Write Angles 12-10

8/7/2019 Write Angles 12-10

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December

2010

Erle Stanley Gardner [1889-1970] was a California lawyer who enjoyed a trials strategyAs a writer, he turned this intrigue into the subject of his monthly writing goal of 100,00words. Later dictating to a staff of secretaries, he wrote stories for pulp magazines andpopular crime fiction like the Perry Mason series under his own name plus sevenpseudonyms.

"D ea r E d i t o r : I t 's a d a m n g o o d s t o r y . I f y o u h a v e a n yco m m e n t s , w r it e th e m o n t h e b a ck o f a ch e ck ."

Erle Stanley Gardn


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Write Angles Page 1 of 8

Write Anges

Write Anges

December

2010

Contents

President's Message 1

News from NorCal 2

Write On! Winners 2

Poetry Page 3

West Winds Out 4

Member Profile 4

Survey 5

Member News 6

Tidbits 7

Book Review 7

Presidents Message

London had his cameraconfiscated in Japan andwas often detained byJapanese officials whenhe got too close to thefront lines...

London took photos in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War in Korea and Manchuria.On page 57, the caption reads, "London had his camera confiscated in Japan and wasoften detained by Japanese officials when he got too close to the front lines,especially as the war spread to the Yalu River, the boundary between Korea andManchuria."

Whatever experiences London had in Korea and China would lead to an essay and astory that ignited a debate that he was a racist. While at the NCIBA, I had twoconversations about London. One editor said she heard that London was a racistand had trouble believing that. Later, another editor from the University ofGeorgia Press said he didn't believe London was a racist either.

London's 1904 essay, The Yellow Peril, may have contributed to the claim that hewas a racist. Using Google, I found sites that support this theory. However, afterseeing the pictures in Jack London, Photographer, it is hard to believe he was aracist. (See The Jack London, the Socialist Capitalisthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBQoYlXWZyc.)

London wrote the The Unparalleled Invasion, which takes place in a fictional 1975,when the West decides to destroy China (for no good reason) by using biologicalwarfare.

______________

Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubineand Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.

Recently, the California Writers Club joined the Northern California Independent Book-sellers Association (NCIBA) and staffed tables at their October 2010 Trade Show inOakland. While there, Alon Shalev, Berkeley Branch member and author of TheAccidental Activist, told me he saw a book about Jack London (18761916) at anothertableJack London, Photographer by Jeanne Campbell Reesman, Sara S. Hodson, andPhilip Adam, published by the University of Georgia Press. I have a copy in front of meas Im writing this.

This beautiful book proves that London had talent beyond writing stories such as WhiteFang or Call of the Wild. If you know London fans, this book would make a greatChristmas gift for them.

Jack London, the Photographer

Upcoming

Events

12/11HolidayLuncheon

1/9/11Workshop:

Karin IrelandWriting for the SeriousBeginner

1/15/11Kickoff

25th Anniversary of the5th Grade StoryContest


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Write Angles Page 2 of 8Write AnglesPage 2 of 8

The CWC-NorCal group continues to bring fresh ideas and the

energy of idea cross-fertilization to Northern California CWCmembers. Since its beginning two years ago as an informal ideaexchange and forum for mutual event publicity, NorCal hascreated two writing retreats in Santa Cruz, set up a NorthernCalifornia Web site (www.cwcnorcalwriters.org), and estab-lished a publications committee to help members get pub-lished. It has also strengthened publicity among all NorCalbranches.

News from NorCal

The Web site is a one-click link to programs, contests, work-shops, and other events in Northern California. If you can'tfind what you want at a time you need at the CWC-BB, thenuse your CWC membership to avail yourself of other pro-

grams, most within two hours of the Berkeley Branch

The CWC-BB invites all members to come to a NorCal meetingand enjoy camaraderie with members from nearby branches.When Linda Brown becomes president of the Berkeley Branchin February, she will step down as our representative.Ideally, two CWC-BB members would make the commitmentto be representatives to NorCal.

