If you have received a message that you are not in the database, it is likely because we have your membership recorded under some variation of your name. For example, if your name is James, and you are trying to register as Jim, it may be that you are listed as James, or even "James E.", or Jaime.

It's also possible that you are getting this error due to a move, and we have a different city or zip code on file. If you continue to have problems, please call Katie Griggs at Planning the Globe. The telephone # is (843) 971-6034, or you can reach her by email at kgriggs@planningtheglobe.com. Katie can tell you exactly how we have you listed in the membership database.

If you are unable to reach Katie, please call Susan Boyer at (864) 901-2378, or email conference@myscww.org.

Whether you are a beginning writer or have a few novels on bookstore shelves, the 17th Annual SCWW Conference is an event you do not want to miss. Our exceptional faculty of editors, agents, and award-winning authors will be sharing their experience with "The Method, the Market, and the Muse." There is something here for everyone.

Are you trying to get a finished work published?
Then you need to know how to write The Perfect Query Letter or What to Say if You Meet an Agent or an Editor in the Elevator.

Or maybe you are close to finished, but you sense that your work is missing something.
You'll want to know the Five Things That Make a Good Story Great or how to Revise Your Way to a Great Manuscript.

Perhaps you've already published your first novel?
Your Book Just Sold! Now What? or Publicity: Getting Your Book Noticed are just what you need.

Or maybe you are just getting started and you're not quite sure what to do first.
Translating Your Idea into a Book may help get you started.

We have poet classes and classes for genre writers of every stripe and the Slush Fest Sessions: yet another opportunity to see work (perhaps yours!) reviewed by an industry professional and to learn first-hand the things that make the difference between writing that gets rejected and writing that finds its way onto the shelves of the local bookstore.

Review our curriculum at www.myscww.org/2007_conference_classes.htm to find the classes that will bring you closer to your writing goals!

Carla Damron is a native of South Carolina. She draws on her experiences as both a southerner and a clinical social worker in her writing. Damron's mystery novels, Keeping Silent, and SPIDER BLUE feature Caleb Knowles, a social worker with "a delightfully dry sense of humor" (Charlotte Observer review, 2/20/05). As a therapist, Knowles must solve mysteries of the mind, and Damron uses the character to explore the dark and curious workings of mental illness. David Marshall James, reviewer for The State newspaper, writes: "Damron's carefully constructed plot and thoughtfulness about social ills contribute to a noteworthy work."

Richard Helms retired from a two-decade career as a forensic psychologist in 2002, to take a position at a local college. He has been nominated three times for the PWA Shamus Award - twice for books in his Pat Gallegher series set in New Orleans, and most recently for Cordite Wine, the second book in his San Francisco-based Eamon Gold PI series. A gourmet cook, amateur astronomer, builder of guitars and dulcimers, and die-hard Carolina Panthers fan, Richard Helms lives in a small town outside Charlotte, NC.

Gwen Hunter is the author of 13 books, sold in 22 countries, including Shadow Valley (2005) a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award for best mystery, and Blackwater Secrets, (2007) available from amazon.com. Her DeLande Saga trilogy has garnered awards and worldwide acclaim, with a screenplay being touted in the industry. In addition to writing, Gwen works full-time in a rural hospital. She lives with her husband and two Pomeranians and, when not writing, attends church, loves to travel in their RV, make jewelry, go whitewater rafting, and pretends to cook. Sometimes, she finds time to sleep.

Joyce & Jim Lavene write the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. The first book in the series, Pretty Poison, was an IMBA bestseller, a Barnes and Noble top-pick, and has gone into multiple printings. The next two books are Fruit of the Poisoned Tree and Poisoned Petals.
They write the Sheriff Sharyn Howard Mystery series set in the Uwharrie Mountains as well. The first book in that series, Last Dance, was nominated for the Master's Choice Award for best first mystery novel. The twelfth book will be out in October 2007. Their new project is Swapping Paint, a NASCAR Mystery, scheduled for publication in May 2007 by Midnight Ink with a second book, HOOKED UP, out in February 2008.

