Newsletter May 2006 Newsletter: PALM SPRINGS WRITERS GUILD Newsletter serving writers of the Coachella Valley MAY 2006 IN THIS ISSUE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 2 SPEAKER REVIEW 2 MEMBERS IN NEWS 2 PSWG SLATE 3 & 4 PALM SPRINGS BOOK FESTIVAL April 22nd, Saturday • Display your book • Sell your book • PSWG Panel discussions MEETING TIME: Sunday: May 7, 2006 2:00 to 4:00 pm Palm Desert Library 73300 Fred Waring Dr. Palm Desert, CA VOTE It is time to vote for new Guild Executives. Ballots will be distributed at the May meeting. Write-ins are acceptable. MAY 7th SPEAKER Penny Sanevieri Market Your Book - STRIKING INTERNET GOLD Penny Sanevieri, author, publicist, freelance writer and instructor has been instrumental in creating several highly successful marketing and publicity campaigns for author events and book launches. She is President and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. and has developed and implemented countless marketing and publicity strategies. She has worked with such high profile clients as world renowned psychic and ghost buster, Jane Doherty, Jac Flanders (of the original Fantastic Four) and Tammi Menendez, wife of Erik Menendez. Her clients have been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, Essence Magazine, More Magazine, The Bridal Guide, National Public Radio, MSNBC, Something You Should Know, The Heloise Show, many others. She has been featured on KUSI TV-9/51, The NBC Morning Show, The Fox 6 Morning Show, KNPT Talk Radio in Oregon, Fox Talks KGWY in Wyoming, 760 AM KFMB The Internet Show, Book Nook, Mix 95.7 in San Diego, KFNX in Phoenix, KMZY in Hawaii, and many more. Copies of these programs are available upon request. Penny's innovative marketing strategies have been featured in Writer's Digest Magazine, Book Marketing Update, The Publicity Hound, The San Diego Union Tribune, Working Writer Magazine, Vision Magazine, Writer's Web, New Book Reviews, Romance Writers of America, RW of Europe and many more. She also Editor for the e-newsletter The Book Marketing Expert which has a subscriber base in excess of two thousand. She successfully authored her first book, The Cliffhanger, which was released in 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it soared up the ranks at Amazon.com and held the #1 spot for three months. Her most recent book, From Book to Bestseller has been called the roadmap to publishing success. You can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.com PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Bill Clark The Palm Springs Writers Guild is now a member of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce. Why did we join? Because we support the Chamber mission statement: "...provide effective networking venues, educational programs and community projects, etc." We have expanded across Coachella Valley and, as writers, we can identify with and benefit from the Chamber's mission. The Second Annual Palm Springs Book Festival is at our doorstep, April 22nd (Saturday). The PSWG is representing all local published authors. Walmart has graciously donated a book display unit for our use - all member authors are invited to display their books and posters at our booth that has been provided by Peppertree Bookstore. iUniverse has donated $500 to cover costs incurred. At 2:00pm Judy Weigle will Chair a panel at the PSWG booth: (see enclosed flier) Inside Industry Tips to Marketing your Book It has been my pleasure to serve the Guild as President this year. Now it is time for my replacement and I am very pleased with the slate provided by the Nominating Committee under the leadership of Melody Fleming assisted by Carol Mann and Bob Hurlbert. We all look forward to another great year. Vote at the May 7th meeting. The gauntlet will be passed on at the June Ice Cream Social meeting. MEMBERS IN THE NEWS Mary Barrer Kurt Sipolski has been offered two scholarships this summer to study theater. Each program is for ten days. The first is "Introduction to Theater", and the second is "Wounded Warrior" which teaches playwriting in Belfast, Maine. It is designed primarily for wounded Iraq veterans. Our treasurer Bob Hurlbert signed on as an extra for the movie, Next, being filmed here in the Valley. Bob was picked to play a scene with the star Nicholas Cage. Maybe Bob will tell us of this experience at our next meeting. Kathy Houng, our talented author from Viet Nam has opened her own enterprise, a pet grooming salon in El Paseo. The Pampered Pet will give creative hair cuts, wash and groom all sizes of dogs and cats from the tiny Maltese to a big German Shepherd. A warm welcome to Robena Schaerf, our newest member. She is a well known romance author and president of the Los Angeles Romance Authors. Melody Fleming is teaching a weekly course