REDBIRD STUDIO -- A WRITERS' PLACE

REDBIRD STUDIO -- A WRITERS' PLACE

February 12, 2007

1. WHAT'S UP AT REDBIRD

2. FOR ADULTS

3. FOR YOUNG AUTHORS

4. NEWS OF REDBIRD WRITERS AND FRIENDS

5. OTHER PLACES/FACES

6. HOW TO HELP, ETC.

1. WHAT'S UP AT REDBIRD

Last week, I stood in the camera lights at the studio, being interviewed for a montage that will appear on screen at the Midwest Center in March. When the interviewer asked, "What do you do at Redbird?" I stood there like a deer in the headlights, wondering where to begin.

Since January 1st:

-- We started new sessions of Shut Up and Write, four roundtable groups, a poetry group, the Ground Floor Writers group and the Sunday roundtable for Young Authors.

-- We held an open house for Ground Floor Writers and guests in their room on the (guess where?) ground floor of the Marian Center.

-- Felicity Librie and I taped an interview with Mitch Teich for WUWM's Lake Effect. It will be aired the end of this month. Watch for a News Flash on this.

-- Katie Lance and Carol Wobig helped organize the entries for four categories of the Council for Wisconsin Writers 2007 Award competition.

-- Robert Vaughan, Jeanee Sacken and Carol Wobig planned production of the 2007 Writers' Showcase --Tuesday, April 17th, 6:30pm.

-- We sponsored two Redbird poets, Judith Zukerman and Annie Parcels, to read at the annual Poetry Marathon at Woodland Pattern bookstore.

-- We started accepting entries in the first Redbird Young Author Short Story Contest.

-- Hmong Peace Academy brought 26 of their teachers to Redbird to learn more about teaching writing to their young students. Kim Suhr led the workshop.

-- Kim, Pam Parker and young author Allison P. set up a booth at the PAGE fair to tell students about our summer programs.

-- We distributed 3,000 flyers and started accepting registrations for the Young Author summer programs.

-- We collected amazing contributions to a list of "Ten Best Things About Redbird." Coming soon, on the web site

-- Several friends made contributions of cash and volunteer services to the Scholarship Fund.

The interview I mentioned above was in preparation for a Women's History Month celebration in which 28 women will be honored by the U. S. Postal Service as "Women Putting Their Stamp on Milwaukee." I am proud to be one of the honorees, and prouder yet to have been nominated by one of last year's winners, community activist and Redbird writer, Sr. Josephe Flynn. And yes, I finally got over the deer-in-the-headlights thing. Guests are welcome to attend this, by the way. If you are interested, Felicity Librie is arranging tables and has details. librie@msn.com

On a personal note, husband David and I had a grand time taping a session in the NPR Story Corps booth at the downtown library. We highly recommend it. www.storycorps.net

This week, we will be joining the "Redbird Refugees" -- Elaine Bergstrom's novel writers roundtable, as they cheer for member Lauren Fox. She'll be reading from her first published novel, STILL LIFE, WITH HUSBAND, at Schwartz's on Oakland on Tuesday, Feb 13 at 7 pm. Redbird writer Shauna Singh Baldwin will introduce Lauren.

More on our friends, after this commercial...

2. FOR ADULTS -- IT'S TIME TO REGISTER!

See www.redbirdstudio.com for details and registration forms

SHUT UP AND WRITE! with Judy Bridges

Start reaching your goals in our premier get-yourself-going-and-learn-more-about-it seminar, led by studio founder Judy Bridges. Small class. Fills quickly.

Eight Mondays 6:30-8:30pm $345 ($100 deposit)

Mar 12, 19, 26, Apr 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

THE GROUND FLOOR WRITERS, with Jo McReynolds Blochowiak

Writers of all levels and interests are welcome in this first floor critique group. W/C accessible. No pre-requisite.

