MECAC Writers' Workshop

Writers' Workshop with Dr. Dean Nelson on 1/14/12!!

2012-01-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council

presents

A WORKSHOP ON WRITING

Saturday, January 14, 9 a.m - 4 p.m.

Pine Valley Bible Conference Center

Guest Speaker/Instructor:

Dr. Dean Nelson,

Director of Journalism,

Point Loma Nazarene University,

Director, Writer’s Symposium By The Sea

Dr. Dean Nelson is the founder and director of the journalism program at PLNU. He writes occasionally for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Christianity Today, Sojourners, and several other national publications. He has written or co-written 11 books. Nelson is a frequent speaker at writing workshops and retreats. He has traveled throughout the world covering stories of human interest, including India, where he wrote about the slums of Bombay; Kosovo, where he interviewed and wrote about victims of terrorism; Africa, where he wrote about members of the Black Panther Party who live in exile in Tanzania; Tibet, where he wrote about religious persecution; and Central America, where he wrote about poverty and contaminated water. In addition to directing the PLNU journalism program, Nelson also hosts the annual Writer's Symposium By The Sea, where prominent writers come to discuss the craft of writing. This will be Dr. Nelson’s second workshop for MECAC.

Registration cost: $35 (includes lunch)

Mail the following registration form with check to:

Workshop Registration: c/o Elizabeth Barrett, P.O. Box 1287 , Pine Valley CA 91962

(Make checks out to MECAC)

Driving directions will be included with our confirmation

Organized and Directed by:

Dianne Holly: holly@theaterdance.ucsb.edu

Judith Dupree: adlib_pv@sbcglobal.net, Ph. 619-473-8683

(Contact for more information and scholarship inquiry)

Our Next Meeting is December 13th!

2011-12-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

Our next Writers' Workshop Meeting will be Tuesday, December 13 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring 6-8 copies of a page or two of your writing, and we'll read and discuss, give encouragement and feedback, applaud successes and overcome disappointments. 'Cause that's what we do as writers.

We'd love to see our familiar faces and some new ones, too, so please come, even if you aren't sure that writing's your "thing."

And bring a friend, too!! New writers are always very welcome!!!

We'll also have details of a wonderful Saturday workshop coming up on January 14 right here in Pine Valley! More information will be posted here on the blog soon!!

See you on Tuesday evening!! Stay warm and dry!!

Next Meeting November 8!!

2011-11-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the MECAC Writers' Workshop will be this Tuesday evening, November 8 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

As we're in the middle of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), this meeting provides an excellent opportunity to check in and perhaps set up a few "write-ins" during the month which are usually held at the Pine Valley Library. It's all the more fun to settle in with a few friends for a good writing session or two.

Also, mark your calendars for a real treat: Dr. Dean Nelson, founder of the Journalism Department at Point Loma Nazarene University, will trek up the mountain to provide an all-day writing seminar on Saturday, January 14 at the Pine Valley Christian Conference Center (known to locals as the Bible Camp) right here in Pine Valley. Dean has published a dozen books on many topics and has written for just about every major newspaper and magazine out there. And he's just plain FUN. You won't want to miss out on this wonderful writing day! More details coming up soon!!

So, keep those pens moving and those keyboards a-tappin' as we writers spin our yarns, compose our poems, tell our tales, and encourage one another as we journey on in the magical craft of writing.

Next Meeting: October 11!

2011-10-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Writers' Workshop will be Tuesday, October 11, 2011, at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a couple of pages of your writing to share (make 6-8 copies!) or just come along to offer feedback.

From beginning to published writers, all are welcome to join us to discuss the art and business of writing!

Hoping to see you there!!!!

Next Meeting on Tuesday, September 13

2011-09-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Writers' Workshop will be meeting this Tuesday evening, September 13, in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library at 7:00 PM.

Please bring a 1-2 page piece of writing, probably 8 copies to receive feedback from the other writers in the group.

We offer encouragement, written and oral feedback, and we joyfully welcome new writers to our little workshop!

Also Announcing...

Sacred Rocks Writer's Guild Launches Saturday, September 17th. 7am

Be the writer you have always dreamed of being. Now.

Writers of every genre such as poems, short stories, novels and essays are invited to join in a group of like-minded writers intent on honing their craft of writing.

The weekly meeting will begin promptly at 7am [yep, crack of dawn for some], reviewing specific writing pieces, evaluating the work of those who want to share, and closing at 8am. The reason for the early time is to allow those who work to meet the demands of their day, and because creative writing energy is strongest before our daily life demands interfere.

If you want to learn to write, if you want to write better, if you want to meet others who write, come join in the fun. Special guests will be invited to speak on topics such as How to Publish, Marketing your Work, and the Business of Writing. Mostly we will be jumping into writing a piece and helping each other become better writers. For information call 619-766-4480.

We hope to see you at the Workshop on Tuesday evening! And bring a friend!

Next Meeting and Writing Opportunities

2011-08-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council Writers' Workshop is this Tuesday, August 9 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Writers of all ages, genres, and abilities are invited to attend. We love meeting and getting to know new and/or beginning writers!!

Please bring 6-8 copies of 1-2 pages of your work, and we'll give both oral and written feedback. Don't worry--we're kind and helpful. After all, the reason we meet is to grow as writers, honing our craft and encouraging one another to more effective writing.

Plus, Teresa alerted us to an author talk coming up at the Campo Library. On August 27th at 11 a.m., Bryon Harrington, author of Campo: The Forgotten Gunfight will speak on the nuts and bolts of writing a book – the research necessary and the ways one goes about self-publishing and self-marketing.

Also at the Campo Library on September 24th, author and researcher Richard Carrico will be talking about his book Strangers in a Stolen Land about the Kumeyaay Indians, among other programs for California Native American Day.

We're also looking forward to a report from Betty on the first meeting of the brand new writers' group meeting on Mount Laguna last month.

In addition, for us ladies, a community I've belonged to for a year or so, She Writes, provides some excellent resources for getting into the writing business covering The Craft, The Biz, and The Community. Check out this link: She Writes Author Services.

We'd love to see you all there on August 9th! Happy Writing, all!!

Advice to Writers

2011-07-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

I've just run across a wonderful website: Advice to Writers.

On this site I found some wonderful advice for those of us who journal:

"Keep a diary, but don't just list all the things you did during the day. Pick one incident and write it up as a brief vignette. Give it color, include quotes and dialogue, shape it like a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end--as if it were a short story or an episode in a novel. It's great practice. Do this while figuring out what you want to write a book about. The book may even emerge from within this running diary."

--John Berendt

So let's try this before our next meeting on August 9th and share our results with one another. Sound good?

