Saturday February 4, 2023 is Opening Night of Lost in Translation: A Game of Telephone at the San Diego Central Library. Beginning at 6 p.m., the results of a yearlong game of telephone between 27 local artists and authors will be revealed! Come by and be the first to see the fascinating, touching, and humorous works of (mis)interpretation!

Inspired in part by the current state of communication breakdown in our country, this exhibition examines the many ways we (mis)interpret or (mis)understand each other through a game of telephone with local artists and authors. The fascinating, touching and humorous interpretations that occur as words are rendered into images and back to words highlights how perception evolves. In a time when social media is rife with frustration and defensiveness, this project asks the participants to set aside judgement and respond to another's world view with compassion, curiosity and/or a sense of humor. Local curator Chi Essary teamed up with Julia Dixon Evans, writer and KPBS/Arts Producer to select and match local artists and authors to play a game of telephone over the last year. The exhibition reveals how these layers of interpretation end up wildly different or surprisingly similar to the beginning, analogous to the challenges we face as human beings to relate to one another.

Featuring works by Alanna Airitam, Wick Alexander, Animal Cracker Conspiracy, MR Barnadas, Phil Beaumont, Ryan Bradford, Carlos Castro Arias, Patrick Coleman, Marisa Crane, Hugo Crosthwaite, De la Torre Brothers, Sheena Rae Dowling, Julia Dixon Evans, Corey Lynn Fayman, Max Feye, Charles Glaubitz, Lily Hoang, Ari Honarvar, Marianella de la Hoz, Lizz Huerta, Beliz Iristay, Lindy Ivey, Kirsten Imani Kasai, Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, John Purlia, Guro Silva, Jackie Dunn Smith, Miki Vale, and Perry Vasquez.

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 4, 2023  6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Reception sponsored by the Friends of the Central Library 

Exhibition Dates: February 4, 2023 – April 15, 2023
 

Central Library Art Gallery | 330 Park Blvd. | San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-238-6690

STAY CONNECTED @sdpubliclibrary #SDPLGALLERY
Gallery Hours:
M-Tu: 1-7pm
W-Sa: 12-5pm
Closed Sunday 

For more info, visit:
https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/lost-translation-game-telephone

An invitation from Guild member Penn Wallace

Penn has had to reschedule his book launch party from January 28 to February 25 from 1 to 3 pm at the OB Java coffee shop in Ocean Beach at 5047 Newport Ave San Diego, CA. If you’re in San Diego Penn would love to meet you. Please RSVP with him ahead of time so he can let the caterer know how many people to expect.

About the novel

Cybersecurity expert Ted Higuera learns that his Uncle Gino, who went MIA in Vietnam in 1969, may still be alive. Rumors of an American being held in a secret POW camp reach Ted’s ears. He gathers the team, gets high-tech help from Millennial Systems, and they head to Vietnam to search for his uncle.

In Vietnam, the Ted is interrogated, Chris is arrested, and the group is followed by the secret police. Ted gets caught up in the Cartels’ drug war once more. They search the jungles for the POW camp.

In the end, Ted must confront Vietnam’s head of security and number one drug lord, Colonel Bao. He must make an impossible decision and do something he’s never done before.

A burger and a brew with the reading

The OB Brewery is kind enough to provide this space for us. The coffee bar will be open, and Penn implores you to buy a burger and brew as a thank you for their generosity.

The reading will begin at 2 pm and Penn will be available for questions and book signing after the reading.

Please RSVP at penn@pennwallace.com or text me at (425) 775-9273. Penn needs an idea of how many people are coming.

The January issue of our newsletter, The Writer’s Life, included information about the Guild’s participation in the President’s Volunteer Service Award program. If you haven’t already read about it, check it out here:

https://sdweg.org/blog/13043606

One reason the Board of Directors agreed to participate in the PVSA program is we recognize that the Board needs assistance from members to maintain the member benefits the Guild offers. For example, without members to serve as reviewers, the Guild could not maintain the Manuscript Review Program. Similarly, member to staff tables at festivals, the Guild cannot represent you, our members.

Over the course of the past few years, it has become clear that the ten members elected to serve as the Board of Directors need assistance with projects and ongoing tasks to avoid burning out. These needs will be the topic of discussion during the half hour from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. ahead of the Monday, January 23, membership meeting. (Note that January has five Mondays this month. Our meeting is on the fourth, not the last, Monday of the month.)

