NO NEED FOR WMC MEMBERS TO PREREGISTER FOR ZOOM EVENTS
Each month a new meeting link will be sent to your email address.
The public is welcome to send an email to [email protected] to request the Zoom link. All meetings are recorded.
At the close of the presentation, the Zoom session will remain open half an hour for chatting.
Each month a new meeting link will be sent to your email address.
The public is welcome to send an email to [email protected] to request the Zoom link. All meetings are recorded.
At the close of the presentation, the Zoom session will remain open half an hour for chatting.
Alison Luterman Sunday, February 19th at 3 p.m.
Confession in Poetry and Prose: connecting our shared humanness with style and wit without violating yourself
Confession has become a given in poetry and memoir over the past 60 or 70 years. But it’s not always an easy strategy to employ. What and how do you confess and still make the writing a work of art rather than a journal entry? Must you tell all your deepest darkest secrets? Is the goal of confession in literature to cleanse the writer’s soul a la Saint Augustine, or to create a deeper connection with the reader through the sharing of human vulnerability? Is there such a thing as confessing too much or too little? How do you confess without violating the privacy of other people in your life? How do you make confession entertaining and moving to the reader? In this experiential workshop, we will read examples of writers confessing to various thoughts, feelings and experiences. We’ll discuss the topic and do some in-class writing and sharing (sharing what you just wrote is optional.) Come prepared to dive into the ocean of confession in literature—or just go wading up to your ankles if that feels more safe!
Alison Luterman’s four books of poetry are The Largest Possible Life; See How We Almost Fly; Desire Zoo, and In the Time of Great Fires. Her poems and stories have appeared in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Sun, Rattle, Nimrod, Salon, Prairie Schooner, The Brooklyn Review, The Atlanta Review, Tattoo Highway, and in numerous other journals and anthologies. She has written an e-book of personal essays, Feral City, half a dozen plays including Saying Kaddish With My Sister, A Night in Jail, Glitter and Spew and others. She collaborated with composer Sheela Ramesh to create a feminist song cycle, “We Are Not Afraid of the Dark”, which had its New York City premiere in February 2022. She has written the book and lyrics for two musicals, The Chain (about a kidney transplant chain), and The Shyest Witch, and is currently collaborating with songwriter Jen Coogan on a musical about Big Pharma and the opioid crisis.
Confession has become a given in poetry and memoir over the past 60 or 70 years. But it’s not always an easy strategy to employ. What and how do you confess and still make the writing a work of art rather than a journal entry? Must you tell all your deepest darkest secrets? Is the goal of confession in literature to cleanse the writer’s soul a la Saint Augustine, or to create a deeper connection with the reader through the sharing of human vulnerability? Is there such a thing as confessing too much or too little? How do you confess without violating the privacy of other people in your life? How do you make confession entertaining and moving to the reader? In this experiential workshop, we will read examples of writers confessing to various thoughts, feelings and experiences. We’ll discuss the topic and do some in-class writing and sharing (sharing what you just wrote is optional.) Come prepared to dive into the ocean of confession in literature—or just go wading up to your ankles if that feels more safe!
Alison Luterman’s four books of poetry are The Largest Possible Life; See How We Almost Fly; Desire Zoo, and In the Time of Great Fires. Her poems and stories have appeared in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Sun, Rattle, Nimrod, Salon, Prairie Schooner, The Brooklyn Review, The Atlanta Review, Tattoo Highway, and in numerous other journals and anthologies. She has written an e-book of personal essays, Feral City, half a dozen plays including Saying Kaddish With My Sister, A Night in Jail, Glitter and Spew and others. She collaborated with composer Sheela Ramesh to create a feminist song cycle, “We Are Not Afraid of the Dark”, which had its New York City premiere in February 2022. She has written the book and lyrics for two musicals, The Chain (about a kidney transplant chain), and The Shyest Witch, and is currently collaborating with songwriter Jen Coogan on a musical about Big Pharma and the opioid crisis.
Sunday, March 19th at 3 p.m. -2023 WMC ANTHOLOGY READINGS (a continuation)
Continuing with celebrating the second half of our 2023 anthology writings from Common Ground, the following authors will read five minute excerpts from their poems and stories: Aron Lee Bowe (Sharon Bowers), Michelle Blackman, Notty Bumbo, Molly Dwyer, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, Matthew Sidney Long, Ericka Lutz, Peter Nash, Jonathan Pazer, Steve Sapontzis, Chrissy Sullivan, Holly Tannen, Karin Uphoff, Norma Watkins, and Philip Zwerling.
RECORDINGS OF MONTHLY MEETINGS Go to the YouTube channel for all the videos.
