 President's Letter |
Dear WNBA members,
The holiday season is upon us! And that means shopping. Did you know you can do all of your gift shopping in a book store? I have. On Sunday I went to my local independent bookstore, Park Road Books, and did all of my shopping there. I really did all of it. They also are wrapping all my gifts (I'm picking them up later) and shipping the ones that need to be shipped. Boy, they made my holiday season easier and happier!
Many years ago I went to my mother's for Christmas. Because of an ice storm, power had been out for more than a week in her city, and at that time she'd also had to deal with her elderly parents and move them into a hotel, and so when I arrived on Dec. 24, while the power had returned the day before, she greeted me with the news that we were heading out to the mall on Christmas Eve as she had no gift shopping done. I said no, we're going to the local independent bookstore, and we'll find gifts for everyone there. She was skeptical--after all there were a couple of non-readers on her list. But I assured her all would be well. And it was! (The non-readers got either sidelines or cartoon books.) We managed to get 100% of her shopping finished in that one store in just about an hour without going to the mall. That bookstore saved our holiday.
Books make great gifts because they can play such a large role in a person's life. In looking back on 2015, a year in which I struggled in various ways and I know likely some of you did too, I am so thankful for books. They have kept me sane when I felt I was losing it, helped cheer me up when I felt sad, helped to distract me from my worries, and just helped me get lost in the world of someone else for a few hours. Books teach me, inspire me, console me, and amuse me. I'd like to give an extra-big thanks to all our author members who write great books that can help all readers wherever they are. I'm thankful for my book clubs for getting me out of the house and socializing when I didn't always feel like it. I am thankful for my many friends who I've met through the WNBA, and the business opportunities that have come my way through WNBA and helped to keep the lights on!
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that you have as many book-shaped packages under your tree as I do!
Cheers
Carin Siegfried (Charlotte)
WNBA National President
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 Letters to the Editor
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If you have comments about something you've read in your Bookwoman, please email us at: newsletter@wnba-books.org. Last issue's President's Letter drew a response from NYC member, Cheryl Fish.Dear Carin, I was glad to see you address the issue of feminism and how young women respond to it in your remarks in the latest newsletter, not always positively, and the various interpretations of what it means to call oneself "feminist." This is indeed a pressing issue. However, as a writer, scholar, and professor of English, I was disturbed by your simplistic stereotyping of "radical feminism." I felt you re-confirmed stereotypes about a kind of monolithic, negative, male bashing polemicist that is perpetrated by anti-feminists at any opportunity. You didn't name names or quote any ideas or persons, just stereotyped and reduced a complex body of work into a negative statement based on your personal response. I too was a graduate student in an English PH.D. program when feminist theory was surging along with various strands of feminist activism. Some of the ideas and writers confused me, and I didn't relate to all of them--it was new after all, and made me question a lot of my ideas and actions, including male-female relationships. Continue reading here. Sincerely, Cheryl J. Fish, PH.D. Professor, English Borough of Manhattan Community College City University of New York. http://cheryljfish.com
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Announcements and Upcoming Event Alerts
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WNBA's Fourth Annual Writing Contest
Deadline for entries is January 15, 2016
Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry
WNBA members: $15 per entry Non-members: $20 per entryComplete guidelines here.
Read 2015's Anthology of winning entries.
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WNBA's Second Century Prize
The Second Century Prize is an exciting way to get involved in our upcoming centenary celebrations in 2017. Every member may vote for a national literacy group that actively demonstrates the positive effects and joys of reading.
Early in 2016, a five-person committee will review the nominations and make recommendations to the executive board, which will choose the winning entry. A monetary prize will be awarded, the amount of which will be determined by that year's fundraising efforts.
The nomination criteria and forms are available online and can be given to your chapter president or sent directly to marygrey@twc.com or slarson2005@gmail.com. For further information, please see our website.
Bel Canto the Opera!