Thursday afternoons 12:30-2:30 $85 Rm 103, Marian Center (Use rear entrance to lower floor)

Mar 8, 22, Apr 12, 26

POETRY ROUNDTABLE, with John Lehman

Star poet and publisher John Lehman shares his love of the craft in this supportive critique group.

Four Thursdays (one per month) 6:30-8:30pm, $85 includes all four Thursdays. New members may prorate.

Jan-Apr Session: Jan 4, Feb 1, Mar 8, Apr 5

ROUNDTABLE CRITIQUE GROUPS with Judy Bridges and Robert Vaughan

Meet with other dedicated writers to read your work, get supportive feedback and build a network of writing friends.

Small groups. Pre-req: Shut Up and Write! or equivalent. If there is a waiting list, "Shut Up & Write" grads and returnees get first dibs.

Tuesday Afternoons with Judy Bridges 12-2:30 $85

Mar 13, 27, Apr 10, 24

Wednesday Evenings (Inkslingers) with Judy Bridges 6:30-9 $85

Mar 7, 21, Apr 4, 18

Thursday Evenings with Robert Vaughan 6:30-9 $85 (Includes all four Thursdays. New members may prorate.)

Jan 18, Feb 15, Mar 22, Apr 19

Friday Mornings with Robert Vaughan 9:30-12 $85

Mar 9, 23, Apr 6, 20

EARLY ALERT

Plan ahead to attend our annual Writers' Showcase, Tuesday, April 17, 6:30 pm.

3. FOR YOUNG AUTHORS

See www.redbirdstudio.com/YoungAuthors for details and registration forms

SHORT STORY CONTEST

A great opportunity for young authors grades 7-12. See guidelines on web site. Deadline: Feb 28th.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ROUNDTABLE

Young authors grades 7-12 meet in the 4th floor studio to share writing, receive supportive feeback and develop the craft.

Group is led by Kim Suhr, Director of Young Author Programs

Sunday afternoons, Jan 14, Feb 11, Mar 11, Apr 1, 1-3 pm, $65 includes all 4 meetings in session. New members may prorate.

SUMMER PROGRAM -- Registration open

Full week of activites, Mon-Fri 9am-2:30pm $325 ($100 deposit)

Students entering:

Grades 4-5, July 23-27

Grades 6, July 3-Aug 3

Grades 7-8, July 16-20

Grades 9-12, Aug 6-10

4. NEWS ABOUT REDBIRD WRITERS AND FRIENDS

Note: "R.W. and Friends" either attended Redbird workshops, or taught them, or support the studio in some special way. If you sent information and it did not appear, please forgive and send it again. Web sites are listed but not necessarily linked.

Sharon Hart Addy got a call from Pearson Educational asking to use "Lillian and Grandpere" -- a story published in Cricket magazine -- in a 6th grade literature book. Sharon says, "Wow, I'm turning into literature."

Shauna Singh Baldwin will be teaching at the Banff Centre for the Arts in the Writing with Style program from

April 23-28, 2007. www.shaunasinghbaldwin.com

Elaine Bergstrom's novels MINA and TAPESTRY are both being released in trade paperback this year. Her novelist group, The Redbird Refugees, will be cheering member Lauren Fox at the reading for her first novel, STILL LIFE, WITH HUSBAND, at Schwartz on Oakland, Tuesday Feb 13 at 7 pm. Shauna Singh Baldwin will introduce Lauren.

Sally Bloomer continues to post reports of her travels in Thailand. Recent postings came from Krabi, Pukett, Khao Lak, Chiang Rai, Chaing Mai, Lampang and Phitsanulok, I think.

Judy Bridges will present "Showing vs. Telling: The Art of Lively Writing," at The Third Annual Power of the Pen Writer's Conference at Fox Valley Technical College in Neenah, Saturday, April 21. Contact Lisa Bell, belll@fvtc.edu

Peggy Brown was interviewed by her alma mater, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, for an article in their online newsletter. She also appeared on The Morning Blend (Ch 4) and on radio WMYX to talk about making Valentine crafts. (How do you do that on the radio?)

