Previous News Updates
May 2010 Member News
Pikes Peak NLAPW has initiated a Pennies from Pikes Peak Pen Women Program, where pennies will be collected and sent to support the young girls and women in Greg Mortenson’s schools in Afghanistan. More information about the program will follow.
Margaret Brettschneider’s lastest novel I think I can, I think I can, the prequel to Street Smart on a Dead End, is coming out in June. Margaret is also teaching a series of Pillar classes this August 26 and August 28 on collecting memories of World War II.
Carol Caverly has established a critique and consulting service for writers needing help with writing projects. She is also available for programs to writing groups. For specific information about her fee and availability, go to www.carolcaverly.com.
Betty Howard, critique group leader of the “Writing Dollies,” which meets at Rico’s on Tuesday at 1 p.m., has announced that the last meeting this spring will be held on May 18th but the group will resume in the fall. All participants are welcome!
Amy Lee, Pen Women Friend, will participate in "Improv and the Creative Mind" at Unity Church, May 23rd from 1 – 5:30. This unique performance art will be taught by professional improv actors from a Chicago Improv Theater called "pH Productions." All trained at Second City in Chicago.
For further information contact Dana McLaren--storkee57@yahoo.com, Director of Unity Theatre Works. Phone:719 217-4268 or Unity Church in the Rockies www.unityrockies.org Phone 719-471-4556 Fax 719-471-7993. The fee is $50 before and $75 at the door.
Dolores Quinlisk will participate in a poetry reading at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 East Colorado, in the 1st Floor Spittler Gallery on Wednesday, June 9th. It is a Brown Bag Lunch event, from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. There are also art exhibits, etc. that one can explore, before or after.
April 2010 Member News
Margaret Brettschneider’s lastest novel I think I can, I think I can, the prequel to Street Smart on a Dead End, is coming out in mid-May. Margaret is also teaching a series of Pillar classes this August 26 and August 28 on collecting memories of World War II.
Nancy Brummett has a new freelance client, NavPress. They have asked her to write back cover copy for books soon to be released as well as trade/catalog copy for the same titles.
Virginia Campbell had three of her orchestrations performed at the recent National League of American Pen Women Inc. Biennial in Arkansas: "Prelude: Ave Maria" by Bach/Gounod, "Goldberg Variation #10" by Bach, and "The Second movement of Vivaldi's Concerto in D Minor for Lute and Continuo." The "Prelude" was performed at the Biennial Memorial Service. As National Music Chair, Virginia helped organize a number of music sessions on women and music: "Pen Women Pieces, Past and present: A Musical Reprise," "Florence Bernice Smith Price, African-American, Arkansas Native, and Prolific Composer – An Extraordinary Woman Ahead of her Time," "Developing the Musician: Pathways to Composition," and "Dr. Karen Bryan – Lecture on African-American Women Opera Composers." In addition, Virginia organized the live performance of Florence Bernice’s Smith Prices' works at the Governor’s mansion. Virginia will be organizing a local workshop for young musicians this summer.
Katie Curry’s essay entitled, "Platte River Partings" was a finalist in the Arapahoe Community College essay contest.
Doris Dembosky’s sonnet, "Winnowing Sweets" was published in the Spring 2010 Pen Woman magazine.
Joyce Gregor and Doris Dembosky are reading their poetry on station KWMV, "The Voice of the Valley" in Westcliffe during April, as part of National Poetry Month celebration.
Jan Keller’s story, "Just like Patty’s Doll," was accepted for publication in the 2010 Christmas in My Heart Anthology, published by Pacific Press.
Dolores Quinlisk’s poem "Purple Mountain Majesties (With apologies to Yeats and Bates)" has been accepted as one of the poems in the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate collection, Poetry While You Wait, II. Dolores has also recorded "Purple Mountain Majesties" and it will be read over station KRCC, during April as part of National Poetry Month. To hear it, tune in every day at 3:00 p.m.
March 2010 Member News
Katie Curry has been notified that she is a finalist in the Arapahoe Community College essay contest. Katie’s essay is entitled, "Platte River Partings."
Dolores Quinlisk’s poem "Purple Mountain Majesties (With apologies to Yeats and Bates)" has been accepted as one of the thirty-six poems in the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate collection, Poetry While You Wait, II.
Joan Mitchell’s books, Comin' Thru the Wry and Tear Down This Wall! A Berlin Memoir: 1984-1988 were both reviewed recently in Writer’s Digest.
Margaret Brettschneider’s book Mutti's War was also recently reviewed by Living Magazine.
Older Member News
Diane Hoover had two haiku poems recently published in the winter edition of The Pen Woman magazine.