in humor in San Bernadino. With Melody's flair for comedy that should be a hoot. SPEAKER'S REVIEW Joanne Hardy Dessa Reed, whom President Bill Clark referred to as The First Lady of Poetry, helped Guild members celebrate Poetry month by sharing excerpts from her two books of poems, her experience in becoming a poet and discussing the craft of writing poetry. She said when she learns a poet has come to town; she always goes to see them. She quoted Guild member, Carol Mann as saying, "I can't tell you what poetry has done for my prose." Other quotes came from February speaker, Larry Wilde who, in his speech said he asked Paddy Chayefsky how he kept his writing fresh. Chayefsky replied, "I read poetry." Last month's speaker, Thomas Sawyer suggested that in writing prose, descriptive passages should be poetic. Dessa presented ten points to help writers create and use poetry. First you should learn to be observant. She learned this lesson herself by closely watching a butterfly. "I had never really looked at a butterfly before." This experience found expression in her poem, "Butterfly Touch." Later, it became the title of her first book. "Learn to think in metaphors, it will change your writing," she said. "Believe there is poetry in everyone. Sometimes," she continued, "both poets and writers of prose experience the feeling of knowing 'it' is in there, but can't get it out. "Look out from the eyes of others. What does an inanimate object feel or think." "Museum Muse" was a poem that resulted from an awakened appreciation for a piece of modern art. "Poets tighten up the language. Writers tend to use too many words to say what they mean. "Learn about the art of alliteration." In writing fiction, you write about universal truths. When she interviewed her 107 year-old mother, who has experienced drastic social changes during her lifetime, she saw "eyes that pierced with an inner vision." "Writing poetry is an emotional outlet." She developed a motto. "Don't give and don't take unsolicited advice." This is the theme behind her poem, "You Should." "Seven Bridges is a metaphor for the bridges we cross through life. What we write about is from our view as we cross our bridges. "Poetry helps to put forth the big idea with an economy of words. Poetry can say a lot with a little. "Sometimes you need to read a poem two or three times to really understand what the author wanted to convey." Dessa was recently a delegate to the United Poets Laureate International World Congress in China. She was awarded a gold medal with the title of "Cultural Ambassador." Dessa lectured at the university in Beijing and in two high schools in Shanghai. She discovered that "students are very eager to learn English." Dessa Reed was a nominee for the 2005 Poet Laureate of California. She is Poetry Editor for The Desert Woman Magazine, serves as a motivational speaker, teaches poetry workshops and is the author to two books, "The Butterfly Touch" and "Seven Bridges." She can be reached at DessaReed@aol.com or www.dessabyrdreed.com or phone 341-4510 ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS Please review the slate below. There is still an opening to fill, if interested, Melody Fleming can be reached by phone or e-mail:760-564-6841 laffingmatters@aol.com PSWG '06 - '07 SLATE FOR PRESIDENT: DAWN SPITZ DAWN HUNTLEY SPITZ: Graduated Skidmore College - Bachelor of Music Education, New York University - M.A. in Education, Famous Writers School. She taught elementary and high school music. Director of Creative Children's Theatre Workshop. Researcher for World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary. Correspondence Secretary to Norman Cousins. President of Scarsdale Congregational Church Guild.Church soloist and entertainer in clubs and libraries, etc. And, she wrote and produced musical revues and plays in the New York area. Her verse, Where Lilies Grow, was used for a brass plaque in memorial garden at Skidmore. The verse, No Lunar Tunes, was accepted by the Journal of Light Verse. Her story, Redemption, won Southern California Writers Conference contest June 2005. FOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: BRUCE SINGER Rev. Dr. Swami Sez is the alter ego and satire/parody persona of BRUCE E. SINGER, Humorist, Professional Entertainer, Marketing Entrepreneur, Songwriter and Voting Grammy Member. Bruce performed in the original Legends of Rock 'n' Roll Shows impersonating Little Richard, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs, and Cat Stevens (ahh... the magic of makeup), being the warm up act for B.B. King, Tower of Power and Billy Preston. Crediting his comedy skills to his instructor of a Hollywood Comedy Class in the '70s, teacher and mentor was then-struggling comic, Jay Leno. Playing off of Johnny Carson's Carnac the