Wrapping Up a Busy Year with Parties, Salons & Saroyan · 2019. 11. 14. · HANK SAROYAN Wrapping...

THE INKSLINGER – News from High Desert Branch

DEC. 2015

GUEST

SPEAKERS

High Desert Branch to Host

Emmy Award Win-ning Writer, Pro-ducer, Director

The High Desert Branch of the California Writers Club (HDCWC) will present famed television writer, Hank Sa-royan, at its Saturday December 12 meeting from 10 a.m. to noon at the Community Church at Jess Ranch located at 11537 Apple Valley Road in Apple Valley. The public is welcome and there is no admission charge.

Hank Saroyan is a forty-year vet-eran of television, working in the capacity of writer, director, and musician. He was show-runner, Story Editor and Voice Director for eight seasons with Jim Henson's Muppet Babies. He is the recipient of over one hundred awards for Excellence in Children's and family Programming including five Emmy Awards. Nephew of author/playwright William Saroyan, who won a Pulitzer Prize (1940, The Time of Your Life) and an Oscar (1943, The Human Comedy, with Mickey Rooney), Hank Saroyan began his career producing Rock 'N Roll TV for Dick Clark in the 70s. Henson will share film clips, anecdotes, and advice from his storied career in his professional, engaging, and down-to-earth style.

Authors’ Marketplace inside

HANK SAROYAN

Wrapping Up a Busy Year with Parties, Salons & Saroyan

This issue of The Inkslinger is a bit differ-ent due to the many events that take place so soon and so close together. We didn’t want you to miss the annual Book-fair where your purchases, using the code below in–store or online, made Dec. 17- 22, help generate donations toward our local adult literacy program.

The fair only lasts a few days but can make a big impact on the needs of the those it serves. Victory Valley Arts and Education Center is a growing dream of HDCWC member Davida James.

We also highlight our many authors who shared the mic and books during our No-vember regular meeting. ~~ Editor


News To You

The HDCWC will be making available a list of mentors who will

take authors, one-on-one, who are ready to launch their book.

There are at least a dozen ways the mentor will be able to help.

And the branch will stand behind the effort by making space

available on our website, posting an article in our newsletter, The

Inkslinger, posting information on the club’s Facebook page,

making available a 15% discount if the author wants to place an

ad in the Daily Press, and many other methods.

We don’t know of another branch of the California Writers Club

that supports its writers in this way. It is another reason, of many,

to be a part of the HDCWC, if you wish to seriously promote your

work and succeed as a writer. Whether you are an experienced

writer and have been through this process before, or are a newer

writer looking for some guidance, watch for more information at

our September 12th meeting to get a complete picture of this advi-

sory program.

~~ Dwight Norris

LITERARY

AMBASSADORS

Thanksgiving Spread

Sally Ortiz gathered her festive décor for a super color array.

Here’s more details from Davida Siwisa James about using the code to donate to the Adult Literacy program:

B&N Bookstores

It’s easy to do. Just enter Code 11764032 for your Barnes & Noble purchases prior to checkout from December 17-22 in-store or online -- to help support my non-profit’s adult literacy program! Shopping online? Go to www.bn.com/bookfairs.

Each time you buy a book using the Code a donation applies to the program.

Victor Valley Arts and Education Center – www.vicartsed.org

Thank you!

Davida

PoemSmiths Make Way for

Loralie’s Holiday Salon

Last Wednesday night we had our last PoemSmiths meeting of the year. That means we will convene again in January on the 13th and the 27th, continuing eve-ry other week throughout the year.

The good news is that you can sign up for Loralie's Holiday Salon being held December 16th, which would have been a PoemSmiths night.

If I don't see you at Loralie's or at the CWC meeting or party, have a very Mer-ry Christmas! I hope you generate ideas for poems over the holidays.

Best Wishes,

Mary Langer Thompson

Giving to Local Non-profit Serves

Adult Literacy Program

http://www.bn.com/bookfairs

http://www.vicartsed.org/


Authors’ Marketplace — Our Prolific Writers

Fran Savage

James Grizzly Elder

Jeanne Newcomer

Jenny Margotta Fran Elgin Roberta Smith

Our High Desert branch authors shared booth time and mic time learning how to enhance their marketing and improve on their salesmanship.

Photos by Rusty LaGrange


Suzanne de Board Freddi Gold

Mary Langer Thompson

Michael Raff

Authors’ Marketplace continues

Marilyn King

Rusty LaGrange

PoemSmiths poetry critique members shared mic time: Mary Thompson, Liz Pye, Jeanne Newcomer, Linda Boruff, Anita Holmes, Rusty LaGrange, Lora Stonebraker and Deborah Rubio.