Sometimes we come across a discrete task that we'd like a volunteer or two to tackle. For example, we'd like to invite a member or two with an interest in history to go through old newsletters and meeting minutes to write up one or more articles about the history of the Guild.

Other needs are ongoing, though not in themselves time consuming. For example, whenever we hold a membership meeting, we need to download the recording, edit it to eliminate any dead time at the beginning, and then upload the edited version to YouTube. Once that is done, we need to delete the Zoom recording so we don't exceed the available storage space Zoom provides. Current or former Board members are available to provide training for this task. Tasks related to hosting Zoom meetings, launching the evaluation poll at the end of the meetings, and downloading, editing, and uploading videos to YouTube have been added to the SDWEG Member Volunteer Opportunities Worksheet and are waiting for someone to step up to take on these tasks. If you sign up for one of the slots on this worksheet, please send a message to president@sdwritersguild.org to be sure the Board knows to reach back to you.

A final reason for implementing PVSA is that we know the Guild will need more volunteer support from members to implement new member benefits planned for 2023.

Watch for information in the newsletter, blog posts, and Friday roundups about the Guild’s plan to implement a mentoring program. This program will need member volunteers with specific skills and experience.

On January 27, 7 to 9 p.m., the San Diego Public Library is proud to sponsor the 2022 Showcase, featuring published works by San Diego's most talented authors. The event is live and in-person! The Library will be featuring a stunning collection of display cabinets filled with locally authored books from several different genres. The display will be available for public browsing for the entire month of February, afterwards the books will be prepared to circulate for one year. Books will also be featured in an online exhibit. Please visit the Local Author website for more information and to view previous online exhibits.

Multi-award winning local author T. Greenwood will be delivering a keynote speech. The evening will feature local jazz musicians, Ria & Aaron, light refreshments, a limited open mike event* and a few more surprises.

Registration is highly suggested for authors and their guests.

For more information and to register for the event, select this link: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/57th-local-author-showcase-reception-registration.

The 37^th Annual SCWC is set for Presidents’ Day Weekend and what a weekend it will be with workshops, panels, speakers, a novel boot camp tract, late night read and critiques, and so much more. Join the whole lively community of writers, best-selling authors, agents and editors.

February 17-19 at Marriott Mission Valley in San Diego

https://writersconference.com/sd/

Discounted pre-registration now open.

Wild Atlantic Writers is just one of many writers groups offering conferences, retreats, and contests that ask the Guild to publicize their programs. And since it's entirely possible that one of our members may win, we're happy to let you know about this opportunity.

As with all Wild Atlantic Writers competitions, there will be two separate categories - flash fiction and creative nonfiction, which can include travel, memoir, journalism or an essay.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, March 31, 2023.

As you write your story, remember to keep in mind these important guidelines:

• the maximum length of your story should be 500 words, not including the title (please be mindful of this requirement, even one word over the limit can disqualify your entry);

• judges should be left in no doubt that the core theme in your story is linked to ‘hope;’

• you can only use the word ‘hope’ once - either in the body of your story or in your story title;

• multiple entries accepted.

PRIZE

The winner for each of the two categories will receive 500 euro in cash, or a voucher worth 1,000 euro redeemable towards any one of their retreats of your choice this year. [SDWEG note: The retreats are in Europe.]

And more.

With the writer’s permission, the top ten stories in each category will be published on the ‘Ireland Writing Retreat’ website, with a short bio and photograph of the writer. Writers retain all copyrights to their work.

See full details about WAWA Hope competition HERE.

SDWEG member KC Grifant is thrilled to share the release of her debut supernatural Western novel, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Feb 2023, Brigids Gate Press). Kindle pre-order now available! Book releases on February 3, 2023.

KC Grifant will be reading from her novel at the Strong Women, Strange Worlds First Friday Quick Reads on February 3 at noon ET. Registration is free. Visit  https://strongwomenstrangeworlds.weebly.com to register.

