Mark your calendars for an April 11, 2024 at 7:00pm for a virtual program: In Conversation with Marnie Mueller. Marnie’s new book is a stunning story, a combined memoir and biography (maybe a new genre?) about her own life and a life-changing friendship.
The book, The Showgirl and the Writer: A Friendship Forged in the Aftermath of the Japanese American Incarceration, tells the remarkable true story of two women, one white and one Asian, who forged a deep friendship based on the secrets they carried. Marnie Mueller, a Caucasian, was born in a Japanese incarceration camp during World War II, because her parents had moved there to help make life more tolerable for the internees. Later, when the family moved to New England, Marnie was scarred by anti-Semitism and learned not to reveal her religion and her birth in the internment camp. Which of these experiences defined Marnie? It was hard for her to know. She spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador; worked in New York City as a community organizer; spent time as a folk and rock concert promoter; and was the program director for WBAI. She did her best to move on.
Then she met Mary Mon Toy, a Japanese woman, trained at Juilliard, who passed as Chinese in order to build a successful Broadway and nightclub career. Mary was beautiful, ambitious, and determined. Marnie became Mary Mon Toy’s friend and caregiver in her last years. Their friendship, born of their shared experiences, was life-changing for both women, a chance to learn about each other and to heal.
WNBA-NYC Member Volunteers at Brooklyn Book Festival from left to right: Sheila Lewis, Board Member; Fran Hawthorne, Member; Eileen Donovan, Member; Laurel Stokes, Past President; Rachel Slaiman, President NYC Chapter; Hope Lawrence, Social Media Coordinator; Marilyn Berkman, UN Liaison, and Roberta Slaiman, Secretary
From heavy rain, wind and hail that canceled this event in 2022, to refreshing air and sunshine in 2023, the Brooklyn Book Festival made a huge return in Borough Hall, Brooklyn, New York on October 1, 2023. The festival pays homage to independent and small publishing presses, authors, and literary organizations. The week-long celebration of virtual bookish events complements the Brooklyn Book Festival Marketplace day with panel discussion and children’s festival the day before the main event.
Members of the WNBA-NYC Chapter volunteered their time to discuss the organization with prospective members, book lovers, graphic novelists, a translator, poets, and writers from all walks of the literary world. Giveaways of bookmarks, post-its, magnets, donated books, flyers about Great Group Reads and Member Author Books, allowed for interesting conversations and promoted the organization.
The Jewish holiday, Sukkot, fell on October 1st and is the
“Festival of the Booths and Fall harvest.” Men (and women) in black
holding the distinctive “lulav” (palms with branches of greens) and “etrog” (lemon-like citrons) were waving blessings.
Our member volunteers gave their perspective about the day.
Eileen Donovan: Great fun at book fair and met lots of interesting people; what a great experience.
Hope Lawrence: Excellent opportunity to network with other organizations and even treat oneself to a new book or two!
Roberta Slaiman: So many different types of people came to the booth: writers, readers, authors, or just the curious person wanting to know more. Hearing their story was very interesting, rewarding, and enjoyable.
Laurel Stokes: I really enjoyed volunteering and learning about new organizations and advocating for literacy and celebrating reading.
Banned books have been in the news lately because of differing points of view on which books should be accessible to children and young adults. Arguably, it seems like many concepts that were not even mentioned some 5 to 10 years ago, are now being brought forward. Shelia Lewis, also a member volunteer, observed that it was special to see diversity and cultural identity being upheld across the expansive plaza in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall, and in a broad commitment to address issues such as banned books, different voices, freedom of speech, and the free circulation of books. Coupled with Lewis’ observation, volunteers also met the founder of unbancollies.org who is committed to promoting banned books and supporting the authors.
Many of us grew up reading titles that are now banned books. Of the different passersby that we met throughout the day, you can easily see that there is a book for everyone. Banning books does not allow another person to have a point of view. Seeing these books celebrated at the Festival is one of the many reasons we attend year after year.
From left to right: WNBA-NYC Chapter President Rachel Slaiman, Laurel Stokes, Immediate Past President, Member Fran Hawthorne and Hope Lawrence, Social Media Coordinator
by Rachel Slaiman
Despite the pouring rain and wet roads, members of the WNBA-NYC chapter braved the elements to pay homage to Independent Bookstore Day on April 29, 2023. In its second year, the crowd was small, but the energy was high as they traveled around pre-planned independent bookstores in mid-town Manhattan. The bookstores included Rizzoli Bookstore, Koryo Books, Book Off, and McNally Jackson.