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The 2023 Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (August 3-5)
is currently accepting scholarship and master class applications, due February 15th (mcwc.org/scholarships). The CWC website includes a calendar of monthly meetings for all state branches. Any of our members can attend the meetings of any other branch, for free or for the same fee as their membership pays. To view their meeting topics (many are still on Zoom), click on https://calwriters.org/events/.
HAVE A MINUTE?
See the current schedule. Mendocino Theatre Company's One-Minute Radio Theatre is a two-minute spot broadcast bi-weekly on KZYX. Collaborate by submitting an original one-minute play. All voices to be heard! Plays can be in English or Spanish. No fee for submission nor cash award if your play is chosen; all actors and directors give their time free of charge. Submit your one-minute play* (app. 150-170 words, for 1-3 actors) in the body of an email (no attachments) to [email protected] with the subject MTC One-Minute Play: [Title of your play]. Include your full name, contact information, and a brief, 50-word bio. You may submit as many one-minute plays as you wish, but only one submission per email, please. *Play may not contain the "seven dirty words" prohibited by the FCC. Play must be totally original and the author's work. Listen now: i am from the ocean by windflower Townley I Could Not Stop for Covid by Holly Tannen Something New & Murder She Wrote by Philip Zwerling Point Arena Third Thursday Poetry and Jazz
In person and Zoom, 6-8 p.m. 35590 Verdant View, Sea Ranch, Gualala [email protected] Cartwheels on the Sky ~ Poets, Poems & Discovery
Saturdays 7-7:30 KGUA - FM Gualala FORT BRAGG LIBRARY
First Thursdays 6-8 p.m. Dan Hess: [email protected] UKIAH LIBRARY Loba Poetry Series Open Mic, Third Saturdays 3 p.m. Melissa Carr: [email protected] Writers Reading Ukiah Last Thursday, 7 p.m Reading, 8 p.m. Open Mic Poetry, Spoken Word, Short Stories, Songs & Expository Prose. M E M B E R N E W S
Writing newly published, receives a nomination or award, or other notable exposure? Please send a short announcement to writersmendocinocoast@gmail.com 
Sharon Bowers aka Aron Lee Bowe will discuss and read from her new book
Journey to the Anthropecene (a feminist tale of environmental concerns) as part of the author's showcase at Gallery Books in Mendocino, February 23, 6-7 p.m. (aronleebowe.com) Karin Uphoff has published a new poem, "January," in The Bloom (lakecountybloom.com).
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios has two poems in Spit Fire Review: "Conversation between the Jewelry and the Thief" and "Accolades" (inflectionism.com).
windflower's poem "Canoe me into the Deep Waters," paired with her photograph "River's Bend," is included in the Tiny Seed Journal's October 27th blog tinyseedjournal.com, in addition to appearing in their printed anthology.
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Do you have a topic on the craft of writing to teach at an upcoming meeting for forty-five minutes?
Contact [email protected]
WELCOME TO THE
CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB - FOUNDED in 1909 - The Mendocino Coast branch is proud to share in this legacy. Our intention is to expand the network and provide publishing opportunities for writers. 
MENDOCINO WRITERS MEET
ONLINE ON THE THIRD SUNDAY 3:00 Members Receive Link via Email Public May Email a Request [email protected] Welcome New Member
Christine Anderson MEMBER COUNT 80 Writers of the Mendocino Coast
PO Box 762 Fort Bragg, CA 95437 The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB is a 501(c) (6) educational nonprofit dedicated to educating members and the public-at-large in the craft of writing and in the marketing of their work. California Writers Club: https://calwriters.org/ California Writers Club calendar for other branch's events: https://calwriters.org/events-month 
SUBSCRIBE TO THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Email [email protected] Your email address will never be shared or sold. INTERESTED IN A WRITERS' GROUP / PARTNER
WMC MEMBER SALLIE REYNOLDS Read Sallie's biography on the Member Bio page. Contact her through [email protected]. 
KELLEY HOUSE CALENDAR
Call for Writers There are so many stories yet to tell, and they welcome your voice. Articles are 400 to 700 words and can be paired with photos or illustrations usually discovered in their database of 10,000 images. Call the Kelley House curator, Karen McGrath, at 707/937-5791 or email her at [email protected]. YouTube Videos of Monthly Meetings
See Archives tab above for details. Videos from previous years can also be found on our YouTube channel 
Drop in to the library site for the list of recently added books and 228+ reviews by WMC member Priscilla Comen.
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Welcome to opportunities to publish your writing, whether or not you live on the Mendocino Coast.
