Our first Be Our Guest of 2003 will be held on Sunday, February 23, from 2-4pm at the LCRA Colorado Room (3700 Lake Austin Blvd., Austin, TX 78703; map here: www.storycircle.org/graphics/LCRA_map.html). Jazz Jaeschke's writing circle will be featured, reading pieces that they have written for their circle. Jazz will show us how to capture the feelings and energy of daily situations in poetry. Like snapshots taken with a camera, little poems accumulate until one day you realize that your memoirs are already written. She will offer tips on tracking and capturing, plus a chance to play. Jazz will also sign and sell her new poetry memoir, Significance. Light refreshments will be served. There will also be a short business meeting. These programs are free of charge. Members are encouraged to invite guests.
Here are our tentative plans for the rest of our 2003 Be Our Guest programs. Mark your calendars!
Sunday, April 27: mini writing workshop ("The Magic of Myth & Metaphor") with Carolyn Blankenship; readings by Judy Flournoy's writing circle (tentative)
Sunday, June 29: "Quilting as a Way to Tell Stories" with Beth Kennedy; readings by Donna Remmert's writing circle
Sunday, August 17: Open Mike for all members who are not in a writing circle and members who have published books from which they'd like to read. Any member who would like to sell her book(s) may do so at this event. We ask authors of books to donate 10% of their proceeds to SCN.
Our first Schmooze the Muse of 2003 will be held on Saturday, March 1, from 9am-4pm at Temenos at Heron Lake, SCN's teaching facility, near Bertram TX (about 50 miles northwest of Austin). Carolyn Blankenship will lead this program, entitled "Invitation to Joy: Celebrating the Five Senses": a day spent focusing on the present moment experience of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. An opportunity to encounter, explore and celebrate the unique gift of being alive in a human body.
Here are our tentative plans for the rest of our 2003 Schmooze the Muse programs. Mark your calendars!
Saturday, April 12: "Work of Your Own", led by Susan Albert
Saturday, June 21: "Wings of Creativity", led by Judith Helburn
Saturday, July 19: "Level II Dream Writing", led by Donna Remmert (This workshop is open to participants who have completed Level I Dream Writing)
Saturday, September 13: "Centering: Clay as Teacher and Tool for Telling Your Story", led by Rebecca Roberts
Saturday, October 25: "Evolution of the Soul", led by Gale Gassiot
Our first-ever writing retreat, facilitated by Christina Baldwin, author of Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest, One to One: Self-Understanding Through Journal Writing, and The Seven Whispers: Listening to the Voice of Spirit, is now full: all 50 spots have been taken, and we have a waiting list of more than a dozen women. For details, go here: www.storycircle.org/LifeLines.
Writing From Life workshop: May 3-4
Our semi-annual weekend Writing From Life Workshop will be held May 3-4 in Austin TX. Enrollment is limited to 25. For details, go here: www.storycircle.org/Workshops.
"Love Letters"
Paradox Players, the theatre company that hosted SCN's very successful 2002 theatre benefit, will open a new play in February. "Love Letters" recounts the life stories of two friends who begin their letter writing romance in the second grade. For details, go to www.storycircle.org/MemberEvents.shtml.
A Special Thank-You to our Volunteers
Our recent benefit booksigning was a great success, due in part to the delicious treats brought by Penny Appleby, Jane BaseyCatherine Cogburn, Juli Furgeson, Ann Kriss, Peggy Moody, Susan Scott, and Vera Preston-Jaeger. We're grateful, as well, to those who stayed and helped us clean up. We raised over $1000 for Story Circle, thanks to Susan and Bill Albert's generous donation of books! Thank you, too, to all of you who came and bought Susan's latest China Bayles mystery, Indigo Dying.
Reading Circle
The Austin Chapter Reading Circle is a series of monthly book discussion groups free to members of the Austin Chapter of the Story Circle Network. The circle meets monthly to read and discuss women's memoirs, autobiographies, and journals.
The February selection is
by Lucy Daniels. Please join us for a lively discussion on February 10, or just enjoy the book on your own. Your purchase through SCN's Amazon.com link helps to support SCN's many activities. For information on how to join the Reading Circle, go to www.storycircle.org/Reading_Circle.
This circle has been active since 1998 and has read so many wonderful women's memoirs and journals! To take a peek at the complete list, go to our Book Review site (www.storycircle.org/BookReviews) and click on SCN Reading Circles.
Writing Circles
Interested in meeting with other women to write and share stories? Please join one of our Austin Chapter Writing Circles for support, encouragement, and ideas for life-writing topics. The Circles meet monthly and are free to members of the Austin Chapter of the Story Circle Network. The following circles are still open to new members:
Susie Kelly Flatau leads the Southwest Austin Writing Circle. It meets at the Serranos in Oak Hill (6510 W. Hwy. 290, Austin, TX 78735) on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 7-8:30pm. Contact Susie via email: susie@wordsbysusie.com or phone: 512-288-4614.
Judy Flournoy leads the First Thursday Spicewood Springs Writing Circle. It meets at the Spicewood Springs Branch Library (8637 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin TX 78750) on the 1st Thursday of every month from 12:30-2:30pm. Contact Judy via email: judflo@att.net or phone: 512-258-9525.