Lee Lofland is the author of Book of Police Procedure and Investigation, A Guide For Writers, scheduled for release in August, 2007, from Writers Digest books. Lee is a former police detective with nearly two decades of law-enforcement and crime-solving experience. He was in charge of major felony cases, including homicide, narcotics, rape, kidnapping, ritualistic and occult crimes, fraud, and robbery. Lee is a nationally acclaimed expert on police procedure and crime-scene investigation and is a popular conference and workshop speaker. He writes freelance articles for magazines and newspapers across the country and is a consultant for many bestselling authors and television and film writers. His current works-in-progress are a mystery novel and a children's book about police and CSI.

A freelance writer for more than ten years, Tracy Lynn Ocean's work regularly appears in magazines nationwide. Her novels include Fool Me Once, Sweet Home Carolina, and the recently-released Southern Fatality, which is set in Wilmington and features a sexy, hard-hitting security specialist.
When not vacuuming up dog hair, she enjoys doing absolutely nothing anywhere with a fabulous view, shooting trap and sporting clays, and spending time on the water (preferably in a boat).

Mystery Times declares, "Forming a triumvirate with Anne George and Margaret Maron, Patricia Sprinkle adds her powerful voice to the literature of mysteries featuring Southern women."
Sprinkle has two new books out this year: DEATH ON THE FAMILY TREE, a mystery with a genealogical twist, and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DIE?, the ninth title featuring Judge MacLaren Yarbrough, a small-town magistrate in Middle Georgia.

If you requested a hardcopy version of the conference brochure, we haven't forgotten you, and it hasn't been lost in the mail. We'll be getting those out within a few days. So sorry for the delay--I have an obsessive compulsive perfectionist disorder, and it took me so long to get the copy to our overworked graphic artist in residence that it's caused a delay. Registration will open as scheduled on June 1st. There will be a button on the website (on the Registration fees page) that you can click to register. You'll also be able to print a brochure at home, and we will be emailing them as a pdf file to everyone who has not requested a hard copy--and to all members who routinely receive The Quill via the postal service.

Apologies!

Susan

Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available for SCWW members to cover the cost of conference package registration (all conference meals included), and pre-conference workshops. Scholarship recipients are responsible for their own transportation, hotel accommodations, and out-of-pocket expenses. To apply: Please submit a brief summary of writing efforts and scholarship need along with the conference registration form to:

Conference Scholarships
PO Box 7104
Columbia SC 29202

Applications must be postmarked by August 1, 2007. You will be notified of your application status by September 1, 2007. All information will be held in strict confidence, and scholarship recipients will be anonymous.

Volunteers: Interested in helping with the conference? A limited number of SCWW members can attend half of the conference sessions (beginning with the Friday Intensive Workshops) and work for half of the conference. There will be no registration fee, and all meals are provided beginning with breakfast on Friday. However, volunteers are responsible for their own transportation, hotel accommodations, and out-of-pocket expenses. All volunteers must arrive at The Hilton by Thursday at 7:00 pm to attend a pre-conference meeting. Contact Sandra Johnson, volunteer coordinator, at sjohnson10079@sc.rr.com, or mail your request to:

Conference Volunteers
PO Box 7104
Columbia SC 29202

Last month I went over the survey results that dealt with why folks who didn't attend the 2006 conference didn't come, and what we were doing this year to address their actionable concerns. Because we gave a separate survey to folks who came to the conference, we addressed only two questions exclusively to the group of 80 respondents who were there.

One was, "Would you come back?" Most folks said they would provided they had time and we offered fresh faculty and courses. The other question we addressed only to the 15 people who said they wouldn't be back. We like to make everybody happy when we can, so we asked how we could change their minds, and we looked at every single comment and took each to heart. I don't want to minimize anyone's concerns or constructive criticism, but the big picture emerges, I think, when you look at the next series of questions, which was posed to the entire group.

We wanted to get an idea of what the "dream conference" of the majority of our membership looked like.

In Question #24, we asked you to rank 18 things that we thought were important, to see which ones were most important to our membership. Here are the responses, in order of importance, with the most important things first:

1. Opportunities to interact with faculty
2. Well-known agents on faculty
3. Well-known authors on faculty
4. Location
5. Major publishing houses represented
6. Small presses represented
7. Well-known editors on faculty
8. Networking with other authors
9. Courses for advanced writers
10. Critiques available
11. Conference Fees
12. Academic Faculty (Trained Writing Instructors)
13. Room Rates
14. Courses for professional writers
15. Agents AAR Members
16. Opportunities to socialize with old friends
17. Contest offered
18. Courses for beginning writers

The one conclusion that we did not draw was that any of those 18 things were unimportant. I think they're all important. The margins between some of the items above were very slim. And, there are likely things we didn't think to put on the list that are important to some of you.