In addition to the initiatives mentioned above, NorCal isworking on ways to attract younger members, developing atalent bank and more Open Mics, and making plans for aleadership conference.

When: The first Saturday every other month. Next ones areDecember 4 and February 5. Brown bag lunch and conver-sation is 11:3012:00, and the meeting itself is 12:003:30.

Where: Dave Sawle's office (free parking, block or two fromAC Transit route, near Alta Bates Summit Hospital) 2945Webster, Oakland 94609.

NorCal agenda for 12/4:

Announcements & Introductions

Events

Discussion

Anthology (Redwood)

Contests (Central Coast)

Attracting younger members (South Bay)

Talent bank (Fremont)

Conducting and promoting workshops(unassigned)

Open Mic: conduct, value, and pitfalls

(unassigned)

Event work/cost/benefit sharing between

branchesan investigation (unassigned)

Reports/Comments

Publications Committee/ Web site Demo

Nancy Curteman

Leadership Seminar

The results are in for the 2010 Write On! Story Contest. For the second year in a row, one writer was awardedtwo of the three prizes. Last year our own Berkeley Branch member, Clifford Hui, won first and third place.

This year both the first and second prizes go to Marjorie Bicknell-Johnson. Congratulations, Marjorie!1st Prize: "The Poisoner's Handbook" by Marjorie Bicknell-Johnson (South Bay membership chair)2nd Prize: "One Last Ride" by Marjorie Bicknell-Johnson3rd Prize: "The Perfect Caterpillar" by Michael J. Cooper (CWC member who lives in Lafayette)

Honorary Mentions:"All the Time in the World" by Barry Boland (CWC Berkeley member)"You're Going to Learn So Much" by Abby Lynn Bogomolny (CWC Redwood member)"The Seaglass Tide" by Jennifer Snow (new CWC Berkeley member)

We thank Marilyn Abildskov for judging the 79 entries that mostly came from California but included storiesfrom several states, as well as one from the U.K. and one from Australia. The winners have been notified, andthe three prize-winning stories will be posted on our Web site in December.

Write On! Story Contest Winners Announced

by Linda Brown


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Poet Profile:

W.S. MerwinBy Barbara Ruffner

W. S. Merwin, recently named poet laureate ofthe United States, lives in Maui, and with his wifePaula, they cultivate nineteen acres of endan-gered Hawaiian trees, shrubs and flowers on

what was previously a barren plain. He reluctantlyaccepted his new job because he is so contentedin Maui and was not sure if he wanted to move toWashington D.C.

He is 83 years old and has a lifetime of poetry tohis credit. He won his second Pulitzer Prize in2009 for his book The Shadow of Sirius. Punctua-tion was given up over a period of years, and hesaid that dropping commas and periods hadmade new poems out of old and caused him toselect words in a new way.

Merwin translated the work of two of the greatestpoets of the twentieth century, Federico GarciaLorca from Spain and Pablo Neruda from Chile.Lorca, 18981936, died at age 38 in the SpanishCivil War. His body was never recovered.Neruda, 19041973 was a Nobel Prize winner.

I had hardly begun to read

I asked how can you ever be sure

that what you write is really

any good at all and he said you cant

you cant you can never be sure

you die without knowing

whether anything you wrote was any good

if you have to be sure dont write

W. S. Merwin

from Berryman

Poetry

Page

Poet Laureate William S. MerwinPhoto by Matt Valentine/AP/Library of Congress

Trail Marker

One white tern sails callingacross the evening skyunder the few high clouds touchedwith the first flush of sunsetwhile the tide keeps going outgoing out to the southall day it has been six monthsthat you have been gonethe then tern is goneand only the clouds are thereand the sounds of the late tide

W. S. Merwinfrom The Shadows of Sirius


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Under the guidance of editor Kelly A. Harrison, South Bay Branch member, California Writers Club has recentlypublished West Winds Centennial, the fifth anthology of members work since the clubs incorporation in 1913.

