Friday, December 6, 2019

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BOOK ASSOCIATION FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW

Featured Member Interview – 

Sheryl Bize-Boutte

A Rich Retirement: Sheryl Bize-Boutte Proves 
It’s Never Too Late for the Write Words
by Nita Sweeney, author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink

One of the many joys of participating in the Women’s National Book Association of San Francisco is the opportunity to learn from talented, successful authors such a Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte. As could be expected from even a quick review of her work, Sheryl provided generous, insightful answers to my questions.

NS: You enjoyed a rich work-life before you turned to writing full-time. Did your work experience prepare you for this phase of your career?
SJBB: The two things my work experience did for my writing career were 1) to provide a nice retirement with freedom to write and 2) to let me know that I could write in many different forms. In those ways the career off-ramp was totally worth it. Although I wrote a bit now and then throughout my government career, my work-related writing was often lauded and I became the “writer” in the office. I once wrote a section of congressional testimony for a cabinet level secretary that was delivered to the House without one word being changed. That sealed it for me. I knew what I would be doing in my retirement!

NS: Your work has won some impressive awards. Have those helped further your writing career?
SJBB: Awards are impressive to some and I am sure have caught the eye of readers and some important people in the writing game. But I have found that much of my recognition and furtherance as a writer has been a result of my readings, involvement in the writing community and face-to-face casual literary encounters out there in the world of writing. I don’t write for the award of it. I write for the love of it. I think people feel my love of the writing and sometimes that alone makes them want to hear and see more of it.
NS: You have been described as a “talented multidisciplinary writer whose works artfully succeed in getting across deeper meanings about life and the politics of race and economics without breaking out of the narrative.” What did you think when you read this review?
SJBB: I can only surmise that this is what she received from reading my stories. I will say that since an African American mother who was often treated badly because of her skin color, and a Creole father who was often mistaken as White raised me, some may view my writings about my observations of the differences as artful, but for me they are what my life was and is made of. I had an “inside view” so to speak of what it meant to be treated as Black as well as White in Oakland as well as in the South, and since I was an extremely nosey child who listened to and looked closely at everything, I remember it, I kept it and I can write it. As far as the narrative part: My favorite writing form is the short story. I learned a long time ago that be to an effective short story teller one must make each sentence a story in itself, have very few characters and stay on point. 

NS: Which of your many publications made you the proudest and why?
SJBB: I am most proud of my first published story, “Dead Chickens and Miss Anne” as it was the first short story I wrote after I retired and was published by the first and only place I submitted it. In addition to that, the comments about the story included that people felt I had found my voice, but in fact I was humbled to know that I had never lost it.

NS: Much of your work is set in Oakland. Can you talk about why this suits your work?
SJBB: I think Oakland is one of the most vibrant, creative and artistic cities on the planet and I am so fortunate to be here. As I have watched it change, grow, shrink, and morph, it has informed and nurtured my writing from the day my 12-year-old self wrote a story on my new Smith Corona, to now and beyond. My real memory and imaginary muse have their base in Oakland and both remain solid and rich with many more stories to tell.

NS: You successfully write in many genres. Are there common threads among these works?
SJBB: I think the common thread is my unique voice. My way of expression that is just me. I see things in a different way than some. I write with that difference.

NS: Crowds have enjoyed your readings, which were said to “bring down the house.” To what do you attribute your success at such events?
SJBB: I come from a family of voracious readers, storytellers, singers, poets, writers; you name it. One of our favorite pastimes as children was to act out scenes or mimic favorite characters as we told stories. I still do that. I find myself changing tone, pitch and voice when reading, especially poetry where there may be more than one character or message. Audiences are tickled and sometimes enthralled by that or perhaps how much I seem to like what I am saying. But the bigger attribution comes from the fact that I do not see myself as separate from the audience. I am not a presenter. I am a person sharing my life and work with people who have been gracious enough to sit quietly (until the end, hopefully when they applaud raucously) and listen.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019



twisted
MY STORY

"UNCLE MARTIN"


HAS BEEN NOMINATED 
FOR 

A 2020 PUSHCART PRIZE 
BY
MEDUSA LAUGH PRESS

AND IS INCLUDED IN THEIR 2019 ANTHOLOGY 
 
"FRAGILE"