But we had to make choices about which things were the most important in order to get direction for future conferences, and this exercise was helpful. Clearly, most of our membership wants top-notch faculty with lots of opportunities to interact with them.

Question #25 was, "Given that the conference will be held in South Carolina, do you have a location preference within the state?" Here are the responses:

I confess that I was one of those longing for Charleston, but, as I mentioned a few months ago, a move to Charleston would likely make the room cost a strain for a significant portion of our membership. Besides, since Myrtle Beach was the #1 choice, tied with "Location doesn't matter," and another 17 chose "anywhere as long as it's on the beach," keeping the conference in Myrtle Beach was a no-brainer.

More on your dream conference next month...

Take care,

Susan

Carl Moore's "Fragile" has been published by Ray's Road Review Literary Journal at www.rrrliteraryjournal.com. Carl wrote the short story at the Hub City Writer's Conference at Wofford College last August after the faculty provided a brief outline- write five scenes: wife in living room; husband comes home; husband in bedroom; wife in kitchen; both back in living room.

Following on the heels of that success is an acceptance from One Page Stories to publish "Where Something Might Happen." Carl began work on this essay while attending the Sandhills Writers Conference in February at Augusta. He says, "I reckon I need to go to more conferences." He is working on his MFA at Queen's University in Charlotte.

Bonnie Stanard's poem "Girl, Headlights On" was accepted for publication in Eclipse 2008. RiverSedge has accepted two of her short stories.

Members of our chapter are fully represented in the Spring 2007 Issue of moonShine review (Volume 3, Issue 1.) The issue includes: "Caverns of the Mind" by Bob Strother, "The Road Ahead" by John Migacz, and "Flying Jenny" by Bob Strother

moonShine review publishes short fiction, flash fiction, and creative non-fiction. They publish work from anywhere, but preference is given to artists from Charlotte, NC, and the Southeast. Their goal is to bring about understanding through art and writing by providing a venue for unique voices. They are interested in work that conveys an honest and individual perspective.

moonShine review sells for just $6 (plus $1.50 shipping.) To purchase a copy, make checks payable to THRIFT Press and mail to: THRIFT Press, Book Orders, PO Box 5424, Charlotte, NC 28299 or go to www.thriftpoeticarts.com.

Bob Strother's short story, "Bobby and Me and Five-Cent Cigars" has been accepted for July publication by the literary magazine Pointed Circle, published by Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon.

Volume 4 of the national literary journal, Buffalo Carp, including Kevin Coyle's story, "Puck Magnet," is now available for sale. The journal is published by QUAD CITY ARTS, (www.quadcityarts.com/literary.asp) "a regional arts agency serving counties in Illinois and Iowa."

Part two of Kevin Coyle's "Boys of Summer" is now on-line in RAGAD: A Literary Journal (at www.ragadzine.com/currentissue1.htm.) RAGAD publishes "short fiction of 2500 words or less from new writers and established names, as well as anyone in between."

Poetry circle member Sally Arango Renata's poem "Blas Rivas wanted to die on Socialist soil" achieved an honorable mention in the recent Inter-Board Poetry Competition (IBPC) as a submittal from SCWW.

Prose circle member Jan Pender's essay "Without a Scratch" was selected for the May 7 Writer's Reading at Coastal Carolina University's Waccamaw Higher Education Center in Litchfield Beach.

The editors of two rural magazines that specialize in Southern history and humor, Yesterday's Memories and TomBigbee Country Magazine, read Betty Beamguard's funny story, "Up From the Grave," in the Oxford So & So this month and asked permission to use it in their publications. Betty's humorous story "One Two Many," along with the work of Bob Strother and John Migacz, is available in the current issue of Moonshine Review. And her previously-announced feature, "Fine Tune Your Fiction," which uses excerpts from Marcia Preston's The Butterfly House, is scheduled for the July issue of The Writer.

open to all SCWW members and open to the public but space is limited - for 35 attendees, so registration is required... registration deadline is June 1

to register or for more information contact

Kim Blum-Hyclak 803-289-6491 rhyclak@comporium.net or

Luis Rodriguez l_rodriguezx3@yahoo.com

The South Carolina Arts Commission Literary Arts Bulletin, a twice-monthly e-publication, is designed to provide a coordinated, comprehensive listing of literary events across the state. Each issue provides a list of the next four weeks of literary activities on our calendar, along with a few highlights of other upcoming events. To subscribe, please email twallace@arts.state.sc.us with "Subscribe" in the subject line.

