BOOKTALK! Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Women's National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter

Writing Brings Comfort While Grieving: A Letter to My Mother

by Emily Thiroux Threatt

My Parents were married on Mother’s Day 80 years ago, so my thoughts keep drifting toward them. I facilitate The Grief and Happiness Alliance gatherings every week where we get together on Zoom, do some writing and sharing and learn happiness practices, and one of their favorite exercises is to write letters, so I decided to write a letter to my Mother in celebration of her wedding and anniversary. I haven’t written a letter like this to my Mother before, and there are so many things I could say. I’ve been thinking about ideas to focus on. Here are a few:

I could pick out a few memories and reminisce with her, like the time when we were cleaning out her garage together, we found her mother’s love letters to her first husband who died young.
Or how when I was writing my book, she would sit in a chair behind me so she could watch me write over my shoulder. She was fascinated by my computer which was a new thing at that time.
Or how we shopped together to buy blue sotted Swiss fabric for my bridesmaid’s dresses, then we shopped together again to buy the ivory raw silk for my daughter’s wedding dress. And how I made all those dresses.
I could write to her about how I discovered how much she must have loved me as a baby when I was rocking my infant son in the middle of the night feeling overwhelmed by my love for him, She wasn’t one to express emotions, but at that moment, I knew how she must have felt when she held me.
I could thank her for what she did for me throughout my life remembering how hard she worked to help me get into college, and how hard it must have been to let her 18-year-old daughter to move so far away.
Or I could write about how she let my best friend move into my bedroom when her new husband was sent off to Vietnam.
And I would write for sure to tell her how grateful I am that she chose to come live with us during her last year and all the amazing adventures we had during that precious time.

I could write a whole book about her. I only wish I would have talked to her about so many things while I still could. We didn’t communicate well, and I am sure that’s one of the reasons I became a writer. I want to leave nothing left unsaid. In our writing group, after we write a letter to a loved one, we take a breath, then we write another letter from our loved ones back to us. When I wrote that letter to my Mom, I wrote a letter from her back to me. These letters aren’t planned. We just let whatever comes to us to flow out on to the page. We have received beautiful, meaningful answers.

I’m sure we could debate on where these answers come from; however, what matters most is the peace and joy those responses bring.

I encourage you today to write a letter to your mother, or maybe your grandmother. You may want to write it in your journal or find a special place to save what you write. Then you can go back and read it when you can use some mom time. And if your mom is still here, be sure to put that letter in the mail.

After the deaths of two husbands, as well as the many family members and friends, Emily Thiroux Threatt has much experience in the grieving process and has learned to face life with love, optimism, and joy.

Her books include Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief and The Grief and Happiness Handbook. She created The Grief and Happiness Cards and is the host of Grief and Happiness Podcast. She also hosts weekly online gatherings of the Grief and Happiness Alliance where people dealing with loss write together and learn happiness practices.

The Why Behind the Words: Discovering Purpose in Your Writing Journey

By Admin

by Christina Vo

There are countless reasons why people write. Some individuals know from a very early age that they are destined to be writers. Others, like myself, might arrive at writing later in life, and not necessarily because we dreamed of becoming published authors. For me, writing was a way of understanding myself, the world around me, and my relationships with others. In my younger years, journaling in the morning became a method to grasp the thoughts and emotions swirling in my mind.

I believe it’s crucial for people to understand and reflect on why they write. If you’re determined to become a published author with one of the big five publishers, that’s an admirable and worthwhile goal. However, you might fall into another category where you enjoy writing but weren’t formally trained. Perhaps you used writing as a life tool and later decided to publish some of your works. Whatever your reason for writing, it’s important to remember that ‘why’ and let it be a guiding principle as you delve deeper into your craft.

For those like me, it’s also vital to understand that some of the rewards of writing are not solely external (e.g., publishing in a prestigious journal or securing a great book deal). Many rewards are internal, and these lessons are invaluable.

