September Red River Pulpwood Queens Newsletter

September Newsletter

Recap: September Meeting

Thank you to everyone that ventured out to Monjuni's last night for the September Red River Pulpwood Queens meeting! I believe it was a nice respite for all of us.

We discussed the book The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees. In the novel Louisa is a determined, free spirit who refuses to conform to the roles that society has laid out for women during the late 1800s. She is adamant about becoming an independent writer. Queen Connie provided a good bit of insight on the topic of female writing seeing that she is a published writer in her own right. We threw around the idea of "Would Louisa's writing have been different if she had not been writing primarily to sell" . We also discussed why she decided to take measures to conceal her personal life from the public and how this seems to somewhat parallel author Harper Lee's lifestyle.

For October we will be reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Everyone seemed to enjoy our new meeting location, Monjuni's on Louisiana Ave., in which we will gather again on October 14, 2010 at 6:30pm. The Shreveport library has several copies of the October book selection, so start reading ladies!

NOLA STARS Workshop

Shout out to everyone who wants to come--Romance Writers of America's North Louisiana chapter, NOLA STARS, is hosting a writers' boot camp, open to the public, Saturday October 9th from 9:30 to 2:00pm at the Main Bossier Parish Library. Bring a sack lunch. Drinks and desserts provided. Contact Connie Cox for more information.

Jewell Parker Rhodes on the Today Show

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes made an appearance on the Today show this morning, discussing her book Ninth Ward as a part of Al's Book Club for Kids. Jewell has graciously donated a copy of her new book to the Red River Pulpwood Queens. If you would like to read Ninth Ward, please contact me to get your name put on the list.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Reminder: September Meeting!

Red River Pulpwood Queens - September Meeting

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

6:30pm

Monjuni's Italian Cafe

1315 Louisiana Ave.

Shreveport, LA

map

Acadiana Book Festival - Coming in October!

The Writer’s Guild of Acadiana in Lafayette will host the Acadiana Book Festival from 8:00am-5:00pm on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at Cite des Arts (109 Vine St.) in downtown Lafayette.

The festival is free and open to the public!

Dozens of Louisiana authors are scheduled to participate. Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque will speak along with poet Ava Leavell Haymon, plus there will be presentations by mystery authors, novelists, cookbook creators, and children’s book authors. Christee Gabour Atwood, a motivational speaker radio personality, and author will present a one-woman show in connection with her book release In Celebration of Elastic Waistbands.

Authors include: Christa Allan, Tom Aswell, Christee Gabour Atwood, Marcelle Bienvenu, Jim Booksh, Darrell Bourque, Carl Brasseaux, Anne Butler, Morena Johnson Caleb, Henry Cacienne, Chere Dastugue Coen, Barbara Colley, Sheila Herbert Collins, Donald W. Davis, Mark F. DeWitt, Ann B. Dobie, Terri Hoover Dunham, Woody Falgout, Mary Gelham, D.B. Grady, Greg Guirard, Ava Leavell Haymon, Brandon Hebert, Carla Hotsetter, Patrice Melnick, John Morella, Erin Osborne, Rose Anne St. Romain, Carolyn Shelton, Theresa Newport Singleton, Don Stanford, Carey Weeks, and Beverly Vidrine.

LSU Press, ULL Press, and Margaret Media Press will participate as well as several self-published authors, literary organizations, and authors will small presses. (information from Louisiana Book News)

Louisa May Alcott, A Lost Summer Found-September Book Selection

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." - Louisa May Alcott

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott - by Kelly O'Connor McNees

In the bestselling tradition of Loving Frank and March comes a novel for anyone who loves Little Women. Millions of readers have fallen in love with Little Women. But how could Louisa May Alcott-who never had a romance-write so convincingly of love and heart-break without experiencing it herself? Deftly mixing fact and fiction, Kelly O'Connor McNees imagines a love affair that would threaten Louisa's writing career-and inspire the story of Jo and Laurie in Little Women. Stuck in small-town New Hampshire in 1855, Louisa finds herself torn between a love that takes her by surprise and her dream of independence as a writer in Boston. The choice she must make comes with a steep price that she will pay for the rest of her life. (Barnes & Noble)

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott was chosen for Oprah's 2010 Summer reading list!