JUNE 2015 | VOLUME 21, ISSUE 10
Welcome Summer & New Board
Summer is here, and that does mean a brief lull in our programming offerings. It doesn't mean we stop writing, though! Critique groups still meet throughout the months of June, July, and August. Keep writing!

The break also offers a time of transition for the CWC Board. We extend our thanks and appreciation to all the Board members who have served in the past two years. Your participation, support, ideas, and hard work have directly impacted our literary community. This has been a diligent and creative group of people.

We welcome our new board for the 2015-2016 programming year - both those who are returning and our new members. Below is a complete listing of the incoming CWC Board.

President Jack Hemphill
Immediate Past President Gina Carroll Howard
Treasurer Ruth Mills
Secretary Caroline Kenna
Programming Co-Chairs Glenda Blaisdell-Buck

David Harris
Contest Co-Chairs Kelli Horne

Joe Cavano
Membership Chair Tracy Himes
Newsletter Editor Dennis Carrigan
Webmaster Debra Wallin
CWC-North Liaison Caroline Kenna
Critique Groups Co-Coordinators Lorraine Fico-White

Sandra Niedzialek

Thank you to these Charlotte Writers' Club members who volunteer their time and talents. Join them and other CWC members by serving as a board member or community volunteer. Help the CWC create a community for writers of all genres, backgrounds, ages and ethnicities that commiserate in our shared struggles and celebrate our triumphs. To explore how you can help, contact Gina Carroll Howard
We look forward to seeing you for our first meeting of next year's programming cycle on Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00 p.m. Until then, write on!
Meet-A-Member: Beth Ann Cagle



Quick Bio:
Beth Ann Cagle, 49, is originally from Alexis, NC and now lives in Charlotte, NC. She earned a BA from UNC Charlotte in Psychology and English and went on to receive her MA in English from UNC Charlotte. She is a resident manager for an apartment complex, a writing instructor at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, a published poet, and a writer and editor for several journals and publications including moonShine review, 
The Main Street Rag and Kakalak: Journal of Carolina Poets & Artists.

Connect with Beth as Beth Ann Cagle on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Check out her website or send her an email at bethacagle@gmail.com

1. What type of writing do you do? What challenges you the most and what comes naturally?
As a poet and prose writer, I value a variety of styles within each genre. In poetry, I love the challenge of formal verse, but I primarily write in free verse. For prose, I have most recently written memoir. Although creative writing comes more naturally to me, I also enjoy writing interviews for The Main Street Rag.

2. How do you cultivate inspiration for your work?
Inspiration comes to me when I read dexterous poetry and riveting prose as well as when I workshop with the five other brave souls in my critique group, the beMuses. These fellow writers keep writing in my life and breathe life into my writing.

3. What do you enjoy most about the Charlotte Writers' Club?
The Charlotte Writers' Club offers various types of support that I've appreciated through the years. When I attended meetings regularly, I loved hearing and learning from the featured speakers. The writing workshops offered by the CWC provided great learning opportunities as well. This year, I have particularly benefited from the coverage and information presented in the e-newsletters. However, I have gained the most from the camaraderie of other CWC members.

4. What writing advice would you pass on to other writers?
Participate, write, revise, submit, receive, and trust: Participate in workshops and readings, write frequently, revise habitually, submit regularly, be receptive to suggestions, and trust your intuition concerning the final version of each poem or prose piece. See www.bethacagle.com for the full article "Breaking Into Poetry: Suggestions for New Poets."

5. In a sentence or two, what else would you like people to know about you?
My full-length poetry book First Comes Love was published in February 2015 by Main Street Rag Publishing Company, and my chapbook The Fearless Tattoo won the 2003 Shadow Poetry Chapbook Contest. I am currently working on two collections-one about family and growing up in the country and another with the working title Sylvia Plath in First Person. I have taught writing and literature at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina, and served as a newspaper reporter and photographer for the Lincoln-Times New in Lincolton, North Carolina.
Members Needed for Meet-A-Member Feature
The Charlotte Writers' Club newsletter is now accepting applicants for the Meet-A-Member section for next year.

It's as easy as 1...2...3...

1. The guidelines are simple: be a member in good standing with the CWC.

2. Signing-up is simple: send an email to newsletter@charlottewritersclub.org expressing your interest. The editor will fill the slots on a first-come, first-featured basis in the 2015-2016 programming year.

3. Being featured is simple: fill out a set of questions and send in your picture. We'll do the rest!
Membership
Quality programming, contest and workshop discounts, free marketing opportunities, inclusion in the region's premier network of writers, leadership opportunities, and critique group access are several of the benefits of membership in the Charlotte Writers' Club.

Did you miss them this year? Don't miss out again - join here for the 2015-2016 CWC programming season. 

Ready to do all of this again? Renew here for the 2015-2016 CWC year. 

Your support and participation is what makes this organization function. Our sincerest thanks!
In This Issue
Calendar
September 15
General Meeting
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Providence UMC
General Meeting Location
Providence United Methodist Church
2810 Providence Rd.

Click here for a map of the new location.
Writing Prompt
You're a private investigator who is down on his or her luck and hasn't had a client in months. Suddenly the phone rings. It's a kid. The kid proposes a silly case to you. Normally you wouldn't take such a ridiculous job (from a kid, no less), but you need the work, so you accept. But what you uncover during the investigation is a much, much bigger problem than the kid (and you) ever expected. 

By Brian A. Klems
Quick Links