February 17th 2008

Today we held our February meeting. Our March meeting will be held on the SECOND SUNDAY, March 9th, 2008, at Bella Cafe in Park Rapids MN from 12:30 to 3 PM.

Present: Jerry, Jim, Russ, John, Scott, Luke, LuAnne, Sharon.

TALKING STICK 17:
Our March 1 deadline is fast approaching. Please get your submissions in soon!! We have 3 great judges this year: Joyce Sutphen for Poetry, Judith Guest for Fiction, and Kent Nerburn for Creative Nonfiction.

WORKSHOPS:
We have another workshop coming up right away. Tuesday, March 25 from 3 to 5 PM at Northwoods Bank in Park Rapids. This is a photography/publishing workshop with Doug Ohman. Should be great!! For more info, please contact Cindie Ekren at cindiee@hotmail.com.

20X20:
This event is shaping up nicely. We are now choosing the artists and writers that we will be inviting for this event. We will have 20 artists and 20 writers that will be randomly matched up. The writer will write a one page poem or story about the artwork. We will have a reception on August 3 for the writers and artists. We are also hoping to make a chapbook containing the art and writings.

WRITERS’ RETREAT:
In 2009, we are tentatively planning to hold a Writers’ Retreat. Jerry says that Faith Sullivan would be happy to be our speaker. BWA is putting on a writers’ retreat in March of this year.

We hope to be able to go see Smokey Hills Wilderness Retreat as a possible location. Scott said that someone is renovating Vacationaire. That might be an option too.

Most of the writers in attendance today read some of their current work.
Hope to see you all next time!!