California Writers Club NEWS
CWC Observes California Writers Week
In 2003, the California State Assembly officially declared the third week in October each year as California Writers Week. This was initially proposed by California Writers Club and co-sponsored by our state libraries. Branches observe the occasion this month with, for instance, Coastal Dunes’ “Afternoon of Literary Exploration” on Sunday, October 13, at the Santa Maria Public Library, and East Sierra’s month-long display at the Ridgecrest Branch Library, Kern County. Both branches will use these occasions to launch their new anthologies.
CWC’S VISION & VERSE #1 ON AMAZON NEW RELEASES
The California Writers Club’s new ekphrastic anthology Vision & Verse, ed. Les Bernstein, has reached #1 on Amazon’s new releases and #5 in poetry (only topped by Dr. Seuss titles).
“The Best of the Best” Now Available
The Best of the Best: 2024 Literary Review by the CWC members is now available on Amazon. We dedicate this book to the memory of our dear friend, Bob Isbill. A pdf version will follow on the CWC website any day now.
Central Board Meets on Zoom Sunday July 28
The July CWC board meeting will be held on Sunday, July, 28, 2024 on Zoom starting at 1:30. The zoom will open at 1:15. President Roger Lubeck will send a notice to reps with a draft agenda. The meeting will include election of 2024-25 officers together with.committee reports.
EKPHRASTIC ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR MEMBERS THROUGH MARCH 7
Ekphrastic writing is a literary response to a selected artwork. The editors have selected 15 images out of 276 submitted pieces for California Writers Club members to now submit their literary reactions for Vision and Verse, a Fusion of Poetry, Prose, Art and Photography. The submission period ends March 7th.
Here is where you can view the selected art.
Submit your literary response here.
CWC LITERARY REVIEW 2024 DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28
As before the Literary Review will represent a sample of the best writing by members. Branches will select submissions from their own membership and send the works to a team of CWC judges, one poem and one prose piece from branches with up to 50 members or two poems, two stories from branches 51 to 100 members. Firm deadline: midnight February 28, 2024.
CWC LAUNCHES EKPHRASTIC ANTHOLOGY
An ekphrastic work combines vivid description by a writer of a scene or piece of art, essentially representing a painting in words.
Vision and Verse, a fusion of Art and Photography will come out in 2024. Members have provided the art for consideration. Judges will shortly announce their selections and the date by which members must submit their accompanying poetry or prose.
CWC Presents Ina Coolbrith and Jack London Awards
The California Writers Club presented its highest tributes on Sunday, October 22, at the annual Central Board meeting and Awards Luncheon. Ina Coolbrith Service Awards recognize outstanding efforts on behalf of the statewide organization, and Jack London Service Awards honor member contributions to their branches.
We celebrated three “Ina” winners, Carole Bumpus (San Francisco/Peninsula), Sandy Moffett (Writers of Kern), and Elisabeth Tuck (Mt. Diablo), and 21 “Jack London” recipients, Kymberlie Ingalls (Berkeley), Nancy Middleton (Central Coast Writers), Carole L. Wagener (Coastal Dunes), Janis Kunz (East Sierra / Ridge Writers), Scott Davidson (Fremont Area Writers), Mike Apodaca (High Desert), Judy Kohnen (Inland Empire), Russ Thompson (Long Beach), Diane Vickers (Marin), Jill Hedgecock (Mt. Diablo), Lenore Hirsch (Napa Valley Writers), Lynn Tosello (North State Writers), Mary Vensel White (Orange County), Crissi Langwell (Redwood Writers), Gloria Pierrot-Dyer (Sacramento), Karen Gorback (San Fernando Valley), Tim Flood (San Francisco/Peninsula), Pam Van Allen (San Joaquin Valley Writers), Trenton Myers (South Bay Writers), Constance Handstedt (Tri-Valley Writers), Donee Harris (Writers of Kern), and Katherine Heinmann Brown (Writers of the Mendocino Coast).
Here’s a video of the awards presentation.
Central Board Meeting and Jack London Awards Sunday, October 22, Oakland
Capping off California Writers Week, the California Writers Club will hold our annual Central Board business meeting and also our Jack London Awards ceremony (held every other year) on Sunday, October 22 at the Oakland Holiday Inn at the Airport. The meeting will run from 10:00 a.m. to noon, followed by the Awards Luncheon 12:00-3:00 p.m.
For the Jack London Award, each branch may select a member whose invaluable efforts have advanced the mission of the CWC and its impact on their respective communities.
CWC Branches Mark California Writers Week
As established by State Legislature and Gubernatorial Proclamation, California observes California Writers Week the first third week of every October.