Let me share a personal example. Earlier this year, I published a book, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam, co-written with my father. It’s a dual-perspective memoir about Vietnam, with chapters alternating between my father’s story and mine. I crafted the book by pulling pieces from a book he published in 2000 and my earlier writings on Vietnam. Through this process, I gained a deeper understanding of my father’s story and the challenges he faced throughout his life. It brought me a newfound respect and compassion for his journey. While I was delighted to have the book published by Three Rooms Press, more importantly, I am pleased that it deepened my understanding of my father.

This is just one example of how writing has benefited me beyond publication. In many ways, writing can be an art of being present (and we know we could all use more presence in our lives). The benefits can simply lie in the process of writing, in getting your thoughts out on the page, and in developing a deeper understanding of the world around you.

It’s important to remember this so that we don’t get lost in the business of writing and publication. The joy of writing can be found in the moment, in the art and craft itself. And who knows — you might find that you do your best writing when there’s nothing at stake, and when you’re writing simply because you’re committed to it.

By keeping sight of your personal ‘why,’ you can maintain a balanced perspective on your writing journey, appreciating both the external achievements and the internal growth it brings. Remember to never lose sight of your ‘why’ and that ‘why’ might be different for all of us.

Christina Vo is a writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work reflects her commitment to understanding and sharing the complexities of the human experience. Christina’s debut memoir, The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home, demonstrates her ability to weave personal experiences into broader narratives about identity, home, and belonging. Her second book, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam, an intergenerational memoir co-written with her father, was published in April 2024 and recently selected for the Ms. Magazine Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024. She has worked internationally for UNICEF in Vietnam, the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, as well as served as a consultant for nonprofits.

WNBA, San Francisco Showcase at Hayward Lit Hop

By Admin

A full schedule of the event can be found here.

When: 4pm, Saturday April 27 at Odd Fellows Lodge 950 B Street at Mission and Main, Hayward

with WNBA-SF presenters:

Concha Delgado Gaitan

Concha Delgado Gaitan works emphasize social justice issues of unrepresented communities. In her capacity as a professor, she lectured on her books and has worked with communities including Latino, Russian Refugees, Alaskans, Native students, Hmong, and transnational populations in Mexico, Canada, and Spain. She’s written 10 nonfiction books. her latest being Wings of a Firebird: The Power of Relationships in Our Later Years–This book marks the beginning of a new direction in her writing, a focus on issues of older adults in our society. In her book Prickly Cactus: Finding Sacred Meaning in Chronic Illness she turns the lenses inward and describes the role of family and community in healing her life and health.

Maxine Rose Schur

Maxine Rose Schur is an award-winning children’s book author and travel essayist. She’s twice won the Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers for excellence in travel writing. Her travel memoir, Places in Time was named Best Travel Book of the Year by the North American Travel Journalists Association and was awarded the Gold (First Place) for Travel Literature by the Society of American Travel Writers.

Sheila Smith-McCoy is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and filmmaker. Her full-length poetry collection, The Bones Beneath is a haunting new work from Black Lawrence Press. In addition to her poetry and fiction, Smith McKoy has authored and edited numerous scholarly works. Her books include the seminal text in understanding white race riots, When Whites Riot: Writing Race and Violence in American and South African Cultures. She is co-editor of Recovering the African Feminine Divine in Literature, the Arts, and Performing Arts: Yemonja Awakening (2020), and editor of The Elizabeth Keckley Reader: Writing Self, Writing Nation (2016) and The Elizabeth Keckley Reader: Artistry, Culture and Commerce (2017). Smith McKoy has also written, produced, directed or served as executive producer for four documentary films.

Geri Spieler

Geri Spieler, the author of Housewife Assassin, is a journalist and investigator reporter who wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Westways, and Forbes. She received praise and three awards, including the Smart-Writ Best Non-fiction award at the 2010 Mensa Annual Conference for her book, which uncovered the truth behind the life of Sara Jane Moore, the woman who attempted assassination of Gerald Ford, the President of the United States, in January 2009, Palgrave Macmillan, NY.