Text & Photos by Rusty LaGrange

Evelyn Blocker

Cliff Walker

Dwight Norris

Aaron Gansky

Bobbi Sullivan and Ivan Summers

Authors’ Marketplace continues


Chris Lynch

News You Can Use —-

Aaron Gansky

Apple Valley resident and author, Roberta Smith, will present the story of her two-times great grandfather’s Civil War experience at the Root Diggers monthly meeting Thursday, February 4th. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m and is held at the Community Center in Lucerne Valley. The public is welcome to attend.

Smith is the proud possessor of her two times great grandfather’s 1864 diary. Thanks to her decision to pub-lish it, she not only came to know more about the Civil War than she ever thought she would, but she came to know the character of the man who was her grandfather, Frank Steinbaugh.

Frank mustered into service as a private and became a corporal in the 124th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regi-ment. The 124th Illinois saw action at the Siege of Vicksburg and other important battles. Smith’s presentation will include information about the war and Frank Steinbaugh’s life before, during and after the conflict. Smith gave this presentation in 2014, but has narrowed the scope of her talk while at the same time adding a newly acquired photo and new, surprising facts.

For more information call 760 240-4822 or email [email protected].

Roberta Smith Returns to Genealogy Club for Updates on Civil War Grandpa

Our “Howl at the Moon” conference in November went off with a howling suc-cess. As conference organizer Bob Isbill reported to the Board, our growing and recognized programs make our projects and conferences a good value. We can regularly bring in the High Desert writer who may not know of their potential until they approach us.

Sometimes through writing salons, outreach programs, and conferences we can entice the new writer to make that step toward authoring a book. That’s why we get excited to promote a new conference and gain presenters of qual-ity.

Chris Lynch brought his years of publishing background to the masses by bluntly explaining the pitfalls of self-publishing as well as the down-side to waiting for a traditional publisher to find you.

Then he took us down the rabbit hole of self-publishing directly into Ama-zon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and the step-by-step methods of getting your manuscript into a book, Kindle reader, Print-on-Demand (POD) or as a self-published book under your own name or publishing company.

These steps avoided countless of personal wasted time for authors unfamiliar with the online process and the pages of details that must be prepped prior to publishing. Priceless.

Aaron Gansky, our afternoon speaker, picked up after our lunch break with insights into the minds of the authors Flannery O’Connor and F. Scott Fitzger-ald. Both authors use character development as a quirky aspect of formulat-ing interest for a reader. Without the engagement of something that humaniz-es them and brings them into our everyday world, a reader could easily dimin-ish the strength of the character the author is trying to create. Endearing traits or habits give color and different perspectives.

Strong writing can compel the public to follow a new trend, like “flapper” gowns and wing-tipped shoes, all from Fitzgerald’s 1920 era writing.

Continued on Page 6

mailto:[email protected]


SALONS

As a member of the Writers Club, you are eligible to participate in our salons, which are hosted by individual members.

Wikipedia tells us: A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation.

Our inspiring hosts have shared salons on writing, poetry, social media, screen writing, and blogging, to name just a few. They have been held in homes, restaurants, even an outdoor flower garden. We’re creative!

Do you have a special interest you’d like to share at a salon? Suggestions for a salon? Contact Loralie Kay at [email protected], or 760 244-8268.

To find out more about hosting or meeting at a salon, contact Loralie Kay

Our Visiting Dignitary Aubrey Burke

Honored as Veteran Audio Historian

Pointman Ministries and the Orenda Foundation with project collaboration from HDCWC submitted a DVD of WWII veteran Aubrey Burke’s recorded mem-oirs to the Veteran’s History Project of the Library of

Congress. Burke received his personal copy of the videotaped interviews, compiled by Ryan and Michael Brewer, during Novem-ber’s general HDCWC meeting.

Encouraging the preservation of personal memoirs, a grant from CWC South made the project possible.

Aubrey Burke

Ryan Brewer, guest Aubrey Burke, President Dwight Norris, and Bob Isbill, Programs and PR Director, take a moment to honor Burke for his role in collaborating with two organizations in recording his history.


Continued on Page 9

G R A N D M A S A N G

C H R I S T M A S C A R O L S

By Fumi-Tome Ohta

Every year students from a local school would travel across town to sing Christmas carols in the main dining room of a nursing home. One year a request was made by a so-cial worker in the nursing home asking if the students would consider singing to the bed-ridden residents as well. It was made clear that the students would be singing to a few bedrid-den residents who would not be responsive to their environment nor to the student’s pres-ence. But, there were fully alert bedridden residents that would be overjoyed at the stu-dent's presence and would most likely sur-prise the students by joining in on the singing and openly loving the youthful spirit of the stu-dents’ visit.

