Sonoma County Literary Update

Dear Literary Folk,


Another new year opens. After waltzing in the arms of the old year on New Year’s Eve—one-two-three/one-two-three (think the digits of the date)—my husband and I started 2024 by climbing Taylor Mountain, just as the fog was lifting and the blue sky beckoned us up the trail. There must have been several hundred people who, like us, decided to take in the views today, speaking a variety of languages, and all greeting one another with wishes for a happy new year as our paths crossed.

In pre-Covid years, Don and I hosted a New Year’s Poetry Brunch at our home—a delightful potluck of shared dishes and shared poems and music to launch the new year. I miss that ritual, but it seems we’re not yet out of the Covid woods, and there have been so many other bugs plaguing us through the holidays, I thought it best not to risk it. Maybe we’ll shift the event to the Summer Solstice so it can be outdoors, at least for the foreseeable future.

We spent some holiday time watching movies: old favorites like Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory, Dylan Thomas’s Child’s Christmas in Wales, The Holiday, Joyeaux Noël, and (new to us) Love, Actually; and some newer releases like Barbie, Maestro, American Symphony. We also introduced our grandson Connor to How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, narrated by Boris Karloff). None of us could name the uncredited vocalist who sings “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Ginch,” so I looked it up. His name is Thurl Ravenscroft, also known as the booming voice behind Tony the Tiger, among many other credits. It seems a shame that he remains unknown to most of us, so I’m doing my part here to make sure we all know his name.

Send Us Your Poetry/Short Prose Selections for 2024
In last month’s Literary Update, I announced that I’d like to feature more Sonoma County writers in my choice of Poem for the Month. I was delighted to receive six poems for the January Update. From these, I’ve selected “Exact right life,” by Linda Loveland Reid. If you scroll down, you’ll find the poem and a short bio at the end of this post.

I hope to continue this, and invite you all to send something for February. The theme can be anything you feel is appropriate to the season. I’ll repeat the guidelines here for those who missed the December post. I’ve adjusted the subject line so you won’t feel limited to sending lineated verse. In fact, prose poems, flash fiction, creative nonfiction are all welcome, as long as the piece you send is no more than a page in length.
 
Send your submission to me at tehret99@comcast.net, with the words “SCLU Poem/Prose of the Month” in the subject heading.

Send me just one submission, no more than a page (or less).

These can be previously published, provided you identify the publishing source. If the piece is not your own, provide the author’s name and source. The author should be a Sonoma County voice, and if contemporary, please ask the author’s permission to submit.

Deadline: You can send the submission any time during the month, but I’ll need to receive your submission a few days before the month’s end to give me time to read, make my choice, and contact the author of the piece selected.

Guy Biederman Returns! Micro/Flash Fiction All Day Workshop
Sunday January 14th, 2024 10 AM-4 PM
Never tried your hand at flash fiction? Here’s your chance to explore new ways of writing. Guy has been leading workshops for many years on the power of flash and micro fiction. “Strive for sinewy sentences,” Guy says, “and stories that charge the moment. We’ll practice the art of expressing more with less as we explore flash and micro fiction. Using writing seeds, time limits, and story samples, we’ll pursue the creativity of limitation, the pleasure of discovery, and the earnest work of craft.”
For details, visit the Occidental Center for the Arts website: https://www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org/upcoming-events

Blue Light Awards
Those of you looking for a place to publish a poetry manuscript might want to consider The Blue Light Book Award for a full-length book of poems (deadline February 1), or the Blue Light Poetry Prize for Chapbook publication, which is open for submissions from February 1 through June 30. For guidelines, see: bluelightpress.com/contestsFull.php or bluelightpress.com/contests.php

Mark Tate Wins Blue Light Book Award
Big congratulations to Sonoma County poet Mark Tate whose collection Walking Scarecrow was selected for the 2023 Blue Light Book Award. Mark is the author of three previous books of poetry Pommes de Terre (2001), Sur lie* (2002), and Rooms and Doorways (2003), and three novels, Beside the River, and its sequel River’s End (McCaa Books, 2021), and Butterfly on the Wheel (McCaa Books, 2022). He served for ten years on the Sonoma County Poet Selection Committee for the poets laureate of our county. He is a long-time resident of Northern California where he lives with his wife, Lori. 

