Hudson Valley Writers Guild Newsletter, January 2015

Hudson Valley Writers Guild Newsletter

Important note: Do not submit news items for future newsletters by replying to this email. INSTEAD, please send news items to hvwgnews@gmail.com. Thank you!

IN THIS ISSUE

Member Announcements:

• News & updates from Kate Laity
• Winifed Elze’s latest novel available at Schenectady book stores
• Kate McNairy to be featured poet at Caffè Lena
• “Move with Mindfulness, Write with Ease” retreat January 24 & 25

Area Announcements:

• Deadly sins: Theme issue of Misfit Magazine open for submissions
• Upcoming “Bookmarks” reading series deadlines
• Caffè Lena to feature Suzanne Parker & Kate McNairy January 7
• Next “Second Sunday” open mic: January 11
• ARTHUR’S Market & Cafe Poetry night to feature Alan Catlin January 14
• Third Thursday to feature Poetyc Visionz January 15
• 20 local story tellers contribute to new anthology

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

News & updates from Kate Laity
Kate sends the following publication news, as well as info on an upcoming workshop and a possible reading series:

• I’m happy to announce the release of Drag Noir, the third noir anthology I have edited for Fox Spirit Books (foxspirit.co.uk). Fox Spirit will also be releasing a new edition of my short story collection Dream Book (originally published as Unikirja/Dream Book in 2009) with two new stories after the first of the year. Also in January, my historical novel Knight of the White Hart will be published by Tirgearr Publishing (tirgearrpublishing.com) under the nom de plume Kathryn Marlowe. It’s the first in a new series of historical adventures called The Breton Lais. My paranormal noir novel White Rabbit has gained a lot of good press since its release earlier this year.

• Vincent Zandri and I are hoping to put together a few folks for a “Noir at the Bar” reading series in the new year. Feel free to contact either of us via our websites (vincentzandri.com or kalaity.com) if you’re interested in reading or attending.

• I’ll be offering a workshop “How to Keep Writing with a Full Time Job” on Saturday February 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Universal Pathways, Pleasant Valley Road, Berne NY (universalpathways.wordpress.com). Have you always dreamed of writing, but didn’t think you had the time? Award-winning author K. A. Laity, writer of the Chastity Flame novel series, White Rabbit, Owl Stretching, The Mangrove Legacy and many more books, essays and stories will help you attain your writing goals in just minutes a day with this short workshop based on her guide of the same name. The workshop will combine handouts, exercises and tips for making the most of your limited time. Cost $50. Payable via PayPal or check. See kalaity.com for details.

Winifed Elze’s latest novel available at Schenectady book stores
Winifred Elze has published her latest novel, Threads. Set in Schenectady, it tells the story of a young girl who unexpectedly inherits a clothing store  — a different kind of clothing store. Clothes made there may have your future woven into the fabric. Threads is available at Proctors Gift Center and the Open Door Bookstore, both in Schenectady.

Kate McNairy to be featured poet at Caffè Lena
HVWG member Kate McNairy sends news that she will be one of the featured readers at Caffè Lena this month. Details, including Kate’s bio, can be found under Caffè Lena’s announcement below. Congrats, Kate!

“Move with Mindfulness, Write with Ease” retreat January 24 & 25
It’s winter, we’re achy, we need (and love) to write but sitting long periods is tough. What to do? Come write in a cozy retreat house and learn different ways to take care of your writer’s body. On January 24-25, 2015, Diane Kavanaugh-Black from Of-the-Essence Holistic Wellness offers her quarterly Move with Mindfulness, Write with Ease workshop at Still Point Retreat Center, near Saratoga Battlefield. The workshop runs 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day. $59 per day ($29/day limited income); attend one or both days.

Along with time to write, we’ll incorporate stretch breaks and gentle yoga (no prior experience necessary), meditative walks or snowshoes (trails and labyrinth on-site). Visit http://OfTheEssenceHolisticWellness.com for further information and to reserve a spot.

AREA ANNOUNCEMENTS

Deadly sins: Theme issue of Misfit Magazine open for submissions January 1-March 15
Misfit Magazine is looking for your submission for its “Lucky 13” Issue. This issue will be a themed one on deadly sins. Even if you are one of those poets who lives a life of spotless virtue and has no sins to report, as one poet we all know and love — and who shall remain nameless due to confidentiality issues. She knows who she is! — assures Misfit editor Alan Catlin that maybe you have observed or know someone who has sinned. If so, and you have 3-5 poems that fit the general theme, send them after January 1 to submissions@misfitmagazine.net. Deadline is March 15, 2015   For more specific information visit our Misfit Magazine Facebook Page.

