NPR Links to Best Books of 2010/2011 Blog Info

Below are two National Public Radio links for the best books of 2010 and the recent NPR best seller's book list.

http://www.npr.org/series/131336530/best-books-of-2010

http://www.npr.org/sections/books/

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

I will be starting a new blog soon about writing my memoir, but there will be a transition period where I will be researching how to write a memoir and that info will be posted here.

Happy Writing too!

Nils Peterson Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Poem

From his book "For This Day": of Christmas poems written annually and collected finally. With the author's permission:

Poem entitled "For This Day"

"In which everything is meant for you

And nothing need be explained"

Wallace Stevens

For this day, the sweet lowings, the brays,

the heavenly music are all for us. The world

brings us the presents we so richly deserve,

for are we not children of the Father?

For this day we sit on Mary's blue lap

at home with ox, ass, shepherd, king, angel

Yes, there is a Herod, but for this day

he rages off-stage in the empty city.

For this day, the trees are for us, and then,

"the whole wideness of the night."

Merry Christmas

Bill Costley's Recent Poem on The New Verse News

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010

CL@SSIFIC@TIONISM

by Bill Costley


While you’re reading this
Somebody’s deciding whether
it’s filling empty minds with
stuff of the classifiable category

that oughtn’t be open to just

anybody reading this. Trilemma:
Open, Closed, Classified.

Classified’s a transient value
of sometimes no value @ all.

[Ex. Air is getting sorta scarce.]

Classified /not-quite classified?
Classified; lest panic ensue.

You can all breathe now. Closed.


Bill Costley has served on the Steering Committee of the San Francisco Bay area chapter of the National Writers Union. He lives in Santa Clara, CA.
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Ego Boost

Upon attending the Poetry and Music To Celebrate Christmas at St. Mark's in Santa Clara, I was surprised to hear from the person sitting in front of me, Bill Costley, that he had sent a copy of an newspaper article, which I had written that included info about him, to the archives of his alma mater. He had also mailed this same article which had been published in the Santa Clara Weekly to his friend in northern England. I felt like I had made a difference in his life and that was very gratifying.

Bill has a blog also. He also writes poetry about news! The site where you can read his poetry is www.newversenews.com To read his blog, go to www.costleybill7.blogspot.com

The first Santa Clara County poet laureate Nils Peterson touchingly read his own Christmas poetry, as well as selections from Garrison Keillor and Jean Shepherd at the aforementioned event. The Symphony Silicon Valley Singers sang magnificently under the direction of Elena Sharkova. I will include a poem or two written by Nils Peterson in my blog next week to mark the season.

Writers Digest Poetry Contest Info

http://writersdigest.com/poetryawards Contents are below for the upcoming deadline for the Writers Digest poetry contest.

Poetry Awards

6th Annual Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Competition

We're pleased to announce the only Writer's Digest competition exclusively for poets! Regardless of style—rhyming, free verse, haiku and more—if your poems are 32 lines or fewer, we want them all.

Entry Deadline: December 15, 2010

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Prizes | Contest Rules | Privacy Promise | Entry Form

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Prizes

First Place: $500 and a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City

Second Place: $250

Third Place: $100

Fourth Through Tenth Place: $25

Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer's Digest Books.

* The names and poem titles of the First through Tenth-Place winners will be printed in the August 2011 Writer's Digest, and afterwards their names will appear on www.writersdigest.com. All winners will receive the 2011 Poet's Market.

The 6th Annual Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Collection

The 1st- through 50th-place poems will be printed in a special competition collection. Use the entry form to order your copy or purchase a copy online using a credit card. (Publication date: May 2011. You are not required to purchase the collection to enter the competition.)

Competition Rules

1. The competition is open to poems 32 lines or fewer. Entries longer than 32 lines will be automatically disqualified. Long poems may not be broken into segments and entered as separate entries. Each poem must be self-contained and must be titled. Style and subject matter are open. Type the line count along with your name, address, phone number and email address at the top left-hand corner of the page. No refunds will be given for disqualified entries.

2. The entry fee is $15 for the first poem submitted and $10 for each additional poem. You may enter as many poems as you wish. If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, you may send one check (in U.S. funds) and one entry form for a single entry or batch of entries. You may pay with a check or money order, Visa or Mastercard when entering online or via regular mail. Entries received without an entry fee will be disqualified. Entry fees may not be sent after poems have been received. There will be a $10 fee for declined credit cards or returned checks. Credit cards will be charged within 90 days of the contest deadline. Charges will appear on your statement as "F+W Contests."

