"This mark is like a mirror held up in front of the viewer. It reflects where inspiration, thoughts, ideas, and stories originate—in the mind."
Designer, Gordon Smith.
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July 2021 Volume 28 Issue 11
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Our mission: to support local writers and promote their development through education, recognition, and community.
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A Message from the President:
After more than a year of shutdown, we're critiquing LIVE again!
I had no idea how much I missed being in the presence of fellow writers, talking poetry and fiction and having hard copies with thoughtful feedback to spread out and review as I edit my work.
Open Mic Night is BACK at Mugs Coffee. Let’s celebrate our return to the real on Friday, July 9, from 7-9 pm While the time and venue are the same, we will be meeting on the SECOND Friday of each month going forward. Sign up ahead of time to read or drop in and cheer on your fellow club members as they practice their work.
On Saturday, September 18, from 2-4 pm, we will be Uptown on Spirit Square Plaza for Charlotte SHOUT! Angela Haigler is working with Boris “Bluz” Rogers, who was our April poet and the Blumenthal Arts Director of Creative Engagement, on what promised to be an exciting day of words. Stay tuned for more on how you can participate.
On Tuesday, September 21, Winston-Salem writer Charlie Lovett, author of The Bookman’s Tale and many others, is kicking off our 2021-2022 program year. As of this moment we still don't know if that meeting will be via Zoom or in person or perhaps both. Currently, Providence United Methodist Church is working on a plan to bring us back; maybe next month I'll have more news on that front to share. Watch the CWC Calendar of Events page for the latest on programs.
And last but not least, we need volunteers for the program team. One right now, to partner with David Collins and fill the role Angela vacated to focus on planning for Charlotte SHOUT. We will need another by spring of the 2021-2022 program year because Dave becomes president on July 1, 2022. See more about this co-chair position in our Help Wanted section below.
Stay Healthy & Keep Writing!
Caroline
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Club Stuff, Opportunities to Write & Submit |
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CWC North & Main Street Books Virtual Event, Aug. 18, 7 pm
Suffrage 101
celebrates the 101st anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and investigates the complexities of the women’s suffrage movement. Learn more about the presenters at
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Spend a Virtual Day with Novelist Jill McCorkle
Saturday, September 25th,
workshop in afternoon, reading in the evening.
For More about these Zoom events sponsored by CWC North & Main Street Books
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The Writer Contests
Sonnet Poetry-a poem with a clear structure-14 lines, an iambic pentameter-rhythm, and a particular rhyme scheme. Deadline July 3
Lune Poetry-a poem with only three lines that follows the 5-3-5 syllable count Deadline 7/9
Two Line Poetry- has two lines and 6 syllables in each line. It must rhyme (internal and ending).
Deadline 7/23
The Laramie Awards Categories:
- Classic
- Civil War/Prairie/Pioneer
- Young Adult
- Drama
- Adventure/Caper
- Romance
- Contemporary
Deadline 7/31
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Lune Poem
Thin sliver of the
Crescent moon
High up the real world
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Two Line Poem
Mysterious night dream
Elicits a fright scream
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Sonnet
Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day
William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
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Women and Feminity Quote from To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus Finch: Chapter 23
"For one thing, Miss Maudie can't serve on a jury because she's a woman-"
"You mean women in Alabama can't-?" I was indignant.
"I do. I guess it's to protect our frail ladies from sordid cases like Tom's. Besides," Atticus grinned, "I doubt if we'd ever get a complete case tried—the ladies'd be interrupting to ask questions."
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Femininity/Feminine
Energy Books
Goddess Power: Awakening the Wisdomof the Divine Feminine in Your Life-Isabella Price
The Book of SHE: Your Heroine's Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power-
Sara Avant Stover
Soft is the New Power: Embracing Your Feminine Edge to Win in Love & Life-Deya "Direct" Smith
Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote-Susan Ware
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote-Elaine Weiss
Women's Suffrage Highlights
In the early 1800s many activists who believed in abolishing slavery decided to support women's suffrage as well. In the 1800s and early 1900s many activists who favored temperance decided to support women's suffrage, too
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A man once asked his father, " Father how will I ever find the right woman?" His father replied, "Forget about finding the right woman, focus on being the right man."
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"The best protection a woman can have is courage."
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
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Your Leadership Team for 2021-2022
The following officers were confirmed at the May General Meeting. Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Executive Board.
