Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "writers"

Roan Press, a labor of love for local writers

2011-07-28T05:29:46Z

Local writers look no further.

Roan Press is a two-year-old, non profit, small Sacramento publisher run by husband and wife Bradley Buchanan and Kate Washington. The couple wants to foster the local literary community so they choose books that would not normally be published by bigger companies.

They publish one to two books per year, so far falling under the categories of poetry, anthology and memoir. They are currently on their fourth paperback book: “Peach Farmer’s Daughter” by Brenda Nakamoto.

“‘Peach Farmer’s Daughter’ appealed to me because Brenda tells a story of growing up on a peach farm in Gridley, and I'm from Chico, just half an hour up the road – my dad is an almond grower, so I'm also a farmer’s daughter,” Washington said. “Her descriptions of summer on a farm in the valley were beautifully crafted and really spoke to me, and I wanted people to know that story.”

“Peach Farmer’s Daughter” is a memoir about Nakamoto's childhood and her experiences as a peach farmer’s daughter living in a rural area in Gridley, California.

“What I especially like about them is they want to represent writers that wouldn’t usually be published, and I really fit into that category (of more personal pieces, rather than big sellers), but they want to help get that writing out there,” Nakamoto said.

“There are things we have to say in this valley that maybe people from New York can't relate to, but there is plenty of learning and sharing we could do.”

Nakamoto learns more about her roots as a “sansei,”a third-generation Japanese-America, and talks about her parents aging. She's been working at UC Davis for more than 20 years and is currently an administrative assistant in the dean’s office; “Peach Farmer’s Daughter” is her first book.

“The hardest part about what we do is sifting through the queries that come in and keeping up with the correspondence,” Buchanan said.

The process of publishing is a lot of sending the manuscript back and forth, editing, revising, adding, rewording and removing. Buchanan and Washington have been switching leadership on each book, and Washington was mostly involved in Nakamoto's book.

Washington's background as a copy editor allowed her to do all the editing with Nakamoto without needing to send the book anywhere else. Joshua Lurie-Terrell came up with the design and template for the book. He also helped Buchanan and Washington with their previous book, “Visions of Joanna Newsom.”

The other three books that have been published are “Visions of Joanna Newsom,” assembled by Buchanan, “Crow Song” by Zoe Keithley and “Swimming the Mirror: Poems for my Daughter” by Buchanan. These books can be easily accessed on Amazon.com.

“Kate and I are both pretty strong editorial minds, we both have high standards for the things we want to see published,” Buchanan said. “The writer may resist a little at first but they come to see that the final product is sometimes better than what they would have even imagined.”

After Nakamoto's collages and photos were put in the book and the nitty-gritty details were worked through – such as last-minute text corrections and positioning of the pages – the book was sent to Dome, a local printer used by Roan Press. There were 500 copies printed and shipped to Buchanan and Washington's home to be sold to local bookstores and on Amazon.com.

The name “Roan” is an anagram of Buchanan’s and Washington's eldest daughter’s name, Nora. Buchanan's manuscript (and first book published by Roan Press) was a lot about Nora and his experience of becoming a parent and watching her grow.

“The most rewarding part has been, for example, when I went to a reading that our author Brenda gave and something like 45 people turned out, it was standing room only,” Washington said.

“It was good for the bookstore. We were thrilled, and Brenda got up there and talked about how happy she is seeing this book that is really personal to her speak to other people in the community, it makes me feel like we've done a good thing.”

“There is a lot of culture and history and interesting people and a lot of potential here – I felt it was right for someone to come along and do something like this,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan and Washington are not only raising their family but have jobs along with running Roan Press. Buchanan, originally from Canada, is an associate professor of English at Sacramento State. He teaches creative writing and British and world literature and has appeared in many periodicals. He also has several of his own poetry books published, “The Miracle Shirker” and his book length study of the fiction of British author Hanif Kureishi. Washington is mainly a food and travel freelance writer and editor for local magazines and newspapers such as Sactown Magazine, Sunset, the San Francisco Chronicle and others.

“Big publishers are trying to make a quick book, because they are just big corporations that have to show profit every quarter,” Buchanan said. “Poetry is especially neglected by mainstream publishers. It's a genre that is really important and a meaningful way of writing, but poetry doesn't sell in big chain stores, just in little ones.”

Buchanan and Washington run Roan Press as a pair with some help from a hand-picked board of directors. There are five of them who meet once a year that only help with the larger direction of Roan Press. In the future, Buchanan and Washington hope to have more involvement from them as they grow and publish more books.

The board members include Buchanan, Washington, Kel Munger who is a local writer and also works at the Sacramento News & Review, James Den Boer who is a poet and Hellen Lee-Keller who is an English professor at Sacramento State.

