Writers' Meetings
August Meeting Minutes 2023
Hello Everyone, today we held our August meeting.
PRESENT:
Sharon, Mike, Erin, Dawn.
TALKING STICK BOOKS:
The TS32 books are here and ready to go. This week, Tarah and Sharon plan to put together the folders for the workshop. Remember the Workshop and party are to be held on Saturday Sept. 16. We will be having soup and sandwich for lunch for the workshop attendees. We are concerned about road construction.
PRLAAC (HEADWATERS ARTS COUNCIL):
Mike attended the August meeting. They discussed Art Leap, Art Beat, a contest for artists, their musical.
BOOK EVENTS:
The Book and Art Festival was held in Hackensack on Saturday, August 12. Mike sold many books. Sharon and Dawn sold some Talking Stick books and some of Sharon’s poetry books. Niomi sold some of both of her books. Dawn is an amazing saleswoman, reeling in the customers.
There will be a poetry slam (super slam) at Fozzie’s in Bemidji on Sept. 21.
There will be a Storytelling event for scary stories at the Keg & Cork basement in Bemidji in October.
We read pieces we have been working on and others critiqued. Three of us used the monthly words. This was a really good meeting when we all wanted to keep talking and no one wanted to leave. We won’t have a September meeting due to our book party.
July Meeting Minutes 2023
PRESENT:
Sharon, Mike, Marlys, Jan, Erin.
TALKING STICK PROGRESS:
The books are done and ordered and should be here this coming week. We were worried about a UPS strike possibly coming on August 1 so we wanted to get them done and delivered.
Be sure to sign up for the workshop or book party if you wish to attend on Saturday, Sept. 16. We are discussing lunch with them right now, probably soup and sandwich like we have done the last few years.
OTHER WRITERS’ EVENTS:
Hackensack is coming up. Saturday August 12 from 9 to 3. Niomi and her daughter and Dawn and Sharon will be attending.
Sharon did an online poetry workshop with Sarah Ann Winn, a writer she took a Loft Class with a while ago. There were 10 short morning meetings with prompts (Sharon was only able to attend one on July 4) and then all the prompts were emailed out to the attendees at the end.
Erin reported that there will be a Story Slam in Bemidji at the Bemidji Brewery at 7 PM on August 1.
The Northwoods Writers Conference in June in Bemidji was well attended. Erin did auditing; she was able to attend all events but the workshops.
At the end of June, Mike attended a book signing of the book The Meat Eater, a cookbook by Steven Rinella. This very popular author also wrote a book on how to get kids involved in the outdoors, Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars. He has written many other books also.
We had a good meeting, reading things we have been working on and critiquing the others. Hope to see you all next time!
June Meeting Minutes 2023
Hello Everyone,
Today we held our June meeting.
PRESENT:
Sharon, Mike, Mary.
TALKING STICK 32:
We are now proofing the book. Be sure to sign up for our book party and/or the writers’ workshop on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. We are now talking to Jack Pines Resort regarding the lunch.
PRLAAC MEETINGS:
Mike attended the last two meetings. They discussed a new mural for Park Rapids, Art Leap on Sept. 23 and 24, Nemeth Art Center, children’s art workshops, sculpture trail, their playwright event, music, a popular pianist, Thursday events, etc.
WRITING EVENTS:
Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 9 to 3, Hackensack Book and Art Festival in Hackensack.
Bemidji Poetry Slams
Lakes Area Writers Alliance fall conference is on October 21, 2023 at the Arrowwood Lodge in Baxter, Minnesota. There will be a panel of speakers. Email info@lawamn.org for more information.
Author Mike Lein will be at Sweetheart Days in Hackensack selling and signing his books from 12:30 to 2:45 on July 8, 2023.
Contact fortheloveofwritingmn@gmail.com for information from Matt Lucas regarding his organization called For the Love of Writing. They are a non-profit who is setting out to help school-age kids better understand what it takes to become an author. He is looking for anyone who might be interested in donating time or money to help the organization (that can include helping to teach some of the courses they are going to provide).
RECOMMENDED:
Mary told us about Calm Meditation. It is an app on Calm.com and it has daily reflection questions so you can explore your interior landscape. There are daily meditations, categories, music, stories, literature, essay and memoir. She has done 288 days of daily prompts.
Northern Wild Magazine of Grand Marais.
2023 Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap from Midwest Independent Booksellers Association.
The three of us had some good conversation and we each read something we had been working on while the others critiqued. Hope to see you all next time!
May Meeting Minutes 2023
Hello Everyone, Today we held our May meeting.
PRESENT: Sharon, Ryan, Marlys, Erin, Dawn, Jan.
TALKING STICK PROGRESS:
All submissions have been chosen. Tarah is working on the cover and design. Sharon is working on the proofing and editing. All letters have gone out. All winners have been contacted.
When thinking of a subtitle for the book, we thought of Turn in the Road. Then we thought Bend in the Road sounded more like what you would normally say. Then we thought: Twist in the Road, because we used the Creative Twists this year.
Writers really seemed to like the creative twists. It would be nice to do it again next year, probably with only ONE list of words instead of two.
WORKSHOP AND BOOK RELEASE PARTY:
We are looking at Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. We will have a poetry workshop by Sharon Chmielarz from 9 to noon. Sharon H needs to get busy and contact her soon and get a flyer ready to send out.
We have already been in contact with Jack Pines Resort. We will start talking to them about lunch, etc.
HACKENSACK:
This is coming up Saturday August 12, 2023, from 9 to 3. Would Dawn and Niomi like to do this again?
We passed out a handout for the Poetry Safari. They plan to do this again at Hackensack like they did last year. You can send in several of your poems and they may choose to place them on easels at various places throughout the event. This year’s subject is Celebrating animals and their environments where they live and thrive—
Sharon H got in last year. John Thornberg got in two poems for the Poetry Safari last year.
WRITING EVENTS:
No PRLAAC minutes this time. Mike was able to attend the PRLAAC meeting and he will bring the minutes to the next meeting as he was not able to attend this month.
Poetry Slam in Bemidji at Fozzie’s. This is on June 15.
Ryan attended the MN Book Awards in St. Paul on May 2. He was not the top winner but enjoyed attending. Sorry, Ryan.
Northwoods Writers will be held at Bemidji State University again from June 20-25. This is always a great event. They will be having the evening reading series again this year.
We read things we had been working on while the others critiqued. Hope to see you all next time!