Scribbles California Writers Club — Central Coast Writers Branch centralcoastwriters.org January 2020 Tuesday, January 21 Sharon Randall Award-winning writer Sharon Randall is a syndicated columnist whose work has been distributed to more than 400 newspapers and an estimated 6 million readers nationwide. It also appears quarterly in Carmel Magazine. Randall's column “Bay Window” first appeared in The Monterey County Herald in 1991 and was picked up for syndication in 1994. A collection of her columns, Birdbaths and Paper Cranes, was published in 2001 and selected by the Independent Book Sellers of America for the 2002 “BookSense 76” list. sharonrandall.com/about Tuesday, February 18 David Putnam The “Fictive Dream” and Character Development Best-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement and always wanted to be a cop. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did three tours on a SWAT team, executing dynamic entries, hostage rescues, and serving as team sniper. In Hawaii, Putnam worked as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes. Putnam’s Bruno Johnson series hit the Publisher Marketplace Best Sellers list and the top number one spots on Amazon in mystery, crime, and suspense. His sixth Bruno Johnson book, The Reckless, came out in 2019. His seventh, The Heartless, due out February of 2020. WHAT’S INSIDE Announcements 4-5 CCW President’s Letter 2 Contests and Conferences 9 If the Shoe Fits 10 Member Profile 7 CCW Holiday Party Photos 3 The Last Word 11 The Poetry Corner 8 Workshop Announcement 6 Scribbles January 2020 1
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California Writers Club — Central Coast Writers Branch centralcoastwriters.org
January 2020
Tuesday, January 21 Sharon Randall
Award-winning writer Sharon Randall is a syndicated columnist whose work has been distributed to more than 400 newspapers and an estimated 6 million readers nationwide. It also appears quarterly in Carmel Magazine. Randall's column “Bay Window” first appeared in The Monterey County Herald in 1991 and was picked up for syndication in 1994. A collection of her columns, Birdbaths and Paper Cranes , was published in 2001 and selected by the Independent Book Sellers of America for the 2002 “BookSense 76” list. sharonrandall.com/about
Tuesday, February 18 David Putnam The “Fictive Dream” and Character Development Best-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement and always wanted to be a cop. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did three tours on a SWAT team, executing dynamic entries, hostage rescues, and serving as team sniper. In Hawaii, Putnam worked as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes. Putnam’s Bruno Johnson series hit the Publisher Marketplace Best Sellers list and the top number one spots on Amazon in mystery, crime, and suspense. His sixth Bruno Johnson book, The Reckless , came out in 2019. His seventh, The Heartless , due out February of 2020.
Welcome to 2020. As happens each year at this time, I catch myself in moments of quiet reflection. I think of the past
year and try to decide if I’ve accomplished everything I set out to achieve. During times of deep contemplation, my
thoughts reach back even further. I wonder if I’m the person I was meant to be. Am I living my life for me, or am I merely
a reflection of how others see me?
Sometimes the strangest things can spark a memory. A recent foray into the inner recesses of my mind took place while
folding a pair of pants. I suddenly had a clear image of the height of high school fashion—Levi’s 501 button-fly jeans
paired with a surf-logo t-shirt that had seen the inside of a washing machine no less than 40 times. Everyone who was
anyone in high school had a pair of 501s, and I remember being almost obsessed with the need to own a pair. I’m sure
you’ve figured out that my need to have a pair of 501s was less about fashion than it was about acceptance. Those jeans
were the embodiment of fitting in, of being respected and maybe even revered, of having a place within the village that
was high school.
I’m not sure I ever really believed that a pair of pants could alter my status in the high school caste system. Nonetheless,
I got a job, saved some money, and bought my first pair of Levi’s 501s. Turns out they were not a magical talisman that
imbued me with popularity upon first wearing, but something important did happen. Those jeans were a step toward
adulthood, about earning my keep, and making my own decisions. Plus, I loved them and I wore them until threadbare.