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 12

2011-07-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Writers' Workshop will be this coming Tuesday, July 12, at 7:00 PM-8:30-ish in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

All writers in the Mountain Empire area are encouraged to attend, especially beginning writers!! All genres of writing are acceptable: fiction, memoirs, historical fiction, poetry, plays, essays, children's stories, songs, etc.

Just bring 6-8 copies of 1-2 pages of your writing to share, and we'll offer comments, improvements, and encouragement to one another as we strive to hone our craft and become better wordsmiths.

And if you would rather not share, that's fine, too. We all help critique one another with kindness, and everyone is welcome to help each other improve in the art of writing.

We hope to see you on the 12th!!

Stephen King's Advice to Writers

2011-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Many great books on writing exist, and we writers have read a lot of them. Some are intensely practical, like Dorothea Brande's Becoming a Writer. Some are more esoteric and amusing, such as Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. And some (or most) are part biography, part bragging-rights, and part actual help, like Stephen King's On Writing.

Stephen King may not be everyone's cup o' tea. He's not necessarily mine. I've read two of his books, both long ago. Salem's Lot scared the bejeebers out of me so badly during my freshman year of college that I refused to walk the campus at night...at all. Even accompanied. Period. For about three months. I liked Skeleton Key much better. A collection of short stories, not all of which were horror, it interested and intrigued me, even if I'm not a great fan of science fiction which was the secondary genre represented.

But King has also written several articles about writing that can be immensely helpful to writers, especially for beginning writers who are seeking to be published for the first time. I ran across such an article and thought you might like to peruse it: "Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully: In Ten Minutes."

I have recently made a promise to an old friend from elementary school with whom I just re-connected on Facebook: he would read the Harry Potter series if I read King's Under the Dome. So I'm adding it to my list of books to read this summer...yes, even though it's King.

And I may pull out my copy of On Writing and give it another read. It's definitely one of the best books out there on writing. King has a gift for telling humorous stories that we rarely see within his usual horror genre, and On Writing is chock-full of such stories.

In writerly friendship,

Next Writers' Workshop Meeting June 14!

2011-06-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Come meet with the writers of the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's monthly Writers' Workshop on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a short excerpt of a short story, poem, biographical sketch, drama/play, etc. Please provide 6-8 copies of your writing for discussion and feedback.

Please plan to join us on the second Tuesday of each month as we share our works-in-progress and provide advice, feedback, encouragement, and constructive criticism. Beginning writers are welcome to attend and participate.

Hope to see you on the 14th!!

Next Meeting: May 10!

2011-05-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

We'll be meeting on Tuesday, May 10th at 7:00 PM at the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library. Please bring a short piece of writing to share as we offer constructive feedback to one another.

Beginning writers are more than welcome to attend!!!

Hope to see you all there!!

Next Meeting March 8!

2011-03-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Our next meeting of the MECAC Writers' Workshop

will be Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 PM

in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a short selection to share.

Friends and neighbors interested in writing are always welcome!!!

See you then!!!

Our Next Meeting: Tuesday 1/11!

2011-01-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the MECAC Writers' Workshop is Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a short piece of your writing to share and be ready to offer feedback to one another. We welcome beginning writers especially! Please do come and just listen if you like.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday evening!

Next Meeting: November 9 and Writing Challenges for November

2010-10-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

November is a big month for us writers. It's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The idea: Quantity, not Quality. Write 50,000 words during the month of November with over 100,000 other crazed writers. The web site is wonderful for tracking and communicating for other participants. One "wins" by completing those 50,000 words by November 30. It's fun and crazy and wonderful. I've done it the past two years, but I am teaching too many classes this year to make it work well.

If you tend toward writing poems, you don't have to wait until April and National Poetry Writing Month. Robert Brewer, the editor of Poet's Market, is hosting a poetry chapbook challenge on this site, Poetic Asides: November 2010 PAD Challenge

So take your pick, dear writers, or just keep writing on your current projects! We hope to see you all on Tuesday, November 9 at 7:00 PM at the Pine Valley Library! Bring along copies of your work to share with the group.

See you then!

Next Meeting on October 12 and Pub-It!

2010-10-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

In addition to letting you know that our next Writers' Workshop meeting will be Tuesday, October 12 at 7:00 PM in the Pine Valley Library Community Room, I want to share with you something intriguing that arrived in my inbox this morning.

Pub-It is a new thing from Barnes and Noble which allows writers to upload and sell their electronic books (e-books)--novels, memoirs, poetry, short stories, etc.--on the B&N e-books site. There are no up-front fees; B&N just takes a certain percentage of each sale made (looks like 40% for most books).

This could be a great way to publish that set of memoirs you've been working on, or that collection of poetry. Family and friends, as well as the general public, can go to the site, purchase and then download your e-book, then read it using the free reader, Nook, or iPhone/Android applications.

I've been using the B&N/Nook free e-reader for a while and really like it. B&N offers some free classics and short stories, plus other books for sale, and we can download them and then read them on our computers or mobile reading devices.

So if you're interested in the possibilities inherent in publishing your book/stories/poems in an electronic format, check out this link:
Barnes and Noble Pub-It!

See you on the 12th for our next meeting!!!

Next Meeting: August 10!

2010-08-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the MECAC Writers' Workshop

is Tuesday, August 10 at 7:00 PM

in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a few pages of your writing to share

and receive feedback on, or

just sit back and listen.

We are all learning the art and craft of writing

together, building each other up and helping

one another to improve our writing.

Come join us! Everyone is welcome,

especially beginning writers or

those who want to learn a little more

about the craft of writing.

We'd love to have you come.

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 13

2010-06-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the MECAC Writers' Workshop will be on Tuesday, July 13 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring along a short piece of writing to share and receive feedback on, or just come to listen and learn!

In the meantime, accept a writing challenge: Using at least five of the above words, write a little something, either poetry or prose and bring it along to share with the group.

Beginning writers are always, always welcome! So please join us and bring a friend!

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 11 at 7:00 PM

2010-05-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Do you like to write?

Would you like to learn more about writing?

Would you like to receive feedback on your work?

Come join the monthly meetings of the

Mountain Empire Creative Art Council's

Writers' Workshop!

We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM

in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a short piece to share (2-3 pages) if you like,

or just listen and offer feedback to others.

Everyone is welcome!

New Family Focus to Art/Writing Conference!

2010-04-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council

invites you to a weekend

to remember . . . and treasure:

“Uncommon Community . . . Uncommon Commitment”

(Note: See Registration/Pricing Above for REDUCED Rates, Especially for Families!)