When monsters roam the Old West, there is one gunslinging couple who can tilt the odds in favor of humanity. Stoic sharpshooter Melinda and her easygoing partner Lance are expert monster exterminators, but when they accidentally release a demon that steals souls, they find themselves caught in a supernatural war. They must battle a menagerie of monsters and hunt a notorious outlaw to save their friends and stop hell on Earth. Supernatural meets Bonnie & Clyde in an epic adventure that the Library Journal calls “wildly entertaining” and a “massive crowd pleaser.”

More info about the book and KC: https://scifiwri.com/publications/melinda-west-monster-gunslinger/

Call for Entries: 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

If you would like to receive greater recognition, monetary prizes, awards and exposure for your books, here is an opportunity not to miss. Enter the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. (For 2025, here's the link: https://www.indiebookawards.com/)

Calling all indie book authors and publishers - including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors who have a book written in English released in 2021, 2022 or 2023 or with a 2021, 2022 or 2023 copyright date to enter the most rewarding book awards program.

Offering 80+ Categories - More than 80 Awards – with over 80 monetary prizes totaling over $10,000 in cash, including $1,500 cash prizes plus trophies for best fiction book and best non-fiction book, $750 cash prizes plus trophies for second best fiction book and non-fiction book and $500 cash prizes plus trophies for third best fiction book and non-fiction book!

Entry deadline for the 2023 awards program – February 10, 2023.

For more information, please visit indiebookawards.com .

(This program is not affiliated with the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild.)

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization. This is certainly true for San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. We are able to provide benefits such as the Manuscript Review Program, the Guilded Pen Anthology, representing  the Guild and our members at Festival events, and much more because of the large number of members who volunteer.

In 2023, the Guild plans to  take part in the President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) program to recognize members who volunteer significant numbers of hours on the Guild's behalf. PVSA was established in 2003 by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize the important role of volunteers in America's strngth and national identity.  

The PVSA has continued under each administration. To participate, organizations that rely on volunteers must become Certifying Organizations to use the program to recognize their most exceptional volunteers.

In December of 2022, the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild became a Certifying Organization for PVSA through demonstrating it meets all the organizational eligibility requirements. SDWEG must recertify each year to ensure those administering the program understand both the organization’s responsibilities and the eligibility requirements of volunteers.

To be eligible to receive PVSA recognition, volunteers must be US citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States, be at least five years old, and complete eligible service within a 12-month period for Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. The number of hours of service required at each of those levels depends upon the age of the individual. The chart below indicates the levels for each annual level.

Hours Required to Earn Awards in Each Age Group:
Age Group	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Kids (5-10 years old)	26-49 hours	50-74 hours	75+ hours
Teens (11-15)	40-74 hours	75-99 hours	100+ hours
Young Adults (16-25)	100-174 hours	175-249 hours	250+ hours
Adults (26+)	100-249 hours	250-499 hours	500+ hours

Certifying organizations may choose from options to provide recognition to volunteers. The options include an official President’s Volunteer Service Award pin, coin, or medallion; a personalized certificate of achievement and letter signed by the president; or a complete package including both elements of the award. The Guild, like all certifying organizations, must pay for the cost of the awards and not transfer the cost to recipients.

The Guild hopes that implementing the program early in 2023 will permit us to make the first awards to our member volunteers at the end of 2023. The program runs for any 12-month period. For this reason, it’s important for volunteers to keep track of the hours they volunteer in any capacity for the Guild with the date to confirm the hours were offered within twelve months.

If you would like to be considered for recognition through the PVSA program in 2023, please send a message to sdweg.pvsa@gmail.com. Until another program administrator is recruited, Sandra Yeaman will monitor this email account and will provide access to a Google Document for each participating member to use to track volunteer hours.

In the first year of the program, we will request quarterly updates of member volunteers’ activities from those who do not choose to use the Google Docs spreadsheet, to determine if refining the program administration is needed.

We look forward to recognizing all our member volunteers since we cannot continue or expand our programming without member volunteer support.

In-person get-together opportunities Continue IN 2024.

Mardie Schroeder is continuing her third-Tuesday-of-the-month lunches this month, February 20, and next, March 19, at 1 p.m. Mardie organizes a place to meet at a central location with plenty of parking for up to ten Guild members. Mardie arranges for us to sit outside, undisturbed by noise and appropriately distanced from other diners. 

If you wish to join Mardie, send a message to mardiewho@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your cell phone number in your response so Mardie can text you the location of the lunch.