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In This
Issue
From Our Chapter
President
Author
Spotlight
Announcements
WNBA National
News
Link to Renew Membership (General
Member - $45)
Link to Renew Membership (Senior/Student -
$25)
Author
Spotlight
Bookworm Interviews Elaine
Elinson
Elaine Elinson is the coauthor of
Wherever There's a Fight: How Runaway Slaves,
Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil
Liberties in California, which was published in
October 2009 by Heyday Books.
A San Francisco writer and editor,
Elinson was the communications director of the ACLU of Northern
California and editor of theACLU News for
more than two decades.
A graduate in Asian Studies from
Cornell University, Elinson was a reporter in Southeast Asia
for Pacific News Service and is coauthor
ofDevelopment Debacle: the World Bank in
the Philippines, which was banned
by the Marcos regime.
She received her MFA from Goddard
and has been awarded writing residencies at Hedgebrook
(Washington), the Anderson Center (Minnesota) and Mesa Refuge
(California).
Her essays on legal history and
book reviews appear frequently in theLos Angeles Daily Journal
and her articles have been published
in the San Francisco Chronicle, The
Nation, Poets and Writers, Woman’s
Day and numerous other
periodicals. Her short fiction has been published in
literary journals in the U.S. and Canada. She is
currently working on a historical novel about the San
Francisco Jewish suffragist Selina Solomons.
Elinson leads a writing workshop at a San Francisco senior
residence; she is married to the journalist Rene CiriaCruz
and they have one son.
1)
When did you start writing?
When I was 11, I wrote a poem for
American Girl magazine,
but I was too shy to show it to my mother, and I needed her
signature to prove I was under 18. I carried it around in
my pocket, until it was frayed and torn. I’ve been
writing for a long time, but it took a many years before I
dared to share my words.
2)
Why did you choose your particular
genre?
I would consider my main genre creative nonfiction, although I
also write fiction. I worked as a reporter for a number of
years, and as the editor of the ACLU News for 20. Journalism
taught me to reveal issues through personal stories - my own
and others. Wherever
There’s a Fight traces California history through the
lives of individuals who were involved in the movements for
labor, suffrage, freedom of expression and civil
rights.
3)
What inspired you to choose your subject
matter?
My coauthor, Stan Yogi, and I wanted to share the stories of
people whose voices are often marginalized. Little did we
know what treasures we would find along the way. A handwritten
document from Charlotte Brown, an African American woman who
sued a San Francisco street car company for not allowing her to
ride - a century before Rosa Parks. The menu from the Votes for
Women club, where suffragists had lunch and had held organizing
meetings. Or sweet, anguished poetry carved into the barracks
of the barracks at Angel Island by Chinese
immigrants.
4) How difficult/easy has your
experience been as a published
writer?
We are fortunate to
be working with a very encouraging and supportive
publisher: our editor is skilled and thoughtful, and
Heyday Books has scheduled readings and media interviews
to publicize the book.
Perhaps because I have a track record as a reporter, I have
been able to publish essays and commentaries in newspapers and
magazines. However, I am also working on fiction, and that is
another story. I have had a few short stories published, but am
still trying to peddle my novel. I keep my spirits up by
rereading rejection letters received by Jane Austen, Doris
Lessing and other favorite (and published!)
novelists.
5) What
advice would you give other aspiring
authors?
Read! Read authors that you love, and authors that are new to
you. You can have wonderful writing teachers teach you right
from the page. Chitra Divakaruni can teach you plot, Isaac
Bashevis Singer can tutor you in dialogue, George Eliot can
train you in image detail - just by going to the library. Also,
always carry a pen and a little notebook with
you.
6) Anything else you would like to
share with the WNBA?
I will always
remember something an agent told us at a WNBA meeting: Write
one, two, twelve drafts. And just when you think you
have finished editing your manuscript, write one more draft.
Writing is hard and joyous work, it’s great to have WNBA to
meet and share with other writers toiling in the same
vineyard.
**************************
Upcoming
Events
First Sunday
of the month: The Redwood
Branch of the California Writers Club general meetings
are held on the first Sunday of the month, (except for holiday
weekends), from 3-5 pm. at Copperfield's Book Store in Santa
Rosa's Montgomery Village (2316 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa,
95404, 707-578-8938). A small fee of $3 for members, $5 for
nonmembers is asked to cover speaking fees and light
refreshments. For more information see www.redwoodwriters.org or call Linda at
707-484-4153.
**************************
50
Books/50 Covers
The San
Francisco chapter of AIGA, Chronicle Books, and San Francisco
Center for the Book invite you to view the exhibition:
50
Books/50 Covers
A juried selection of the best-designed books and covers
published in 2008.
OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, November 5, 2009
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA
94107
The exhibition opens to the public November 5, 2009 and runs
through November 20, 2009.
Gallery hours are 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday
CHRONICLEBOOKS.COM •
AIGASF.ORG • SFCB.ORG
**********************
Save
the Libraries!
Library
Advocates MEET!
(first Thursday of the month), Nov. 5th &
Dec. 3rd
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Oakland Main Library - West Auditorium
125 14th Street, Oakland, CA
Join WNBA members Teresa LeYung Ryan & Jane
Glendinning and other Oakland
library advocates.
http://savethelibraries.spaces.live.com/
***********************
WNBA
National Board
Members
President:
Joan
Gelfand
joan@joangelfand.com
Past
President: Laurie Beckelman
lbeckleman@aol.com
***********************
Bookworm
Submission
Guidelines
C O N T E N T
The Bookworm publishes
announcements, events listings and
other WNBA member related news on a
monthly basis.
F O R M A T
Submissions must be written in
third person and should have a word
count of no more than 300.
Good quality jpegs sized at 200kb
or less, with titles containing
twelve characters or fewer may
accompany any submissions.
Items may be rejected if they do
not adhere to format
guidelines.
DEADLINE
Submissions
must be received by the 25th of the
month preceeding publication.
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From Our Chapter
President
Dear WNBA-SF
Friends,
Are you ready? Some say they have
started the Holiday countdown. Department stores have the usual
‘October’ Christmas decorations displayed way too early. Plane
tickets to visit the family have been purchased.
I’m not there, yet, but if I close
my eyes and visualize Thanksgiving feast day, I can pick up
heavenly, nostalgic, secret scents; perfect smiles I wait all year
to see; and feel little arms hugging my legs as I attempt to walk
across the kitchen with pies steaming hot from of the oven. Many
people like Thanksgiving best because it’s clear of expectations
other than how good the food will taste, and it always tastes good,
and each family’s certain rituals are sure to fall in place. Two
things I know for sure - it’s ridiculous to diet on Thanksgiving
and it is the time to be thankful for the abundance of love and
memories in our lives.
Do you remember our terrific
Meet-the-Agents/Publishers event last March at Sinbad’s? It was a
kick, and it’s back, already on the schedule for Saturday, March
27th, 2010. Follow this link to our blog for a success story
from last year by our very own, Mary Jo McConahay. And mark your calendars
now to save the date for this not-to-be-missed 7th annual event.
More to come as things move along.
The National Reading Group Month
event is a not so distant memory from October. Many of you were
there to help “Celebrate the Joy of Shared Reading” with all ten
chapters across the country. Read all about it on our blog,
too.
Welcome to all the new WNBA-SF
members! We’re so glad you’re on board. We are, with 159 members,
the largest chapter in the country, and we plan to keep it that
way, so bring in your friends and associates to have fun, get
involved, and advance their careers, all the while supporting
literacy and women-and-the-book.
REMINDER that your annual dues need
to be paid now. Go to our website for easy payment options. Thank
you.
May each of you be warmed by
the incomparable Bay Area sunshine, cooled in her delightful fog,
and energized by the remarkable people that make living in this
unique spot on the planet a true blessing.
Keeping Spirits Alive,
Lynn Henriksen
WNBA-SF President
Next board
meeting is Wednesday, November 4th, 6-8 pm at the San Francisco
Public Library in the Latino/Hispanic Room A, lower level. Food
& beverages are allowed.
********************
Member
News
Patricia Volonakis Davis of
WNBA SF Chapter announces that Susannah Greenberg of
Bookbuzz.comhas agreed to represent her as her
new publicist. (Susannah is also a member of WNBA, New
York Chapter) Susannah is working hard to help promote the
re-release of Patricia’s book, Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food,
Family, Love, Loss, and Greece (Coming November
2009). To celebrate the re-release of the book with its
new cover, which features more book blurbs by best-selling
author Kemble Scott, and Lynn Henriksen, WNBA SF Chapter
President, a number of lovely print and web reviews, and
an award seal from USA Book News, the author decided to do
something a bit different than the usual author
recordings. Podcasts are on her website at:
www.patriciavdavis.com/podcast_readings_from_harlots_sauce
and are currently being
made into videos, with photographs, drawings and graphics,
the first of which has already been posted on YouTube at
this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9esU5VHSJc
********************
Coaxing Creativity Workshops
Facilitated by Mary E. Knippel
CopyWriter
& Co. Your business lives in language and
my business is writing that
language.
Immediate
Past President, WNBA-SF, www.wnba-sfchapter.org
Creativity Mentor- Tap into your Creativity and
discover healing results!
www.openuptoyourcreativity.com
Simple
Abundance Certified Workshop Leader
Simple
Abundance Illustrated Discovery Journal
Workshop Leader
PO Box 244, Half Moon Bay,
CA 94019
650 468 5528
Come discover the most
important woman in your life...Your Authentic
Self!
