Poets meet paleontologists this weekend in Casper

Dee the Mammoth fossil

"Dee and the Mammoth" book

Paleontologists and geologists are in Casper through Sunday for the 17th Annual Tate Conference. It will feature topics ranging from “Asian Elephant Behavior” to “Ice Age Discovery in Snowmass Village.”


Friday presentations include discussions on “Climate Change at the Paleocene-Eocene Boundary,” The Largest Mounted Mammoth in North America, Dee the Mammoth,” “Cats of the Camelot Local Fauna,” and others. Saturday presentations will include talks on ambush predators, the Dire wolf of Rancho La Brea, Pleistocene bear communities, the giant short-faced bear, and Porcupine Cave. The day will end with Keynote speaker Steven R. Holen, curator of archeology for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Holen will speak on the exciting discovery and current excavation project the museum is engaged in at Snowmass Village, Colo., “Ice Age Discovery in Snowmass Village: A Mid-to Early Wisconsin Fossil Locality High in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.” The excavation is the largest-ever excavation the museum has ever been involved in. As of May 24, 2011, museum crews had found more than 100 bones which included two mastodon skulls; two mastodon pelvises; three mammoth tusks; mastodon vertebrae, ribs, wrist and ankle bones, and large bones including the upper arm and forearm; a sloth forearm; bison wrist bone; and deer pelvis. Registration is $40 each for the first and third field trips June 2 and 5, and $150 for the Friday through Saturday portion of the conference, June 3 and 4. To register stop by the Tate Geological Museum on the Casper College campus, or call the museum at 268-2447, 800-442-2963, ext. 2447, email dschaff@caspercollege.edu, or visit www.caspercollege.edu/tate.

Meanwhile, poets and writers are gathering June 3-5 in Casper for sessions like these:

• "The Ghost That Got Into My House" (after the James Thurber story) by Lucia St. Clair Robson
• "Appropriate Appropriating" by poet Chris Fishbach
• Pete McCarthy's sessions on online marketing and social media
• The ever-popular open mic sessions on Friday and Saturday nights
• A closing talk by Tom Empey, actor, director and recently-retired chair of the Casper College theatre department

FMI: http://www.wyowriters.org/Resources/WWINC_ConferenceBrochure2011.pdf

If you are a writer and geologist, you would have a tough time choosing events.

The big question is: Is Casper big enough to accommodate both poets and paleontolgists this weekend?

Tune into this blog Monday to find out.

Get your copy of Pat Frolander's Married Into It this weekend at Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference

Wyomingarts looks forward to getting a signed copy of Patricia Frolander's new book this week in Casper at the Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference. Married Into It is a collection of poetry by Pat. Published by Glendo's High Plains Press, it features a cover illustration by award-winning Wyoming artist Sarah Rodgers. The WWInc conference bookstore is sure to have plenty of copies. If for some strange reason you're not coming to Casper this weekend (for the first time ever, the conference hotel may be accessible by boat!), you can order a signed copy from the author at Patricia Frolander, 19652 US Highway 14, Sundance, WY 82729. It is $12.95 plus $2 S&H. You can also buy copies at www.highplainspress.com or your favorite local bookstore or www.amazon.com.

Here are some review comments:

South Dakota writer Kent Meyers, author of The Work of Wolves:

Patricia Frolander writes of a place and way of life where disaster can be measured in seconds and where the most harrowing loss can emerge from the simplest of mistakes. Frolander understands just how indifferent the world is to human presence, but she makes of that understanding a quiet grandeur. Against indifference, these poems insist on redemptive beauty and the power of relationship. They are unstinting and clear-eyed, poems about the world as-it-is and about how human beings live not in but with it, and with each other, in both endurance and mutual support. 

Laurie Wagner Buyer, Colorado, author of When I Came West:

Vivid, honest, full of the beautiful clarity of hard-won expression, these poems will change the way the world thinks about women in ranching. Beneath the tough conditions and unrelenting work of western ranch life lie unbreakable threads of tenderness and conviction, one that ties working hands to stalwart hearts, and observant minds to the absolute souls of the earth.

John D. Nesbitt, novelist and poet, Torrinton, Wyo., Gather My Horses:

The poems in Married Into It show true Western spirit as they express a love for the land, the animals, and the ranching way of life.  This collection is evocative-rich with details and toned with perfect elegy.

Get more info on the author at the Bear Lodge Writers web site. Congratulations, Pat. See you Friday in Casper. 

Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference just a week away!