CWC branches will celebrate with special events across the state, from Sacramento Branch’s readings and book signings by their member authors at bookstores (Avid Readers in Davis, Oct. 17, 6-8 p.m., Ruby’s Books in Folsom, Oct. 18, 5-7 p.m., and Avid on Broadway in Sacramento, Oct. 19, 4:30-6p.m.); Tri-Valley Writers’ ”How to Build Your Writer’s Platform Using Storytelling Crossover Tips” program by Chris Hennessy on Oct. 21, 2 p.m., Las Positas College, Livermore (RSVP required); Fremont Area Writers exhibit all month in the Fremont Main Library showing the proclamation and branch banner accompanied by copies of books published by the branch’s authors, and QR code and website information to sign up and become a member; and Redwood Branch’s “Gratitude, Attitude, Collaboration” by Jill Lublin plus a pop-up performance by Off the Page Readers Theater on Oct. 21. In the south, the East Sierra Branch will have a month-long display on California Writers at the Ridgecrest Branch of the Kern County Library, and an hour-long reading of stories, poems, and songs by members in the Children’s Room of the library, Oct. 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
JACK LONDON AWARDS 2023
This year, being an odd-numbered year, each board has to consider nominees for the Jack London Service Award. Each CWC branch may nominate one member to receive a Jack London Award in recognition of outstanding service to the organization. The award honors a member whose service to the CWC and/or a branch has been exemplary. The JLA may only be received by a member once. It is not mandatory that a branch designates a recipient simply because the opportunity exists. This year, the honorees will receive their awards at a luncheon on Sunday, October 22, at the Oakland Airport Holiday Inn. A two-hour business meeting will precede the award luncheon.
NEWS FROM THE JOAQUIN MILLER PARK FIRE CIRCLE
Kristen Caven, CWC representative to Oakland’s Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, and the Friends of Joaquin Miller Park are leading an initiative to have the City of Oakland formally change the name from the park’s Fire Circle to the California Writers Circle. On this popular location for CWC picnics, Joaquin Miller held his outdoor salons — High Jinx (plays, readings) and Low Jinx (comedy performances) that included Jack London, John Muir, and other famous writers and artists.
2022 Literary Review Now Posted Online AND Available on Amazon
The 2022 Literary Review., a juried collection of poems, stories, fiction, and nonfiction by members of the California Writers Club, is now posted on our website. The next Literary Review will be published in 2024. A date for submissions is to be determined.
Paperback copies of the 2022 CWC Literary Review are available on Amazon.
CWC Presents Check To VVAPL On Behalf of Dean Koontz
In appreciation for famed author Dean Koontz’s recent program for our High Desert Branch, the branch made a $300 donation to the Victor Valley Animal Protection League in his name. High Desert interviewed him on a Zoom meeting accessible to all members of the CWC’s 22 branches. Koontz has written 130 books, is published in 38 languages, has sold more than 500 million copies of his works, and is an animal protection activist.
NORCAL GROUP AT BAY AREA BOOK FEST AND SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE 2022
The Northern Region of the CWC provided information booths for the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley in May and the San Francisco Writers Conference 2022 in July. As before, the SFWC gifted every CWC branch with two free day passes to the Poetry Summit and the Screenwriters (Hollywood) Summit with a value of $279 per day
The San Francisco Writers Conference also hosted the CWC in a panel entitled “Success Stories from a Writers Group – the California Writers Club.” The panel, composed of five members of the NorCal Group – Andrew Benzie, Kim Edwards, Kymberlie Ingalls, Evelyn LaTorre, and Terry Tierney – spoke about how their experiences in the CWC helped them in their own literary successes:
CWC-South Awards Two Mini-Grants
Following Covid setbacks, the Southern Region of the CWC resumed its annual mini-grant program by closing out the 2021-22 fiscal year with awards of two $200 mini-grants. The first, presented by the High Desert Branch, went to the San Bernardino County Library’s Adult Literacy Program. The second, through the East Sierra Branch, assisted with relocation expenses for Bishop’s Imagination Lab. The Lab’s writing classes, poetry and play readings, performances by local musicians, artists’ exhibits and receptions, as well as “adult story hours,” had to shut down during the pandemic in March 2020. Circumstances had forced them to move from Bishop to Lone Pine.
Literary Review Submission Window Has Closed
The submission window has closed. Watch this site for announcements on the next call for submissions, open to all members of the California Writers Club.
San Francisco Writers Conference Moved to July 21-24
Originally planned for February 17-20, the San Francisco Writers Conference has rescheduled to July 21-24 owing to Covid considerations. A proud partner and sponsor of the prestigious event held at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, San Francisco., the California Writers Club will have a table there July 22-24. Because the California Writers Club’s mission statement mirrors that of the SFWC, we are able to reach out to many of the same writers who are seeking help, support and encouragement in their writing by providing them with information about our club.
The mission of the San Francisco Writers Conference (www.SFWriters.org) is to build bridges to better tomorrows for writers connected to the conference by giving writers the information and inspiration they need to write and sell their books, make them successful, and reach their literary and financial goals. The SFWC offers a forum for writers, agents, publishers, and writers’ organizations to build the networks they need by creating a community online and off.
