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Story Circle Network
...for women with stories to tell
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National e-Letter
July 2008, Vol. 9, No 7
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I first learned about blogging when I attended the SCN Conference in 2006 and came away from the blog presentation positive that I could never master such a difficult thing. However, just before the SCN Conference this past February my daughter-in-law convinced me that I could start my own blog and I decided to focus on family activities with current pictures, and stories about growing up in the Texas Panhandle using family black and white pictures.
My blogging experience has been wonderful. I write several times a week now and my blog provides information for our spread-apart family about what everyone is doing on a regular basis. I have also reconnected me with cousins that I have not seen in years, and have gained several new "bloggy friends" through this experience. Blogging is my newest passion and I have to thank Story Circle Network for nudging me in that direction!
—Pat Flathouse
(Visit Pat's blog)
In This Issue
Programs & Activities:
Chapters & Circles:
Neat Stuff:
Contact us: storycircle@storycircle.org
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SCN Online Classes: Soliciting Your Proposals
(Deadline: July 1)
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We're looking for teachers who want to share their passion for lifewriting by working with women in Internet/email classes. If you're experienced in teaching memoir, journaling, life-based fiction, and other lifewriting forms and are interested in offering a class, we'd like to hear from you! Details here.
SCN Online Classes: Coming Soon!
Our fall class offerings (including Susan Albert's "Personal Maps and Place as Story") will be posted on July 31 here.
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SCN Publication News
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SCN's Annual Anthology: True Words from Real Women
SCN's 28-page annual anthology of stories and poems by our members (Eds. Becca Taylor and Judy Whelley) is now available for all to purchase through our print on demand publisher, Lulu.com. Click here to go to the SCN Storefront page and order your copy.
Members will shortly be mailed a link to the Online Supplement of additional stories and poems submitted by our members.
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SCN Journal's True Words from Real Women
The Story Circle Journal's True Words from Real Women section has "Autumn" for our Septmeber theme and we would like to publish your story or poem. Think of one of your true life autumn stories, then pen it and send it to Mary Jo Doig at maryjo_d@yahoo.com. Kindly send your words as a Word document, if possible, or cut and paste them into the body of your e-mail.
If you use snail mail, Mary Jo's address is 531 Steeles Fort Rd, Raphine VA 24472.
Word limit is 350 words and deadline is July 15, 2008. We look forward with pleasure to receiving your stories. (Note: all stories from dues-paying members only will be accepted for consideration.)
Welcome to New Journal Editor Robin Wittig
SCN welcomes the new editor of the Story Circle Journal, Robin Wittig, daughter of SCN's founder Susan Wittig Albert. Robin took up this position at the beginning of June and is already well on the way to preparing for the September issue. Robin Wittig is a longtime and active SCN member and a well-established communications professional in her own right. Visit Robin's website.
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SCN Members: Save a Tree by Getting Your Story Circle Journal over the Internet
SCN is now offering members the choice of receiving your Story Circle Journal via email, on the day it's mailed. The email will contain a link so that you can easily download the PDF version of the Journal to your computer. Help SCN save printing and postage, and feel good about helping the environment, too.
To sign up for electronic delivery of the Journal, send us an e-mail. Include the words "SCN Journal via PDF" in the subject line.
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Susan Wittig Albert Lifewriting Contest
(Extended Deadline: July 7)
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"We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations."
—Anais Nin
Evolution and growth happen when we take risks or face up to challenges in order to achieve our dreams. We invite you to write about a point in your life in which you evolved and grew in one dimension or another. What happened? When? Where? Who was involved? How did this growth change you? Was your life transformed for the better? Or not?
We invite you to start thinking about and writing the story of evolution or growth in your own life. We will accept stories up to 1200 words from Story Circle Network members only. (If you haven't joined SCN yet, maybe now is the time to do so. Go here to join SCN.) Story submissions for the contest are now being accepted; the extended deadline for entries is July 7. For details, rules, and awards, see the Contest web page.
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Story Circle Book Reviews: By, For, and About Women
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Susan J. Tweit's outstanding review of Mary Beath's fine book, Hiking Alone, was selected as our Review of the Month for June/July. And as a bonus, we're also featuring Susan's interview of Mary! Check out our great reviews, terrific interviews, podcast features and more at StoryCircleBookReviews.org.
If you're an avid reader and you love to share your favorites with friends, you're the woman we're looking for! We have a great team of reviewers, but there's always room for one more. Go here to find out how to join us.