Immediate Past President Debra S. Wallin presided over the process and installed the following officers:
President:
Caroline Kane Kenna
VP/President Elect:
David Collins
VP of Membership:
Axel Dahlberg
Secretary:
Tiffany Grantham
Treasurer:
John McGillicuddy
Advisory Board
Programs:
David Collins & TBD
Contests:
Darrell Horwitz & Adrian Calabrese
Critique Groups Coordinator:
Barbara Kidd Lawing
Membership Co-Chair:
Blair Peery
Newsletter Editor:
Teresa Taylor
Charlotte SHOUT!
Angela Haigler
Workshop Coordinator:
Anshu Gupta &TBD
Webmaster: Debra S. Wallin
Assistant Webmaster:
Blair Peery
CWC North: Sandra Phillips
Open Mic Coordinators:
Hope Smyth & Debra S. Wallin
Social Media & Publicity: Brian McDevitt & TBD
CWC- CMS Student Engagement Initiative:
Axel Dahlberg & Darrell Horwitz
Social Write In Cyberspace
Tiffany Grantham
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Co-Program Chair Needed
Volunteer your talents and learn the ins and outs of program planning, working with Dave Collins. Your main duties this coming year are likely to be technical; leading and or assisting our online audience with Q&A that follows monthly speakers. You and he will be searching for and booking presenters for our meetings in 2022-2023.
If you see yourself in this role, please contact Dave for more about this important post.
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Book Lovers Volunteer
Charlotte Writers Club members have big hearts, and right now the club needs your service. Please volunteer for available positions (like the one above) and also for the youth initiative volunteer office hours assisting CMS students who log on needing writing assistance and guidance.
If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity please contact Axel Dahlberg; he and the youth writing committee would greatly appreciate you using your gift in this area.
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It's not for money, it's not for fame. It's not for any personal gain. It's just for love of fellowman. It's just to send a helping hand. It's just to give a tithe of self that's something you can't buy with wealth. It's not medals won with pride. It's that reward down in your heart. It's that feeling that you've been a part of helping others far and near that make you be a Volunteer.
Author Unknown
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"Act as if what you do makes a difference...it does."
William James
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“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Dr. Jane Goodall
“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”
― Jane Goodall
Dr. Jane Goodall is the author of several books, one being "In the Shadow of a Man."
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Virtual Writing Salon & Social Time
On Monday, July 12 at 7 pm, take 75 minutes to write and share. We'll start with a little face time and catch-up time, bring your imagination; Tiffany provides the prompts. No pressure, no angst, just writing fun! Be our guest by clicking on this link to sign up.
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Sign Up to read for a Summer Open Mic Night. Our first live reading in 2021--is on July 9, 2021. Slots are going fast!
Or be the first in the line-up for August 13th.
You must be a member and register ahead of time to read.
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A Short Story to Share on Independence Day
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence
John Hancock, President of Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, writing his name in large, plain letters, and saying:
"There John Bull can read my name without spectacles. Now let him double the price on my head, for this is my defiance."
Then he turned to the other members, and solemnly declared:
"We must be unanimous. There must be no pulling different ways. We must all hang together."
"Yes," said Franklin, quaintly, "we must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."
We are told that Charles Carroll, thinking that his writing looked shaky, added the words, "of Carroll," to it so that the king should not be able to make any mistake as to whose name stood there.
By H. A. Guerber
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Excerpt from the
Declaration of Independence
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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. |
Leading Toward Independence
Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense was published in January 1776, just as it became clear in the colonies that the king was not inclined to act as a conciliator. Paine had only recently arrived in the colonies from England, and he argued in favor of colonial independence, advocating republicanism as an alternative to monarchy and hereditary rule.
Common Sense made a persuasive and impassioned case for independence, which had not yet been given serious intellectual consideration in the American colonies. Paine connected independence with Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity, thereby stimulating public debate on a topic that few had previously dared to openly discuss,and public support for separation from Great Britain steadily increased after its publication.
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies' separation from Great Britain
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Talk about the power of the pen!
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Meet-a-Member:
Michael Banks
Bio:
A product of the western Kentucky coal and corn fields, I've spent most of my life documenting achievements and failings while working as a journalist at newspapers in Kentucky, Mississippi and North Carolina. I keep rowdy fans in check at Panthers games, write random features for magazines and enjoy the occasional sip of bourbon beneath my redbuds. All while pondering the first draft of my first novel.