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| | Photo credit: Lyric Opera |
Ann Patchett's bestselling book Bel Canto, is to have its operatic debut at Chicago's Lyric Opera (January 5 to January 17). Bel Canto is curated by renowned soprano Renée Fleming, who is also Lyric's creative consultant, and features music by Jimmy López and a libretto by Nilo Cruz. More information on the opera and how to purchase tickets is available here. Ann Patchett was the recipient of the WNBA Award in 2012/13, which was presented to her in Parnassus Books, her independent bookstore in Nashville, TN. To find out more about our other WNBA Award winners, please go to our website. ***
The Best Presents in the World!
Unicef's Inspired Gifts offer you the opportunity to not only change children's lives but to honor your friends and family at the same time. Starting at as little as $20 you can purchase real items like vaccine carriers, exercise books, school desks, blankets and tents and they will be sent to children in need around the world.
Unicef's Inspired Gifts are tax-deductible and are perfect for last minute giving to anyone on your holiday list.
Read this issue's UN Corner for other ways to help.
Back to top
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Premier Level
Sourcebooks--An Independent Vision
Silver Level
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Friends of National Reading Group Month |
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WNBA's Executive Officers
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President
Carin Siegfried (Charlotte)
VP/President Elect
Jane Kinney-Denning (NYC)
Secretary
Shannon Janeczek (Detroit)
Treasurer
Gloria Toler (Nashville)
Past President
Valerie Tomaselli (NYC)
Complete list available on the WNBA website.
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Holiday Books for Children
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Recommended Holiday Reads for Children
By Mary Grey James (Nashville)
More than the 60-year-old manger scene, more than the ornaments made while in grammar school, more than the tree itself, it's the box of decades-old holiday books that generates the most excitement in my family as decorations are pulled from storage and made ready for the holidays. Each year a new book is added to the selection, but the ones that generate the most "oohs and aahs" of appreciation are the ones from my children's earliest memories...many no longer in print.
This year's new publications offer a variety of excellent choices, but alongside these there are older standbys that are still available in your local bookstore:
 Jack Frost by William Joyce, $17.99. As the latest edition of Joyce's Guardians of Childhood series, stunning illustrations tell of the origin of this mythical figure.
A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, $24.99. Chris Raschka's fluid torn paper illustrations earned this edition a New York Times Book Review "Best Illustrated Children's Book" award. The poet's most popular work reminds us of his gift of
musical imagery as he honors the past.
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, $16.99. While not strictly a holiday book, this volume of the famous poem makes the perfect gift to a family's library. Susan Jeffers's elegant illustrations and the snowy vellum jacket lend a magical feel to this ageless volume.
 Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Richard and Tanya Simon, $17.99. A new Hanukkah story tells of a young refugee sent to a relative in New York to escape Nazi Europe. An atmospheric 1938 Manhattan is faithfully depicted in Mark Siegal's beautiful illustrations of the boy searching for his one contact in the city
on Christmas Eve. The message is the power of new beginnings.
 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as retold by Adam McKeown; illustrated by Gerald Kelley, $17.99. Among the countless editions of the classic tale, this new picture book is one intended for younger readers. A perfect introduction to longer unexpurgated texts, such as a lovely Candlewick Press edition of the complete text gloriously illustrated by award winner P.J. Lynch ($19.99).
So spread your holiday books throughout the house and watch as all ages pick them up and relive sweet memories or discover new treasures.
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WNBA Reads
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 Part review, part editorial, Nicole Ayers (Charlotte) writes about two books that have helped her better understand the plight of refugees.
We live in a hateful world. There are so many stories and so many opinions about refugees in general and Syrian refugees in particular. And then Paris. There are no good words for the terrorist attacks devastating innocent people around the globe.
When I see the photographs and read the articles, my heart breaks for all the victims and for the terrorists, too. But at the same time, it all feels a bit like make-believe, an ugly story that I'd prefer to stop reading. And that's easy enough to do. I keep the TV off, only listen to iTunes in the car, and avoid the newspaper like the plague. My life moves on as I lose myself in the day-to-day pace of a suburban mom who works from home.
