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WIWA NEWSLETTER
Vol. 4, No. 4 August - September 2004
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CONTENTS
Message from the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Passages: Paula Danziger
WIWA News
MFA program approved
Conference Director named
Celebrate Writing Contest for Kids
News from the Board
Island Book of Humor
On the Island
Poetry in the Park
WIWA fall classes
Love of Language Talk
WIWA Sponsored Writing Groups
Miss the Conference? Get the CDs
Off the Island
Words and People
by Dr. Richard Lederer
Recent Releases
Cheers
T-Up Your Marketing Plan
by Joseph Shaw
Contests and Market Requests
Cyber Surfing
To Contact Us
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe
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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
This month's newsletter reports a major milestone for the Whidbey Island Writers Association. With the state approval of the WIWA MFA program, our organization makes a giant leap into its future as a respected and distinctive element in the community of writers. Dedicated from the beginning to providing support to writers through services and education, WIWA will become an even more potent force in this endeavor. Its unique Writers' Conference, continuing classes for writers and now the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program give WIWA an even greater prominence in the world of writing and maintain its enduring advocacy of the writer's craft.
WIWA's record of influence in encouraging writers can be seen especially in the reports of publishing successes that have been achieved by those who have embraced its offerings. Our "Cheers" and "New Releases" sections are longer and more exciting, and the growth of our membership is a testament to WIWA's valuable services to writers. From increasing children's awareness of writers and their skills to advancing solid accomplishment on the literary front, WIWA has made fine contributions. Read on for more about what's been happening with writers and plans for the future.
To read past issues of the newsletter see "News, Events & Resources" at http://wiwa.bigmindcatalyst.com/cgi/bmc.pl?page=pubpg.html&node=1207 .
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Young Writers contest begins literary experience for children
I've been meaning to do this, and now's the time! My first- and second-graders (Multiage Class) at South Whidbey Primary have been actively involved in your Young Writers Contest since the very beginning. Is it four years?
Anyway, we eagerly look forward to the participation because the children select their own best writing to submit to the Whidbey Writers Conference. There is high anticipation to receive the notes from the authors that have been attached to their pieces of writing. They read them to each other and marvel at the fact that someone ''famous'' has written them a note with something touching about their work.
During the year we write an autobiography, and then I take these two pieces and turn the classwork into an end-of-the-year Class Anthology. The whole experience is remarkable. I bind the work in the classroom and we celebrate each Anthology as it ''comes off the press'' (the binding machine) by clapping! The students always decide that all Anthologies come off the press and we see them for the first time together!
From year to year the kids bring back their ''old'' Anthologies to share with the new first-graders. The connection of teaching beginning writers, sharing great literature throughout the year, and the Whidbey Writers Conference have all become a remarkable and much anticipated part of my classroom.
Thank you for the beginnings of a great experience and let there be no ending to this wonderful yearly event.
Sincerely,
Linda Garl, South Whidbey Primary School teacher
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PASSAGES
Children's author and 2004 WIWC presenter Paula Danziger, 59, passed away on July 8, 2004, following complications from a heart attack in June. She was the author of more than 30 books, including the bestselling novel, ''The Cat Ate My Gymsuit,'' ''The Divorce Express'' and, more recently, the Amber Brown series. The Web site http://www.kidsreads.com writes this "In Memoriam" about Paula Danziger:
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in New York, Danziger knew since the second grade that she wanted to be a writer. Danziger loved to travel and meet young kids all over the world. She was embraced by her audience for her ability to relate to children through the characters in her stories. She was often known for "borrowing" children (only the ones she knew) for her inspiration. The Amber Brown character was conceived during one of her trips with her niece.
Danziger was also the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Children's Choice Award from the International Reading Association and the 2003 Garden State Children's Book Award. She spent most of her time in New York City and London, England.
The Amber Brown Fund has been set up in memory of her. Donations for this fund will be used to allow authors and illustrators to speak at local schools and libraries.
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NEWS FROM WIWA
State authorizes WIWA's MFA program
WIWA's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program has been authorized by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, with classes to begin in August of 2005.This success follows two full years of work by WIWA's Board of Directors, MFA Design Committee, and Educational Programs Governing Board –– in other words, our usual team effort.
