Friday, December 31, 2010

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!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

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

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

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.

Friday, December 10, 2010

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




Prizes | Contest Rules | Privacy Promise | Entry Form

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.)

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

Friday, December 3, 2010

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.