3. All entries must be in English, original, unpublished, and not submitted elsewhere at the time of submission. "Unpublished" means poems may not have appeared in print or on the Internet for public consumption (i.e., poems posted on a public forum or on your Web site may not be entered). Writer's Digest reserves the one-time publication rights to the 1st through 50th-place winning entries to be published in aWriter's Digest publication, on Writer's Digest's Web site, or in other digital materials.

4. If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, all entries must be typewritten on one side of 8-1/2 x 11 white paper (computer printout acceptable) or A4 white paper. Unusual typefaces, colors, and graphics should not be used. Poems will not be returned so keep a copy for your records. No refunds will be issued for disqualified entries.

5. Entries must be postmarked by December 15, 2010. Online entries will close after midnight EST on December 15, 2010.

6. Winners will be notified by March 15, 2011. If you have not been contacted by this date, you may assume that your entry is not a finalist and may be marketed elsewhere.

7. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard with your entry if you want to be notified of its receipt. We cannot notify you personally of your poem's status before the winners are announced. This includes phone and email status inquiries. If entering online, you will receive a confirmation email for each entry you submit. Please note, the emailed confirmation will come from writingcompetition@fwpubs.com.

8. Winners' names will appear in the August 2011 issue of Writer's Digest magazine. Afterwards, their names and poem titles will be posted at www.writersdigest.com.

9. The following are not permitted to enter the competition: employees of F+W Media, Inc., and their immediate families and Writer's Digestcontributing editors and correspondents as listed on the masthead.

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Privacy Promise
Occasionally we make portions of our customer list available to other companies so they may contact you about products and services that may be of interest to you. If you prefer we withhold your name, simply send a note with your name, address and the competition name to: List Manager, F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

Entry Form

To submit your entry online, visit our secure online entry form.

To enter via regular mail, use the printable form, and send it with your poem(s) and entry fee(s) to:

Writer's Digest Poetry Awards
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236

Questions?

For questions, contact us at (715) 445-4612 ext. #13430 or email writing-competition@fwmedia.com

Publicity and Marketing

It is a natural progression for a journalist with a marketing degree to pursue publicity jobs.

The contacts one makes with the media offer an avenue to promote events, people, and organizations. Journalism is only one way I write for others.

My path from that recent aforementioned memorable writing retreat ( see earlier blog entry) which gave me the impetus to decide to begin a book journey in the new year also led me to an occasion that I would like to share. It is my way of service to publicize the information below.

This past week I took part in a sacred empowerment by a high lama in the Nyingma Buddhist lineage. The series of empowerments is called the Richen Terzod and has only been transmitted once before in the United States, back in 1988. The occurrence takes place from December 1-February 18. It is held in Alameda in Orgyen Dorje Den for the benefit of all beings. For more information, please see http://www.orgyendorjeden.org/rinchen_terzod.html There is a fee.

epiphany

I am writing another blog entry this week cause I missed one last week and I have something else to say.

A college friend sent me her handouts from a writing workshop she attended and I received the sweet gesture in the mail today. This combined with a Buddhist healer recently encouraging me to share my life's story to help others has given me pause.

So, since the beginning of this blog series had an entry about finally writing a book, a childhood and recent actual dream of mine, I have come full circle and know now what I am to do. I am to create a book relating my experiences since that is what I know best, and writing is what I love most in my work life.

I probably will begin another blog by the end of this year, so you can journey with me. I am off to a new adventure, after exploring this past year what avenues to take with my creativity.

Like Minds

Recently I learned that a friend of mine had met a local poet. My friend is a caregiver in a facility which houses those whom have suffered strokes and the like. This friend told me she had told the local poet about my work as a poet and that the local poet wanted to meet me.

Imagine my surprise and humility when I met someone who is well-known and published. We exchanged books wherein we had our works. Mine were simply in an anthology; hers was one of many which contained works only by her. She even signed it to me and encouraged me to continue writing poetry and offered me assistance if I needed it. I couldn't believe my fortune in having met such a kind and sensitive creator, so unaffected by her fame.

In addition, it was revealed that the local poet who was temporarily laid up with the results of the stroke, was close friends with another poet whom I have befriended. It is amazing how poets communicate with the same soul language and how we gravitate towards like minds.

Getting a web site

This week I met with a young man who designs websites for a living. I learned that if I wanted a really classy website which included audio, video, and search engine optimization, I would need to pay.