WIWA's MFA is expected to operate under the name Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program. That name (changed from Writers Institute of the Northwest) will become official shortly, perhaps by the time this appears. The degree will require 60 graduate-level semester credits, including writing workshops, craft courses and directed reading courses, culminating in a creative thesis project consisting of a book-length publishable manuscript.
As a low-residency (also known as brief residency) program, the WWW MFA will require students to attend intensive 10-day residencies on Whidbey (for the time being, at Camp Casey Conference Center on Whidbey Island) each August and January. Residencies will be followed by 16-week online semesters. We'll be one of the most flexible low-residency MFAs around: most other brief residency programs require 15-credit blocks each term and must be completed in two years. Ours will offer five-credit individual courses, allowing students to work at their own pace, taking from two to six years to complete the program.
During the residencies, afternoon programs will be open to non-student WIWA members for a reasonable fee, and evening readings and presentations will be open to the public at no charge.
The Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program is the first in the country –– and perhaps in the world–– to be offered not by a college or university but by an organization of writers. In this respect, it resembles the many free-standing arts institutions offering degrees in music, art, dance and theatre.
Since approval has taken place so recently, we're still in the process of adding the MFA to the WIWA Web homepage. Within a few days, you should be able to go to the WIWA site, http://writeonwhidbey.com , and click on MFA. That will take you to the starter page where over the next few weeks we'll be posting a lot of information, including costs, requirements and our entire "college catalogue" for the MFA. The name change should be official by then; if not, we may be listed as the Writers Institute of the Northwest for a while before we shift to Whidbey Writers Workshop. Remember, this will all take place within a few days; you probably won't find "MFA" on the WIWA home page today. Keep an eye on the Web Site for information about this new WIWA program.
In any case, we look forward to the support of our membership in this exciting endeavor, as the Whidbey Writers Workshop joins the Whidbey Island Writers Conference as an example of what writers can accomplish working together here on Whidbey Island.
New Conference Director named
The Board of Directors of the Whidbey Island Writers Association has announced the selection of Elizabeth Guss as its new Writers Conference Director. Guss will fill the position held by Celeste Mergens, who founded both the Whidbey Island Writers Conference and Association and recently stepped down to pursue her Masters in fine arts at Goddard College in Vermont.
Guss, who recently relocated to Whidbey Island from Salt Lake City, has spent more than 20 years in planning, organizing and presenting in a variety of conferences, seminars and programs. As a consultant with her company, Cohesion, she has developed and produced custom training and leadership development programs for companies and not-for-profit organizations.
''The depth of Elizabeth's experience working with people through corporate and volunteer organizations is just what the Whidbey Island Writers Conference needs to bring it to its next level,'' WIWA Board President Gail Madden said. ''Elizabeth's energy, enthusiasm, and great sense of humor will motivate the conference team.''
Most recently, Guss chaired the History of Hope Gala for the American Cancer Society. She co-founded the Utah Women's Alliance for Building Community and served as the executive director and board president for the Salt Lake Vest Pocket Business Coalition. Guss also worked as program director for People Helping People and the Ulster Project, a peace initiative for youth. To her list of credits, Utah Business Magazine added ''Visionaries – 30 Women to Watch in 2004.
''I want to ensure a positive experience for all,'' Guss said. ''I understand the dynamics behind organizing and managing such an event, while supporting the community and participants in the process. I'm really looking forward to leading the incredible team of volunteers.'' Asked why she and her husband chose Whidbey Island, Elizabeth simply said, ''We looked at many places but, as soon as I arrived here, I felt I was home.''
The seventh annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference is scheduled for March 4-6, 2005 in Langley.
Student 'Celebrate Writing Contest' Set to Begin
This year WIWA will once again sponsor the Whidbey Island Celebrate Writing Contest for students. Kindergarten through high school students from Whidbey's public and private schools and homeschooled students will be asked to participate. This year's volunteer administrator is Jerry Mercer, who created and managed a similar program in the Riverview School District for 10 years. Jerry will be looking for WIWA members who will volunteer as readers and critique writers. There will be other tasks as well, such as school coordinators.
