Literary License September, 2006

TAILORING YOUR MESSAGE and faxes from authors and you on her radio show. Get right to FOR THE MEDIA publicists hoping to put their names the point and offer only details that TOM CIESIELKA and ideas in front of readers. Here help her hear the interview in her TC PUBLIC RELATIONS are a few ways to stand out and be head. Ask her questions frequently You worked for months or even heard: and adjust as you go. years to develop your ideas, Know Your Target: If you call Use Bullet Points: Andi edits organize your book, and get every Ed at your community paper, do a the business section of a word in the right place. Now it’s little research to find out what he , and she doesn’t have time to take your message to the writes about and how he time to read every sentence of your public. The first step, and often the communicates. Let him know how e-mail. Make your information greatest challenge, is translating much you liked his latest column easy to read, bold face your main your material into headlines and and offer to be a resource in the points, and italicize for emphasis. topics that interest the media. future. If you want to reach the media, Reporters, editors and producers Make it Quick: You have about you must learn their language. Take receive thousands of calls, E-mails 30 seconds to get Susan to book time to study each contact and let

THE FUTURE OF THE U.S. JOB MARKET

Introduction: Tom Frisbie, SMA President.Speaker: Edward E. Gordon, author of The 2010 Meltdown: Solving the Impending Jobs Crisis (Praeger). Mr. Gordon will discuss his book which indicates how technology, globalization, and a major demographic shift will drastically change the U.S. workforce and explores promising models for implementing change. Mr. Gordon's website: www.imperialcorp.com

Where: Athletic Assn., 12 S. Ave., Chicago

When: 6 p.m. social hour, 7 p.m. program, Tuesday, Oct. 10.

Reservations NOT needed. Public invited. Reception and presentation $5 for nonmembers. SMA members and teachers and students with ID free. Snacks and cash bar.

Other Coming Events President; Jim Schwab, Program Chair. Speaker: Nov. 14–“How to Get Your Book Reviewed.” Gerry Souter, president of the Midwest Writers Assn. Introduction: Tom Frisbie, SMA President. Panel and author of 31 books, including adult biographies Moderator: Tom Ciesielka of TC Public Relations. on artists: Frida Kahlo, Alexander Calder, Edward Panel: Elizabeth Taylor, (tentative); Hopper, Diego Rivera and Mark Rothko. Mr. Souter's Cheryl Reed, Chicago Sun-Times. web site: www.avril1.com. Jan. 9–“The Bradbury Chronicles and the Life of April 10–Poetry, details to come. Ray Bradbury.’ Introduction: Tom Frisbie, SMA May 8--92th Annual Banquet and President. Speaker: Sam Weller, winner of the SMA's Awards Presentation. 2006 biography prize for his biography of the noted Ray Bradbury science-fiction writer. Board Meetings Feb.13–Children’s literature, details to come. Usually on the third Wednesday of each month: March 13–“Researching and Writing Biographies Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Jan. 17, Feb. 21, March 21, Apr. of Dead Artists.” Introduction: Tom Frisbie, SMA 18, May 16.