The panel will be moderated by WNBA-SF president, Elise Marie Collins.

A full schedule of the event can be found here.

Ellen McBarnette will be presenting as part of

Afrosurreal Writers Workshop of Oakland

Dirty Bird Lounge – 926 B Street (Mission & Main) – Outside in Rear

Maria Ochoa will be presenting as part of

Women Who Submit Lit:

The Pizza House – 943 B Street (Mission & Main)

Empowering women and nonbinary writers by helping prepare to submit works for publication.

2024 San Francisco Writers Conference

By Admin

Register for the 20th annual San Francisco Writers Conference

February 15-18, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency

Since 2004, WNBA-SF has partnered with the folks behind the San Francisco Writers Conference to help offer the opportunity for ambitious writers to connect with professionals who can help pave the path to becoming a published author.

If you’re currently in the process of writing a book, getting ready for publication, or interested in promoting a book, this four-day weekend could bring you one step closer to accomplishing your goal.

What to Expect at the SFWC

100+ presenters, including over 20 literary agents and acquiring editors!
80+ sessions of lectures and classes throughout the four-day weekend
SFWC Poetry Summit and the Writing for Hollywood Summit sessions
A free one-on-one consultation with an editor, a promotional pro, and a book coach
Various networking events such as the SFWC Gala or the Sunday afternoon no-host banquet

How can the SFWC help me?

With the four-day weekend packed full of various presentations and workshops fulfilling certain niches, you have the freedom to check out whatever speaks to your interest.
This is your chance to launch your writing career! Get in touch with leaders of the industry who can help you learn the publishing game.
As aspiring writers gather at the conference, observant agents assemble to offer their services.
The opportunity to refine your work with free editorial feedback from a freelance book editor and consultation sessions with a book coach or marketing expert.
Most importantly, you are a book lover who gets to meet fellow book lovers! The San Francisco Writers Conference offers it all.

Keynote Speakers

Maia Kobabe is a nonbinary, queer author and illustrator from the Bay Area, California. Eir first full length book, GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR, was published in May 2019. Maia’s short comics have been published online by The Nib and The New Yorker, and in many print anthologies including THE SECRET LOVES OF GEEKS, FASTER THAN LIGHT Y’ALL, GOTHIC TALES OF HAUNTED LOVE, ADVANCED DEATH SAVES and BE GAY, DO COMICS.

Before setting out to work freelance full-time, e worked for over ten years in libraries. Eir work is heavily influenced by fairy tales, homesickness, and the search for identity.

Alka Joshi is the internationally bestselling author of the Jaipur Trilogy: THE HENNA ARTIST, THE SECRET KEEPER OF JAIPUR, and THE PERFUMIST OF PARIS. Her debut novel, The Henna Artist, immediately became a New York Times bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick. It has been translated into 28 languages and is currently in development at Netflix as an episodic series.

Born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, Alka Joshi has lived in the U.S. since the age of nine. Joshi graduated with a BA from Stanford University and worked in the fields of advertising and PR before starting her own marketing consultancy. In 2011, she obtained her MFA in Creative Writing from the California College of Arts in San Francisco, California. She lives on the Monterey Peninsula with her husband and Coco, the misbehaving pup.

We are looking for a few more volunteers for the WNBA-SF table at the SF Writer’s Conference, email sanfrancisco@wnba-books.org

WNBA-SF at SFWC

While you’re at the SFWC, be sure to catch up with some of our WNBA-SF members attending the conference.