''This is an important aspect of WIWA's mission statement,'' Mercer noted, ''The education and encouragement of young writers can be a gratifying journey for those willing to get involved. It takes a true commitment in time and energy just before the conference, but it's a lot of fun also. Dorothy Read has done a great job and we owe her a huge 'Thank you!' for what she has accomplished in previous years. I don't plan to make any major changes to the program Dorothy has used, but I will try to improve the process and give it as much visibility as possible.''
Anyone who likes to read kids' stories and help young authors become the writers of tomorrow is asked to write or call Jerry to add their names to his contact list. Those members who have assisted in the past will be contacted soon, and educators on Whidbey will be reminded of the program as school begins in September. Jerry's email is lamont1040@earthlink.net , and his phone number is 360-678-4813.
Notes from the Board
• The Board Of Directors has been busy over the summer interviewing candidates for the Conference Director position. With the selection of Elizabeth Guss, the Conference Team will begin their work on preparing the 2005 Whidbey Island Writers Conference, and the board members will move on to other projects. On Aug. 14, members of the Board and the Educational Programs Governing Board will meet with Bitsy Bidwell of the Washington State Arts Commission for a retreat on fund-raising guidelines and strategies for nonprofit organizations.
• The Board recognizes and congratulates the efforts of the Educational Programs Governing Board and all those members of the EPGB, past and present, who worked so hard to make WIWA's MFA program become a reality: Nancy Ruff, Wayne Ude, Toni Grove, Rex Porter, Andy Clay, Susan Wilmoth, Whitney Christiansen and Celeste Mergens. Late in July we were officially notified that the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board had approved the proposal for a low-residency MFA program. This required step allows the EPGB to pursue advertising and planning for the inaugural class, which is currently scheduled for Fall 2006.
The MFA Program intends to operate under the name Whidbey Writers Workshop. Look for more information and good news about this program in future editions of the WIWA Newsletter and at the Writers Conference. Inquiries about admission requirements and program details should be directed to writers@whidbey.com .
Humor Anthology Deadline Approaches
The deadline is Aug. 27 for submissions to the Whidbey Writers humor anthology, ''An Island Full of Laughter.'' The anthology will be published in November of this year, and all profits will be shared among the authors after expenses.
Jerry Mercer will edit the book of humor, which will consist of humorous fiction, nonfiction, poetry and fillers (jokes or anecdotes). Maximum length is 3,000 words; poetry will be limited to 50 lines. All material must be original and unpublished. Subject does not have to be about Whidbey, but it must be humorous!
This anthology will be a good quality, 6 x 9-inch softcover, with authors' bios and a foreword by Jim Freeman, Whidbey Island's Conductor of Fun. Authors selected for publication will receive one free copy, will be entitled to purchase 10 additional copies at cost, and will share in revenue after publication costs have been met.
Residents of Whidbey are encouraged to submit their humorous work. For information email to Jerry Mercer at lamont1040@earthlink.net , write to P.O. Box 114, Greenbank, WA 98253, or call Jerry at 360-678-4813.
Reminder: Grocery receipts help WIWA programs
Ken's Korner and Casey's Red Apple markets on South Whidbey will make a donation to WIWA in exchange for grocery receipts from their stores. The "1% Program" will help support WIWA's community programs. Save your receipts and turn them in at the WIWA office in Freeland, or give them to Toni Grove, who manages the fund-raiser. The receipts count only for the previous month, so don't hoard them. For more information about the "1% Program" call Toni at 221- 6748. This is a small way to help make big things happen.
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ON THE ISLAND
Picnic and Poetry in the Park
The WIWA board is sponsoring a relaxed and fun evening event, ''Picnic and Poetry in the Park," Aug. 25, starting at 6 p.m. in Coupeville Park. All WIWA members are invited to bring a picnic supper to the park and take part in an open mic for local poets, followed by a reading and book signing by noted poet Christopher Howell.
Christopher Howell's eight collections of poems include the recent ''Light's Ladder'' from the University of Washington Press. He has received fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission, the Massachusetts Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. His poems have appeared in such journals as Antioch Review, Colorado Review, Field, Harper's, Hudson Review, Iowa Review, North American Review, Poetry Northwest, and Gettysburg Review, and have three times been awarded the Pushcart Prize. He is a recipient of a Washington State Governor's Award and the Vachel Lindsay and Helen Bullis prizes.
