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 VOTE at our next meeting!
Be sure to attend the May 20 meeting, so you can cast your vote for next year's board! Please email any questions to christineevolker@gmail.com.
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In Every Issue
Member News
Club News
State News
Articles
Features
Members Only
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Upcoming Events
- 5/12 Art in the Park with CWC
Writing and art retreat at Joaquin Miller Park - open to the public. Add to Calendar
Say you're coming on Facebook
- 5/20 Monthly Speaker: Author Joe Clifford
- June Board Meeting - DATE TBD
- 6/16 Member Book Launch at Laurel Bookstore
- 7/22 Summer Social - location TBA
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 Volunteer tasks on deck:
- Report on CWC events to the Bulletin
- E-Z Database manager
- Organize our summer social
- Help write grants
- Assist a board member... your choice!
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One member describes our club as "a great home base for all kinds of writers." This is what's happening in our branch.
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~ CLUB EVENTS ~
Past & Future
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"The Road to Redemption" with Joe Clifford - May 20th
Our May 20th speaker shares his journey back from the edge.
Joe Clifford is acquisitions editor for Gutter Books and the author of several books, including Junkie Love and the Jay Porter Thriller Series, as well as editor of Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Bruce Springsteen and Just to Watch Them Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Johnny Cash.
Joe will talk about his memoir, Junkie Love., at our May meeting. Check out his website, JoeClifford.com.
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This Month's Featured Member: Laurie Panther
Another expert on trauma recovery!
Before our featured speaker, member Laurie Panther will read from her memoir: Mixed Girl, Trauma Oncologist: How I Cured the Soul Sickness That Ate My Family Alive.
Laurie is the sole survivor of a mixed race "rainbow family" that iconized a new era in the 1960s and 70s, but fell victim to the trauma and dysfunction within. A life-long East Bay native, Laurie unpacks the story of how her black father and white mother adopted children from orphanages around the world, then fell apart at the seams. In her memoir, she contrasts her experiences growing up with her decisions as a mother, and her choices to break the chain of dysfunction.
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Art in the Park THIS SATURDAY! May 12th
Get natural, get creative!
 Writers & artists, come for a day of quiet creativity in Joaquin Miller Park to celebrate Oakland’s Art Month. We'll meet informally at our “home base” and generate new work with inspiration from the “minister of the woods.”
Who: Writers and artists living in or visiting Oakland.
What: A generative gathering in nature. Time to write and to hang out. Possible activities include a Literary History Hike, readings, and other hijinx.
When: Saturday, May 12, 2018, 10:30am – 2:30pm. Come for all or part of it!
Where: Joaquin Miller Park ~ Park on Joaquin Miller Drive and meet at the Fire Circle. If we can't stay there, we will travel up the road to the next spot... keep walking until you find us! Bear right.
Bring paper and pens, your laptop, or easels and paints, and a sack lunch and drink. Sharing is wonderful!
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Member Book Launch at Laurel Bookstore - June 16th
No more Father's Day conflicts!
In the past, our third Sunday meetings have always fallen on Father's Day. This year, in honor of all the dads in the club (and adults with dads), the board voted: NO MORE! Instead, we are starting a new tradition: a member book launch party the night before!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 16, 3-5pm.
After a short business meeting installing next year’s board, this party will feature eight (count us, EIGHT) club authors reading from books published in 2017 and 2018.
Please come and celebrate with these authors, network and support Laurel Bookstore. Authors are:
- JoAnn Smith Ainsworth, Expect Deception
- Sheryl Bize-Boutte, Running for the 2:10
- Gary Durbin, Nano-Uncertainty
- Kymberlie Ingalls, 43
- Tim Jollymore, Lake Stories and Other Tales
- Henry Hitz, Supremacy (pen name: KM Lovejoy)
- Kristen Caven, The Vesuvian Affair, and
- Christine Volker, Murder in a Sensuous City
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Are there local writers you would like to hear speak to our club?
Do you know any amazing writers who might like to speak to our club?
Please send suggestions or make introductions to our Speaker Chair, Kymberlie Ingalls, via email at speakers.cwc.berkeley@gmail.com.