When and Where Do I Write?
I’ve found the Open Studio at Charlotte Lit to be a perfect place to get away and get my words down -- morning, noon and night.
Favorite writing tool?
I wish I could say I bang out my scenes via Hemingway’s Royal Quiet Deluxe typewriter. Instead, it’s the soft pitter-patter of my MacBook Pro that brings comfort.
A favorite writing resource:
Notes taken from Charlotte Lit classes and CWC presentations are a great help, but I find that when I’m stuck I go in search of some of my favorite authors. Ron Rash and Jennifer Egan have helped get me back on track lately.
Best Writing advice you’ve received and actually taken?
On my office wall hangs a supposed Hemingway quote: "Write drunk. Edit sober.” Claire Fullerton says, “For a writer, there is no there to get to, there is only the fulfilling, soul-driven act.” And that goes hand-in-hand with what I heard fellow CWC member Landis Wade say once: “Find joy in the process.” All good advice, I’d say.
One thing I would like help with?
Now that the first draft is done, what’s next? How do we embrace revision? How do we query? The benefits of self-publishing? I’ve got quite the laundry list.
To start a conversation with Michael send him a message through the Member Directory
If you'd like to participate in Meet-a-Member please contact the newsletter editor,
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Celebrate all of those wonderful writing projects you're laboring over.
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Find Your Writing Inspiration
At the Beach
The North Carolina coast comprises 300 miles of barrier-island beaches, each with its own unique vibe and variety of things to do. From a family-friendly vacation to a Nicholas Sparks-inspired getaway, the coast of North Carolina is characterized by wide, sandy beaches with conserved dunes, beachfront rental houses and a laid-back approach to life. Quaint coastal towns and endless activities guarantee there’s always something new to explore – a fresh perspective in a familiar setting that is sure to inspire the writer in you.
Check out the these ideas for great writing at the beach:
- A condo with a balcony and stellar view. ...
- Set up project targets for your desired word count. ...
- Embrace the solitude. ...
- Bring the right tools. ...
- Limit emails, social media, and phone use. ...
- Find a local coffee shop and become friends with the baristas. .
- Talk to strangers for in-depth information on your subject.
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Check out these
Charlotte Writers
Alicia D. Williams
Genesis Begins Again
Tommy Tomlinson
The Elephant in the Room
Megan Miranda
The Last House Guest
Karl Marlantes
Deep River
Andrew Hart
The Woman in Our House
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"My inspiration tends to come from two words. The two most important words to a writer: What if?"
Beth Revis
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Writer's Affirmations
in
My job is to write the work, not to judge the work.
I am devoted to my writing.
I can write anywhere, anytime
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The Editor's Notes
by Teresa Taylor
Affirming the Writer in You
Have you ever had days
when you wake up feeling like you can finish a novel in a month and it’s not even November, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Or other days you feel so on fire you could pitch and land an essay in The Paris Review and The New Yorker? Great feeling right?
Then there are the other days.
The days you may have received a rejection from the magazine you queried. Or your writing group shredded your latest short story. Or your own self-doubt douses the fire and fills your mind with negativity. You feel dragged down and depressed.
Those are the days you need to affirm reality to combat the discouraging lies. You need to encourage yourself and remember what’s true,
because this writing life can be brutal.
Take heart and remember not to base your worth or talent or future on a rejection. Feel free to revisit your work a few days later, after you’ve had a good cry, and see if you can improve anything. Be honest, it’s possible your piece could benefit from a few edits.
But, today is a new day—it may not be your on fire day; it's just a regular old good day —so sit down with a pen and notebook, or a computer screen, or a typewriter and paper, whatever you use, and take on an assignment. Today you’re going to write something with a special reader in mind,who? You.
Now, get up brush yourself and your writing off, affirm yourself and remind yourself what’s true. Now, doesn't that feel better?
OK, it’s time to get back to work, because someone is waiting to read what you have to write. Say it loud and proud, "I am a writer!"
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"I am a writer. Therefore, I am not sane."
Edgar Allan Poe
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If you're you looking to get more involved or have an idea share it
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CWC CRITIQUE CALLS
New Poetry Critique Group
Forming in Belmont
The organizational meeting is on Thursday, September 9
4-6 pm.
For details and location.
Click on
@ 704-689-5007.
The South Charlotte Fiction Critique Group is looking for another peer reviewer
This fiction group meets in Pineville on the last Thursday of the month from 9-11 am.
