Recap of Jan 24, 2026 – Jordan Rosenfeld

Finding Your VoiceBy Bill Baldwin It was an honor and joy to welcome Jordan Rosenfeld back to South Bay Writers—we’ve known her a long time! Not only did we hear her wise writing advice on a sunny Saturday, we each received a copy of her book The Sound of Story:...

Recap of Nov 8, 2025 – Donna (D. M.) Rowell

My Path to WritingBy Bill Baldwin Donna (D.M.) Rowell knows about storytelling—she should! Growing up as a member of the Kiowa tribe in Oklahoma, she’s listened to stories her entire life! In Kiowa culture, storytelling connects you to the community, its past, and its...

Recap of October 11: Geri Spieler

The Reporter’s Toolkit for Novelists: Bringing Journalistic Skills To Fictionby Bill Baldwin Geri Spieler, journalist and author of Housewife Assassin—The Woman Who Tried To Kill President Ford plus two works of historical fiction, shared her insights at our October...

Recap of September 13: Meg Waite Clayton

A Writer’s Journey by Bill Baldwin Our September speaker, Meg Waite Clayton, shared her experience of knowing at a young age that she wanted to become a writer, but not fulfilling that ambition until midlife. She felt the attraction of writing, even as a preteen; yet...

Recap of August 9: Nils Michals

Painting Pictures with Wordsby Bill Baldwin Contributor How can I do justice to our August speaker Nils Michals’ talk on “Rilke, Cézanne, and Revisioning the Poetic Image?” I feel I would need degrees in Literature, Art, and Philosophy, at the least! I’ll do what I...

Recap of June 14: Rebecca Gomez Farrell

Critique Styles, Formats, and Expectations Bill Baldwin As writers, most of us understand the importance of critique groups—but how well do we actually understand their true use fulness and how they function? Did you know there are actually a variety of approaches to...