Women Who Write | A Place, A Space, A Voice | Louisville, Kentucky Dear WWW Members,
Our Ojibwe word is “July.” Odemiini-giizis is strawberry moon for the western dialect, and baashkaabigonii-giizis is blooming moon for the eastern dialect.
June readers were Peggy Grimes with essay Words or Symbols, Irene Sulyevich’s House Cleaning, and Selene Phillips’ poem Limbo.
Among other writing prompts, several writers selected inspiration that used skinny-dipping in a scene. Authors shared their dark sides and lots of laughs as they revealed a secretive side of summer.
Peggy’s piece encouraged a discussion of the First Amendment. Essayists are encouraged to check out these websites to enter their thoughts. https://thewritelife.com/writing-contests/; http://www.constitutingamerica.org/docs/WTPsenior.pdf; https://www.dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/.
WWW members bring your writing to the July meeting on Thurs., July 6, 6:30 p.m., at the Jefferson County Free Public Library, 1250 Bardstown Road. Our routine is that authors sign up to read just before the meeting. At their turn, authors distribute their work. Please bring at 30 copies and no more than four double-spaced pages. Use 12-point Times or Times New Roman font, the editor’s standard.
WWW friend and playwright Nancy Gall-Clayton’s play I’m Wearing My Own Clothes! will be performed in July. The work was inspired by abolitionist, prohibitionist, and suffragist Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919). The only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1865 entered the service in Louisville as a physician for the women’s military prison. She wore trousers, suspenders, and a top hat. Looking for Lilith Theatre Company presents the play Fri., July 14, 8 p.m.; Sun., July 16, 3 p.m.; Thur., July 20, 7:30 p.m.; and Sun., July 23, 3 p.m. at the Clifton Center. http://lookingforlilith.org/unheardoutloud/
A new member brunch is scheduled for Sat., August 12, 10 a.m. to noon, at Joan Dubay’s house, 1636 Tyler Parkway, Louisville, 40204. We hope to see all WWW members to welcome and honor our new members.
Writing a historical novel demands extensive work. Writers need to please historians and avid readers. Author Sue Kelly Ballard examines effective strategies to drop characters into a world where conflicts, actions, and resolutions are a satisfying integrated whole. Ballard will explain the components for a great novel and structured planning required to pull them together.
Born in Kentucky, Ballard was raised in several states and overseas. Her career was divided between the corporate world and as a chemistry professor. She recently retired professor emerita. Ballard is a member of the Filson Historical Society, the DAR, the Historical Novel Society, the board of directors of the Boone Society, and co-editor for its newsletter, Compass. She resides in Elizabethtown with her husband Jimmie. Her creative side is nurtured by her love of travel, history, literature, and writing.
Ballard will provide instruction on combining story, history, characters, and research. WWW’s interactive workshop, “Conquering the Challenges of Writing the Historical Novel,” will be held Mon., Sept. 11, 6 to 9 p.m., Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church, 1722 Bardstown Road, 40205. The Boone family descendant wrote the historical fiction My Blessed, Wretched Life: Rebecca Boone’s Story. Men and women are welcome. The WWW member fee is $10; and the non-member fee is $20. Sign up on the WWW website at https://womenwhowrite.com.
We applied to the Kentucky Foundation for Women for our fall retreat in October at the Hopscotch House. We will keep you posted.
Susan Bauer gathered WWW members for a spring writes event. WWW members and visitors gathered at Trinity Presbyterian Church on May 12. Consider hosting a summer write. Let us know so we may publicize the meeting.
Let us know if you have any news or have met with success at .
Bagizo. (She/he goes swimming) Niibin. (It is summer!)
Selene Phillips
Director, Women Who Write
