President’s Page – October, 2020
We hear so much on the news about the upcoming election. Whomever you choose, your obligation is to vote. As writers we have the power of our pen to bring out injustices where we see them and to voice our opinion in a civil way. So be sure to vote.
I wrote an article that was published in the local paper honoring Ruth Bader Ginsberg for all she has done for gender equality.
We have a responsibility from the First Amendment to speak the truth and not feel cowered by negativity. I have had my candidate’s sign torn down three times and then defaced. I just keep putting one back up. I refuse to live in fear.
The NFPW Communications Contest is on! Go through all your published writings for 2020 and pull up your best material to enter the contests. There are numerous categories from which to choose. I’m sure one fits your writing style. Several of our APW writers have won awards over the years. Although we do not have an Arizona specific contest, you can enter the At-large section. Check it out at NFPW.org
Let’s see how many members we will have this year in the contest. See our website ArizonaProfessionalWriters.org or our Facebook page for more information. In fact, you can subscribe to our APW blog so you get notification whenever something new is posted. You’ll see the latest blog entry when you go to ArizonaProfessionalWriters.org. Look on the right-hand side for the signup.
Monthly meetings: I don’t understand why more members have not taken advantage of all our virtual meetings. We have had two guests a month from either Central or Rim Country chapter with all members invited. From my viewpoint, most are outstanding. They have created much discussion on a variety of topics.
Recently at the last Central meeting a Book review group was created. See it on the 4th Saturday of the month. Again check out the info on FB and our website. You will receive the zoom invitation before the program.
2021 Membership: APW is alive and thriving. Why not take advantage of all we have to offer. Membership renewal will be due soon. You will be receiving a notice from Connie Cockrell, state membership chair, for state dues or from NFPW if you are a national member.
APW Board meeting: Our next APW Board meeting is scheduled for December 5.It will be a virtual one and all members are invited. More informatioin in November.
Keep writing,
Marie A. Fasano,
President APW
New APW Book Club!
After a lively discussion during our October meeting, a few members expressed interest in forming a book group to read and review each other’s books. Book group meetings will be held virtually at 10 am on the 4th Saturday of every month. Karen Shiffman Lateiner has agreed to coordinate the group. If you are interested in participating, please email or call her: kslateiner@gmail.com, 973-997-7204.
The first meeting will be – Saturday, October 24, at 10 am. Timeless Dance: A Story of Change and Loss by Karen Shiffman Lateiner is the first selection. It is available in Kindle or paperback on Amazon. If you are unable to obtain it, please let Karen know and she will arrange for you to get a copy.
The November selection will be Surrender by Marylee MacDonald, and December’s will be one of Jody Sharpe’s books.
Looking forward to seeing you at the launch of our APW Book Group. Contact Karen to join and stay tuned for further details.
Karen
973.997.7204
Karen Shiffman Lateiner, M.Ed.
Author,
Hike and Write Facilitator
Gender Diversity Educator
October 14 Virtual meeting with Laurie Fagen
This month the APW Rim Country meeting will have an exciting guest – Laurie Fagen.
Laurie will talk about the challenges of writing crime fiction during the pandemic, and how she created a project that was more inspiring and positive.
Laurie Fagen had a great career in radio, commercial and cable television, video productions and print journalism. She has published two crime fiction mystery novels, Fade Out and Dead Air in her “Behind the Mic” mystery series, along with two audio books and two novellas.
She recently launched “AZ Creates!” and hosts the twice-monthly YouTube web series to highlight creatives in Arizona. Each show also includes an interview with a published writer who reads from their book; a highlighted arts nonprofit; and upcoming arts events in “Something to Look Forward to.” The episodes can be seen at https://is.gd/AZCreates, and her writing website is http://www.ReadLaurieFagen.com.
You may find out how to be a guest on Laurie’s show!!