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New Members
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In this column of the monthly e-Letter, we tell you about our newest SCN members. Since our last e-letter the following women have joined (or re-joined):
- Marsha Barrow of Bertram, TX
- Peg Blakely of Cass Lake, MN
- Mary Jeanne Brooks of Arlington, TX
- Ann Case of Gainesville, FL
- Carolyn Donnell of San Jose, CA
- Janice Edelman of Huntingdon Valley, PA
- Ruth Gould-Goodman of Venice, CA
- Martha Iglehart of Austin, TX
- Jen Lemen of Silver Spring, MD
- Mary Patrick of Austin, TX
- Linda Pehlman of Camp Hill, PA
- Amber Polo of Camp Verde, AZ
- Andrea Savee of Lakewood, CA
- Joan Schenker of Austin, TX
- Susanna Lea Schuerman of Cedar Falls, IA
- Theresa Stanley of Ithaca, NY
- Janice Strohmeier of Houston, TX
- Sarah White of Madison, WI
- Brit Williams of Austin, TX
Welcome!
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SCN Podcast
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Judy Whelley talks to SCN members and workshop leaders Carolyn Blankenship and Leilani Rose about their upcoming writer's retreat in Red River, New Mexico. We'll catch up on latest happenings in SCN and take a quick step back in SCN history with more recipes from the SCN cookbook, Kitchen Table Stories. Visit the podcast here.
We love to hear from you! We've found that our podcast listeners enjoy the podcast all the more when they get to hear the voices of their fellow SCN members. But for them to hear those voices, you've got to call us. Not only do our listeners appreciate the input and participation, but our podcast team does too! In July, tell us why reading women's memoir is important to you. Call our Listener Line at 641-715-3900, ext 19212, or leave a comment on our blog and you're entered into a drawing for a lovely writing goody, courtesy of one of our SCN authors. As always, please send us a note if you have any questions or suggestions.
Happy listening! And remember, we all have a story to tell.
Your podcast team: Becca, Judy, and Karen
(email us!)
scn.libsyn.com
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Members In Print & In the News
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We shine! Congratulations to Marsha Barrow, Nita Lou Bryant, and Gloria Cordova for their published books and articles. And to Susan J. Tweit, whose article on native bees received a 2008 Harvey Award for best adult feature article. Way to go, ladies! Check out all our Members in Print and in the News here.
Everybody, let us know your latest titles for our SCN Authors page, and email us with purchase information so we can add your work to our SCN library.
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LifeWriters' Market/Workshop Watch
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Contests, anthologies, journals, short story collections—lifewriting is one of the more active markets in today's publishing world. Check out our continually updated Market Watch page for all the latest places to send your work. And if you know of a market, don't keep it to yourself! Email us with details.
SCN invites writing teachers and writing-related workshop facilitators among our members to affiliate their programs with SCN. For more information, see the Affiliated Workshops web page.
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The Power of Words conference: Liberation through the Spoken, Written and Sung Word
Goddard College, Plainfield VT
Sep 12-15
Seek greater freedom and transformation for yourself and your community through the power of words at this unique gathering of people who write, tell stories, perform, and do other language arts. Make community with others in the emerging field of Transformative Language Arts, and discover ways to make a living doing what you love.
Complete schedule and registration on the conference website.
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Save the date! Writing from Life Workshop
October 25-26, 2008
9am-5pm (optional to 8:30pm), Saturday
9am-Noon, Sunday
Join us for a weekend of writing, sharing, and discovering how powerful the practice of telling our stories can be..
Location: Meeting Room A 504 of Building A, LCRA Dalchau Service Center, 3505 Montopolis Dr, Austin TX
Cost: $125 for non-members, $100 for Story Circle members
(A box lunch on Saturday is included in the fee)
Stay tuned to upcoming e-letters for more information...
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For more info on upcoming writing workshops, classes, etc., see our Writers' Conferences web page.
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Internet Chapter News
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Story Circle Network's Internet Chapter was born out of a desire to encourage women outside the Austin area to write their own deeply personal life stories. Since its birth in late 1999 it has done just that. Growing from a seedling of an idea, it is now 200+ strong and growing. Women from around the world—yes the world, not just the United States—have joined the chapter, sharing unique lifestyles as well as common bonds as they write. Some of the Internet Chapter members are accomplished writers—published and unpublished alike. Others are novice writers—testing their "writing wings" for the first time. It matters not what the level of writing experience for this is a place to write your story as only you can write it. This is a place to share your story with other women who laugh with you, cry with you, encourage you, nudge you on toward submitting your piece for publication, or just enjoy your very unique storytelling abilities.
Members who choose to participate in the writing and reading circles are joined there by others who share the same desire to write. Through the sharing of stories, members find they have cultivated a nice little cache of stories for future publication (should they so desire) or to pass along to loved ones or just to sit back and re-read them for personal reminders of a life in progress. The Internet Chapter has become "the place" for timely book reviews, lively discussions of women's memoirs, and heartfelt sharing of life stories. If you've not yet joined, you're missing alot! The women of the Internet Chapter reach out to meet and greet new members with open arms and warm hugs, cyber arms and hugs of course, but you can feel the personal touch in each member's writing.
