Dear Writers, Readers and Friends:
Autumn has arrived with the whoosh of a light wind and a crispness in the air. This time of year is so rich—hard work in the harvesting, literally and figuratively, of the work done in the passing year, as well as many holidays and times of traditional celebration.
One thing I am celebrating is that October marks three years of Kate’s Miscellany! I am delighted to have been able to provide useful, interesting and eclectic information about local writing opportunities and events for three whole years now. Thanks for reading and participating!
October also brings with it my final creative writing class of the year—Traditions and Celebrations, starting 10/31. This class will focus exclusively on generating new work. We will read, discuss, write and (if we like) share our new work as we consider our (and our characters’) personal, spiritual, family and/or community traditions and celebrations. Class runs for six Wednesday evenings over eight weeks, October 31 through December 19 in Sacramento. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say–prompts in this workshop are going to be extra fun! Costumes, music, food, and other lush surprises are in store! See full details and registration info below and on my website here at www.kateasche.com/workshops. (And, if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, it’s a great way to get more words on the page!)
I hope to see you at one or more of this fall’s lovely literary events. May it be a time of good reading and good writing for us all!
Kate
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*TONIGHT* UC DAVIS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM FACULTY READING
Opening Night: Readings by Creative Writing Faculty, at 7 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 4) on the Wyatt Deck in the arboretum.
The event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the arboretum and the Department of English.
The award-winning fiction writers and poets include Joshua Clover, Greg Glazner, Pam Houston, Yiyun Li, Joe Wenderoth and Alan Williamson.
In case of rain, the program will move to 126 Environmental Horticulture.
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*TONIGHT* at POETRY IN DAVIS: JULIA LEVINE AND RUTH SCHWARTZ
at the John Natsoulas Gallery, October 4th at 8PM
Dear Friends of Poetry,
Tomorrow evening we have two award-winning poets joining us for a special poetry event, and we hope you can join us. The Poetry Night Reading Series welcomes Julia Levine and Ruth Schwartz on Thursday, October 4th at 8 P.M. They will be performing at the John Natsoulas Gallery at 521 1st Street in Davis.
A longtime Davis resident, Julia Levine is a poet and therapist who earned her PhD in clinical psychology from The University of California, Berkeley. Her poetry has won numerous national and international awards, including a Discovery Award, The Nation Award, the Pablo Neruda Prize in poetry, and the Anhinga Poetry Prize. She received a bronze medal from ForeWord magazine for her first collection, Practicing for Heaven, and the University of Tampa Poetry prize for her second book, Ask. She has been widely published in literary journals, including Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, Poetry East, and the Southern Poetry Review. Her latest book, Ditch-tender, was released earlier this year from University of Tampa Press. She has work appearing in several new anthologies, including The Places That Inhabit Us, and The Autumn House Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry.
Ruth Schwartz has a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology. Her newest poetry collection is Miraculum, published this year by Autumn House Press. She has published four other books of poems, including Edgewater, which won the 2001 National Poetry Series Award, and a memoir, Death in Reverse. A lifelong explorer of consciousness and healing, she is also the author of a newly-released psychospirital guidebook, Soul on Earth: A Guide to Living and Loving Your Human Life (Six Directions Press, 2012). Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, and to great acclaim. The poet Mark Doty has said of Ruth’s work, “[Ruth L. Schwartz] will settle for nothing less than the essential. Her passionate poems are alive to the vulnerability of the body, the daily possibility of joy, and the deep struggle not only to make sense of, but to affirm the world.”
The open mic will begin at about 9, so come early if you would like to perform something musical or poetic after our featured poets. The poets’ books will be available for purchase at the Natsoulas Gallery Bookstore, after which they can be signed and, of course, treasured. See you Thursday!
Andy Jones
Who: Julia Levine and Ruth Schwartz
What: The Poetry Night Reading Series
When: Thursday, October 4th
Where: John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st Street
Media Contact: Evan White
The John Natsoulas Gallery 530-756-3938
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IT’S LITQUAKE TIME BY THE BAY!