Rizzoli 1133 Broadway New York, NY
Located in the St. James Building, Rizzoli has a very prestigious look upon entering. With the all too familiar wooden bookcases and tables featuring several genre books, it became clear that there was something for everyone. Rizzoli specializes in specialty non-fiction including illustration books, interior design, fashion, photography, and much more.
Koryo Books 35 West 32nd Street New York, NY
Near the Empire State Building in Korean Town, this bookstore gave a unique vibe when entering. Specializing in Korean titles and bestsellers, fashion, cooking, and craft titles, the store also carried children’s toys, posters, stickers, and gadgets from popular KPop bands.
Book Off 49 West 45th Street New York, NY
With the ability to both buy and sell here, Book Off has three floors filled with all genres of books and the basement of anime and other non-fiction. Other items like bobbleheads, and videogames were also available for purchase. A different kind of bookstore.
McNally Jackson Books 1 Rockefeller Center New York, NY
Within Rockefeller Center, lies McNally Jackson Bookstore. This interesting multilevel, maze-like bookstore offers fiction and non-fiction books as well as booklover accessories like pens, notebooks, and notecards.
Travelling Down Memory Lane
Last year, we traveled around downtown Manhattan. Here is the article in case you missed it. Scroll halfway down the page to find the article.
Panel Committee going clockwise: Rachel Slaiman, President WNBA-NYC Chapter, Bridget Marmion, WNBA-NYC Board Member, Fran Hawthorne, Author, and Maiya Katherine, Author.
by Rachel Slaiman
Why do you write? What makes you sit down and want to tell your story? How long has it been since you said, “I want to write this book, but I cannot because…. (insert reason).” Many of us are all too familiar with these questions and do not have an answer. Moderated by Bridget Marmion, WNBA-NYC Board Member and panelists Fran Hawthorne, author of I Meant to Tell You and Maiya Katherine, author of An Apology to My Demons, on April 20, 2023, the Taking the Leap Panel addressed why the writers delayed as long as they did and shared solutions for moving forward with your ideas.
Through an engaging lively panel, it was easy to see that both women were eager to tell their story. From creating a writing schedule while still working in corporate America to beginning to write when the world shut down due to Covid-19, it is arguable that life events started the writing process. While life was moving along, Hawthorne and Katherine still needed to find time and create a schedule that worked for them to complete the task at hand. Some writers like a more structured routine of writing 1,000 words a day, while others just want to get something on paper. Pro Tip: Flexibility is the key when you are starting the writing process because no two authors are alike. If you find what kind of schedule and goals work for you, the process becomes more manageable and not so daunting over time.
But “why” spend all this time writing your book? Each person’s why is different. Is it passion driven, royalty driven, a combination of both? The “why” becomes the motivator and gives you the courage to keep writing when you hit a roadblock or do not feel inspired. Of course, when you sit down to write, words may not flow right away; you may have some fragmented sentences. After some time, the words start to flow onto the page, and you are once again back on track to write. Pro Tip: Allowing yourself time and space is key to this process.
Now that the writing is underway, how do you answer the question “how is it going?” Many people would want to wait until their book is completed or almost done. Others may want to talk about it along the way. Pro Tip: The important thing here is to share only what you want to share. Do not feel pressured in any way.
Lastly, “ how do you know when you the manuscript is finished?” It’s possible to keep rewriting and correcting a work forever but at a certain point taking a step back to determine whether you’re ‘improving’ the work is necessary. Once you’ve determined that it answers the ‘why, meets your goals, and further rewrites and corrections won’t majorly improve the manuscript, your work for the moment is complete.
Members and Guests of the WNBA-NYC Tour Group from left to right: Sherring Dartiguenave, Treasurer, Hope Lawrence, Social Media Coordinator, Rachel Slaiman, President WNBA-NYC Chapter, Susan Knopf, Interim Programs Chair, and Guest Edie Smith.
by Hope Lawrence
Sure, we all know that libraries are commonly known for borrowing books, collaboration, and attending events. Arguably, there is a display or two of the rich history of a particular library which then leads to curiosity of “tell me more”. Rather than venturing to a Smithsonian museum for such artifacts, the Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library Treasures has displayed many artifacts from its collection. Board members of the WNBA-NYC chapter spent an afternoon exploring this exhibit on February 18, 2023.
