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In This Issue
From Our Chapter President
WNBA-SF News
Announcements
From Our Literacy Liaison
Bookworm Talks To Lucille Lang
Day
WNBA National News
Patricia McKissack, ELMCLS Guest Lecturer
Link to Renew Membership (General Member - $45)
Link to Renew Membership (Senior/Student - $25)
WNBA-SF
News
Your presence is
requested.
Your input is necessary.
Your suggestions are welcome!
Memo to: All WNBA-SF Members
Re: Long range planning meeting
Date: Sun., July 13 (10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)
Where: Coastside location at the home of
co-president Mary E. Knippel (delicious lunch & snacks provided)
RSVP: Mary at president@wnba-sfchapter.org by July 10
We’re looking for a few good women (and men) who
would like to shape the future of WNBA-SF!
On Sun., July 13 (10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) we will be holding our annual Long Range Planning meeting to
determine what programs we will offer, when we will offer them and what other benefits we can
provide the membership.
We know you have lots of great ideas, and all your suggestions are welcome. Of course, we will
feature traditional offerings: Meet-the-Agents and the ever-popular Author Showcase.
Everyone, brand new or seasoned WNBA-SF member, has a voice in how we present ourselves to the
world of words. Would you like to see us hold an event in your neighborhood bookstore or at your
local library? Come to the planning meeting so we can discuss it. We want to offer brand new bits
and many collaborative endeavors. You won’t want to miss a minute of what’s coming up!
*WNBA-SF members who attend this Long Range Planning meeting will be eligible for a drawing - but
you’ve gotta come to the coastside to win!
Mark your calendars for Dec. 2 when Christine Comaford-Lynch, author of Rules
for Renegades, former Buddhist monk, geisha trainee, software engineer, and
entrepreneur will be our guest speaker. Watch the web-site and newsletter for
more details!
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********************
New Book Release Sneak
Preview/Reading!
Dark Card by Rebecca Foust
(winner of the 2007 Robert Phillips Poetry Prize)
Poetry about raising a son with Asperger’s Syndrome
Saturday, June 21, 4:00-6:30 pm
REBOUND BOOKSTORE
1541 4th Street, San Rafael
Order books at:
http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/foust.htm
(800) 826-8911
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WNBA-SF Holding Elections
WNBA-SF still holding elections!
Here’s your chance to meet
interesting people, learn new skills and be a part of the guiding force shaping
WNBA-SF. Being a part of the Board offers a rich and rewarding experience, filled
with networking opportunities and the chance to really make an impact on the
careers of authors and the lives of readers.
Please go to the web site to submit nominations and to read job descriptions for the open
board positions.
Contact Mary at president@WNBA-SF
chapter.org if you have any questions.
Slate of
Officers so far…
Linda Lee and Mary E. Knippel co-presidents
Vice-President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
***********************
From
our Literacy Liason Dear WNBA-SF Chapter Members,
I love what I do for WNBA. Being Literacy
Liaison gives me the opportunity to learn how you're promoting literacy. Member
Patricia Costello, who
teaches English-as-a-Second-Language at City College of San Francisco makes
reading a fun experience for her students. Patricia says: "I love to
see students transformed by American Literature. The themes by authors such as
Arthur Miller or Sandra Cisneros are universal. Everyone comes
away with an enriching experience."
There's more. Patricia Costello has offered her time and energy to be Asst.
Literacy Liaison for our chapter. I am grateful beyond
words.
Our Literacy Partnership list is
growing:
REACH OUT AND READ
Email: Roya
Yasharpour
BRING ME A BOOK
BAY AREA LITERACY
PROJECT
READ-SF CHAPTER
If you are involved with these or other
literacy advocates, please email Patricia Costello and me and we'll showcase you
in this Column. Please put "WNBA and Literacy" in your subject
line.
Be well.
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
LiteracyLiaison@wnba-sfchapter.org
********************
Bookworm Talks To Lucille Lang Day, author of God of the Jellyfish
Lucille Lang Day's poetry collections are vast and
impressive. Her writing has been selected by Robert Pinsky, David Littlejohn, and Michael Rubin
for the Joseph Henry Jackson Award in Literature. She is also a co-author of How to Encourage Girls in Math and Science: Strategies for Parents and
Educators (Dale Seymour), and the author of the libretto for Eighteen Months to Earth, a science fiction opera with music by John
Niec.
Lucy received her M.A. and M.F.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State University, and
her M.A. in zoology and Ph.D. in science and mathematics education from the University of
California at Berkeley.