Howell has taught at Colorado State University, Willamette University, Whitman College, Emporia State University, and Oregon State University, and teaches now in the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at Eastern Washington University where he edits the semi-annual journal, Willow Springs. He also serves as senior editor at Eastern Washington University Press. Since 1975, he has been director and principal literary editor for Lynx House Press.
WIWA ANNOUNCES FALL CLASSES
This series of WIWA's popular writing classes will begin in mid-September, offering course in fiction, novel-writing and selling a book, taught by notable Island instructors. All classes will be taught at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland. Fee for each course is $75 for WIWA members, $85.00 for non-members; scholarships are available. To register for any of the listed classes email foggyday@whidbeyisland.com or call Gail Madden at 360-341-2634. For planning purposes, registration commitments prior to Sept. 4 are appreciated.
Flash and Dash – The Eternity of the Moment
Taught by Marian Blue, Sept. 17-Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Bring out the miniaturist in your writing: a flash of light, an image in the corner of your eye, a bolt of lightning –– each captured in the single event that epitomizes the essence of such an image. H.E. Francis says, "Writers have always challenged themselves to absolute reduction, skeletons. They tempt death." Come "tempt death" in this course that will study the craft of flash fiction and prose poetry. We'll read, we'll write, we'll critique – we'll grab a brakeless jaguar for a 1-minute car chase of one down a midnight blue mountain road. 10-15 participants.
Textbook: "Sudden Fiction," (ISBN# 0-393038-30-0) edited by Robert Shapard and James Thomas, from W.W. Norton (1996). There are several "Sudden Fiction" textbooks available, so make sure you get this edition.
Advanced Fiction Workshop (Novel Writing)
Taught by Wayne Ude, M.F.A. Sept. 20-Nov. 29, 2-4 p.m.
This workshop focuses on works written by group members. Participants will share excerpts of longer works, and have the opportunity to present three chapters to be discussed in class and critiqued by the instructor. Limit 12 students. Note: This class has pre-registered full.
Crafting and Selling a Book in Today's Market
Led by Tom Snyder, Ph.D. Sept. 16-Nov. 18, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This forum complements writing groups by addressing the combination of skills and resources needed to stay clear of the rejection pile –– now running at 98 percent of all submissions to literary agents. How can a writer win in such a market? By adopting an agent's viewpoint and incorporating standards that too few writers recognize. Still, a clean manuscript embodying tricks of the trade plus a decent story can turn those odds in favor of a dedicated writer. Intended for writers who are committed to a book-length manuscript, for publication by a recognized house. The work may be in progress or development, and may be either fiction or nonfiction. Content will focus on a five-year pool of tips from agents and publishers, plus learner-centered processes designed to aid writers in mastering crucial formatting and self-editing techniques.
Evening Fiction Workshop
Taught by Wayne Ude, M.F.A., Sept. 20-Nov. 29, 7-9 p.m.
This workshop is aimed at both intermediate and advanced fiction writers and will accept both short stories and chapters of novels. The class will discuss two pieces of writing in each meeting after the first. During the term, each class member will turn in three separate pieces of writing. Each time your work is due, you'll need to bring double-spaced copies for each class member, including the instructor. Those will be passed out, taken home for close reading, and discussed at the following meeting.
About WIWA's local class instructors
Marian Blue began working as a journalist for a small weekly in 1972 in Western Colorado. Gradually, she began freelancing essays, then articles, for publications as diverse as The Santo Domingo News in the Caribbean, where she lived in the late 1970s, and The Christian Science Monitor. In the 1980s, she discovered poetry and fiction and has since received awards for both. Marian has published hundreds of essays, features, interviews and columns in such publications as Northwest Magazine, Cruising World, ACM (Another Chicago Magazine), A Hundred White Daffodils (Graywolf Press), and Drive: Women's True Stories From the Open Road, (Seal Press). Her fiction and poetry have been published in Snowy Egret, Eureka Literary Magazine, Cold Mountain Review, Lynx Eye, Mankato Poetry Review, Exhibitions, Dominion Review, Tiller, and the Pen (anthology, Eighth Moon Press). She is co-editor of the anthology, "Sea of Voices, Isle of Story," from Triple Tree Press (2003). She is copy editor of Community at the Crossroads, a 2002 Goosefoot project on Whidbey Island. Marian teaches for Skagit Valley College on Whidbey Island and Writer's Digest, and she is partner of Blue & Ude Writers' Services.