“We really believe there are a lot of unheard voices from our area and that there is a real thriving literary community, and we would like to bring that to the forefront,” Washington said. “Let voices that may not be heard on a national level be heard by us and directly to consumers here in Northern California.”

Brenda Nakamoto's next appearance will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 in Gridley at the Gridley Branch Library.

“Right now, we want to start meeting more writers in the community and finding out what they are working on and seeing where we want to go with the next project,” Washington said.

Their next book is expected to come out in 2012, Buchanan and Washington do not want to disclose any further information about their plans with it at this point.

For more information visit Roan Press on their website.

Food Talk at Cafe Bernardo

2011-06-06T06:41:34Z

“I love to eat, obviously.” Maryellen Burns makes a motion with her arms, indicating that she’s talking about her figure, then laughs. Her eyes are bright, excited. Burns is wearing a colorful, souvenir apron that reads “Mallorca Island” and large, painted wooden pigs dangle from her ears.

She’s addressing the group of individuals who have shown up for her and Lynn Gowdy’s FoodTalk@Cafe Bernardo, the first in a four-part series running every Saturday this June.

The talk is entitled “Blind Tasting.” And who’s in attendance? A man with no sense of smell, a man with poor sense of smell, a women who says she gets hives every time she enters the kitchen and, of course, plenty of foodies.

“Where do you think the importance of taste lies in someone’s decision to go to a particular restaurant, on a scale of 1 to 20? On a list that includes things like ambiance and convenience,” Gowdy asks, a slight smile curving just the ends of her lips.

Individuals start to guess,
“Three.”
“Sixth.”
“Ten.”

Gowdy’s smile grows wider. “Seventeenth.”

She goes on to talk about the general components of taste (smell, mouth feel, texture, sensation, finish), addressing information from a folder that each person received upon their arrival. The contents of the folder is original, written completely by Gowdy and Burns,
and touches on subjects such as the physiology of taste, the influence of temperature on taste and building a food vocabulary.

“Write down all the words you would use to describe a lemon. Then describe a lemon without using any of those words.”

A plethora of tips, such as the one suggested above, are given throughout the talk and, after a discussion about umami, cheeses and why they taste better at room temperature, and several exercises to get everyone used to “using their palates,” both Gowdy and Burns happily inform everyone, “We’re going to have to get to the blind tasting!”

Individuals are told to pair up. Some do so easily, others awkwardly. One person is blindfolded, and the other is instructed to help their sightless partner partake in the tasting, then write down the words their partner uses to describe each “component of taste.” Afterward, the partners switch.

Unbeknownst to the blindfolded, Cafe Bernardo’s head chef Shannan Berg personally brings in tasting rounds one and two: a sampling of bacon, flavorful potatoes, fresh and spongy rosemary bread, yogurt, granola, fruits, a tart jam and creamy butter.

“It’s surprising that foods we’re so familiar with, that we eat often … something as common and good, as beloved as bacon, can be so hard to describe,” a FoodTalk participant says in a conversation after the tasting.

And while participants add to that and describe their own tasting experiences, Berg brings in more food, this time to eat without the blindfold. A giant pile of thinly sliced mushroom and Jarlsberg cheese salad, an even bigger pile of Thai noodle salad and a variety of crispy crust pizzettas.

“We didn’t get to all the writing exercises, but we were talking and that’s the point. We want people to go to our Tumblr, to e-mail us any questions they might have. We want to be accessible, and,” Burns pauses for a moment and walks over to the man with no sense of smell, who appears to be leaving.

“I’ll e-mail you that material,” she says, referring to information on improving the palate and retraining the brain to associate taste with other senses, beside smell.

He nods, then smiles. “Thank you.”

She returns and sits down. “Anyway. It’s a conversation.”

FoodTalk@Cafe Bernardo will be held at 10am every Saturday in June. Tickets are $15.00 and help pay for free programs held at the McClatchy Library.

Hearing Voices audiobook club at Sacramento Public Library

2011-05-23T23:51:51Z

Beginning June 5, Sacramento’s Arden-Dimick Library will host “Hearing Voices – Author, Character and Narrator in Audiobooks,” a summer book club sponsored by the Sacramento Public Library and the California Center for the Book.

At the first meeting, participants will meet the Audie and Audiofile Earphones award-winning Simon Vance, narrator of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and King’s Speech audiobooks. Vance will discuss his experience of what makes good literature and what makes good audio and how those two may differ. Registered participants will receive audiobooks and series materials, including author biographies and discussion questions.

At each of the four remaining meetings, participants will hear from experts on what to listen for in audiobook narration, the future of audio and book technologies, how the brain processes stories you hear versus those you read, and more.

Participants will also discuss how a particular audiobook performance of a well-regarded print novel affects the reader’s perception of the voices of the author, the narrator and the characters.

