Podcasts about writers league

It is said that you don't rescue dogs. They rescue you. This saying reflects the connection we can have with our pets. Especially dogs, who are said to have had a relationship with humans for thousands of years.When we adopt a dog, we think we're giving them a new lease on life, but in reality, they often give us so much more in return. Joy, comfort, companionship and a sense of purpose. They make us better humans. This idea of animals rescuing humans is the central theme in my guest Lynda Rutledge's brilliant novel, West with Giraffes.The book follows the journey of Woodrow Wilson Nickel, or Woody, a seventeen-year-old boy who drove two giraffes cross-country from New York to the San Diego Zoo. This novel is based on a true story—events that happened in 1938. The two giraffes survive the high seas and braved a storm that almost killed them. Then they needed to be transported to the San Diego Zoo.As Woody—and this travelling companion, the Old Man, navigate the challenges of the journey, the giraffes become not just his companions, but his teachers, showing him the beauty and grace of the world around him.What strikes me about West with Giraffes is how it channels the classic American novel style of writing and storytelling. It's a literary gem that will have you feeling like you're living in 1938 America, driving alongside Woody.The parallels with Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird are impossible to ignore. Both novels explore themes of coming-of-age, social injustice, and the power of empathy, all set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America.While modern writing often reflects the times we live in and the technology we use, Lynda Rutledge proves in this novel that she has the ability to carry forward the tradition of great American authors like Harper Lee, John Steinbeck, and Mark Twain. Her writing is just as compelling.She joins me from her home in Austin, Texas.ABOUT LYNDA RUTLEDGELynda Rutledge, a lifelong animal lover, has had the joy of petting baby rhinos, snorkeling with endangered turtles, and strolling with a tower of giraffes in her eclectic freelance career writing nonfiction for well-known publications and organizations while winning awards for her fiction. Her debut novel, Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale, won the 2013 Writers League of Texas Book Award for Fiction and was adapted into a major 2019 French film starring Catherine Deneuve. She, her husband, and resident dog, live outside Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.lyndarutledge.com   Buy West With Giraffes: https://amzn.to/41b9igoWHAT'S THAT WORD?!Special guest Linda Persson joins co-host Pranati "Pea" Madhav and host Ramjee Chandran in "What's That Word?!",  where they discuss the interesting origins of the phrase, "TWO SHAKES OF A RAT'S TAIL". WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW?Reach us by mail: theliterarycity@explocity.com or simply, tlc@explocity.com.Or here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theliterarycityOr here:  https://www.instagram.com/explocityblr/

Host Olivia McCoy and Founder of Smith Publicity Dan Smith sit down with friendly competitor and industry colleague Marika Flatt, Owner of PR by the Book, to discuss how the media landscape has changed over the years, recent publicity trends, and tips for authors looking to publicize their books.Marika Flatt was hired as a “baby book publicist” in 1997 upon graduating cum laude from Texas A&M University with a degree in Communications. After taking over the management of that boutique literary firm in just a few short years, she & her husband, Doug, launched PR by the Book in 2002, capitalizing on her love of media & books. A “connector” by nature, Marika has been a regular speaker in the book industry since the late '90s for organizations such as: Digital Book World, IBPA's Publishing University, Book Expo America, and Writers League of Texas, among others.PR by the Book helps authors elevate their relevancy and create buzz through The Road to Influence, their suite of services that go well beyond traditional PR to include platform development, digital relevancy, and more. Learn more at prbythebook.com and follow on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @prbythebook.Discover more about Smith Publicity at www.smithpublicity.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & LinkedIn.

Nita Sweeney attended the MFAW program in Port Townsend from 2006 to 2008. She is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink and co-creator of the writing journal, You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving.   While Nita always dreamed of being a writer, she didn't know her own stories had merit. Nita took a path to writing that had stopovers in training dogs, playing the flute, and becoming a partner at a law firm. She was a follower and student of Natalie Goldberg's, author of Writing Down the Bones, before she became Natalie's assistant in Taos, New Mexico. At 49 years old, Nita took steps to becoming a marathon runner, chronicled in her memoir Depression Hates a Moving Target. “I thought the story was ‘middle-age woman takes up running,'' Nita says, “but it was about ‘middle-age woman tries to save her life.'” Nita's new book, Make Every Move a Meditation is available for pre-order now. In it, she will explore how movement and exercise can be a meditation, “Why not make walking your dog a meditation?”   To learn more about Nita visit: https://nitasweeney.com/ Buy the books: https://nitasweeney.com/the-books/ Join her communities: https://facebook.com/groups/mindmoodandmovement/ https://facebook.com/groups/thewritersmind/ Recommendations Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones: https://nataliegoldberg.com/books/writing-down-the-bones/ Shinzen Young: https://www.shinzen.org/ NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ Couch to 5K: http://www.c25k.com/ Writers League of Texas: https://writersleague.org/