For the first anthology, published in 1914, Jack London donated his short story The Son of the Wolf in exchange forbeing named an honorary founding member of the CWC. Founding member Herman Whitaker edited the book. Thesecond volume of West Winds, published in 1925, was a book of verse representing 85 poets, including Ina Coolbrith,Oakland's first librarian as well as California's first poet laureate, who also wrote the foreword. The next two bookswere published in 1931 and 1989 respectively. CWC-BB member Therese Pipe wrote the foreword for West Wind Four

In West Winds Centennial, two Berkeley Branch members, Anne Fox and W.E. Reinka, are among the 35 whose workwas accepted for publication out of the 300 or so submitted.

Anne copyedits the Berkeley Branch Write Angles, was a joint copyeditor for the Branch-sponsored 2009 chapbookpublication of the WestSide Story Contest winners, and copyedits for the Oakland neighborhood newspaper, theMacArthur Metro. She also does freelance copyediting for writers of fiction and nonfiction. In addition, she co-hoststhe third Saturday support/critique writers group at Oaklands Rockridge Branch Library. Her short story "Morocco"

appeared online in the Tribute Issue (Winter 2009) of Able Muse. Annes anthology story is It Comes to This.

Just before the West Winds Centennial publication, W. E. Reinka, a past CWC -BBpresident, died after a long illness. His anthology essay, Landfalls, represents oneexample of his extensive and varied writing that has appeared locally and nationally.Bill contributed many articles about writing and publishing to Write Angles.

Members can purchase West Winds Centennial at our next meeting (which helps tosupport our upcoming contests) or order from Amazon or other online stores. ThePublicity Committee has offered a copy to the Oakland Library along with books byCWC members. A copy will be with the CWC archives at the Bancroft Library on theUC Berkeley campus.

West WindsCentennial is a publication of the CWC Central Board. Editor Kelly

Harrison created the book and cover design. LSI, a print-on-demand press owned byIngram, published the anthology.

CWC Anthology Includes 2 Berkeley Branch Members

Member Profile:

Francine Thomas Howard

I am Francine Thomas Howard. I want to urge all CWC members with

publishable novels to prepare their work for Amazon.coms upcomingwriting contestThe Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

I was a most fortunate entrant. Following the 2009 contest, my novel

Page From a Tennessee Journal, though a nonwinner, was chosen forpublication through AmazonEncore. Released in March 2010, Page

has benefitted from the vast marketing expertise of Amazon and hasdone quite well in sales.

The contest offers a wonderful opportunity for unknown writers to

break into publishing while avoiding the painful process of agent/publisher rejection. I urge all BB-CWC novelists to enter. I am proofthat miracles can happen.

My entry into the first contest in 2007, The Sisterhood Hyphen, is

scheduled for release in April 2011 through Parker Publishing. Staytuned for the publication date on my third novel, Paris Noire.


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Type e-reader into a search engine and you may be surprised by how much is out there in cyberspace.Googling it got 283,000,000 results. The market has exploded with various e-book readers since the Kindle wasreleased in November of 2007. Now theres the Sony Reader, iPad, NOOK, NOOKcolor, Kindle 3, Kindle DX, and

many others, as well as ways to turn your BlackBerry into an e-reader.

Whether you still prefer bound books made of paper and ink or youve embraced the e-book technology, I wouldlike to hear your opinions about e-readers. Below is a survey for Berkeley Branch members of CWC. If you are

interested in taking it, simply cut and paste it onto a Word document, answer the questions, and send it to me [email protected] with e-reader survey in the subject line. I will post the results in the January issue ofWrite Angles.

A Write Angles Survey

Do CWC Members Read E-books?

By Tanya Grove

W r it e A n g l es S u r v e y o f CW C-B B M e m b e r s o n E -r e a d e r s

1. Do you own an e-reader?

2. If so, what kind?

3. If you do not own one, do you plan to purchase one in the future?

For questions 4 & 5, please limit your answers to one example.

4. If you do not own an e-reader, what is the main reason? (no interest, price, lacks features you want)

5. If you do own an e-reader

what is its primary advantage?

what is its biggest drawback?

For question 6, please limit your answer to yes, no, or un (for undecided).