Writing e-circle #10's Renee Cassese was chosen for the "Story of the Month" award for July. Congratulations, Renee! Chapter members can read her story and previous honorees' stories on the Story of the Month web page. (Not a member of the chapter? Read a sample Story of the Month.)
If you're a Story Circle member and want to join our cyber-circle, see our Internet Chapter information web page. If you're not a member but are interested in joining the Network, check out our online membership request form.
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The OWL-Circle Memoir Workshops: For Women Over 60
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What's an OWL-circle? OWL stands for "Older Women's Legacy," which began with a grant to SCN from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. It was designed to help women chronicle their memories of life experiences as a gift to their children, grandchildren and friends.
Anne Beckner, the SCN board member charged with overseeing the program says, "It is a user-friendly program of five sessions that are easily understood and writing experience is not required by the facilitator or participants. It began in Austin where groups continue to flourish and so far there have been 99 groups in the U.S. and Canada."
A facilitator's manual and workbooks have writing prompts that "stimulate memories and enhance creativity. Sharing experiences of other women leads to bonding which often continues long after the five sessions are over." Anne says that for herself, the most rewarding aspect of involvement in OWL-Circle has been "getting to know the wonderful women I've encountered—the sharing of joys, heartaches, accomplishments and the everyday courage they exhibit has been inspiring."
In 2003, the University of Texas Press published a collection of some of the first writings by OWL-Circle members. The book, With Courage and Common Sense: Memoirs from the Older Women's Legacy Circles, is available on the SCN website as is the OWL-Circle program itself. To learn more or purchase copies visit the OWL-Circle web site or write to SCN, PO Box 500127, Austin TX 78750-0127. Send email questions regarding OWL-Circle to owlcircle@storycircle.org.
Your Life, Your Story, SCN's book based on the OWL-Circle workbook, was written by Pat Flathouse, with Catherine Cogburn; it includes an introduction by Susan Wittig Albert. The book contains five chapters with suggestions, ideas, ways to organize your material, and writing helps. A final chapter covers various aspects of lifewriting by Story Circle authors, including tips for writing, capturing memories, using photos, interviewing, creating a family cookbook, and scrapbooking. To order your own copy ($15, including shipping), go to the OWL-Circle web site or the Your Life, Your Story web page.
If you are interested in attending an OWL-Circle Writing Program in the Austin area, please contact Anne Beckner. To learn more about the OWL-Circle Program, see the OWL-Circle web site.
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Who We Are & How to Join Us
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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 on our Member Benefits web page, or go to our web site & 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, online 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+
Internet Chapter membership: $18
(To join the Internet chapter you must also be a member of the national organization; chapter dues are in addition to the national dues.)
To join, see our online membership form, or go to our web site & click on "Join SCN" in the "How to Join / Enroll / Pay" section of the left frame. You can pay online, or send a check to Story Circle Network, P.O. Box 500127, Austin TX 78750-0127
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Meet
Janet Riehl
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For Janet Riehl recognition as a writer came early.
"My work was first published when I was a teenager. Four pieces of mine were published in my junior high school (middle school) magazine. My father recently came across them and seemed rather impressed. Actually, I think I just had a crush on my English teacher. The person who most strongly modeled the life of a writer as I grew up, though, was my father, who wrote in the midst of fixing things, working with his hands and being a family man."
After earning a degree in English from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, she served in the Peace Corps in Africa where she taught English as a Second Language and literature in secondary schools for three years. She says teaching English as a Second Language is good training for a writer because teaching ESL teaches one to give preference for the simple word before the fancy one.
Janet has professional experience on four continents directing cross-cultural development projects, conducting workshops, teaching, and training. Her private consulting company in New Mexico counted clients ranging from high-tech business leaders to Native American pueblos.
"I've traveled to Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe" she says. "My work has taken me all over the United States. I've worked with Native Americans, villagers in Botswana and Ghana, inner city Blacks in Illinois, Latinos in New Mexico. Writing has been the core of it all: writing for education (curriculum development/training and development); marketing communications (best job I ever had was editor of an in-house newsletter for ComputerLand Corporation); business writing; technical writing...every conceivable type of writing and training folks how to write more clearly in my consulting business."
read more...
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True Words
"One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying."
—Joan of Arc
"Love bravely, live bravely, be courageous, there's really nothing to lose."
—Jewel
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow."
—Mary Anne Radmacher
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LifeWriters Forum
Story Circle has launched another online member-only service—a roundtable discussion with other SCN members, carried on right in your email in-box!
SCN LifeWriters is the name of our brand-new Internet forum where we can get together every day, find out more about each other, learn more about lifewriting, and keep up with the latest SCN news. What are you waiting for? Join the party!
