Surprise Celebration

At the AWG April 20th meeting, the writers surprised Ed and Tresa Konderla with a surprise appreciation party. The members expressed their gratitude and friendship to Ed and Tresa for hosting and opening their doors allowing the AWG to meet in their gallery for the past two years! Thanks Ed and Tresa for everything! We will miss you!!

Ellen Cogswell presented Limericks and Rhyme at April AWG

Ellen Cogswell, professional artist and poet, presented Limericks and Rhyme at the Attoyac Writers’ Guild on Tues., April 20 at the Attoyac River Gallery, located on Shelbyville Street, downtown Center square. Ellen shared her original work through creative limerick writing techniques. Everyone participated with writing their own limericks or completing writing exercises.

Thanks, Miss Ellen, for a fun night of writing and laughing!

East Texas Author, Historian Bob Bowman at March AWG

Bob Bowman, East Texas writer and historian, was guest speaker at the Attoyac Writers’ Guild held Tues., March 16, 2010 at the Attoyac River Gallery, located on Shelbyville Street, Downtown Square, in Center, Texas. Bowman shared his writing background and historical research techniques with the group.

Bowman simply calls himself a collector. He collects forgotten towns, historic murders, East Texas trivia, good ole’ boy expressions and the “bests” of East Texas history. Texas Monthly, in fact, calls Bowman the best collector of Texas bests.

Bowman and his wife Doris have written 44 books about East Texas history and folklore and are working on four more. Their books have won numerous awards at the state and East Texas levels. He also writes a history column for about ninety East Texas newspapers and is the great-great-great grandson of an Alamo defender, Jesse B. Bowman.

Bowman is also a past president of the East Texas Historical Association, and a former member of the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas Sesquicentennial Commission and the Texas Capitol Centennial Commission. Both Bob and Doris have also served as chairs of the Texas Council for the Humanities.

Bowman has also served as chairman of the Lufkin Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Board of Trustees for Angelina College at Lufkin, chairman of the Angelina and Neches River Authority and was a member of Governor Perry’s 2010 reelection committee.

Bowman and Doris own a marketing and public relations company in Lufkin, as well as Best of East Texas Publishing Company. Currently, they are now working on two new books, “Tomahawks at Twilight,” a history of Indian attacks in early East Texas, and “Ghosts of the Pineywoods,” a collection of true ghost stories in East Texas.

Discover more about Bowman at http://bob-bowman.com/.

On behalf of the AWG members, we thank Bob and Doris Bowman for attending the meeting and sharing with the group!

Attoyac Writers’ Guild presents An Invitation to Write Workshop with writer, facilitator Martha Hogan Estes

Center, TX – January 29, 2010 – The Attoyac Writers’ Guild announces An Invitation to Write workshop with Ozarks native Martha Hogan Estes on Tues., Feb. 16, 2010 beginning at 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Library located at 619 Tenaha Street, Center, Texas. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited and advance registration is recommended by Sat., Feb. 13, 2010. Advance registration is $15 per person and regular registration at the door will be $20 per person. For workshop details or registration information, contact Terri Lacher at 936.598.3484 or via email btlacher@sbcglobal.net.

Estes, now in her seventh year of working with writers groups, has a passion for encouraging writers to record memories and stories lest they be forgotten. She stresses utilization of short writing periods, the use of prompts and the support of fellow writers.

Estes is a former managing editor of the University of Arkansas Press, current owner and managing editor of Lost Creek Press (a small press dedicated to the promotion of Ozark writers) and a writer. She holds a BA in English from the University of Arkansas. Her publications include: Whitest Wash: A Collection of Short Fiction by Ozark Women; “Huston Scott’s Letters from California” Flashback: Washington County (AR) Historical Society Journal; “The Striped Overalls” Fayetteville Free Weekly (third place winner for Short Fiction); and “Stories of our Lives” (bi-weekly column) Rogers (AR) Hometown News. She also contributes articles to Shiloh Scrapbook: Shiloh Museum of Ozark History Newsletter.

Estes leads St. John’s (memoir) Writers in Fayetteville, has presented workshops for Fayetteville Public Library’s “Ozark Writers Live!” and co-facilitates the Invitation to Write Project, Occasional Saturday Writing Practice and Life Writing Memoir Series. She, her brother J.B. Hogan, and late husband Kirby L. Estes, founded the Wyman Writers Alliance for the promotion of local writers.

The overall mission of the Attoyac Writers' Guild is to provide a forum of support and information to both aspiring and experienced writers and poets, to create a circle of assistance to those interested with marketing their literary works for publication, and to establish a peer network for writing improvements, discussions and critiques. The Attoyac Writers’ Guild meets every third Tuesday evening September through May. Details for joining or participating in the writers’ guild can be obtained by contacting Program Coordinators, Suzanne Walker, 936.591.1655 or Andi Foster, 936.590.0298, or by visiting the guild’s blog at http://attoyacwritersguild.blogspot.com/.

The Lakes Area Arts League is a non-profit organization established to promote interest and knowledge of all areas of the visual and performing fine arts through education and appreciation while enhancing the culture and tourism of the community and surrounding areas.

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Songwriting Workshop with Internationally Acclaimed Songstress Kasey Lansdale

On Sat., Jan. 30, 2010, local songwriters will be treated to a unique opportunity in Center, Texas at The Songwriting Workshop, which will afford participants the opportunity to have their songs heard and critiqued, and to receive advice from music industry experts. Hosting the event will be internationally acclaimed songstress Kasey Lansdale, who recently signed on as the newest staff writer for Nashville music publishing company, Spoon's Tunes and is making waves in Nashville and abroad.

The workshop will include two sessions, a morning session for beginners and an afternoon session for intermediate writers. Participants can register in advance by mail, phone or online. Because space is limited, advance registration is strongly recommended. Early registration fees are $15 and ends on January 2, 2010. Regular registration is $25 per person and reservations will be accepted through Mon., Jan. 25, 2010.

What: The Songwriting Workshop, presented by the Attoyac Writers Guild
in association with the Lakes Area Arts League and hosted by Kasey Lansdale

When: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Beginners' Session: 9am - noon, Advanced Session: 1 - 4pm

Where: Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Library
619 Tenaha Street
Center TX 75935

Details regarding the songwriting workshop can be obtained by contacting the Attoyac Writers’ Guild at 936.598.9340, via email at foster_andi@hotmail.com or by visiting www.kaseylansdale.com.

The overall mission of the Attoyac Writers' Guild is to provide a forum of support and information to both aspiring and experienced writers and poets, to create a circle of assistance to those interested with marketing their works for publishing, and to establish a peer network for writing improvements, discussions and critiques.

www.kaseylansdale.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Lakes-Area-Arts-League

AWG January 2010 Meeting Reminder

Happy New Year from the AWG!

The AWG will meet on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Attoyac River Gallery on the downtown Center square. The meeting will be a general roundtable discussion and presentation of the in-house writing activity. Members are encouraged to bring their writing projects and poetry to share with the group!

A book signing event was held on Saturday, December 5, 2009 for Terri Lacher at Touch of Heaven. Terri's publication "His Name was Samson" was included in the September 2009 release of Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Dog. Remember to read Terri's weekly column in the Light and Champion ~ way to go, Terri!

February's meeting will be hosted by Terri and will present a writing workshop with Martha Estes from Fayetteville, Arkansas. The meeting will be held Tuesday, February 16 the gallery.