Before the students were to perform, they were invited to meet a 109-year-old resident. This was a thrill as well as a curiosity because some of the students had never been around old people before and especially one that was 109 years old. An added plus was that there were several ‘younger’ 100-year-old residents sitting in the audience. From the look on the students’ faces, it seemed they found the cente-narians witty, delightful and extremely talkative.

After the concert in the dining room, the stu-dents assembled with their teachers in the hall-way. Sounds of Christmas carols were coming from a battery-operated cassette player sitting atop a red wagon being pulled along by one of the teachers. The ensemble zig-zagged from one resident’s room into another. Seeing this parade of students with their makeshift sound system made the employees dance and sing as they went about their duties and visiting family members. They found themselves clapping and mouthing “thank you” as they witnessed this holiday gesture being extended to their loved ones by so many young people from the com-munity.

As the students were assembling to go to another floor, the social worker heard the stu-dents talking amongst themselves. “What shall I do? One of the residents was waving to me. I think she wanted me to come over.” Another student added, “I think they’re so cute. I want to hug them; I wonder if it’s okay.”

Hearing this, the social worker announced to the students that it was okay to go over to the residents to shake their hands, to hug them, or to go over to them to say hello.

She said, “Most of the residents are Japanese speaking, but even if you don’t speak Japanese or the residents don’t speak English, you can smile and you can shake hands. You can go anywhere in the world. Love and friendship is a universal language everyone understands.”

This announcement made the students feel at ease and gave them permission to be themselves.

Over and over the stu-dents sang Christmas carols to the bedridden residents. After a while the newness might have worn off, but the students kept singing and gave their all to the project.

Then as the social worker was guiding the students along, she saw something up

ahead. The students were filing into a room where a resident

was not doing well. This was a crucial time for the resident and her family mem-bers. The social worker knew that the family needed privacy. She ran into the

room to guide the students out, but it was too late. She found them all standing before the resident’s bed singing Christmas carols. Instead of being angry at the intrusion, the fami-ly was smiling. The social worker couldn't understand why until she saw Grandma singing Christmas car-ols.

Too stunned to fully realize the gift Grandma was giving her family, the family listened quietly to Grandma singing, then taking their cue from Grandma, they too began to sing.

That night, grandma passed away.

The visiting students did not know nor realize they had made one family’s last Christmas with Grandma a special one. And Grandma, being a very quiet and


History of Haiku Poetry Form

Part 3

Today in Japan, there are 500,000 practicing po-ets writing in this form. Haiku has become a cultur-al bridge between that country and the U.S.

The American Haiku Archives houses the largest collection of Japanese poetry outside of Japan. Twenty-four English publications are devoted to it. The most well-known are Modern Haiku, Frog-pond, and Mayfly.

To those of our members who write in this ancient form, kudos for bringing us into that wonderful cir-cle of verse that began so long ago in a land far away.

Editor’s note: The forms of Haiku are taking on a transformation as shown in many of the poetry magazines that feature them. Most people are fa-miliar with the standard 5-7-5 syllables format. The flexibility in forms can be seen with more verses included to help expand the scene of the poem; a break form the count of syllables, and more action-oriented rather than the quietness and solitude of a Japanese meadow.

Author’s Note: This article in three parts printed with permission of the author, Judy Shernock of San Jose California, and winner of Class 4 Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story in the annual State Literary awards.

"The writer is a spiritual anarchist, as in the depth of his soul every man is. He is discontented with everything and everybody. The writer is everybody's best friend and only true enemy - the good and great enemy. He neither walks with the multitude nor cheers with them. The writer who is a true writer is a rebel who never stops."

~~ William Saroyan, (1908-1981)

Continued from page 8

private person and speaking no English, would never have sung that day had it not been for all the students singing by her bed. The family was given a precious gift when Grandma shared some-thing special with her family that day … that gift would continue to warm their hearts every Christ-mas.

The students gave it their all that day and it showed. After the students finished singing, they ran for some cold water. Sweat was pouring down their faces and their cheeks were flushed a brilliant red. Adrenalin was run-ning full blast; they were loud and filled with a certain kind of excitement and happiness, for some, a certain kind of emotion never ever felt before.

G R A N D M A S A N G

C H R I S T M A S C A R O L S


The Siesta by June Langer

Little Boy Blue and Little Bo Peep

Resting on the haystack after a long morning’s toil.

