News & Events

William Kent Kreuger

On Tuesday, June 3 at 1 PM, award winning St. Paul writer William Kent Krueger will talk about shaping a manuscript from start to finish.The Twin Cities National Writers Union chapter is hosting Krueger's talk at the Merriam Park Library (lower level), 1835 Marshall Avenue, St. Paul MN 55104, 651-642-0385.

This spring, for the second year in a row, William Kent Krueger has won a Minnesota Book Award. His newest book, Thunder Bay, a Cork O'Connor mystery, is due out in paperback in June. For more about the author, visit www.williamkentkrueger.com.

Please join us for this FREE event!

National Conference for Media Reform

The National Conference for Media Reform (NCMR) is coming to Minneapolis (June 6-8, 2008) at the Convention Center. The regular cost for registration is $195, but NCMR/Free Press is offering a discounted rate of $95 for bloggers, those with limited income, and early registrants.

There are some scholarships with priority given for low-income individuals, youth and people of color, as well as those willing to volunteer their time in exchange for admission.

Join fellow activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens in calling for real and lasting changes to our nation's media system.

Here is line-up of some of the participants: Dan Rather, Arianna Huffington, Juan Gonzalez, Bill Moyers, Naomi Klein, Lawrence Lessig, Amy Goodman, Van Jones, Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Robert Greenwald, Senator Byron Dorgan, FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, and many more.

Member news & readings

Just in time for Mother’s Day and continuing throughout this month, are readings from Kathryn Kysar’s anthology, riding Shotgun: Women Write about their Mothers. This book is a collection of essays written by women, most from Minnesota, on the topic of their mothers.  The following offer the dates and locations for some of these readings. Introductions will be made by Kathryn Kysar.  

 • Wednesday, May 7, 6 p.m., Anoka-Ramsey Community College
    Readers:  Elizabeth Jarrett Andrews and Susan Steger Welsh
 • Thursday, May 8th 10:30-12:00, Write On Radio KFAI
    Readers: Ka Vang and Morgan Grayce Willow
 • Thursday, May 8, 7:30 p.m., Galleria Barnes and Noble in Edina
    Readers:  Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew, Sheila O’Connor and Faith Sullivan
• Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m., Common Good Books
   Readers:  Shannon Olson, Susan Power and Ka Vang
 • Friday, May 16, 7 p.m., Amazon Books, Minneapolis
   Readers:  Barrie Jean Borich, Susan Power and Morgan Grayce Willow
  • Saturday, May 31, 3 p.m., Highland Park Barnes & Noble, St. Paul 
      Readers:  Heidi Erdrich, Susan Steger Welsh and Sun Yung Shin  
 • Saturday, May 10, Extended program preview and interview with Kathryn Kysar; hosted by Jim Wishner on KTNF radio, AM 950.

Other events

Online Work Opportunities for Freelancers; hosted by the Professional Editors Network (PEN), invites NWU members to join this panel discussion, Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 1 p.m., at the Rondo Outreach Community Library, 461 Dale Street, St. Paul. Panelists Amy Lindgren, Dora O’Malley and Jerry Bullard are experienced freelancers who will explore the pros and cons of working in an online world.  To RSVP, or more information, contact Mary Vitcenda at mev1972@hotmail.com  

Jeremy Iggers, former Star Tribune writer and co-founder of the Twin Cities Media Alliance, offers monthly workshops for anyone interested in media reform. For more information, contact Jeremy. The Media Alliance publishes the Daily Planet and offers free citizen journalism classes and media skills workshops. Visit www.tcplanet.net for more information.

The Freelance Communicators Network meets every month (usually third Friday) at the Old Country Buffet on County Road B2, between Snelling and Fairview near Rosedale. Join them for socializing and business on Friday, May 16, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, contact John Fineberg at 651-699-3333

If you missed it

The April 23 meeting of the NWU Twin Cities Chapter featured a discussion with e.g. Bailey and Shá Cage, who spoke about their literary and performance careers. While the crowd was small, the discussion was in depth. Attendees learned about opportunities available through Bailey and Cage’s organization, Trú Rúts Endeavors. Also, Cage expressed excitement at the prospect of continuing a discussion about issues of survival, including health insurance, travel and work opportunities for artists and writers, along with copyright and contract issues.

Cage and Bailey took turns explaining the range of work they do, including writing, directing, acting, and producing theater and film. They also run an independent record label, Speakeasy Records, and manage a number of performance artists. They expressed a desire to continue dialogue with the NWU and left open the possibility of some sort of joint involvement in a public event in the future. For more information on these artists, log onto www.truruts.com, myspace.com/truruts, myspace .com/shacage, and myspace.com/egbailey.  

NWU–TC Program Schedule

The Twin Cities Chapter of the National Writers Union hosts professional development programs that are free to members and open to the public. Meeting times alternate between afternoons and evenings to better include the participation of more writers.

Collaborative presentations with other groups having similar focuses, such as the Professional Editors Network (PEN), Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) and others, increase our professional network. Informal Networking opportunities to meet and mingle with other writers at cafes, bars or restaurants will be scheduled for the fall.

Check back regularly to see the 2008 program schedule.

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