Congratulations to our WNBA Members who are Presenters

Acquiring Editors/Independent Editors

How to Write About Grief and Loss | Emily Thiroux Threatt

By Admin

How to Write About Grief and Loss
by Emily Thiroux Threatt
Author of “Living and Loving Your Way Through Grief”
https://lovingandlivingyourwaythroughgrief.com/

Books and articles are being written at a faster rate than ever before. I am sure this is in part because of the pandemic. This increase also comes from more people seeking help to deal with their grief. Grief used to be something we experienced silently, not sharing thoughts or feelings with others, but now with many people seeking comfort, they are wanting to know if other people are having the same feelings they do, and they want to know what can help them feel better to help them emerge from their pain.

By working with people who are dealing with grief, I have found some common issues to consider when you want to write something about grief.

Grievers want to know that who is writing about grief has experienced or is experiencing grief. The readers who are seeking something to read about grief want to know that the writer relates to grief in a way they can relate to. You can do this by writing from the perspective of someone speaking to directly to the one person who is reading what you say at that moment.
As self-publishing has become easier to do and having a traditional publisher isn’t as essential as it used to be, lots of memoirs about the death of a loved one or grieving a loved one are showing up. If you are choosing to write a memoire in this area, be sure to have a great hook. What makes your story different and appealing? Why would someone choose to read your story as opposed to all the other memoirs out there?
I have found the people who are grieving are wanting guidance. Instead of just reading a story, they want suggestions on what they can actively do to deal with their grief. They want to know that there are people they can share their experiences with. Grief can be a lonely place.
Find a way to include the stories of other people who are grieving so that if the reader can’t relate specifically to you, they can relate to the experience of someone you include in the book. For instance, if you are writing about your experience of having a daughter who died, you may want to include the experience of a daughter who had a mother who died.
Another approach is to write about is a specific kind of grief. I have been hearing from many people who are dealing with suicide, especially the suicide of a child. This is a niche that could be filled if someone actually has a way to comfort people who are dealing with this kind of loss. The intensity of this kind of loss seems to last a long time, so things that could help over time would be much appreciated.
Grief has surged with the surges of the pandemic. This is a different kind of grief than we are used to. People are tending to look for someone or something to blame from the people who won’t wear masks, to the people who don’t get vaccinated, to the hospitals that are over filled, to the politicians who they feel didn’t do enough or don’t things fast enough. While blame seems inevitable, when you write about grief and the pandemic, it is better to focus on the people who are grieving than on the people who may be causing the grief. Give them the same love and solace as any other person grieving, and look at their situation independently instead of lumping together all the people affected by the pandemic. Their individual loss is what they are focusing on and they will appreciate you focusing on them, too.

Grief can be a tricky subject to write on. What I have seen in the reactions to all the writing I have been doing shows me that when I focus on providing support, comfort, and love in what I write as well as showing my readers how they can find happiness while they are dealing with grief, they are grateful that you care enough to lighten their burdens some and give them something positive to think about. Just show them that you care.

***

Emily Thiroux Threatt is the author of Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief: A Comprehensive Guide to Reclaiming and Cultivating Joy and Carrying on in the Face of Loss, winner of the Bookauthority Best New Grief Book and the Silver Medal for the Living Now Book Awards.

Emily has much experience in the grieving process and has learned to face life with love, optimism, and joy. Her mission is to comfort and support those dealing with grief and loss focusing on happiness.

Interview – Ruth Weiss

By Admin

WNBA-SF Past President Brenda Knight interviewed Ruth Weiss in 2017. Now that we near the first anniversary of her passing, we wanted to bring you this interview of hope and writing…

Beat poet and jazz spoken word innovator Ruth Weiss started writing as a teen and, at the age of 88, has not stopped. A contemporary of Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and Allen Ginsberg, Weiss is one of the most important voices of the Beat Generation whose work remains fresh, relevant and more modern than ever. A holocaust survivor, she urges writers to “be truth tellers in your work and in your words.” Below is an interview of Weiss with WNBA-SF President Brenda Knight, author of Women of the Beat Generation, and includes a discussion of Weiss’s advice to young writers and scribes of all ages.

BK: How did you come to America?
RW: My family was on the last train out of Vienna before the Nazis put the Jews in the camp. Most of our family died in the concentration camps. We knew we had to get out of Europe if we were to survive. We were silenced. I will not be silenced.