Fragile is an anthology comprised of works that express some motif of fragility. It can appear in a variety of ways: the vulnerability of the strong, a balance on the precipice of destruction, the ephemeral nature of bonds, a moment that nearly breaks you, and the like. However, being fragile doesn’t have to mean breaking; it can alternatively lead to growth, rebuilding, moving beyond.
Publication Date: July 2019
Edition size: 200
Dimensions: 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"
Binding: Hardcover Case
Paper: Loop Smooth-Snow 70lb
Cover: Paper printed with a custom design
ISBN: 978-0-9984865-4-3
Price: $15.00
Add to cart
Sheryl Bize-Boutte


























Saturday, November 2, 2019

IF THEY TURNED OFF THE POWER IN BROOKFIELD VILLAGE IN 1957

-->
IF THEY TURNED OFF THE POWER IN BROOKFIELD VILLAGE IN 1957

by
Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte


If they turned off the power in Brookfield Village in 1957
The air would be overfed noisy with voices
Sprinkled with sugar
From that girl who always laughs the loudest
Roller skates whirring on pavement
Interrupted in syncopated rhythm
by the evenly spaced cracks
Bikes tearing up black asphalt
wearing headlights
And AM radios
Blasting KYA and KEWB
Because the power would have been turned off
At KSOL

If they turned off the power in Brookfield Village in 1957
No one would be inside
Except stinky old lady
Frances from France she said she was
Cause she never came out anyway
But she had the old icebox
To save us all
And the smoke filling the air
Would not be from distant fires
In neighborhoods we had never heard of
Or sidewalked on
Or bicycled on
Or radioed on
But from the bbq pits
In the center of every back yard
And from outdoor fireplaces
Surrounded by children
Making marshmallows golden gooey
While they giggled and laughed right into the
No school tomorrow

If they turned off the power in Brookfield Village in 1957
We would have known
How we all were doing
By sight
Touch
Smile
Voices that came straight
From human mouths
We could not be shut down
Without access
To next door
We would just
Walk
Next
Door
And knock
And ask if
Everyone was all right
And then if
Mr. Butler or Mr. Osgood
had enough gas in the Buick
or the Chevy
To go to the other side of town
Where we heard
 the lights were still on
If they would be brave enough
To take the chance
On unapproved entry
Into forbidden territory
For more ice
 And cigarettes
and royal crown if they had any
with the blue velvet bag
that would be mine this time
And be sure to get the ice cream
We would all scream
As we watched them slowly drive away
Then we would have waited nervously
And played with a nagging knowing
Flash and candlelight ready
for their safe and victorious return
And oh lord
When we could yell
Here they come
The air would return and
We would run to meet them
As they turned the corner
We would open their doors
Before the complete stop
And they
With unsteady hands removing caps
brow sweat revealed
peppered with questions
wringing hands and broad smile rapid talk
would release the bloat
in stomachs filled with stories
about what may have happened
if they turned off the power
in Brookfield Village
in 1957


copyright© 2019 by Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte
sjbb-talkinginclass.blogspot.com

Monday, October 21, 2019

Sunday, October 20, 2019

LIT CRAWL-SF WAS FABULOUS AND HERE IS WHAT I READ

I had a fabulous time at Lit Crawl-SF on October 19 reading with my partner, 
author Christine Volker

I read an excerpt from my upcoming novel, Betrayal on the Bayou, which is planned for release in early 2020.

As is usual in my writing, many stereotypes are sure to be challenged, dissected or just outright destroyed, and in this book, the fictional town of Tassin is just one of them.

Many at Lit Quake said they are looking forward to the rest of the story.  Here's hoping you feel the same!

Enjoy!

Excerpt from the upcoming novel
 Betrayal on the Bayou
by
Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte

Copyright©2019 by Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte

In March of 1865, the Union Army attacked Fort Ravare.  The battle was fierce with several casualties on each side.  A little more than two months later, in May 1865, the Union Army took Fort Ravare and declared victory.   A group of about one hundred Union soldiers took to the roads on horseback and on foot, marching through the small towns along the way, drinking, stealing cotton and damaging property.  When they reached the town of Tassin, a line of horse- mounted Tassin residents, armed and ready for battle, met them at the entrance.