 Except several years ago I read two books by Chris Cleave that forever changed my perspective: Little Bee and Incendiary. Little Bee (a 2010 Great Group Reads selection) tells the story of a young Nigerian refugee seeking asylum in England. I cried through much of this book--for Bee herself, for the reasons she had to flee her homeland, for her harrowing escape, for her treatment at the asylum detention center, for the heartbreaking yet human decisions of the other characters (I don't know what my own choices would have been). And because of Little Bee, this fictional character, I look at all refugees as if they have their own stories to tell. Because they do.
 There have been multiple and horrific bombings in my adult life, but none that have affected me directly. I haven't lost a loved one in such a cruel way or experienced difficult changes, intended to keep me safe. Incendiary forced me to examine the aftermath of a terrorist attack from a very personal perspective. It's a stream-of-consciousness letter written to Osama bin Laden by a semi-illiterate woman who has lost both her husband and son in a stadium bombing. Even though she isn't a character I liked or would befriend, her devastation is gut wrenching.
These books changed me--my reactions and my thoughts. They reminded me that behind every terrorist attack there are real people, so similar to myself and my neighbors, who are suffering losses I can't comprehend. They reminded me that behind every refugee there is a real person who is afraid and alone and without (everything). They reminded me to care, to speak thoughtfully, to do good in this world all the time, and especially when I see suffering.
I think this is why I must read the hard books. To make visceral connections to situations that I don't/can't/won't experience in my regular routines. Because the stories aren't real, I am brave enough to read on. And after I've read, I take those connections with me to the wider world I live in.
Nicole Ayers is a freelance editor. Her goal is to help authors create work they're proud to share. When she's not marking up manuscripts, she's chasing the little people in her life, snuggling with her dog, or seeking new adventures with her husband. Sometimes you'll even catch her at a yoga class if she's not hiding with a good book. Connect with Nicole at www.ayersedits.com.
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Behind the Curtain. . .
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Developmental Editor Annie Stone (NYC)
 Annie Stone is a developmental editor at Alloy Entertainment, a book-packaging firm owned by Warner Brothers. Alloy Entertainment differs from most packagers in the industry who focus on nonfiction because they primarily package fiction for YA, in addition to some books for middle grade ages and adults. The goal of the company is to create great content across multiple platforms. Almost everything starts on the book side. Their most successful properties are the ones that transition over to the TV or film side, like Pretty Little Liars or The 100 or The Vampire Diaries. Annie is currently working with Sara Shepard, the author of the Pretty Little Liars series, to develop a new series. She also works with a bunch of debut authors.
Everyone thinks I . . .
am just sitting around coming up with ideas all day or reading books. When I tell someone about the development side, they're like, "Cool, you're just pitching ideas all day." Or they think of the classic editor stereotype that we get to sit at our desks and read fun books. Sadly, neither of those things is true.
I actually . . .
have a couple of meetings or phone calls, whether internal meetings to talk about art or a phone call with an author to discuss a new project, during a typical day. In between meetings I'm trying to move everything along in the process. I might be polishing up a development proposal that I'm trying to get approved internally or working on the outline for a new book. Maybe an author's second book is under contract and we're hoping the publisher gets on board with this brand new idea. I might be drawing up a submission list for a project that hasn't sold yet. I spend most of the day on smaller, higher-level tasks, thinking about things that keep projects moving in their life cycles. Obviously, there are full manuscripts that come in that I'm working on, but I think most editors will agree that a lot of that reading time happens nights and weekends.
I love . . .
to be there for the beginning of a story. It's not something you get to do as a traditional acquiring editor of a house. By the time it comes to you, it's already been through several iterations and you don't see that whole process. Here at Alloy I feel like I'm part of the writing process and work closely with the writer for the entire book.