FERN G. Z. CARR is a former lawyer, teacher, and past President of both the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Kelowna Branch, and Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society. She is a member of the Federation of BC Writers and the League of Canadian Poets where she served as Poet-in-Residence mentoring young writers. This Pushcart Prize nominee composes and translates poetry in six languages including Mandarin. Fern also curates her poetry YouTube channel. Her poetry collection is entitled Shards of Crystal (Silver Bow Publishing). She has been published extensively worldwide from Finland to Mauritius and has had her work recognized by the Parliamentary Poet Laureate. The recipient of several honours, Carr is thrilled to have one of her poems in permanent orbit around the planet Mars aboard NASA'S MAVEN spacecraft. www.ferngzcarr.com Shards of Crystal – Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, and Silver Bow Publishing. For an autographed copy, please contact Fern via her website at www.ferngzcarr.com You can connect with Fern over the social media accounts: YouTube Channel – Subscription is free. Wikipedia Poets & Writers League of Canadian Poets, Federation of BC Writers, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Goodreads. As always, we would love to hear from you. Have you tried send me a message on the Eh Poetry Podcast page yet? If you are a poet in Canada and are interested in hearing your poem on Eh Poetry, please feel free to send me an email: jason.e.coombs[at]gmail[dot]com Eh Poetry Podcast Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ehpoetrypodcast/message

Come join Steve Van Tassell (@SteveVT33) and Jay Pounds (@jaypoundsnfl) as they talk Dynasty Owner fantasy football. Tune in to find out which second year player Steve compared to Carmen Sandiego (from Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?) If you have kids, or were a kid in the 1980s and 1990s, hopefully you get the reference. Other than that tangent, this week's podcast is all about rookie drafts. Steve and Jay are in a Dynasty Owner league together, the "Writers" League and were in chat and email negotiations on a potential trade. They decided to recap the trade history and make a decision on one of the counteroffers at the beginning of the podcast. Find out who Jay wanted and what he was willing to give up to "get his guy" in the middle of the first round of a Dynasty Owner rookie draft. After those negotiations were completed, they discussed two of the first rookie drafts to finish and noted a few of the similarities and differences between the two drafts. Find out what player was a late first round draft pick in one league, but the first pick of the third round in another league and what player went in the middle of the second round in one league but was completely undrafted in the other league. Very similar leagues - started in 2020, both are For the Love of the Game leagues with stable league membership, but the rookie drafts were very different. After that they discuss a situation in another one of Steve's leagues in which the player drafted with the overall rookie draft 1.03 pick was undrafted in the two completed rookie drafts. Finally, Jay recaps his trade efforts in the Writer's League - his trading wasn't just limited to the trade he negotiated with Steve. Jay made two trades that ended up netting him the player he wanted, but only one pick later than his original pick and acquired a 2023 first round pick in the process.

Tony Diaz speaks with Richard Santos and Monica Villarreal regarding the importance of representation, whether in the work Richard does providing literary access to youth in Austin, or through the arts and performances Monica does through her dancing. Richard Z. Santos is a novelist and the Executive Director of Austin Bat Cave, a nonprofit that provides creative writing workshops to students in underrepresented areas. He's a former high school English and Social Studies teacher, and in a previous career worked for some of the nation's top political campaigns, consulting firms, and labor unions. Trust Me, published by Arte Público Press, was named one of the best debuts of 2020 by Crime Reads and was a finalist for The Writers League of Texas Novel Prize. Monica Villarreal is an interdisciplinary artist native to Houston. Her art explores ethnic identity, gender roles, migrant and environmental issues. She is a recipient of multiple awards in photography and filmmaking, and has participated in installation and performing art productions organized by Voices Breaking Boundaries, Project Row Houses, Houston Arts Alliance, Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts, Santa Fe Arts Institute, and Alabama Song. Monica studied typography under Mainz Gutenberg Award winner Mahendra Patel and is currently learning printmaking from Master Printer Armando Rodriguez. She has a B.A. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Houston and an M.A. in Digital Media Studies from the University of Houston-CL. Monica wears various hats, as the founder of Creative Women Unite, a local feminist arts collaborative and as a traditional Aztec dancer with Danza Azteca Taxcayolot, a local group that practices Mexican indigenous traditions through spirituality, and community engaging performances. She has over a decade of experience organizing with local grassroots and nonprofit organizations. Staying active allows her to continue her research and create art focused on issues she's passionate about. Thanks to Roxana Guzman, Multiplatform Producer Rodrigo Bravo, Jr., Audio Producer Radame Ortiez, SEO Director Marc-Antony Piñón, Graphics Designer Leti Lopez, Music Director Bryan Parras, co-host and producer emeritus Liana Lopez, co-host and producer emeritus Lupe Mendez, Texas Poet Laureate, co-host, and producer emeritus Writer and activist Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, hosts Latino Politics and News and the Nuestra Palabra Radio Show on 90.1 FM, KPFT, Houston's Community Station. He is also a political analyst on “What's Your Point?” on Fox 26 Houston. He is the author of the forthcoming book: The Tip of the Pyramid: Cultivating Community Cultural Capital. www.Librotraficante.com www.NuestraPalabra.org www.TonyDiaz.net

In this episode Ruth sits down with Paula Howard of the Writers League of The Villages and Gil Hudson, member and author. Website: www.writersleagueofthevillages.com Brought to you by Ruth Dyer, owner of The Finishing Touch Home Decor, LLC. Website: www.ruthdyer.com   

Luke and Goody are back on opposite ends of the Teeter Totter in Championship Week with Luke unfamiliar with the sitting out the Championship and Goody finding himself surprisingly in the Writers League final after a string of injuries decimated his team. The two share funny brother football stories and then proceed to go through all Week 17 games looking for players to start and sit for your Championship game as well as to trade for and future outlooks in the offseason, all through a Reality Sports Online lens as only they can. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rsopodcast/message

