Creative November Meeting

Brrrr....its cold out there! Even in the cold and darkness a few members ventured out to our meeting. We took this time to 'play' some creative writing games and exercises and chomp down on some treats that Ms. Lois so graciously donated. Our first exercise was prompted by bags of goodies. Each bag had 3 items...we had 3 min to trade and then had 10 min to write a story about these items....must be connected. Great stories and a variety of thoughts on the subject.
OUr next exercise was to concentrate on descriptions. One exercise that helps is to describe an item in 3 words...kind of like doing an ad. It is harder than you think!
Our last exercise was to write about a gift box...what was in it and who were you going to give it to.

We also discussed a time and place for our Xmas social, our Sat critique meeting and possibly moving meetings to a sat. Well get more opinions and come up with a game plan.

Our next meeting is Dec. 6th for a critique meeting at the Hospital cafeteria. Hope to have a good group. See you then, have a great thanksgiving!

Sue Dye, local poet

Sue Dye, local Clarksdale citizen and poet was our guest at our DWA October meeting. Her poetry reading touched the audience. Would it not be great to get her on tape ? She was awesome! It was also special as we helped her celebrate her 91st birthday. Lucky us! Please visit us again, Sue!

October meeting - what fun!

Tonight's meeting was so fun! It was a special treat to hear Sue Dye recite her poetry....insightful words that create pictures and emotions and utilize both versatile grammar and "every day" straight to the heart truths. The visitors to our group were a pleasure as well and I hope they will find a way to meet with us again soon. Ms. Dye concluded her presentation with a poem about a "darling chickadee".....I think that was quite appropo as the title could easily apply to this youthful, exhuberant 91 year old darling. Imagine...being able to share poems written over a span of 60+ years. We just received a spare taste of what must be a fantastic journey in musical words from a woman who clearly loves people and life to the utmost.
Thanks, Virginia and Lois, for providing this memorable experience for our group!
~Laura A.

Submissions in print

Hey everyone....the submissions for the TWF contest were printed in the Clarksdale Paper. I heard Billy's submission was printed and then I saw A day on the Farm by Cal Trout was also printed. If anyone has a copy of Billy's ...please get us one for our scrap book.

Lots of things going on for writers and mentors. Joe Campbell who is an author from Indianola invited us to attend a day in his honor tomorrow Oct 14th. A book signing is planned at the library and entertainment at the BB King museum. I will try to get the flyer to you all as soon as I get it. I will be there and they will be interviewing me as well for the "writers in the Delta" episode and the documentary on his life.

THe Friends of the Library has appointed me to be in charge of a newsletter. We are going to involve the winners of the essay contest that they had in April as mentors. Hopefully we can continue this and help our library with PR and a newsletter. ANy volunteers ? :)

Also we need volunteers to be on the Writing Mentor Committee. This is a grant program that will involve 5 students from the 3 high schools in the area to get motivated about writing, and maybe learn a few things. For more information, please email John Mayo.

Dont forget you all , meeting is this thursday at 6:30 at the Cutrer Mansion and we have critique group on Sat. at 9 am. Invite your friends. Our guest speaker is Sue Dye, famous author and poet. This will be a fun meeting.

My personal road bump

Yes I was really off lately. My husband who is the physician at CCA prison got reassigned. We just moved here and bought a house. Guess where...Minnesota. Can you believe it...peter is the smartest guy I know, he has Millions of degrees and board certifications and worked 70-80 hrs a week at that place. he even spent our anniversary there! (all weekend and holidays). but i told him that i would rather not move and loved Clarksdale and the people and the writers group, etc.

so God provided, within 2 days he had secured a job at Parchman as a physician and also a temp job in Florida for a month to fill in the gap....so i guess you guys are stuck with me.

see you soon!

I am embarrased!

Our announcement for the 2nd prize winner was incorrect....Shannan Rule Bardwell was the author of God Bless the Boon! So sorry Shannon!

I was also a little disappointed in our newspaper coverage. I thought we would have at least one or two submission (I emailed to Patricia) and some photo coverage of the luncheon. If I missed it, someone tell me...I a
have been a little off lately.

Contest Winner

Wow! What a great response to our Tennessee Williams Festival Literary Contest. We had 35 entries in just 3 weeks and they were from all over the US. Our theme was Tennessee Williams and the Delta, but some of the submissions were about all aspects of the south, growing up in the south, working and living in the south. It was a hard job, but after much reading we decided (by a votes and number system) that Billy Howell, from Clarksdale, MS. won first prize with his submission entitled Howell Reflections at Cutrer. He will hopefully be presenting his paper at the luncheon at the Cutrer mansion on Friday during the TWF. We had a tie for 2nd with Dr Hillard Lackey's God Bless the Boon and Cal Trout with A Day on the Farm. I think the newspaper will be publishing these entries, we will see on Monday.

ANyway Congrats! to our winners. This is our first contest for a very young group...so we learned as we went. I wish we could give prizes to all of the contest entries.

Thanks again to our writers and judges!

PS Look for these winning submissions right here on our web blog!

Next meeting of the DWA

Our next meeting of the DWA is coming up shortly...Sept 18th at 6:30 at Cutrer Mansion on Clark Street. If you dont know where this is, you must be a newbe like me. It seems that everyone in Clarksdale knows where everything and everybody is, was and will be!

We got a great lead to publish an anthology about Clarksdale and specifically about the women of Clarksdale (or the Delta). Put your thinking caps on and tell us a story. I have a tape recorder:) If you would like contribute, please contact us!

Also we are winding down our TWF contest. Thank you so much for the submissions. One more day to get them in...so hurry! We will have our submissions displayed at the Mansion and present awards at our next meeting and the TWF. You all are wonderful. This just goes to prove that Mississippi has some wonderful and gifted people. I keep saying that Clarksdale, and the Delta, is an unpolished diamond!

Anyway hope to see you at the meeting. If you cant make it, please email us and we can put you on our mailing list. We have contests/markets going out everyday.

Later!
V

Delta Writers Association - a beginning!

Yippee! The newest Chapter of the Mississippi
Writer's Guild is up and running in Clarksdale, MS.

Newly named the Delta Writer's Association with respect to the Delta , its history, culture and presence of its magical influence on its writers. What a joy!

Our first meeting was just a month or so ago, but already people are excited. We have ten members and many more to come.

We meet the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30 at the historically, inspiring Cutrer Mansion, also the home of the Coahoma County Continuing Educational Center. We also have a critique meeting on the first Sat of the month at the Resthaven Restaurant
at 9 am. For further information you can call 1 800 381 2306 or email us at deltawritersassociation@yahoo.com. We welcome all that are interested in writing, sharing their writing and ideas and speakers for our group. Listeners are always welcome too!

We are currently sponsoring a literary contest with the theme Tennessee Williams or the Delta to win entry to the Festival Sept 25-26 in Clarksdale, MS. We are looking for fiction or non-fiction, poetry, short story or one act plays, approximately 1200 words to be submitted on or before September 16 via email at deltawritersassociation@yahoo.com or faxed to 662 253-4931. Any questions, please email or call.

As president, I am looking forward to a very literary Clarksdale!