Click here for more information highlighting
Lucy's past and present endeavors.
(Interview questions posed by Sara Cassella, WNBA-SF Newsletter Editor to author, Lucille Lang
Day.)
When did you start writing?
One way of answering is to say I started in 1971, during my
senior year of college, when I started taking myself seriously enough as a writer to enter my
poetry in contests. Another is to say I started writing at age 6, when I first wrote a poem
spontaneously, simply because I felt like it.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
I would say that poetry chose me. Poems have always arrived,
invited or not, on the doorstep of my brain, and when this happens, I invite them in to see what
they have to say. I’ve been a goner for poetry since I was in fifth grade, when I first read
Emily Dickinson, but I also enjoy reading and writing in other genres. In addition to poetry,
I’ve published science journalism, feature articles, essays and book reviews, a short story, a
children’s book, a textbook, and several personal essays, some of which are from a book-length
memoir for which I’m now seeking an agent. Poetry, of course, keeps sticking its nose in the
door, no matter what else I’m
doing.
What inspired you to choose your subject matter?
A lot of my writing, both poetry and prose, is concerned with
science. My academic background is in science as well as English and creative writing, and I’m
interested in bridging the gap between science and literature. What can poetry reveal about
science? What does science reveal about human nature? How does spirituality fit into a universe
driven by the laws of science? These are some of the questions I explore in my poetry. I’m also
drawn to autobiography, both in poetry and prose. Everyone has an interesting life story. Mine
includes having gotten married at 14 and having given birth to my first child at 15.
How difficult/easy has your experience been as a published
writer?
I feel that I’ve received a warm welcome in the world of
literary magazines and small presses, although I certainly have received my share of rejections
too. My eighth poetry collection will be published in 2009 by Cervena Barva Press. I’ve also
found that there is a market for science journalism and feature articles. The difficulty lies in
getting an agent and a commercial publisher for a literary book, and I am still working my way up
that hill.
What advice would you give other aspiring authors?
Never give up either on creating your work or on trying to
publish it. Don’t let rejections get you down. Someone facing 500 manuscripts overlooked your
work of genius. This is no more personal than the rain.
Anything else you would like to share with the
WNBA?
WNBA is a source of friendship, support, and inspiration. It’s
great to be affiliated with so many talented writers!
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Kepler's Books and Magazines
Menlo Park
named winner of
Women's National
Book Association
Pannel
Award
Kepler's Books and Magazines, a popular Bay Area book store located in Menlo Park,
was selected by the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) as the winner of the
2008 Lucile Micheels Pannell Award. Established in 1981 to honor Lucile
Micheels Pannell, a model book woman and children’s bookseller, the Pannell Award
recognizes retail bookstores that excel at inspiring the interest of young people in
books and reading. A jury of five book industry professionals selected the award
winners based on the store's demonstration of creativity, responsiveness to community
needs, passion and a genuine understanding of making the connection between books and
young readers. Each award recipient will receive a check for $1,000 and a
framed piece of original art by a children's book illustrator. WNBA presented the
Award at BookExpo America 2008 in Los Angeles.
"We feel like Kepler’s has won the equivalent of the Oscar for Children’s
Booksellers. Each of us on the Youth and Children’s Team has put our
heart and energy into creating exciting opportunities in our community to bring young
people together with great books and great authors," said Vivian Leal, Kepler’s Youth
and Family Programs Director. "We love what we do. This recognition from the
WNBA is a huge honor at the national level, and our team is thrilled and inspired by
it."
"Over the past three years Kepler's Youth and Children’s Department has endeavored to
ignite excitement into our youth author events, and to reach thousands of young
people every month," added Leal. "To do so, we have redefined our
boundaries beyond the confines of the store and out into our schools and
communities. The response has been fantastic, and the renewed enthusiasm for
books amongst our young customers is contagious!"
For fifty-one years, Kepler's Books has been one of the Peninsula's premier
independent bookstores and is now one of its last. Part of the heart and soul of
Menlo Park, Kepler's is known for its knowledgeable staff, outstanding author events,
broad selection and its commitment to the community. The bookstore was founded by
Clark Kepler's father, the late Roy Kepler. In 2005 the bookstore, suffering from
financial constraint, closed its doors for good. Or so they thought. The love affair
between the community and Kepler’s created a furor that brought the bookstore not
only back, but bigger and better than ever.
Kepler's is located at 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA, 94025. Visit them on the
web at www.keplers.com.