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History Right Here at Home
Charlotte is one of the 25 largest cities in the U.S. and the largest city in North Carolina.
Nicknamed the Queen City, Charlotte and its resident county are named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of British King George III during the time of the city's founding.
When she arrived in England to marry King George III, she was 17. She birthed 15 children in what we know today to be Buckingham Palace. She enjoyed botany, flowers and music, and she cared for her husband through his illness. though Queen Charlotte was of German descent she did also have African ancestry, which is suggested by historian Mario De Valdes y Cocom.
She had become queen seven years before the town's incorporation.
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Great Smokies Writing Program
UNC-Asheville
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Queens University Summer Course
WRIT 120/3.0
A focus on the principles and practical of effective writing.
Course Dates:
July 5 - August 13, 2021
Exam Dates:
August 16 - 17
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"Success is no accident it is hard work, it is perseverance,
learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or are learning to do."
Pele
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Got the Theatre Itch?
Check out these upcoming stage plays and save the date:
- The Fab Four-July 9-Belk Theatre
- Fabset-July 10-Spirit Square
- House Full of Secrets-July 10-Stage Door Theatre
Save the Date
August 11-21
August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
by Rory Sherriff, writer and director
African AmericanPlaywrights Group (AAPG) member
Duke Energy Theatre
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Hindsight is a collection of stories about 2020, written by people just like you. We’re seeking nonfiction stories from people around the world that capture what it was like to wake up every day to a new normal — whether that means navigating emergencies as a first responder or tying the knot over Zoom.
Hindsight is an independent, one-time publication. The very best submissions will be compiled into a print anthology, which will be published in 2021.
Submission fee: None
Length: Up to 2,000 words
Deadline: Rolling
Compensation: Writers whose work is selected for the print anthology will receive a complimentary hard copy of the book, as well as a digital file.
To learn more, please visit the website: HINDSIGHT
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"Hindsight is 20/20, but the moral of the writing is that when you're felling very scared about something and convinced that it could be a massive disaster, that's exactly the idea that you should do."
Author Damon Lindelof
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Getting to Know You
Hugo Guzman is a Charlotte, NC based cinematographer with international shooting experience. His film credits include: Operación Columbia (2013), Chavo del Ocho (1972) and Aida (2005).
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"You can be technically strong, and focus all your efforts on elements like casting, music, cinematography and sets, but they are all just add ons. End of the day, film making is really about how well you tell a story." ----
Vikramaditya Motwane
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"Cinematography is a writing with images in movement and with sound."
Robert Bresson
"Cinematography is infinite in its possibilities...much more so than music or language."
Conrad Hall
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Poets, Playwrights, Prose Publishing Opportunities: |
Attention Poets & Artists:
The William Faulkner Literary Competition offers five categories for submission: Novel, One Act Playwriting, Short Story, Poem and Student Short Story. Submission fees: $50 entry fee for Novel submissions and $20 entry fee for Playwriting, Short Story and Poem. There is no entry fee for the Student Short Story entries. Submit online; you may use Paypal or a credit card. Entry should be received by July 15, 2021.
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HARD TIMES: 5,000 words or less about a difficult experience in your life, how you overcame this obstacle, and how you were changed by it. Winning stories will be chosen for originality and creative writing style. Deadline: August 30, 2021
LITERARY FICTION: 5,000 words or less, enter can be short stories or a chapter of a novel.
Deadline: September 30, 2021
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Come see Matt & Maya Myers together as they launch their new picture books, Gino-Gro and Not Little Saturday, July 17, 2021 10:30am to 12:00pm. This is an in-person, outdoor, & free event at The Grinning Mule-1109 Morningside Dr, Charlotte, NC 28205,
Come see Grady Hendrix and
his The Final Girl Support Group Zoom Show!
Thursday, July 22, 2021 - 7:00pm
Preorder a signed and/or personalized copy to attend!
Contact: 704-525-9239 or orders@parkroadbooks.com
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Resources, grants and places to submit your work at NCArts.org.
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North Carolina Poetry Society emuse at NCPS.
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July 1, 2021, 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM @ RPL Headquarters
Family: Meet the Dare Devil Dogs @ West
K-9 Frisbee and diving show perform live!
