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“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” — Ray Bradbury
CONTENTS OF THE DECEMBER ISSUE
Writers' Night OUT! - Monday, December 16
Writers' Night IN! - Monday, December 23
Our Spectacular 2025 Book Party, Sunday, February 2
Calling All Book Authors
The NWU Delegate Assembly
Reportback: Boston Members Sharing Our Work
All Members Are Invited to ExComm Meetings
Grants Available to Low-Income Writers
Book Authors! Tune-In Wednesdays
Kudos
Upcoming Events
Spread Your News on the Update and Our Website!
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WRITERS' NIGHT OUT
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16 @ 6:00 P.M.
730 TAVERN, CENTRAL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE
The weather outside has turned cold – why don’t you join the National Writers Union next Monday to talk about how much we love the changing seasons? Because we all know it’s better weather to stay inside and write! We can be merry and celebrate the holiday season and the end of the year, and share the triumphs and tribulations of the writing life.
If you are interested, please contact Shannon O’Connor.
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WRITERS' NIGHT IN (ON ZOOM)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 @ 5:30-6:30 P.M.
Now that we're all caught up in the holiday scrum, your Boston Chapter Steering Committee wishes the best to you and yours. Our next Writers' Night In is on the 23rd, which for many of us is a busy time. But if you want to catch your breath and spend an hour hanging out with your writer colleagues and friends, we'd be delighted to see you. Seen a great movie or book you want to share some intel about? Know where to score the best smoked iguana paté for that holiday get-together?
Hope to see you there. RSVP to Charles Coe for the ZOOM link.
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SAVE THE DATE!
OUR EXTRAORDINARY 2025 BOOK PARTY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2025
Mark your calendars now! Our fabulous annual event, honoring members who have published books in 2024, is coming up. We'll hear some øf these members reading from their books, award-winning poet and professor Richard Hoffman will be øur keynote speaker, and there'll be plenty of great food.
If you've published or plan to publish a book in 2024 - including an e-book, a paperback edition, or a book you've edited or contributed to - please see the next block and be sure to send info on your book!
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CALLING ALL BOOK AUTHORS
If you are a member in good standing of the National Writers Union and have had a book published or an editing credit in 2024, you are one of those we will honor at our annual book party on February 2. Please let us know as soon as possible, so we can recognize your achievement in the Update and our website and also invite you to read from your book during the event. (Space and time may be limited.)
Send your information to jkates@worldpath.net.
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THE NATIONAL WRITERS UNION DELEGATE ASSEMBLY
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15-17
By Shannon O'Connor
The Delegate Assembly for the National Writers Union met in November for the first time in person since 2018 to present resolutions, meet each other, and talk about the business of writing and how the Union should work together.
The delegates met to discuss what they wanted to bring back to their chapters on how to organize and fight for writers’ rights. On Saturday, workshops were held about subjects such as generative AI, contract negotiation, solidarity, and working on a handbook to help members run their chapters.
The Resolutions Committee presented the resolutions to be voted on during Sunday’s meeting, and heated debate occurred. The delegates voted on items relating to the business of the union, as well as issues that were presented as resolutions, such as whether the Union should outsource the auditing, and updating the website.
I thought the DA was a fascinating educational experience. It was great to meet other delegates and find out how their chapters operate, learn how we can all work together in the future to build a stronger Union, and make our voices heard about important issues for writers.
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REPORTBACK: BOSTON MEMBERS SHARING OUR WORK
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
by Barbara Beckwith
At our November in-person “share your work” gathering at the Cambridge home of Steering Committee member Charles Coe, a half dozen members enjoyed a light supper (potluck) followed by an opportunity to read aloud (or just listen to) short pieces of their work. Genres ranged from poetry and fiction (sci-fi) to essay and memoir. Some were “in process,” others were ready for publication, and all were "heard" and appreciated (not critiqued) by supportive colleagues. We’ll do it again in 2025!
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ALL MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO EXCOMM MEETINGS
THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH
The National Executive Committee invites us all to attend our union’s Executive Committee meetings, which are held monthly on the third Thursday from 5-6:30 p.m. ET. The ExComm is developing a formal process for members to submit agenda items for consideration at Executive Committee meetings — for now, you can email Recording Secretary Jonathan Rosenblum if you have something you’d like to discuss at an upcoming meeting.
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GRANTS AVAILABLE TO LOW-INCOME WRITERS
TO ATTEND CONFERENCES OR WORKSHOPS
The Boston Chapter Steering Committee is offering $100 grants to up to five NWU members in good standing. These grants are available to those who face challenging financial circumstances and would like to attend a writing conference or workshop (one of those listed below or one of your choice), or to take advantage of some other professional development opportunity.
If you would like to apply, or would like more information, please contact Steering Committee member Willie Wideman-Pleasants.
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BOOK AUTHORS! TUNE-IN WEDNESDAYS
FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Royalty, Compensation, and Distribution Issues for Book Authors
Join a discussion about the most pressing issues for book authors today. Share your experience and knowledge, and advance your career, in this virtual event hosted by Book Division Chair Dan McCrory and NY Member Timothy Sheard. Planned topics for the next several sessions are listed here.
To REGISTER for the Zoom program, email chair Dan McCrory.
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Please send any news of a publication, award, or writing-related appearance that has already happened to editor Barbara Mende. (A piece on your own blog or website doesn't qualify.) Send 50 words or less, plus your name and a link to the publication, event, or website where readers can find more info about you or the happening. Don't send notices of work that will be published in the future. Do send news of future events, but see the "Upcoming Events" block for that. | |
USE THE UPDATE AND OUR WEBSITE TO SPREAD YOUR NEWS
Are you speaking or reading from your work in the near future? Do you want to publicize an event that writers would be interested in zooming in to? Can you provide a service, such as editing or indexing or publicity, for your fellow union members? Do you just want to introduce yourself to the NWU membership?
Our Boston Chapter website, which you can reach at
nwu.org/chapters/boston/ or www.nwuboston.org, is here for you to use. Not only that, but if you send us an announcement of a specific event by the second Monday of each month, we'll try to include it in these updates.
Please send us news of any upcoming events that you'd like us to publicize, along with Zoom links or PDF posters if you have them. If you'd like to promote your services, plug your latest book, tell us about something writing-related that happened to you, or post anything else you can think of, we'll try to give it a place on the website.
And we'd love to hear from you if you'd like to contribute to these updates. Do you have information or a viewpoint on some phase of writing or publishing that you'd like to pass along? Do you have tips that you'd like to share with your fellow writers? Send them in! And don't forget, if you've published something or participated in an event or made an appearance, we'll post it under Kudos.
Send all your news for the Update and website to your webmaster.
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