
Awards of $100 each. Winning entries will be published. Submit poems in any style
or genre. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as
long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. Entry fee is $5 for
every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Submit online or mail to: Winning
Writers, Attn: Tom Howard, Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant St, PMB 222, Northampton MA
01060.
Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Web Sites for Writers" (Writer's
Digest, 2005). For more information, go to: www.winningwriters.com.
Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers: LAST CALL!
Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in any publication with a
circulation over 5,000. (Entries must be unpublished.) Open to all themes, all
subjects. Stories should not exceed 12,000 words.
First-place winner receives $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20
copies of the issue in which it is published. Second- and third-place winners
receive $500/$300, respectively, and acknowledgement in that issue. To submit your
story, go to their site: www.glimmertrainpress.com,
log in, and click on SHORT STORY AWARD FOR NEW WRITERS. Reading fee (payable
by visa or mc) is $12 per story.
Entries will be accepted through September 30th. Winners will be called by
January 2nd. The top 25 list will be emailed to all participants by that date.
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