BK: When did you know you were a writer?
RW: I think I always knew it; Vienna was a center for the arts before the war. Inspiration was everywhere. In America, everything was wide open. You could do anything, be anything.

BK: Is it fair to say you hit the road way before Jack Kerouac?
RW: Yes, and he and I talked about that. He liked the idea of a girl with green hair hitchhiking back and forth across America. I’ve been dying my hair different colors almost as long as I’ve been writing poetry. Jack and I really connected over haiku and would spend hours talking about the beauty of that form and would read and write haiku together.

BK: Are you particular about your writing desk you tools and environment for composing?
RW: I still use an Underwood typewriter and make sure my writing space is in good order. I never know when inspiration might strike and can sit down, put in a sheet of paper and write a new poem.

BK: Did you experience any problems as a young woman in the San Francisco poetry scene?
RW: Oh, yes. Most of the other poets were very accepting and encouraging, but a few wanted control. Allen Ginsberg was very competitive and even tried to keep me from reading sometimes and physically blocked me from the stage once. I know that will shock some people but it is the simple truth. For the most part, all the poets on the scene over time have been beautiful, peaceful, loving people. I have gotten a lot of support over the years and count these poets as my friends.

BK: What is the story behind your decision to keep your name lower case?
RW: Every time I sign my name, it is a revolutionary act, my way of standing up to the control of the “law and order” Germans in the ’30’s whose demand for control led to WWII and Nazis murdering millions of people, including my family. My name is a form of resistance.

BK: We have a so-called “law and order” president of the United States now; what do think about that?
RW: I take it as a warning and I have also noted that writers, artists and poets are sounding the calls to action.

BK: What is your best advice for writers, particularly women and young people?
RW: Many writers suggest you write every day at a certain time and I know that works for a lot of people. My advice is “less is more.” Never overwrite or just keep writing. Spare use of language, only using the right words will lead to better work, get you closer to greatness. Tell the truth in your truest voice and your work will be pure and beautiful.

Following in an excerpt from one of Ruth’s poems upon moving to San Francisco:

i’m 22.
don’t think i’ll make it to 30. don’t think. write.
words are my friends. words are wings. protect.
i have a room of my own. i shall always have a room of my own. that i will. this cancer girl gotta have a room of her own.
one by one the ones who must play—enter.
the search for that note—that only one. it’s a jam for the
heartbeat. no feet tapping. no hands clapping.
i walk slow through daybreak-blue. back to north beach.
my lids fold around my whole being.

7 Ways Authors Can Support Their Author Friends: Kindled Spirits

By Admin

By Debra Eckerling, author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals

As authors, we have an advantage in the online world, whether we realize it or not. Fiction. Nonfiction. Screenwriting. Poetry. Essays. Articles. It applies to all.

In order to connect with our audience, authors must be active on multiple platforms – websites and social media – as well as on live and virtual stages. This leads to a plethora of opportunities to collaborate, support, and highlight our author friends.

When Dr. Meg Haworth (author of Get Well Now; Healing Yourself with Food and The Power of The Mind) interviewed me for her YouTube series in June, I noted how in three months, we will have collaborated five times.

We met when we were interviewed for Ladies Take the Lead: Meet the Authors
We both spoke at Alina Fridman’s Finding Fabulous Summit
Meg was a guest on my live show in May
I will be a guest on her YouTube series in July
We are speaking on a self-care goals panel for the Women’s National Book Association – San Francisco Chapter Lunch N Learn on July 23

As “Kindled Spirits,” as Dr Meg calls it, we know there is more to come.

