December - Annual Holiday Bash

Betty Auchard once again hosted our December potluck party at her home. We had readings this year, songs, gift exchange, and a wonferful array of food.

November - Literay Agents, Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada

Michael Larsen worked in promotion for three major publishers: William Morrow, Bantam, and Pyramid (now Jove). Elizabeth Pomada worked at David McKay, Holt Rinehart & Winston, and the Dial Press in New York City before moving to San Francisco in 1970 with her partner and husband, Michael Larsen. Together, they started Michael Larsen - Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents in 1972. Since then, they have sold books from hundreds of authors to more than 100 publishers. She loves to find promising new writers who are writing books that will interest New York publishers.

Michael's books include How to Write a Book Proposal, How to Get a Literary Agent, and Literary Agents: What They Do, How They Do It, and How to Find and Work with the Right One for You. He is a member of AAR and represents nonfiction.

Website

October - Special Members Panel

Our panelists included SBW Members Bill Belew, Howard Burman, Jack Hasling, and Jana McBurney-Lin.
Martha Engber will chair thediscussion and included her own perspective.

--and--

Annual Halloween Literary Costume Contest

From left: Suzette Gamero and Lisa Eckstein teamed up as The Walrus and The Carpenter
Luanne Oleas was Mother Goose, Edie Matthews as Scheherazade
Loureen Giordano was a Meter Maid for Poetic Justice,
and Richard Burns came as The Werewolf

September - Katie Hafner

Katie Hafner writes about technology and society, including privacy concerns, digital archiving and preservation, and customer service, from San Francisco. She has been writing about technology for more than 25 years. She joined the New York Times in 1998, as one of the first writers for the Circuits section. Before that she wrote about technology for Newsweek magazine.

Katie Hafner's website

August - Erika Mailman

Erika Mailman is the author of the historical novel, The Witch's Trinity, and a writing instructor through Mediabistro.

Erika's first novel, Woman of Ill Fame, tells the story of an unapologetic Gold Rush prostitute. Erika has also written several books on Oakland history and for The Montclarion (part of the Contra Costa Times) on the same subject.

Visit Erika's website for more info

July - Annual Potluck Barbeque

Each year we gather at Edie and Jim Matthew's house in Santa Clara for an afternoon potluck barbeque.

View photos of the event in our Shutterfly Photo Gallery where you can download or print photos of this and our many other SBW events.

Janis Bell has been teaching writing, in many settings and diverse formats, since 1973.  She began her career as a composition and business writing instructor at San Francisco State University, where she had earned her Master's degree in English with an emphasis in teaching writing.

Janis's book, Clean, Well-lighted Sentences, is a small, engaging book for people who know what they want to write but who aren't entirely confident in their use of grammar and punctuation.  This concise, respectful, entertaining guide targets only the most common errors in American sentences.

Janis Bell's website

May 30 - Young Writers Workshop

This special workshop for middle and high school students covered the following topics:

• "Grow Great Characters and Plots From the Ground Up" with Martha Engber
• "It Might Be Better, But It Could Be Verse" with Jack Hasling
• "Write a Short Film: Learn the Secrets of Short Filmmaking" with Victoria M. Johnson
• "Getting Your Voice Heard," a look at print media, TV, and blogs with a panel of writers

May - Michelle Richmond

Michelle Richmond is the author of four books of fiction, including the New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle best seller THE YEAR OF FOG, which was one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2007, a Kirkus Reviews top pick for reading groups, a Washington Post A-List selection, and a San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book. Michelle's website

May - Self-Publishing Workshop

Carla King and Lisa Alpine lead a special workshop in May that covered the option of self-publishig -- why to do it, how, what does it cost, who do you call, and how to use your self-published book to attract a publisher.

April - Frances Dinkelspiel

Author of Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California (St. Martins Press), Frances Dinkelsiel spent more than 20 years in the newspaper business, writing for the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and San Jose Mercury News. The rags-to-riches story of her great-great-grandfather, Isaias Hellman, is the result of a decade of research that took her from California to Hellman's birthplace in Bavaria. The LA Times calls the book, "Impressively researched and engagingly told." Frances' website

March - Ellen Sussman

Writer, editor, and teacher Ellen Sussman spoke for us in March. Ellen's most recent book, Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex, has been hailed as "Subtle smut for smart people," by the San Francisco Chronicle. Her novel, "On a Night Like This," is soon to be a Lifetime movie.

Ellen's website

January - Norman Solomon

Norman Solomon is a nationally syndicated columnist on media and politics. He has been writing the weekly "Media Beat" column since 1992. His latest book is Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America's Warfare State (October 2007). He is the author of twelve books and his articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and many other newspapers. He was featured in Bill Moyers' recent PBS documentary “Buying the War.” He is a recipient of the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language.

January Workshop: Develop Vivid Characters with David Corbett

David Corbett, author of The Devil's Redhead, Done for a Dime, and Blood of Paradise, is an expert in character development,. David taught us how to breathe unforgettable life into characters that populate our plot. Characters with rich and persuasive dialog that draw readers into our stories by steering the scenes that they occupy.