Letter from the Director – October 2016

Dear Writers,

Here’s what falling leaves are floating our way.

Fall Retreat

We will write, read, talk about writing, and laugh at the Hopscotch House, during our annual fall retreat. Scheduled for Fri., Oct. 21, 3:00 p.m., through Sun., Oct. 23, at 3:00 p.m., join us for reflection, rejuvenation, respite, and refreshment. Come for all or part of the retreat. Laura Johnsrude is preparing a Sign-up Genius for participants to bring salad, vegetables, desserts, casseroles, etc., for specific meals. If you haven’t signed up yet, you may do so there. We still have room for overnight guests, who need to provide their own linen, towels, and toiletries. Other suggested items include walking shoes, comfortable layered clothes, camera, laptop, and journal. Participants need to bring $15 cash for the Kentucky Foundation for Women to support the Hopscotch House. http://www.kfw.org/retreats-residencies/

During the retreat, the board is calling a WWW meeting on Sat., Oct. 22, at 1:00 p.m. Our agenda will be 2017, workshop ideas, election of officers, and board-proposed bylaw changes. If you just want to come for the meeting, you don’t need to pay the $15.

Writer’s Block Festival

Joan and Selene will promote WWW at the Writer’s Block Festival on Sat., Nov. 5, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., at the Tim Faulkner Gallery, 1512 Portland Avenue, Louisville. Let us know if you would like to join us. Check out the workshops and keynote speakers. http://www.louisvilleliteraryarts.org/#!workshops/c3cm

Call Kim Crum if you have any questions at 502-417-3424.

Kentucky Book Fair

WWW member Ann DAngelo and WWW Conference speaker Virginia Smith will be at the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort on Sat., Nov. 5. Ann will have a table all day and at 10:00 a.m. be on a panel about the Taylor-Denhardt tragedy in the Green River Room at the Civic Center. https://www.kyhumanities.org/kentuckybookfair.html

WWW Meeting Sites

Instead of meeting at the library, on December 1, WWW will meet at Bard’s Town, 1801 Bardstown Rd., Louisville. Gathering starts at 6:00 p.m.; welcome at 6:25 p.m. Readings occur from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. We now have enough readers for the WWW Bard’s Town event on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6:00 p.m. Thank you readers!

The saga of where future WWW meetings will be held continues. Library renovation plans have changed again. For now, meetings are scheduled at our regular location until April 2017.

Spalding University’s Festival of Contemporary Writing

The state’s largest fall-spring reading series, takes place Nov. 12-19 with readings by faculty and alumni of Spalding’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing program. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, author of Native Guard and other collections, serves as the Distinguished Writer in Residence. In another featured event, eminent North American poet Molly Peacock speaks on her life in poetry.

Holiday Party

Jingle! Jingle! We’re having a Holiday party on Sat., Dec. 3, 1:00 p.m., at Selene’s house. Please bring a dish to share.

September Readers

September readers were:

Peggy Grimes:  “The View”

Lennie Hay:  “Fire and Ice,” “The Certainty of Hard Chairs”

Selene Phillips:  “Muriel Smiled and Made the Earth Sea Bright” and “Eleven Petals”

October Readers

We had 21 members and five visitors for October’s meeting. Our seven readers were:

Kathey Schickli – “I Love You More”

Joan Dubay – “Samson’s Song”

Janet Finger – “The Hunter”

Kim Snead – “Writing the Prompt”

Jeanne Hammond – “Waiting Room”

Laura Johnsrude – “Really Good Spot”

Selene Phillips – “I Want to Die, a drumming song”

WWW Members’ Successes!

Cory Lockhart’s article “Pretty: Spirit of Worthiness” appears in Christian Peacemaker Teams, Vol. XXVI, No. 2, Oct. – Dec. 2016.

Laura Johnsrude had an article in the October 2016 issue of FORsooth titled “Mom’s Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.”

Ann DAngelo will read from her true Kentucky story of a widow, a powerful politician, and two murders that garnered international attention in the 1930s. Visit with Ann and purchase Dark Highway at The Bookstore at The Berry Center on Oct. 27, 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.

Peggy Grimes, Cheri Powell, and Susan Lindsey helped produce a fundraising cookbook for Louisville’s Farmington Historic Plantation. See Speed Family Heritage Recipes at https://womenwhowrite.com/news/farmington-cookbook/

Please email me publications, awards, events, and successes you or other members have had, even if it’s been a while. If it has not appeared in our director’s letter, it’s news worthy!

Hope to see you at the retreat! Happy dagwaagin (Ojibwe for fall)!

Selene Phillips
Director, Women Who Write