A few months ago, we (MECAC) planned a Workshop for Artists & Writers. A very good idea! I hope you saw the e-flyer. But something has nibbled at my overloaded psyche, and left me with second thoughts about an arts-exclusive focus: Life in the “real world”—the multiple issues that press upon us day by day, and the escalation of national and world problems. Artists and writers, and all sorts of people who simply celebrate art and writing, are deeply concerned about the hard issues that life in today’s world imposes. There is an unending interplay between expressing creativity and handling the ordinary and inevitable hard realities of living.

This leads us to a slight but obvious change of focus. This, in part, is what we want to offer you for a weekend: A way of stepping outside your normal boundaries and busy-ness, to join others who are affected (perhaps unconsciously) or afflicted by the rigors of our national life—Indeed, global life—and want to better understand and withstand and respond to it as creative people.

We often feel torn between our unmet need for creative expression and the rude facts of living in a sometimes “hostile” world. Admittedly, we may feel guilty at times for wanting to run away to a quiet place. (Our artsy self needs tending!) Growing national and universal distress is the elephant in everyone’s living room. Climate change, global unrest, and societal upheaval confront us each morning. Perhaps we would do well to bring our creative natures into a larger discussion of core values, and the problems of today’s very fragile world. How do we live in light of this darkness? How do we respond as writers and artists? How does it invade, inform, shape what we do? Where might it take us creatively? This may be an entry to new life for us.

As people who believe in the value of arts, the practice and enjoyment of them, and their soul-necessity, we can move in small, incremental ways—as people who are not “consumed by consumerism,” or defeated by despair. Consider what some small steps toward inventive living in times of crisis might be. How do we build or join in a supportive community? How do we “tend” each other and care for those beyond us, in a toughening world? We can gather hope from our inner resources, from those around us, and from the wisdom of the past, to create hope for the future. This is Fine Art. Does this sound like a healthy challenge? We believe it is.

Come join the adventure. We will have morning time for art instruction and networking, and evening for fine music. But Saturday afternoon will be a time of reflection and creating our own prerequisites for what it means to us to thrive. Bring your viewpoint and ideas. Listen to what our faculty and your “neighbors” have to say. Something to take home and live well with.

Finally, two new additions: There will be a special track for children/youth, concurrent with the adults! And Mothers’ Day will be honored! All moms (with or without family attending) will be treated to Sunday brunch and a gift to take home. Check our blogsite below for special new registration stats on family options, length of stay and special new pricing to go with it.

For further information, e-mail Susanne at SusanneMBarrett@aol.com

Arts and Writing Conference: May 7-9, 2010

2010-02-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council Presents

"Beauty and the Beast:
Arts In An Age Of Adversity”

A Workshop and Seminar In Literary,

Visual, And Dramatic Arts

Friday, May 7 (5 pm)—Sunday, May 9, 2010 (Noon)
(Optional one-night-only registration is available,
in deference to Mothers' Day)

Pine Valley Bible Conference Center, Pine Valley, CA

“Art is man defining himself.” Ayn Rand ... (Women too, of course!)

We offer you a time apart to rethink, to respond, to recapture. We will hear from those who live with and for the arts. We will share our own journeys and listen to each other.

We will create time for stretching our souls or dabbling in our own medium. We will also listen, perhaps more fully, for the heartbeat of a struggling world.

Do you write? Draw? Paint? Act or sing—or carry your camera with you for that unexpected “Aha!” shot?

Is it an obsession, a business, a love affair, a dream you’ve tucked between your ears, behind your eyes, to consider now and again?

What underlies your doing (or avoiding!) this demanding, enticing, yin-yang work-play?

Is it something you’re burning to say to the world that can only be said in print or paint?

Or perhaps the search for a “place of purity,” of solace, or a steady joy, brings you to the practice?

In addition, the program will include a thoughtful presentation of and response to the theme, above, with the intent of giving personal focus to the call of arts in today’s troubled world.

Workshop and Seminar

Moderated By Dr. Dean Nelson: Noted Author
Dean of Journalism, PLNU, San Diego, CA

Director, Writers' Symposium By The Sea

Guest Artists, Speakers, Musicians:

Dr. James Schaap, Professor, English/Literature, Dordt College,

Sioux Center, IA; Novelist, Essayist, Photographer

George Svoboda, Classical & Flamenco Guitar;

Teacher, Mesa College Music Program, San Diego,CA

Including:

Dianne Holly, Freehand Drawing; Norman Daniels, Plein Air Painting;

Susan Raimond, Music Composition (& Harp Concert);

Judith Dupree & Kathryn Belsey, poetry;

Donna Swennes, Fabric Art; Lee Swennes, Wood and Metal Crafting;

Larry McNamer, Front-of-House Engineer, “The Sound of Music”;

Keith Barrett, Stained Glass Art; Mesa College Guitar Ensemble

Tony Neff: Editor, BackCountry Messenger,
will teach a concurrent workshop on packaging, marketing, and publicizing your work.

FOR REGISTRATION, CONTACT:
MECAC, c/o Susanne Barrett, Registrar

P.O. Box 1287, Pine Valley CA 91962

SusanneMBarrett@aol.com

(Registration form available under blog header above this post)

Writers' Symposium by the Sea: An Evening with Kathleen Norris

2010-01-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

One of the real treats of being part of a group of dedicated writers is the joy we take in learning from one another. That joy is intensified when we are presented with an opportunity to glean from a truly good writer, perhaps even, upon occasion, a great one.

Such an opportunity will be set before us in March when Point Loma Nazarene University will present its annual Writers Symposium by the Sea featuring writer/poet Kathleen Norris (pictured below).

The MECAC Writers' Workshop will be gathering a group to see Kathleen Norris' interview with Dean Nelson, founder of PLNU's Journalism Department and the man behind the annual Writer's Symposium. Dean will also play ringmaster for our upcoming Arts and Writing Conference in May (May 7-9), Beauty and the Beast: Art in an Age of Adversity, to be held at the Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. (More info forthcoming on this blog as well as the MECAC blog).

If you are interested in joining our group to see Kathleen Norris, on March 24 @ 7:00 PM, please order your ticket (cost $10) here, and then e-mail Susanne at Booklovingbunch@aol.com or call her at 473-0085 to arrange carpools to the PLNU campus. We may go out for dessert following the symposium.

Monthly Meeting January 12!

2010-01-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

Start the new year with a Resolution to WRITE MORE!

Join the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Monthly Writers' Workshop!

We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM

in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring a short piece (1-2 pages) to share with the group and receive feedback,

or just come to listen and learn.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00 PM --

Beginning Writers are very welcome!

Monthly Meeting on December 8!