Marie scanned the arriving troops and finding the one with the most stripes she addressed him directly.

“Stop, please.  Do not come any further.”

Her command was met with laughter from the soldiers.  The Tassin line took a step closer.  Now facing each other with only a few feet between them, the tension was palatable. 

“What is this place?” the striped soldier asked.  “And who are these people who do not seem to know what has happened here?”

More laughter erupted from the soldiers.

“This is the Tassin Valley and you have arrived at the town of Tassin.  Nothing has happened here.”

“And Miss Lady, who might you be?”

“I am Marie Tassin.  This is my town.”

“Your town?  A female with an entire town?”

“Yes, kind sir.  That is correct.  And you and your men look like you could use a drink and a bath.  We are happy to host you as you make your way home.”

Striped soldier was taken aback by all of what he had just heard.  These were not your normal southerners, he thought.  There was something different here.  He was not afraid of it and at the same time he was not comfortable with it either.  But he was intrigued.  After the countless battles he had fought and death he had witnessed, he was more than happy to feel an emotion other than fear or aggression.  He was the first to dismount.  Marie followed.  As they walked toward each other striped soldier removed his hat,

“I think my men and I would like that very much.”

The parties at the Monarch and Kingsland hotels lasted for three days before the soldiers, clean, fed and happy, prepared to leave Tassin. 

Striped soldier mounted his horse and called his men to attention.  He thanked Marie and her hotel workers for their unforgettable hospitality.  Before he turned his horse to leave, he said to Marie,

“You know, now that we have won the war, you are going to have to free your slaves.”

“Oh, you mean the colored people at the Monarch?”

“Yes, they won’t have to work for you anymore.  They are going to be freed.  This is a nice town. I am so sorry.”

Marie hesitated as if she wanted to reply, but just then Vanessa came up behind her and tapped her on the back of her shoulder. She handed her an envelope.  So happy to see the ill-mannered, disgusting soldiers finally leave, and knowing things could have been worse for her and the town, Marie had almost forgotten.

She walked to the striped soldier and handed him the envelope. 

He opened it to find an invoice addressed to the union army for three days of expenses in the town of Tassin, due and payable.

The striped soldier smiled, tipped his hat to Marie and with his band of men, slowly road out of town.


Wednesday, September 4, 2019

JOIN ME AT LIT CRAWL 2019

JOIN ME AND OTHER WONDERFUL WRITERS FOR THE SYNCHRONIZED CHAOS MAGAZINE READING 

FOR THE 

2019 LIT QUAKE/LIT CRAWL

 ON:

Saturday October 19, 2019 6:30pm - 7:30pm 

AT:
 
Adobe Books & Arts Cooperative 3130 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA

Authors
avatar for Sheryl Bize-Boutte

Sheryl Bize-Boutte

Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, California. Her first published writing experiences began while she was a student at the prestigious Mills College in Oakland as a columnist for the College's newspaper, and as the youth editor for a local magazine... Read More →

Christine Volker  (my reading partner for this event!)




Thursday, August 29, 2019

2019 EFFIE LEE MORRIS LECTURE SERIES

The 2019 Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series Celebrates Women Writers