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Have you got news? Let us know! Send a short description with particulars, plus links and images if you have them, to writeangles@gmail.com!
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 "Dancing Birds" Exhibition
"Visionary Artist" Frances Spencer writes and paints
Frances Spencer has lived in Ventura, CA for the past 10 years, but has maintained her 40 year+ membership in the Berkeley Branch or the California Writers Club. She was President of the for two years, in 1971 and 1972.
"Bird People" by Frances Spencer. Click to view full image.
Frances Spencer was awarded a Puffin Foundation grant (in New Jersey) which funded a solo exhibition of art in the "WAV Gallery" in Ventura, California. The chosen theme of her exhibit was "Peace and Love will save the world." Although this was essentially a display of her visual art, her poems were displayed next to several of the art works. One of the poems (illustrating a bird painting) will be used as lyrics for a song being written by a fine local guitarist, and will be performed by him in the WAV Gallery next month.
See "Open Mic" below to read Frances' poem and see "Dancing Bird."
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 Tim Jollymore
One of our busiest authors!
Tim Jollymore author of four works of fiction (Listener in the Snow, a novel; Observation Hill, a novel of class and murder; The Advent of Elizabeth, a novel; and Lake Stories and Other Tales) appears on May 19, 2018 @ Sebastapol Copperfields - noon to two, Saturday.
Read about LAKE STORIES on Tim's website!
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Sheryl Bize-Boutte at the Octopus
Hosted by Cristina Deptula
Sheryl will be reading at a group show at the Octopus Literary Salon on June 23rd, 4pm. It's free! Come grab a glass of tea or wine and enjoy a literary afternoon.
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Chris Harris gets Published!
Voices being heard
Chris Harris' short story "Double Dutch" will be published in the May edition of Writing From the Edge, the downtown Oakland Senior Center book of senior writings. Check it Out. Chris writes fiction, poetry, short story. She is a teacher (elementary), and can give advice on relationships and women's fiction.
Chris says, "Thank you always for your support. It is a Chicago memoir."
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~ Look at us GO! ~
The little steps get us to big places.
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"Minerva Rising has accepted my nonfiction piece,"Homely Chores." —Anne Fox
"As part of an Editing Team developing components for an oral history project begun in the 1980s, we have moved ahead to a final draft of the text." —Therese Pipe
"I started and finished the A2Z Blog Challenge and the April NaNoWriCAMP completing a project titled, DRAWN LINES, a blog about how-to use pencil while learning the language of art; and also finished a Sketchbook Project titled, I In Line. Check out BobbieStoryPortfolio.com. Also sent out my EVENTING … e-newsletter, with Kristen Caven was the featured Author.." —Bobbie Kinkead
“I'm making a video with CowanAgency.com contract with the use of Fairmont Hotels SF. Using song from Screenplay Finding David. To be done by May 11th - dressed as Canadian Celtic Cowboy. Employing Actors & choreographers." —Davie Simmons
"I am furiously editing my travel blog, Ten Days, Ten Pounds, into an ebook that will launch this summer when I am in Florence with my BFF, Jenny. In 2015, Jenny had to go in for brain surgery on the eve of our planned trip to Italy, and I went alone. I have been submitting snippets of my travel memoirs to contests and publications, would love any leads! Come to our Salon on July 7 if you happen to be in Florence!" — Kristen Caven
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Did you know the CWC-BB website hosts a list of published members? Check under the "Our Members" tab on the website!
If you have published books, short stories, articles, etc. and are a current member of CWC-BB, you are eligible for a listing. Especially if there are links to your work!
To be included, fill out this form.
ALSO send a headshot (100dpi width min.) to jsa@joannsmithainsworth.com.
— JoAnn Ainsworth, PM Page Webmaster
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REVIEWS OF OUR MEMBERS BOOKS
One of the best parts of a writers' club is trading books, meeting new minds, being in awe of your new friends. Make the commitment to read and review at least ONE book by a fellow member each year. Send a copy of your review to writeangles@gmail.com... celebrate good work!
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Welcome New Members!
Arden Kamille Varnel ~ Amos White ~ Julie Viellieu
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Poets, Unite!