The series will focus on four audiobooks, beginning with Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, a classic treatment of urban, turn-of- century, American class and gender relations, in which narrator Lorna Raver implies the angst bubbling below buttoned- up New York society. This audiobook was the winner of a 2009 Audie Award.

Participants will also discuss Bloody Jack, by L. A. Meyer, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery and The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett.

The first meeting will be held from 2-4 p.m. in the community room of Arden-Dimick Library, 891 Watt Avenue, Sacramento.

Interested listeners can register to reserve copies of the audiobooks by calling (916) 264-2920 or by visiting www.saclibrary.org.

Writers get words of wisdom on wine

2011-03-25T20:17:01Z

Local writers and budding wine enthusiasts gathered at the Sacramento Press office Thursday evening for a workshop on how to write about wine presented by author and former Sacramento Bee columnist Rick Kushman.

“We generally associate wine knowledge with ‘class’ or as a social status of some kind,” said Kushman as he opened the workshop. “Really, people just want to know what wine to choose for dinner.”

As more than 20 eager writers listened and took notes, Kushman gave the class his “Three Rules of Wine Tasting:”

* Wear dark colors.
* If you love it, you’re right; if you hate it, you’re right.
* Always bring a swimsuit.

“That last one doesn’t have anything to do with wine, but it seems like a good idea,” added Kushman, illustrating his main point of the evening: Don’t take it too seriously.

“Wine isn’t a great mystery, and it isn’t anything to be afraid of,” Kushman said. “Embrace it! Don’t be afraid to be cheery or funny when you write about wine. It doesn’t always have to be stuffy and dry to be good.”

With that, Kushman got to the core of what writing about wine is all about.

“Wine is a confidence game,” Kushman said. “People just want to feel confident about the wine they choose.”

To develop that confidence, they look to wine writers for guidance, and this is where most wine writers start to take the topic to places they don’t really need to go, he said. All too often, wine writers use (and perhaps overuse) industry jargon and insiders’ lingo that only leaves the reader confused.

Attendee Tammi Korbmaker, 51, a writer and Sacramento Press community contributor from West Sacramento, noted this, too. “People in the industry seem to talk down to readers about wine,” she said.

It isn’t necessary to be a wine snob to write well about wine, Kushman told the audience. We need to remember that our job as a wine writer is to help people trust our judgment – something we can’t do if we are condescending or trying to show off our wine aficionado status.

“Don’t be a snob, don’t sneer, don’t talk down to the reader,” Kushman said. “Assume that it’s OK for people to like what they like.”

Which brings up Rule No. 2 of Kushman’s Three Rules of Wine Tasting: “If you like it, you’re right, and if you hate it, you’re right.”

“Just because something is popular doesn’t make it good or bad,” Kushman said. “Your job as a writer is to explain it.”

How does a wine writer do that? First, get out of your reader’s way. “It’s not about you, it’s about the wine,” he said.

Writers may have some past experience with wines or the wine industry, and that’s just fine, but unless it’s relevant to what they’re saying about the wine being discussed – if it doesn’t really add anything to the reader’s experience – leave it out.

Instead, writing about wine is all about describing. Creatively use words to convey taste, feeling, flavor, emotion and myriad other things included in the experience so that others can taste and feel it too.

“Describe it like you would a man getting off a train so someone would recognize him at the station,” Kushman suggested.

That means more than just the label or the brand name or the type of grape. Does it smell of fruit or fields of flowers or butter or chocolate? Does it have a “zing” to it, or is it soft or rich or smooth? Does the taste linger or have a crisp finish?

Use descriptive, evocative words to bring your reader to the same place you are with the wine.

It’s true that food and wine are emotional experiences to a large degree, so the way you describe wine may be very different than the way someone else would describe that same wine. To one person, it may be reminiscent of a summer garden, while to another it evokes sensations of autumn leaves and overcast skies.

There are no wrong answers, Kushman said. “You taste what you taste, and that’s OK.”

As long as you give the reader your honest and consistent evaluation of wine, you’ve done your job.

As the workshop came to a close, one audience member talked about feeling better prepared to write about wine.

“This has really whet my appetite to go out and go through the wine tasting process so I can put it into words for other people,” said Mike Tate, 52.

Tate, an artist from Sacramento, aspires to make his own wine and write about it from an artist’s perspective in a new wine and art blog he’s developing.

“(Kushman) got me thinking about how to write about my passion but keep myself out of it,” Tate said. “It’s a skill to artistically describe flavor.”

Writing for Readers

2010-10-07T19:15:40Z

The Sacramento Press office was packed Wednesday night as Dianne Heimer presented the 45 attendees with tips on how to write better leads – the opening sentences in articles.

Before the workshop began, guests enjoyed sandwiches and chips from Dad’s Kitchen.

