Calmly. At the public tribute to WNBA/SF’s founder, the estimable Effie Lee Morris, I was listed 6th on the program. But when Willie Brown showed up late, the line-up was expertly shuffled by our MC, Belva Davis. Lo and behold, right after our ex-Mayor, I was up. Deep breath.

“I was just a teenager when Effie Lee Morris founded the SF chapter of the WNBA. That act of generosity has meant so much for my career, and for the careers of countless number of women and men who have been members and friends.

 Effie Lee was always inspiring and helpful – from suggesting venues for meetings to inviting interesting and unusual speakers. Connections and suggestions rolled off her tongue like a flowing river from the great peaks.

In 1984 Effie Lee was awarded the prestigious WNBA Award. The 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 who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties of her profession or occupation.”

With the award, Effie lee joined an impressive list of women who have changed the world of books and literacy in this country; from E. Roosevelt to N. Pearl and San Francisco’s own K. Kamen Goldmark, Effie Lee worked tirelessly for the book.

When we choose a winner we ask: “What will this woman do for the book NOW?

We all know what Effie Lee did for the book NOW – she nurtured children and their love of reading. She brought books to South Africa and to children in need and was a force in the community of librarians.

We ask “What has she done outside of her given duties?” We all know that Effie Lee mentored countless numbers of librarians and academics, and that she founded the African American Archives at the SF Public Library & the Teddy Bear room at the Hall of Justice in SF for children whose parents were on trial.

Finally we ask, “What is her legacy?” It is because of Effie Lee’s legacy that we are all here today. We are here to honor a woman who did such good work in this world that her influence will be felt for generations to come.

Just a few years ago, Effie Lee showed up for the annual lecture in her honor in high heels. When someone asked, “Effie, where did you get those shoes?” she answered, “I’m not telling because I don’t want anyone else to have these shoes!” In a city of unique individuals, Effie Lee Morris stood out as a true original.

Thank you so much for organizing this event, and thank you for allowing the Women’s National Book Association to have a voice in honoring our founder, our colleague, and our friend.”

Posted by Lynn Henriksen with permisson from Joan Gelfand. Original on Joan’s blog: http://joangelfand.com/2010/06/how-do-you-follow-the-honorable-willie-brown/#respond

Join WNBA-SF members who are participating in the San Francisco Writers Conference as presenters, volunteers and attendees at this comprehensive writing conference orchestrated by WNBA-SF’s own past president Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. 

SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE ADDS A PRE-CONFERENCE DAY FEB. 11TH, 2010

with:

DONALD MAASS 

LISA RECTOR MAASS 

JULIE SALISBURY 

MICHAEL LARSEN 

SHELDON SIEGEL 

ROBERT DUGONI 

KATHARINE SANDS 

STEPHANIE CHANDLER

   What is different about THESE sessions? They are intimate…about 25 people getting to interact with the presenter for more project-specific help. The pre-conference sessions are open to the public. They are stand-alone sessions and attendees can chose one or more depending on their schedules, budgets and interest. Attendance at the Main Conference is not required.

   A ‘Full Day’ Registration fee is $300.00 and a ‘Half Day’ Session Registration is $149.00. Morning sessions run from 9AM until Noon. Afternoon sessions run from 1PM until 4PM. Lunch is not included. All 2010 San Francisco Writers Conference attendees get to deduct $50 from their Preconference Registration total.  For more details on these sessions or the San Francisco Writers Conference, go to http://www.SFWriters.org.

12 writers benefited from WNBA-SF’s Coaxing Creativity Vision Board Workshop led by Mentor Mary E. Knippel.  “Decide, Declare & Design Your Writing Life for 2010,” said Mary Knippel.  “P.L.A.Y.  Pause. Love. Access your Artist/Adjust your Attitude.  YES to You.”

This post invites every writer at the workshop to submit her comments and declare a goal. Click on the title  [12 Writers Benefited from . . . ] to see the entire post; scroll down to comment boxes and key in your name, your email address, your website URL compose your comment; click SUBMIT button.