Jazz Jaeschke leads the Wednesday Evening Writing Circle. It meets at the Milwood Branch Library (12500 Amherst Dr, Austin TX 78727) on the 1st Wednesday of every month from 7-8:45pm. Contact Jazz via email: sjazz@austin.rr.com or phone: 512-335-9517.
Carolyn Scheider leads the Third Thursday Spicewood Springs Writing Circle. It meets at the Spicewood Springs Branch Library (8637 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin TX 78750) on the 3rd Thursday of every month from 12:30-2:30pm. Contact Carolyn via email: carjos7@aol.com or phone: 512-258-8635.
Austin OWL-Circle Director Pat Flathouse (pflat@austin.rr.com or 512-347-7687) began two OWL-Circle groups in the middle of January, and has a new OWL-Circle group scheduled to begin the last week of February at St. John Neumann Church. For more information, please call or email Pat, or click here: www.storycircle.org/owlcircle/austin/workshops.html.
The Continuing OWL-Circle Program, for those who have completed the OWL Writing Program and want to continue with their writing, meets on the last Tuesday of each month from 1:30 to 3:30 in the St. John Newmann Social Hall. Those interested in the Continuing OWL Program may call or email Pat Flathouse for further information.
If you know of a church, women's group, individual's home, or senior residence that would like to sponsor an OWL-Circle workshop, or if you would like to facilitate one of these groups, let Pat Flathouse know.
SCN members, if you're planning a women's writing/memoir-related event, let us know so we can help you publicize it on our Member Events webpage, here: www.storycircle.org/MemberEvents.shtml.
Story Circle Brochures
The Story Circle Network's brochures are now on-line! You can print copies of our national, Austin Chapter, and OWL-Circle brochures anytime. They are in PDF format, so you may need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Details and downloads here: www.storycircle.org/brochures.html.
Meet Jazz Jaeschke
Jazz Jaeschke is a member of the Board of Directors and facilitates a local writing circle. She will lead our Feb. 23 Be Our Guest program, which features a presentation on capturing memoir in poetry -- suitability of poetry plus tips. Jazz will bring her new poetry memoir, Significance, as example. Members of the Wednesday evening circle will read from their works (some published and available at the meeting).
Who We Are & How to Join Us
If you're receiving this e-Letter but aren't a member, please join us. The Story Circle Network is a non-profit organization that honors women's voices and celebrates women's lives.
[Learn more about how SCN can help you tell your story: click here, or go to our website and click on "How SCN Can Help You Tell Your Story" in the "Who We Are" section of the left frame.]
We offer
a quarterly newsletter with features on women's lifewriting
opportunities to publish your work
workshops, classes, on-line courses
an Internet Chapter
Speaker's Bureau
much more
Annual membership is only $24 U.S., $30 Canada/Mexico, $36 elsewhere. To join, click here, or go to our website and click on "Join SCN" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame. You can pay on-line, or send a check to
Story Circle Network
P.O. Box 500127
Austin, TX 78750-0127
Journal Back Issues
The Story Circle Journal is a unique publication dedicated to helping women tell their personal stories, now in its sixth year. Missing some issues? To buy back issues, click here, or go to our website and click on "Buy Story Circle Journals" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame.
Neat Stuff
We've come up with some great gift ideas for memoirists, journal keepers, & story tellers. Click here, or go to our website and click on "Neat Stuff" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame. By using this page to shop for friends and family, you're also helping to fund the Story Circle programs!
Try out our Internet Shopping Gateway - using iGive.com as your shopping "portal", you're also helping to fund the Story Circle programs! Click here, or go to our website and click on "iGive.com" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame.
Do you grocery shop at Randalls? If so, sign up free of charge for their Good Neighbor program, and give them the Story Circle number (10082). Go here for more details, or go to our website and click on "Randalls' Good Neighbor Program" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame. By doing so you're also helping to fund the Story Circle programs!
Your Contributions
Share your life. If you are a member of the Story Circle Network, please share your story with us. Check the Journal for details, or click here, or go to our website and click on "Writers Guidelines" in the "Resources" section of the left frame.
Share your love. We offer free memberships to women in prison and reduced-rate memberships to women in need. If you would like to help these women find their voices and share their stories, click here and then click on "Our Sugar Bowl," or go to our website and click on "How You Can Help" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame. (You don't have to be a member to contribute to this important program.)
E-Letters
We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Story Circle Network. Please forward this e-Letter to anyone interested in lifewriting -- family and friends, students, clients, members of your writing group.
We publish two monthly e-Letters. This Austin-area e-Letter brings you news about Story Circle events and activities in the Austin, TX area, while the National e-Letter brings you writing tips, quotes, and book reviews.
If a friend has forwarded this to you, add your e-address and click below to get your own subscription.
Feel free to forward this e-Letter to friends and colleagues with appropriate credit to Story Circle Network.
This e-Letter is written and edited by Peggy Moody & Susan Wittig Albert.