Heimer has been a professor of journalism at Sacramento City College for 17 years. She has a BA in English and an MA in English/journalism. She is currently a freelance magazine writer.

“I was excited, ’cause this is exactly what I needed help with,” Keilah Woodard said. She has a blog about places to go with kids called Sacramento Side Tracks.

This is the second workshop Sally King has attended at The Sacramento Press. “I really came to see Dianne,” King said. “It never hurts to go over information again.” In May, King got her BA in journalism, and Heimer was one of her professors.

“Make ’em wanna read ... on,” Heimer said. “Hook ’em with a good lead.” She said that you only have three seconds to compel a reader to read an article. “So if there are any photographers in here, you are important, too,” Heimer said.

“Your ideas will be lost if you don't hook ’em,” Heimer said.

Heimer went over the two different types of leads, traditional and nontraditional. A traditional lead would be used in a breaking news story: it gives the who, when and what and tells you the outcome in the first paragraph. An example Heimer gave was, “A little girl was arrested today when she broke into the little bear’s house, police said.”

A nontraditional lead is often creative. It’s also called a delayed lead. “(It) starts to tease you a little bit,” Heimer said.

Heimer gave attendees two handouts. One was about different kinds of feature leads, and the other was from a book written by Tim Harrower, “Inside Reporting: a Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism.”

Heimer said that to write well you have to read good quality journalism. She also recommended that if you are having trouble writing, to walk away. Come back later and look at it with “fresh eyes.”

At the end, Heimer gave the audience an opportunity to ask questions. There was a question about technical writing, and Heimer recommend reading good technical writing. “It sounds dry to me (cough, cough) maybe it’s supposed to be that way,” Heimer said. The last question was about mini-leads when writing a long article, and Heimer said writers should“try to group like items together.”

“I’m impressed that they got someone who is really qualified and entertaining,” Woodard said. “It was wonderful, super-informative. Basically, I got out of it what I had hoped to get out of it,” she added.

The next workshop will teach how to write reviews of concerts, theater and other performances. David Watts Barton, Editor in Chief of The Sacramento Press, will teach the workshop from 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 13.

Photos courtesy of Sacramento Press Managing Editor Colleen Belcher.

Los Angeles writer teaches screenwriting in Sacramento

2010-05-04T20:08:54Z

On May 11th, the doors of Curtis Park's eclectic Tangent Art Gallery will open to admit Sacramentans who would like to explore the world of professional screenwriting. From May 11th through July 27th, Los Angeles writer-actor-producer Gary Weinberg will guide Sacramento students through the ins and outs of the art of screenwriting in his class entitled "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive." Students who take the class will learn the craft and business of screenwriting, with an emphasis on how these manifest in the current Los Angeles film and television industry.
"Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" will begin with the basic elements of narrative, and then move to story structure, screenplay and teleplay formatting. Weinberg, a SAG actor, will elucidate his talents for constructing great dialogue and strong, nuanced characters. As a writer who's accomplished the rare feat of selling screenplays in the entertainment industry, Weinberg will be sharing tips on the business of screenwriting, too.

     "I appreciate the fact that everyone in my class most likely connects to screenplays via the aesthetic and the emotional. But, like stage plays, screenplays don't assume the second half of their lives until they're seen." With that in mind, Weinberg will also present different options that students have for getting their work seen and produced, and will discuss the 'unwritten' rules that help or hinder the screenwriter's efforts on that behalf.
     The goal by the end of "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" is for each student to have a completed screenplay. To help make this possible, the class will be taught for four consecutive weeks from May through June, and then every other week until July 27th. This format will afford students time, from June through July, to actually write a finished screenplay or teleplay.
     As Weinberg says, “I know what it’s like. As busy, creative people, our lives can be hectic. This is why I have designated the 'off Tuesdays' in the second half of the class as 'writing nights.' Students are not required to show up in class so that they can spend the evening writing their screenplays instead.”
     And Weinberg will be there to help them along the way. “I will be available for students--in person, by phone, and by email--to help with any questions or challenges they might encounter as they transform their ideas into finished scripts. They won’t be writing alone.”
     Weinberg lived in Sacramento from 1988 through 1998. During that time he was a regular on the stages at theatres such as Garbeau's Dinner Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, Theatre El Dorado, Woodland Opera House, and others. Along with former American River College theatre arts instructor and stage director Melanie Smith and Sacramentan Mark Sage, Weinberg co-founded the film production company Generation Next Media, LLC.  Since its inception, Generation Next Media has developed a wide variety of entertainment projects, including documentaries, live action and animated feature films, episodic television, and live theatre.