Upon entering the exhibit, you are overwhelmed by the rich history of the past. The items displayed are a visual representation of where the world was compared to modern day. The exhibit is divided into several themes (insert link to page here), but those of particular interest include the Beginnings, the Written Word, and Childhood.
The Beginnings represents where it all began—from challenges ideas, to theories, to the “first-knowns” about a particular topic.
The Written Word represents writings from all over the world written by those that studied the craft. Writings by Maya Angelou or Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral are on display.
The Childhood section gives us an understanding that the books then offered a moral, religious, or educational instruction. Today’s books more or less still follow this same these.
Other Noteworthy Displays
Virginia Woolf’s walking stick isn’t the only item once possessed by a renowned author on display at the Schwarzman building: the letter opener of Charles Dickens that has the paw of his beloved cat made into the handle! It might seem bizarre nowadays for one to do that with the remains of a cherished pet, but Dickens lived in different times. This practice can be compared to that of widows during his time. These widows would keep a lock of their late husband’s hair in their hats as a way to remember.
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library family will have the works on view in the Gottesman Hall and will be an ongoing exhibition with different works in rotation.
About Hope Lawrence
Hope Lawrence always had a passion for the written word. Focusing on investigative reporting, Hope completed her Bachelor of Science in communications at Nyack College, continuing her pursue to write the truth and nothing but the truth. Attending a WNBA networking event reignited a love of fiction, adding to her passion for investigative writing.
Description: So many of us think, dream, plan to write a book… someday. What’s stopping you?
Join us on APRIL 20 to hear from two busy people who actually took the leap and wrote their books! Let us help you get started.
During this conversation, moderated by someone who’s worked with authors for years, you’ll hear why these writers delayed as long as they did. (The reasons may sound very familiar:) The authors will share tips on moving those ideas from your head onto a page.
What we’ll cover:
-I couldn’t start the book, because… -The trigger to begin the book and tips for you -How to decide the focus of your book. -What to expect as you’re writing a book: the practical, logistical, psychological challenges most writers face. -Tips on dealing with common challenges, including the question “How’s the book coming?”
All are welcome, wherever you are in your writing journey! Writers of any gender and whether it’s fiction or nonfiction you’re writing or plan to write. If you’ve published and have helpful info to succinctly* offer, there will be time in the program for community members to share their tips. *Please offer your tip/suggestion in two minutes or less.
Cost: $10.00 with code Please emailpresident@wnba-nyc.org with the WNBA chapter and your name to receive it. $20.00 standard
Click the Purple Button above to pay for the event
No Refund Policy Please note this ticket purchase is final; it is not refundable nor transferable. If you cannot attend, your payment will support the programming for the WNBA-NYC Chapter organization, and greatly received. We appreciate your cooperation.
Format: Zoom link will be sent out the morning of the event.
FRAN HAWTHORNE, Author After an award-winning career as a nonfiction author and journalist (including writing or editing for The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Fortune), Fran Hawthorne a few years ago “took the leap” and returned to her childhood passion: fiction. Her second novel, I Meant to Tell You (published last fall by Stephen F. Austin State University Press), has been short-listed for the Sarton Award in contemporary fiction and won second place in women’s fiction and third place in adult fiction from the Feathered Quill Book Awards.
MAIYA KATHERINE, Author Maiya Katherine is a #1 Best-Selling Author and Transformational Speaker. Although she ventured into the business world after college, she eventually decided to follow her Life Purpose of helping others heal emotional trauma and adopt a success-oriented mindset. Since publishing her first book in September 2021, she has spoken at various Universities, Mindset Programs, Mental Health Podcasts, and Teen Workshops, among others. She continues to develop programs and courses to help others heal and thrive.
BRIDGET MARMION, Moderator Bridget Marmion has been VP of Marketing at FSG, Random House and Houghton Mifflin. She was at each house over a decade and during her career worked in editorial, publicity, sales, advertising, and marketing, for both adult and children’s books. She launched her own marketing firm, YOUR EXPERT NATION INC in 2012. It relaunched recently as www.bridgetmarmionbookmarketing.com.
