Hudson Valley Writers Guild Newsletter, October 15
In This Issue
Guild Announcements: Community of Writers Reading in Albany, Winners Announced for the Guild’s Short Fiction Contest, The Schenectady Community of Writers Event, HVWG website update and call for member profiles
Member Announcements: M.E. Kemp, Barbara M. Traynor
Area Announcements: Book Sale at East Line Books, Jacqueline Ahl to read at Social Justice Center, Writers Institute Events, Marni Gillard’s October Storytelling Offerings, Sunday Four Poetry Reading, Story Cooking at the Sanctuary for Independent Media, BookMarks Reading at the Arts Center, Adirondack Center for Writing Presents Performance Poetry, “Little d” National Literary Award Event, Call for Requests for NYFA Fellowships, Group Health Plans for Writers
Guild announcements
October 16, 2-4:30 p.m.
Albany’s “Community of Writers” Reading
The Hudson Valley Writers Guild will hold its annual “Community of Writers” reading on Saturday, October 16, 2-4:30 p.m.. The reading will be held in the main auditorium of the Albany Public Library, 161 Washington Avenue and is free and open to the public. The series presents local writers in various genres to highlight the variety of writers living in the Capital District and will include D. Alexander Holiday, Kathe Kokolias and Elizabeth Floyd Mair.
About the readers
D. Alexander Holiday volunteers and moderates a creative writing workshop for inmates at a state maximum security facility in upstate New York. His is also a local liaison for the GBS/CIDP Foundation International. He is the author of the new memoir In the Care of Strangers and three previous books of poetry and prose: Letters to Osama, I Use to Fall Down, and All the Killers Gathered.
Kathe Kokolias is a writer, painter and photographer. Her writing has been published on-line as well as in the Albany Times Union, the Schenectady Gazette and a variety of magazines and anthologies. In August 2009, she published a collection of essays entitled Spandex & Black Boots: Essays from an Abundant Life. Her travel memoir of Mexico, What Time do the Crocodiles Come Out?, will be available in the Fall of 2010. She lives with her husband, Brian, in Colonie, NY, and in Ixtapa, Mexico.
Elizabeth Floyd Mair is a freelance journalist who writes personal essays as well as feature articles on authors, filmmakers and musicians for the Albany Times Union. She spent 15 years in Tokyo, the last nine of it as an editor in the publishing company Kodansha International, before returning in 2002 to her home town of Guilderland. She holds an MA in East Asian Languages and Literature from the University of Iowa (where she also completed the coursework for an MFA in Literary Translation of Poetry) and a BA in Philosophy from SUNY Binghamton.
This “Community of Writers” event is made possible by a grant to the Guild from the City of Albany. For more information about this program, contact Dan Wilcox at (518) 482-0262 or via email.
Hudson Valley Writers Guild announces 2010 Short Fiction Contest Winners
Congratulations to the following winners in the HVWG annual writing contest: First Prize ($150) to Ken Holland, Fishkill, NY, for “Hubcaps”; Second Prize ($75) to Jo Salas, New Paltz, NY, for “The Very Large Array”; Third Prize ($50) to Carol Derfner, Kinderhook, NY, for “Birds of a Feather”; Honorable Mentions ($10) to John Velie, Albany, NY, for “Whitey,” David Sylvester, Watervliet, NY, for “Cat People” and Susan Clements, Buffalo, NY, for “Manatee Mornings.”
November 21, 2-4 p.m.
Schenectady Community of Writers Event
The annual Schenectady Community of Writers readings will take place on Sunday November 21 at the Schenectady Public Library. The readings will take place between 2-4 p.m. with a reception and book sales to follow. The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Guild and the library. The readers in order of appearance will be:
Steve Hellyard Swartz, Poet Laureate of Schenectady County. In addition to being a 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee for Poetry, he has received Honorable Mention in the Allen Ginsberg, Mary C. Mohr and Anna Davidson Rosenberg Poetry Awards. In 1990, his film “Never Leave Nevada” opened at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Margaret Bryant, poet and essayist, has been invited to read her poems and essays on NPR and participates at area open-mics. Her work is published in on-line magazines and journals, and in publications throughout the Capital District. Margaret’s book of poems, Aligning Stems, was published in March 2010 and was featured with others at Open Door Bookstore’s “Artists’ Night” in May 2010.