6. Are you happy with your e-reader in terms of the following:

design (usability, wireless capability, screen size)

content (ability to get the titles you want)

life (length of time you can read without recharging)

readability (text size, amount of glare, contrast)

Thank you for taking the e-reader survey!


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On Saturday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Charlotte Cook and Jon James Miller will present the AdaptingSideways workshop on World Building for novelists concerned about submitting their manuscripts to agents

and publishers. The workshop, for participants as well as auditors, is based on the book Adapting Sideways:How to Turn Your Screenplay into a Publishable Novel, coauthored by Charlotte Cook and Jon JamesMiller. For more information, e-mail Charlotte at [email protected].

Therese Pipe is participating with her photography in the Annual Membership Exhibit at the Berkeley ArtCenter, 1275 Walnut Street at Live Oak Park, Berkeley, opening Saturday, December 11, reception 5:307:30 pm. Using the theme, "Green," the exhibit runs through December, open WednesdaysSundays, 12-5p.m. 510-644-6893.

Essays by the late W. E. Reinka (see November Write Angles Member News) appear, respectively, in theCWC anthology, West Winds Centennial (Landfalls), and in the Chrysalis Reader, Fall 2010 Editionanthology, Bridges: Paths Between Worlds (Bridge Tolls).

Anne Foxs The Rise and Fall of Plan A appeared in the 22nd Flash in the Pan section of Tiny Lights: AJournal of Personal Narrative, November 2010 issue.

Thomas Burchfield's first novel, Dragon's Ark, a contemporary Dracula novel set in the California Sierra, willbe re-leased in March 2011 by Ambler House Publishing (http://amblerhouse.blogspot.com/) as an e-book andPOD, avail-able through Lightning Source/Ingram, or at independent bookstores. His blog:www.http://tbdeluxe.blogspot.com/.

JoAnn Smith Ainsworth has two upcoming guest-author events:

1) Saturday book signing 12/4/10, 1-3 p.m., Borders, 120 Sunset Dr., San Ramon, CA 94583 (925.830.1190).

2) with five other authors at a holiday book signing, 12/18/10, 11-4 p.m., Borders, 4575 Rosewood Drive,Pleasanton, CA 94588 (925.227.1412).

Sad news to announce that Carlene Cole, former treasurer of the Berkeley Branch and resident of BerkeleysStrawberry Creek Lodge, died in October after an illness of some time. Her memoir was in progress.

David Gray is promoting his nonfiction work-in-progress, How and Why All Languages Continuously Change.The first Monday of every month from December to April, he will present a talk in the back room of Cafe AuCoquelet, 2000 University Avenue, Berkeley. Come at 6 p.m. for dinner or 6:45 for the talk. Seedm 1789 ahoo.com.

Member News

Tidbits

If you havent RSVPd to CWC-BB holiday luncheon, please do so today so we can get an accurate head count forthe restaurant. There are a few spots left, so you can still come! If youve reserved a spot but havent paid yet,dont forget to send a check made out to CWC-BB to P.O. Box 6447, Alameda 94501 for $25. If you must pay atthe door, please bring either a check or exact change.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the November issue of Write Angles I neglected to give Linda Brown photo credit for the group picture taken atNCIBA, which appeared on page two. Thank you for the photo, Linda.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Volunteers Needed for Publicity Committee

Marketing your book is almost more important than writing it in the new world of publishing. Learn how to reach the

media and build connections with industry colleagues through volunteer work on the Publicity Committee. We meetif convenient but do most of our work on the phone or online. Contact Linda Brown at [email protected] or

510-530-1261 if you can commit one to three hours per month.


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____________________________________

Oakland Public LibraryWest Auditorium

125 14th Street (94612)Entrance on Madison Street

between 13th & 14th Streets.

____________________________________

Our monthly meetings are free andopen to the public and feature a

speaker, an author event, or both .

Calls for Submission:

Send in a minibook review

What books or literary journals are you reading? What have you read

that you recommend? What was disappointing or not worth your time?Write Angles is calling for submissions of minibook reviews. This isnot the New York Times Review of Books, so no research isnecessary. You dont need to give the authors background, set thehistorical stage, or draw parallels to any other books. Just write yourhonest opinion. And keep it between 250 and 350 words. Ill start.