Shoes and scythes tossed aside while they nap.

Bare toes basking in their freedom and the warmth of the sun.

Quiet, peaceful, carefree for the moment.

Soon they will need to pick up their tools and resume work.

Where are the sheep?

Are the cows in the corn?

Probably grazing behind the other haystack.

Ekphrastic Look at Van Gogh

From David Lewis LaRoche

We write to be read. We want to influence, enter-tain, or relate an experience. We want to be known for our wit – our ability to tell a story in prose, con-vey an interlude in verse. We want a writer’s dossi-er, maybe a line or two in the “Who’s Who” among authors.

The big question is how to break through. Outside of skill and creativity, appearance is a significant step – that is, your attribution on a circulated work. The CWC Literary Review provides this opportunity, moreover it’s platinum plated. The publisher, the California Writers Club, is legendary – its century-old legacy shines far brighter than any of the rest. All those in the industry know this club, and already we have that boost.

The Review distribution, while private today, reach-es 2000 readers. You can bet those 2000 are shar-ing their Review with others, and some of those readers are agents and acquisition editors.

We talk about the need for platform. We hear it at every workshop and conference we attend. Here, in the Review is one of those platform planks. We also would like to experience that “inner circle” – the writ-ers who are established and can help us along. Again with the Review, an entry point.

If you are a CWC member, you may submit. You may find your work published and thus begin or ex-tend your platform. And with that exposure, you’ve taken another step toward the best-sellers list.

Ten bucks to the CWC for two submissions. (It isn’t a reader’s fee, by the way, it’s to help with publish-ing expenses.) Once in the queue, each submission is read, graded, and critiqued by three acquisition editors. The pieces are globally ranked by grade. Those with the highest grades, counting down from the top, are included. If you fall below the page-limited threshold, you’ll receive the editors’ com-ments. It’s classic win-win – your work either pub-lished, or you’re given professional guidance as to how to improve it.

The window is open, now through December 30, and I want to hear from you. I want to help with your journey to that best-sellers list.

BUT LOOK!!! is here!

Go to www.calwriters.org, press the “guidelines” button then select PayPal to con-veniently join the others who see the ad-vantages here.

The CWC Literary Review ~~

Our Literary Legacy

Use PayPal now when you sub-mit your stories and poems to

the Literary Review magazine!

It’s never been easier!!

www.calwriters.org


A clarification on the status of New Membership Guidelines for those who wondered.

Fishing? What? Oh. No, not exactly, not in this article, anyway. But – hey -- by now, if you’re a member of the High Desert Branch who reads The Inkslinger and checks your e-mail, you’ve seen the new guidelines concerning becoming classified as an Active member vs Associate member. The guidelines start off, “…Prima Facie evidence…” HOLD IT RIGHT THERE --

UNGLAZE THOSE EYES!

Seriously, I hope you did read through the new guidelines. For starters, Prima Facie pretty much means “obvious.” So the evidence of your writing history won’t involve you having to track down your second grade teacher to see if she still has your essay on elves. Next, the whole point of the California Writers Club is to nurture, encourage, and grow writers. Active members are published writers, Associate members are not (or they’re not “as published” – yet). The whole point of the newly revised guidelines is to bring us up to cur-rent times in terms of including self-publishing, e-books, blogs, and the like.

You’re In for Life

If you’re currently an Associate member, we’d love to help you grow into a published – Active – member. If you’re an Active member, super! You can encourage and help others in their growth. And, not to worry: You don’t have to keep “re-Active-ating” your membership status.

D.3.d or D.4.c = ?

As for the guidelines’ conclusion, “…Nothing in these guidelines prevents the application of Policy and Pro-cedures, Section VI — Membership, subsections D.3.d or D.4.c…,” basically those sections mean your pub-lished writing needs to meet the generally accepted standards of professional (published) writing.

Please, Send Me an E-mail

If you have questions, if you’d like to make sure as Membership Chair I’m up-to-date with your published writing or writing that’s under contract, or if you have any other membership questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail (My e-mail program LOVES it when you put “CWC” in the subject, because it has a file just for California Writers Club e-mails).

Congratulations Are in Order

Since our new guidelines have appeared, Loralie (Pallotta) Kay and Therese Moore are our first two mem-bers to update their membership status from Associate to Active. To find out more about their writing, go to: and tessdegroot-books.com.