Here are 7 easy ways authors can support each other through collaboration:

Create a Joint Blog. Writers on the Move is a great example of authors coming together to share their knowledge.
Trade Book Reviews. On Amazon, Goodreads, or write one on your blog.
Do Interview Swaps.This can take place on a blog, live show, video, or podcast.
Spread Social Media Love. Make a point to tweet or post about an author-friend at least once a week … once a day is even better. Share their books, an article, or a photo. You can also take the time to comment on their posts.
Curate Panels and Events.Create events with author friends in mind, so you can ask them to participate.
Send Ideas. Do you receive a newsletter that shares podcast interview opportunities? Are you part of a cool networking group or meetup? Share the deets with author friends who would get the most out of it!
Refer and Recommend. When someone asks for a referral – whether it’s a speaker for an event, a book for a book club, or an author interview – think of who you know who would be a good fit and make an intro. Keep a list of author friends, along with their specialties. Don’t know what they focus on? Just ask.

* * *

As an author, getting out there is a lot about the power of relationships. Authors’ relationships with other authors: priceless!

* * *
How do you support your author friends? What collaboration opportunities get the best results? Please share in the comments.

This article was originally posted on the Writers On the Move Blog: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2021/06/7-ways-authors-can-support-their-author.html

* * *

Goal-Setting expert Debra Eckerling is the award-winning author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning & Achieving Your Goals (IPPY 2021, Silver Medalist, Self-Help) and founder of The D*E*B Method, which is her system for Goal-Setting Simplified. A professional writer, project catalyst, and corporate wellness consultant, Debra helps entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives figure out what they want and how to get it through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the founder of the Write On Online community; host of the #GoalChat Twitter chat, the #GoalChatLive show, and The DEB Show podcast; and VP of the WNBA-LA Chapter.

Connect on LinkedIn and learn about Debra’s #SummerGoalChallenge.

WNBA SF Chapter Emphasizes Diversity in Bylaws

By Elise Collins

The Women’s National Book Association would like to formally announce the passage of a preamble to our By Laws. With the help of board members Renee Jadushlever and Sheryl Bize-Boutte, the preamble was penned in late 2020 and officially added to our by-laws in May 2021. The Preamble will be added to our national website in the members’ section: www.wnba-books.org.

Preamble

The following bylaws shall be governed and executed through an active and demonstrative practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter’s mission. The WNBA-SF Chapter will engage in a continuous commitment and intentional practice of assuring the presence and meaningful participation and celebration of Black, indigenous and people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, historically marginalized identities, and people with disabilities, in its programming, membership and leadership.

Please take a moment to reflect and remember that the Women’s National Book Association was founded to give voice through the written word to those who have had a history of not having a voice. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the founder of our chapter, Ms. Effie Lee Morris, a pioneering educator, activist and librarian. We honor her legacy of continuous commitment and intentional practice and celebration of Black, indigenous and people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, historically marginalized identities, and people with disabilities in our programming, membership and leadership. This Preamble, embedded in the bylaws of our organization, serves to assure that the implementation of equity and non-discrimination is included in all WNBA-SF programming, policy and business operations and remains a permanent and integral aspect of WNBA-SF culture.

Thank you for your continued support of WNBA-SF,

Elise Marie Collins, President

Little Free Libraries in the Bay Area

By Brenda Knight

Take a Book, Return a Book, and Other Acts of Literary Kindness

Written by Brenda Knight

Little Free Libraries are one of the quietest and quirkiest forms of literary activism to come along in years. I had never heard of this movement until I was driving around North Berkeley on weekend errands four years ago. In the space of two miles, I saw what looked like two birdhouses full of books. Berkeley boasts a man who makes lovely birdhouses out of scrap wood and sells them off an old vintage pickup truck. Neighborhood folks call him “Birdhouse Man” and I thought he had branched out his business by adding see-through doors on bigger birdhouses with shelves for books. I remember thinking Birdhouse Man was surprisingly entrepreneurial as Berkeley, California, has a very well-read populace with so many professors and students.