Usually, we'll have a several page, detailed proposal that we're starting from, but a lot of things will change from the proposal. Once we have the writer that we think is the perfect match, we're very flexible. We want to make the story as good a fit as possible for the writer so he/she feels really invested. When we're creating a new project, we're heavily involved in outlining, but the writer is also there and has a voice every step of the way. It's really a partnership.
I hate . . .
when I have to give bad news to a writer, that's probably the worst part. Whether it's that they did a revision and it's not working yet and they have a lot more work to do, or something higher level, like the new book project isn't selling. Or they really wanted the cover to look a certain way and the publisher is just not going to do it. Things like that. There are many parts of the process that can be tricky since there are so many people involved, and I think the hardest thing is when you have to manage all of those expectations. It can be really stressful.
Breaking into Editing at Alloy Entertainment . . . is tough because it is a very small part of the business. We're very rarely hiring because we have a small team. There are a couple of other companies like us, but I think that's true for them as well. Full Fathom Five does similar things and Paper Lantern Lit does too. I think just working in the agency or editorial side of the business will give you a really good grounding. And to be honest, on the young adult side at least, there are a lot of publishing houses that are doing this type of work internally as well. So don't just limit yourself to looking at packagers if you're interested in creative development. I think there are definitely ways to do that at a traditional publishing house these days. Attention Writers! If you're interested in working with a packager, I'd be happy to talk to you. I'm always looking for great writers. I monitor a mailbox called The Collaborative (the collaborative@alloyentertainment.com). Be sure to include your WNBA affiliation in the subject line to snag my attention. You can also read about Alloy's submission process at www.alloysubmissions.com.
Behind the Curtain was researched and compiled by assistant editor Nicole Ayers (Charlotte). If you would like your profession highlighted or if you have comments
on this column, you may get in touch with her at newsletter@wnba-books.org.
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The Whole Story
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The Book
 A Woman in the House (and Senate) is a timely selection for this month's column as we wait to see if we will finally have a woman in the White House.
Short biographies full of interesting facts, historical photos, bright, detailed illustrations and archive photos make this book a page-flipping educational gold mine. With an inspirational foreword written by former U.S Senator, Olympia Snowe, and illustrations by Elizabeth Baddeley, it has the capacity to hold the attention of children and adults too, who may not be aware of the contributions of women like Jeannette Rankin, who was elected to Congress three years before the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1919, and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American congresswoman.
" It is no small task to create a book that summarizes over a century of U.S. history, gives a crash course in civics, and provides succinct, pithy biographies of numerous women who have served in the legislative and judicial branches of government. Cooper pulls it off."
~ Kirkus Review, starred review
"This is an empowering book for tweens and teens. It tells the stories of the triumphs and struggles of the first and current Congresswomen in America while clearly and briefly explaining politics and history from women's suffrage to current happenings in the United States."
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 My first book was a biography of Susan B. Anthony, the research I did for it galvanized my interest in women's issues. My original concept for A Woman in the House (and Senate) was a handful of stories about key figures such as Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, in 1916; Margaret Chase Smith, one of the few early women senators and an outspoken opponent of McCarthyism; and Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to serve in Congress. But I soon realized I couldn't write about these women without providing some historical context. So the book had to be more than a collection of biographical sketches, it also had to describe what was happening in the country, decade by decade.
What I learned by writing the book was eye-opening. When women were coming to Congress in very small numbers, sometimes one or two at a time, the male congressmen were usually polite if not enthusiastic. But when women began arriving in relatively larger numbers, there was outright hostility. Yet women have never been in Congress in proportion to their number in the population, even today.
I also found I had a very personal relationship to one of the women I was profiling: Michigan congresswoman Martha Griffiths. Griffiths was instrumental in changing the law that, before 1962, had prevented women's social security benefits from being passed on to their families after their deaths. My mother died unexpectedly the week before I graduated high school. Without her social security money, I couldn't have gone to college. It was quite overwhelming for me learn how hard Rep. Griffiths had pushed for a law that had so directly affected my life.