1 Hoop Dreams Alchemist. LITERARY LICENSE ©2006, Society of Midland Authors, Taylor Bell, retired sports writer He is a past president of the P.O. Box 10419, Chicago, IL 60610 for the Chicago Sun Times, just Poetry Center and currently serves signed a contract with Sports as a director emeritus. Editor: Richard Frisbie, Suite 104, 445 W. Erie St., Chicago, IL 60610 Publishing in Champaign for his Phone: 312/397-0992 third book, The Tom Lemming More from the Poetry Center Fax: 312/255-9865 Story. Tom Lemming is a The Poetry Center invites [email protected] nationally recognized college regional poets to submit their Associate Editor: Carol Jean football recruiting expert. unpublished work for consideration Carlson The book is due out in in the 13th Annual Juried Reading. September 2007. His second book, Eight finalists will be selected to www.midlandauthors.com Glory Days: High School read at an award ceremony at the Basketball, also with Sports Chicago Public Library on April Publishing, made its appearance in 29, 2007. him or her know how you are the September. That book is a result of One poem by each finalist will best resource on your topic. If you conversations with Bell by 50 of be published in a chapbook and on take the time to adjust your the state’s best high-school The Poetry Center’s website. The message, you multiply your basketball players. The players not Juried Reading is open to all poets chances of getting coverage and only relive their days on the court, residing in Illinois, , Iowa, selling your book. but also share what happened to Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, them after that. Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, According to Bell, Glory Days North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota CAROL’S IN-BOX grew out of his first book, Sweet or Wisconsin. BY CAROL JEAN CARLSON Charlie, Dike, Cazzie and Bobby Details at www.poetrycenter.org. Joe: High School Basketball in What’s a Poke? Illinois (University of Illinois Coup by Third World Press Waltur Buys a Pig in a Poke and Press, 2004). Congratulations to Haki Other Stories (Houghton Mifflin, For the uninitiated, the title Madhubuti, poet, college professor, 2006) by Barbara Gregorich is a characters are Sweet Charlie political activist and owner of humorous book for early readers Brown, Dike Edelman, Cazzie Third World Press, for the Press’s (7-10 years) designed to explain the Russell and Bobby Joe Mason. release, The Covenant with Black meaning of three common English Bell’s research for that book America, reaching the top of The language idioms. In the title story, included 350 interviews with New York Times paperback Waltur, a bear, and his best friends, coaches, administrators, family list. Matilda and Darwin, learn the members and fans. The book is the first nonfiction wisdom behind the saying, “Don’t book by a Black publisher to buy a pig in a poke.” Room at the Table achieve that position. The book continues in the same On Sept. 18, The Poetry Center Growing out of the 2005 State of vein with “Waltur Counts His of Chicago debuted the first CD the Black Union symposium, The Chickens Before They Are from the Center’s Audio Archive Covenant with Black America is “a Hatched” and “Waltur Leads a project at a benefit in the ballroom national plan of action to address Horse to Water.” at the School of the Art Institute. the primary concerns of African- Gregorich is the author of many Featured at the event were Americans today from health to storybooks, activity books and readings by SMA’s Mark Perlberg housing, from crime to criminal filmstrips for children. Her best and two Pulitzer Prize winners, justice, from education to economic known adult book is Women at Yusef Komunyakaa and Lisel parity.” Play: The Story of Women in Mueller. The collection of essays by black Baseball (Harcourt, 1993). Perlberg is the author of four scholars and professionals was She also conducts workshops on books of poems: The Burning edited by Tavis Smiley, PBS writing adult fiction, adult Field, The Feel of the Sun, The broadcaster. nonfiction and children’s books. Impossible Toystore and the upcoming Waiting for the