My last errand involved dropping a signed print off to be framed in my neighborhood frame store. Sure enough, the frame store now had one of these little book houses right in front with a bench for sitting and reading. Gingerly, I opened the door and peered inside at a motley collection of paperback novels, cookbooks, puzzle books, and a handsome hardcover of Lost Knowledge which promised itself as a collection of trivia forgotten by the world.

Suddenly, I felt an urgent need to take the volume of Lost Knowledge. I went into the store and asked the owner “Is it really okay to just take this book?” She assured me it was and added that, “People often remark it is the exact book they need in their lives.” Sure enough, at the time, I was working with an author on a compilation of “Freaky Facts” and I did need that book. I asked Ms. Glen, proprietor of the frame shop, how she found out about this new-to-me phenomenon of free libraries. She replied it was a birthday from her daughter as they were both big readers and liked to pass books on afterward. After that, I noted these charming mini libraries all over the Bay Area.

Fascinated, I investigated these sweet book bins that were cropping up like California poppies all over and discovered it had all begun in Wisconsin. In 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother who was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away. Rick Brooks of UW-Madison saw Bol’s do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential social enterprises. Together, the two saw opportunities to achieve a variety of goals for the common good.

They were inspired by community gift-sharing networks, “take a book, leave a book” collections in coffee shops and public spaces, and most especially by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Around the turn of the 20th century, Carnegie set a goal to fund the creation of 2,508 free public libraries across the English-speaking world. The duo have gone way beyond the Carnegie’s goal and the number of Little Free Libraries stands at 50,000 and grows every day as the movement spreads from front yard to street corner to walls, parks and store fronts in all 50 states and over 70 countries around the world. Check out their website for more information or to sign up for newsletters and order a Little Free Library of your own.

As a member of the Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter, I am keenly interested in anything book-related and especially if it is advocacy as that is exactly what we do in the WNBA. I did a small survey of chapter members and was delighted to hear that many of us have a favorite Little Free Library or three in our own neighborhoods. Part of the fun of it all is that these tiny book exchanges are as unique as the “librarian” with many architectural styles and other features. Noted Alameda author Jack Mingo reported this about his local LBL, “The one in my neighborhood has late evening hours; it has a small light inside for night owls.” Agent Laurie McLean noted her colleague, Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary had a Little Free Library at his spring wedding! Jane Denning, president of the Women’s National Book Association reports her favorite aspect of having aLittle Free Library is the notes from readers, neighbors and strangers.

Our chapter’s Membership Co-chair, Terye Balogh is a full-time librarian who shares this, “I love those little libraries. There are quite a few librarians and library clerks and pages in our system who have created those and placed them around their neighborhood. Living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I see them quite a bit, and have also noticed that a few businesses have areas where people can take a book, leave a book. I think that speaks volumes for the need for more funding for libraries. I’m all for anything and everything around books. I know that one of the library supervisors who has a little library on his property includes information about the libraries in his area. They are absolutely fantastic for our area during the summer, so many campers and they have access to books.”

We love hearing the librarian’s point of view and would also like to hear yours, dear reader. What stories can you share about your local itty bitty book exchange or photos of a favorite you have spotted “in the wild?” Feel free to send photos and regale us with tales of “acts of literary kindness.” And keep those pages turning!

WNBA-SF President Brenda Knight is the author of Wild Women and Books, Be a Good in the World, and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. She served as publisher of Cleis Press and was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year in 2014. She is a Publishing Consultant to Mango Media.

How Publishing in Literary Journals Helps Your Writing Career

By Admin

By Anniqua Rana

We’ve all been writing away the turmoil of 2020 — whether to escape the trauma of the past year, or to try and create a future to anticipate. Writing has been our companion. It has helped us create worlds populated with people we would like to meet in person.

Shut-up and Write Groups

On-line Meetup Groups have also been a solace for those looking for community. Like many of us, I’ve signed up with groups around the world and it has helped me retain a writing schedule. However, I could not have anticipated the direction my writing would take. Stuck at home, I’ve been able to make the proverbial lemonade with Shelter-in-place.