Comments from Mary…When I moved to the Bay Area 12 years ago, Kepler’s was an anchor
in my learning to navigate around my new surroundings. I have attended many book
readings and spent many hours browsing among the shelves. I’m so glad we are able to
give this jewel the recognition it deserves. I was happy to go to Kepler’s to meet
with Vivian and tell her that in person.
**********************
WNBA-National
News
One of the benefits of being a WNBA-SF member is that you are connected to seven chapters
nationwide.
Here a few benefits the National organization has for you:
1: Permanent Collection of WNBA member books. In 2007 the Boston Public Library set aside
a section for a permanent collection of all WNBA authored books.
Please contact Katherine Dibble to have your book included in the collection:
kdibble@att.net
2: Have your book listed on our National Web site/WNBA Author's page. National web
site member password is included in your membership kit.
Please contact Shyne Lunning for more information: lunni8@aol.com
3: Get published in WNBA's National Newsletter, The Bookwoman. Send us a short article on
a favorite book you read while traveling for our "Have Book Will Travel" section.
Contact Joan Gelfand for more information about The Bookwoman: joangelfand@pacbell.net
4: Nominations for our bi-annual WNBA award are due in May. Please nominate
your favorite 'bookwoman' for the award. See www.wnba-books.org for more information on the WNBA Award.
Lastly, tell us about your successes with WNBA for our endorsements page.
Joan Gelfand
Vice President, National Women's Book Association
joangelfand@pacbell.net
(510) 757-5626
Blog: http://jg.typepad.com/ciel
WNBA: http://www.wnba-books.org
********************
History
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 San Francisco Chapter of WNBA was founded in
1968 by Effie Lee Morris, then coordinator of Children's Services for the San
Francisco Main Public Library.
Membership has ranged from sixty to one hundred. Our members are writers,
booksellers, agents, editors, publishers, publicists, librarians, graphic designers,
career coaches, marketing specialists, conference planners, aspiring authors and avid
readers.
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.
The Women's National Book Association has been a Non-Governmental Organization member
of the United Nations since 1959. An NGO is defined as "any non-profit, voluntary
citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level.
Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform a variety of
services and humanitarian functions, bring citizens' concerns to governments, monitor
policies and encourage political participation at the community level."
In effect, WNBA members are to be ambassadors for the UN. Our organization
disseminates information about the United Nations through all the means at our
disposal, especially through our national and chapter publications and monthly
programs.
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From Our Chapter President
 Dear WNBA-SF Friends,
Ah June, a time of achievement for grads, fantasies fulfilled for brides and accolades for doting
dads. It is also the time of year when the scent of fresh mown grass, the crack of a baseball
bat, and the sight of a hammock reminds me it is officially the start of summer! When I was
little our summer vacations did not resemble the frenzied pace of today. We had time to sit under
a tree with a book, or practice our interview techniques on the patient ears of corn standing
solemnly in the fields. I am delighted to be living in a place where every day I have the
opportunity to vacation where I live. A trip to the beach involves grabbing a blanket, my hat,
reading material, a bottle of water and a five-minute drive. May I suggest to you that
although a standard issue two-week vacation of rest and relaxation may not be on your summer
agenda, you do have the option of carving out little pockets of time to enjoy our beautiful Bay
Area. So, go take a hike, go ocean exploring, visit a museum or an art gallery, discover a
neighborhood park, attend a play, lecture, or concert.
Wishing you lots of sunny summer experiences to write about!
Be well,
Mary
********************
Announcements
Patricia McKissack to present The 12th Annual Effie Lee Morris
Lecture
Storytelling, the Heart of
Literacy
Guest lecturer: Patricia
McKissack
12th Annual Effie Lee Morris
Children’s Lecture Series
June 6 at San Francisco Main
Library, Koret Auditorium
(3:30 p.m. reception, 4:30
p.m. lecture)
Please join us Friday, June 6 at 3:30 p.m., for our 12th Annual Effie Lee Morris
Children’s Lecture featuring Patricia McKissick at the San Francisco Main Library. Ms.
McKissick will discuss how she brings the past to life through the stories she tells of
African American historical characters. Ms. McKissick has received the 1993 Coretta Scott
King Author Award and Newbery Honor Award for The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of
the Supernatural 2002 WNBA Award 2007 ALA Notable Books For Children for
Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters,Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters.
The WNBA Award is presented by the members of the Women's National Book Association to "a
living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts,
and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or
responsibilities of her profession or occupation." Ms. Effie Lee Morris received the WNBA
Award in 1984.
WNBA-SF established this lecture series in 1996 as a tribute to our founding president.