June 1

The Moveable Feast Literary Luncheon: Nicole Seitz
Friday, June 1, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Blowfish Restaurant, 13089 Ocean Hwy 17, Suite E, Pawleys Island
$25 tickets
Info and reservations: 843-235-9600 or www.classatpawleys.com

Piccolo Spoleto: Sundown Poetry Series
Cathy Smith-Bowers
Friday, June 1, 6:30 p.m.
Dock Street Theatre Courtyard, 133 Church Street, Charleston
Info: www.piccolospoleto.com

June 2

Poetry Workshop - Making Tension Work For You
Taught by Cathy Smith Bowers
Sponsored by the Poetry Society of SC
Saturday, June 2, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
DeBordieu Colony Beach Club, Georgetown
$40 for Poetry Society members; $50 for all others
Lunch provided
Registration by May 20th; space limited
For information and registration, contact Dennis Ward Stiles at 843-452-0798

June 3

Slam Scrimmage: Teams of Poets Battle
Sunday, June 3, 7:30 p.m.
Coffee Underground, Coffee Street, Greenville
$5
Info: www.witsendpoetry.com

June 4

Piccolo Spoleto: Sundown Poetry Series
Michael Lythgoe
Monday, June 4, 6:30 p.m.
Dock Street Theatre Courtyard, 133 Church Street, Charleston
Info: www.piccolospoleto.com

June 5

Piccolo Spoleto: Sundown Poetry Series
Boo Sheppard
Tuesday, June 5, 6:30 p.m.
Dock Street Theatre Courtyard, 133 Church Street, Charleston
Info: www.piccolospoleto.com

June 6

Adult Summer Reading Program at Florence County Public Library
Storyteller Bil Lepp
Wednesday, June 6, 7:00 p.m.
Registration begins May 14, 2007
Florence County Public Library, 509 S. Dargan Street, Florence
Info: www.florencelibrary.org or 843-413-7074

Piccolo Spoleto: Sundown Poetry Series
Marcus Amaker
Wednesday, June 6, 6:30 p.m.
Dock Street Theatre Courtyard, 133 Church Street, Charleston
Info: www.piccolospoleto.com

Patti Callahan Henry signs her new book "Between the Tides"
Wednesday, June 6, 7:00 p.m.
The Happy Bookseller, 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia
Info: www.happybookseller.com

June 7

Piccolo Spoleto: Sundown Poetry Series
Dan Albergotti
Thursday, June 7, 6:30 p.m.
Dock Street Theatre Courtyard, 133 Church Street, Charleston
Info: www.piccolospoleto.com

Charles Ridgeway signs his book "Spinning Disney's World"
Thursday, June 7, 5:00 p.m.
The Happy Bookseller, 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia
Info: www.happybookseller.com

June 7-10

Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam
Thursday, June 7 - Sunday, June 10
Various venues. Columbia
Info: www.southernfriedcolumbia.com; info@southernfriedcolumbia.com

June 8

The Moveable Feast Literary Luncheon: Patti Callahan Henry
Friday, June 8, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
DeBordieu Colony Clubhouse, Georgetown
$25 tickets
Info and reservations: 843-235-9600 or www.classatpawleys.com

Patti Callahan Henry signs at Litchfield Books
Friday, June 8, 2:00 p.m.
Litchfield Books, 11427 Ocean Highway Unit G, Pawleys Island
Info: www.litchfieldbooks.com

Piccolo Spoleto: Sundown Poetry Series
Patricia Gray
Friday, June 8, 6:30 p.m.
Dock Street Theatre Courtyard, 133 Church Street, Charleston
Info: www.piccolospoleto.com

June 9

Charleston Poetry Walk, Piccolo Spoleto Festival
Saturday, June 9, 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
Departs from Trott's Cottage
83 Cumberland Street
Tickets: $10 adults, $5 seniors & students
www.piccolospoleto.com

Karen Dove Barr signs her book "Running Through Menopause"
Saturday, June 9, 12:00 p.m.
The Happy Bookseller, 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia
Info: www.happybookseller.com