In order to create my own web page, I could use wordpress.com There I could register for a domain name, which is the actual address with which I could be reached. Then, I would need a host for my link.

Search engine optimization is created by having key words included in the copy on the site, to make the search for your site easy and to allow for more "hits" or readers of your link.

It was recommended that both my blog and my web page be at the same site, also to maximize the number of hits. For MAC users, creating a web site might be more straightforward, though

the site might be a very basic one if using the tools on me.com.

Retreat Report

Pema Osel Ling is the perfect place to recharge. Meditating while Buddhist monks were chanting at the shrine transported me into a peaceful state. And I got a wonderful massage from experienced masseur David Tobey.

David's contact info is David.Tobey@gmail.com He lives in Felton, CA. and has healing skills that were absolutely a blessing for me. You should pursue this. He is a professional.

Regarding the workshop aspect of the retreat, I got all the questions I arrived with, answered, and learned even more. I also made some new acquaintances by meeting other attendees. And I got to know friends and associates better.

The workshops were run by Nina Amir, Jay Swartz, and Nora Profit. I would recommend them all highly.

Dale King and Danita Craft did a great job of making sure things were running smoothly. I would consider my time spent at the NorCal CWC writing retreat a great success.

Writing retreat

Next week I am scheduled to take part in a writer's retreat sponsored by California Writers Club NorCal.

I am looking forward to the opportunity of perhaps writing in a new genre-short story. There is also a pool for exercise and a shrine for meditation. Right up my alley...

There will be an agent, as well as five workshops including how to pitch to an agent, all part of the price. Dale King has been working diligently to make this retreat as good as the first one was back in April.

The retreat is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, an optimal hiking spot too.

So, I hope to recharge and rewrite! I will give a report of how it went in two weeks.

Take Part in the National Gallery of Writing

Take Part in the National Gallery of Writing

October 20 is the 2nd National Day on Writing. A resolution was passed by the Senate to "express support" for this designation. A National Gallery of Writing was created, which collects "all kinds of writing from people from all walks of life-people just like you," according to the web site at www.ncte.org/dayonwriting.

You can submit "stories, poems, recipes, e-mails, blogs, even audio, video and artwork," it says on the link mentioned above.

To learn more about submitting your writing, see http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Involved/DayonWriting/SubmitYourWriting.html

Writer as Marketer

The eWomen event I attended last week taught me some things. Not only is it a good idea to network, but also it is worth it to occasionally pay for a marketing table at an event.

The important thing about setting up your table is to be prepared in advance. I was able to easily create a colorful flyer using Word. It highlighted my writing skills. Of course, one should also have enough updated business cards handy. An introductory marketing speech that hits home is valuable. It is a bargain to share a table with someone else. I made signs that designated my portion of the table as mine.

I learned that it is good marketing to have something memorable for your potential clients to "take away." There are companies that make pens or other useful items with your logo or name on them, but it is best to be creative. In addition, something that stands up on the table and can be seen from far away is attractive. A fellow marketer had a eucalyptus scent wafting from her table that drew people there.

Finally, if you leave a book that might have your published works in it on the table, be sure to mark it as a sample, especially if you intend to sell copies. People think they are free to take.

eWomen

Today I am preparing for an eWomen networking event. eWomen is a business networking resource, and www.eWomenNetwork.com tells more about it.

I have participated in eWomen events before, but each time is different. My local chapter is changing with the times, to allow women to participate even in this poor economy.

Usually, a lunch or dinner is the meeting grounds for women (and men) to exchange information in the unique eWomen way. Tonight is an abbreviated version, a reception,which is less expensive. I have a marketing table there, and am sharing it, to make that affordable also.

The goal of eWomen is that we all help one another. And I quote, "We approach networking from a position of abundance, where giving to others leads to unlimited opportunities for all." This quoted information was sent to me via an eWomen network e-mail on September 19,2010.

Blogging

Well, here I am after a long hiatus. I met with someone who is well known in the blogging community: Mr. Bill Belew. He revived my blogging interest and taught me some information about how to blog successfully.

Bill's blogs can be seen at www.panasianbiz.com

Bill is an active member at South Bay Writers, the largest chapter of California Writers Club.

He also sends out newsletter updates and gives blogging workshops. To get more information, write him at Bill@BillBelew.com He is a respected professor and CEO.