During her long career at the San Francisco Library, Ms. Morris was instrumental in
taking aside books from the children’s collection that portrayed racist stereotypes and
placing those books in a separate historical collection. Not only did she help to bring
an awareness of racism to the public, but The Children’s Historical and Research
Collections Ms. Morris began in 1964 exists today as an incredible resource for authors,
historians and librarians to use in their research and writing.
Previous series participants:
2007 - Javaka Steptoe
2006 - Tommie dePaola
2005 - Pamela Munoz Ryan
2004 - Nikki Grimes
2003 - Daniel and Robert San Souci
2002 - Milly Lee
2001 - Thacher Hurd
2000 - Alma Flora Ada
1999 - Ashley Bryan
1998 - Laurence Yep
1997 - Linda Geistlinger, Karey Wehner and Toni Bernardi
********************
WNBA Members Get to Read Their
Works-in-Progress or Published Works at
BookShop West Portal
We've been having such good times at this beloved bookstore that Pam Reitman, our new
Open Mike Liaison, suggested having our next event on
Thursday, July 10, 7:00-9:00 pm.
The first 6 members to
email Pam will get to read their works-in-progress or published works. Each
reader will get 7-10 minutes at the microphone. After the readings,
we will have time to network. So, email Pam immediately if you'd like
to be in the line-up at pamreitman@california.com.
If you don't get in this
time, Pam will add your name to the
waiting-list.Take a look at our April
newsletter at wnba-sfchapter.org to see who the
stars were in
March.
Introducing Simple Abundance Close to-Home
Workshops
Are you stressed? Is the closest you get to a luxurious bubble bath that TV commercial
while you are making peanut butter sandwiches for the kids? Is the last time you had 15
minutes to yourself when you arrived early at the dentist? Would you like to change
that?
Simple Abundance
Close to-Home Workshops offer an
opportunity for women who find themselves hurdling thru each day as if it were an out of
body experience to slow down, take stock of their world and perhaps make changes in their
lives.
In a community of like-minded women who share your challenges, dreams and hopes we’ll
explore each of the six guiding principals (Gratitude, Simplicity, Order, Harmony,
Beauty and Joy) of Simple Abundance through
creative and playful encounters.
Workshop fee: $389 Fee includes
a copy of Simple Abundance , a Daybook of Comfort
and Joy, Simple Abundance Companion
workbook, other materials, refreshments, and membership at www.SimpleAbundance.com (a $75 value). This on-line
community offers a monthly on-line magazine, member forum, classes and on-going tips on
how to live an authentic life.
Community Connections and Buddy Discounts:
$350-Sign up with a friend and save 10% for two or more
people registering together.
Mothers & Daughters-this includes
you!
$350-Members of service/professional organizations
receive a 10% affiliate discount (i.e. The Women’s National Book Assn, California
Writers Club, AAUW, e-Women or BNI).
Workshop dates: (Coastside locations)
* Once a week for three weeks (7-9 pm): July 8, 15 &
22, or Sept. 10, 17 & 24
* One-day retreat just steps from the Pacific Ocean (10 am-4:30
pm):
July 12, Aug. 31, Sept. 21, or
Nov. 8
Classes are limited so sign up today. The first 10 to register for a July session will
receive a free gift.
Register on-line at www.openuptoyourcreativity.com using PayPal or send
a check to Creativity Mentor, PO Box 244, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.
A portion of the proceeds from every workshop will be donated to breast cancer
research.
As your Simple Abundance Close-to-Home Certified Workshop Leader it will be my
privilege to be your guide as you embark on this grand adventure. I have been on this
journey with Sarah since first discovering Simple
Abundance while on retreat over ten years ago and continue to delight in
finding myself reflected in Sarah’s words.
Mary E. Knippel, maryeknippel@simpleabundance.com,
www.openuptoyourcreativity.com
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California
Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch
Saturday, June 21, 10 am
Guest Speaker:
Kevin Smokler
Topic:
The Rest of 2008,
the rest of your Writing Projects
Kevin Smokler is the editor of
Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times (Basic Books) which was a San Francisco
Chronicle Noteable Book of 2005. His writing has appeared in the LA Times, the San
Francisco Chronicle, Fast Company and on National Public Radio. He lives in San
Francisco and is the co-founder of BookTour.com, the world's largest directory of
author and literary events.
Topic: The Rest of 2008, the rest of your Writing Projects. Kevin Smokler takes you
through a mid year literary assessment. We're six months into 2008. How are your writing
project going and what will you need to make 2008 your most productive literary year yet?