June 11-16

Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment, International Conference
Monday, June 11 - Saturday, June 16
Wofford College, Spartanburg
Registration closed
Info: http://www.woffordcollege.org/asle/

June 13

Ashley V. Rumph-Geddis signs her book "Tori Finds Shapes All Around"
Wednesday, June 13, 5:00 p.m.
The Happy Bookseller, 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia
Info: www.happybookseller.com

June 14

Shaun Seliy will read from her novel "When We Get There"
Thursday, June 14, 6:00 p.m.
The Open Book, 110 South Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville
Free and open to the public
Info: www.emrys.org/calendar/

June 15

The Moveable Feast Literary Luncheon: Elizabeth Huntsinger Wolf
Friday, June 15, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Litchfield Country Club, Litchfield
$25 tickets
Info and reservations: 843-235-9600 or www.classatpawleys.com

Pure Poetry: Luncheon and Poetry
Featuring: Marjory Wentworth, Linda Annas Ferguson, Dennis Ward Stiles, Susan Meyers, Karen M. Peluso, Patricia Bee, and Janet Carr Hull
Sponsored by Beaufort County Library and Bay Street Trading Company
Friday, June 15, 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Beaufort County Library, Beaufort
Ticketed event
For info or tickets: 843-524-2000

Will Allison signs his novel "What You Have Left"
Friday, June 15, 5:00 p.m.
The Happy Bookseller, 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia
Info: www.happybookseller.com

June 16

Mighty Moo Celebration Book Sale (Annual Book Sale)
Saturday, June 16, 10:00 a.m.
Cowpens Library, 181 School Street, Cowpens
Info: cwp@infodepot.org or 864-463-0430

Friends of Charleston County Library Book Sale
Saturday, June 16, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Main Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston
Info: 843-805-6930

June 17

Coffee and Poetry: Poems in Praise of Fathers
Sunday, June 17, 7:30 p.m.
Coffee Underground, Coffee Street, Greenville
$5
Info: www.witsendpoetry.com

June 20

Walter Cisco signs his book "War Crimes Against Southern Civilians"
Wednesday, June 20, 5:00 p.m.
The Happy Bookseller, 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia
Info: www.happybookseller.com

June 22

The Moveable Feast Literary Luncheon: Roger Pinckney
Friday, June 22, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
DeBordieu Colony Clubhouse, Georgetown
$25 tickets
Info and reservations: 843-235-9600 or www.classatpawleys.com

Friday Family Series: Ken Waldman, "Alaska's Fiddling Poet"
Friday, June 22, 7:00 p.m.
Greenville County Public Library, Hughes Main Branch, 25 Heritage Green Place, Greenville
Info: www.greevillelibrary.org

June 25 -28

For the Love of Art: Movement, Poetry, and Art
Summer Camp for Children ages 6-10 and 11-15
Monday, June 25 - Thursday, June 28, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Columbia Museum of Art, corners of Main and Hampton streets
$50 per child
Info and registration: 777-5492, cmspeare@gwm.sc.edu

June 28

Author B.J. Welborn Presents on "Traveling Literary America"
Sponsored by the SC Center for the Book and The Humanities Council SC
Thursday, June 28, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
South Carolina Center for the Book at the South Carolina State Library, 1430 Senate Street, Columbia
Free and open to the public, **bring a bag lunch, if desired
Info: 803-771-2477

Celebrate the Arts Writing Workshop-Writing From the Heart
Dot Jackson, Instructor
Thursday, June 28, 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Pickens County Museum of Art and History, 307 Johnson Street, Pickens
$5.00
Info and registration: 864-898-5963

Celebrate the Arts Writing Workshop-Writing Poetry
Tom Johnson, Instructor
Thursday, June 28, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Pickens County Museum of Art and History, 307 Johnson Street, Pickens
$5.00
Info and registration: 864-898-5963

Celebrate the Arts Writing Workshop-Write to Record and Express
Tom Johnson and Dot Jackson, Instructors
Thursday, June 28, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Pickens County Museum of Art and History, 307 Johnson Street, Pickens
$5.00
Info and registration: 864-898-5963

June 29

The Moveable Feast Literary Luncheon: Bubber Jenkinson
Friday, June 29, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Inlet Affairs, 4024 Highway 17 Business, Murrells Inlet
$25 tickets
Info and reservations: 843-235-9600 or www.classatpawleys.com