Thursday, July 1, 2021, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
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Advancing Drone Programs for Public Safety
Wed, Jul 21 – Fri, Jul 23
Merancas Campus,
11930 Verhoef Dr
Huntersville
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Curl Up With a Good Novel
Adult
Nancy Johnson
Sarah Penner
Denny S. Bryce
Eliza Jane Brazier
Young Adult
Karen M. McManus
K.L. Kettle
Children
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Fred Rogers
Grace Byers
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Looking for a few good books about the forming of America?
1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus-Charles C. Mann
A Peoples History of the United States 1492-Present-
Howard Zinn
Runaway Slaves-Rebels on the Plantation-John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger
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"America is not just a country, it's an idea"
Bono
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Let's Write a Novel
A novel is a long narrative work of fiction with some realism. It is often in prose form and is published as a single book similar to a short story, A novel has some features like a representation of characters, dialogues, setting, plot, climax, conflict, and resolution.
The main genres of novel writing are crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction, Western, inspirational, historical fiction, and horror.
Here are a few suggested best practices for novel writing.
- Read voraciously-Writers are shaped by other writers.
- Make checklist of details-think about your setting and motivation for writing
- Develop good habits-set aside consistent writing times
- Use your writing time wisely-before writing think of ideas, remind yourself where you left off
- Build a relationship with an editor-a good editor will make a great writer
- Don't stress your first draft-it's an exercise in getting everything on paper
- Seek out surprises in the second draft-what unexpected themes or motifs have you found?
- Start with characters-good fiction comes from a compelling plot and strong characters
- Write for art's sake and save the commercial analysis for later-not knowing or thinking about what genre your book belongs to can be valuable, because it offers you greater freedom to stray from genre expectations and to play with form and subject.
- Rules are meant to be broken-Every great writer works in a different way. Don’t be afraid to try out different techniques, voices, and styles. Keep what works for you and discard the rest.
These rules can be applied to other forms of fiction, like a short story or screenplay as well.
Now that you know the tips you can maintain your own style and your own point of view while simultaneously employing the discipline every writer needs to successfully complete a work of fiction.
Happy Writing!
"And what you ask does writing teach us? First and foremost it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right."
Ray Bradbury
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Knowledge is Power!
Charlotte Writers Club Members
CWC writers share your writing tips for the August issue. Send to Teresa Taylor by July 15.
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Writing Tips from Authors Who've Won the Nobel Prize
- Don't use dead language-Toni Morrison (1993)
- Use concrete imagery when you write about large concrete things-Wislawa Szymborska (1996)
- Work stories out in your head when you can't write-Alice Munro (2013)
- Read and draw on wide influences but don’t cram your work with others’ ideas-Wole Sryinka (1986)
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Make people believe your story first and foremost- Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1982)
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Independence Day Edition
- Who were the authors of the Declaration of Independence?
- Who was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence?
- Which philosopher influenced the Declaration of Independence?
- What event(s) led to the writing or the Declaration of Independence?
- How many times is the word God mentioned in the Declaration of Independence?
Look for answers in the lower right column of the newsletter.
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Where's Waldo in Davidson?
Thursday July 1, 2021 @ 10:00AM - Saturday July 31, 2021 @ 06:00PM
Summer Thriller Series - Tuesday July 06, 2021 7:00PM - 8:00 PM.
Riley Sager, author of Survive the Night talks with Taylor Adams (Hairpin Bridge)
Tuesday July 13, 2021 7:00PM - 8:30PM
Megan Miranda Launch
for SUCH A QUIET PLACE
in conversation with Kimberly McCreight (A GOOD MARRIAGE)
Registration is required
for both events. Contact MSBs
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Encouragement Quote
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt."
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Shepherd's Center of Charlotte - Seeks Volunteer Poetry/Creative Writing Instructors for Fall Courses
The Shepherd's Center provides a number of services for senior citizens in the community, in particular the Adventures in Learning series that offers classes on a variety of topics.
Typically this involves doing 1 hour sessions - 1 per week for 4-6 weeks. In person and via Zoom. If this interests you please contact Alicia Celek to volunteer your talent.
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Laugh a Minute
Studies have proven it to be true. When we laugh, we ease stress and anxiety, boost the immune system, improve mood, support heart health, burn calories, and even relieve pain. Laughing at ourselves might be even better particularly for writers. We tend to take our work and ourselves quite seriously most of the time, and it can help to step back and find the humor in our own situations.
A JOKE for
WRITING JOKESTERS
A visitor to a certain college paused to admire the new Hemingway Hall that had been built on campus.