Jim is a speechwriter and speech coach, speaker and author and has spoken on presentations skills in 27 states, Canada and Mexico. His clients include CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, candidates for governor of Texas and lieutenant governor of California, and Apollo 13 astronaut Alan Shepard. His work as a communication consultant in California ended suddenly when his father had a massive stroke, and his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Jim found himself an overnight parent at the age of 51. He quit his job, moved back to Texas where he had not lived in more than 30 years, and became an overnight caregiver. A published writer, Jim turned his experiences into a book, When Roles Reverse: A Guide to Parenting Your Parents, that was nominated as Best Non-Fiction Book of 2007 by the Writers’ League of Texas. His keynote, “How to Survive Caregiving with Sanity and a Sense of Humor,” has inspired and entertained audiences throughout America. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping us get great content to great people!   Contact us for professional services at JohnOberg.com Find our resources at DailyJo.com Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Email us!   Follow John Oberg at: Twitter: twitter.com/johnpoberg Instagram: instagram.com/johnpoberg Facebook: facebook.com/johnobergcompanies   Thanks for listening!  

Dr. Phyllis Kuehnl Walters, aka Dr. K Walters, s is a retired clinical/forensic psychologist from Ohio. She was in private practice for over forty years and taught psychology classes at Sinclair Community College and The University of Dayton. She is married and enjoys being a wife, mother, Yaya, great grandmother, and friend to many!  She and her husband have been on 7 mission trips and are actively involved at Fairway Christian Church in The Villages, Florida. Dr. Kuehnl Walters is now “re-fired” as a published author of Christian inspirational books as well as her soon to be launched crime/romance novel. She served as Academic Dean of Casa Hope, International where she taught men who have mostly served time for alcohol and drug offenses. Dr. Kuehnl-Walters also enjoys playing golf, games, bookstores, beaches, sunsets, gospel and 60’s music. She belongs to Florida Writers Association, Word Weavers International, Inc. and previously served as treasurer of the Writers League of The Villages. pkuehnlwalters@aol.com          phylliswaltersauthor@gmail.com “Wives Who Kill” - Sophie and Hannah: Two women with different backgrounds, different circumstances, and different mindsets. Yet, both are wanted for murder. What made them do it? Court-appointed forensic psychologist Dr. Rosie Klein untangles the web of circumstances surrounding each violent crime . . . and much more! At the recommendation of the judges and attorneys who appoint her to the cases, Dr. Klein first evaluates Sophie's case, then Hannah's state of mind at the time the women committed their separate crimes. Her search for mitigating factors, and her recommendations, will assist the Court during the sentencing phase of each woman's trial. Or should their charges of murder be commuted . . .based on what Dr. Rosie finds? You be the judge after you read the reasons behind Wives Who Kill. Click HERE for the FIRST podcast with Dr. Kuehnl Walters on March 5, 2020. *** “The Christmas Slayings” “Worry, Fret, and Fear... No More!: Covid-19 Edition” “Become a Beacon of Light: Develop the Fruit of the Spirit and Reflect God's Love” “Creating Balance & Purpose in Life: Finding Meaning in All Seasons & Stages of Life” Click HERE for Dr. Phyllis Kuehnl Walters Amazon Author Page.   You, too, can be interviewed on "In the Know!"  More information.      Music: “The Amelia Island Sun” by Rafael Javadov    Thank you for listening.            Diann@DiannAbroad.com  DiannAbroad.com  

Austin writers Amanda Moore and Gina E. Springer Shirley are both working on their first novels with female protagonists. In Moore's novel, her protagonist is an attorney with two clients on death row who discovers there is more than guilt and innocence at stake. And in Shirley ‘s novel in progress, her protagonist is a single mother with a budding career not interested in romance, but is surprised when two men enter her life.In our interview they read from their novels in progress, discussed writers and novels they love, and their paths to becoming writers. Amanda Moore has practiced law for 14 years and in 2015, won first place in the Texas Bar Journal Short Story Contest for her story, “The CornerAfter a career in educational publishing, Gina E. Springer Shirley is now a romance and women's fiction writer. She was a Romance finalist in the 2015 Writers' League of Texas Manuscript Contest and winner of the 2020 Yellow Bird Editors First Page Contest.Both are board members of the Writers League of Texas.

Austin writers Amanda Moore and Gina E. Springer Shirley are both working on their first novels with female protagonists. In Moore’s novel, her protagonist is an attorney with two clients on death row who discovers there is more than guilt and innocence at stake. And in Shirley ‘s novel in progress, her protagonist is a single mother with a budding career not interested in romance, but is surprised when two men enter her life. In our interview they read from their novels in progress, discussed writers and novels they love, and their paths to becoming writers. Amanda Moore has practiced law for 14 years and in 2015, won first place in the Texas Bar Journal Short Story Contest for her story, “The Corner After a career in educational publishing, Gina E. Springer Shirley is now a romance and women’s fiction writer. She was a Romance finalist in the 2015 Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest and winner of the 2020 Yellow Bird Editors First Page Contest. Both are board members of the Writers League of Texas.