Documenting Memories

In the beginning of 2020, my writing schedule was fairly predictable: a few hours every week in between teaching and grading papers. Then, in March 2020, when the Bay Area was expected to Shelter-in-Place, I started teaching on-line but was too stressed to write.

Like many of you, I reached out to my family through on-line calls. We coordinated our times and worked out a 7:00 am PST phone conversation to include a sister in Pakistan, another in the UK, and a third in Spain. By June, the family realized we needed to do more than discuss COVID infection rates, international politics, and family gossip.

So the sister in Spain, Selma, an artist, and I decided to document some important and some not-so-important memories of our lives growing up in Pakistan. We shared them with the other two sisters. They became our content editors, our fact-checkers.

This wasn’t enough. By May, I retired a twenty-year teaching career at the San Mateo Community Colleges, so I had plenty of time to write more regularly. Selma had retired a few years back. We decided to take our writing plan to the next level.

We’re both avid readers, but over the summer, we decided to coordinate our books so we could discuss them. We read works by writers like Szabo, Pamuk, and the Progressive Indian Writers. These writers inspired us to add a new element to the vignettes we were sharing with our family, a reference to the literature we love. We added images and art. We created short videos, which we posted on Facebook. Family and friends applauded them with Likes and Heart emojis.

The Blog We Made

And then, with the beginning of 2021, we decided to take our writing a step further and connect with a larger audience. We created a blog Tillism طلسم: MAGICAL WORDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. We were having so much fun with these vignettes of memories related to literature, we decided to share the opportunity with the writing community. Within the first week of starting the blog with nine posts we’re at 2000 views from over seven countries. We’ve also had requests from poets and writers in the Bay Area and beyond who are interested in posting their work.

Just as connecting with others online has been a lifeline for us to overcome the loneliness of shelter-in-place, you might consider connecting with others through your cherished memories. This new way of life has become our norm, and we imagine it will continue for some time yet.

Some of you might enjoy the gratification of sharing a short (500 word) post of memory related to literature in this on-line community of writers. As writers, you already know the importance of submitting your work regularly.

How We Can Help

And that’s why we would like to reach out to you if you are looking for (a) a thought partner to discuss creating a blog or (b) an opportunity to submit your work without having to wait too long for feedback.

As 2021 proceeds and you’re still wondering what goals to set for this year, you might consider setting one to submit your writing on a regular basis. If you have never submitted your work before, this might be an easy win for you.

Here are three ways we can help:

A 30-minute on-line discussion on how to create a blog. We used WordPress, but have also used Google sites and Wix.
A 30-minute on-line discussion on the basics of SEO for the blog.
And lastly, because we love discussing literature, we’re open to an on-going discussion about a piece of literature that inspires you and how you would like to write a post to include on Tillism طلسم: MAGICAL WORDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. We can set up a 30-minute google call followed by communications online.

Guidelines for Submissions

We are seeking short personal posts of no more than 500 words for Tillism طلسم: MAGICAL WORDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

Posts should be inspired by literature and connected to a personal memory.
Posts should include at least one word from a language other than English. You’re welcome to use more.
Include keyword tags to include in the post.
Include no more than two images only if you have the copyright.
Submit the information to anniquarana65@gmail.com embedded within the email (attachments will not be opened).
We will get back to you within the week of submission.

Anniqua Rana, who lives in the Bay Area, is the author of Wild Boar in the Cane Field, shortlisted for Pakistan’s UBL Literary Award 2020 after being published by Folio Books abroad, and She Writes Press in the States. She holds a doctorate in International Education and has taught at San Mateo Community Colleges, University of San Francisco, Lahore University of Management Sciences, and Stanford University.

Her work has appeared in International Education, The Pakistan Daily Times, Bangalore Review, Fourteen Hills, The Noyo River Review, Delay Fiction, and others. She is a member of WNBA-San Francisco Chapter and CWC-SF Peninsula.

She tweets @RanaAnniqua

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