Local author Kevin Smokler will take us through laying out a "plan for
productivity" for the rest of the year. How will we organize and prioritize our writing
projects? Where and when will we get our best work done? And how can we help each other?
Find out this Saturday.
Meeting Time: 10am to noon
Cost: $15 members, $18 non-members
Location: Belmont Library
1110 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Belmont, CA
Reservations are advised
Call our hotline at 650-615-8331 to leave a message or email Chris Wachlin with your name and the
meeting date.
Mentoring Session immediately follows the general meeting.
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CWC
Group Mentoring Session
June
21, 2008 12:15-1:15pm
Guest
Mentor:
JOAN GELFAND
Topic:
Building Your Writer's Resume
Sign up for this session and learn how to:
* Refine your work. How to work with early readers, trusted mentors, people who do not
know you personally, and editors before pitching to agents/publishers.
* Submit, submit and submit again. How to sustain momentum.
* Network - How to find groups.
The first ten to sign up will get to participate.
Email Teresa LeYung Ryan and Joyce Robins, CWC's Group Mentoring Co-Chairs at
Mentoring@sfpeninsulawriters.com
and they will email back confirmation or put your name on the wait list. Put "June
21 CWC Group Mentoring" in the subject line.
Priority is given to members of the CWC SF/Peninsula branch members, then other CWC
branch members, then non-members. Tell Teresa and Joyce which branch of CWC you're with.
Non-members can attend one group mentoring session per year.
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CWC Writer's Forum Open Mic Night: 10 Writers
Read, for 10 minutes each
When: Third Wednesday of every
month
Hosted by: Borders
Books and Music, 2925 El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA (On El Camino Real, 1 mile
south of Highway 92, across from the Hillside Shopping
Center.)
Time: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
Details: This is a great opportunity for authors
to get exposure and to practice public speaking skills. Open to all writers
and listeners, including CWC members and non-members. Each reader is given a
choice of whether or not they wish to receive
feedback.
If you would like a
free one-hour speech coaching lesson to prepare for our Open Mic, contact Geri
through CWC.
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Central Coast Writers
Club
Registration Now Open for
June 7th Screenplay Workshop
Event Date/Time: Sat. June 7,
2008 11am to 5pm
Contact: Deanne Gwinn, (831) 678-0632,
salistas11@hotmail.com
A Hollywood producer will join forces with a former script development executive to share
the tools aspiring screen writers need to get past procrastination to the finished
script. Cari-Esta Albert (in photo), and Monika Skerbelis will visit the Central
Coast Writers Branch of the California Writers Club from 11am to 5pm on Saturday, June 7,
2008, at the Casa Munras Hotel in Monterey to present an interactive screenplay workshop
"From Idea to Finished Script."
The day will include two sessions, "Finding and Developing New Ideas" and "Navigating
Hollywood." Some of the topics to be covered include loglines, theme, major turning
points, creating characters, and "everything in the middle," as well as the dynamics of
relationships with agents, managers, producers, executives, publishers and editors.
Cari-Esta Albert is the producer of The Truth About Cats and Dogs (20th Century Fox),
executive producer of Heart and Souls (Universal Studios), and Love is Strange (Lifetime
Network.)
Monika Skerbelis is the co-author of I Liked It, Didn't Love It: Screenplay Development
from the Inside Out and a co-founder of ESE Film Workshops Online. She is a former
Vice President of Universal Pictures' story department. She currently teaches
feature film development at UCLA Extension.
To register write a check payable to: "CCW Branch CWC" (public - $125, CCW members - $95)
and send it to: CCW June 7th Workshop, 735 Bayview Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA
93950. Lunch is included in the registration fee. For more information
call (831) 678-0632 or (831) 333-1989, or visit www.centralcoastwriters.org.
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EDITCETERA Workshops
EDITCETERA, an
association of freelance publishing professionals, presents the following workshops
in May. For registration and more info: www.edicetera.com;
510-849-1110; also learn about correspondence courses and freelance editorial
services.
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WNBA-SF Chapter Board Members President: Mary E. Knippel
president@wnba-sfchapter.org
Vice President: Linda Lee
vicepresident@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
Hospitality Chair:
Vicki Weiland
Founding Member: Effie Lee
Morris
WNBA National Board
Members
President: Laurie
Beckelman
lbeckleman@aol.com
SF Chapter Correspondent, National Book Woman: Joan
Gelfand
secretary@wnba-sfchapter.org
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The
Bookworm