 Ilene and I often talk about a range of ideas before settling on one. When she proposed a book about women who have served in the US Congress I was intrigued. I was even more so when I learned how greatly disproportional the ratio of women and men is in Congress today (not just yesterday, but today). I was not surprised to learn there were more men than women, but was surprised to learn how many more there were, and of course they were creating laws that directly affected women.
So Ilene sent me her outline for a 48-page book estimated to be 5,000 words, and I signed it up. As Ilene wrote and we discussed the various sections and chapters, the manuscript crept a few words longer. And then a bit longer still. There were so many people and events and historical moments that were relevant to include. What to keep, what to cut? Not an easy task! The text got a bit longer until it had grown from 5,000 words to 30,000! The book went from an anticipated 48 pages to 144!
As is typical working with Ilene, I learned a great deal. In this book it was about the workings of Congress and especially about a number of extremely intelligent, hard-working women who have worked both in front of and behind the scenes to shape the laws that effect and help both men and women.
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 Working on A Woman in the House (and the Senate) was a brand new experience for me. It was the first book I had ever worked on, as well as the first time I had illustrated anything for children.
I loved having the opportunity to create an educational book for kids because it meant that I too would learn a ton about all the great women who had served in Congress. I had the most fun drawing the portraits of women who had an unexpected sense of style for a politician.
Bella Abzug and Shirley Chisholm had wide ranges of outfits I could choose from! The most difficult illustrations were the ones for abstract or difficult subjects such as 9/11 and Gabrielle Giffords.
A fun fact about me and this book is that I had to leave town to get married right in the middle of working on it! I'll always remember these images in conjunction with all the wedding planning I was doing at the time.
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Foreword
Excerpt from the foreword of
A Woman in the House (and Senate):
"If it is tru e that we can see further by standing on the shoulders of giants--and I believe it is-- then the role models you will read about here offer many distinguished shoulders on which to climb... The stories told here should spark all of us--and particularly girls and women--to close the gender gap. Ultimately, if we are to celebrate and strengthen the vast array of girls and women today, we must learn about those who fought to give life and reality to our dreams. If we are to attain the fullest potential as a nation and exercise our rights as Americans, we must understand that those rights came to us not by entitlement but by tenacity and perseverance."
The Whole Story was researched and compiled by assistant editor Tracy Jean
Sottosanti (Charlotte).
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UN Corner
The Women's National Book Association is a NGO associated with the
United Nations Department of Public Information
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Compiled and Edited by Jill A. Tardiff (NYC) 
WNBA NGO Main Representative at the United Nations (UN)
Department of Public Information (DPI)
Fact: 60 MILLION PEOPLE--the number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons in the world TODAY.
The Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)--with its mandate "to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide and its primary purpose to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees"-- suggests ...
"Get Involved. Stay Informed."
How?
ADVOCACY--YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
Learn About:
The UNHCR helps asylum-seekers, children, internally displaced people, men, older people, people with disabilities, refugees, returnees, stateless people, women, with "particular attention to the needs of children and seeks to promote the equal rights of women and girls."
Latest News:
COP 21: Climate change, refugees and couture
More About:
UNHCR Country Pages
UNHCR Winter Crisis Appeal:
Please help UNHCR keep refugees warm and safe this winter. More than 800,000 people are in need of basic winter household items.
A single gift or a monthly gift
Stay In Touch:
Social Media
Check Out:
Social Media
ALSO REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AT THE US FUND FOR UNICEF
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Bookwoman Staff
Editor: Rhona Whitty (NYC)
Assistant Editors: Nicole Ayers (Charlotte) & Tracy Jean Sottosanti (Charlotte)
Copy Editor: Gloria Toler (Nashville)
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Important Copyright Information for Contributors
We only accept articles written by the author or copyright holder. The Bookwoman, website, and other publications of the Women's National Book Association adhere to all local, national and international copyright laws. By submitting an article to us you are granting permission for its use on our website in our resource library (articles), in our member resources area and/or in our magazine and newsletters. Contributing authors retain all copyrights to their individual works.
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