Fantastic advice from the authors, poets, & industry professionals at #AWP20. This is part one of a three-episode series featuring Bloomsday Literary’s partnership with #AWP20 to bring you all the literary goings-on from this year’s conference. Here’s Day Three!Richard Z. Santos 1:22Santos’ debut novel Trust Me came out on 3/31/20 from Arte Público Press. The main character is an “East Coast political hack” who moves from D.C. to Sante Fe and “stumbles into corruption and danger.” We talked multiple POVs, airport mottos (Sante Fe: Connecting You to the World!), and the similarities between teaching American high school students and working on political campaigns. Having his novel helpfully ‘shredded’ by Tim O’Brien led to a final draft, and after “50 encouraging rejection” letters from agents, Arte Público said a resounding YES. Working with them was a great experience. He has a finished draft of his second novel, and he’ll be planning the Writers, Agents, and Editors Conference for the Writers League of Texas that will hopefully still be happening in June. Follow him on Twitter @richardzsantos.Yodassa Williams 12:26Delightful cannot even begin to describe Yodassa Williams, whose beautiful debut YA fantasy novel, The Goddess Twins, comes out on May 19th. It follows identical sisters who discover they are goddesses when their mother goes missing - “in other words, true life.” As a teen, Williams spent a summer in London with cousins who encouraged her to explore her creative side. Inspired by these black magical girls (“literal black girl magic”), her book is a coming of age run through the Fantasy filter (her dad’s obsession with Dune had to figure in somehow!). In 2014, a revelation at Burning Man resulted in Williams leaving her industry fashion job and writing The Goddess Twins. Her advice for finding a publisher? Look for publishing contests and use contest dates as your deadline. She continues to tell stories through words and clothing. Follow her at @yodawill on Twitter and @yodawill12 on instagram.Alia Volz 27:53We speak with Alia Volz about her fascinating debut memoir, Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, And The Stoning Of San Francisco. A hybrid of heavy social issues and personal history, the book comes out, surprise, surprise, on 4/20. Volz’s folks ran the first high volume cannabis edibles business in San Francisco - underground, illegal, and very popular. After AIDS hit SF, the famous brownies “became part of the dawn of medical marijuana” and “the transition from party drug to panacea.” The book started out as an oral history: Volz started recording her mom and other people in the community, and even a SFPD police officer! She shopped that version in 2009 and it did not sell because publishers thought the market was “too niche.” Now, of course, that seems quaint and hilariously short-sighted since cannabis culture is so ubiquitous (and big business). Ultimately Volz became even more interested in the historical context and used the memoiristic voice as a way “into and through” the 70s and 80s in SF. A Macdowell Colony fellow -“transformative” for her - Volz called out fellow authors Bridgett M. Davis (The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers) and Tony Dokoupil (The Last Pirate). Follow her @aliavolz.Sonia Hamer 42:00On this special installment of the Blazer, Danial Peña interviews Hamer, a student in the University of Houston Creative Writing program. “A lot of different kinds of nerd,” she talks about wearing orange to scare away viruses (her fave virus are bacteriophages) and how “Bacteriophages” could be a cool D&D character who casts spells.David Laidacker-Luna 45:12Fiesta Youth LGBT is an organization for kids 12-18 years old that meets every Tuesday in San Antonio. Laidacker-Luna connected with the LGBT Writers Caucus who invited Fiesta Youth to AWP. It’s their first conference ever, and both Laidacker-Luna and the kids who were able to attend are bowled over by the welcoming and fun group at AWP. Austin is an established partner and Fiesta Youth has a sister organization in Corpus Christi. Recently, the McAllen AIDS council visited to learn about opening their own facility in South Texas - it’s all about partnerships and how accepting people can be. Follow @Fiesta_Youth on Twitter.Chad Abushanab 55:13Abushanab is the author of the poetry collection The Last Visit, which won the 2018 Donald Justice Prize judged by Jericho Brown and now out from Autumn House Press. The collection began as Abushanab’s dissertation project. He read “Halloween” for us (on page 31!) - a triptych of masculinity, violence, and addiction. He drafted the last poem, a Ghazal, initially as one poem, but he and Jericho Brown simultaneously had the idea to break it up throughout the book. Ghazals appeals to Chad because of his Middleastern heritage and the intrinsic musicality (meter, rhyme) of the form. He was afraid to show his poems to his mom, so he dedicated the book to her. His enviable collection of bylines is the result of both doing the work of creating memorable poems, and being extremely particular about where he submits. He only queries poetry journals he absolutely loves, so that his poems can join a known and beloved poetry community. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @chad_abushanab. Viktoria Valenzuela 1:07:56The Blazer with Daniel Peña speaks with Valenzuela, who’s wearing a 100,000 Poets for Change t-shirt. People around the world wear the shirt on the last Saturday of September to mourn and continue to call out BP for the oil spill. Valenzuela hails from Oswego (near Daniel’s beloved Ithaca) and is wearing a “Prince purple” Mayan design swirl depicting a person breathing a flower into the air (i.e. poetry). Victoria is currently shopping her poetry chapbook about motherhood, In Bed. Her activism is human rights for mothers, including the mothers separated from their children at the borders. Daniel quotes Caroryn Forché: “It is possible that we are not human beings to them.” According to her, Daniel is wearing the wrong Puma. Follow all the things she’s doing for and about mothers @ViktoriaValenz.Tori Cárdenas 1:17:55We met at AWP last year in Portland, which makes us all old friends by now. Newly the Executive Editor of Skull + Wind Press - publisher of Leslie Contreras Schwartz’s new book WHO SPEAKS FOR US HERE - Cárdenas’ goal is to help all the different circles of writers in Albuquerque interact. The dream is to have a brick and mortar and a reading series. Their “sci-fi + green chili” podcast with a friend, Eminent Domain, will be recorded on set in Sante Fe, and they found an actor who sounds exactly like Cárdenas’ real life Grandpa: “I’ve sanded away my northern mountain Taos accent” so hearing it in this context is yet another reminder of how important both representation and language are, and how entwined the two are. David Heska Wanbli Weiden 1:32:05Winter Counts, a literary thriller-cum tale of identity set on the Rosebud Indian reservation, comes out from Echo Harper Collins in August 2020. A member of the Sicangu Lakota nation, David Heska Wanbli Weiden grew up in Denver and on Rosebud. The novel follows Virgil Wounded Horse, a so-called “enforcer,” who’s hired to dole out “justice” on the reservation. A law called the Major Crimes Act forbids native nations from prosecuting felonies that occur on the reservation. Since the FBI almost always declines to prosecute as well, someone like Virgil is hired to beat up the criminal. David’s agent, Michelle Brower of Aevitas, signed him on the spot at AWP 2018’s writer-to-agent program, and overall his journey was relatively smooth. Now he does everything he can to lift up marginalized voices as an AWP mentor. One of eight winners of the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowships, an academic, and a teacher of fiction (he recs the Save the Cat series for plot), Wanbli Weiden enjoys “marrying” different genres of writing. Up next: a nonfiction collection of essays about the mass incarceration of American Indians along with a sequel to Winter Counts. His children’s book Spotted Tail was just nominated for the Colorado Book award for Children's book for 2019. Follow him on Twitter @WanbliWeiden and on Instagram @wanbliweiden. Annie Shepherd 1:40:52The Blazer with Daniel Peña interviews Shepherd, a doctoral student in the UH creative writing PhD program, who writes about small towns in West Texas around Lubbock Buddy Holly’s “the island.” The verdict on Daniel’s fashion? Too monochrome: “Gotta get some contrast.” The friction between elements is essential, in clothes and fiction writing.