     Weinberg is an actor, writer, producer and composer. As a screenwriter, his commissioned scripts include "Ninja Nun" for Cimero Productions and "Magical Planet" for Bloom From Within. He wrote and directed a pilot for the episodic TV series "The Asylum," currently in pre-production as a web series. For Alpine Pictures, Weinberg co-produced the comedy "LA Twister," and was managing partner for the teen comedy, "Daze of Summer," and associate producer of their current film "Dorothy of Oz," starring Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi. A member of Screen Actors Guild, Weinberg has been seen in national commercials, independent films, network TV, classical and contemporary theatre, and concerts. His television and film credits include Dick Wolfe’s "Arrest and Trial," and the feature films "Miriam," "My Sweet Suicide," and "LA Twister." Weinberg was a member of the improv troupe, Lost Marbles, which performed regularly at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
     "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" will be offered May 11th through July 27th on Tuesday nights at the Tangent Art Gallery at 2904 Franklin Blvd in Sacramento. The Tangent Art Gallery is adjacent to Coffee Garden in Curtis Park, which allows student writers the opportunity to enliven their brains with caffeine and their souls with fine art as they are learning the craft and business of screenwriting. Each class will run 7-9 pm.
     Registration is $200 if paid on or before May 11th. Students may also pay in installments, submitting $125 on May 11th and $125 on the fifth class of the session.
       Anyone who would like information on "Screenwriting: An Eight Week Intensive" can contact Gary Weinberg of Generation Next Media at (818) 458-6637 or at cpmaurice@hotmail.com. People who would like information on Generation Next Media, LLC are welcome to visit the film production company at www.GenerationNextMedia.org.

Freelance writers panel photo essay April 26

2010-04-28T20:04:12Z

Here are some photos of the panel from Monday night at the Sutter Square Galleria. The Sacramento Press and the UC Davis Extension Center collaborated to present "Making it as a Writer: How to Succeed in Challenging Times."

More than 30 people showed up to hear insights from panelists JT Long, Sacramento-based freelance journalist; Peter Grandbois, published author and California State University, Sacramento, creative writing professor; Cinamon Vann, a freelance writer and editor specializing in environmental topics; Kate Washington, contributing writer for Sactown magazine and a freelance food and travel writer; Jennifer Basye Sander, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published and founder of Write By The Lake Retreats.

Janna Marlies Santoro, Sacramento writer, professor and editor, moderated the panel, asking questions about how each panelist defined success as a writer, what strategies they use for accomplishing success and what challenges the panelists have faced recently due to the economic down turn and how they managed them.

The audience was able to ask questions ranging from what a typical day was like to how much money they charge per word or per project.

The Sacramento Press has another panel planned for June so stay tuned for more information.

Amicus Books in Marysville to Close March 1st

2010-01-25T01:25:49Z

Sunday, January 17th, 2010, marked the last book signing and presentation by an author at Amicus Books Literary Arts Center and Community Bookstore, located in the older part of Marysville, California, on 413 D Street. Author Michael Don Hubbartt presented his newly published book, The Sutter Buttes (Arcadia Publishing, 2010), to a large turn-out in spite of the weather forecast of a major storm. Mr. Hubbartt offered a comprehensive history of the Sutter Buttes, known as the world's smallest mountain range, a familiar landmark to residents of the Sacramento Valley.

Since its inception in 2005, Amicus Books' primary purpose was as a community literary arts center serving readers, writers, authors, and publishers. Some examples of the center's fine work follow:

Wordcolors, an anthology of poetry, short stories and photography, in collaboration with the members of the first literary program, Poetry from The Green Chair.
Downtown Marysville Art Chautauqua, in collaboration with local businesses, artists, and writers as a regular venue for the literary and visual arts.
Intrepid Press, a 'zine, written, edited and directed by local writers and artists, ages 16 to 23.
Educational and literary events, including presentations by authors Chris Enss, Jennifer Basy-Sander, Candy Chand, Richard Beban, Selden Edwards, Lueza Gelb, Erica Ross-Krieger, and John Esam.
Moments in Marysville's History, a bi-monthly history discussion group, hosted by Marysville City Historian, Henry Delamere.
The Better World Book Club that meets once a month to discuss a literary selection, and then applies what they have learned toward bettering their community by volunteering, continuing education, and starting other local programs, projects and non-profits.
Events for the Literary Lounge's authors, poets, and illustrators in collaboration with the Yuba-Sutter Regional Arts Council. For example, in 2008, there was a fifties' style “mock-tail party”, and in 2009, the theme for the event was the seventies', complete with hors-d'œuvres and disco music.
Annual Christmas teas with various themes, such as Victorian and mystery.
The Literary Lounge, a group of writers, poets, publishers, and illustrators.

According to co-directors James and Kara Davis, Amicus Books was a unique experiment in funding a community project, in this case a literary arts center, solely through community support without grants or handouts. As James Davis explained, “Once the bookstore and community center have been closed, the project will be reorganized and evolved to focus on services that best meet the needs of the literary community—editing, publishing, publicity, freelance writing, and author coaching. We are grateful to all our community supporters for their past support and ask for the continued support in fulfilling the goals of this new venture.”