Join the San Francisco Public Library Main Children’s Center this fall as we present two lectures celebrating the voices of two gifted female authors and honoring the work of Effie Lee Morris (1921 – 2009), the first coordinator of children’s services at SFPL.
Ms. Morris, a tireless champion for diversity in children’s literature and in children’s lives, was the first African-American president of the Public Library Association, and a co-founder of the SF chapter of the Women’s National Book Association.
On Thursday, September 5, Renee Watson, the Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of the young adult novel Piecing Me Together, and of the new middle grade novel Some Places More Than Others, will deliver the 23rd Effie Lee Morris Lecture.
On Wednesday, October 2, 2019, F. Isabel Campoy, the International Latino Children’s Book Award-winning author of the picture book Maybe Something Beautiful, and the Spanish-language translator of Mo Willems’ “Elephant and Piggie” books, will deliver the 24th Effie Lee Morris Lecture.
Both lectures will start at 6 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium, and will be followed by book-signings with the authors. The events are free and open to the public of all ages.
The Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series is presented with the generous support of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and the SF chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. This annual lecture honors the work of the late Effie Lee Morris by celebrating the work of writers and illustrators for children whose work exemplifies the causes she championed: inclusivity, diversity, and the rights of all children to read, learn, and create. Ms. Morris was the first coordinator of children’s services at SFPL, the first African-American president of the Public Library Association, and a founder of the San Francisco chapter of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA).
About the Lecturers:
Renee Watson is the recipient of a Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Honor award for her young adult novel Piecing Me Together. Her other acclaimed books include the picture books Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, and A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, about the time Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. Her new book for middle grade readers, Some Places More than Others, will be published in September 2019.
Renee is also an activist and teacher who helps young people deal with personal and societal trauma. She has served as a writer in residence in schools and community centers nationwide. She launched the #LangstonsLegacyCampaign in 2016, purchasing poet Langston Hughes’ historic Harlem brownstone with the goal of developing it into a collective artists’ space.
Renee Watson
Learn more about Renee here: http://www.reneewatson.net/about
In the second lecture in this year’s series, we will welcome author and educator F. Isabel Campoy on Wednesday, October 2.
The Effie Lee Morris Lecture series is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 415-557-4554 or see their website.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

ORDER NOW TO READ MY LATEST SHORT STORY "UNCLE MARTIN"

twisted

MY STORY, "UNCLE MARTIN" IS PUBLISHED IN "FRAGILE"
(MEDUSA'S LAUGH PRESS)

NOMINATED AS "BEST OF THE NET FOR 2018"
BY
SYNCHRONIZED CHAOS INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE


Fragile is an anthology comprised of works that express some motif of fragility. It can appear in a variety of ways: the vulnerability of the strong, a balance on the precipice of destruction, the ephemeral nature of bonds, a moment that nearly breaks you, and the like. However, being fragile doesn’t have to mean breaking; it can alternatively lead to growth, rebuilding, moving beyond.
Publication Date: July 2019
Edition size: 200
Dimensions: 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"
Binding: Hardcover Case
Paper: Loop Smooth-Snow 70lb
Cover: Paper printed with a custom design
ISBN: 978-0-9984865-4-3
Price: $15.00
Add to cart

HOPE TO SEE YOU FOR LUNCH ON 8/16!

Author Lunch – A Novel Plan: The Art of Outlining Your Fiction


Author Lunch, Mechanics Institute Library
Friday, August 16, 2019, 12:00 Noon
57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 
4th Floor, Chess Room (Free to Public, refreshments available)

What are the secrets to success for novels? At least one of them is structure and our esteemed WNBA-SF member authors will share the approaches that have garnered them bestseller status, awards and rave reviews. Learn what role planning and research play and how to make your scenes, settings, and characters realistic and compulsively readable from beginning to end. The Women’s National Book Association’s San Francisco Chapter is thrilled to present three examplar writers for in-depth explanations of the strategies that inform their craft.
A Novel Plan will be moderated by WNBA-SF President Brenda Knight. There will be Q&A followed by book signings; bring your notebooks and plenty of questions!
Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an Oakland multidisciplinary writer whose works artfully succeed in getting across deeper meanings about life and the politics of race and economics without breaking out of the narrative, with Oakland often serving as the backdrop for her touching and often hilarious works. Her first book, A Dollar Five-Stories From A Baby Boomer’s Ongoing Journey (2014) has been described as “ rich in vivid imagery”, and “incredible.” Her second book, All That and More’s Wedding (2016), a collection of fictional mystery/crime short stories, is praised as “imaginative with colorful and likeable characters that draw you in to each story and leave you wanting more.”  Her latest book, Running for the 2:10 (2017), a follow-on to A Dollar Five, delves deeper into her coming of age in Oakland and the embedded issues of race and skin color with one reviewer calling it “… a great contribution to literature.” Her fictional story, “Uncle Martin” will be published by Medusa’s Laugh Press Summer 2019. She currently has a novel in progress titled “Betrayal on the Bayou,” slated for publication in early 2020. She is also a contributor to award winning author Kate Farrell’s upcoming book “Story Power,” an anthology on how writers build and create their stories.
Mary Mackey
Mary Mackey is The New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels, including The Earthsong Series—four novels which describe how the peaceful Goddess-worshiping people of Prehistoric Europe fought off patriarchal nomad invaders (The Village of Bones, The Year The Horses Came, The Horses at the Gate, and The Fires of Spring). Mary’s novels have been praised by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Pat Conroy, Thomas Moore, Marija Gimbutas, Maxine Hong Kingston, Marge Piercy, and Theodore Roszak for their historical accuracy, inventiveness, literary grace, vividness, and storytelling magic. They have made The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller Lists, been translated into twelve foreign languages and sold over a million and a half copies. Mary has also written eight collections of poetry including The Jaguars That Prowl Our Dreams: New and Selected Poems 1974 to 2018, winner of the 2019 Eric Hoffer Award for Best Book Published by a Small Press and a 2018 CIIS Women’s Spirituality Book Award. An earlier collection of Mary’s poetry, Sugar Zone, won the 2012 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence. At marymackey.com, you can get the latest news about Mary’s books and public appearances, sample her work, sign up for her newsletter, and get writing advice. You can also find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @MMackeyAuthor.