Our New Perspectives in Historical Fiction panel on November 30th took a deep dive into the new works with women protagonists living in the same era as our founder, Madge Jenison. Authors, Kitty Zeldis and Eileen Donovan, gave us terrific insight as to what inspired them to write historical fiction as well as reading an excerpt from their novels. Sheila Lewis, longtime-standing board member of the WNBA was the moderator.
The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights by Kitty Zeldis, tells the story of Alice who immigrated from a post-Revolutionary Russia to New Orleans, where she would become a prostitute, which was legal in New Orleans, (circa 1898-1917), just to survive. After meeting Beatrice, Alice is unofficially adopted and they moved to Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, New York, to be exact.
A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, by Eileen Donovan, takes place in Post-WWI Montana where an aspiring journalist, Alex, is hired as a reporter for her local paper. While at the time when newspapers were becoming commercialized, the lead story would go to a senior male associate and blaze over the women. Though, Alex was determined to get the lead story, it in turn, paved the wave for women to strive in their careers to the fullest of opportunities.
The panelists were fielded questions that ranged from inspiration for writing these works, to what their experience was like going through research of the time period, to how their writing may or may not have been affected by the pandemic. Both drew inspiration from various places but channeled their love for the genre writing it for the first time.
In terms of research, Donovan admitted it was difficult to not fall down a rabbit hole though it’s “almost a part of the process”. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us had extra time on our hands to write, so Eileen wrote long hand then typed and edited later while Zeldis found herself more efficient when she had left time to write.
Writing a novel is a daunting task on its own, let alone, a new genre. There is always a learning curve to take the book from draft to completion. The commonality among these authors were new technology and having good connections. It is arguably true that word of mouth is still the best form of communication. Though, with new technology it becomes challenging to keep up with readers. Coupled with that, networking your book (and yourself), is a puzzle all on its own.
Description: Meet the authors featured in the historical fiction panel on November 30th and learn some of the award-winning novels that focus on the dazzling jazz era of the 1920s. The main characters of these novels bring a strong and advancing approach to the time in order to show that a woman’s search for independence has transcended all eras.
Cost: FREE
Format: You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Nov 30, 2022 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Eileen Joyce Donovan
Author of A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma Synopsis: First, we will turn the pages back to1926, in A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma. A world of flappers, speakeasies, and bathtub gin. Alex, a cocky college graduate starts her journalism career at a small Montana newspaper. On her first day, a courthouse shootout thrusts her into the lead reporter’s role, and into the path of the town’s most eligible, and handsome, cattle rancher. That spring, an ice jam on the Yellowstone River, floods the town. Only US Army bombs can save it. Alex’s reporting draws national attention and a career dilemma So, she’s faced with a choice. Her dream job or her dream man. Definitely A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma.
About the author: Eileen Joyce Donovan’s debut historical novel won the 2019 Marie M Irvine Award for Literary Excellence. Her latest historical fiction, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, released in September 2022, won the 2021 When Words Count nationwide competition. She’s also had short stories published in various anthologies as well as non-fiction in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society, Women’s National Book Association, Women Fiction Writers Association, and Authors Guild. She lives in Manhattan and enjoys going to concerts and plays, as well as reading books that catch her fancy. _____________________________________________________
Kitty Zeldis
Author of The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights Synopsis: Next, same era, 1924, but from a big city many of us will recognize, Brooklyn. As New York City enters the jazz age, the lives of three very different women are about to converge in unexpected ways. Recently arrived from New Orleans, Beatrice is working to establish a chic new dress shop with help from Alice, the orphaned teenage ward she brought north with her. Down the block, newlywed Catherine is restless in her elegant brownstone, longing for a baby she cannot conceive. When Bea befriends Catherine and the two start to become close, Alice feels abandoned and envious, and runs away to Manhattan.
Her departure sets into motion a series of events that will force each woman to confront the painful secrets of her past in order to move into the happier future she seeks. Moving from the bustling streets of early twentieth century New York City to late nineteenth-century Russia and the lively quarters of New Orleans in the 1910s, The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights is a story of the families we are born into and the families we choose, and of the unbreakable bonds between women.
