Sep
17
Better by the dozen: 12 quick tips for being a smarter reporter
September 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
By Greg Hardesty
Orange County Register
The first: “Be a human being first, and a reporter second. This especially applies when covering tragedies. Show empathy. Keep your notebook and pen out of sight until after you look a person in the eye and introduce yourself, and chat briefly. Make a connection, then get to work.” The rest is on the SPJ website.
Sep
17
Society of Professional Journalists
September 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry through the daily work of its nearly 10,000 members; works to inspire and educate current and future journalists through professional development; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press through its advocacy efforts.”
Sep
17
American Society of Picture Professionals
September 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“We are a community of image experts committed to sharing our experience and knowledge throughout the industry. We provide professional networking and educational opportunities. If you create, edit, research, license, manage or publish pictures, ASPP is the place for you.”
Sep
17
Stock Artists Alliance
September 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) was formed five years ago when “Getty Images, the world’s largest stock agency, presented [its contributing photographers] with a ‘non-negotiable’ contract. Today, SAA is a professional community that is single-mindedly focused on the increasing challenges faced by photographers in our rapidly changing industry. Benefits of membership include “exclusive access to information resources and advocacy initiatives.”
Sep
13
Is 2012 the New 1984?
September 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I stumbled upon the website for a book called 2012, and liked the site design (I’m always on the lookout for great marketing ideas), especially the use of that bouncy “think map” that grabs your attention without being visually obnoxious. Wonder whether I could figure out how to use it….
The site content was kind of interesting, too: “Cross Aldous Huxley, H. P. Lovecraft, and Carlos Castaneda—each imbued with a twenty-first century aptitude for quantum theory and existential psychology—and you get the voice of Daniel Pinchbeck. And yet, nothing quite prepares us for the lucidity, rationale, and informed audacity of this seeker, skeptic, and cartographer of hidden realms. Throughout the 1990s, Pinchbeck had been a member of New York’s literary select. He wrote for publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, and Harper’s Bazaar.”
Sep
7
Camas
September 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“A creation of the University of Montana’s Environmental Studies Program, Camas publishes essays, fiction and poetry by some of the West’s best emerging writers—recent Guggenheim winner Judy Blunt is a good example—alongside the likes of William Kittredge, Annick Smith, David James Ducan, Janisse Ray, and Wendell Berry.”
Terry Tempest Wiliams has called Camas “one of the mosty powerful and inspiring literary magazines in the West.”
Sep
5
Newsthinking
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Bob Baker’s Newsthinking site is “dedicated to the proposition that there are only two kinds of journalists: bad ones, and those who are improving. Newsthinking was originally written for college journalism students and journalists in their first five years of work. But it has developed a following among a broader range of journalists and other writers, who applaud its sophisticated yet plain-spoken approach to the biggest unspoken problem journalists have: ‘Now that I’ve collected all this stuff, what the hell do I do with it?’”
Sep
5
BATW Awards
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| January 19, 2008 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 12:30 pm |
The Best of BATW 2008 and Planet Earth 2008 Writing and Photography competitions will be awarding the prizes at Book Passage (Corte Madera). The awards ceremony, with readings by the winners, will occur on Saturday, January 19, from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
Sep
5
Food Timeline
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“Ever wonder what foods the Vikings ate when they set off to explore the new world? How Thomas Jefferson made his ice cream? What the pioneers cooked along the Oregon Trail? Who invented the potato chip…and why?” Thanks to Anna Lane for sending this link to a food timeline. It might come in handy next time you’re researching a story!
Sep
5
The Rambler
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Kathleen McClung for this link to The Rambler, a “unique magazine of personal writing and diverse voices that isn’t just another literary mag.” And congratulations to Kathleen on her personal memoir piece The Rambler will be publishing in an upcoming issue.
Sep
5
East Meets West
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| September 29, 2007 | ||
| 9:00 am |
Magazine writers take notice:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors and UC Berkeley Journalism School bring you:
East Meets West
A National Magazine Symposium for Editors and Writers
When: September 29, 2007, 9:00 am — 5:00 pm
Where: North Gate Hall, Hearst at Euclid Avenue, Berkeley
East Meets West brings together editors from top general-interest magazines and veteran journalists for an intimate, all-day conference at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. The editors will share tips, insights, and insider information on their publications. Writers will learn the editors’ views on what makes great long-form narrative journalism, hear about the types of pitches they seek, and have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an editor.