Ruth Nasrullah I have a passion for learning people’s stories: the way we do things, individually and as a society; how we share our values and face our challenges; what motivates our interaction with the world. I have worked as a freelance journalist since 2003, focusing on religion and spirituality, backpacking and hiking, social justice and politics, civil rights, and public speaking. From 2006 to 2015 I wrote The Straight Path blog for the Houston Chronicle. I have also contributed to the paper’s Belief and Gray Matters sections. I have written on politics and civil rights for the MuslimMatters online magazine. I have been a regular contributor to the Religion News Service, Azizah, Islamic Horizons, The Trek, The Lily, and Toastmaster. From 2013 to 2017 (with a break to finish working on my MFA manuscript), I served as Communications Coordinator for the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In that position, I was responsible for sharing the chapter’s message, our goals and activities, through print and online media as well as press appearances and interviews. From 2008 to 2011, I managed Light of Islam, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bookstore and educational center whose mission was to share accurate information about Islam and Muslims. We sold books, CDs and DVDs that covered everything from Qur’anic studies to modern fiction. Light of Islam offered classes in Islam 101, Qur’anic studies, and events and club meetings. In December 2003, I completed a Master of Arts degree in journalism from Emerson College, where I received the school’s Presidential Fellowship. My capstone project profiled drug offenders going through the Roxbury, Massachusetts drug court system. I followed the journalism degree with a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in 2015. My final manuscript is a combination of reported writing and memoir examining the experience of minority religions in the United States which I am currently developing into a book. I am president of the Society of Professional Journalists Houston Pro chapter and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Writers League of Texas and Religion Newswriters Association. I serve in a volunteer capacity as communications director for Houston Women March On. I also volunteer with Team Brownsville, providing humanitarian aid to asylum seekers on the southern border. I am a New Jersey native based in Houston, where I have lived since 2003.

Retired physician, Larry Martin, has written 22 books in a variety of genres.  When asked why so many and how, he says he loves to write, and he loves to learn.  He learns best by writing, from books and articles about his medical field of pulmonology (disorders of the respiratory system), to history, music, and more!  Listen as he talks about his books and his current project: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and its effect on memory loss.             Larry Martin's bio: I began writing early in my medical career in Cleveland, starting with a book pulmonary medicine (my specialty) for the lay public. Over the years I wrote several more medical-themed books, some for physicians and others for the general public. I did not tackle fiction until 2011, with a novel about Civil War Savannah. Since then I have self-published several other fictional works, plus two books for children.   My short novel “The Boy Who Dreamed Mount Everest” won 2nd place in the 2016 Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Awards, category of Middle Grade Fiction. “Liberty Street: A Novel of Late Civil War Savannah” won 2nd place in the 2018 RPLA competition, for Published Historical Fiction. Several short stories have also won RPLA awards. After retiring and moving to the Villages in 2015, I joined several writing clubs, and in 2017 served as president of the Writers League of The Villages (WLOV). I am currently WLOV’s Newsletter Editor and Website Manager. In addition, I regularly attend a writing critique group, called Wannabes, here in The Villages. Writing is my main retirement interest, but I have another: music. I never played an instrument and decided retirement is the time to learn, starting with the ukulele. One thing led to another, and I ended up with a 140-page “Uke Syllabus: An Introduction to Basic Music Theory for the Ukulele,” which I posted free online. My wife and I are blessed with three wonderful daughters, two in Chicago, one in New York, and 5 grandchildren. Larry's Website: Lakeside Press   Facebook Page.  drlarry437@gmail.com Musical Interlude: Tiny People Intro and Outro music is "The Amelia Island Sun," written for me by Rafael Javadov.      

The post March 11, 2020: Library and Idaho Writers League Contest appeared first on KRFY Radio.