NOTABLE UPCOMING EVENTS AND DEADLINES:

August 3-5

Writing In Place Conference
Hosted by Hub City Writers Project at Wofford College
Friday, August 3 - Sunday, August 5
Wofford College
Information and registration: www.hubcity.org, 864-577-9349

August 25

Conference for Children's Writers and Illustrators
Sponsored by the Emrys Foundation and the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Saturday, August 25, 9:30 a.m. * 4:00 p.m.
Gunter Theatre at the Peace Center for the Performing arts, downtown Greenville
Fee: $100 - $150 (based on affiliations and registration date)
Information: Katy Smith, 864-467-1147

September 17 - October 3

Caught in the Creative Act, Fall Session
Featuring: Robert Olen Butler, Edmund White, and Shauna Singh Baldwin
Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Registration required
Info and registration: www.cas.sc.edu/cica

October 1

Deadline for South Carolina Arts Commission Prose and Poetry Artist Fellowships
Monday, October 1
Guidelines and information available at www.SouthCarolinaArts.com

October 26-28

South Carolina Writers Workshop 17th Annual Writers Conference
Featuring Keynote speakers Mary Alice Monroe and McNair Wilson
Friday, October 26 - Sunday, October 28
Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach
Information and registration: www.myscww.org or conference@myscww.org or 864-370-9262

March 17 - April 9, 2008

Caught in the Creative Act, Spring Session
Featuring: Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Balakian, Francine du Plessix Gray, and Salman Rushdie
Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Registration required
Info and registration: www.cas.sc.edu/cica

SOUTH CAROLINA TEACHERS OF ENGLISH SEEK
SC WRITERS TO PRESENT AT CONFERENCE:
South Carolina Council of Teachers of English is planning for their 2008 conference on January 24-26 at Kiawah Island. The theme of the conference is "Celebrating South Carolina Writers," and they hope to involve a wide variety of Palmetto State writers to share their works and expertise with teachers from across the state. Writers who are interested in attending or presenting may contact Vice President Nancy Swanson for more information: swansonv@pickens.k12.sc.us. Free lodging and meals and a small honoraria are offered as compensation to participating writers.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
GRANT OPPORTUNITY: THE BIG READ:
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The purpose of The Big Read is to encourage literary reading. Big Read grants, ranging from $2,500 - $20,000, are available to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive a grant, financial support to attend a national orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for broad distribution, Organizer's Guide for developing and managing Big Read activities, inclusion of your organization and activities on The Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative. Approximately 200 organizations of varying sizes across the country will be selected in this cycle to participate in The Big Read from January - June 2008. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2007. Go to www.NEABigRead.org to download the Request for Proposals. Questions? Call Arts Midwest at 612.341.0755 or e-mail TheBigRead@artsmidwest.org.

HUB CITY NAMES WRITER IN RESIDENCE:
The Hub City Writers Project is pleased to announce that Rachel Harkai of Ann Arbor, Michigan, will be the 2007-2008 writer in residence. She will come to Spartanburg on June 1 as part of the HUB-BUB Artists-in-Residence Program where she will "live free and create" for 11 months in our downtown building with three visual artists. Rachel, 22, is a winner of an unprecedented four Hopwood Awards from the University of Michigan, two in poetry and two in non-fiction. The Hopwood is one of the premier creative writing prizes in America and past winners include Arthur Miller and Frank O'Hara.

SOUTHERN FRIED: SOUTHEAST REGIONAL POETRY SLAM IN COLUMBIA:
From June 7 - 10, 2007, poets from cities and venues throughout the Southeast and beyond will unite in Columbia to compete for the title of Southern Fried Slam Champion. The three-day festival will include workshops, competition, and celebration--all in the name of poetry. The events will be at multiple venues throughout Columbia. For more information or to volunteer, please see the Web site at www.southernfriedcolumbia.com.

Ron Hunter's (Gwen's husband) publishing company Bella Rosa Books, has won a national Agatha Award at the Mystery Writers of America ceremony. The book, Don't Murder Your Mystery, by Chris Reorden, won Best Non-fiction. Chris was one of last year's SCWW Conference faculty members, and Gwen is on this year's faculty.

Bella Rosa Books Publishing has really taken off over the last couple of years. Check them out at www.bellarosabooks.com

We've added a section to the website that attempts to address conference questions that come up. Actually, we started with some that we thought might come up, and are adding to it as questions come in via phone or email.