Sep
5
Turmoil and the need for redemption
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Diane LeBow for forwarding the link to this book review from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Reviewed by Ilan Stavans
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Travels With Herodotus
By Ryszard Kapuscinski, translated by Klara Glowczewska
KNOPF; 275 PAGES; $25
Ryszard Kapuscinski made globe-trotting reportage alluring. In an age of ephemeral information, his engaging, thought-provoking dispatches from various war zones (Angola, Iran, Congo, Algeria, Cuba, Zanzibar, El Salvador and Uganda, among other) gave readers a sense of history in the making. Born in Pinsk, Belarus, in 1932, he died in Warsaw earlier this year, at the age of 74, having witnessed 27 coups and revolutions and being sentenced to death four times. And although Warsaw was home, he was a foreigner even there. For to be a foreigner — to reject complacency — was for him to be alive.
Sep
5
Sheraton Sweepstakes
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| September 21, 2007 | ||
| 11:00 pm |
“Share Your Favorite “Must Dos” for a chance to win! The best trips are full of unforgettable memories and discoveries. So why not share your favorite “Must Dos” with friends, family and other Sheraton travelers, just like yourself?”Share your best “Must Do” and photo from a recent trip or vote for your favorite “Must Do” to enter into Sheraton Hotels & Resorts My “Must Do” Sweepstakes for your chance to win one of the following prizes:
- 5 night stay to any Sheraton in North America or the Caribbean and roundtrip airfare for two*
- One of Five Sony Digital Cameras
Sep
5
Fresh and Local
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Scott Fisher’s other blog, Fresh and Local, promises to be good reading; I’m going to keep an eye on it. The site will include “a directory of local farms, farmers’ markets, wineries, artisanal bakeries and cheese makers, and the like, as well as restaurants.” Scott is a knowledgeable food and wine critic; it was my great pleasure to dine with him recently in San Francisco.
Sep
5
Pilgrimage or Cathedral?
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
On his blog, The Artist’s Midwife, former Bay Area resident Scott Fisher describes two distinct types of spiritual journey, which also could well be applied to most creative endeavors, including writing. Which describes your writing?
“In my experience, there are two kinds of spiritual journeys associated with art and self-growth. The first kind is the one where you throw yourself into something unknown, giving up all attachment to what the outcome is and committing only to remaining open to what comes up on the journey. This kind is like going on a pilgrimage. The second kind is the one where you know what you’re up to, and you throw yourself into something unknown, giving up all attachment to what the journey is and committing only to achieving the goal. This kind is like building a cathedral.
Sep
5
Journalism Training
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Diane LeBow for sending this August 22, 2007 link to JournalismTraining.org, sponsored by The Society of Professional Journalists and “many of the country’s leading journalism organizations.
“Whether you want to improve your writing skills, learn more about convergence, investigate resources for your reporting beat, or catch up with other designers at an infographics quick course, we’ve got you covered. Hundreds of classes and seminars from scores of recognized organizations are a mouse click away.
“Visit the site and search for training that meets your needs. Search by topic, date, or location. Or use the advanced search feature to create a more specific search.
Sep
5
Writing Salon Fall Classes
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The Writing Salon’s fall session classes, starting October 6th and running through mid-December, are now posted on their website. (More information about classes, instructors also on website.)
INTRODUCTORY and/or EXPLORATORY CLASSES (NO SPECIFIC GENRE):
Exploring Your Writer’s Voice 1 day, Berkeley
Exploring Your Writer’s Voice: 9 weeks, Berkeley
Intro to Creative Writing: 8 weeks, San Francisco
WRITING PRACTICE/DISCIPLINE (NO SPECIFIC GENRE):
The Daily Write “Round Robin”: 2 meetings in SF, plus daily online
FICTION:
Sep
5
Storydance: A Dance & Writing Workshop
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| September 15, 2007 | ||
| 12:00 pm |
Lisa Alpine’s class combining dance and writing sounds fascinating:
September 15 & 16, noon - 5 p.m.
fee for both days: $110
held at the Dance Weaver studio in Mill Valley
“Dancing and writing make a lovely duet in the creative firing of the inspirational juices.This workshop will cover these territories in both dynamic art forms:
Setting the scene * Awakening all the senses * Building tension * Developing character * Adding emotional qualities.
“Please consider joining us for this delicious dance weekend. I’m limiting enrollment to 12 participants so get in touch with me soon if you feel the call to create.