Thank you, Creativity Mentor Mary Knippel!

Visit Mary’s website for calendar of workshops: http://openuptoyourcreativity.com/

Mary Knippel & 12 writers showing their vision boards

COME ONE, COME ALL to help us Celebrate the Joy of Shared Reading…

By Lynn Henriksen, President WNBA-SF

 …and the chance to win delicious raffle prizes donated by several neighborhood merchants, including Pacific Catch, Max’s, Ciao Bella, Izzy’s, and Book Passage. We’ll also toast our 10 sister chapters around the country with a wee bit o’ the bubbly and sparkling water.

Three superb novelists are the main attraction, of course, for our 3^rd annual National Reading Group Month event at Book Passage in Corte Madera on Thursday, October 15^th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

I promise you that the evening will be spirited, informative, and entertaining with Tanya Egan Gibson, C.W. Gortner, and Kathi Kamen Goldmark front and center. C.W. Gortner will bring you insight into his intriguing and highly adventurous historical novel, The Last Queen, and what’s next from him. Kathi will read about one fabulous character (her health-food-obsessed mom, Betty) from both a fictional and a nonfiction perspective. Kathi warns, “Bring your own wheat grass juice.” Tanya will moderate the evening, read, and talk about writing her critically acclaimed debut novel, How to Buy a Love of Reading, where you’re sure to fall in love with reading all over again. We aren’t suggesting the love of reading is something to be bought, but we know you’ll be inspired to buy these authors’ praise-worthy books.

      Many thanks to our partners for this event: Book Passage for their steadfast support of authors,  books, and writing; and Whole Foods Market of Mill Valley for providing specialty foods. 

 ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Tanya Egan Gibson’s debut novel, How to Buy a Love of Reading, was release in May, 2009. She was born and raised on Long Island’s south shore, the“Egg”-less side of the island Fitzgerald didn’t write about. She earned a B.A. in English from Cornell University and an M.A. from the University of Washington. She began writing How to Buy a Love of Reading ten years ago, while teaching high school English. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.

Kathi Kamen Goldmark is the author of And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You, a novel; co-author of The Great Rock & Roll Joke Book, and Mid-Life Confidential: the Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude; and has contributed essays to several anthologies—including Feed Me! (edited by Harriet Brown). With her husband, Sam Barry, she writes a monthly aspiring-writer-advice column in BookPage called “The Author Enablers.” A 2007 San Francisco Library Laureate and winner of the 2008 National Women’s Book Association award, Kathi is the founder and a member of the all-author rock band the Rock Bottom Remainders, president and janitor of “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” Records, Author Liaison for many high-profile literary events—including Book Group Expo and the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library annual Laureates Dinner—and the producer of the nationally-distributed radio show West Coast Live.  

C. W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen (Ballantine Books). This book takes a look at the life of Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, and it is highly praised by Publisher’s Weekly. Half-Spanish by birth, Gortner holds an M.F.A. in writing, with an emphasis on historical studies, from the New College of California and has taught university courses on women of power in the Renaissance.  He was raised in Málaga, Spain, and now lives in California.  He is currently at work on his next book, which is about Catherine de Medici and will be released by Ballantine Books in 2010.  Visit him at www.cwgortner.com.

REVIEWS OF AUTHORS’ BOOKS:

Our own Elisa Southard showered this praise on Goldmark, “The novel, And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You by Kathi Kamen Goldmark, was written with a lot of style. Goldmark explored family issues with wonderful rhythm, compassion, and humor, as the protagonist, Sarah Jean Pixlie, gets her big break in the country music scene. And if you love Northern California, this is a local read that will take your imagination far.”

My reviews for Gibson and Gortner:

Captivating Throne of Passion, Juana la Loca of Spain: Juana’s courage, strength, and passion amazed me as The Last Queen came of age so vividly under C.W. Gortner’s admirable pen. This historical novel is fraught with crushing battles of power and chilling intrigue throughout the courts of her parents, Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, and of her husband, Philip of Flanders, as the Infanta of Spain attempts to take her rightful place on the thrown she inherited from her mother.