About the author: Kitty Zeldis is the nom de plume of a Brooklyn-based author of nine novels and over 35 books for children. Her short fiction, essays and articles have been published in many literary and national publications.
Moderator:
Sheila Lewis: Sheila Lewis is a curriculum and children’s writer, writing coach, educator, and tutor. She teaches meditation and related classes and leads a children’s book club at the JCC in Manhattan. Recently, Sheila co-authored a summer learning program for the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America and is now developing more book club material for after schools. Sheila joined WNBA-NYC over six years ago and worked on many early panels.
Description: Meet the authors of two compelling nonfiction books and learn the true stories of impressive women who were ahead of their times in many ways. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, these women changed the idea of what women’s work is and advocated for women’s freedoms and rights, just like the women who founded the WNBA did at about the same time.
Cost: Free to all members of all chapters of the WNBA with code. Please email president@wnba-nyc.org with the WNBA chapter and your name to receive it. $10.00 for all non-members.
Format: Zoom link will be sent out the morning of the event.
Joanna Scutts
Author of HOTBED: Bohemian Greenwich Village and the Secret Club that Sparked Modern Feminism Synopsis: On a Saturday in New York City in 1912, around the wooden tables of a popular Greenwich Village restaurant, a group of women gathered, all of them convinced that they were going to change the world. It was the first meeting of “Heterodoxy,” a secret social club. Its members were passionate advocates of free love, equal marriage, and easier divorce. They were socialites and socialists; reformers and revolutionaries; artists, writers, and scientists. Their club, at the heart of America’s bohemia, was a springboard for parties, performances, and radical politics. But it was the women’s extraordinary friendships that made their unconventional lives possible, as they supported each other in pushing for a better world.About the author:Joanna Scutts is also the author of The Extra Woman. She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, New Yorker, and the Paris Review series “Feminize Your Canon.” She holds a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University and lives in Astoria, New York.
Author of DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES: a Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age Synopsis: Among the fabled tycoons of the Gilded Age—Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt—is a forgotten figure: Mrs. Frank Leslie. For twenty years she ran the country’s largest publishing company, Frank Leslie Publishing, which chronicled postbellum America in dozens of weeklies and monthlies. A pioneer in an all-male industry, she made a fortune and became a national celebrity and tastemaker in the process. But Miriam Leslie was also a byword for scandal: She flouted feminine convention, took lovers, married four times, and harbored unsavory secrets that she concealed through a skein of lies and multiple personas.About the author:Betsy Prioleau is an author and cultural historian. She received her PhD in American Literature at Duke University, and has taught English and world literature at Manhattan College and New York University. In addition to Diamonds and Deadlines, she is the author of Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love, Swoon: Great Seducers and Why Women Love Them, and Circle of Eros: Sexuality in the Work of William Dean Howells.
Moderator: Rosalind Reisner: Rosalind Reisner has moderated many panels for the WNBA-NYC chapter. She is an author and former librarian and the editor and contributing author for Women in the Literary Landscape, the WNBA’s centennial book.
In recent years, the publishing industry has thrived more than ever for aspiring authors to be published on many different platforms and break away from traditional publishing. Hybrid, small press, and independent publishing are among the [new] ways to be published. Going through this route does not always mean it will be any easier or less time consuming as three authors found out: DeMisty D. Bellinger, Cheryl J. Fish, and Celia Jeffries. They joined us for a discussion about their publishing journey through a non-traditional publisher that was led by the moderator, Mara Anastas.
Each panelist was able to give their individual story about how they got published through either an independent press, hybrid, or university press. Questions from the audience included: Who does the editing and marketing? How does the publicity get shared? Is it all on your own? What are costs associated from start to finish? These were address throughout the discussion and the panelists took the time to break down each kind of publishing based on her own experience.
Types of Publishing
Hybrid Publishing allows independent authors to cover some of the cost of publishing books that otherwise might have been passed over by traditional publishers.
This type of publishing does have some red flags: misinterpretation of the expectations between client and company, the company asking for a manuscript evaluation, printing is ready once you send the manuscript, and no prices given up front.
Vanity Publishing is a printing house that specializes in publishing books for which the authors pay all or most of the costs.
This type of publishing is a service and wants distribution, but no return on the books. This would also cover the concept of not all small publishers have a return rate.