Here are all the links you need for information about the annual conference of Wyoming Writers, Inc., in Casper June 3-5:

2011 Wyoming Writers, Inc. Conference

June 3-5 in Casper, Wyoming

Ramada Plaza Riverside.

Presenters:

Author Lucia St. Clair Robson

Poet Chris Fischbach

Peter McCarthy, Vice President of Marketing

at Random House.

Editor Katie Dublinski, Graywolf Press

Agent Peter Steinberg, The Steinberg Agency

Go to the WWInc web site for conference brochure

Mother's Day grand-reopening of Night Heron Books in downtown Laramie

From the Downtown Laramie Facebook site: "It was a beautiful Mother's Day downtown. Perfect for celebrating the grand re-opening of Night Heron Books!"

Early bird registration deadline May 9 for Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference in Casper

2011 Wyoming Writers, Inc. Conference

June 3-5 in Casper, Wyoming

Ramada Plaza Riverside.

Presenters:

Author Lucia St. Clair Robson

Poet Chris Fischbach

Peter McCarthy, Vice President of Marketing

at Random House.

Editor Katie Dublinski, Graywolf Press

Agent Peter Steinberg, The Steinberg Agency

Register here. Early bird registration deadline is May 9!

Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference presenters earning their "Spurs"

News from John Nesbitt, Wyoming Writers, Inc., Board President:

The annual Western Writers of America Spur Award winners have been announced, and it is with pleasure that I pass on a couple of worthy names. Max McCoy, our headliner for last year's conference, once again won the Spur in the Best Mass-Market Paperback Original category, while Lucia St. Clair Robson (in photo at right), this year's headliner, won the Spur in the Best Long Novel category. These are very prestigious awards, and we are fortunate to have such distinguished presenters. Congratulations to Max and Lucia, and onward to another good conference.

FMI: http://www.wyowriters.org

P.S. Just received an e-mail from Shelagh Wisdom with WWInc 37th annual conference brochure attached. This line-up of presenters looks like the best yet, especially if you're interested in getting your book published. Early-bird registration until May 9 is $155 for members. Get more info at WWInc link above.

Welcome to Wyoming, Maggie

We at Wyomingarts get many interesting e-mails and phone calls from intriguing people. We've noticed one trend -- more inquiries from artists, writers and performers moving back to the state from elsewhere or moving here for the first time. One of the latter is Maggie Denton in Star Valley.

She started her free-lance efforts in 2009 by writing for greeting card companies. She and her husband moved to Wyoming last year. She was recently featured in "Names in the News" in The Star Valley Independent after placing 4th in an international essay contest, and has a growing list of publication credits. She lives with her husband and two mischievous cats who wreak havoc in her house on a regular basis -- "the cats, not the husband," she added. Maggie says that she "sometimes writes about the cats, admonishing them that they better make her some money, and start earning their keep."

We hear that the job market in Wyoming is pretty good. Not sure about jobs for felines, but we'll check it out.

Maggie sent us a long list of writing credentials. She writes non-fiction, fiction and poetry.

Wyomingarts invited her to join Wyoming Writers, Inc., and/or WyoPoets and sent her links to their web sites. If any of you fine Star Valley poets and writers want to e-mail a welcome to Maggie, send it to either mshay@state.wy.us or lcoatn@state.wy.us and we'll forward it.

Register now for the Wyoming Writers, Inc., conference June 3-5 in Casper

Don't miss the 2011 Wyoming Writers, Inc., Conference

Ramada Plaza Riverside Hotel and Conference Center along the North Platte River in Casper, June 3–5

Presentations, Workshops, Agent Pitch Sessions, Contest, Open Mic!

Presenters:
Author Lucia St. Clair Robson
Poet Chris Fischbach
Peter McCarthy, Vice President of Marketing at Random House
Editor Katie Dublinski, Graywolf Press
Agent Peter Steinberg, Steinberg Agency

FMI: http://www.wyowriters.org

Conference: bowercorner@juno.com
Contest: phdugan@silverstar.com

Supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Call for entries: Wyoming Writers, Inc., writing contest

Wyoming Writers, Inc., announces contest guidelines:

Hard copy entries much be postmarked by April 9, 2011.

Entry fee:  $10.00 for each entry from members of Wyoming Writers, Inc., $15.00 for non-members,

Member fee for poetry is $10.00 for 3 poems, non-members $15.00 for 3 poems. We encourage non-members to join the organization. Information and membership form are available on www.wyowriters.org. Contest entry forms are also available on the web site, and from flyers in libraries and bookstores, and in the WyoWriters newsletter.  You may photocopy an entry form.