My soul was struck as I witnessed…click here for complete review.

Can’t buy me love, no, no, no, no: I would characterize Tanya Egan Gibson’s delicious debut novel, How to Buy a Love of Reading, as love stories between three couples even though ‘love story’ isn’t the premise of her book. Or is it?  But these love stories come with a twist, wherein the power of choice prevails as the characters literally rewrite their stories, their lives, and their fate. Actually there are three tales of love within two parallel stories.

In this is complex novel Gibson’s characters are very much…click here for complete review.

It happened at the 2009 Meet-the-Agents/Editors event!

By Mary Jo McConahay

“Only connect,” counsels E.M. Forster. I had begun to think the British novelist invented the phrase for would-be authors and their would-be agents.   My book project had moved along considerably in 18 months, but where did one go from here?

 As I wrote, researched, and rewrote, I made sure I also was “putting myself out there” at literary events, just as the manuals advise. I met one or two agents, amenable but failing to connect to me or to my work, and I, unable to connect with them.  I even bid at a benefit auction, for lunch and pitch time with an agent whose name you would know; as other bidders peeled off, I got scared, but raised the prize $10.00 each time against those who remained.  The poor agent would be my captive audience; I would order something that didn’t stick in my teeth; after a last glass of Napa Merlot, I would walk out past the kind of dustless palms that grow only in restaurants, a represented author.  When the bidding reached $700.00, I quit.

No one had ever told me getting an agent might be the hard part. 

Now a chance was coming to talk not just to one agent, but a dozen, each pledged to give me three full minutes of attention.  The process, unfamiliar to me, had a name I kept referring to mistakenly as “Kiss and Tell.”  By the time I reached the Women’s National Book Association venue, I knew to call it, “Speed Dating.”

Last March I joined a hundred other men and women from the WNBA San Francisco Chapter at Sinbad’s Restaurant for its annual Meet the Agents event.  From the windows, views of the Bay were the blue of dreams, and expansive enough to calm the most nervous.  I won’t say I wasn’t a little jittery as I looked around the room, at the agents waiting at their little tables, and before each, folks like me lined up in orderly queues.  

From the WNBA website, I had taken down the agents’ names days before, and researched them as thoroughly as I might have fact-checked a sentence in my book.  One specialized in novels – not my genre – but had once written about geography similar to that in my book, so she ranked on my list anyway.  Another had represented a National Book Award nominee, that again, was fiction, but rooted in the country I described, so I considered that a bridge.  With one agent I could see no point of contact at all, except that his last name was Polish, like my mother’s; I decided I was not above using any contact point, real, or a stretch, with anyone behind a table, and would talk to him, too.

There was one particular agent I hoped would love me, or at least be drawn to my project, because I really liked his life story (you can find anything on Google), and non-fiction specialty.  Others I would have been perfectly happy with.  Only one fell into my category of any port in a storm, but if she liked my project, I would admit to having misjudged. You’ll notice the hubris with which I walked into that room, and stood in the lines: as if any of the men or women there would take me as a client, I who had a good writing record, but new in the book publishing world. However, without possessing, or pretending to posses, the confidence that I would “only connect” with someone, I would never have had the nerve to subject myself to the strange, but unexpectedly enjoyable, process.

By the end of the morning, I had talked to every agent, some of the WNBA officers, and many other writers, and learned something from each one.  As I find the opening lines of a chapter to be, the first was the hardest.

“Have you got something I can read?”

No hello. I handed over Chapter 1.

“What is this supposed to mean? ‘Surf line.’ What is that?”

Damn, I knew I should have cut it. 

First lesson: Follow your gut.

His voice was loud. I felt like disappearing into to the Ladies’ Room.  He continued to read silently.

“Good,” he said, and gave me his card, without ceremony.

When I stood to leave, he did too, and put an avuncular arm around me.

“Send it, please.”

Second lesson: Hang in there.