2009-12-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

Our final meeting of 2009 will be on Tuesday, December 8 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Both beginning and experienced writers are welcome to join us! We bring a poem or a short piece of prose (a couple pages) to share and receive feedback upon. And if you're more comfortable giving supporting feedback than in sharing your work, that's fine as well.

I finished my National Novel Writing Month goal of 50,000 words written in November, and Maureen met her NaNoWriMo goal as well. So we'll have to celebrate this milestone! Our Write-Ins were very helpful in reaching our goals, and we'll discuss planning others in the future. It's fun to work near others and receive encouragement. Writing is such lonely work, but having others along for the ride is so helpful.

So come along and join us! We love meeting new people who are interested in the writing life!

NOTE: Our weekend retreat has been moved from February to the weekend of May 7. Please re-mark your calendars and start saving your pennies to come! It's going to be a simply remarkable weekend!

Monthly Meeting and Write-Ins

2009-11-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

We'll be having our usual monthly meeting (but, with this wonderful group of writers, there's nothing usual about it!) this Tuesday evening, November 10, at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library. Please join us for an evening of sharing and critiquing each other's work.

As at least two of us are involved in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I have arranged to have three Write-Ins this month on Friday afternoons. So come on by the Pine Valley Library from 2:00 PM-6:00 PM (any time is fine -- you don't have to stay for the whole thing, of course) on November 13, 20, and 27, and write with us. Bring along whatever you may be working on and get away from the dusting that's undone, the lawn that needs to be mown, the dishes in the sink, the leaves that need to be raked, etc. Just come and WRITE!! And cheer us on to the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words this month!

Also, keep the last weekend of February clear. Judith Dupree is planning an incredible weekend of arts and writing at the Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. She is lining up some amazing writers and artists for this conference, and trust me, you will NOT want to miss it! Start saving your pennies, and we'll post more information as the plans firm up.

Keep on writing, Mountain Empire!

NaNoWriMo Begins Sunday, Nov. 1

2009-10-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place each November, and 2009 marks Year 11 of this cooperative novel-writing challenge. The goal: write 50,000 words in one month. As of this afternoon, over 100,000 adults and over 35,000 teens have joined the challenge thus far.

The link to the website above allows you to track your progress, receive encouraging e-mails several times each week, and forums and regional groups also exist to help and encourage us along the way.

Doing NaNoWriMo last November was incredible. It was a challenge because my laptop died and I was sharing a computer with my husband which meant I could only write while he wasn't home. It was a challenge because I started five days late but still managed to finish two days early. It was a challenge because I started my novel with no plan, no foresight, and no outline -- a real problem for a linear thinker like myself.

If anyone does join NaNoWriMo, please become my buddy; my name there is SusanneB and perhaps we can have some write-in days/evenings either at the library or at Pine Valley Java.

So come on and join NaNoWriMo -- it will be a wonderful experience and a great way to add 80-100 pages to whatever you're currently working on. Or start something brand new!

Writers' Workshop Meeting on October 13 at 7:00 PM

2009-10-10T20:25:00.001-07:00

Our monthly meeting of the MECAC Writers' Workshop

will take place on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 PM

in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Writers of all ages and levels are welcome to join the group

as we work together to improve our writing

by sharing our work and giving feedback to each other.

So bring a page or two to share with us

and come willing to encourage and critique other writers as well.

For questions, leave a comment or e-mail Susanne.

Ruminate Short Story Contest

2009-10-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ruminate Magazine of Faith in Literature and Art has extended their Short Story Contest deadline to October 23, 2009. Use the hyperlinks above for contest rules which are also listed here:

Guidelines:

-The submission deadline for the prize is midnight October 23rd, 2009.
-The entry fee is $15 (includes a free copy of the Spring 2010 Issue).
-You may submit one short story per entry and it must be 7000 words or less.
-$500 will be awarded to the winner and publication in the Spring 2010 Issue will be awarded to the winning story and runner-up story.
-A blind reading of all entries will be conducted by a panel of RUMINATE readers, who will select 8 short stories as finalists.
-David James Duncan is the 2009 finalist judge, and he will be reviewing the finalist stories and selecting the winner and runner-up. Close friends and students (current & former) of the judge are not eligible to compete. Nor are close friends or family of the RUMINATE staff.
-All submissions must be submitted via our online submission form. We will not accept mail or email submissions.
-You may pay online or mail your payment.
-Winners will be announced in the Spring Issue, March 2010.
-Please remove your name, bio, and any contact info from the file that you submit.

So enter if you like ... and enjoy the process!

September Monthly Meeting!

2009-09-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

The MECAC Writers' Workshop

will be meeting this Tuesday evening, September 8,

at 7:00 PM

in the Pine Valley Library Community Room.

If you are interested, a genealogy class led by Pine Valley resident Ken Storm meets at 6:00 PM, also in the Pine Valley Library Community Room.

Bring along a short piece of writing to share, or just come to listen and offer feedback to the writers who bring their work.

Beginning writers or people interested in learning more about the art and craft of writing are very welcome to attend, and please feel free to bring along any interested friends!

Hoping to see you on Tuesday!

Monthly Meeting This Tuesday!

2009-08-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Please join the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Monthly Writers' Workshop this Tuesday, August 11 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

MECAC Director Judith Dupree will be sharing a scene from her play-in-progress, and other writers will also share their work. Bring along a short work of your own for feedback or come to offer ideas and comments as we seek to inspire each other and hone our craft of wordsmithing.

Beginning writers and those interested in learning more about the art and craft of writing are very welcome to join us, and we also gladly welcome more seasoned writers.

We'll also discuss publishing opportunities plus upcoming writing events in the San Diego area, so don't miss out on this month's MECAC Writers' Workshop!

We hope to see you there!

Writers Day(s) at Sacred Rocks Reserve

2009-08-10T11:28:00.001-07:00

Sacred Rocks Reserve in Boulevard is hosting a Writers Day(s) Weekend Friday through Sunday, September 25-27, 2009; MECAC's Director Judith Deem Dupree will be one of the facilitators. Information about the Writers Day event can be accessed on their website here: Sacred Rocks Reserve Writers Day Weekend.

The cost is $49 for the writing component for the weekend, and arrangements can be made for staying on the grounds and for meals for extra cost (see above link), or writers can drive out each day and provide for their own meals.

Sacred Rocks Reserve is a gorgeous venue with a labyrinth, 400-500 year-old oaks, and stunning rock formations. It's the perfect place to inspire poetry, short stories, essays, journal entries, even to work on a novel.

Even if you are unable to attend this Writers Day, Sacred Rocks is a wonderful place to write. Attend your own retreat for an afternoon or for a week -- whatever you need to help you finish writing that book!