2 Scholarships for Homeless Teens risked ridicule and loss of reputation year’s SMA Literary Competition. Mystery writer Sara Paretsky to pursue the paranormal, trying to participated with the Chicago close the gap between faith and Brokeback Mystery? Coalition for the Homeless at an science as the theory of evolution Mark Richard Zubro’s mystery, event at Women & Children First and a new scientific thought process Everyone’s Dead But Us (St. bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., took hold. Martins Minotaur, 2006) is the where $2,000 scholarships were In The Ghost Hunters: William latest in his Tom & Scott mystery awarded to Chicago teenagers who James and the Search for Scientific series. are succeeding despite their Proof of Life After Death (Penguin Tom Mason and Scott Carpenter homelessness. Press, 2006), Deborah Blum are partners in crime and in life. Paretsky was invited because her presents the history of these seekers Tom, a teacher, and Scott, a “writing shows a sensitivity toward of truth and their research, unveils professional baseball player, take a people experiencing homelessness, the passion of their friendships and trip to an expensive resort catering and her famed detective, V. I. debates and exposes their doubts. to a gay clientele on an island in Warshawski, is a progressive Although many of their efforts the Aegean. (In Here Comes the woman who shares these were attempts to expose charlatans, Corps, Tom gave Scott a yearly sensitivities,” according to Laurene the strange and unexplainable visit to this resort as a wedding Heybach, director of the Law stepped forth. present.) Project at the Coalition. Blum, who was nominated for a Shortly after they arrive they The event fell on Warshawski’s Los Angeles Times book award for find a dead man in their rooms. fictional birthday, so the event Love at Goon Park, provides a vivid The killing continues and a included coffee and cake. and moving account of this group, catastrophic storm cuts off all achieving poignancy rather than contact with the rest of the world. A Goat and a Curse making them the objects of derision. A frantic attempt on the part of the In the summer of 1934, a baby heroes to find the villain ensues. goat fell off a truck and limped into The Book Bus Zubro retired from teaching a Chicago tavern owned by a If you saw a highly decorated bus earlier this year. He began his Tom Greek immigrant, William Sianis, that wasn’t a bookmobile parked and Scott series in 1987. Zubro and the rest is history. near a library in late May or early also has a series featuring the (Because Sianis and his goat June in the Chicago area, it was openly gay Chicago police were once evicted from Wrigley most likely the Book TV Bus detective Paul Turner. He is Field, a curse is said to explain lack promoting C-SPAN2’s weekend currently entertaining thoughts of of success by the Chicago Cubs.) programming of nonfiction books translating his books to the screen. The Billy Goat Inn became a and authors. watering hole and gathering place The 45-foot customized bus has a OTHER MEMBER NEWS for newspaper reporters, traveling TV studio, complete with policemen, politicians and the like. an interview set in the first half of The tavern and its owner and the bus that includes two chairs, Replaces Stan Freberg on Radio host, “Billy Goat” Sianis, the three camera units, TV monitors, Chuck Schaden, who has kept famous curse and “Cheezborger, and a plasma screen with live the "Golden Age of Radio" alive Cheezborger! No fries…chips!”are C-SPAN programming. on Chicago's airwaves for more the subjects of Rick Kogan’s latest During this year’s Wheeling, Ill., than 35 years, will replace satirist book, A Chicago Tavern: A Goat, stop, C-SPAN2’s Anne Haller taped Stan Freberg as host of When A Curse and the American Dream an interview with Mount Prospect Radio Was," a syndicated nightly (Lake Claremont Press, 2006). writer Candace Fleming, author of a showcase of old-time radio shows biography of Eleanor Roosevelt: airing in more than 200 markets Life After Death? Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at nationwide. Around the turn of the 20th Eleanor Roosevelt’s Remarkable "Even though I've been trying to century, philosopher and Life (Atheneum/Anne Schwartz take things easier during the last psychologist William James and Books, 2005). few years or so, I just couldn't pass his colleagues in the Society for Fleming’s book was a runner-up on the offer to do a national Psychical Research in America in Children’s Nonfiction in this program," Schaden told the