Others, much more talkative, invited me to send a chapter and outline, or the entire ms. when finished, or simply and graciously said I might be a better fit with someone else.  I drank three cups of (free) coffee.  Had many laughs with fellow authors. Discovered I could encapsulate my project in a 30-second sound bite; explain why Rysard Kapuscinski and Joan Didion are my models; compare my project to a bestseller, while making it different enough to pique interest; and of course, describe my platform, how I might help “sell” the book.  In fact, the hours were so learning-intensive and fun, that something in me will miss the experience at the next Meet the Agent event, while I’ll continue to recommend it to anyone who asks.

Because, Dear Reader, I called an agent I met, to whom I felt connected, and within a few days we were literary representative, and client.  This week, some six months later, I sign the publisher’s contract.

Mary Jo McConahay’s Maya Roads: Travels Through Time and Space in the American Rainforest, will be published by Chicago Review Press. Her agent is Andy Ross.  www.maryjomcconahay.com

WNBA-SF Members and Guests

are invited to the

13th Annual Effie Lee Morris Lecture

“Bookjoy: The Zing of Writing”
Featuring Guest Lecturer: Pat Mora
at the
San Francisco Main Library (100 Larkin, San Francisco)

Koret Auditorium, Lower Level
on
Tues., June 2, 2009

5 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. lecture

Please be our guest on Tuesday, June 2 at 5 p.m. for the 13th Annual Effie Lee Morris Children’s Lecture Series featuring Pat Mora at the San Francisco Main Library sponsored by the Women’s National Book Assn-San Francisco Chapter. Pat Mora is the writer of over 25 books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. Mora’s work spans several genres in two languages (Spanish and English), however, she admits that poetry is her favorite genre because it allows her to combine “the challenge of creating an experience with economy of language.” A tireless literacy advocate excited about sharing what she calls “bookjoy,” Mora founded the family literacy initiative in 1996, El día de los niños / El día de los libros, Children’s Day / Book Day (“Día”) , now housed at the American Library Association. The year-long commitment to daily linking all children to books, languages and cultures culminates in celebrations across the country on or near April 30th. Book Fiesta captures and promotes the Día spirit. Her haiku collection about foods of the Americas, Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico!, won the Américas Award and was an ALA Notable. Doña Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart, an ALA Notable which received a Pura Belpré Author Honor Award in 2006, a Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and the 2006 National Hispanic Cultural Center Literacy Award.

WNBA-SF Author Showcase Chair and participants (l-r) Elisa Southard (Chair), Teresa LeYung Ryan, Deborah Grossman, Stevanne Aubach

WNBA-SF invites you to attend annual Author Showcase

When:  Thurs. April 16, 2009  5:30-9:00 p.m.

 
What:  “MEET PUBLISHED AUTHORS, LEARN FROM THEM, FIND MENTORS”

at the WNBA Authors Showcase and Dinner–”A Spotlight on You!”

A fun evening with published authors from 14 genres. This is how you

build relationships in the literary community.

 
Where:  Sinbad’s Pier 2 Restaurant,  Embarcadero St. at Mission St., SF –
Parking available at $5.00.

 
Registration:  www.wnba-sfchapter.org

Use PayPal  Dinner Fee:  $30.00  Also, all attendees must RSVP to Vicki Weiland by April 12:

hospitality@wnba-sfchapter.org   In your subject line, put “WNBA April 16″

Line-Up includes:

WNBA-SF Author Showcase

Elisa Southard—public relations, marketing, Event Chair

Debbie Gisonni—personal growth, inspiration, Event Co-Chair

Laurel Anne Hill—fantasy, sci-fi, parable

Amy Gorman— aging and in the arts

Kate Farrell—young adult novel

Rita George—transformational learning, spirituality

Deborah Grossman—poems/mother-daughter

Jennifer Robin—self expression

Adina Sara—memoir/legal

Mathilde A, Schmidt—self-help, inspiration, memoir, fiction

Teresa LeYung Ryan—novel/mental illness courage

Lucille Lang Day—poetry, non-fiction/strategies, children’s, science
fiction opera

Lynn Henriksen—how to/bio-vignettes

Joan Gelfand—poetry, short stories
“Join us for a fun evening!” say all the WNBA-SF Chapter Board Members

National Reading Group Month

Oct 16–
WNBA National Reading Group Month event!
Featuring Phillipa Gregory, author of “The Other Boleyn Girl” and her book “The Other Queen” at Book Passage in Corte Medera.