Bill's next Meetup for Silicon Valley Blogger is on Thursday September 16. He will be a guest speaker at the Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church presenting "The Stories Chinese Characters Tell." RSVP to http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Valley-Bloggers/calendar/14745253/

Journalism Joy

Doing the job of newspaper reporter, I have had the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life.

One person who has touched my heart is Bernard Smith. Bernard is a talented musician.

He sings richly, plays several instruments, and is in more than one band.

What is even more wonderful than the gift of music he shares is that Bernard has found an avenue of expression.

Bernard Smith is autistic.

To obtain a copy of his CD, please write Donna Smith at dms5358@sbcglobal.net

The choice of songs and the way they are sung will bring you joy.

Mary Lou Taylor:Artist In Residence

Mary Lou Taylor is a classmate of mine and a wonderful poet. Recently, she was recognized by Montalvo Arts Center when asked to be an artist in residence.

"Artist in residence programs allow visiting artists to stay and work 'for art's sake.' They offer conditions that are conducive to creativity..." (Wikipedia)

Mary Lou Taylor was invited to live in a studio on the inspiring grounds at Montalvo for ten days to do her work. She was fed with both delicious meals and inspiring conversation from other artists with different specialities. It did rain, so her walks outdoors were limited, but she accomplished most of what she set out to do, including finishing her manuscript. The one requirement for the Montalvo Arts Center for her residency was to execute an exit interview, and she comments that "My stay was a five-star experience."

She brought 3 boxes with her, including the book: 100 Essential Modern Poems.

For more information about Mary Lou Taylor, see www.maryloutaylor.wordpress.com

To learn about Montalvo Arts Center, see montalvoarts.org

Anthologies: A Way to Get Public Affirmation

Several weeks ago I wrote about an anthology for which I had offered an entry. While the author usually gets paid with a free copy of the book, it affords some other benefits.

First, you get the satisfaction of seeing something of yours in print. And as Margaret Abruzzi, writer and contributor to the anthology, "Clothes Lines," shares, " We have given readings at local bookstores, and it has been a wonderful experience for me."

Margaret Abruzzi's selection refers to her childhood during World War II. It captures that time through the eyes of a youngster.

In this anthology, works covering the theme of clothing were solicited-hence, the clever title. The editors are Celia H. Miles and Nancy Dillingham. 75 western North Carolina writers are included in this volume. It is the second anthology opportunity offered by these two editors.

To order a copy, see www.catawbapublishing.com

Robert Burns

Robert Burns, who is often referred to as the "National Poet of Scotland," was born on this day in 1759.

He was also a lyricist and his poem and song, "Auld Lang Syne," is usually sung on New Year's Eve.

John Steinbeck used a line of Burns' poem, " To A Mouse," in the title of his book "Of Mice and Men," in 1937.

Bob Dylan chose Burns' song, "A Red, Red Rose," as the lyric that affected him the most.

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie
That’s sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

The source of this information is Wikipedia.

Class Act

A word to the wise. I was asked to write for an anthology about women a couple of years ago and my piece was rejected because my research sources became quickly outdated, due to being online sites.

However, I did refer the anthology compilers and editors to other potential contributors. I had forgotten all about my disappointment with the aforementioned project, to which I had dedicated much toil and time, and was pleasantly surprised when the book was published. A contributor whom I had recommended and had been accepted, wrote to me and said that in the beginning pages of the anthology, I was thanked by name for referring contributors.

So, I am looking forward to reading "Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages."

I suggest you do the same. The class act editors are Carol Smallwood and Cynthia Vincent-Brackett.

Mesh

This is something I intended to post back when it was published in December 2009.

I had the privilege of interviewing my friend and associate, Martha Engber. The link of the article in the Santa Clara Weekly is http://scw.tearn.com/2009/12/santa-claran-launches-literary-novel.html

I met Martha some time ago at a meeting of the South Bay Chapter of the California Writers Club. I am best known as a poet there.
Who knew that years later I would be writing a story about Martha Engber for the newspaper, while I was wearing my journalist hat.

In my work as a reporter, I meet people from all walks of life. In fact, I was recently asked to speak at a retirement hotel by one of my former interviewees. My topic is what it is like to be a writer.

It is always an inspiration to see how different facets of one's life overlap. My next blog post will continue with another unforeseen outcome and connection. Stay tuned... : )

Just for fun

Puns For Educated Minds

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall.. The police are looking into it.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway.. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

15. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

16. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

17. A backward poet writes inverse.

18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.