Magnificent's clever "topic" and funny "punch line." His LAUGH-OUT-LOUD book (399 pages) is a humorous companion reader for all political humor lovers. FOR VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP: MARY OLSON First I focused on education, college and medical school at Indiana University, internship and residency at Detroit's Harper Hospital and fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Mt. Sinai in New York City. I next moved to Minneapolis and devoted myself to keeping my husband and children happy and thawed out while I practiced medical oncology. After thirty-two years my husband and I retired and relocated in sunny Rancho Mirage. I love desert retirement, golf, water aerobics, house guests, Living Desert classes, traveling, and most of all learning to write. I am writing a cookbook with stories linked to recipes and a novel about a family fighting hereditary breast cancer. I hope someday to get them finished and published. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: JUDY JOYCE Entertainment Attorney and former member of California Lawyers for the Arts. She represented a variety of artists for low fees or pro bono as a Conflict Resolution Specialist to insulate them against litigation as her own private contribution to their creative talent. Most recently, Judy Joyce Tomsic was a delegate in International Conflict Resolution to New Zealand and Australia in 2002. She was a Judiciary Law delegate to South Africa in 2003. As the first Californian to meet with the Constitutional Court, the High Court of Appeal, and the Magistrate Court post-apartheid, JUDY traveled with 32 U.S. Federal and State judges. FOR TREASURER: MEL HARTER Graduate of University of Illinois, went to medical school in Geneva, Switzerland where he married. Then trained, practiced and taught in Chicago. Mel's writing credits include an illustrated audiotape patient education program, and a sex manual for his practice. Chicago's 1967 snowstorm and tornado drove him to Los Angeles, and in 1993 he retired and went back to his first love, writing. He was active in L.A.'s Southwest Manuscripters, Surfwriters and several writers' workshops. As a retiree he incessantly rewrites two novels and a screenplay. He wrote a monthly humor column for Today's Senior Magazine (www.todaysr.com). His essays have appeared in local newspapers. • RECORDING SECRETARY: VICKI MILLS (NEEDS A BACK UP BUDDY) • MEMBERS AT LARGE: CAROL MANN AND BARI MADDOCK • HISTORIAN: (NOT AN OFFICIAL OFFICE) ARLENE HOWARD Stage And Screen Writing EVENT - May 20th 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Cathedral City Library Bill Clark and Bob Hurlbert will share some how-tos of writing for stage and screen that will include formatting with and without computer writing programs. PUBLISHED AUTHORS Bring your books early, by 9 am, to the PSWG Book Fest Booth. The Guild has a book display rack for member use. Display of the books only - no sales at the Guild booth. APRIL 22nd, 2006, Saturday 2nd ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS BOOK FESTIVAL FRANCES STEVENS PARK 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: www.psbookfest.com Peppertree Bookstore, 325-482 PALM SPRINGS WRITERS GUILD Meetings are open to all writers. The Guild aims to nurture and promote the craft of writing. We meet on the first Sunday of each month. For more information regarding The Palm Springs Writers Guild, please contact a Board Member - see back cover. BOARD MEETING Open to all members. Contact a Board Member for information, often the Board will meet informally at Borders Book Store. Please feel free to join us and our brainstorming sessions that bring forth ideas to improve our Palm Springs Writers Guild. We are able to meet informally only until our incorporation has been finalized. Member input is very important at this pre-incorporation time. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS WRITTEN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NEWSLETTER are welcomed, but subject to editing and possible delay in publication. Topics should be of interest to writers and content related to the Arts. Word count up to 600. Art and (or) photographs are accepted. •Bill Clark ----------------- President's Message •Mary Barrer ------------- Member Profiles •Joanne Hardy ----------- Speaker Review GUILD GRAM Edited and produced by Board and Committee Members Palm Springs Writers Guild Board Officers - click here Newsletter by Board and Committee Members PUBLISH * READINGS * WRITING CRITIQUES * MEETINGS * NEWSLETTER * CONTESTS * SPECIAL ACTIVITIES Palm Springs Writers Guild P.O. Box 947, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 WEBSITE - PalmSpringsWritersGuild.org ^ posted by Webmaster @ 4/20/2006 06:00:00 PM Pacific Time Powered by Blogger. |