Philippa Gregory talks about The Other Queen ($25.95). Gregory presents a unique view of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her captive years in Elizabethan England. Gregory uses new research and her passion for historical accuracy in a tale filled with suspense, passion, and political intrigue. Gregory is the author of The Other Boleyn Girl. This event includes an audio-visual presentation. Reception hosted by Women’s National Book Association at 6:30 pm.

Join us at 6:30 for time with Phillipa Gregory and a reception.
Wine and cheese and then after Phillipa shares, we will be serving some cake and good company!
2 DVD’s of the movie “The Other Boleyn Girl” and autographed copy of the book
will be given as doorprizes.

Phillipa Gregory will discuss her new book

Corte Madera Store
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415) 927-0960
(800) 999-7909
Fax (415) 924-3838
Café (415) 927-1503

Writing for Change Conference 2008 San Francisco

Non-Fiction Writers…Welcome to the

WRITING FOR CHANGE CONFERENCE

August 16 & 17, 2008

at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco

Writing for Change is a conference devoted to non-fiction writing that brings about positive change, from the personal to the planetary. The speakers will talk about change in politics, culture, business, marketing, technology, spirituality, social issues, the environment, health & nutrition, international relations, food, medical services, personal development and the criminal justice system.

Attendees have the chance to network, learn from and share their ideas with authors, agents, editors and publishing professionals from the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York.

To find out more about this unique travel destination, The Hotel Kabuki, Click here

JUST ADDED: You can now register for one day or one keynote at reduced rates. Click here for details.

Check out the Writing for Change blog at sfwritingforchange.blogspot.com

2008 Keynote Speakers:

Mike Farrell – Long before M*A*S*H was a household word, Mike Farrell was involved in issues that were of concern to him. This involvement stems from his belief that being a responsible citizen means being willing to see conditions improve for the ultimate benefit of all. The issues are largely those involving human rights and the death penalty. But Mike is also known to speak out against local injustices, animal rights, environmental issues, etc.

Gay Hendricks – has served for more than 30 years as one of the major contributors to the fields of relationship transformation and bodymind therapies. Along with his wife, Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks, Gay is the author of many bestsellers, including Conscious Loving, Spirit-Centered Relationships, The Corporate Mystic, and Five Wishes.
2007 Keynote speaker, Dr. Phillip Zimbardo, when asked how a book could change the world said “A book can make shy people learn they are not alone; rather, their condition is widely shared, and so open them up for self-change. Another book can change conceptions about evil as not rooted in bad seeds or personality defects, but in social situations and systems of social control, which can instigate revolutions in legal theory and shifts from medical models of treatment to public health paradigms.”

***

One-day and one-keynote rates

We know how bad the economy is right now. And we want to make this conference available for everyone who wants to attend. To make it more affordable we have decided that in addition to our full-conference registration fee of $395 we will offer the options of a one-day registration (Saturday OR Sunday) and a keynote-only registration (Mike Farrell on Saturday or Gay Hendricks on Sunday) at the following rates:

Saturday-only registration: $250
(includes workshops, panels, keynote speech, reception, breakfast and lunch on Saturday only)

Sunday-only registration: $250
(includes workshops, panels, keynote speech, breakfast and lunch on Sunday only)

Mike Farrell keynote luncheon on Saturday: $75
(includes food, beverage, networking and listening to Mike Farrell’s keynote address on Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m.)

Gay Hendricks keynote luncheon on Sunday: $75
(includes food, beverage, networking and listening to Gay Hendricks’ keynote address on Sunday from noon to 1:30 p.m.)

NOTE: Certainly you can register for multiple keynote lunches, but if you want to register for two days of the conference it is more economical to purchase a full-conference registration for $395.