Introducing our new poetry group, next meeting May 10th, 7pm
POETROPE, a new poetry writing group, has started! We invite all of our club's poets to come together. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of every month. First, we each read poems that inspire us. Then we work on our own.
Our next meeting is May 10th. Current location (until we find a better place) is Au Coquelet, 2000 University Avenue (at Milvia), Berkeley. Look for us in the central room past the main cafe.
Agenda:
7-7:30 - read a poem you brought (optional)
7:30-8:30 - write
8:30-9 - share your poem (optional)
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 One More Opening in Memoir Group!
Last Fridays 1-3pm
We have a last Friday of the month MEMOIR group going on, rotating between Walnut Creek and Berkeley areas...and we have room for one more member! Each writer brings five double-spaced pages. Contact Wendy Sonenson at wendysoneson@gmail.com for more information.
Suggested reading: The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr
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Writers on Writers:
On Linda Brown:
"Earlier this year, I was impressed by an evolving style and convincing words exhibited by Linda Brown's writing at San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where we both attended a writing retreat." — Therese Pipe
"Linda has been a brilliant volunteer for the CWC for years. It's great to see that she has finally found her way into her book. Perseverance pays off! And a new website with help from Karma, great to see you having the platform you deserve." —Kristen Caven
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Rich and Famous?
Two club authors find their rare books on the black market!
Barbara Gilvar writes, "Just looked up the copies of my two books on Amazon and found astounding prices." Check out The Search Handbook, at £1,013.80! (This translates to $1.910.22) and The Art of Hiring Leaders for £150! ... the prices are going up every day!
Meanwhile, a used copy of Kristen Caven's silly art mini- comic, "Sammy Sperm's Guide to Safe Sex," which is perfectly available for $4.99 and on Kindle as well, was found listed for $1500.
May these mystery booksellers make millions... but may they send us writers a check, too!
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The Craft Support Group
Henry Hitz reflects on our monthly craft circle.
The Craft Support Group meets at noon on the day of each CWC Berkeley Branch monthly meeting, the third Sunday of the month. Last month, I brought up two topics dear to my heart as a writer: How to develop your “voice” and how to “mine your pain.” We had a lively discussion on the first topic. I shared how I was working on a story about an adolescent boy and decided to re-read Catcher in the Rye, the quintessential adolescent male voice. I recalled how much of our writing is influenced by our reading. I recalled to that I got the voice for my prize-winning (yet still unpublished) first novel, Tales of Monkeyman, while reading The Color Purple. So my advice to writers searching for a voice for their work is to go back and read the novels, stories, or memoirs that have a voice you loved.
We didn’t get to the “mining your pain” part. One of the challenges for me is that often when I’m writing about painful experiences in my life, or my characters are experiencing pain similar to my own, I tend to get depressed. And yet blasting through that depression and finishing the scene is the best antidote to the depression – even better than alcohol or Zoloft. And some of our best writing comes from writing about our pain because it was deeply felt, and this is what we want from our readers, isn’t it? To feel deeply? It does sometime help me to write something lighter at the same time as writing something painful, to go back and forth between the two and keep some kind of balance. We’ll explore this topic more on May 20 at noon.
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Win Books by Members!
Donate to get your book SEEN! Every month!
Our member raffle has become quite the thing! Published authors, please donate something from your frontlist or backlist to our next meeting ("hurt" books are fine). Using raffle proceeds, the club will be the first one to purchase your next new book when it is published! Get raffle tickets for $1 each or 6 for $5. ALSO... now every meeting attendee receives a FREE raffle ticket! We also welcome donated bottles of wine and gift certificates.
One of these fine books could be YOURS! Buy more raffle tickets!
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“How To CWC”
Here are some TIPS for getting the most out of the CWC:
If you have published books, short stories, articles, etc. and are a current member of CWC-BB, you are eligible for a listing.
To be included, fill out this form.
There is also a page to link member blogs. Read the instructions at the top of the page!
—JoAnn Ainsworth, PM Page Editor
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Here's what's happening at the division and state level, and/or in other branches.
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Have you read our SPRING Statewide Bulletin?
Stay in touch with our club wherever in California you are!