Sixteen Rivers Annual Call for Submissions for Book-Length Poetry Manuscripts
Sixteen Rivers Press invites Northern California authors to submit book-length poetry manuscripts by February 1, 2024. All manuscripts will be read blind and typically one or two manuscripts are selected for publication. The winner/s will be announced on the press’s website during Summer 2024. Selected manuscripts will be scheduled for publication in Spring 2026.

Sixteen Rivers values diversity. We encourage poets of color, young poets, and LGBTQ poets to submit. If you’ve submitted in the past and not been selected, please don’t be discouraged. Because we only publish two new authors a year, sometimes it takes a few tries. We are a unique organization, run by the poets themselves. In joining us, you have the chance to learn about all aspects of poetry publishing and book production.

For full submission guidelines, use this link: https://sixteenrivers.org/submit-work.

Book Launch for Claire Drucker’s New Collection The Life You Gave Me
Sebastopol poet and teacher Claire Drucker will be presenting a poetry reading/book signing for her new collection, The Life You Gave Me, on Sunday January 14, 2024, from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High Street. Claire says, “There will be some yummy finger food as well. Hope to see you there!”

Passages: A Life Journey in Poetry & Song
Saturday, January 20, 2024, 5:00-7:00 pm
The Sebastopol Center for the Arts presents an experience that will take you through the beauty and emotionality of poetry and choral music, to reflect and appreciate more deeply the scope and fabric of our lives. Performances by: Harmonia Choir: John Maas director, Acorn MusEcology choir: Sarah Saulsbury Dupre director. Poetry Readings by: Enid Pickett, Sarah S Dupre, Jodi Hottel, Phyllis Meshulam, Ella Wen, John Maas, Geoff Geiger, and Steve Fowler. Details: https://sebarts.org/classeslectures/p/passages-a-life-journey-in-poetry-song

Off to Antartica!
I’d like to remind everyone that our incredible engine behind the Sonoma County Literary Update, Jo-Anne Rosen, will be briefly on hiatus from January 17 through February 4. Jo-Anne is off on a cruise to Antarctica with her sisters! I’ve asked her to send us photos and notes about her journey, and she has promised a write-up for the February post. During Jo-Anne’s time away, she will not be available to update the blogsite, and the February Literary Update will be delayed… unless a volunteer steps up to cover her absence. (Knowledge of WordPress and MailChimp needed.) If you can help out, please contact Jo-Anne at: editor@socolitupdate.com.

________

Poem for January, 2024

Exact right life
by Linda Loveland Reid

A strangeness stalks me   the first time
in forever, I think a     something  
dropped into the    dark
maybe even into Plato’s cave,
or perhaps     into my own    
mind
I believe there is     more
I want the corners of my life    to turn   
pink   as I go to the
                          sunset
I want my dyed blonde hair   not
to fall out    before
I make it to      the end
Somewhere between tears and coffee,
I need to find
the      exact life
To fly toward the
sun,
to hell with     waxed wings
Let the cup spill,    the juice stain,
I want 
to drown in       endorphins
I need to see myself,
to know
these last years     are right
Taste the morning blue of   the sky,      
           love my     one life.

About Linda
Maybe the fact that I was born in Hollywood has given my practicality a huge shot of drama. Certainly, living in California Wine Country for 50+ years has given me great joy. 

Before I retired from an insurance firm that I founded (Reid-Loveland Insurance), now run by my daughter, I was Executive Director of United Way for North Bay. Now retired, I follow different passions: Painting, Writing, Lecturing, and Directing Theater. 

My motto: “Love and Live ‘til you tilt”

For more about Linda’s art and writing, visit her website: https://www.lindalovelandreid.com/

________

Terry Ehret
Sonoma County Literary Update co-editor