“It’s a pleasure to see a building named for Ernest Hemingway,” he said.
“Actually,” said his guide, “it’s named for Joshua Hemingway. No relation.”
The visitor was astonished. “Was Joshua Hemingway a writer, also?”
“Yes, indeed,” said his guide. “He wrote a check.”
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Ready for Vacation?
Let's Take a Trip
Founded in 1771 from parts of Rowan County, Surry County possesses a special charm and an engaging history in the northwest corner of the Tar Heel State—a heritage famous for rolling hills, autumn festivals, and the birthplace of "Mayberry," which attracts countless tourists and visitors each season to the county's 15 townships.
Surry County was home to Baptist preacher, southern humorist and writer Hardin Edwards Taliaferro.
In 1857 Taliaferro published his first book, The Grace of God Magnified. In Alabama, Taliaferro was highly regarded as a minister, and editor of a religious periodical, the South Western Baptist.[2] His most famous work of humor, Fisher's River (North Carolina) Scenes and Characters, by "Skitt, Who Was Raised Thar,"' was a collection of humorous stories based on the people of Taliaferro's youth in Surry County. The collection, written under the pen name of "Skitt," a boyhood nickname.
Fisher's River Scenes and Characters is a collection of stories that accurately reflects the people of Surry County, North Carolina. Topics range from “the illiterate bumpkin visiting a large city” to religious conversions. Characters within the stories are based on the residents of Surry County, some of whom are named in Fisher's River Scenes
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The 2022
Press 53
Award for Poetry
is open for submissions NOW–July 31
There is a $30.00 reading fee to submit for each entry.
Award includes: Publication by Press 53 of the winning poetry collection as a Tom Lombardo Poetry Selection; $1,000 cash advance; 50 copies (total prize valued at $2,000)
For information/guidelines for submission click:
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"A poet is, before anything else, is a person who is passionately in love with language." ~W. H. Auden
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Excerpt From
Porgy and Bess
Summertime
Summertime and the livin' is easy, fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high. Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin' so hush little baby, don't you cry.
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise up singing
Yes, you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky
But 'til that mornin'
There's nothin' can harm you
Yes with Daddy and Mammy
standing by.
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Written in 1934, 'Summertime' was one of the first compositions George Gershwin worked on for his brand-new opera Porgy and Bess. The jazz-inspired song is a lullaby for Clara to sing to her child, and it is reprised several more times throughout the opera.
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"It is always possible to create something original."
George Gershwin
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Sign Up for Equity Impact Circle a weekly discussion series hosted by the Community Building Initiative at cmlibrary.org/calendar. This 5-week series will be guided discussions around topics of equity and inclusion.
Thursday, July 1, 2021
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Write Like You Mean It, Thursdays 10:00 – 11:30 am Join from the comfort of your space to write and share our work. Contact Ed McDonald
Prolific Pens Writing Group 11:00 am– 1:00 pm
The first and third Saturdays of the month with the exception of holidays to learn more contact Sally Deason.
North County Regional Wordsmiths, Thursdays, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Writers of poetry and prose, all experience and skill levels are invited to meet every Thursday Group contact Darcey Mesaris.
Chapter Three Book Club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 1pm.
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Literary Dishes Inspired by a Good Novel
Burn the Place a memoir that chronicles Iliana Regan’s journey from foraging on the family farm to running her Michelin-starred restaurant, Elizabeth.
Raspberries are the focus in this heart-warming story.
Easy Raspberry Sorbet
Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3-3/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberies
2-1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth.
Transfer to a freezer container; freeze until firm.
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Trivia Answers:
- Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Robert R. Livingston, Benjamin Franklin an Roger Sherman
- Thomas Jefferson
- John Locke
- The colonists' grievances were being ignored
- Four times
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Believe It or Not
Before he was a museum namesake, television and radio host, lecturer, author, and freak-show magnate, Robert Ripley was a simple newspaper illustrator with a zest for explaining the impossible. Along the way to international fame, he accumulated knowledge of thousands of oddities, girlfriends from around the world, a curio-stuffed house on a private island—and who could forget that dried whale penis? In an excerpt adapted from his new book, A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley, author Neal Thompson retraces the brilliant and belief-beggaring career of a man whose name lives on in American culture as a symbol of wit and wonder.
Who knew?
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"If you believe, sometimes unbelievable things are possible."