Our club now has over 2000 members! (2055, to be exact!) Are there any journalists out there who would like to report on our branch to the state newsletter, summarizing what happens here in Write Angles or at our meetings? Please contact a board member!
Open it now!
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Newsletters Around the State
 Get a feel for your community, get ideas and make connections
Redwood Writers: The Redwood Writer: Writers Helping Writers
TriValley: Write Around the Valley
Inland Empire: Fresh Ink
High Desert: Inkslinger
Check here for the latest issues.
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Submit articles about craft, business, opportunities, or writing advice to writeangles@gmail.com!
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Move your Body, Move your Writing
by Kristen Caven
 You don’t get anything done as a writer without having some sort of writing routine. An exercise routine can help you write better because when you put your body to work, your brain gets a re-boost as well. So...
Your Writing Exercise… is to Exercise!
What kind of exercise is best for a writer? The kind that you can do regularly, that is easy to get into, and that gives you real pleasure. Anything that feels like a “should” is not sustainable. Check out my guide to five types of exercise that can keep you fit for writing: Mindless, Meditative, Social, Mental, and Relaxing. And if you like dancing, come sweat yourself silly with KRS-10!
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WHAT GDPR MEANS FOR AUTHORS AND BLOGGERS
Important information for writers submitted by JoAnn Ainsworth
On May 25, 2018 there are some major changes coming through the pipelines under a new law called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It’s being implemented to protect your constituents (aka readers, fans, i.e. bookish friends you have any type of data on) in the European Union (EU). Now before you mentally go shutting down and closing your browser thinking this doesn’t pertain to you because you don’t live in Europe or because you’re not a “marquee author” or “big blogger” … there is a damn good chance it does. So grab your coffee and listen up!
Read full article here.
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How to Share a LInk
Something we should all know
This editor is continuously surprised that many perfectly accomplished wordsmiths do not know how to paste a link in an email body. It's time for everyone to learn how! The process is simple:
- Open the web page you wish to share
- Click your mouse somewhere in the url bar, a.k.a. the white window at the top with a string of text that starts with "http..." The text should turn blue. (URL stands for Universal Resource Locator, and has come to mean "Web address".)
- Copy this link, by going to the "Edit" menu, or by typing command-C (Mac) or control-C (PC)
- Now open your email document. Place your cursor where you would like the link to go, and paste. (Again, to the "Edit" menu or type command or control V.)
If this is not clear, just go to Google and type, "how to copy a web link," and watch a video. Ask Google whenever you have a question! The world is full of helpful people who want to teach you things.
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This section honors Oakland's lively literary scene with clips of fresh writing by members. Send a short short (500 words max), an excerpt and a link, or a poem to writeangles@gmail.com!
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Dancing Birds
by Frances Spencer
Happiness
forever poised for flight
cannot be trapped
but
like a wild bird perching on a sunlit branch,
its image caught but briefly by my dazzled eye,
is caged forever in my memory
Yet, like the bird itself,
is free to fly.
Dancing Birds by Frances Spencer
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Soft Serve
by Stephanie Polanco
Gently place the baby chicks
Into the grinder.
Their fur, their claws and fecal matter
Become soft serve ice cream.
Now mold the dough
In tiny circles
Ready for the oven.
No one pities them as they are only food.
But if the fur, the claws, and fecal matter
Were a dog’s or cat’s,
This industry would
Automatically collapse.
I wonder if it’s the cuddliness,
The barks and jumps they do
That puts more value into them
Than in the ones consumed.
Like the sacred cows in Asia,
“But let’s eat up a dog!”
I really wonder just how social our beliefs are.
But enough about our feelings, no,
Just cast them all aside.
It’s time to make a living
And to Capitalize!
Americans are right!
It’s fine to eat meat,
We need death to live,
Just don’t eat the wrong kind.
"Parakeet" by Frances Spencer
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 Thank you to Anne Fox for proofreading! When I met you at my first CWC meeting, I told you about my novel and you said you'd "keep your eye on me" as "someone to watch." Keep watching, I haven't sold it yet. Maybe someday...! In the meantime, thank you for being such a longtime friend of the CWC and "watching" us "mind our Ps and Qs" as copyeditor all these years. |
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