Smaller Press Publishing: Runs on a smaller scale than a large publisher.
Here, your advance is in direct correlation to the amount of marketing and at the same time, your marketing is as good as the writer. Small presses are open to your suggestions.
Takeaways from the evening
—Perseverance and believing in what you have written.
—Never give up on goal of publishing your book.
—Visibility: Be on a social media platform that you are most comfortable. Connect with people through the themes of the book.
—Hire an editor, publicist, marketer, anyone that you feel would enrich your book within your means.
—Selling yourself is not easy, but every author has to market themselves and their book. They don’t sell on their own.
Here are the author’s books:
—DeMisty D. Bellinger wrote New to Liberty and was published by Unnamed Press
—Cheryl J. Fish wrote Off the Yoga Mat and was published by Livingston Press University of Western Alabama
—Celia Jeffries wrote Blue Desert and was published by Rootstock Publishing
WNBA-NYC Members from left to right Eileen Donovan, Antoinette Carone, Hope Lawrence, Social Media Coordinator, Rachel Slaiman, President WNBA-NYC and Sheryl Dluginski. Photo Courtesy of Rachel Slaiman, President WNBA-NYC
Across the country, April 30th is known as Independent Bookstore Day. This is the day that book lovers pay homage to all the independent bookstores to show their support for local businesses.
The WNBA-NYC chapter and the WNBA-Metro Atlanta chapter, teamed up to tour their respective cities at different independent bookstores. Here is a recap of the stores that the New York City chapter visited. Missed the action? You can find the stories posted on Instagram using the handle #wnbadualcitybookcrawl.
Strands Bookstore at 828 Broadway, New York
One of the more well-known independent bookstores out there. The Strands is a very popular spot for both tourists and locals which includes a basement and two upper levels. Many say that you can lose track of time in here if you don’t set an alarm of some kind. What is your first memory of this iconic store?
Books of Wonder at 42 West 17th Street, New York
Calling all children’s booklovers, here is your kind of store. A wide variety of all types of children’s books: board books, to chapter books, and a few toys in the mix, there is something new to discover here. What is not seen often enough are classic books that we read as kids in their original publication. These books were displayed behind a glass panel in the back of the store. What are some of your favorite children’s books you read or read to others?
192 Books at 192 10th Avenue, New York
This small, quaint bookstore offers books on a variety of subjects including translation, history, music, biography, science, current affairs, and more. Children’s and young adult books were available as well. What is your favorite spot in this area beside the bookstore?
Three Lives and Company at 154 West 10th Street, New York
Located in Greenwich Village, this store has a unique history from catering to the locals, to online ordering, and now becoming an iconic store after nearly closing in 2016. It sells a well-curated selection of books. Does anything stand out to you about this bookstore?
Bravo’s Book Nook at 115 MacDougal Street, New York
The name says it all. This unique store is a little nook right on the corner of MacDougal and Minetta Lane. The titles of hardcover and paperbacks of a variety of fiction and non-fiction. Small gifts for sale included puzzles, maps of New York, and children’s trinkets. Have you ever been to this kind of bookstore?
In honor of National Poetry Month, Haiku writing was the task for our WNBA-NYC subscribers. A haiku is a short poem in the format of typically five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. Subscribers were asked to write a haiku about any topic and to let us know what their inspiration was behind it.
Submissions
No title was provided
Spring, we waited. You arrived. Then you disappeared. Will you stay this time?
Inspiration: “This came to me last week as I was walking to the grocery store on a surprisingly warm and lovely day”
Author: Sheryl Dluginski, New York
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Title: “Not Quite Spring”:
Star-shaped spring beauties
Cower in the sleety wind.
Winter’s not done yet.
Inspiration: “A walk on a park trail on an unexpectedly cold and blustery April day.”
Author: Katherine White Drew, Rockville, MD
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Title: Breaking and Entering
Daybreak sheds light on breakdowns.
Bleak streets spill trash, huts squat.
Bike lanes break through.
Inspiration: “I was interested in the word “breaking,” watching city streets shape shift in pandemic times. What “breaks” isn’t so much broken, as entering a new reality.”
Author: Sheila Lewis, New York
Articles of Interest
The WNBA-NYC has done a variety of poetry events throughout the years. Looking through the archives of our blog, these included panel discussions, interviews, a look back at our Centennial celebration for poetry month, why [women] write poetry and more.