Dr. Kuehnl-Walters is a retired clinical/forensic psychologist from Ohio. She was in private practice for over forty years and taught psychology classes at Sinclair Community College and The University of Dayton. She is married and enjoys being a wife, mother, Yaya, great grandmother, and friend to many!  She and her husband have been on seven mission trips and are actively involved at Fairway Christian Church in The Villages, Florida. Dr. Kuehnl-Walters is now “re-fired” as a published author of Christian inspirational books as well as her soon to be launched crime/romance novel. She serves as Academic Dean of Casa Hope, International where she teaches men who have mostly served time for alcohol and drug offenses. Dr. Kuehnl-Walters also enjoys playing golf, games, bookstores, beaches, sunsets, gospel and 60’s music. She belongs to Florida Writers Association, Word Weavers International, Inc. and serves as treasurer of the Writers League of The Villages. pkuehnlwalters@aol.com          phylliswaltersauthor@gmail.com   You can buy "The Christmas Slaying" on  Amazon.  Here's a description: "One Week . Six Murders. Based on a True Story. On her 21st birthday, Angel Morgan steps out of Juvenile Detention after serving five years for grand theft auto. The next 12 hours will change the course of her life forever. About to purchase a bus ticket to live on the beaches of Florida, she meets Sam and April. Never having any real friends before, these two offer Angel comfort such as she’s never known before. Little does she suspect their dark path will turn her world upside down."   Thank you for listening.  Diann@DiannAbroad.com DiannAbroad.com   You, too, can be interviewed on "In the Know!"  More information.   Music: Tiny People    Music by Alexei De Bronhe Dusk: Music by Music by Dream Machine

Remember friends and relatives here and not here while working in the kitchen. Jeanne Marie Beaumont holds an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and is the author of four books of poetry. Her first, Placebo Effects, was selected by William Matthews as a winner in the National Poetry Series and published by W.W. Norton in 1997. Her poems have been included in more than three dozen anthologies and textbooks. She won the 2009 Dana Award for Poetry, and also The Greensboro Review literary award for poetry in 2003 and was a finalist for the Writers’ League of Texas Book Award, 2011. From 1992 to 2000, she was co-editor of the literary magazine American Letters & Commentary. She currently teaches at The Unterberg Poetry Center of the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.   “When I Am in the Kitchen” first appeared in Burning of the Three Fires BOA Editions.

This week we are speaking with Isaiah from Writers League. He is also an artist. You can check out more of his info at @yourstrulyverse Episode 18: The Art of Writing Topic of Conversation: Discussed the art of writing, and the power of it. Let's Keep Up Segment: Damian Dillard from the Trail Blazers created a diss track about Shaq. How do you feel about basketball players entering into the world of rapping. Wrap up/ Close out: Social media shout outs We hope you enjoy! Thanks again for your support Reach us at theseriesofconversations@gmail.com Follow Us on Social Media @seriesofconversations Taiwo Akande @taikem, Ashley Miller @ashleymichellemiller and @koi_three

Demand Art for Hispanic Heritage Month #Art4HHM. Read more: https://www.tonydiaz.net/blog/demand-art-for-hispanic-heritage-month-art4hhm Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante and the Nuestra Palabra Crew talk to Amalia Ortiz about her new book "THE CANCIÓN CANNIBAL CABARET & OTHER SONGS", Patricia Coral about her poetry, and Natalia Treviño reads from her collection VIRGINX and gives un update on Macondo 2019. Click her to donate to Nuestra Palabra: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9CPLMM88TF5BS Bios: Amalia Leticia Ortiz is a Tejana actor, writer, and activist who appeared on three seasons of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO, and has toured colleges and universities as a solo artist and with performance-poetry troupes Diva Diction, The Chicano Messengers of Spoken Word, and the Def Poetry College Tour. Her debut book of poetry, Rant. Chant. Chisme., (Wings Press), won the 2015 Poetry Discovery Prize from the Writers’ League of Texas Book Awards and was selected by NBC Latino as one of the “10 Great Latino Books of 2015.” A CantoMundo Fellow and Hedgebrook Writer-In-Residence alumna, she received the 2002 Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award, which was founded by Sandra Cisneros, and her poem “These Hands Which Have Never Picked Cotton” was nominated for the 2012 Pushcart Prize. Her MFA is in Creative Writing from the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. Patricia Coral was born in Puerto Rico, where she obtained an MA in Spanish literature and linguistics. In 2014 she moved to Houston, where the adventure of writing in a borrowed language began. She is a writer of creative nonfiction and poetry, but frequently her words find their home in-between. In 2017, she cofounded Fuente Collective, an organization devoted to experimentation, collaboration and hybridity in writing and other arts. Her English-language work has been published in Yellow Chair Review and Crab Fat Magazine. Her most recent work is forthcoming in the bilingual anthologies Una realidad mas amplia/A Larger Reality and Women Poets of the Americas. Born in Mexico, Natalia Treviño is the author of the chapbook, VirginX. which was a finalist for the open chapbook contest with Finishing Line press. A professor of English in San Antonio, she learned English from Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie. Her awards include the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Award, the San Antonio Arts Foundation Literary Award, the Menada Literary Award at the Ditet E Naimit Poetry Festival in Macedonia and several others. Her first book,Lavando La Dirty Laundry, was a national and international awards finalist. Natalia's poems appear in Bordersenses, Borderlands, The Taos Journal of Poetry and Art, and other journals and anthologies. NP Radio airs live Tuesdays 6pm-7pm cst 90.1 FM KPFT Houston, TX. Livestream www.KPFT.org. More podcasts at www.NuestraPalabra.org. The Nuestra Palabra Radio Show is archived at the University of Houston Digital Archives. Our hard copy archives are kept at the Houston Public Library’s Special Collections Hispanic Archives. Producers: Leti Lopez & Marlen Treviño. Board operator: Terrell Quillin Tony Diaz Sundays, Mondays, & Tuesdays & The Other Side Sun 7am "What's Your Point" Fox 26 Houston Mon Noon "The Cultural Accelerator" at www.TonyDiaz.net Tues 6pm NP Lit Radio 90.1 FM KPFT, Houston www.NuestraPalabra.org 24/7 The Other Side TV www.TheOtherSideTele.com