Publishing Opportunity

2009-08-07T23:05:00.001-07:00

I ran across this opportunity to publish (unpaid as yet) on the blog of San Diego Writers Online. Tyger Birch is requesting submissions of short stories, poems and articles about the art and business of writing for his new project Inquepad Magazine.

So check it out and see what you can send Tyger for his new 'zine:

INQUEPAD MAGAZINE

Submitting for new project is a great way to start getting your name "out there," so send Tyger your best stuff!

ReadWritePoem

2009-08-02T17:25:00.001-07:00

A few days ago the new ReadWritePoem site was formed -- an incredible resource for anyone who loves to read or write poetry.

Here's the link to the new site: ReadWritePoem

On the new site are poetry groups (including critique groups!), friends, forums, a weekly poetry writing prompt, articles by successful (as in published!) poets, and so much more.

So come check it out, and if you do, "friend" me!

Writing Contests

2009-07-28T23:46:00.001-07:00

In looking around the Web for publishing opportunities for our Mountain Empire writers, I discovered an excellent resource for legitimate writing contests.

Unfortunately, many writing contests are mere jokes. We can usually tell a "joke" contest from a legitimate one by the price. The vast majority of "joke" contests are FREE and they prominently advertise this fact. Winning one of these may possibly put a little cash in our pockets but will not be something we can brag about in serious writing circles.

Legitimate writing competitions usually charge a small fee, often $10-$25 for entering. And I found a wonderful source for serious writing contests at the Poets & Writers website. Keep current with the following page for entering writing contests we can be proud of winning: Poets & Writers Writing Contests.

Good luck! May the Muses be with you!

On another note, it was lovely to see some of our writers turn up at the MECAC booth at Pine Valley Day last Saturday. I gave out a good number of cards with our meeting date, time, and place plus this blog site address, so we hope to see some new faces at our August meeting. Keep on writing!

MECAC Writers at Pine Valley Days!

2009-07-23T15:26:00.001-07:00

The Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council will have a booth at Pine Valley Days this Saturday, July 25!

Stop on by and chat with the good folks of MECAC and check out our special Writers' Area. MECAC also will be hosting a donation Bake Sale with fresh-squeezed Limeade and will be displaying and selling art pieces created by Mountain Empire artists.

So come join the fun and stop by the MECAC booth to chat and check out all that MECAC has to offer! Hope to see you there!

Free Poetry Contest: Deadline August 10

2009-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

The Alpine Sun posted the following information on July 16:

A $1000 grand prize is being offered in a special poetry contest being sponsored by the Celestial Arts Society. The contest is free and open to poets of all ages. Fifty prizes totaling $5000 in all will be awarded.

Poems of 21 lines or less on any subject in any style will be accepted.

Entries must be received by Aug. 10 and may be submitted by mail to

Free Poetry Contest
701 1st St.
Golden, CO 80403

or enter at http://www.freecontest.com/.

Your name and address must appear on the page with the poem.

To receive a winners' list, please submit a self-addressed stamped envelope with your entry.

(Note: After looking at the freecontest.com website above, this contest looks like a very commercial venture. Enter at your own risk.)

Special thanks to Maureen Brown for alerting us to this contest.

Writers' Workshop Monthly Meeting for July

2009-07-02T23:29:00.001-07:00

The Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Monthly Writers' Workshop will meet on Tuesday evening, July 14, at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library.

Bring along a short piece to share and receive some constructive comments and ideas for improvement upon your writing as we spur each other on in writing bravely and well!

Writers of all levels are very welcome. Even if you are just thinking about doing a little writing, this group is for YOU!

Come, join us, and let's work together to hone our craft!

If you have any questions, you may contact Susanne Barrett at 473-0085.

Writing and Other Submissions for The Latent Print

2009-06-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

The Latent Print is a website for San Diego artists to submit their work for possible publication. I ran across their site when perusing the San Diego Writers Online website, and The Latent Print looks quite promising. You can view their stunning website here: The Latent Print.

They are currently reviewing submissions in the following categories:

SHORT FICTION

SERIAL FICTION

POETRY

TWITTER POETRY

NONFICTION ESSAYS

STAGE/SCREEN PLAYS

EXPERIMENTAL WRITING

VISUAL ART

GRAPHIC NARRATIVE (COMICS)

PHOTOGRAPHY

VIDEO

Their submissions page will give you all the criteria necessary to publish there. Plus, all submissions remain the intellectual property of the artist, so we may submit the same works for publication elsewhere. It's a great place to start publishing!

June Meeting

2009-06-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Mountain Empire Writers!

We will be meeting at the Pine Valley Library at 7:00 PM this Tuesday, June 9. Bring along a short piece to share, and we'll give each other some feedback and support.

Summer is a great time for writing, at least for me as I'm finally finished with home schooling and teaching classes. So boot up your computers, sharpen your pencils, grab some new pens, and let's get started!

See you all on Tuesday night!

Poetry Contest!!!

2009-05-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ruminate Magazine is an outstanding Christian literary and arts journal that is published quarterly. Judith and I have met several of the editors at Judith's Ad Lib Christian Arts retreats, and their journal is chock full of top-notch writing -- truly excellent stuff.

I received an e-mail today stating that they just extended their Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize deadline to May 31, 2009. The prize will be judged by the award-winning poet Scott Cairns.

The entry fee is $15, and $500 will be awarded to the winner and publication in Ruminate's Fall 2009 issue of the winning and runner-up poems. Up to three poems per entry may be submitted, and multiple entries are also allowed.

Plus all entries will be considered for general publication in the Fall 2009 issue, and each entrant will also receive a Fall 2009 issue of Ruminate.

I'm going to enter a few poems. How about YOU?

May's Monthly Meeting!

2009-05-07T10:31:00.001-07:00

Come and hang out with Mountain Empire writers and hear what they've been up to lately!

If you feel intrigued by the idea of writing, this is the place for you!

Our upcoming monthly Writers' Workshop meeting will be
Tuesday, May 12 @ 7:00 PM
in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library

Beginning and experienced writers are encouraged to attend. We'll be sharing our work and discussing pertinent topics related to the art and business of writing.

If you have any questions, leave a comment here or call Susanne at 473-0085.

April Is National Poetry Month!

2009-04-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Even if poetry isn't your "thing," the opportunities afforded by National Poetry Month can still broaden our exposure to poetry of different eras, genres, and forms. I've discovered some wonderful resources at poets.org, the most extensive and well-known site for serious poets. Here I have found The Poem of the Day which obviously sends me a new poem to my inbox each day, mostly by emerging and contemporary poets that I've very much enjoyed (if not completely understood). Other poems and information about poets, both contemporary and canonical, are available here, and it's simply a wonderful site.