Topic: APW Rim Country Guest Laurie Fagen
Time: October 14, 2020 01:00 PM MST
Members and nonmembers are invited to participate. Members have been sent the Zoom link. If you did not receive it contact Connie Cockrell, Rim Country Chapter Chair for the link.
NFPW 2021 Communications Contest opens for entries
NFPW Communications Contest opens for entries The National Federation of Press Women’s 2021 communications contest is open and accepting entries. The year 2020 has been a year of constant changes, surprises and the unexpected. Many of our members have been documenting this year via methods including the written word, photographs, books, campaigns and presentations. Now is the time to recognize some of those efforts by entering the NFPW communications contest. Entries for the 2021 contest must be published or broadcast in some format between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. The NFPW professional contest is a two-tiered contest. Entrants first enter a state level contest in the state they live in or are a member of, People living in a state without a state contest, are encouraged to enter the at-large contest. When entries warrant in the at-large contest, the contest may be split into regions to create a more level playing field. First-place winners in the state-level contest and the at-large contests are eligible to move to the national level of judging. To be eligible for compete in the national level, the entrant must be a member in good standing with the National Federation of Press Women. Unless the affiliate contest requires membership to participate, the entrants can join NFPW once they learn of their winning status. The deadline to join to compete in the national contest is March 15, 2021.
APW members submit their entries in the at-large contest. You do not need to be a member to participate though you must join NFPW if your entry can advance to the national level.
The 2021 contest is available here.
The professional contest deadlines are:
- Early entry deadline — January 27, 2021 at noon in the entrant’s time zone (the first entry submitted by an entrant after this deadline will be charged a $25 fee)
- Final book deadline — Feb. 3, 2021 at noon in the entrant’s time zone
- Final contest deadline — Feb. 10, 2021 at noon in the entrant’s time zone
- Winners must be NFPW members — March 15
- National winners announced and honored at NFPW conference — June 11, 2021
There is also a high school contest.
October 10 Zoom meeting – change of plans
Central Chapter October Zoom Meeting
Saturday, October 10, 2020 —- 10:00 am
Our speaker, Martha Blue, had to cancel. Instead, we will have a round table discussion. Share what you are working on. If you have ideas for future meetings – speakers or topics – share those too. It will be fun to catch up and meet new and potential members too.
Please RSVP to Barbara Lacy. You will receive the Zoom link for Saturday’s meeting.
Join us at 10 a.m. this Saturday, October 10 on Zoom!
Barbara Lacy
Central Chapter Chair
PS – Martha’s talk will be rescheduled for a date in the spring.
Martha Blue
One of my favorite people, writer Martha Blue, will be our speaker at 10 a.m., Saturday, October 10, 2020. On Zoom, naturally!
Martha was one of our first friends when we moved to the Navajo Reservation in 1971 and although our lives and locations changed over years, our friendship was solid. Martha and her first husband came to the reservation as poverty lawyers and thus they worked with my husband who oversaw the Social Services office on the western side of the Navajo Reservation.
As we moved on with our lives we kept in touch when Martha had story ideas for me to follow up on. When my family moved to Phoenix in 1980, I took a full-time PR job with the state and regretfully did not follow up on her many of her ideas.
You can read more about Martha by click Martha Blue’s Resume . She’s amazing!
Marsha Ward’s new book: Surprising Charity
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- Marsha Ward
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- Marsha Ward – Surprising Charity
President’s Page – September, 2020
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg kept going even with a devastating pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Now she is gone. She was such an example to many. She fought for her beliefs for gender equality early in her career. She had no fear when she gave her dissenting opinion for a Supreme Court decision.
When I think of my own aches and pains and medical difficulties I think of Justice Ginsburg and how strongly she felt about continuing on despite her illness. How I need to do the same.
It reminds me of the many writers who are telling stories of their own adversities and how they overcame them. Stories they share with their readers. Often the readers are helped knowing others have experienced the same or similar experiences.
How fortunate we are as writers to have that gift of storytelling to share.