Years later I drew a correlation while at university devouring anthropology texts. There was a time in human history
when belonging meant survival. The best chance of being continually fed and protected required a tribe. Maybe some
innate need to fit in lingers, because somewhere deep inside we fear being kicked out of our protective circle and left
vulnerable to the 21st century version of a saber-toothed tiger. Certainly, it’s easier to fit in than to stand out, and quiet
acquiescence pulls us into a web of belonging where we feel protected. But, at what cost? Do we suppress some of our
beliefs because it feels too dangerous to be different?
Those 501s represent the importance of picking a path that led to my true self instead of heading in the direction that
others felt was best for me. Sometimes what awaits at the end of the journey is better than anticipated. It’s true that
humans no longer need a communal group to assure survival, but it’s also true that a solitary life doesn’t offer the
richness of community and shared interests and friendship.
My hope for you in 2020 is that CCW can be one of your tribes, our gatherings a place where you feel free to express
opinions, where you feel respected and honored, and in return where you are respectful to those who believe
differently. I guess what I’m saying is, I hope that our club fits you like a comfortable old pair of jeans.
Happy New Year!
Laurie
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The CCW Holiday Party
The clouds parted, the rain stopped, and about 50 CCW members and guests turned out for the Holiday Party at the Museum of Natural History in Pacific Grove. Laurie and John Sheehan magicked their way through the garden and made it seem effortless that the goodies and beverage room and garden were ready to receive the party-goers.
Bill Minor lent his talents to provide holiday music to set the mood. Many thanks to him.
A big thank you to Julia, a young Natural History Museum worker, who lent her warmth and help setting up and taking down tables and chairs. She also provided handmade decorations on the tables to enhance the holiday spirit!
Thanks to Laurie Sheehan, Gary Parker, and Harriet Lynn for the photos.
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Announcements
Welcome to our new CCW members: Joni Crossing, Gaye Freedman, Robert Feist, Mitchell Friedman, Rebecca Lorentz
Author Joyce Krieg announces the January 26 release of her book, Pacific Grove at Your Feet: Walks, Hikes, and Rambles —14 walks, leisurely or high-paced, weaving through natural beauty, history and culture—along the Recreation Trail, parks and open spaces, Ghost Rails, Monarch Sanctuary, Historic Downtown, Strolling with Steinbeck, how to fully appreciate Candy Cane Lane, and more. Maps, photos and illustrations. Held at the Pacific Grove Friends of the Library Annual Meeting, 2–4 p.m. P.G. Community Center, 515 Junipero. Free and open to the public. Refreshments and raffle. Published by Pacific Grove Books–books that inform, enlighten & entertain. pacificgrovebooks.com Members Deanna Ross and Patrick Whitehurst placed in the Runners Up rank in the annual Monterey County Weekly 101 Word Short Story Contest. Their stories appear in last week's issue .
Correction to Last Month’s Article on Swing and Sunshine Nancy Swing and Russell Sunshine want credit to go where it’s due, and that is to Patricia Hamilton for arranging to have a bagpiper play at the 2018 Indie Author Day. As Nancy said, “All we did was organize author sales and the band in the park at the end of the day.” There, the world has the correct information. But we are still going to miss the two of them ever so much and wish them the best with their new life and new friends and Palo Alto.
The 2020 Literary Review submissions are now open through February 29 Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, President of the California Writers Club, says, “To publish the next edition of The Literary Review , our annual literary magazine, in early autumn 2020, we’re looking for your best work—fiction, poetry, memoir, and essay, including excerpts from previously published writing. Submissions are open to current members of California Writers Club. Also, we need members to volunteer as judges, proofers, and a submissions manager. To join the team, please let us know through your branch president (Laurie Sheehan [email protected]) or branch rep (Laura Curry [email protected]), and identify yourself by name, branch affiliation, and a little about your qualifications for the mission. Works will be reviewed and selected for possible publication by a panel of acquisition editors through a blind judging process. Submitters will be notified by email as to whether their pieces will be included in the 2020 Literary Review shortly before publication in autumn of 2020.