3 Chicago Sun-Times. "It's the one shifted dramatically in its social, not a gasoline can or a tire pump or thing I haven't done in the world of economic and political directions. maybe an old hubcap? That old-time radio, so it becomes the The city's residents became more question troubled Fred R. Egloff, frosting on my career cake." aware of a changing city and who is a a motorsports enthusiast Schaden continues to host Those national and international events as well a historian and award- Were the Days, now in its 36th like Southeast Asia and the Civil winning author of several other year on the air, from 1 to 5 p.m. Rights Movement.” books. Saturdays on the College of So he researched it and DuPage's WDCB-FM (90.9). “Best Small Publisher” Profiled produced a new book, The Origin Ivan R. Dee has been described of the Checker Flag, published by Ghost Writer Who Isn’t by the Washington Post as “one of the International Motor Racing Michael Norman has three new the country’s best small publishers Research Center. books out this fall. Haunted of serious books.” Profiled recently The reviewers aren’t giving the Homeland ( Forge Books/Tom in the Chicago Sun-Times, he said: whole story away, but Egloff did Doherty) is the latest installment in “We get things that in older days learn that a Packard Motor Car Co. his popular Haunted America series used to go to places like Knopf and employee in 1906 had the idea of of true ghost stories. Viking, even Basic Books, but they using a checkered flag at "checking Previous volumes have included are much more commercially stations" to help prevent speeding Haunted Heartland, Haunted minded now.” along the route of an early rally. America, Historic Haunted One-time chief editor of Egloff is noted for his extensive America and Haunted Heritage. A Quadrangle Books, Dee stayed in writings on the American West. separate collection of ghost stories Chicago when The New York Times north of the border, Canadian bought Quadrangle. He launched his Good and Evil Hauntings, was published by own publishing house in 1988. Carol Rausch Albright has been Scholastic Canada in 2004. He Although he sold it to Rowman & named Visiting Professor of writes that all his titles are still in Littlefield in 1998, he remains in Religion and Science at the print. charge. Lutheran School of Theology at Earlier this year he co-authored Chicago. She and her husband, WordWise: A Vocabulary Guide to Speaking of Fiction physicist John R. Albright, will co- Enhance Your Real-World Michael Raleigh will be speaking chair a seminar entitled Evil: Conversations with Carol on fiction writing at the Barrington Perspectives from Theology and Roecklein. It’s a set of two (Ill.) Writers Workshop on Science at LSTC in Spring, 2007. vocabulary enrichment books Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 7 to 10. Expert guest speakers will cover published by MindWare, a leading He’ll also be giving a seminar on themes of good and evil, not only publisher of educational materials. novel writing at the Newberry from traditional sources but also in Norman is scheduled to be in the Library in Chicago on Saturday, myth and even pop culture (think Chicago area in early October for a Oct. 7, from 10 to 4. computer games). series of readings and book Added to the mix will be signings. His website: Three Poets for Price of One insights from the sciences-- www.michaelnorman.us. Ron Offen’s Free Lunch poetry including physics, evolutionary journal presented three poets on theory, ecology, primatology, Recalls 1960s Chicago Sept. 17 in its ongoing series of psychology, sociology and medical Neal Samors has just finished programs at the Wilmette (Ill.) science--tracing the co-mingling of another book about Chicago's Public Library. Nina Corwin, Molly causes and outcomes. history. Chicago in the Sixties: Meacham and Idris Goodwin The series will conclude with Remembering a Time of Change. demonstrated examples of some insights for our time. The Life in Chicago was a continuation performance, slam and hip-hop seminar will be offered for of the 1950s until around 1965, he poetry. graduate credit through seven says.. Chicago area schools of theology, “Then, as if a tornado roared Beginning of Checkered End and will also be available to through the area, the period from Why do they wave a checkered auditors and visitors. 1965 and throughout the 1970s flag at the end of an auto race? Why For more information, call the