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SCN Blogs
Do you blog? Tell us so we can add you to our growing list of SCN member bloggers (43 and counting!).
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Three 10th Anniversary Publications from SCN
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Kitchen Table Stories
"I received the cookbook in today's mail—it is the first time a cookbook has brought a tear to my eye."
Kitchen Table Stories is a 160-page soft-cover cookbook and story collection from SCN members, including over 70 recipes from our members together with their funny, heartwarming, and touching stories behind those recipes (click to see the table of contents). The beautiful cover is illustrated and designed by SCN member Katherine Misegades.
Available in a spiral binding (Special Edition) or perfect binding (Trade Edition).
Order the spiral bound Special Edition through the SCN cookbook web page: $18 plus shipping and handling.
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What Wildness is This
"Powerful, important anthology."—Dallas Morning News
"A feeling of awe and a sense of female empowerment."—Booklist
What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest celebrates women's experiences in the landscapes of the Southwest. Published by the University of Texas Press and Story Circle Network, this exciting collection is made up of memoir, creative non-fiction, essay, and poetry, and includes pieces by both emerging and established writers. See our book web site for more details.
Contributors to What Wildness have created a blog of their own. Check it out here.
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Starting Points
Starting Points is SCN's writing prompt e-book. Based on the weekly writing prompts that Susan Albert sent to the Internet Chapter members for six years, this book is available for purchase as either a pdf download or in a spiral-bound edition (shown here). See the Starting Points web page for more details and to place your order with our bookseller, Lulu.com.
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Start Your Own Story Circle
Start a writing circle in your community—and let us know if you do so! For more information, see our Facilitator's Guide web page. And, please let us know about other writing groups you are in.
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How I Found SCN
We love to hear how members found us. Tell us your story and we'll publish it online!
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Story Circle T-Shirts
Our periwinkle feminine tees make a lovely gift, and feature this quote on the back: "We are the only ones who can tell our stories because we are the only ones who have lived them." —Susan Wittig Albert, SCN founder. Available in medium, large, 1X; size 2X is available in the same color but in a regular-style tee. Price is $18 (shipping/handling and tax included)
(click here to see a photo).
Our original beige regular-style tees are still available, too.
Quote on back: "What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open." —Muriel Rukeyser. Available in medium, large, 2X, & 3X. Close-out sale price: $12 (shipping/handling and tax included)
(click here to see a photo).
Use our online T-Shirt order form to order yours today.
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Neat Stuff
We've come up with some great gift ideas for memoirists, journal keepers, & story tellers. See our Neat Stuff web page, or go to our web site 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! See our iGive.com portal, or go to our web site 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). See our Randalls Good Neighbor Program web page for more details, or go to our web site 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!
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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 see our Writers Guidelines.
Support Story Circle! You can help in the following ways:
- Contribute to our Annual Fund to further SCN's mission
- Contribute to our Memorial Fund in honor of a deceased loved one
- Drop a bit into our Sugar Bowl to support our members in prison and other members under financial duress
For more details, see our Donations web page.
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Share & Multiply
Earn credits for your membership referrals!
Now you can earn credits for each new member you refer to the Story Circle Network. All you have to do is invite a friend to join SCN. On the membership form (in our brochure or online), she fills in your name as the person who told her about SCN. You'll earn one credit for every new member you refer. Members who give SCN gift memberships will receive a one-time credit for each person receiving their gift. Your credits will accumulate through the calendar year, and be awarded each Spring. To read more, see our Share & Multiply credit plan.
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Story Circle Brochures
The Story Circle Network's brochures are now online! You can print copies of our national 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 are on our SCN Brochures web page.
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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? You can buy back issues on our Buy SCN Journals web page.
We can supply sample Journals to those starting circles. See our facilitator's guide for more info.
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Amazon Kindle
Thinking of purchasing the new wireless Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader? Your purchase will earn a $40 referral fee for Story Circle! Click here or on the amazon graphic above. And don't forget, when you buy books and ebooks through our website, SCN earns $$.
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E-Letters
We publish two monthly e-Letters:
This National e-Letter brings you writing tips, quotes, and book reviews.
The Internet Chapter e-Letter is sent only to members of the Internet Chapter; it features chapter news and events.
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.
If a friend has forwarded this to you, add your e-address and click below to get your own subscription.
To join any of our Story Circle Network e-Letter mailing lists, type your email address below, then click the 'Go' button:
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To unsubscribe: see link at the very bottom of this email.
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To read this e-Letter on our web site, click here: www.storycircle.org/Newsletters/080701.html
This e-Letter is a publication of the Story Circle Network, (P.O. Box 500127, Austin TX 78750-0127). It is provided free, via e-mail, for women interested in lifewriting worldwide. ©2008 Story Circle Network
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.
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email: storycircle@storycircle.org
voice: 512-454-9833
web: www.storycircle.org
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