Kathe Kokolias, essayist and memoirist, painter and photographer, has been published on-line and in the Albany Times Union, the Schenectady Gazette and a variety of magazines and anthologies. In August 2009, she published a collection of essays entitled Spandex & Black Boots: Essays from an Abundant Life. Her travel memoir of Mexico, What Time do the Crocodiles Come Out? will be available in the fall of 2010. She lives with her husband, Brian, in Colonie, NY, and in Ixtapa, Mexico.
Tom Corrado, poet, visual artist and musician, has been writing poetry for 25 years. A founding member of the Every Other Thursday Night Poets, Tom is also a member of the Capital District Poets Collective and the Third Saturday Poesy Cafe. His poems have appeared in several publications.
Keziah Roselin, journal and short story writer, recently moved to Schenectady from Miami. She is majoring in Performing Arts Drama at SCCC. She has kept a journal and written short pieces for many years. Keziah will play the role of Tiger Lilly in the upcoming production of Peter Pan at the Schenectady Players Theater.
Rose Kent, writer of young adult fiction, is a former naval officer and public relations manager at a food corporation. She is the author of children’s novels, including Kimchi & Calamari (HarperCollins), which was chosen for several state reading lists including The New York State Charlotte Award. Rocky Road (Knopf Books), her most recent book, which takes place in Schenectady, about seven miles from her home.
Nancy Duci Denofio, author of What Brought You Here? and Did You Ever Want To Fly?, continues to work with her father, Mayor Frank Duci, on his memoir, from the birth of his mother in 1892. Her work has appeared in journals, publications and newspapers here and abroad. She teaches Author Presentation and several poetry and writing workshops.
Marc Renson, non-fiction writer and memoirist, graduated from Schenectady County Community College with an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts. He’s the co-owner of the restaurant “Ambition” on Jay Street, a resident of Schenectady and a mentor for the Boys and Girls Club.
Dean M. DeLuke, fiction writer, is author of Shedrow, a new thriller dubbed a cross between Dick Francis and Robin Cook. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon, business consultant and active volunteer, he is a graduate of St. Michael’s College, Columbia University (DMD) and Union Graduate College (MBA). You can read excerpts and reviews, view a book trailer and more at www.shedrow1.com.
HVWG website update and call for member profiles
The new look of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild will be released over the weekend! One of the enhanced features of the site will be member profiles, and we have received a bunch already. If you are a member of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, you are invited to submit a current photo and bio, not to exceed 100 words. In addition to the 100-word bio, if you would like, please include up to 50 words about how you participate in “a community of writers” (locally, regionally, online, etc.). Photos and text can be sent via email with the subject line: “Member profile.”
Member announcements
M. E. Kemp will speak in Berwick, ME on November 2 on the writing topic “Stealing From the Dead.” Kemp’s new book, Death of a Dancing Master, comes out on November 20 from L&L Dreamspell of Texas.
Barbara M. Traynor, author of Second Career Volunteer, a passionate, pennywise approach to retirement, will appear at the IWWG (International Women’s Writing Guild) Big Apple Conference Open House and Author Panel, Sunday, October 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the National Arts Club, Gramercy Park South at East 20th Street near Park Avenue, NYC. Eleven recently-published Guild authors will speak on pleasures and tribulations of publishing. Email Barbara or visit www.iwwg.org for additional information.
Barbara will also present an OASIS workshop “Get up, get out, give back,” a
healthy lifestyle workshop on retirement options on Wednesday, October 20, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Guilderland Public Library. Cost: $15.