4 Zygon Center for Religion and shockproductions.com - and writes other books. Science, 773/256-0670. about pop culture and science for He is the retired chairman of the Carol Albright has edited, the Chicago Tribune and Salon.com. geography department at Chicago authored or co-authored four books A faculty member in the film and State University and now gives and numerous articles on the video department at Columbia talks and bus and boat tours about interplay between religion and the College, Chicago, Dan received a the Chicago area. sciences. M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin Madison. He will do a RECENT NEW MEMBERS How to Talk and Travel Free lecture/presentation on “Mad BY THOMAS FRISBIE Rita Emmett, author of The Scientists” at the November Procrastinator's Handbook, The Chicago Humanities Festival. Procrastinating Child and The Currently, he’s writing a Andrea Beaty Clutter-Busting Handbook, has horror/thriller novel. New children's book writer been selected as an "Expert Coach" Andrea Beaty is author of When on AOL. This means that Rita's President Clinton Update Giants Come to Play (Abrams, books and web site Carol Felsenthal writes: “ I’ve 2006). In the book, a pair of giants (RitaEmmett.com) will be featured just signed a contract with William come to play with a girl named on the AOL "Welcome Page." Morrow, an imprint of Anna “only when the sun shines Also, Rita has been invited by a HarperCollins, to write a book about just so and the wind blows like this major cruise line to speak on her President Bill Clinton since he left and that on its way to somewhere books' topics. She just returned the White House. I have less than a else.” from a cruise to the Scandinavian year to do all the interviewing, One of six children, Andrea countries, plus Russia, Poland, research and writing because the Beaty grew up in southern Illinois. Estonia and Germany. Last year publisher wants it out in the fall of She now lives in Naperville. she spoke on cruises to Hawaii and 2007 or winter of 2008 to catch the through the Panama Canal. interest in the primaries, etc. Karen Coates Speaking on cruises in exchange “I have written several Karen Coates is author of for free trips might be something biographies; my subjects have Cambodia Now: Life in the Wake that other members would like to included Katharine Graham, Alice of War (McFarland). She is an explore, she says. Roosevelt Longworth and S.I. award-winning journalist and Newhouse, Jr. I have also written editor with more than a dozen Science Fiction Analyzed many profiles for Chicago years of experience. A film maker, writer and magazine, among them pieces on She is a correspondent for teacher, Dan Dinello recently William Daley, Donald Rumsfeld, Gourmet Magazine and a published his first book Ann Landers, Roger Ebert and regular contributor to publications Technophobia! - a critical analysis Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. around the world, including st of science fiction visions of 21 “For the past two years, I have National Wildlife, Archaeology, century technologies. taught a nonfiction writing class at The Boston Globe, The Christian Dan also directed several the .” Science Monitor, Wildlife episodes of the Comedy Central Conservation, Kyoto Journal TV show Strangers With Candy as Chicago History Republished and Orion. well as making a number of award- The fourth edition of Irving She and her husband, Jerry winning short films, including Cutler's Chicago: Metropolis of the Redfern, frequently collaborate on Wheels of Fury (starring Amy Mid-Continent, written under the projects examining post-conflict Sedaris and Paul Dinello) and auspices of the Geographic Society countries, as well as travel stories Shock Asylum (starring Stephen of Chicago, has been recently on obscure and tantalizing places. Colbert as a mad doctor and Paul published by Southern Illinois Dinello as a normal guy whose University Press. Ann Durkin Keating. psychological exam goes horribly Cutler is also the author of the Ann Durkin Keating is an awry). award-winning Jews of Chicago: associate professor of history at Dan also runs a web site - From Shtetl to Suburb and four North Central College in

5 Naperville. LDS adults, Home to Roost and introduction for Masterpieces of She was previously a research The Marketing of Sister B. She American Indian Literature (Bison associate for the Public Works lives in Evanston, Ill. Books, 2005). He lives in Historical Society of Chicago. She Champaign, Ill. is author of Building Chicago: Willis Regier Suburban Developers and the Willis Regier is director of the Daniel T. Parker Creation of a Divided Metropolis University of Illinois Press. He Daniel T. Parker, who has more and is co-editor of The previously was director of the than 400 works of African, Encyclopedia of Chicago. University of Nebraska Press from African-American and Caribbean 1987-1995 and the Johns Hopkins art in his Chicago home, is author Linda Hoffman Kimball University Press from 1995-1998, of African Art: Beyond the A columnist for the Webby and was a visiting scholar in the Diaspora. Award-winning online Department of Comparative He is a professor emeritus of interfaith magazine, Beliefnet.com, Literature at Harvard University. African-American studies at and Exponent II, an LDS He is author of The Book of the Olive-Harvey College. women's quarterly newspaper, Sphinx (University of Nebraska, Linda Hoffman Kimball is also the 2004). He edited and wrote the author of two humorous novels for

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