Here's one that someone asked recently. We'll add it to the list, but in case anyone else was wondering...

"How do we renew our family membership when my wife and I register for the conference?"

Since you'll each need to go through the registration process separately, either online or by mail, this can be confusing. It has to be done separately because you'll each need to select your first, second and third choice faculty members for a critique, meals and workshops.

The registration form has changed this year. At the top, you'll check one of the following categories:

The online system and the folks at Planning the Globe (the organization managing our conference registration this year) have lists of members, volunteers and scholarship recipients for verification of each category.

The family member who registers first should check the "renewing member" box, then further down the form, check "family renewal." The discounted family renewal rate will be added into your total.

The other family member(s) should simply check the "dues current member" box at the top, and not include a renewal fee. We have all family memberships noted in our database, and will mark you both as paid.

In the event that one of you is a renewing member, but the other family member is joining the organization--you are in effect converting to a family membership as you renew--you'll need to renew as a family prior to registering for the conference if you plan to register online. The system will have no way to recognize a name not currently on the roster as a member. The family renewal can be done online*, and you should be able to both register for the conference the following day.

If you want to renew and register by mail, simply fill out both registration forms as outlined above (one of you checks "renewing member" and "family membership," the other checks "dues current member,") and mail them together.

If you've never renewed online before, it's easy!

1. Go to www.myscww.org

2. Click on the "Join Us!" link on the left hand side of the page.

3. Scroll down until you see "Family Membership" (or individual, if applicable)

4. Click "Add to cart"

5. Click "Proceed to Checkout"

6. You'll be redirected to a PayPal web page, but you will have the option of paying with your personal PayPal account, or with a credit or debit card.

7. Fill in your payment info and follow the directions.

8. Make sure to enter both/all family member names in the "Message to seller" field on the final check out screen.

As with any conference related issue, if you need assistance, please email conference@myscww.org or call (864) 370-9262.

"Here, let me help you." Taking a seat on the arm if my chair, Thaleia plucked my left hand from the keyboard and meshed her fingers with mine.

"Whoa! What's this?" I said. "Isn't there something in the Muse Mingling with Mortals manual about 'No physical contact?'"

"Hush! This isn't intimacy, it's a demonstration." Her thumb became the opponent to my opposable digit, boxing it all around. "Get it yet?"

Like a trap, my spacebar tapper came alive and pinned her thumb. "First round goes to me!"

She pulled her hand from mine. "If you can't understand thumb twiddling, what use is it?"

The color fled from her. Not just the bloom of her effervescent everlasting youth, but the flush of her freckles and the flame of her hair. In shades of gray she mirrored an iconic queen of 1950's black & white TV. "Thaleia! What's happened to you?"

The sound of her name brought a flicker of light to her hazel eyes. "The question is, what's happened to you. I feel I don't know you anymore, or you me."

"Well, for starters, I've notched another ride on the planet around Old Sol. Things like that cause one to reflect. And look at the state the world is in! It's a wonder we're still here at all."

Thaleia sat in the desk chair opposite my rocker. Like a chameleon, her skin tone seemed to warm to match the tan leather. "So, doesn't a world like this need more than ever a good dose of comic relief?"

"For sure!" I affirmed. "Even Shakespeare couldn't serve up his tragedies without the spice of jest. But there must a skeleton and substance to hang those glad rags on."

"So you've resolved to become an armchair philosopher?" Her hair soaked up red like a cafe napkin on a ketchup spill.

"I guess that's it. I find myself wanting to take my seat at the city gate with the other elders, meting out morsels of wisdom with the hope of steering society away from the rocks of self-indulgence toward benevolence and the greater...."

"Yeah, yeah. Been there, heard that." She flicked her hand in dismissive gesture. "Know what they were really hanging around for? A glimpse of the young wenches coming to the city well. Then those guys would all twitter like old ladies at the beauty shop, snickering and elbowing each other, playing Sir Toby Belch to dull Sir Andrew Augecheek, 'Accost! Accost!'"

"The Bard rocks! If you can pardon the pun, he himself might have been pleased by it."

"His mind is familiar enough to me to believe he would. And I'm glad to see that I still have some entrée into yours." She winked. "Tell your inner child to meet me at the wellspring of imagination. And don't forget to take notes."