Haiku’s are a unique form of poetry and can be pretty tough to write. It has a much different tone than your standard rhyme, sonnet, limerick, or even free verse.
Do you write any of these forms of poetry in your spare time or as your career? Let us know in the comments section below
During Women’s History month and hosted by WNBA-National, an interview with author/historian Doris Weatherford and moderated by Valerie Tomaselli, the author shed light on volumes of history, notably regarding the long road to securing women’s right to vote. One graduate level course sparked Doris’s lifelong interest in women’s suffrage and activism related to women’s issues. Her path, to fill in the gaps of untold history, began with research on the lives of immigrant women and her first of many books.
Doris and Valerie (former president, WNBA National and New York) worked together on WNBA’s centennial publication,Women in the Literary Landscape, but their collaboration dates back to before 1998, when they joined forces on two formidable volumes about women in American politics.
The 19th Amendment, long-time coming:
Doris regaled attendees with backstage dramas, from working with Congress to secure and keep the required 2/3 majority vote in both houses, to states changing their minds, seemingly on the whims of political winds. She described with irony (“things haven’t changed much”). Legislators voted from hospital beds, admonitions from their mothers, and due diligence led to the 19th Amendment added to the Constitution.
Players, Pacifists, and Politics
Although Doris referred to key Suffragists and early feminists, her approach was to place them in broader social contexts, like WWI or labor law movements. Favorites were Carrie Chapman Catt, who led or took part in an astonishing number of campaigns and events, Revolutionary War era women, and radical activists like Alice Paul.
No fact was left unturned in Doris’s presentation. She went on to include other notable times: how Utah had the first female state senator but lost the vote and how indecisive Washington state finally scrapped the vote. In granting suffrage, Western states were generally more liberal than Eastern states. Suffrage and temperance brought to life why Susan B. Anthony (and other women) who chose not to marry (to hang onto their property), and how women did not seek child custody, for fear of being sent to mental hospitals by their husbands.
Doris’s engaging speaking style is deft historian meets delightful storyteller; as she says, “in the end, we needed the radicals, the crazies, and the women wearing pearls, to come together.” It was painful to hear about the treatment of marginalized women of color. So-called luminaries came out on the wrong side of race and religion, including anti-Catholic, and anti-Black differences. Women got arrested picketing, chaining themselves to the fence, and were attacked by Washington DC cops.
Peaks and Valleys, Perspectives and Progress
Lively audience Q/A opened up the conversation. “Everything takes a long time, but look at what we have today. When President Biden made his State of the Union address, there were two women behind him for the first time (Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi).” Doris said. She referred to the last 50 years or so as a time of “peaks and valleys, mostly valleys – things were achieved in the first half of the 20th century, and still rights are not equal… Although the age of consent in Delaware was just seven in 1900, women were banned from serving on juries until the 1960s, and teachers did not receive equal pay until the 1950s.” Even progressive women opposed the Equal Rights Amendment for complicated reasons, including being of the mindset that the ERA might not protect women’s rights on the job, or might leave women worse off.
Doris shared her current concerns diplomatically, “Just vote for the party that concentrates on women’s reproductive rights. Get active on campaigns. It’s easy to get discouraged. Vote for the party that is most sympathetic to women’s rights,” concluding that to go on, “it takes dedication, perseverance, strategic thinking and tactical maneuvering.” Valerie added parallels between fights for women’s rights and women in publishing, and how WNBA’s founding in 1917 addressed that singular need. Doris’s unwavering vigilance to set the record straight and inform the public about women’s history has enticed me, and I’m sure many, to learn and read more.
“Writing is my favorite form of activism.”
What’s next? Doris is planning a summer visit to Washington, DC, to watch the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune replace Florida’s confederate general (posted in 1922). Bethune founded a college and was considered one of the most influential women during the Roosevelt and Truman eras. Valerie referred to Doris as “the great mentioner,” so we will end for now with this final mention, best wishes for continued success!
Back in October 2022, the WNBA’s NYC Chapter held the virtual panel, Transformative Women, with authors of two compelling nonfiction books that tell true stories of impressive women who were ahead of their times in many ways. Members and non-members spanning eight states across the country were joined by moderator…