The National Steinbeck Center invites you to join us as a one-day Volunteer Writing Coach for the 2019-2020 Steinbeck Young Authors Middle School Writing Program, which encourages middle school students to read and discuss Steinbeck’s The Red Pony as well as enhance their writing skills. In addition, teachers this year supported a new initiative to include teaching Steinbeck’s The Pearl .
The Day of Writing is an occasion to focus on student writing and revision. Students also participate in hands-on experiences relating to The Red Pony and The Pearl during their day at the Center. The day at the NSC demonstrates to students that good writing skills matter; that stories connect readers to human experiences; and that community coaches are eager to discuss writing with student writers. Ultimately, the essays they complete are judged and awards are determined by a panel of qualified judges. Your support will assist students to improve their writing! Get involved: Please consider volunteering as a writing coach for the March 2020 Steinbeck Young Authors Day of Writing on Monday, March 2, 2020 from 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
After the Volunteer Writing Coach training, you will meet one-on-one with your assigned student, enjoy lunch together, and discuss the student’s draft essay. We hope you can share your time and talent with us! Thank you for your support of Steinbeck Young Authors! More info here: steinbeck.org/education/young-authors
POETS! SCREENWRITERS! These workshops may be FREE for you! Submitted by Laura Curry, CCW NorCal rep
The “Poetry Summit” and the “Writing for Hollywood” workshop are both all-day events of the San Francisco Writers’ Conference.
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; cocktail hour and Poetry and Jazz Performance start at 6:00 p.m., and are included. Place: Downtown San Francisco Hyatt Regency, 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA Cost: FREE! (If you are a lucky winner of the drawing sponsored by NorCal Writers) The usual cost of attendance at each of these sessions is $195. Stipend: If you are chosen to attend, Central Coast Writers will provide a stipend to cover mileage and parking for the event.
If you are interested in, and available for, either of these February 15 workshops, send a short statement of request to Laurie Sheehan ([email protected]) by January 17, 2020. Winners will be notified approximately 2 weeks before the workshop date. Celebrate Monterey’s History in Monterey 250 Mosaic Community Celebration - June 3, 2020
Be a Part of History Today! Submitted by Harriet Lynn
Monterey is celebrating its 250th anniversary throughout 2020. On June 3, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. comes an opportunity to celebrate your favorite writers, poets, artists and/or philosophers by participating as living history characters in the Monterey 250 Mosaic Community Celebration in San Carlos Park/Beach in Monterey. A variety of local organizations will be involved in this free public City cultural celebration, weaving history (from pre-1770 to present) with performances as well as living history characters. Central Coast Writers can be a part of this special occasion by having a table to share its own history and show off those in the vibrant writing community today. This will be a well-publicized event and an opportunity to interface with the public. Celebrate your favorite local historic writers, poets, artists, philosophers, such as Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Jack London, Joseph Campbell, Ed Ricketts, Jo Mora, Salvador Dali, E. Charlton Fortune, M. Evelyn McCormick, Armin Hansen, and so on. Contact Harriet Lynn, director/playwright of the Monterey 250 Mosaic Community Celebration to discuss and receive more information. [email protected] or call/text at 443-630-5312.Visit Monterey’s website for additional information. monterey.org/250years
Sign up today! We plan to advertise the workshop to the public, so reserve one of the limited seats now at centralcoastwriters.org/ccw/workshop-registration.htm.