Jackie Dettloff's article "Bertha Zamudio'" appeared in Riverwest Currents. She writes frequently for the newspaper.

Kirk Farber's "My short story "Forever Girl" is in the February 2007 online issue of Hobart. http://www.hobartpulp.com/website/index.html

Jean Gietzen's poem "Learning to Line Dance" took second place in Byline magazine's Open Theme Poetry contest. She will be offering poetry writing classes at her Fox Point studio starting in April. octodon31@earthlink.net.

Mary Kane's book, OCONOMOWOC (in Arcadia Publishing's Postcard History Series) is available at area booksellers and at the Wisconsin store at Mayfair.

Thea Kovac is teaching a series of art classes at The Garden Room on Capitol Drive. 414-961-0908.

John Lehman and his friends in The Prairie Fire Poetry Quartet -- Robin Chapman, Shoshauna Shy and Richard Roe -- will present the poetry of Lorine Niedecker at The Neenah Library, Sunday, April 15th, 2pm. He will also present two workshops and an open mic at the Fox Valley Power of the Pen Conference in Neenah, April 21. Contact Lisa Bell, belll@fvtc.edu

Pat Lorenz is editing CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL books for chocolate, coffee, tea or wine lovers. (Does anyone not fit into at least one of these categories?) patricialorenz@juno.com

Annie Parcels was sponsored by Redbird to present her poetry at the annual Poetry Marathon at Woodland Pattern bookstore. She also heard from MarshRiverEditions that her poem 'Inuit Carving' placed third in the Threesome contest (Threesome was a new form developed by Michael Kriese which features three columns of poems under one Title.) Her poem will be published in Free Verse #89. Two more poems have been accepted for publication in Wisconsin People and Ideas. These two poems are "Skiing with My Father Who is 73" and "One Day Off Each Summer".

"Skiing With My Father Who is 73" also earned "runner up" in recent poetry contest "Winter" put on by Free Verse.

Marisa Rivera's poem 'the secret' was accepted for publication by Free Verse.

Eva Rumpf is teaching "The Craft of Feature Writing" for UWM Continuing Education on Thursdays, 6:30 pm, April 5-May 10, 2007.

Jean Scherwenka's article, "Heroic Underdogs: The Truth About Pit Bulls" is in the February issue of Fetch Magazine. Another article, "Dr. Maggi Cage, New Executive Director of LGBT Community Center." is in the February issue of Riverwest Currents.

Roi Solberg, Julianna Kopp and Dr. Angela Hall are presenting "Better Than Before," a workshop for women who are now or have experienced cancer. The workshops focus on restortative Yoga and meditation/visualization and are held at Solcare, 305 Silver Spring Rd on Tuesday mornings from 11:30 - 12:30. www.solcarewisconsin.com

Cari Taylor-Carlson is leading four trips out of the U.S.: Switzerland in the Valais Canton in June, Scotland in October, Nepal in late November and Italy in February 2008. venturewestinc.com

Dave Thome and Mary Jo Thome (both Redbird writers) are teaching two sections of "Information Gathering and Writing for the Media," a course for sophomores in Marquette University's College of Communication.

Robert Vaughan will present two workshops at the Fox Valley Power of the Pen Conference in Neenah, April 21: "Building Characters in Fiction and Plays" and "Writing Dialogue." Contact Lisa Bell, belll@fvtc.edu

7. OTHER PLACES-OTHER FACES

Alverno Telesis Program

The Great Lakes Writers Workshop, June 29-30, 2007

and various writing programs

For info on writing programs email nancy.krase@alverno.edu Phone 414-382-6176

Broad Vocabulary, 2241 S. Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee 53207

Offers workshops and special programs in the bookstore

www.broadvocabulary.com 414-744-8384

Council for Wisconsin Writers

Promotes Wisconsin writing through awards and media recognition.

www.WisconsinWriters.org

The Clearing, Ellison Bay, WI (Door County)