Tom Snyder, Ph.D. is the author of the best-selling "Route 66 Traveler's Guide and Roadside Companion," now in its third edition at St. Martin's Press, and his "Pacific Coast Highway Traveler's Guide" was released to excellent reviews. He has appeared on the evening news of the three major national television networks, CBS News This Morning, the Sunday Morning show, and segments for The Discovery Channel and PBS. Tom is a frequent radio guest around the U.S., in Europe, Japan, and on the BBC. In addition, Tom was Contributing Producer for 21st Century Classics' CD-ROM version of John Steinbeck's masterpiece, "The Grapes of Wrath." He recently completed "When You Close Your Eyes," a narrative biography of the artist Rosamond. He is presently at work on two novels, plus a new multi-media project: "The Two-Lane Gourmet." While completing his doctorate at the University of Southern California, Tom led professional-level workshops in writing. Along the way, he worked as an oil-field swamper, fry cook and sailing coach. A lapsed pilot and semi-prudent motorcyclist, Tom has a genetic weakness for open space and a sweet machine.
Wayne Ude, M.F.A. is the author of "Becoming Coyote, Buffalo and other stories," "Maybe I Will Do Something: Seven Tales of Coyote" (for ages 10 and up), and the fine press limited edition, "Three Coyote Tales." His stories have appeared in Ploughshares, North American Review and The Last Good Place, among publications. After receiving an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts, he taught creative writing and directed writing programs at universities for 17 years. Since 1993 he's lived, written and taught on Whidbey Island, in addition to teaching writing through correspondence and online courses. He is a partner in Blue & Ude Writers' Services.
LOVE OF LANGUAGE
"The Silence Between the Words: Storytelling and Oral Tradition as Living Expression and Literary Source" Saturday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m., Bayview Hall, free
Storyteller Antoinette Botsford grew up in a family that values storytelling: "My mother told stories about the past, my father told stories about the future." Her education includes a Ph.D. in Theatre from UCLA, a master's in Folklore and Mythology and –– the important part –– "a whole ton of life experience." She's especially known for native North American tales (many learned from her Canadian-Métis relatives) as well as a growing Celtic collection she calls "The Forest of Broceliande." A large part of her performance repertoire includes stories she weaves from fragments of family history and anecdotes, as well as stories she describes as "traditional and true" that she has adapted from world cultures.
Botsford toured for six months with Utah's Grammy-winning Douglas Spotted Eagle in his stage show, "Voices of Native America," and is a frequent performer and teacher at arts festivals, including seven years with the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. President of the Ojai Foundation Jack Zimmerman describes her as "a gifted and profound teacher and storyteller who brings a heightened and complex understanding of myth to contemporary life."
For six years, Botsford served as children's editor for The Napra Review, and for four years served as a judge for an important literary competition. She is an editorial consultant in children's publishing.
"May we find each other in the silence between the words?" -- Antoinette Botsford, http://www.rockisland.com/~storybird/ .
Love of Language, a series of talks by published authors, has been designed to "stimulate the writers' Renaissance taking place here in Island County," says natural history author and poet Susan Zwinger. WIWA, the All Books Club and Zwinger have joined forces to reward Whidbey's local writers and readers with the free series. The All Books Club generously donated Bayview Hall's rental fee. For more information, call 221-2347.
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WIWA SPONSORED WRITING GROUPS
The North Whidbey Writers' Group meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 1- 4 p.m., at Great Times Espresso in Coupeville (waterside of Front Street, down one flight of stairs). For more information, contact Dot Read a thereads@whidbey.com or call 360-331-2038.
The South Whidbey Writers' Group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland (Hwy 525 and Woodard Rd.) The meeting is in the small building closest to Highway 525. For more information, contact Natalie Olsen at the gnat@whidbey.com or call 360-331-7709.
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