Mark Pryor 01:50 Mark Pryor, novelist Amber Elby, YA novelist Dylan Powell, mystery writer George Vance McGee, author Daniel Peña, novelist Leza Cantoral, author and panda Cat with book Phuc with dog Mark Pryor is the author of ten novels, including The Hollow Man, which introduced everyone’s favorite misanthrope*, Dominic. His latest, The Book Artist, a Hugo Marston novel, launches February 2019. He has also published the true-crime book As She Lay Sleeping. A native of Hertfordshire, England, he is an assistant district attorney in Austin, Texas, where he lives with his wife and three children.Laura Elvebak 12:03Born in North Dakota, but raised in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Laura draws from her nomad kind of existence in various cities to craft her mysteries with a touch of noir. Laura’s writing career follows a winding career path through oil and gas companies, law firms, a stint as a go-go dancer in the sixties. Amber Elby 18:45Amber Elby was born in Grand Ledge, Michigan but spent much of her childhood in the United Kingdom. She began writing when she was three years old and created miniature books by asking her family how to spell every, single, word. She studied creative writing at Michigan State University’s Honors College before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and two daughters and spends her time teaching, traveling, and getting lost in imaginary worlds. Dylan Powell 25:22Dylan Powell is an award-winning author who writes crime stories, mystery fiction and books about Texas. Powell's work has been featured in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, the Best American Mysteries 2018 and a host of fine truck stop bathroom walls across the Texas badlands. Kathryn Lane 33:07Kathryn Lane is the award-winning author of Coyote Zone, the second book in the Nikki Garcia thriller series. A transplant to Houston, Lane draws inspiration for her work from her love of world travel. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Writers League of Texas, and she lives in the Woodlands, Texas with her husband, Bob.George Vance McGee 40:56Born in Austin, George Vance McGee is a liberal arts graduate from the University of Texas. He is the author of Attractive Tales from Grand Cities: A Social Memoir. He spent five years living and working in NYC before returning to his hometown of Austin, where he writes and works as a realtor. Daniel Garcí­a Ordaz 49:53Daniel Garcí­a Ordaz is the founder of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival and the author of You Know What Iâ’m Sayin’? (El Zarape Press, 2006) and Cenzontle/Mockingbird: Songs of Empowerment (FlowerSong Books, 2018). His writing centers on the creative power of language. Garcí­a has been a featured reader and guest at numerous literary events, including the Dallas International Book Fair, McAllen Book Festival, Texas Library Association, and Border Book Bash.Daniel Peña 57:45 Daniel Peña is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer and Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Houston-Downtown. He was formerly based out of the UNAM in Mexico City where he worked as a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholar. A graduate of Cornell University and a former Picador Guest Professor in Leipzig, Germany, his writing has appeared in Ploughshares, The Rumpus, the Kenyon Review, NBC News, and Arcturus among other venues. He’s currently a regular contributor to the Guardian and the Ploughshares blog. His novel, Bang, is out now from Arte Público Press. He lives in beautiful Houston, Texas. David Bowles 01:07:49A Mexican-American author from deep South Texas, David Bowles is an assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Recipient of awards from the American Library Association, Texas Institute of Letters and Texas Associated Press, he has written a dozen or so books, including Flower, Song, Dance: Aztec and Mayan Poetry, the critically acclaimed Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Mexican Myths, and They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems, which is a recent recipient of the Claudia Lewis Award. In 2019, Penguin will publish The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande, co-written with Adam Gidwitz, and Tu Books will release his steampunk graphic novel Clockwork Curandera. In April 2017, David was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary work.Leza Cantoral 01:18:39Leza Cantoral is a Xicana writer & editor who lives on the internet. She is the Editor in Chief of CLASH Books & host of the Get Lit With Leza podcast where she talks to cool-ass writers. Tragedy Queens: Stories Inspired by Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath is a CLASH Books anthology of stories that she edited as a result of being a Lana Del Rey & Sylvia Plath megafan. You can find her on YouTube at Get Lit With Leza. She blogs at lezacantoral.com.A Texas-sized thank you to all of the authors who were generous enough to share their time at the festival with us. Please do click through to each of the authors’ sites and support these women and men of the word by buying more books & by reading more widely today.**misanthropy is a really fun word. I mean, so fun.