Upcoming “Bookmarks” reading series deadlines:

• “As the Light Returns.” Curated by local writer and veteran Dan New. Submission deadline: Monday, January 5. Reading: Monday, January 26.
• “Gardening as Metaphor.”  Curated by Diane Kavanaugh Black. Submission deadline: Monday, January 19. Reading: Monday, February 9.
• “Transformation.” Curated by Abby Lublin of the Front Parlor Series. Submission deadline: Monday, February 23. Reading: Monday, March 23.
• “Speaking Truth to Power.” Curated by local poet/spoken word artist Victorio Reyes. Submission deadline: Monday, March 23. Performance: Monday, April 20.
• “Sonic Stasis.” Co-Curated by composers Ryan Ross Smith and K. Michael Fox. Submission deadline: Wednesday, April 20. Performance: Monday, May 18.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Interested writers/creators should submit online via Submittable.
• All submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. on the date indicated. The submission window will close at that time.
• Submissions should not exceed length specified on the submission form.
• You may submit to multiple curators but only once per theme.
• All applicants will be notified at least 10 days before the event or once the curator has chosen readers/presenters.
• Keep the date OPEN in case you are selected!

Find links to each reading, including deadlines, submission guidelines and other details, by clicking here.

Caffè Lena to feature Suzanne Parker & Kate McNairy January 7
On Wednesday, January 7, Caffè Lena will present poetry readings by Suzanne Parker and Kate McNairy. An open reading will follow. Doors open for sign-ups at 7 p.m., and the readings will start at 7:30. The host for the event will be Carol Graser, and the cost is $5. Caffè Lena is located at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. (518) 583-0022. www.caffelena.org.

Kate McNairy is a Saratgoa Springs native whose first chapbook, June Bug was recently published with Finishing Line Press.  She was a finalist in the Blue Light Poetry Competition 2013, and her work has appeared in Word Wednesday, Chronogram, Misfits, Hudson View and Many Waters, among many others. She is also a freelance writer for local newspapers and is an adjunct writing instructor at Empire State College. She’s on the editorial board of The Apple Tree, a literary magazine. Her website is www.katemcnairy.com.

Suzanne Parker is a winner of a Kinereth Gensler Book Award, and her collection of poetry, Viral, (Alice James Books, 2013) was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. Her poetry has appeared recently in Bloom, Barrow Street, Cimarron Review, Sierra Nevada Review and numerous other journals; she’s a winner of the Alice M. Sellars Award from the Academy of American Poets and was a poetry fellow at the Prague Summer Seminars. Suzanne’s creative non-fiction is published in the travel anthology Something to Declare by the Univ. of Wisconsin Press. Suzanne is a poetry editor at MEAD: The Journal of Literature and Libations.

Next “Second Sunday” open mic: January 11
The next “Second Sunday @ 2 Open Mic for Poetry and Prose” will be Sunday, January 11, at 2 p.m. Please bring two poems or five minutes of prose to read. All are welcome. The event is co-hosted by Dan Wilcox and Nancy Klepsch at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River Street, Troy.

Here are dates for the rest of the 2014-15 series (save the dates!):

• February 8
• March 8
• April 12
• May 10
• June 14

ARTHUR’S Market & Cafe Poetry night to feature Alan Catlin January 14
Open mic & featured reader. Second Wednesday, December 10. 7 p.m. sign-up; 7:30 begin readings. Featured reader for January is Alan Catlin. Hosted by Catherine Norr. Arthur’s Market & Cafe is located at 35 N. Ferry Street, Schenectady. Food and beverages are available.

Third Thursday to feature Poetyc Visionz January 15
The poet known as Poetyc Visionz will read from his work at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Avenue, Albany, on Thursday, January 15, at 7:30 p.m. Poetyc Visionz is an Albany native and has been performing his spoken word art for nearly 15 yrs. He was a part of the Nitty Gritty Slam Team 2012, 2013 and 2014, and is also a part of the Empire State Slam Championship Team of 2014. He is now working on his third CD project, along with a book installment.

A reading by a local or regional poet is held each Third Thursday at the Social Justice Center. The event includes an open mic for audience members to read.  Sign-up starts at 7 p.m., with the reading beginning at 7:30.  The host of the readings is Albany poet and photographer Dan Wilcox.  The suggested donation is $3, which helps support this and other poetry programs of the Poetry Motel Foundation and the work of the Social Justice Center.  For more information about this event contact Dan Wilcox, 518-482-0262; e-mail: dwlcx@earthlink.net.

20 local storytellers contribute to new anthology
Twenty local storytellers have collaborated to publish the anthology, Stories We Tell: Tales from the Story Circle of the Capital District. They are members of the Story Circle of the Capital District, which was established in 1983 and hosts a regular schedule of meetings, open mics and storytelling performances at Proctors, Caffè Lena and other venues. This book is their first written anthology. It is a collection of folklore, fantasy, historical and personal stories; many of them fuse several genres. The book (166 pages; paperback; $14.95) is a solid example of the breadth and scope that storytelling can achieve.

Stories We Tell can be purchased at local bookstores, such as The Open Door, New York Folklore Society and Battenkill Books, and online at www.storytellersanthology.com.

* * *
Editor’s Note

I enjoy putting together this newsletter for the HVWG. As a member of the Guild and a working writer in our community, I recognize its incredible value and hope it is a terrific resource for you, as well. Please let me know if there’s anything we can do to improve it.

Here are some housekeeping notes:

~Carolee