For the second time in CWC’s history, the San Francisco Writers Conference is offering two free passes to every CWC branch throughout the State for their all-day Poetry and Screenwriters Summits on Saturday, July 23. Branches are asked to select two members from their branch to represent them in each of the two summits. The free passes give members free entry to the all-day event and the privilege of mingling with top poets and screenwriters who will be teaching classes throughout that day. Branch presidents must submit the names of their choices on or before June 15, 2022, to NorCalChair@calwriters.org.
NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR 2022 LITERARY REVIEW
The submission window has opened for CWC’s 2022 Literary Review, our annual anthology of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry written entirely by members. Carefully read the submission guidelines before crafting your best, most polished work, and make sure to get it to the editorial team no later than deadline. Here’s the 2021 Literary Review.
CWC Celebrates California Writers Week
As designated by California State Legislature and gubernatorial proclamation, we observe California Writers Week every third week of October with events and activities to commemorate the occasion. For instance, the East Sierra Branch has curated a month-long display at Ridgecrest Branch Library and, on Saturday, October 23, at Ridgecrest’s Red Rock Books, an afternoon of local authors, book signings, word games with prizes, refreshments, and discounts on store merchandise.
Joaquin Miller Park Adds CWC Writer in Residence
Berkeley Branch member Kristen Caven has become the first CWC Writer in Residence at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, strengthening the relationship between CWC and Joaquin Miller that reaches back to the early 20th century when California writers would meet and socialize at Miller’s home.
Caven’s involvement includes leadership on an “Arts in the Park” event scheduled for Saturday, October 9, that will bring together different organizations for a “blanket and a basket of chow” combined with readings by CWC members. She also has plans to develop a program around her song “Joaquin Miller Went Walkin’” for 2021-22.
Jack London Awards Sunday, October 17
Every other year, the California Writers Club bestows its prestigious Jack London Awards to members selected at the local level to recognize outstanding service to their branches. At this point, we have planned an in-person luncheon and awards ceremony for Sunday, October 17, at the Holiday Inn at the Oakland airport. Long-timers with CWC may recall that past celebrations took place in July. We’ve moved it to October this year to give us time to make sure we can hold an in-person gathering feasibly and safely, and to coincide with California Writers Week. Awardees: Watch your email and snail mail for exact details as we approach the date. Branch presidents: Please double-check with your honoree and CB representative to confirm that they received this message.
Literary Review Update
Infinite hard work throughout the organization has paid off with the Literary Review now near completion. We will soon notify authors whose submissions we have chosen. We expect to ship publications to members later this summer.
LITERARY REVIEW SUBMISSION WINDOW CLOSED
Thanks to members who submitted to our 2021 Literary Review. We received approximately 300 pieces of fiction and nonfiction, memoir, poetry, and humor. The submission window has now closed. The judges have begun their deliberation. If we have selected your work, we will notify you before autumn 2021 publication.
CWC 2020 Literary Review Online
Click here to see our latest journal of fiction, nonfiction, essays, memoir, and poetry by members of the California Writers Club.
Branches Naming Jack London Awards Honorees
Every two years, the club recognizes outstanding volunteer service by an individual at each branch. The merit of the award reflects service and positive contribution to our writing community, independent of writing achievement. We consider the “JLA” one of the highest distinctions given to a member by the State CWC. Branches must inform the committee of their 2021 selection no later than April 9, 2021.
Literary Review Update
Our extremely dedicated acquisition editors have made their selections, and multi-talented editor/designer Fred Dodsworth has developed a striking layout. We expect acceptance and regrets letters to go to submitters during the first week of September, and apologize that this falls short of mid-August as originally planned.
Thanks to every member who sent us a piece or more for consideration. Your excellent work, enthusiasm, and support make us proud.
CWC Central Board Holds First-Ever Zoom Annual Meeting
Representatives from the branches of the California Writers Club met on Zoom for the annual Central Board meeting on Sunday, July 19. They reported addressing the Covid shut-downs with a wide range of very successful activities on the local level, ranging from monthly speaker events and critique groups on Zoom to contests and publishing projects and even a virtual picnic. Many remarked that the technology has opened new possibilities in terms of presenters who live too far away to travel to give a program, but will gladly do social media from their own homes.
High Desert Branch in Apple Valley created a pandemic anthology, soliciting works from CWC members statewide. They also phoned each branch member to stay in touch and keep their community of writers connected. Individually, CWC members have said they used the Covid stay-in-place restrictions to sit at their keyboards and tackle creative endeavors they previously managed to put off.
To find available cyber-gatherings, go to the Branches page on this website and click on each location.
Literary Review Coming Soon
The submission window for the Literary Review closed March 31, 2020. Judges have reviewed the over 300 submissions we received and narrowed them down to top-tier candidates. We will make final selection shortly, and inform all contributors who will appear in the publication. Distribution is scheduled for early autumn.
Many Branches Meeting on Zoom
Although they’ve had to drop in-person meetings for the past few months, many California Writers Club branches have migrated their monthly programs to Zoom. In most instances, they invite the general public to join in on their lively offerings. To find listings, go to Branches on this website, then click on what interests you, then go to their individual newsletters for specific details.