No limit on the number of entries, but there is an entry fee for each manuscript and every 3 poems. Include one check for the total amount. No entry fees will be refunded. 

Eligibility: The contest is open to all writers. All works must be the unpublished and the original work of the   submitter. All works must be in English. Work accepted or under consideration for publication elsewhere, or entered in another contest simultaneously is not eligible. Work that has previously placed or received an honorable mention in a Wyoming Writers, Inc. contest is not eligible. Work may be submitted to other contests or for publication after the contest deadline.

Categories

Adult Fiction: (No horror or erotica) 3000 words maximum

Fiction for Children/Juveniles:  3000 words maximum

Non-fiction:  Personal experiences and Memoirs3000 words maximum

Non-fiction:  Articles and Essays., 3000 words maximum

Traditional Poetry:  28 lines maximum; up to 3 poems per submission.

Free Verse Poetry:  28 lines maximum;  up to 3 poems per submission

Prizes:   First place: $50, Second place: $30,  Third place $20. Each will get a certificate. There will be no Honorable Mentions.  Winners will be notified the latter part of May. Winners will be announced at the WWInc 2011 Conference to be held at the Ramada Plaza Riverside,Casper, WY June 3-5, 2011.

Of horses and writing -- Page Lambert explains it all for you

Our Wyoming Writers, Inc., pal Page Lambert has a great blog. She promotes her many books and workshops, and provides insight into the writing and natural worlds. She is crazy about horses and knows their ins and outs as well as she knows the building blocks of an essay. Her annual "Literature and the Landscape of the Horse" retreat takes place May 28-June 2 at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch between Laramie and Centennial. There are a few spots left, she writes. Find out more at http://www.pagelambert.com/retreat_index.html. Once you've been inspired by Page and her colleague Sheri Griffith, you can travel up to Casper for the Wyoming Writers, Inc., annual conference at the Ramada Plaza Riverside on June 3-5. No horseback riding in the Ramada, but plenty of writing and workshops and open readings and book sales and inspiration. More info at http://www.wyowriters.org/conference.html

Along those lines, here's a film recommendation from Page:

FEATURED DOCUMENTARY

A story about a landless farmer,

a non-conformist, and an escaped office worker...

From award-winning journalist Jared Flesher comes The Farmer and the Horse, "a film that digs into difficult questions about sustainability, self-sufficiency, and why we do the work we do. Flesher's film goes beyond the usual platitudes of smiling organic farmers talking about the good life. Farming is hard work -- especially if you don't use a tractor. The Farmer and the Horse is a film every young farmer should see. So should everyone who cares about land use, the environment, and good food." View Trailer.

Note from Page: This may not be a riveting documentary in regards to narrative, but I think it's an important one if we wish to explore new (old) ways of living that return us to a deeper connection with the earth. Working with animals who live their lives deeply rooted to nature can help us rediscover our roots. In the coming months, I'll be bringing you more features that guide us in this journey. My thanks to the filmmaker, Jared Flesher.

Writer and Pinedale native Kate Meadows sends greetings to Wyoming

A very talented group of Gen Y Wyomingites are finding their way in the world. Many of them are artists and writers and performers, weaned on visiting poets in the schools or Wyoming Shakespeare Company summer performances in the park or stints at the annual High School Arts Symposium. Many of them live in other states or other countries because, well, Wyoming doesn't have jobs for them. Now now, anyway.

Because the Wyoming Arts Council had a hand in some of the nurturing arts events noted above, we get many inquiries about our grants, fellowships and related programs. If you're over 18, and you live in the state, we can assist you. If you are an artist plying your trade in some remote enclave such as San Diego or Cape Cod or London, you can't apply for a WAC fellowship. But we still like to hear from you. We can also promote your work with the hope that one day you shall return to The Equality and/or Cowboy State to live and work. You may not have heard but Wyoming is an up-and-coming arts state. Skeptics may want to read the recently commissioned Wyoming Creative Vitality Index (CVI) on our web site.

So, until you come to your senses and return to your home stomping grounds of Torrington or Meeteetse, you can contact your trusty blog editors with news about your life as an artist. We had one such call today from a young woman who grew up in Pinedale. She had the benefit of growing up attending the myriad events sponsored by one of the oldest arts organizations in the state -- the Pinedale Fine Arts Council.