Its Not Just a BookBy Tanya Grove

Earlier this year, I vowed I would no longer buy myself any books

unless I was at a book signing where I could meet the author. Its aBookby Lane Smith made me break that promise.

I saw this picture book at Pegasus, picked it up, and read it. It struckan immediate chord with me. I had to have it. I asked the sales clerkif Lane Smith was due for an author appearance in the Bay Area anytime soon. Not that he was aware of.

HmmI realized I had a credit slip for Pegasus. So I decided thatgetting this book was more like redeeming a gift certificate thanactually making a purchase. (Was it Woody Allen who said no onecan go a day without a rationalization?) But the point is that I waswilling to break my own rules for this book. Thats how fabulous it is.

The plot is simple: a donkey sees a monkey reading a book. Thedonkey asks the monkey all sorts of questions about the book: Howdo you scroll down? Does it need a password? Can it text? Tweet?The monkey keeps saying Its a book.

Smiths book reminds our technologically advanced society that wedont need an app, a screen, or a source of electricity to enjoy agood story. Its a Bookcame out this past August, and to my mind,not a day too soon.

Yes, publishing as we know it is changing. Newspapers are in theprocess of reinventing themselves, small presses are being eaten by

larger ones, and the big publishing houses are taking fewer riskswhile trying to look toward the future and imagine what paths tochoose in order to keep afloat. In todays world of blogs, twitters,and e-readers, the bound book could conceivably be on its way out.

But Smith assures us with his simple text and captivating picturesthat there will always be a place for old-fashioned books. I for onebreathe a sigh of relief.

contacts

CLUB OFFICERS

President: Lloyd Lofthouse

Vice President: Linda Brown

Past President:Barbara Ruffner

Secretary: Kymberlie Ingalls

Treasurer: Madelen Lontiong

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Marketing: Lloyd Lofthouse

Publicity Chair: Linda Brown

Membership: Clifford Hui

New Member Orientation: Barbara Gilvar

Speaker Chair: Jane Glendinning

Workshop Chair: Barbara Ruffner

Write AnglesEditor: Tanya Grove

Copyeditor: Anne Fox

Delegate Central Board: Lloyd Lofthouse

Delegate CWC-Norcal: Linda Brown

Web Manager: Matt Martin

Write On! Story Contest: Tatjana Greiner

5th Grade Story Contest: Debby Frisch

About UsThe CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB, founded in 1909, is a 501(c) (3) educational nonprofit dedicatedto educating members and the public-at-large in the craft of writing and in the marketing of their work.

Find out about our speakers, authors, contests, workshops, writing groups, and more at www.cwc-berkeley.com.


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South Bay Writers is proud to present

THE NEW BOOK MODEL:How to Write, Publish & Promote Your Book

with DAN POYNTER

Followed by a Self-Publishing Fair

On January 15, 2011 - 9 a.m.-3:30 p.mThe Lookout Restaurant, 605 Macara Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Registration at 8:15; workshop begins promptly at 9; continental breakfast

and lunch included.

Early Bird (before Dec. 30, 2010): CWC members: $45; Non-members: $55Students w/ID (up to age 25), anytime $25After Dec. 30 and at the door: CWC members: $55; Non-members: $65

Cancellation Policy: $5 fee through midnight 12/25; $15 fee 12/15 throughmidnight 1/8; no refunds after midnight 1/8. Register and pay by credit card(Paypal) at www.southbaywriters.com

SELF-PUBLISHING FAIR:During the last hour and a half of this event, youll have the chance to meet SBW self-published authors, and local print-on-demand and e-book publishers.

Ask your questions about how to self-publish your book, which self-publishing optionshave worked for other authors, what self-publishing costs, and more! Plus, purchasebooks from SBW authors.

Contact Information: Nina Amir, CWC-SBW workshop chair, 408-353-1943or at [email protected].

Write Angles 12-10

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