Sign up for a
Coaxing
Creativity
or Simple
Abundance Close-to-Home Workshop today!
Visit www.openuptoyourcreativity.com
(PayPal available on line) for current
schedule.
**************************
Tap Memory & Write Memoir: Give the Gift of
Story
Sunday,
November 8th
You’re invited to a very different
kind of MEMOIR WRITING CLASS
- Tap into your
memories with ease
- Discover your
unique voice
- Trigger
creativity
- Add depth, design
& color
- Find understanding
& catharsis
- Make conscious
connections
- Trust the message
& messenger
- Create
essential energy
Lynn
Henriksen, current president of WNBA-SF, will
show you how to embrace a special kind of memoir
that takes a look at the heart and soul of a loved
one - of course, you’ll show up, too, along the way.
"If you could tell just one small story that would
capture your mother's character and keep her spirit
alive, what would it be?" To answer this provocative
question about your mother or another significant
woman in your life, join The Story Woman™ on a
journey of discovery where you’ll make conscious
connections and develop your unique voice and style
on the written page, even if you’ve never written
anything before. Through inspiring story examples,
guided activities, interactive exercises, and
constructive feedback, you'll learn to delve into
memories with ease and trigger your
creativity. You will craft a memory gem into
memoir. Students say this class is exhilarating,
joyful, heartfelt, cathartic, and ever
inspiring.
Book Passage
Nov
8th • 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Registration: $105 with www.bookpassage.com
or 415.927.0960
Classes in Marin • 51 Tamal Vista, Corte
Madera
Click here for more information
about Fall Workshop
or contact:
Lynn Henriksen
President, WNBA-SF
**************************
Member Book
Reading
Barbara
Whittaker, manager of The Axe & Palm Cafe,
has invited WNBA-SF member Teresa LeYung Ryan to
entertain Stanford
students.
Two students will
read scenes with Teresa from Teresa's novel Love
Made of Heart. The hardcover book will be sold for
$10; a portion of the proceeds will be donated to
Save the Libraries. www.LoveMadeofHeart.com
November
12th
Map of Stanford
Campus: http://campus-map.stanford.edu/index.cfm?ID=02-580
**************************
Check Out the WNBA-SF
Blog!
Dear WNBA-SF Friends,
Do you have
a writing related observation, question or request? Did you
have a wonderful summer writing experience? Want to
recommend a class you found absolutely amazing? Want to
alert our membership to a unique writing related
opportunity?
WNBA-SF has
a Blog where your questions just might find an appropriate
answer. Please include your full name and phone number to
verify blog information. Blog posts will not be considered
without this information. Blog posts are subject to review
and approval by WNBA-SF Board.
********************
Did you
know?
WNBA MEMBER
ADVANTAGES:
Do you have a book or service you would like to
promote?
Would you
like to associate with men and women who work with and
value books and promote literacy in general?
- Increase
exposure by linking your
website to our SF chapter
site and writing new
posts on our Blog.
- Interact with members on our
Bookworm Backdoor forum
- Add your input and gain
ideas from other members through E-newsletter
Bookworm.
- Check our website calendar not
only for WNBA sponsored events, but also those with
other organizations.
- Grab opportunities to provide
leadership to the chapter - join a committee or run
for office.
- Represent WNBA at conferences, book
festivals, and other community
events.
- Co-facilitate mixers in your
area.
- Attend board meetings.
- Assist with "Meet the Agents &
Acquisition Editors."
- Assist with "Authors’
Showcase."
- Assist with database and
elections.
- Assist Membership Chair Mary
Lunning.
- List your book on our National Site
- under Author books; List your name in our
national database of members.
- Have your book noted in our National
Magazine, The Bookwoman.
Published 3x /year, The
Bookwoman is sent out to all chapters
and members (700+) and industry professionals
for a total circulation of 3,000.
- Sign up for Members’ Readings at our
sponsoring bookstore: Bookshop West Portal,
SF. Contact Pam Reitman.
- Work with our 10 chapters nationwide
to network, plan book tours, build your
platform.
- Tell Leon Veal, Literacy Liaison,
how you're promoting literacy in your
community and he will profile you in his
column.
- Have fun! Foster
relationships!
Sign up or
renew (only $45) on our website: www.wnba-sfchapter.org
PayPal
available.
***********************
History
The Women's National Book Association is a
national organization promoting the value of
books and reading since 1917. WNBA exists as a
nonprofit 501(c)(3) to promote literacy 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 in the San Francisco Chapter stands
at 147. 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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