When Louise Miller, who was a Better World Book Club member, Literary Lounge board member, and a Victorian tea host learned of the closure, she was saddened. “My home away from home is closing,” she said. “The friendships I made at Amicus will endure, but the sparkling events hosted in this beautiful book-filled space will end. The loss makes me sad for myself and for the community.”
Amicus Books will remain open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 5 pm, and on Saturdays from 10 am to 5 p.m. For more information, please see www.amicusbooks.com.

Cynthia Linville

2009-11-18T20:53:36Z

Cynthia Linville’s poems blend images and personal story to create pieces that stay in the reader’s mind.
When the narrator of one of the poems encounters a lover from long ago, the conversation’s real, the setting is real:

"Yeah, I heard." And now
over greasy bacon and sticky
orange juice, no more
guilt.

The poet weaves detail and commentary together deftly in Nevermore, again as the narrator reflects on an acquaintance from the past:

Pasts like ours (filled with wooden crosses
and beatings in schoolhouses)
require a greater escape velocity
than other pasts do.

Cynthia Linville teaches English at California State University, Sacramento and serves as poetry editor of Poetry Now and managing editor of Convergence: an online journal and poetry and art (www.convergence-journal.com). She hosts the Second Friday Poetry Reading and her poetry has recently appeared in The Sacramento News and Review, The Sacramento Bee, Medusa’s Kitchen, and The Rattlesnake Review, Song of the San Joaquin, and WTF.

Check out the Convergence online journal: www.convergence-journal.com

Here are three poems by Cynthia Linville

Omens

walking under a ladder
stepping on a crack
an owl looking in your window
your lover's ex coming back

stabbing yarn with two needles
spilling pepper or salt
letting milk boil over
not admitting fault

cutting your nails on a Friday
opening an umbrella in the house
seeing a crow in a dream
telling a friend your doubts

getting out of bed with your left foot
a rooster crowing at noon
13 sitting down at table
a total eclipse of the moon

leaving a rocking chair rocking
giving a lover a knife
saying goodbye on a bridge
dreaming of those gone from life

a mirror or condom breaking
a dog howling after dark
a broken clock that starts chiming
nursing a broken heart

Nevermore
(after Nevermore, O Tahiti by Paul Gauguin)

Staring off into the joy-suffused light
wearing your hair in long dark braids
you could have stepped out of a Gauguin painting
instead of my past –
26 years since the end of high school.

I disagree when you say,
“We are all refugees from the past.”
Pasts like ours (filled with wooden crosses
and beatings in schoolhouses)
require a greater escape velocity
than other pasts do. You nod

the sorrow in your eyes so deep
I lean in for a closer look
and see myself mirrored there
in this crazy light.
Your pupils open wider and wider
spilling into the deep brown of your irises
pulling me in.

Here you are on a Sunday morning

(after all these years)
eating pancakes at Carrows;
you whom I almost married
(the evidence must still exist somewhere:
bridesmaids dresses hanging in closets, cake
order, ring style, sanctuary reservations)

forcing remembrance
of the way-back-then-high-school me
when I wore my hair straight and brown, and
wore nylons, heels and lots of mascara;
when you and I held hands in church every Sunday and
rode around in your '68 (or was it a '67) blue
Mustang (1BADMTG), my name painted on the door.

forcing remembrance
of two Senior Ball portraits
each identical except for the embracing couples:
one of you and me,
one of him and her. He and I were in white
and would have looked so nice together,
whereas you and I almost clashed.
I remember wanting way-back-then to paste
he and I together into one photo
and throw you away. Funny how, even before the Ball,

he always wore white
in my mind, and eventually did rescue me
in his dirty yellow Pinto with the dented door
(I had to climb in through the window).
And here I am now, almost seven years later, eating my eggs.
You and I sidelong glance each other,
just sit, letting the tension build.

My hair is short and red now,
and I'm wearing comfortable black
(on my way to a backstage theatre job).
And he (whom I left you for all those years ago)
is here with me. You
(furniture store manager) still look the same,
and you sit with your blond Barbi doll wife and in-laws--
all wearing pastels, fresh from church.

After I've finished mopping up my egg yolks with english muffin,
I walk towards you; he leaves to pay the bill.
Forced smiles and hello-how-are-you-how've-you-been's:
then, "I married him last December."
And you, "Yeah, I heard." And now
over greasy bacon and sticky
orange juice, no more
guilt. And I leave you,
again.