Area announcements
October 14-17
Book Sale at East Line Books
East Line Books will host a book sale at the bookshop at 1714 Route 9, Clifton Park on October 14-17. Thousands of books for sale at $1 or less. Books are of an exceptional quality, diversity and condition. Hours are October 14, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; October 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; October 16 and 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Bag sale on October 17. All regular inventory will be 20 percent off during the sale. For more information, call (518) 371-4151, email or go to the website. All proceeds will go toward purchasing new computer equipment for East Line Books.
October 21, 7 p.m. sign-up, 7:30 p.m. readings
Jacqueline Ahl to Read at the Social Justice Center
The Third Thursday Poetry Night will feature Jacqueline Ahl and an open mic on Thursday, October 21, at the Albany Social Justice Center, 33 Central Avenue. 7 p.m. sign-up. 7:30 p.m. start. Dan Wilcox, host.
Upcoming New York State Writers Institute Events
- Ilyon Woo, nonfiction writer (The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother’s Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times) reading at the Shaker Meeting House, 25 Meeting House Road near the main entrance to the Albany Airport on Thursday, October 21, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sapphire, novelist, poet and performer, (Push) reading at Page Hall, 135 Western Avenue on SUNY’s Downtown Albany Campus on Tuesday, October 26, at 8 p.m.
For more information on these and other Writers Institute events, consult the Writers Institute website.
Marni Gillard announces storytelling offerings for October
There are two upcoming opportunities to attend classes and readings with Marni:
Story Your Way In, a storytelling weekend retreat
October 22-24, Friday 7 p.m. – Sunday 11:30 a.m.
Dominican Retreat and Conference Center, 1945 Union Street, Schenectady
$185 (seniors 65+ $170) meals, private accommodations, program
$50 non-refundable deposit (transferable for one year)
Register by calling (518) 393-4169 or via email.
Sharing tales from life and literature, we see divine energies at work. We’ll explore memories, scripture (all faith traditions welcome), myths and poems, learning from the past, envisioning the future. Bring a journal, a favorite story, poem or keepsake as inspiration. Silence too will inspire us.
Stories of the Dark: Story Performance for teens and adults with Marni Gillard and Nancy Marie Payne
October 31, 2-4 p.m.
Humorous and spine-tingling tales for Halloween afternoon
Proctors Theater, Fenimore Gallery above the Box Office
$16. Find a discount coupon here.
October 24, 3 p.m.
Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic
On Sunday, October 24, at 3 p.m., the Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic will feature Jim Williams presenting the sung and spoken word. Old Songs Community Arts Center, 37 S. Main Street, Voorheesville. Hosted by Dennis Sullivan, Mike Burke, and Edie Adams. For information, call (518) 469-0202.
October 24, 1-5 p.m.
Story Cooking at Sanctuary for Independent Media
Please join photographer Ellie Markovitch and writer Amy Halloran for an afternoon of food and digital storytelling. October 24 from 1-5 p.m. at The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 Sixth Avenue, Troy, NY. Do you crave your grandmother’s pickled beets? Remember the first time you ate a real tomato? Bring a meaningful recipe, relevant photographs and your camera. Learn how to condense the evocative experiences of cooking and eating into digital stories that will convey the powerful, private attachments between people and food. View a sample here.
Workshop fee, $40. Email or call Amy Halloran or (518) 274-5138 with questions. To register, email the Media Sanctuary or call (518) 272-2390. Space is limited.
October 25, 7 p.m.
BookMarks reading at the Arts Center of the Capital Region
The first reading in this season’s BookMarks series will be held on Monday, October 25, at 7 p.m. It will feature poetry on the theme of “False Memory,” curated by Dan Wilcox. The event is free and open to the public. This reading will feature the work of Carolee Sherwood, Susan Jefts, Mary Katherine Jablonski, Elizabeth Gordon and Jill Crammond Wickham. The BookMarks readings are part of The Arts Center’s Memoir Project, which also includes writing classes and other opportunities for literary enthusiasts.