“Bakeries, Ballots, and Blood—Oh My!” Maria Skyttä
Growing up in an artistic household in Finland, CCW’s current membership chair, Maria Skyttä, tried her hand at various forms of art at a young age. “I found that writing was the best outlet for my creativity and self-expression,” she says. “[It] just kind of stuck with me.” Maria obtained M.A.’s in English, philosophy, and history along with minors in technical communication, digital humanities, and art history from the University of Oulu with an emeritus exchange to King’s College London. One would think Maria would have gravitated toward writing mysteries or thrillers given an incident that occurred while she was working for a county election (not Monterey). “I was…counting absentee ballots,” she recalls. “One day, we received a ballot covered in blood…” Though she’s tried many genres, including mystery (she even has one stashed in her “desk drawer”), Maria landed with historical fiction and short stories. A few of her short pieces were published back in Finland, but she’s continued to sharpen her writing skills by enrolling in several classes and workshops. “You’re bound to learn something new when you talk to other writers.” Each morning, Maria writes for at least two hours, often while having breakfast or lunch at “one of the wonderful French bakeries we have on the Monterey Peninsula.” She designates an hour or two for research later in the day, which she carries out in her home office or in bed with her dogs. When she’s not writing, she volunteers with Animal Friends Rescue Project and fosters dogs and cats. Maria and her husband, CCW member Ken Holden, are also caregivers for her mother-in-law. A CCW member since 2014, Maria has served on the executive board for two and a half years. “I think that volunteering with CCW has been great. All the people involved with making the club work are fantastic and make it so much fun. If anyone else is interested, we’re always looking for more volunteers!” Maria’s website is www.mariaskytta.com.
Michelle Smith’s articles have been published in a variety of magazines. Her website is theebonyquill.com .
Joy Harjo could be the poster child for the story of America and its diversity. Harjo is multi-talented writer, poet and musician, and the first Native American Poet Laureate, named in 2019. Carla Hayden of the Library of Congress said that Harjo helped tell “an American story of tradition and loss, reckoning and myth-making." No one would expect this level of success from a child born into a Tulsa, Oklahoma family on May 9, 1951, where her father, a Muscogee Creek American Indian, was an abusive drunk. Her stepfather was equally abusive, kicking Harjo out of the house at age 16. She travelled to Santa Fe to pursue studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts. There she took the last name of Harjo, which belongs to her paternal grandmother. Earning her undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico in 1976, she then earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa. She also enrolled in the Muscogee Creek Nation and became an important figure in the second wave of the Native American Renaissance of the late 20th century.
Of her numerous books, critics say that Harjo uses oral tradition as a mechanism for portraying issues that matter deeply to her, such as women's rights. She believes that "the written text" is, for her, fixed orality. Her latest book is An American Sunrise , praised as “A stunning new volume from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, informed by her tribal history and connection to the land.” Among her many accomplishments Harjo taught at numerous universities, and performed at poetry readings and at music events.
Harjo says, "I don't have a defined project right now, but I want to bring the contributions of poetry of the tribal nations to the forefront and include it in the discussion of poetry. This country is in need of deep healing. We're in the transformational moment in national history and in earth history, so whichever way we move it is going to absolutely define us."
Harjo has won numerous awards, including the Outstanding Young Woman Award in 1978, the 1991 Carlos William Carlos Williams Award, and a 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship. Her website is joyharjo.com.
She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo
I. She Had Some Horses
She had some horses. She had horses who were bodies of sand. She had horses who were maps drawn of blood. She had horses who were skins of ocean water. She had horses who were the blue air of sky. She had horses who were fur and teeth. She had horses who were clay and would break. She had horses who were splintered red cliff.
She had some horses.
She had horses with eyes of trains. She had horses with full, brown thighs. She had horses who laughed too much. She had horses who threw rocks at glass houses. She had horses who licked razor blades.
She had some horses.
She had horses who danced in their mothers' arms. She had horses who thought they were the sun and their bodies shone and burned like stars. She had horses who waltzed nightly on the moon. She had horses who were much too shy, and kept quiet in stalls of their own making.