Also on this web site is the link to NaPoWriMo - National Poetry Writing Month. The challenge: write a poem a day for the month of April. Tipping its hat to the vastly successful NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month each November in which participants are successful if they write 50,000 words of a novel, the NaPoWriMo project has plunged me back into composing poems on a daily basis, and even to play around with rhyme, a new venture for this "free verser." There's even a forum on the poets.org site set aside especially for those writing daily poems: NaPoWriMo.

Also in the spirit of National Poetry Month, I've joined TwiHaiku where one can use Twitter (140 characters) to write the classic Japanese poetry form of haiku: five syllables for the first line, seven syllables for the second line, and back to five syllables for the final line. It's quite fun and exposes one to a great deal of haiku from people all around the world ~ some even are posted in foreign languages. The TwiHaiku format even allows reviews of haiku, so that one can review other poets' haiku and receive feedback on one's own. Pretty cool stuff, that.

So if poetry really, truly isn't your "thing," may we suggest reading a poem a day rather than writing one? Appreciate this condensed form of writing in which every syllable is chosen with such deliberate care. And perhaps try writing a poem or two. It can't hurt, right?

Writers' Workshop Meeting for April

2009-04-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council's Writers' Workshop is meeting on

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 7:00 PM

at the Pine Valley Library's Community Room.

Everyone interested in writing is encouraged to attend.

Beginning writers are very welcome!

If you are bringing a piece of your writing to share, please bring just ONE page, two pages at the very most, so we have time to give feedback to everyone.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Writers' Workshop Meeting Tuesday Night!

2009-03-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

Attention Mountain Empire Writers!

Our monthly Writers' Workshop will meet this Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room of the Pine Valley Library. This will be our first meeting after the extremely successful Writers' Workshop with Dean Nelson last month, and we hope that many local writers will join us for our monthly meetings as a continuation of Dean Nelson's workshop.

Judith Dupree has kindly agreed to facilitate the group this month as Susanne Barrett will be out of town with her family. Judith is an accomplished, published writer with a passion for sharing writerly gifts with the community (and is the co-editor of Pine Valley's monthly missive, The Valley Views), so Tuesday evening's meeting promises to be a wonderful and encouraging experience.

Beginning writers are warmly welcomed to attend our monthly meetings as are more experienced wordsmiths. If you like, you may bring along a short (1-2 pages) piece to share and receive feedback on. If you don't feel quite ready to share your work, then you may offer feedback to writers who do bring their work for review. Providing copies of your writing for the group works best so that everyone can read along and mark suggestions for the author.

We hope that you can join us for a meeting of minds and pens this Tuesday evening!

Back Country Messenger Writing Contest

2009-02-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

The Back Country Messenger is hosting a writing contest for all ages. They will be accepting submissions in two categories:

1) Short Stories in the genre of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Fantasy

2) Poetry

Entries must be received no later than March 12, 2009.

The age categories are as follows: up to 8 years of age; age 9-12; age 13-15; age 16-19; and age 20 and above. Winners will be presented at an Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00 PM at the Mountain Empire Community Center in Campo. Refreshments will be served and other awards will also be presented. Prizes include cash, retail store give-aways, and more.

Some of the entries will be published in the Back Country Messenger and all will be published online. All entries will receive a critique of their work along with suggestions for developing better writing skills if needed.

Entries may be submitted to:
BCM Essay and Poetry Contest
PO Box 71
Campo, CA 91906
(Entry forms are available on page 9 of the March 2009 issue)

or may submitted via e-mail to:
editor@backcountrymessenger.com
(electronic entries are preferred)

Please include your name, address, phone number, age category, and writing category on all entries.

You may click on this link to the website: Back Country Messenger for more information, and go to Writing Contest Link.

(Our thanks to Jess Goodman, a regular at our monthly meetings, for alerting us to this local contest.)

MECAC Writers' Workshop with Dean Nelson

2009-02-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

If you were not one of the 23 writers who attended the first all-day MECAC Writing Workshop on February 21, you missed a gem of an experience. Dean Nelson, founder of the journalism department at Point Loma Nazarene University, presented a workshop that appealed to writers of all sorts: beginning writers to published authors, poets to novelists. My twelve pages of notes and two pages of original writing attest to the quality and practicality of this workshop.

The day started with bagels and coffee, fruit and granola bars, as attendees meandered into Conference Room "A" at the serenely beautiful Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. MECAC Director Judith Dupree informed the audience about our little arts council before introducing Dean, the author/co-author of thirteen books and countless articles and stories, many of which span the fifteen years he freelanced for the New York Times. Despite his daunting writing repertoire, Dean disarmed us immediately with his humor and his relaxed style. We were somehow immediately at home with him -- which is easy for me to say as I'm a former student and colleague, but I think everyone felt the same camaraderie, the kinship that comes with being on the same journey, even if Dean is much farther along than we are.

Dean started out the workshop by exploring with us the idea of "Why We Need to Tell Stories" and what "story" means to each of us. He discussed the two levels of meaning in good writing, a surface level and a deeper level that goes beyond the plot itself. He mentioned Madeleine L'Engle's idea that stories help us in naming -- in making sense of our chaotic world. Stories help us to live life creatively and without fear. Good stories, Dean informed us, point to something larger than themselves and contain intrigue for the reader, doubt about the outcome, character(s) with the potential to change, an emotional payoff, and sufficient attention to the craft of writing (concrete and significant detail, convincing voice, accuracy in research, striking (not cliche) figures of speech, etc.). Dean told us of two ways to improve our writing: 1) Write more. 2) Read more ... and read the good stuff. He reiterated what I tell my writing students: "Reading crappy books doesn't help with writing." Avoid preaching, Dean reminded us. Let the story unfold. Stick to the craft and trust the reader. Most importantly, writers bear witness.

In order to illustrate his points, Dean took us through a story he wrote for San Diego Magazine entitled "Flashback to Bruges." He read it aloud to us as we followed along on copies, marking as he read. We looked for shifting levels in the story, where the tension started building and how it was resolved, the universal import of seemingly insignificant details, the use of humor to release tension yet allow it to build to a higher level, the juxtaposition of marriage and grace, the mere suggestion of menace, the portrayal of characters, etc. It was a concrete learning experience as we dissected a great story, examining its inner workings and figuring out what made it tick.

