Story Circle Network's
  "Stories from the Heart"
  National Conference e-Letter
  January 2008, Vol. 3, No 4

In This Issue

It's Almost Conference Time! Conference Highlights Works of Heart Marketplace Registration If You've Already Registered... Women's Words from the Heart

It's Almost Conference Time!

Follow through with the resolution you made to write about your life—which is the greatest legacy you can make to your family and friends—and register for Stories from the Heart IV, held in Austin, TX, Feb 1-3, 2008 and sponsored by the Story Circle Network. Stories of the Heart IV is a coming together of women from across the country to rejoice in the stories from every woman's heart. Beginner or seasoned, there is a place for YOU at the conference. Come and make new friends if this is your first conference. You'll find warm, friendly and interesting women who are interested in the stories you have in your heart. Come celebrate with us. See our conference website for more information.

Conference Highlights

Carolyn Blankenship and her committee have worked hard to formulate a program that will speak to everyone's heart—and it does. Presentations: There are 20 to choose from—as well as one pre-conference workshop, presented by Story Circle Network founder Susan Wittig Albert. Sessions are divided into four simultaneous tracks: Circles of Creativity, Nuts & Bolts, Putting Our Hearts on Paper, and Myriad Methods of Storytelling. However, participants are not locked in to any one track. They can pick, choose and change their mind if they wish. The purpose of the conference is to provide women a venue to delight in themselves and share stories as they wish. Open Mike: You've got a story, and we have a place for you to tell it! On Saturday night, we'll continue the tradition we began at our first Stories from the Heart conference: A Saturday Night Open Mike. Come and share your story! Story Wall: One of our beloved conference traditions is the Story Wall, a place where we can stop to take a break and read about each other. Please bring a one-page story from your life, a photo of yourself and anything else you'd like to share to help us get to know you. We will use some of these for our first ever digital conference scrapbook. You can leave them with us or email them once you get back home, so don't hold back—share a page or a picture with your Story Circle sisters. We can't wait to read all about you! See the program overview for more details.

Works of Heart Marketplace

When women gather, they often like to shop. We know that, and this conference will include the perfect opportunity to peruse books, paper products, print-related services, writing-related items, and hand-crafted items of interest to women. Read more about our Works of Heart Marketplace. Many vendors cannot take credit cards so participants should plan to bring either cash or a checkbook if they want to shop.

Registration

Early bird registration has passed, but it's not too late to get involved in one of the best planned conferences in a decade. Use our online registration form. You can mail your check to the Story Circle office, or pay with your credit card online, via Paypal.com. If you join Story Circle Network (see below "Who We Are & How to Join Us"), you get a member discount for the conference plus all the benefits listed below. Want us to "snail mail" you a brochure? Email us your request and we'll send you one! (Be sure to include your full name & mailing address!)

If You've Already Registered...

If you've already registered, look for an email from us, with more information about the conference, requests for volunteers, and links to information about Austin. Remember that your registration is NOT complete until we've received your payment. If you're in doubt about this, please email conference@storycircle.org.

Women's Words from the Heart

"Be kind to bad and good, for you don't know your own heart." ~Sarah Winnemucca, (c.1842-1891) Indian scout, activist~ "The heart that gives—gathers." ~Marianne Moore~ "Those who don't know how to weep with their whole heart, don't know how to laugh either." ~Golda Meir~ Have a "heart" quotation to share? Email it to us, and we'll add it to our growing collection.

Who We Are & How to Join Us

Our mission: The Story Circle Network is dedicated to helping women share the stories of their lives and to raising public awareness of the importance of women's personal histories. We carry out our mission through publications, a web site, classes, workshops, writing and reading circles, and woman-focused programs. Our activities empower women to tell their stories, discover their identities through their stories, and choose to be the authors of their own lives. If you're receiving this e-Letter but aren't a member, please join us. [Learn more about how SCN can help you tell your story: click here, or go to our website & 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 Membership categories: Member: $35; Canada & Mexico: $45; International $50 Supporter: $70 Sponsor: $125 Patron: $200 Benefactor: $400+ Chapter memberships: (To join the Internet Chapter you must also be a member of the national organization; chapter dues are in addition to the national dues): Internet Chapter: $18/yr To join, click here, or go to our website & 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