GWG Newsletter
GREENBELT WRITERS GROUP, 15 Crescent Rd., Greenbelt, MD. 20770
February
1997, No. 5
MARY MOIEN REPLACES SUE JORDAN AS CO-CHAIR
by Robert Levine
Founding member Sue Jordan has decided not to renew her year-long term as co-chair of GWG. She will be succeeded by Mary Moien. GWG grew tremedously during Sue's tenure and established itself as a fixture of the Greenbelt community. Over the past year, GWG acquired office space in the Community Center, published its first anthology of members' work, hosted a number of open-mike nights at the New Deal Cafe, and gained several new members. GWG members also attended the Writer's Center of Bethesda's Annual Small Press Fair and Annual Writers' Conference. Despite GWG's expansion, Sue said that she strove to maintain a sense of intimacy within the group. "I tried to reach everybody," she explained, "through notes, or calls, or personal contact. I tried to make everyone feel it was his or her group." Sue's primary writing genre is playwriting, but she also writes poems, essays, articles, and short stories. Her play "A Grave Situation" was performed by the Greenbelt Arts Center and at the Maryland One-Act Play Festival. Her articles have been published in various newsletters and historical publications. Mary hopes, as co-chair, to continue the trend of growth so prevalent under Sue. She would, if feasible, like to invite local accomplished authors to speak to the group about their careers. She would also like to publish another anthology and form closer connections with other local writers' groups. Yet she too puts high value on the personal connections that form the group's core. She views the monthly open readings as the group's most important function because they allow writers to read their work and receive feedback in a friendly, comfortable environment. For her, the group's purpose is "to encourage writers to write, whether for their own pleasure, for family members, or for publication." Mary, like Sue, is a multifaceted writer. She has written articles for the Greenbelt News Review, technical writing on health issues, and personal essays. She is also interested in writing for children. Guillermo Olivos will continue in office as the other co-chair.
GWG NEWS IN BRIEF
Words Alive Readers Theatre
GWG has been invited by the Greenbelt Arts Center to participate in
the GAC's Words Alive Readers Theatre sometime this spring. GWG members
interested in reading should call Sue Jordan at 474-2896.
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GWG Library
The GWG "Library" file is stocked and ready for your use! It is currently housed in the Media Room. Library/file items include brochures from various writers' conferences, workshops and colonies, as well as publications of interest to writers like copies of Writer's Digest. Also included are samples of local literary publications, and information on other local writers' groups. GWG members are free to use the GWG file during GWG Media Room hours (see next page). We need your donations! Writers and aspiring writers can find many sorts of publications useful. Your donations will be noted in the newsletter. Please call Beth Blevins at 345-5879 to inquire about donating. Our thanks to GWG member Mary Wirick this month for donating several kinds of writers' publications including old issues of Writers Digest.
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Volunteer! GWG Jobs That Need to Be Filled
In case you haven't noticed, some people in the GWG have been
responsible
for two or more tasks for many months now. It's time to start giving them
a break. Because we're all busy people, the more GWG members we have who
will volunteer, the smaller we can make the tasks.
HOSPITALITY: Jenifer Kirin, who has been responsible for scheduling GWG
events and setting up refreshments for each meeting since the inception
of the GWG now is also our "web mistress", responsible for
setting
up our Internet home page. (And she printed up our GWG membership cards!)
But because she works full time and attends graduate school, it would be
nice if we could relieve her of some or all of the hospitality task.
Basically
it requires arriving 30-60 minutes before the 7:30 Open Reading and
setting
up chairs and the microphone, putting up directional signs, and putting
on coffee. If you're interested in helping out, please call Jenifer at
552-2616.
NEWSLETTER: A subscription to the GWG Newsletter currently is one of the
benefits of GWG membership, but unless we find more people to help mail
and distribute it and get it to the printers and back, we may have to
discontinue
it. Last year, Beth Blevins was greatly helped by then co-chair Sue
Jordan,
but Sue now has made a commitment to some writing projects and can't help.
Beth will continue to write, edit and desktop-publish the newsletter. She
also is looking for volunteer proof-readers. If we have enough volunteers,
helping out on the newsletter should require no more than two or three
hours, four times a year, if that. Please call Beth Blevins at 345-5879
is interested in helping out.
PUBLICATIONS: Last year, we successfully printed a GWG Anthology. This
year, there is talk of a follow-up publication, possibly an anthology or
something on a smaller scale. However, the people who were involved in
the anthology last year are the same people who have been busy on the GWG
steering committee with other tasks, and many of them are burning out,
not looking forward to working on any other publications. This could be
the most exciting volunteer position in the GWG -- helping to create new
publications. There are many possibilities, if we have enough people to
help out. One other idea might be to issue a series of small chapbooks,
each featuring the works of an individual writer, with that writer helping
pay for the printing costs. If interested in helping out with
publications,
please call Mary Moien at 474-4713 (before 6 p.m.)
CRITIQUE GROUP AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP COORDINATOR: This is a fairly
simple job of just serving as the contact for members who want to start
or have started critique groups on various genres, or who might want to
start spontaneous writing groups, etc. Even if groups are not looking for
more members, it will be helpful for them to "register" with
this person; he or she could start a "waiting list" for each
subject area. If interested in this task, please call Sue Jordan at
474-2896.
PUBLICITY: We need someone to help write press releases and to contact
the media about GWG events, and/or who will coordinate GWG publicity
efforts.
If interested, please call Marsha Barrett at 982-0365.
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1997 GWG READINGS AND MEETINGS
Open readings are held the third Friday of each month at the Greenbelt
Community Center at 7:30 p.m., with reader sign-up beginning at 7:15. The
1997 readings are scheduled for the following dates: Feb. 21; March 21;
April 18; May 16; June 20; July 18; Aug. 15; Sept. 19; Oct. 17; and Nov.
21. In December, rather than hold an open reading, members (and their
families)
are invited to a potluck/holiday party. Steering Committee/Business
Meetings
are held the Sunday before the Friday meeting. The public is invited to
attend any of the open readings. However, those who regularly attend the
open readings and others interested in the future of the GWG are urged
to become members.
MEDIA ROOM/LIBRARY HOURS
All GWG members have access to the Media Room (located on the first
floor in the East Wing of the Community Center) on the following days:
Monday - 9am to 5pm; Wednesday - 6pm to 10pm; Thursday - 9am to 5pm;
Sunday
- 6pm to 10pm. (Critique groups can use the Media Room for their meetings
during these times). If the room is locked during these hours, you may
stop at the CC office to have someone let you in. Your GWG membership card
may be needed to identify yourself as a GWG member.
VISIT US ON THE WEB @
http://www.wam.umd.edu/~kirin/gwg.html
Our web site features general info on the GWG as well as back issues of
this newsletter.
Greenbelt Writers Group
Co-Chairs: Mary Moien and Guillermo Olivos
Planning Coordinator: Dorothy Sucher
Treasurer: Charles Braun
Newsletter/Librarian: Beth Blevins
Publicity: Robert Levine
Telephone Tree Coordinator: Sue Jordan
Webmistress: Jenifer Kirin
If you have an item for the newsletter, please send it to B. Blevins by
email: beblevins@aol.com or by mail (3.5" disk, any format) to: P.O.
Box 221, Greenbelt, MD 20768; or, in a pinch, call her at 345-5879. If
you have general questions about the GWG, please call Mary Moien (474-4713
before 6 p.m.) or Guillermo Olivos (345-0215).
Added to the UMD version of the GWG Homepage April 1, 1997