Betty Howard’s short story collection entitled Mixed Signals edited by Ken Guentert of The Publishing Pro is in the process of being published through the Cottonwood Center for Arts.
Betty is also going to organize a six week Pen Women critique group beginning mid-March at Rico’s downtown. If you think you might be interested, please email her.
Virginia Campbell, National NLAPW Music Chair, will be coordinating a wonderful musical event at the upcoming Biennial Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas. In recognition of the first African-American composer to have her work performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a renowned opera singer and scholar will perform songs at the NLAPW Biennial at the Governor’s Mansion.
Betty Alt and Sandra Wells have finished reviewing the final proof and index for Caregivers Who Kill (Rowman & Littlefield), which will be out by March or April. Their publisher also wishes to do an audio book on Mountain Mafia.
Diane Hoover has had two Haiku poems accepted for publication in The Pen Woman national magazine
Betty Alt and Sandra Wells' latest book, Mountain Murders, is now available and they are in the proofing stage of another book coming out with Rowan & Littlefield in the spring. In addition to their joint book projects, Betty begins teaching classes at CSU-Pueblo in January and Sandra is teaching at PCC. In addition to her writing Betty also finds time to serve as treasurer of AAUW, participate on the board of League of Women Voters, and chair the Pueblo County Planning Commission.
Margaret Brettschneider’s November book launch at the Black Cat Bookstore in Manitou Springs was "… a blast." Margaret tells us that "The book shop owner was happy because it brought lots of new customers inside, Felix had folks dancing in the streets and lots of people were interested in hiring him, and I sold lots of books. We all had such fun." Margaret was also a participant in an author panel at the Air Force Academy on November 21st.
Joyce Gregor has been chosen as the 2010 Senior Poet Laureate for the state of Colorado by Amy Kitchener’s Angels without Wings Literary Foundation.
Jan Keller has been approached by Dr. Joe Wheeler regarding one of her columns included in her book, The Tie That Binds. Dr. Wheeler compiles and edits his Christmas in My Heart annual anthology, and he would like to include Jan's story, "Just Like Patty's Doll" in his 2010 edition -- the 19th consecutive edition of this popular book series, which was a Gold Medallion finalist in 1995.
Beverly Lewis’s book The Missing, has been placed on Library Journal’s prestigious “Best Books of 2009” list. Beverly has also been nominated as a finalist for the inspirational career achievement award by the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards.
Joan Mitchell recently sold a copy of her book Tear Down This Wall to Virginia Long who then purchased two of Joan’s beautiful paintings: “Poinsettia in Still Life” and “Geranium Galore.” She will be a featured speaker for a special fall of the Berlin Wall exhibit December 11th in the Eichman Gallery at the Park State Bank and Trust in Woodland Park. Joan will also be selling copies of her books and displaying her beautiful painting of Rostropovich. The Event is open to the public from December 7th through December 23rd.
Welcome to Doris Dembosky, journalist and poet, as the newest member of the Pikes Peak Branch of the NLAPW.
Margaret Brettschneider is launching her latest book at Black Cat Bookstore in Manitou on Oct. 24th right after the coffin races from 1-4pm. Come and enjoy music, snacks, wine, and her new book.
Nancy Brummett has contracted to write 144 prayers in the form of twelve Prayer Booklets for Publications International.
Victoria Heim’s non-profit Wounded Warrior Poetry Project, in co-sponsorship with Pikes Peak Community College, is up and running and looking for writers willing to lend their talents and energy to working with veterans from Fort Carson.
Welcome back to Liz Nichols (M), who recently returned from Topeka, KS, where she was a member of the Topeka Branch of NLAPW. While in Kansas, Liz self-published Native American Love Songs with a friend. Based on music collected by Thurlow Lieurance, whom she met 45 years ago, Liz and her co-author notated the music and text of the songs. She continues to do programs on the legends and old love songs of the Native American flute repertoire.
Clarification of Dolores Quinlisk’s recent news: Dolores successfully authored a large grant from the Colorado Health Foundation for the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging to fund United Way 211 to provide information and referrals to seniors and disabled adults in the region who need long-term care services.
NLAPW National News
The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge notified the National PW League that it had been selected to receive the George Washington Honor Medal for HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR LINCOLN. The book was said to exemplify the essence of their "national awards by promoting an understanding and appreciation for our country's rich heritage and unique freedoms."
The Freedoms Foundation is a national, non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, founded in 1949. It uses a rigid selection process based on quality and content.
The award will help NLAPW attain the goal of raising scholarship funds from the sale of the books.
Last modified: February 3, 2011