Tim Tebow
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To Dream the Impossible Dream
(excerpts from an article in the Star Tribune)
Dan Piepen was a 29-year-old writer from Brooklyn with a well-placed literary agent. At the request of the musician Prince, he submitted a short essay about his relationship to the rock-star's music and three samples of his writing for the Paris Review, a venerable literary journal where he was web editor. He’d been a Prince fan since college at William & Mary but had seen the icon in concert only once, circa 2010.
One of two finalists for the project, he thought he flunked the in-person interview at Paisley Park; Prince told the white New Yorker he probably wasn’t right for the job because he hadn’t experienced racism. But a casual remark about parallels between the music and book industries captured Prince’s attention.
Over three months, he spent 10 to 15 hours with Prince, attended two solo piano concerts in Australia and a cameo performance in New York City when the book deal was announced.
After immersing himself in the Purple World, Piepen bring feels Prince instilled something in him: “He has a way of making you believe that you’re capable of doing things that feel impossible.
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Keep dreaming and working; it could be you next time.
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"Sometimes the dreams that come true, are the ones you never knew you had."
Another Success Story to Encourage You
JK Rowling was as "poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless." She was a single mother with no job, living on welfare and struggling with clinical depression. Still, Rowling would take her infant daughter to coffee shops and write, and in 1995, she finished the manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone... which was immediately rejected by twelve publishers. Bloomsbury finally accepted the book, but warned her not to quit her day job, since it probably wouldn't make much money. The rest is history.
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The Impossible Dream
Lyric Excerpt
To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe; To bear with unbearable sorrow.To run where the brave dare not go.
This is my quest,
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far.
Andy Williams
"Your time is fast approaching...BELIEVE!"
Teresa
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Climb 'Til Your Dreams Come True |
Often your tasks will be many, and more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged and the hills insurmountable too...
But always remember, the hills ahead are never as steep as they seem, and with faith in your heart start upward and climb 'til you reach your dream. For nothing in life that is worthy is ever too hard to achieve if you have the faith to believe...
For faith is a mover of mountains, there's nothing that you cannot do.
So start out today with faith in your heart and climb 'til your dreams come true.
Author Unknown
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LIVE and IN-PERSON AGAIN!
Every 2nd Friday, from 7 to 9 pm,
Members Open Mic readings at Mugs Coffee. Drop in for a listen!
5126 Park Rd #1d, Charlotte, NC 28209
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Support CWC Members & Community Partners
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Charlotte Readers Podcast |
Click on the image to see what creator. podcast host and CWC member Landis Wade has cooking for July.
He also hosts a community blog and a community vlog. Visit CRP's Community Voices to "find readerly and writerly content." and maybe contribute your own. |
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Charlotte Lit:
Authors Lab & Poetry Chapbook Lab
Two, year-long intensives to help guide your prose and poetry projects to the finish line. Hurry, deadline for applications is August 1. Programs begin in September.
AUTHOR'S LAB: Complete a novel or a memoir with a little help from your friends. wherever you are in the process, idea to completed first draft, Authors Lab helps you develop stronger writing skills, which will be with you for this book and beyond. Six weekend intensives in Charlotte, customized coaching, and the support of a cohort community. Learn more at AUTHORS LAB.
POETRY CHAPBOOK LAB: Write, revise, and publish a chapbook. Featuring monthly work-shopping with Dannye Romine Powell; quarterly one-on-one mentoring from a second award-winning poet; four master classes; and chapbook publication from Charlotte Lit’s new Writers/South Press. Learn more at POETRY LAB.
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Squires Summer Workshops July 22-25
at Appalachian State, Boone, NC.
Live and In Person! Intensive workshops in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction with accomplished instructors & the chance to share your work with other dedicated writers. A $350 deposit is required with registration; the balance is due by July 7. Scholarships are available. Click the image to register
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MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Charlotte Writers Club entitles you to participate in workshops, critique groups, contests, and guest speaker programs. The cost is a modest $35 per year for individuals and $20 for students.
We welcome all writers in all genres and forms to join our Charlotte-area literary community. Your membership in the Charlotte Writers' Club helps support writers, readers, and literacy at a critical time in our nation's and our city's history.
To Join or Renew click this Membership Link and follow the instructions.
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Charlotte Writers Club PO Box 220954, Charlotte NC 28222
Please "LIKE" our Facebook page to encourage discussion among fellow
writers and keep up with the club offerings.
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