After lunch in the Dining Hall during which the workshop participants had the opportunity to become better acquainted over soup, sandwiches, and salad, we returned to the conference room to examine some practicalities and do some writing. Dean started the afternoon session by assuring us that yes, we are going to write crap, but that even writing crap is a point of departure to better writing. He outlined the clustering technique and freewriting as ways to get beyond the blank page/computer screen, and we did some of the exercises together. He then gave us an indirect writing assignment with a choice of two topics: 1) Describe an object without telling what it is, or 2) Describe an incident from the last 24 hours without revealing what really happened. After writing for twenty minutes, we were to gather into small groups to read our sketch aloud, the listeners suggesting our subject matter.

To close out our day, Dean then opened the workshop for questions about writing, especially our problem areas. Writers weren't at all shy about asking about improving dialog, the value of blogging, the importance of journaling, and the lessening or absence of the self-publishing stigma. Dean also recommended his favorite writing books: On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, and If You Want to Write by Barbara Yuleland. Closing the workshop, Dean mentioned how several well-known writers got their start in writing: Stephen King was a sports writer. Anne Lamott wrote restaurant reviews. Hemingway and many others were journalists. Dean finished by reminding us to get comfortable with rejection; writing is a marathon, not a sprint. To practice being a wordsmith. And to remember the vast difference between "I want to be a writer" which involves a romanticized, idealized role of a writer, and "I want to write" which demonstrates a compulsion to write, something within that needs to burst out.

By 4:00, we were standing up and stretching, saying our goodbyes to each other and to Dean, and tidying up the conference room. About five of us stayed behind to share some short pieces of writing with each other and gain some helpful feedback.

We at MECAC and all participants in the workshop extend our thanks to Dean for presenting us with a practical and encouraging day of digging deeper into the craft and soul of writing. Thanks, Dean, for making the long trek up the mountain to teach us how to improve our work and to feed our inner compulsion to write. Dean's advice continues ringing in my ears two days after the conference, and I feel encouraged to master the frustration and to put in the long hours that the literary gods require in order to improve my writing. As Dean reiterated and as I tell my students frequently, writing is hard work. But learning how to shape words into meaningful narrative that affects another person's mind and soul is somehow worth the slaving over the writing pad or keyboard. It's what makes the hard work worthwhile.

MECAC hopes to provide another writing workshop this year, and until then we strongly encourage local writers to attend our monthly writing workshops the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Pine Valley Library.

Writing Workshop with Dean Nelson This Saturday!

2009-02-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

To all Mountain Empire and San Diego Writers:

The Writing Workshop with Dr. Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University is fast approaching! The pertinent facts:

Saturday, February 21, 2009

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Pine Valley Bible Conference Center, 8668 Pine Creek Road, Pine Valley

Cost: $40, including lunch in the Dining Hall

Please register with Susanne Barrett at (619) 473-0085 or Booklovingbunch@aol.com before Friday, February 20. This workshop is filling fast, so don't delay!

We look forward to meeting so many writers in our area and to learning much from Dean regarding the art of writing. Dean is a writer of national stature, so this workshop is an opportunity not to be missed by writers or those interested in learning more about writing.

Traveling in Colorado

2009-02-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

Susanne Barrett

To Kathryn, who encouraged me to write again....

Hemmed in
by flat-topped mountains,
our motorhome only a tiny ant
crawling between, among
vast brown expanses of grasses,
peaks crowned with snow,
gray-green pines shielding the over-modest land.

“Pass with Care"
advises the square white sign
alongside the deserted two-lane --
wisdom given not only for highway travel,
I think.

Monthly Meeting on February 10!

2009-02-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

Mountain Empire Writers --

Don't miss out on our monthly meeting this TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 at 7:00 PM in the PINE VALLEY LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM.

Bring a short piece of writing to share if you like, or just sit back and listen to what our own Mountain Empire writers have been working on.

Beginning writers are very, very welcome. If you're not sure you qualify as a "writer" but would like to learn more about writing, this is the place for you! Please come.

We'll be discussing our upcoming all-day writing workshop on Saturday, February 21, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can access details by clicking here: Writing Workshop

We hope to see you there!

Writing Quote of the Week

2009-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Poetry is an echo asking a shadow to dance."

-- Carl Sandburg, Poet (1878-1967)

Excerpt of his work:

At a Window

Give me hunger, O you gods that sit and give
The world its orders.
Give me hunger, pain and want,
Shut me out with shame and failure
From your doors of gold and fame,
Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger!

But leave me a little love,
A voice to speak to me in the day end,
A hand to touch me in the dark room
Breaking the long loneliness.
In the dusk of day-shapes
Blurring the sunset,
One little wandering, western star
Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow.
Let me go to the window,
Watch there the day-shapes of dusk
And wait and know the coming
Of a little love.

Carl Sandburg

Trip to the Heartland, Part II

2009-02-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

(Part I is printed in the post below this one)

Judith Deem Dupree

It happens soon enough. "Welcome to Dupree -- home of 550 people and one old grouch." It's a decidedly home-made sign, tongue in cheek, the kind of off-road humor you don't see along the freeways. We hoot with pleasure; it looks promising.

The town is minimal, with signs of a livelier past. At the Post Office we are directed to the Court House, for this is the county seat. The staff person is waiting for us; a quick phone call had alerted her to these strangers with their quirky mission – to "claim their town." She grins. It's not an everyday event, someone dropping in from the mainstream of life, from the fast lane. We are welcome, and we end up buying a book on Ziebach county and its small-town histories. She directs us then to the newspaper office – a regional weekly – and we are photographed for a front-page feature! The volunteer editor and her husband are our kind of down-home folk; we chat delightedly and leave reluctantly.

Time for that cuppa and something sweet to wash down, to commemorate this small coincidence of names and maybe, some time long past, genes still buried beneath this soil.

The cafe is like any very small-town cafe. Dim, a bit down-at-the-heels, redolent with ham and eggs at this late morning hour. We settle in, skirting the long table that consumes the center. Three old fellers are draped over the chairs, owning their usual spots. They eye us, friendly enough.

It is more than I can resist. My coffee cools while I explain our visit, and hubby picks up the pace. We all banter back and forth for a spell, I inquiring if their table is "the liar's club," and they guffawing with obvious pleasure and agreement. They swap memories, interrupting and correcting each other easily. We learn more history, the written and unwritten kind. We inhale it all, swallow it with the bear claws and coffee. Yes, Our kind of folk, decidedly.

Reluctantly, we wave our farewells and climb back into the van, wanting to hang out a while yet. But they have their lives, and their life, and we are not a part of it. We take a few more pictures, hanging out the window, and slowly ease onto the blacktop. I look back until it's only a dot on the map again. Why do I feel a sudden twinge of homesickness?