The poets of Sacramento - a weekly column

2009-07-16T00:18:03Z

County Lines:
The Poetry of Sacramento

You may not know this, but Sacramento is full of poets. From Elk Grove to South Natomas, from Folsom to downtown, there are hundreds of people who write, read, and share their poems. Teenagers in Oak Park, retirees in Citrus Heights, college students, state workers, people young and old share this ancient art form. If you know where to look, you can find them, working on their craft, because Sacramento is full of poets.

As the new Poet Laureate of the city and county of Sacramento, my goal is to help people find a little poetry in their lives. I'm already working on organizing readings and workshops around the region, and want to help writers learn more about the diverse community of poets and writers in Sacramento. This posting, "County Lines," will showcase some of the area’s most accomplished writers - giving readers a glimpse at the poetry of Sacramento. Each week will feature a new writer who makes his or her home here. I’ll do my best to represent a wide range of styles, but I’ll probably play favorites – most writers have styles they prefer. I’ll also write about poetry in general – what’s going on, upcoming readings to consider attending, comments on articles or new books by local writers. County Lines will also be a kind of laureate’s journal – what I see going on in our literary community.

My term began July 13. I’m confident that with volunteer help, we can create a legacy of poetic activity all around the region. Please let me know if you are interested in working with me to bring more poetry to more people. I welcome your suggestions. If you want your poetry to be considered for this weekly posting, please email me at bobstanley@sbcglobal.net, and indicate County Lines in the subject area.

Bob Stanley

Poetry, a film opening and a writing contest: literary Sacramento this week

2009-06-29T17:09:09Z

This is a great week for book-minded Sacramentans, with plenty of literary events taking place in libraries, movie theaters, community centers and museums. Read on.

Monday, June 29, 7:30 p.m. Poetry reading -- Dorine Jennette and Valerie Fioravanti. Sacramento Poetry Center. Hosted by Frank Graham Dixon. Davis resident Jennette has published poems, essays, and reviews in The Journal, Ninth Letter, Coconut, Court Green, Memorious, Puerto del Sol, and the Georgia Review. She has a poetry collection, Grace by Degrees, coming out in 2010. Valerie Fioravanti writes fiction, essays, and prose poems. Her story collection, The Brooklyn Shuffle, was a finalist for the Tartt First Book Award. Her stories have appeared in North American Review, Cimarron Review, Hunger Mountain, and Green Mountains Review, among others. Her stories and prose poems have earned four Pushcart Prize nominations, and special mention in Pushcart Prize XXVIII. She received a Fulbright Fellowship (Italy) to research her novel, Bel Casino, which is one of two novels currently in the works. She teaches short story and multi-genre classes online for the UCLA Writers' Extension and private workshops from her home in midtown Sacramento. She has also taught writing for New Mexico State University and National University's MFA Program. Free event. Sacramento Poetry Center, 1719 25th Street, Sacramento 95816, (916) 979-9706.
Tuesday, June 30 (and ongoing through 8/1), Focus on Writers contest. Sacramento Public Library. Spend your Tuesday looking into the rules for the contest and choosing what you’d like to submit. California writers are invited to enter entries for a chance to win $250 for first prize, $150 for second prize and $75 for third prize in six categories. For information about the categories, visit www.saclibraryfriends.org. Contest entries must be postmarked by 8/1.
Wednesday, July 1-August 19, once/week, 6:30-9:00 p.m., Research and Interviewing Techniques for Nonfiction Writers, U.C. Davis Extension. Elisabeth Sherwin will lead this eight week course for students who want to learn how to gather information and track down interview sources in preparation for publishing. Students will explore many forms of nonfiction writing and learn how to tailor their work to the market. $325.00 tuition. Sutter Square Galleria, 2901 K St, Sacramento.
Thursday, July 2, 8 p.m. Joe Montoya’s Poetry Unplugged. Luna’s Cafe. There will be an open mic, before and after guest hosts Frank Andrick, Mario Ellis Hill, Geoffery Neil & B.L. Kennedy. Two dollar cover fee or one drink minimum. Luna’s Café, 1414 16th Street, Sacramento 95814, (916) 441-3931.
Friday, July 3, 8:00 p.m. Special screening of Food Inc., followed by panel discussion. Crest Theater.Pesticide Watch Education Fund will host a special opening-night screening of Robert Kenner’s red-hot film Food, Inc. Following the film, chefs, academics and activists will participate in a lively discussion on how the region, state and country can tackle the challenges facing farms and the food system. Food Inc, said to be the next Inconvenient Truth, features interviews with authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food). Pollan spoke this summer at a sold-out California Lectures event and Eric Schlosser is scheduled to speak through California Lectures' 2009-2010 season. The Arden Dimick Library open book group will read In Defense of Food this fall. Tickets for this special screening are $12 and they are on sale now at tickets.com, Crest box office, or by calling 1-800-225-2277.
Saturday, July 4, 10:30 a.m., Teen Advisory Council meeting. Rancho Cordova Library. Join the teen library council, which meets the first Saturday of each month. Help plan and run programs for the library. Advise on books, music and DVD choices and programs. Receive community service credit. Rancho Cordova Library, 9845 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento 95827, (916) 264-2770.
Sunday, July 5, 12:00-5:00 p.m. With Malice Toward None: Abraham Lincoln exhibit. The California Museum. Celebrate Independence Day weekend by visiting this Library of Congress exhibit commemorating Lincoln’s two hundredth birthday. It charts Lincoln’s growth from politician to statesman, addressing his presidency’s controversies, including challenges to civil liberties and the Constitution, slavery and race, and the dissolution of the Union and the Civil War. Exhibit continues through August 22. $8.50 for adults, $7.00 for seniors (65+) and college students, $6.00 for youths aged 6-13 and free for children 5 and younger. California Museum, 1020 O Street, Sacramento 95814, (916) 653-7524.