We'll let Kate Meadows tell her own story:

Kate Meadows is a Pinedale native and nonfiction writer specializing in journalism and personal essays. She was born in Jackson Hole and became the third generation of her family to call Sublette County home. She lived in Pinedale for 18 years, attending the same high school as her father and graduating Salutatorian of her class in 2002. She started her writing career at her two hometown newspapers, The Pinedale Roundup and The Sublette Examiner, where she launched profile sections that regularly featured true local characters. Her work has also appeared in national, regional and specialty publications, including Listen magazine, China Daily newspaper, No Body’s Perfect: Stories by Teens About Body Image, Self-Acceptance, and the Search for Identity and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks, Mom. She earned her MFA in Creative and Professional Writing through Western Connecticut State University in 2010. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and one-year-old son.

Meadows is the author of Tough Love: A Wyoming Childhood, a collection of personal essays that recounts her experience as an only child growing up in rural Wyoming. The essays explore how Meadows was influenced, both by the rugged and remote landscape and by the raw and gnarly characters that call Sublette County home. The collection probes what it means to be tough, especially in the sparse and lonely environment that is the true modern West. She is currently seeking a publisher.

Kate also said that she received her first writing award from Wyoming Writers, Inc., earning first place in the organization's annual statewide writing competition for her children’s poem, “The Winterland Fairy.”

She is obviously a talented writer. If you're a publisher and want to publish Kate's book -- or are an old Sublette County friend and want to say hi -- drop us a line at mshay@state.wy.us or lcoatn@state.wy.us and we'll make sure Kate gets the message.

Two more quilt mysteries by Barbara Graham in the works

Cody mystery author, quilter and Wyoming Writers, Inc., member Barbara Graham was interviewed by Jean Henry Mead for an Oct. 23 story on the mysterious writers blog. Here's a snippet from the interview:

Jean: What are you working on now?

Barbara: The third book in the series, Murder by Music: The Wedding Quilt will release next October and I am working on Murder by Vegetable: The Baby Quilt now. I also am trying to find a home for a suspense novel not connected to the series.

"The Imprint of Alan Swallow" by Laramie's W. Dale Nelson just published by Syracuse University Press

WyoWriter, the newsletter published by Wyoming Writers, Inc., is always filled with info on its members. WWInc member and WAC creative writing fellowship winner W. Dale Nelson has written a new book about the late Wyoming publisher Alan Swallow:

W. Dale Nelson's latest book The Imprint of Alan Swallow: Quality Publishing in the West is now out on the shelves, and proves to be a story in a story.

Published by Syracuse University Press, this project was taken over by Nelson after the tragic death of Colorado writer Thomas M. Auer, who had spent years researching Swallow's life.

The book tells of Swallow's experiences growing up on a homestead outside Powell, and how he became a fan of Little Blue Books, literary classics in prose and verse published in small volumes. Seeds were planted in Swallow's life, and he formed two convictions: he would be a poet and a publisher.

The Imprint of Alan Swallow: Quality Publishing in the West tells the story of how he succeeded at both, struggled with marital, health, and financial problems among others - troubles that brought him to death at the age of fifty-one.

First book in series from Wyoming Writers, Inc., member Reid Rosenthal

Reid's first book, An American Saga/Threads West, is out today and orders are being accepted. Here's the link to the website that's promoting the book: http://www.threadswestamericansaga.com/

From the author's e-mail:

This first tale of the six novel Threads West, An American Saga series has been termed the Gone with the Wind of the West, has received national acclaim and has been compared to Lonesome Dove by readers, reviewers and best-selling authors alike, even before its official release tomorrow. This book will whisk you away to a magic time not so long ago, to lives and passions of strong men and women from uncommon origin drawn to the promise of America and the West.

Congrats, Reid.

Wyoming Writers, Inc., announces full slate of presenters for its 2011 conference in Casper

Laramie's Julianne Couch, board secretary for Wyoming Writers, Inc., sends this finalized list of presenters for the 2011 WWInc conference in Casper June 3-5. Start planning now:

Lucia St. Clair Robson, historical novelist

Chris Fischbach, poet (and poetry editor at Coffee House Press)

Peter McCarthy, VP of marketing for Random House Press

Editor, Katie Dublinsky, Graywolf Press

Agent, Peter Steinberg, Steinberg agency

Sunday morning inspiration -- Tom Empey, recently retired head of the Casper College Theatre Program.


FMI: See the updated website at www.wyowriters.org.