This tiny burgh is not our home town. It is probably not even a part of my husband's ancestral roots, as far back as can be determined. But it doesn't matter. It is a bed-rock part of who we, the two of us, and we, all of us, are as a people. It is a part of home and family and what that means to us, a sense of who we are that we must tuck away beneath the trappings we wrap ourselves in.

With no fanfare, and despite the incongruities and disparities – between their stinging black brew and our Starbucks way of life – we did go home. Something shifted inside, and we found room for a chunk of reality we'd both needed. A slice of community, of history, of neighborness that gets lost in the rush of existence that is America today.

We have learned nothing "of substance", except the fact that we are all related, not by birth-names, nor geography, but by living. I think, in a way, that we are lost – or never quite found – unless, until we make this kind of stop, this kind of discovery, somewhere along the back road of life. A memory of something we never knew, waiting to be renewed.

"Trip to the Heartland" by Judith Dupree, Part 1

2009-01-29T20:18:00.001-08:00

Judith Deem Dupree

South Dakota . . . the prairies stretch to infinity, disappearing in a far blur of dust. We ride the ribbon of asphalt without talking. There is something quieting about this land; perhaps it is a respite that we are experiencing – a letting go of expectation.

Always, in our long drive, I have watched the fields and hills appear, fill our windshield, and disappear behind us. I wait for each variance as it comes. A curve of furrow, a sudden rise and plummet of earth, the jagged rip of a seasonal stream gone dry, a long claw of erosion. The way a stand of trees braces the skyline. Farms hedged in against the whine of wind, their encircling trees ever bowed, even in the now-still air. These are the pictures that race across my field of vision . . . a kaleidoscope of earth-tones that draw me on.

And now I let the landscape carry me past, unheeding – not from boredom, but, as I say, with a sense of rest. The very flatness and sameness so often despaired of seems more a gift than a frustration. Like life, I guess. We are so often engrossed and compelled by the ups and downs -- the dramatic, the traumatic, the demanding, startling, or stimulating. It is sameness that we really live in, that we come back to from whatever highs and lows life shoves us through – or which we plunge into willingly. Dailyness. This earthscape is like our dailyness. It rests me.

We are watching for a name on the map; we've made a detour from our pilgrimage to Mt. Rushmore to find this "dot" on the matrix of wavy lines.

Dupree, SD – My husband's surname. It has intrigued him for years that this small settlement on the edge of "nowhere" bears his name. When he first suggested we go to Rushmore on our trip, I knew, right away. It was the pull back to tenuous roots that really drew him, not the famous faces. The unknown, the "nobodies" like him who perched atop this stubborn soil so long ago and left little but this family name behind – that was the pull.

This much I know, from reading: The land was once ruled by France, then Spain, and is replete with tales of explorers, fur traders, and gold miners. And it is soaked in the blood of the Sioux, who lived along the adjacent Cheyenne River. Many of the current residents on this reservation we skim through are descendants of these early settlers A bit further south, or west, are names that echo – like the funereal toll of a bell – through our national history: Little Big Horn . . . Wounded Knee . . . Custer.

And so we draw near, and take notice once again of what this land says about itself.

It grows "kinder" now – less barren, more "peopled," both past and present. Remnants of ancient outbuildings and blank-eyed houses sag beneath the relentless sky. Farm yards, some choked with the machinery of the seasons, abut the occasional dirt roads – clusters of trees and hulking shapes that rush into focus and instantly become someone's life story. I want to stop at each and beg a cup of coffee and find the shape of their history here.

(Part Two will be published next week)

Opportunity: Writers Symposium by the Sea

2009-01-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

This year's Writers Symposium by the Sea promises to be a real treat. Taking place on the gorgeous campus of Point Loma Nazarene University on February 2-6, 2009, this year's theme is "Writing Beyond Boundaries." Some of the speakers scheduled are Christopher Buckley, Brian McLaren, and Luis Alberto Urrea. You may read more information and make reservations by clicking here: Writers Symposium by the Sea. The reservations are very reasonably priced at $15 each, so attendees can pick and choose whom they would like to see.

From the Writers Symposium by the Sea web page: "There are lines surrounding each of us -- lines that demark life and death, hope and despair, spiritual and material, old ways of thinking and new ways of thinking. The writers in this year's Symposium make us consider what lies beyond those borders. And if we can think differently about them, maybe we can live differently, too."

Dr. Dean Nelson, who will be facilitating our all-day Writers' Workshop later in February (see next post below), is the man behind the Writers Symposium and specifically asked us to put out the word. Judith and I have attended symposiums in the past, seeing such writers as Donald Miller, Anne Lamott, Kathleen Norris, Calvin Miller, and Frederica Mathewes-Green. The writers are Christians for the most part, but they are truly writers of excellence from whom we can all learn, no matter our beliefs.

If anyone hears of other opportunities for our writers, please let me know and I'm happy to post them here.

Calling All Writers!

2009-01-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

We have a real treat for all Mountain Empire writers and those interested in learning more about the craft of writing. Dean Nelson, Director of the Journalism Program at Point Loma Nazarene University, will make the trek up the hill to lead us through a special writing workshop. You can read more about Dean and his work by clicking right here.

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009

Time: 9:00 AM to approximately 5:00 PM

Place: Pine Valley Bible Conference Center

Cost: $40, including lunch. (A limited number of scholarships are available if cost is prohibitive)

Both Judith Dupree and Susanne Barrett of MECAC have known Dean for years and promise that he will lead a wonderful workshop, helping us to learn a great deal about the art of storytelling and the craft of writing. And his dry wit makes Dean a great deal of fun to listen to as well.

If you have even a smidge of an interest in writing, this workshop is for YOU! And don't feel as though you must be a "writer" in order to come; beginning writers are welcome, even encouraged, to attend.

So please make reservations with Susanne at booklovingbunch@aol.com or by calling her at 473-0085. Space is limited, so make reservations soon!

Welcome Mountain Empire Writers!

2009-01-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

As I thought more and more about our local writers, it seemed only fitting to create a blog for writers' workshop, separate from the MECAC blog. We're still part of the Mountain Empire Creative Arts Council, but we writers like to post our work and we didn't want to "muddy up" the already-established MECAC site.

So here we are.

If you have a *short* excerpt from a novel or story, a *short* essay or portion thereof, a poem, etc., that you would like to post here, please e-mail me at booklovingbunch@aol.com.

We have some wonderful adventures coming up in February, so please come join us at our next monthly meeting:

Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 PM
Pine Valley Library Community Room

Beginners and those just interested in learning more about writing are welcome to attend as well as writers who are more seasoned and are in search of venues for publication. Come one, come all!

Welcome to our brand-spankin'-new blog!