~~ Anita I. Holmes, HDCWC Branch Membership Chair

New Membership Guidelines

Primo Fishing? Oh, Wait. It’s “Prima Facie…”

TWO new critique groups are forming for HDCWC members. Daytime / mid-week: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Weekend / late afternoon: 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The first meeting of each group: January 2016 -- Salon style / Open House For more information or to sign up, see Anita at the December meeting.

BREAKING NEWS !!

You Asked For More Critique Groups


Jo Social Media

Mo by Molly Jo Realy

RETURNS NEXT MONTH

For the first time ever, we will be publishing The Bul-letin with advertising. We are making that advertis-ing available to businesses, CWC members, and individuals who wish to reach our target market at reasonable prices.

The CWC is offering business card size ads for $35. These 2" x 3.5” ads will be placed in the index (rear) section of The Bulletin. Larger 3" x 5” index-card sized ads will be interspersed throughout the publi-cation and will be offered at a cost of $60.

Our intent is to publish The Bulletin three times a year with our roll-out first e-edition scheduled for mid-November of 2015.

Deadline for advertising submissions for the February issue is Friday, Janu-ary 29, 2016. Capacity for advertising will be determined by the Editor-in-Chief. In case we receive more ads than can be accommodated, submitters will be notified of the option to reserve space in the next issue.

All ads submitted must be self-edited, print-ready, and will be published as received.

Ads must be emailed as a jpeg file to [email protected], and a physical copy of your ad mailed with the payment. Please include your return address and telephone contact number.

Space is limited and will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. A copy of The Bulletin will be emailed to advertisers upon publication, so please include your preferred email address along with your ad submission.

Checks or money orders,

made payable to:

CWC Central Treasury

for submitted ads,

must be mailed to:

HDCWC

The Bulletin Marketing Department

20258 Hwy 18 STE 430 PMB 281

Apple Valley, CA 92307

Advertising Space Available in

New Electronic CWC Bulletin

The November 16, 2015 meeting of the Reel Writers fea-tured local filmmak-er, Joshua Addante, whose lecture was titled 'Screen Writing 101'. We booked the Community Room at the Hesperia Library and advertised our get-together in the Daily Press.

Josh's 90-minute talk was well-received by the twenty people in attendance, and his Q&A session put us into overtime. Due to the amount of interest in the subject, and at the request of many in the audience, Josh has agreed to expand his lecture into a series. There are simply too many details and aspects of screenwriting to squeeze into one session.

Thanks are due to Tiffany Addante for running the projector, Pauline Vergara for helping with the refreshments, and Ryan Brewer for moving the heavy equipment.

Salon Hosts Local “Screen Writing 101” Session

Joshua and Tiffany Addante chair High Desert Film Alliance & own Puddle Pirate Productions


HDCWC Books

Notes From the Editor ---

Social media is part of our lives for most of us. But not all writers are on Facebook or LinkedIn, or a number of other communities online. Sharing information on common ground like this newsletter becomes crucial for getting the word out to your niche market — like HD CWC. Please share with us.

As always, submissions to The Inkslinger should be Arial font, 11pt. with single spacing, please. I have a new email address: [email protected]. Try to aim for articles and stories between 600 to 800 words. Photos, poetry, and graphics are also welcome.

December’s deadline: Nov. 23rd. January’s deadline: Dec. 22rd.

~~~ Rusty LaGrange

“Let It Be Recorded…”

A Lifetime of Memories by Students

~~ Anthologies For Sale ~~

$11.95 at meeting,

online, or by mail

www.jacklondoninboyhoodadventu

The adventures of a young Cali-fornia boy and his pal who find life full of serious and frivolous days of summer in Oakland.

HDCWC proudly presents the first printing of this treasure now available for only $13.35 at Am-azon; Barnes & Noble $13.08

Copyright © 2015 California Writers Club High Desert Branch, All rights reserved. HDCWC.com The Inkslinger newsletter

Notices

Editor

[email protected]

May You & Your Families Enjoy Cozy Evenings as You

Celebrate the Holidays The latest student-created anthology through the Dor-othy C. Blakely project, which focuses on the selec-tion of interviews of senior citizens, is now available.

HDCWC is the publisher with sponsors and support of donations, and a grant from CWC Central Board.

Amazon.com for $11.99

2015 CWC Anthology

Get Your Orders in for

our 2015 Anthology

you’ve been waiting for

— 53 Top Notch en-

tries of our Branch’s

best authors.

Makes Great Gifts!

1st 100 Books Now Available. Contact

Dwight or Mike at our next meeting

http://www.jacklondoninboyhoodadventures.com

Wrapping Up a Busy Year with Parties, Salons & Saroyan · 2019. 11. 14. · HANK SAROYAN Wrapping...

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