On this episode I speak with Jessica Wilbanks, author of the new memoir, When I Spoke In Tongues: A Story of Faith and Its Loss. Jessica received her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Houston, where she served as nonfiction editor for Gulf Coast. An active member of the literary community in Houston, Jessica frequently teaches writing workshops for Inprint, Writespace, Grackle & Grackle, Writers’ League of Texas, and Boldface, the University of Houston’s annual conference for emerging writers.Visit Jessica's website | https://jessicawilbanks.comBuy her book | https://www.amazon.com/When-Spoke-Tongues-Story-Faith/dp/0807092231Become a member of Life After God today | http://www.patreon.com/lifeaftergodVisit the Life After God website | http://www.lifeaftergod.orgLike and follow our Facebook page | https://www.facebook.com/ourlifeaftergodFollow us on Twitter | http://www.twitter.com/ourlifeaftergod...and Instagram | https://instagram.com/ourlifeaftergodAlso, don't forget to check out the Secular Student Alliance podcast, Secular Student Life.

Author, journalist and cultural historian Michael Hurd joins the podcast! We discuss his latest book "Thursday Night Lights: The Story of Black High School Football in Texas" among many other topics. Native Houstonian Michael Hurd is a writer and historian currently serving as director of Prairie View A&M University’s Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture which is digitally documenting 500 years of black history in Texas. He is an Air Force/Vietnam veteran, recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal and a graduate in Journalism of the University of Texas at Austin. He has worked as a sports writer at the Houston Post, the Austin American-Statesman, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports, and has authored three books, including his most recent “Thursday Night Lights, the Story of Black High School Football in Texas.” He serves on the selection committee for the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is a board member for the Writers’ League of Texas, and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. Please RATE and REVIEW the podcast! Share with your pals and buddies on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn Be sure to SUBSCRIBE and DOWNLOAD for a fresh episode every Wednesday! EverSanCooper.com/podcast (EverSanCooper.com/podcast) Facebook.com/EverSanCooper (Facebook.com/EverSanCooper) @EverSanCooper (http://www.instagram.com/eversancooper/) on Instagram

Goody and Luke dive deep on Dynasty League Football rankings with DLF's Jaron Foster and talk a bit about Writers League activities. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rsopodcast/message

Luke and Goody bring Reality Sports Online Chief Technology Officer Kyle English on to talk tech enhancements, updates, and what's coming down the pike. Later on, the three discuss their recent Rookie Draft and draft related trades with each other in the Writers League. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rsopodcast/message

Jim Comer is a seasoned, multi-faceted communications consultant with more than 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, professional associations and startups. What sets Jim apart is his ability to create and sharpen content, his collaborative, supportive and candid approach, and the extraordinary range of skills he brings to clients. Jim is a speech coach, speechwriter, author and speaker. He has worked with CEOs of billion dollar companies, written two nationally published books, and speaks internationally on communication skills and his 14-year journey of caregiving for his parents. Jim brings a depth of experience and creativity to his speech coaching and presentation skills workshops. As a published writer, his turnkey approach to coaching, writing and editing speeches is especially valuable to busy clients who don’t have time for extensive rehearsals. He knows when a presentation needs revising, shorter sentences, clearer language or personal stories – and is often able to make changes on the spot. Whether working with the CEO, a sales manager, political leader, nonprofit board member, or someone who wants to overcome a paralyzing fear of speaking, Jim treats clients with respect, integrity, and a determination to meet their needs. His coaching philosophy is based on these simple principles: Find the client’s strengths and build on them Get agreement on those areas that need work Celebrate breakthroughs and push for even higher levels of achievement Emphasize the power of individuality and authenticity Model individuality by demonstrating that there is no “right way,” only your way Encourage clients to share stories and experiences that make points memorable Jim’s experience as a writer is diverse: a book that landed him on the “Today Show”; articles on the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times, Washington Post and Dallas Morning News; jokes for Joan Rivers; a monologue for the legendary Bob Hope; creating a comedy act that played “The Improv” in New York; a book, When Roles Reverse: A Guide to Parenting Your Parents, that was nominated for Best Non-Fiction Book by the Writers’ League of Texas; and editing his father’s best-selling World War II journal, Combat Crew, currently a best-selling eBook on Amazon. Earlier in his career, Jim honed his skills as an actor and writer in New York and Los Angeles. His corporate writing experience includes speeches, video scripts, conventions, sales meetings, recognition events and shareholders’ letters for annual reports. He has worked with executives for companies including Avon Products, Rockwell International, Advanced Micro Devices, Emerson, IBM, Universal Studios, Shaklee and Lowe’s. Jim is active in the Austin chapter of the National Speakers’ Association, the Writers’ League of Texas, an award-winning speaker in Toastmasters, and sings in the choir of his church. He enjoys travel, theater, movies, politics, reading, roller coasters, and is a great dinner guest.

Join us this Wednesday as we speak to Becka Oliver, Executive Director of the Writers’ League of Texas and former New York literary agent.

Stephen Graham Jones, Professor of English at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will be reading from his novel Ledfeather (2008). It tells the story of an Indian Agent whose decisions have impacted the lives of generations of Blackfeet Indians in present-day Montana. Jones is the author of sixteen novels, including The Fast Red Road (2000), All the Beautiful Sinners (2005), and The Bird is Gone (2005), and of six short story collections. His publications from 2014 include Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn’t Fly (Chi-Teen, with Paul Tremblay), After the People Lights Have Gone Off (Dark House), Not for Nothing (Dzanc), and The Gospel of Z (Samhain). Jones received an NEH Fellowship in Literature, a Writers League of Texas Fellowship, the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Fiction, and the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction. Besides fiction writing, his areas of interest include horror, science fiction, fantasy, film, comic books, pop culture, technology, and American Indian Studies. Jones is currently at work on a werewolf novel, a crime novel, and a comic book.