Martha Conway’s latest novel, The Underground River, was selected as a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. She is also the author of Thieving Forest, which won the North American Book Award in Historical Fiction, and Sugarland, which was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016. Martha’s short fiction has appeared in the Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, The Quarterly, Carolina Quarterly, and other publications. She has reviewed fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Iowa Review, and is a recipient of a California Arts Council fellowship in Creative Writing. In addition to writing, Martha is an instructor of creative writing at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program and UC Berkeley Extension. She received her BA from Vassar College in History and English, and her MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Born and raised in Ohio, she now lives in San Francisco with her family, where the fog reminds her of lake-effect cloud cover in Cleveland. Martha tweets ten-minute prompts every weekday on twitter (#10minprompt) via @marthamconway.

Monday, July 22, 2019

UNCLE MARTIN NOMINATED AS "BEST OF THE NET" FOR 2018

twisted  
 "UNCLE MARTIN"
NOMINATED AS "BEST OF THE NET" FOR 2018 BY SYNCHRONIZED CHAOS MAGAZINE
 
AND JUST PUBLISHED IN THE "FRAGILE" ANTHOLOGY
 
NOW AVAILABLE FROM MEDUSA'S LAUGH PRESS


Fragile is an anthology comprised of works that express some motif of fragility. It can appear in a variety of ways: the vulnerability of the strong, a balance on the precipice of destruction, the ephemeral nature of bonds, a moment that nearly breaks you, and the like. However, being fragile doesn’t have to mean breaking; it can alternatively lead to growth, rebuilding, moving beyond.
Publication Date: July 2019
Edition size: 200
Dimensions: 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"
Binding: Hardcover Case
Paper: Loop Smooth-Snow 70lb
Cover: Paper printed with a custom design
ISBN: 978-0-9984865-4-3
Price: $15.00
Add to cart

Saturday, July 13, 2019


twisted 
NOW AVAILABLE FROM MEDUSA'S LAUGH PRESS


FEATURING MY STORY, "UNCLE MARTIN"


Fragile is an anthology comprised of works that express some motif of fragility. It can appear in a variety of ways: the vulnerability of the strong, a balance on the precipice of destruction, the ephemeral nature of bonds, a moment that nearly breaks you, and the like. However, being fragile doesn’t have to mean breaking; it can alternatively lead to growth, rebuilding, moving beyond.
Publication Date: July 2019
Edition size: 200
Dimensions: 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"
Binding: Hardcover Case
Paper: Loop Smooth-Snow 70lb
Cover: Paper printed with a custom design
ISBN: 978-0-9984865-4-3
Price: $15.00
Add to cart