When you join us for our monthly meetings you will be enlightened by our guests and the discussion that follows after the telling of their own stories.
Please consider joining us each month. Now that we are virtual, members from any part of the state can take advantage of our speakers.
I learn something each time. I’m sure you will, too.
Keep writing,
Marie Fasano
President
Arizona Professional Writers
September 9 Zoom meeting with Nancy Pelligrini
Nancy Pellegrini
APW Rim Country‘s September guest speaker, Nancy Pellegrini will enthrall us with stories of her two decades in Korea and China before coming to Phoenix in June 2018. She covered performing arts in China, mostly as the stage section writer/editor for Time Out Beijing and Time Out Shanghai magazines and many others. She is the author of The People’s Bard: How China Made Shakespeare Its Own (Penguin Random House, 2016). She came to Phoenix in June 2018 and set up Nancy Pellegrini Editorial Solutions, LLC, where she offers writing and editing services.
Nancy spoke earlier this year at a meeting but if you missed it the first time, join Rim Country for this fascinating talk.
Join us on Zoom Wednesday, 1:00 PM September 9, 2020.
Members have received the Zoom link in an email and will receive a reminder. If you are interested in attending and did not receive an email, contact Marie Fasano.
President’s Page – August, 2020
August is the month for Voting Rights. On August 26, 1920 the 19th amendment finally was ratified to give women the right to vote. Suffragettes worked for many years to achieve that right. A new book for middle school students titled, Finish the Fight written by the staff of the New York Times, remains a fascinating read for any age. It shows us how diverse the women were who helped make suffrage reality. It became, not only a white women’s struggle, as has been told in so many history books, but one for women of diverse cultures.
We learn that the Native American Haudenosaunee practiced a form of representative democracy that gave significant power to women. Mary Church Terrell, an African American championed both suffrage and civil rights. There were many other African American women, Latina and Chinese women who fought for the vote as well.
I suggest you buy a copy for all the young women in your families, one for yourself and one to donate to your local library.
APW Central has continued to present interesting speakers each month in Zoom format, so all members are invited to attend. APW Rim Country has monthly Zoom meetings and will be having speakers starting again next month.
Buckshot Dot just informed me that a long time Payson member, Rebecca George, has passed away. She was an author, book reviewer, philosopher, musician and naval veteran. We send her family our condolences.
Are you still practicing social distancing and wearing a mask outdoors? I hope so. I see others getting lax, but numbers of Covid cases continue to blanket our state and country.
Keep Writing,
Marie Fasano
President
Arizona Professional Writers
September 12 Zoom meeting with Karen Shiffman Lateiner
Our Central District September speaker will be Karen Shiffman Lateiner, M.A., M.Ed., author of Timeless Dance: A Story of Change and Loss
Zoom call on September 12, 2020 at 10 am
Zoom details will be emailed closer to the date. If you are not on the email list, contact Barbara Lacy at barblacyapw@gmail.com to be added to the list and to receive details and a reminder.
Karen Shiffman Lateiner, M.A., M.Ed., author of Timeless Dance: A Story of Change and Loss, has nearly twenty years of experience as a psychologist and infant/child development specialist providing service to vulnerable, at-risk children and their families.
As the parent of a transgender child who came out in the mid-nineties, she quickly became an advocate for gender minority youth, serving on the Affirmative Action Advisory Council and LGBT Task Force of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), and the Stop Bullying AZ Task Force. Her book, part memoir, biography, and primer on gender diversity, has garnered many positive reviews, leading to speaking engagements in a variety of settings, from educational to corporate. Combining her love of the Sonoran Desert, and her desire to encourage and support other writers, she created and facilitates a Hike and Write program in Phoenix. Karen is a member of numerous organizations for writers and authors. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and baking sourdough bread.
See more about Karen at KSLateiner.com
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- Timeless Dance – Karen Shiffman Lateiner – https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Dance-Story-Change-Loss/dp/171743794X/
Arizona Professional Writers 