October 28, 7 p.m.
Adirondack Center for Writing Presents an Evening of Performance Poetry
The Adirondack Center for Writing is bringing the best performance poets of Brooklyn and Chicago to your doorstep. A performance by three spoken word poets on Thursday, October 28, at 7 p.m. will push and blur boundaries between music, art, theatre and literature. The Adirondack Center for Writing and Bluseed Studios present “Word! a night with Roger Bonair-Agard, Rachel Mckibbens, and Samantha Thornhill.”
The trio, brought to the area by the Adirondack Center for Writing, will take the stage at Bluseed Studios, 24 Cedar Street (next to Aubuchon Hardware) in Saranac Lake. The event is free and open to the public (although donations are appreciated). In short, these three are to poetry what hip hop is to music: cutting edge, full of rhythm and style and bound to smash stereotypes.
“Little d” National Literary Award Events
Prominent children’s author Jarrett J. Krosoczka will receive the “Little d” national literary award in Albany on November 10. He will read and sign his award-winning book, Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, at The Little Bookhouse at 11 a.m., and will be presented with the award at a reception from 6-8 p.m. at the Fort Orange Club in Albany. Everyone in Hudson Valley Writers Guild is invited to attend. Ticket information is available at ashea@ahns.org.
The “Little d” award was created six years ago to honor the late Denise McCoy, a children’s literacy advocate and owner of the Bookmark in Latham. Krosoczka is the author and illustrator of numerous children’s books for 8 to 12-year-olds, including Good Night, Monkey Boy; Max for President; My Buddy; Baghead, and the popular Lunch Ladies series. He lives in Northampton, MA, has won dozens of prestigious awards and been reviewed by the New York Times, Newsweek, and other publications.
Last year’s “Little d” award was given to Lois Lowry, a two-time Newbery Medal recipient. The award is national and puts the Capital Region on the map in recognizing children’s literature. The author is chosen by a local committee, which includes librarians.
Deadlines approach for New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships
Artists’ Fellowships are $7,000 unrestricted cash awards made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York. Grants are awarded in 15 artistic disciplines, with applications accepted in five categories each year. Since the awards began in 1985, NYFA has awarded over $22 million to over 3,688 artists. Peer review panels select approximately 100 Fellows each year based on artistic vision, the goal being to buy recipients creative time to continue making work. The Fellowship award is free for artists to apply! Please go to nyfa.org/afp to apply and to review application guidelines.
The following categories will be reviewed during the 2010 – 2011 cycle: Digital/Electronic Arts, Crafts/Sculpture, Nonfiction Literature, Poetry and Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts. The deadlines are November 30 at 11:59 p.m. for Crafts/Sculpture and Digital/Electronic Arts and December 1, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. for Nonfiction Literature, Poetry and Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts.
Group Health and Dental Plans for Published Writers
The Authors Guild (not associated with the Hudson Valley Writers Guild) offers book authors and freelance journalists discounted health insurance plans from Oxford, CIGNA, Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts and other carriers. Guild health plans are available in New York, Massachusetts and Florida. Guild dental plans from CIGNA and Guardian are available nationwide. Health insurance is just one good reason to join the Authors Guild. Join now and we’ll build a customized website for you using the Guild’s exclusive sitebuilder. And our advocacy efforts have helped assure effective copyright protection, more equitable contracts and free expression since 1912. To learn more about the Authors Guild and its health insurance plans, visit www.authorsguild.org or e-mail: staff@authorsguild.org
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About our newsletter / The Hudson Valley Writers Guild offers space in its newsletter for submission and program opportunities but does not endorse any programs or publications that are not offered through the Guild.
Within each section, announcements/events are arranged, when possible, by relevant dates. Send news items to Bob Sharkey. Thank you!
Editors Bob Sharkey & Carolee Sherwood