Sep
5
WWW Salon Intermission
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Jonesin’ for a WWW salon? No, it’s not your imagination: it probably has been awhile since you’ve attended.
From the Wild Writing Women, August 31, 2007: “Friends, all good things must come to an end, and our literary salon at the Monticello Inn has finished. The hotel has been sold and the new owners are remodeling. Our six years of Salon-dom provided us a great experience, and we hope you enjoyed it, too. Thanks for all your support and stay tuned for more adventures with the WWW.”
I hope they find a new venue soon!
Sep
5
How to Write a Great Travel Journal
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| September 18, 2007 | ||
| 7:30 pm |
“Keeping a travel journal has always been a valuable memento of a trip. But to many of us the idea of making daily notes can be daunting, the blank page overwhelming. Jacqueline will show you a new way to approach the art of diary keeping that is fast, easy and fun.”
“This program will help you find the types of situations that are the most inspiring to write about. Your choice of words helps discover your inner voice and perhaps find out new things about yourself that have been ignored or overlooked. You will learn that the choice of your actual journal (bound, spiral, large, small, fancy or plain) says something about you. The color of the ink, the slant of your handwriting, and the doodling (or lack of it) also makes your stories uniquely your own.”
Sep
5
Booktour.com
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Karen Misuraca for sending the link to booktour.com, “where authors and audiences meet.” The site includes authors bio, events calendar, links for buying books, and a “follow this author: by email | by RSS | in my calendar | on my website” function. If you have a book, you should be there!
“This is a fabulous new site putting authors and readers/book buyers together. Free, very easy. Author has a “presence” describing who they are, the book(s), calendar of appearances, etc. Readers can search by author, book, geographical area, etc. And, get alerts as to when any/all authors making appearances in their zip code.
Sep
5
Beach Impeach III
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| September 15, 2007 | ||
| 1:00 pm |
Local cabbie, travel writer, activist, and community organizer Brad Newsham plans Beach Impeach III for Saturday, September 15 at Chrissy Field in SF. If you’re wondering what that has to do with travel writing, think: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, preserving the Constitution, civic responsibility, ability to travel freely, no-fly lists, unlawful searches … you get the idea.
From Brad:
“Dear Everyone,
“Not long ago this list was subscribed to by 1500 people, folks who had expressed an interest in my writing (www.bradnewsham.com), in my Filipino friend Tony (Tony is fine—and in 2006 he became a grandfather), or in my Backpack Nation project (www.backpacknation.org). But two years ago, when I started talking about impeaching George Bush and Dick Cheney, 400 people un-subscribed from this list almost overnight.
Sep
5
Young British Writer Heads to Antarctic
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
This press release from ResponseSource.com provides hope—very slim hope—for those of us who would like to get paid for adventure travel writing.
“The British Antartic Survey has appointed young British writer, Melanie Challenger, as Artist in Residence for International Polar Year 2007-8. She will live in the Antarctic for three months, working alongside the scientists in the region and gaining access to regions of the Antarctic totally closed to the general public. She will stay on board the RSS James Clark Ross.
Sep
5
Create your Own Anthology
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| October 21, 2007 | ||
| 12:00 pm | to | 5:00 pm |
This class sounds wonderful, and I know Lisa is an excellent teacher. So now there’s no excuse for delaying your book: take the class and learn turn your short pieces into a coherent whole.
With a novel you can win by a decision, but a short story you have to win by a knockout.
– Gabriel GarcĂa Marquez
“Why wait for someone else to publish your stories in an anthology? Create your own. It is a highly satisfying project that doesn’t break the bank and gives the ultimate writer’s deadline—a publishing date.
Sep
5
Mobile Advertising
September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
| September 12, 2007 | ||
| 6:00 pm | to | 9:30 pm |
The Web Guild of Silicon Valley is sponsoring a panel on mobile advertising on September 12. This should interest travel writers; I think mobile advertising will help drive the need for content in the very near future. Online registration for non-members is $30.
“Mobile advertising is a fast growing slice of the online marketing mix. It is expected to reach $10 Billion by 2010 according to the Mobile Marketing Association. Leading content providers, brand advertisers, and enablers are beginning to sell mobile specific campaigns. As traditional channels for advertising like TV, radio, and print are becoming less effective, marketers are seeking new mediums to reach and engage with consumers. Join this panel of industry experts to explore the opportunities and challenges of mobile advertising.
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