Bringing Sacramento Press workshops to you

2009-04-19T03:49:13Z

It was suggested by one of the users of and contributors to the site that the Sacramento Press create a section where people can access the materials from the workshops that we hold. Many people who have been unable to attend the workshops have also requested copies of the handouts from the various workshops.

In order to better arm our readers with the tools that will help them write, there will be a section where all of the materials from the past workshops can be found. If you type in "SP workshops" in the search field, all of the articles and handouts dealing with our workshops will come up.

Also, in the future we will upload a video feed of the workshops, if people are interested, so that you can watch the workshops from your own home as if you were really there.

We still encourage people to attend our workshops, as we'd like the chance to meet you in person, however, we understand it's not always possible to make time in your busy lives.

If you have any other suggestions on how we can improve your experience with our site or feedback on how to make our workshops better, please email journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Interviewing Techniques workshop April 15

2009-04-14T21:10:50Z

For those of you who missed our first Interviewing Techniques workshop, given by Sactown Magazine's Senior Editor, Martin Kuz, we'll be having another one on Wednesday, April 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Molly Dugan, an Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communication Studies at Sacramento State, will discuss how to tailor your interviews toward articles that you would be writing for Sacramento Press. Attendees will learn the art of interviewing and the types of articles that work best for our site.

We'll serve food at 6:30 p.m. and the workshop will start at 6:45 p.m.

Our office is located at 431 I Street, Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as the Starbucks. If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here -- one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Please RSVP by e-mailing colleen@sacramentopress.com.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Sacramento Press workshop gets community writing

2009-04-10T05:19:43Z

Ballpoint pens wiggled, keyboards clicked and seven community members fought writer's block during the Intro to Journalism and Article Composition workshop at the Sacramento Press office Thursday evening.

Holly Heyser, faculty adviser for The State Hornet and professional journalist in residence for the Communication Studies Department at Sacramento State University, was on hand to help writers develop their stories and flesh them out onto paper.

Attendees brought ideas such as how to get a motorcycle license, what it's like to be a delegate for the Democratic National Convention, the Assembly bill that would legalize marijuana and the positive aspects of RT, among others.

Heyser gave basic advice about writing news stories and tailoring them to the Sacramento Press. She stressed the importance of good grammar, accuracy and breaking up your story into simple, easy-to-understand sentences and short paragraphs.

The headline and lead should also grab the reader's attention. Depending on the way your headline is worded, you might attract some people who are just searching on Google, according to Heyser, and even better, they might keep coming back to the blog or website.

Heyser also encouraged people to read their articles out loud after writing them.

As the workshop ended, participants walked away with stories in hand and the story-writing process know-how.

If you were unable to attend this workshop and would like to receive the powerpoint presentation, please e-mail journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Free food, first Sac Press workshop

2008-12-01T04:07:28Z

One big resource that The Sacramento Press provides all of our writers, are all the workshops that we will be hosting.

The first of those workshops is this Thursday. In order to attend you must sign up for the site as a writer and email us that you are interested in coming, it's very simple.

This workshop will be one of many that we will put on. This first workshop will focus on meeting the people who run The Press and how to best use our tools.

The workshop will be from 6:30pm - 8:00pm Thursday, December 4th at The Sacramento Press office.

We'll start off with a little bit of food and introductions and move on to an interactive talk about how to use our site and what it can do for you.

Parking is available in our lot however it can be rather pricey, $1.50 per half an hour. A good option is to take a bus or take light rail.

To take light rail you will want to take the Gold light rail line to Sacramento Valley Station, the last stop.
To take the bus simply take the 30 or 31 bus line which also has its last stop at the Sacramento Valley station.

If you take a bus or light rail and bring your ticket from the trip into the workshop we will give you 2 new tickets.

Above is a map of our office, and here is a link to a similar map.

Please R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, December 3rd, and do so by emailing journalism@sacramentopress.com.

I look forward to seeing lots of new people!