CONTESTS The Breakwater Fiction Contest Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, February 1, 2020 Entry Fee: $10.00 per entry Website: breakwaterreview.com/contests Prize: $1000.00 cash, publication in the Breakwater Magazine Winter issue. Guidelines: See website for full details. We are seeking submissions for pieces that breath freshness to the form. Previously unpublished prose only, ranging from 1000 to 5000 words. Simultaneous submissions accepted but please notify if the work is accepted elsewhere. 2020 Finalist Judge: Susanna Kaysen, writer of the novels Asa, As I knew Him, Far Afield, and the memoirs Girl Interrupted and The Camera My Mother Gave Me. The Peseroff Prize Poetry Contest Deadline: Starts February 1, 2020; ends 11:59 p.m. EST May 1, 2020 Entry Fee: $10.00 per entry with one issue, $20.00 with magazine subscription Website: breakwaterreview.com/contests Prize: $1000.00 & publication in the Breakwater Magazine Spring issue Guidelines: See website for full guidelines. Submit up to three poems and a $10 entry fee. There are no restrictions on content or form: “It’s all poetry.” Poems should be previously unpublished. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify Breakwater if the work is accepted elsewhere. 2020 Finalist Judge: TBA WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES Master Class with John Brantingham – a Roxan McDonald Workshop Location: Moss Landing, California Date: Saturday, February 8, 2020, all day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Website: roxanmcdonald.com/retreats Registration: Currently open, visit website to register Costs: $175.00 Details: Award-winning poet and fiction writer John Brantingham will utilize flash writing techniques so any genre writer can create—and market—new, stand alone pieces from their current writing. 2020 San Francisco Writers Conference Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, San Francisco, CA Date: February 13-16, 2020 (over President's Day weekend) Website: sfwriters.org/2020-conference Registration: Open now Costs: $850.00 Details: Over 100 presenters, 20 agents, over 80 sessions, Poetry Summit, Hollywood Writing Summit on Saturday, all included and more. See website.
Joyce Krieg has not only exemplified devotion to our cause, but also revealed a secret to successful novel writing.
I remember my previous comments on her work, and others whom I admire.
When I first read Joyce’s work, I realized that she certainly knows how to present the material. Why? Because she
embeds her mysteries in an environment that she knows well and expresses what is important to her. Her brand of
charm and intuition comes through to the reader because it is genuine.
Maybe we can write creative nonfiction by recording circumstances that we remember and how we dealt with them; or
how we wish we had dealt with them. We can follow Ray Bradbury’s example: take a real situation and change one
thing—then follow the natural consequences that result from the change.
We use our unique personality to infuse one of our characters with emotions and reactions that we would have as the
plot develops. We know the involved people well enough to anticipate how they would behave in similar situations.
Readers feel that they are getting to know a real person who may have thoughts and feelings similar to their own; not
some fictional character. They may identify with the author, or have a mental image of a protagonist that is identical to
someone they know. Your characters’ reactions to a comment or incident will ring true because they are those of a real
person: you! (Or someone you know.) Readers can anticipate how the character will react in new situations. A reader
might exclaim, “I knew she would react that way.” We don’t have to pause and decide how the character we describe
would act. We know!
Like Joyce, we enhance reality by describing places that we know well. Some of our audience will say, “Yes, that’s exactly
how it looked to me, too.”
As in Stieg Larsson’s work, your readers might become incensed or appalled by social inequities or atrocities that you
deeply care about when they appear in the text (even if you are making it up based on actual circumstances), because
they now believe in you. Your work could awaken an awareness in your readers or a determination to do their part to
right the wrongs in today’s social environment. This actually happened with someone who read a short story of mine.
You write what you remember and fill in the details with believable conversation and action that took place (or might
have taken place), staying true to the personalities and incidents that you choose to take from real life.
You know, because you were there. This is creative nonfiction: recording reality, seasoned with reasonable alterations,
knowing what you and your friends probably might have done or said, or really did say!
Expressing your true feelings and beliefs can sell your work, and maybe affect others.
Once again, I just wanted to share my interpretation of this gift from Joyce with all of you.
Happy New Year!
Jonathan
Scribbles January 2020 10
The Last Word Lana Bryan
Your Adjectives for 2020
CCW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President Laurie Sheehan Vice President Sharon Law Tucker Secretary Joyce Krieg Treasurer Clarissa Conn Programs Chair Nancy Middleton CCW Workshops Sharon Law Tucker Membership Maria Skyttä Publicity Jason Warburg Hospitality Sarah Pruitt Newsletter Lana Bryan Webmaster Ken Jones Assistant Webmaster Kemberlee Shortland Writing Contests Dennis Hamilton Central Board Representative Laura Curry