Friday, July 12, 2019

MIXING IT UP WITH THE WOMEN'S NATIONAL BOOK ASSOCIATION: 8/16/2019

Women's National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter

2019-07-12 15:00:25-04

top view looking down spiral staircase at Mechanics Institute Library, San FranciscoFriday, August 16, 2019, 2pm to 4 pm
57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 
4th Floor, Chess Room (Free to Public, refreshments available)
Please join WNBA-SF members and friends for a get together at the beautiful beaux arts building in downtown San Francisco. Start the weekend of right with members of both our Women’s National Book Association Chapter as well as Mechanics Institute Library, and more!
It’s a MIXER, so bring a literary friend or two to join the fun. We appreciate our members and would love for you to join us so we can hear your about how 2019 is going so far for you. We’d love to hear about books you have read, articles you are writing, books you are publishing, events you are promoting, or libraries and literary causes you support.
This event will take place right after the lecture “A Novel Plan,” https://wnba-sfchapter.org/author-lunch-art-of-outlining-fiction/ where WNBA-SF writers share tips and inspiration on crafting fiction. We’ll offer librations and snacks to share and, in addition to the novelists, you can meet some of the judges of our writing contest! https://wnba-sfchapter.org/2019-bay-area-writers-contest/
Let us know if you’re coming and if you’re bringing guests by filling out this short RSVP form. Carpools and rides arranged upon request.

Monday, July 8, 2019

Writers Lunch
A Novel Plan: The Art of Outlining Your Fiction

Friday, August 16, 2019 - 12:00pm

In partnership with the Womens' National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter and moderated by President Brenda Knight.
What are the secrets to success for novels? At least one of them is structure -- our speakers will share the approaches that have garnered them bestseller status, awards and rave reviews. Learn what role planning and research play and how to make your scenes, settings, and characters realistic and compulsively readable from beginning to end. There will be Q&A followed by book signings; bring your lunch, a notebook and plenty of questions! Coffee, tea and dessert will be provided.

Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an Oakland multidisciplinary writer whose works artfully succeed in getting across deeper meanings about life and the politics of race and economics without breaking out of the narrative, with Oakland often serving as the backdrop for her touching and often hilarious works. Her first book, A Dollar Five-Stories From A Baby Boomer's Ongoing Journey (2014) has been described as "rich in vivid imagery", and "incredible." Her second book, All That and More's Wedding (2016), a collection of fictional mystery/crime short stories, is praised as "imaginative with colorful and likeable characters that draw you in to each story and leave you wanting more." Her latest book, Running for the 2:10 (2017), a follow-on to A Dollar Five, delves deeper into her coming of age in Oakland and the embedded issues of race and skin color with one reviewer calling it "... a great contribution to literature." Her fictional story, "Uncle Martin" will be published by Medusa's Laugh Press Summer 2019. She currently has a novel in progress titled Betrayal on the Bayou, slated for publication in early 2020. She is also a contributor to award winning author Kate Farrell's upcoming book Story Power, an anthology on how writers build and create their stories. It has been said that Sheryl "brings down the house" with presentations of her stories (both true and fictional) and poetry. Her poems "Cutty Sark and Milk (She Said, She Said)" and "Childthink" were winners in the 2019 San Lorenzo Library Literary Contest. She is still often asked to read "The Last Collard Green," one of her most popular fiction stories, published by Synchronized Chaos Magazine in 2017.
Mary Mackey is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels, including The Earthsong Series—four novels which describe how the peaceful Goddess-worshiping people of Prehistoric Europe fought off patriarchal nomad invaders (The Village of Bones, The Year The Horses Came, The Horses at the Gate, and The Fires of Spring). Mary's novels have been praised by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Pat Conroy, Thomas Moore, Marija Gimbutas, Maxine Hong Kingston, Marge Piercy, and Theodore Roszak for their historical accuracy, inventiveness, literary grace, vividness, and storytelling magic. They have made The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller Lists, been translated into twelve foreign languages and sold over a million and a half copies. Mary has also written seven collections of poetry including Sugar Zone, winner of the 2012 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award. This September Marsh Hawk Press will publish a collection of her new and selected poems entitled The Jaguars That Prowl Our Dreams. At marymackey.com, you can get the latest news about Mary's books and public appearances, sample her work, sign up for her newsletter, and get writing advice. You can also find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @MMackeyAuthor.
Martha Conway’s latest novel, The Underground River, was selected as a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. She is also the author of Thieving Forest, which won the North American Book Award in Historical Fiction, and Sugarland, which was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016. Martha’s short fiction has appeared in the Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, The Quarterly, Carolina Quarterly, and other publications. She has reviewed fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Iowa Review, and is a recipient of a California Arts Council fellowship in Creative Writing. In addition to writing, Martha is an instructor of creative writing at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program and UC Berkeley Extension. She received her BA from Vassar College in History and English, and her MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Born and raised in Ohio, she now lives in San Francisco with her family, where the fog reminds her of lake-effect cloud cover in Cleveland. Martha tweets ten-minute prompts every weekday on twitter (#10minprompt) via @marthamconway.