If you love San Francisco, why not combine a day trip with a fine literary event—or five? Litquake 2012 will shortly be underway. Head west to check out local, regional and national writers of every ilk—including some Sacramento favorites!
All the dirt’s here: http://litquake.org/
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VALERIE FIORAVANTI’S AWARD-WINNING GARBAGE NIGHT AT THE OPERA SET TO LAUNCH!
Friends, I truly hope you’ll join me in celebrating (and purchasing) Valerie’s first collection of stories! Valerie has added such life to our writing community through curating Stories on Stage and bringing us together for the Master Teacher Workshops. It’s time to give back the love!
Thursday, October 25th
Garbage Night at the Opera Sacramento Book Launch
Time Tested Books @ 7PM
1124 21st Street, between J & K
Garbage Night at the Opera is now available for pre-order at Amazon & Powells. There will also be a Stories on Stage event on November 30th, to celebrate the book and the end of another successful season. Stories on Stage came in third as best reading or lecture series in Sacramento News & Review’s Best of Sacramento 2012. It’s the third year in a row SoS has been a “Best of” winner.
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Something fun from Kel Munger at Sac News and Review…
15 Minutes interview with local poet and professor Joshua McKinney. His third book, *Mad Cursive*, was just published. Look for the interview transcript in Bibliolatry later this week.
The pen and the sword – 15 Minutes – Opinions – October 4, 2012 – Sacramento News & Review
Sacramento State University professor and poet Joshua McKinney |
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Traditions and Celebrations
(All Genres)
6 Meetings ~ Wednesday evenings
October 31-December 19
(no class 11/14 & 11/21)
Traditions and celebrations abound in the fall and early winter months. What do these activities reveal about our characters and/or ourselves? Join Kate Asche in an Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) generative writing class for all genres. Expand your craft toolbox by incorporating skills like strong description through sensory details, effective point of view choices and thoughtful pacing as you consider the power of seasonal, spiritual and/or family traditions and celebrations. Generate new work weekly, inside and (if you like) outside of class. Talk casually with other writers as you connect more deeply in our writing community. Snacks and tea provided. *Please note: This class does not contain a formal manuscript critique component, as my workshops usually do. Our focus will be on discussion of readings and on writing new work.
Textbook(s): For this class, Kate Asche will create a custom anthology of craft essays and examples of writing place. A $15 copy fee is required from each student to cover the cost of the anthology, payable at time of registration.
Class Size is Limited: This private workshop is limited to 9 participants, plus the facilitator. Writers in all genres and at all levels are invited to participate.
How Do I Reserve a Space? Email me at asche (dot) kate (at) gmail (dot) com. I will send you a brief registration form. To complete registration (and reserve your place), please return your completed registration form to me along with payment. Registrations are accepted in the order received.
Details: Each meeting, we’ll enjoy brief discussion of that week’s reading selection, which we will have read in advance. Next, we’ll spend time writing new drafts and sharing them (if we wish), as we respond to a prompt related to that week’s discussion topic. When time permits, we’ll close meetings with a second write. This class will be facilitated in the AWA method, in which all shared writing is treated with respect and honor. The focus is on the writing itself, and the writer will learn what is strong, what is memorable, and what people admire in his/her first-draft work.
Time and Location: We will write together at the ThinkHouse Collective (1617 18th Street in Sacramento) on Wednesday evenings. Our social time begins at 5:45 p.m., with class beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. (If the class fills completely, we may run a bit longer.) If you wish to participate but cannot arrive before 6:00 p.m., please discuss with Instructor. Permission for late arrival may be granted at Instructor’s discretion, but no discount or make-up instruction will be given for time missed.
Dates: Wednesdays, 5:45-8:30 p.m. ~ October 31 – December 19 (no class 11/14 or 11/21)
Workshop Cost and Payment Due Date: The cost of this workshop is $180 for returning students (if postmarked by 10/19/12). The cost is $190 for new students (if postmarked by 10/19/12). The cost is $210 if postmarked 10/20/12 or later. (Referred by a friend? Or, recommending this class to a friend? Ask about my new referral program—you may both be eligible for discounts! Discounts cannot be combined or applied retroactively.)