Another Memoir Resource

An associate of mine mentioned "Story Circle" when I told her I was planning to write a memoir.

I Googled it and came up with "Story Circle Network" at www.storycircle.org, which is described
as a network for women with stories to tell.

A conference is advertised for Memoir Writing on the site. It is "Stories From The Heart VI" Women's Memoir Conference. It is to be held in Austin, Texas on April 13-15, 2012.

The explanation about Story Circle Network on the site is as follows:
"The Story Circle Network is a national not-for-profit membership organization made up of women who want to document their lives and explore their personal stories through journaling, memoir, autobiography, personal essays, poetry, drama and mixed-media."
You may subscribe to a free e-mail newsletter on the site. Online classes are also offered.

Blogging Coach

I learned through a question of Dan Poynter, a workshop presenter, (Google CWC South Bay Chapter, Jan. 15, 2011) that an associate of mine coaches clients about the best way to blog a book.

Nina Amir, the blogging coach, also has products on her website at a good price which address this topic. Her website is www.copywrightcommunications.com

Her contact info and credentials are listed there. Nina Amir earned a journalism degree.

She also has many years of experience.

I look forward to the possibility of working with her!

Memoir Info

I am still reading Betty Auchard's recent memoir, and learned from the front pages already that she took more than one class in writing memoirs. So, I signed up for one too.

Betty Auchard's book, "The Home for the Friendless," is a series of vignettes about her childhood memories. It is poignant and often funny. She divides the book into sections, which makes it more cohesive and readable. The fact that the stories are brief makes it easy to follow. I hope I may do as well.

She will be leading a memoir writing workshop at the Wild Mind Writer's Retreat which is being held from April 16-17, 2011. For mor information, see www.wildmindwriterpresents.vpweb.com

To see more about Betty Auchard, visit www.bettyauchard.com

Memoir Resource

As you know, my plan is to begin a memoir. I decided to do some footwork first.

I am considering joining a writer's group to keep me on track. That way I will be obligated to have written 5 pages a week to share and get feedback.

I also intend to read another memoir by my associate at the California Writers Club, Betty Auchard. I will let you know about that in a future entry. At the very least, I know it will be a good read. The title is "Home for the Friendless."

The resource I find to be most helpful so far is Linda Joy Myers. She is the President of the National Association of Memoir Writers. Her blog is www.memoriesandmemoirs.com

Her website is lindajoymyersphd.com Check them out. There is a lot of worthwhile guidance there.

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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