TODAY'S EMAIL FROM MEDUSA'S LAUGH PRESS:



"I am writing to inform you of the release of Fragile, where your submission of Uncle Martin is included."


IT'S ON THE WAY!  MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW! 
 
EXCERPT FROM UNCLE MARTIN
COPYRIGHT©2018 BY SHERYL J. BIZE-BOUTTE

 
Uncle Martin

I don’t know why Daddy brought me with him to Uncle Martin’s house that day or even remember whether it was just he and I, but there we were, standing on the curb edge squinting into the sun, waiting for Uncle Martin to cross the street.  Dressed in an un-tucked flowy white shirt and severely creased beige slacks, Uncle Martin was looking back nervously over his shoulder as he slowly made his way across the yard and on to the sidewalk carrying a small raggedy suitcase containing what he would later tell me were his “essentials.”  

Much later, I would understand that Daddy was the logical one to be there that day.  He and Uncle Martin had been close since the day Daddy married his only sister, my mom.  Uncle Martin took one more quick look over his shoulder just before his foot hit the black asphalt of the street.  Standing in a stiff row behind him were the family he was leaving, an angry wife and three children; a girl aged 10 and two boys aged 7 and 5.  The girl stood solidly beside her mother trying her best to mimic her adult fury, while oldest boy simply looked lost and confused.  The youngest boy, who looked nothing like Uncle Martin, had a look on his face that coincided with his mismatch, that of utter detachment...

Monday, June 24, 2019

THE DUCK AND ME

THE DUCK AND ME
WAITING TO READ "THE GIRL OF THE SUNFLOWER"
AT THE OCTOPUS LITERARY SALON (WITH AUTHOR GINI GROSSENBACHER)
JUNE 20, 2019
Seated: Cristina Deptula of Authors Large and Small

Friday, June 14, 2019

JOIN US ON THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2019

PLEASE JOIN US ON

 THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2019 AT 6:00 PM 

FOR A PARTNERED READING 
 
AT THE OCTOPUS LITERARY SALON

SEVERAL LOCAL AUTHORS FROM "AUTHORS LARGE AND SMALL" WILL BE READING WORKS INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF THEIR READING PARTNER

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WILL BE PARTNERING WITH AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR GINI GROSSENBACHER AND WILL BE READING MY NEWEST SHORT STORY

"GIRL OF THE SUNFLOWER"

 Octopus Literary Salon
2101 Webster Street
Oakland, CA 

See my Author Page at

Friday, June 7, 2019

AUTHOR LUNCH AT THE MECHANICS INSTITUTE 8/16/2019

2019-06-07 15:00:00-04

Author Lunch, Mechanics Institute Library
Friday, August 16, 2019, 12:00 Noon
57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 
4th Floor, Chess Room (Free to Public, refreshments available)

What are the secrets to success for novels? At least one of them is structure and our esteemed WNBA-SF member authors will share the approaches that have garnered them bestseller status, awards and rave reviews. Learn what role planning and research play and how to make your scenes, settings, and characters realistic and compulsively readable from beginning to end. The Women’s National Book Association’s San Francisco Chapter is thrilled to present three examplar writers for in-depth explanations of the strategies that inform their craft.
A Novel Plan will be moderated by WNBA-SF President Brenda Knight. There will be Q&A followed by book signings; bring your notebooks and plenty of questions!

Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an Oakland multidisciplinary writer whose works artfully succeed in getting across deeper meanings about life and the politics of race and economics without breaking out of the narrative, with Oakland often serving as the backdrop for her touching and often hilarious works. Her first book, A Dollar Five-Stories From A Baby Boomer’s Ongoing Journey (2014) has been described as “ rich in vivid imagery”, and “incredible.” Her second book, All That and More’s Wedding (2016), a collection of fictional mystery/crime short stories, is praised as “imaginative with colorful and likeable characters that draw you in to each story and leave you wanting more.”  Her latest book, Running for the 2:10 (2017), a follow-on to A Dollar Five, delves deeper into her coming of age in Oakland and the embedded issues of race and skin color with one reviewer calling it “… a great contribution to literature.” Her fictional story, “Uncle Martin” will be published by Medusa’s Laugh Press Summer 2019. She currently has a novel in progress titled “Betrayal on the Bayou,” slated for publication in early 2020. She is also a contributor to award winning author Kate Farrell’s upcoming book “Story Power,” an anthology on how writers build and create their stories.


Mary MackeyMary Mackey is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels, including The Earthsong Series—four novels which describe how the peaceful Goddess-worshiping people of Prehistoric Europe fought off patriarchal nomad invaders (The Village of Bones, The Year The Horses Came, The Horses at the Gate, and The Fires of Spring ). Mary’s novels have been praised by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Pat Conroy, Thomas Moore, Marija Gimbutas, Maxine Hong Kingston, Marge Piercy, and Theodore Roszak for their historical accuracy, inventiveness, literary grace, vividness, and storytelling magic. They have made The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller Lists, been translated into twelve foreign languages and sold over a million and a half copies. Mary has also written seven collections of poetry including Sugar Zone, winner of the 2012 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award. This September Marsh Hawk Press will publish a collection of her new and selected poems entitled The Jaguars That Prowl Our Dreams. At marymackey.com , you can get the latest news about Mary’s books and public appearances, sample her work, sign up for her newsletter, and get writing advice. You can also find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @MMackeyAuthor.
 
Joan Gelfand’s reviews, stories and poetry have appeared in over 100 national and international literary journals and magazines including Rattle, Prairie Schooner, Kalliope, California Quarterly, the Toronto Review, Marsh Hawk Review and Levure Litteraire. Joan has been a featured reader at numerous venues in the United States and Mexico  including Bowery Poetry Club, the Southern Festival of Books, The Public Library of New York, and Litquake. Development Chair of the Women’s National Book Association, a member of the National Book Critics Circle and a juror for the Northern California Book Awards, Joan blogs for the Huffington Post and coaches writers. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Adam Hertz and two beatnik kitties – Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
 
The post Author Lunch A Novel Plan: The Art of Outlining Your Fiction appeared first on Women's National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF WONDERFUL LITERARY CREATIVITY 
AT
Bay Area Generations Show #69
Monday, May 27, 2019

A literary reading and salon featuring the curated works of Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area poets, writers and storytellers, with musical guest (s).



Curated by:  Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte and Fred Dodsworth

With fine bay area poets and writers!
Richard Sanderell + Just Duléa
Susie Hara + Rowena Richie
Kristen Caven + Louise Hart
Darlene Frank + Lisa Meltzer Penn
Vibha Akkaraju + Aanika Akkaraju
CF Pinto + Stacy Johnson


& Musical Guest: Heather Bourbeau + Raman Osman

at Harrington Galleries

599 Valencia St.
 in The Mission, SF
Tickets: http://bit.ly/BAG69tx

Wine bar | 1 Block from BART | on Public Transportation
From BART: http://bit.ly/BAGHarrG

Doors open: 6 p.m. Show: 7 p.m.
Suggested donation $10, includes with chapbook
*No one turned away for lack of funds.*

Get tickets: http://bit.ly/BAG69tx

Bay Area Generations literary reading series features paired readers of differing generations in a curated submission based show. Since 2013, over 400 hundred notable authors, poets, writers, playwrights and musicians have read poetry and stories, or performed at this celebrated literary salon.
Website: www.bayareagenerations.com
FB: www.facebook.com/bayareagenerations
Events: www.facebook.com/bayareagenerations/events