San Diego Memoir Writers Association

Shaking the Tree Volume 3 Book Signing (Downtown Library)
2021-10-23 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | San Diego Public Library, 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92101, United States
Shaking the Tree Volume 3 Book Signing

Library Shop at the Downtown Library
330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
Saturday, October 23, 2:00PM – 3:30PM
Outdoor courtyard, next to the Library Shop, Downtown library

Registration required as this event is limited to 100 attendees:
REGISTER HERE

Learn from Local Authors - Memoir Panel
2021-11-06 14:30 - 16:30 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Learn from Local Authors – Memoir Panel on November 6
Join us for a dynamic panel of local authors who will discuss their process – from writing to revising to publishing and marketing. Bring your questions!
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/96745452627?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 967 4545 2627
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Shaking the Tree Volume 3 Book Signing (Diesel, A Bookstore )
2021-11-07 14:00 - 15:30 | Diesel Bookstore, 12843 El Camino Real Suite 104, San Diego, 92130, United States
Shaking the Tree Volume 3 Book Signing

Diesel, A Bookstore

Sunday, November 7, 2:00PM – 3:30PM

Diesel, A Bookstore
12843 El Camino Real Suite 104
San Diego, CA 92130

Manifest Your Writing Dreams with Marni Freedman (Online Workshop)
2022-01-08 10:00 - 12:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
ZOOM Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/96745452627?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 967 4545 2627
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Warwick’s + SDWF Book Club & SDMWA Meeting - House of Sticks: A Memoir with Author Ly Tran
2022-02-05 14:30 - 16:30 | Facebook Live
February Book Club Pick: House of Sticks

This beautifully written “masterclass in memoir” (Elle) recounts a young girl’s journey from war-torn Vietnam to Queens, New York, “showcas[ing] the tremendous power we have to alter the fates of others, step into their lives and shift the odds in favor of greater opportunity” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis). Ly Tran is just a toddler in 1993 when she and her family immigrate from a small town along the Mekong river in Vietnam to a two-bedroom railroad apartment in Queens. Ly’s father, a former lieutenant in the South Vietnamese army, spent nearly a decade as a POW, and their resettlement is made possible through a humanitarian program run by the US government. Soon after they arrive, Ly joins her parents and three older brothers sewing ties and cummerbunds piece-meal on their living room floor to make ends meet. As they navigate this new landscape, Ly finds herself torn between two worlds. She knows she must honor her parents’ Buddhist faith and contribute to the family livelihood, working long hours at home and eventually as a manicurist alongside her mother at a nail salon in Brooklyn that her parents take over. But at school, Ly feels the mounting pressure to blend in. A growing inability to see the blackboard presents new challenges, especially when her father forbids her from getting glasses, calling her diagnosis of poor vision a government conspiracy. His frightening temper and paranoia leave a mark on Ly’s sense of self. Who is she outside of everything her family expects of her? An “unsentimental yet deeply moving examination of filial bond, displacement, war trauma, and poverty” (NPR), House of Sticks is a timely and powerful portrait of one girl’s coming-of-age and struggle to find her voice amid clashing cultural expectations.

One of Vogue and NPR’s Best Books of the Year.
The Details:
Buy the Book: Click here to buy from Warwick’s
When: Feb 5, 2022, 02:30 PM Pacific Time (U.S. and Canada)
Where: A Facebook Live Event. Click here to Watch
Join Us: Click here to join us on Zoom.
Meeting ID: 883 6389 6322
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Meet The Author

LY TRAN graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Creative Writing and Linguistics in 2014. She has received fellowships from MacDowell, Art Omi, and Yaddo. House of Sticks is her first book.

Check out this video of Ly talking about her book from her publisher’s site.

Social Media/Website:

@LyTranWrites (Twitter)
Visit Ly Tran on her website

Reviews:
“Tran fluctuates between tenderness and quiet rage … [Tran] honor[s] these complexities, tell[s] us we were not meant to swallow our pain and survive in this world without support systems.” —New York Times Book Review

“[An] unsentimental yet deeply moving examination of filial bond, displacement, war trauma, and poverty. Ostensibly an immigrant success story, Tran’s narrative power lies in its nuanced celebration of filial devotion that withstands the enormous cost of the American dream … The dilapidated nail salon in a racially volatile Brooklyn neighborhood that Tran’s parents came to own after the end of their sweatshop era — with its filing sticks as tools of the trade — witnessed their stark tribulations as well as the wondrous resilience of their immigrant selves. In the end, Tran’s empathy and her parents’ appreciation of her filial love cemented the emotional bricks that steady their seemingly tenuous hold on this unaccustomed earth.” —NPR

“Powerful … showcases the tremendous power we have to alter the fates of others, step into their lives and shift the odds in favor of greater opportunity” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“House of Sticks is a book that will assault and warm your heart at the same time—a classic immigrant tale, told from the perspective of a Vietnamese child who settled with her family in New York City in the early ’90s with little to no knowledge about life in America… But it is also much more: a coming of age story, A New York hustle, a battle with a father who not only maintains an ironclad sense of filial duty, but also, fueled by his paranoia, exercises irrational control over things like vision correction. (In another elegant examination of absence, the book recounts what a fundamental challenge it is to move through the world without basic ability to see.)” —Vogue, Best Books to Read 2021

“Graceful but unflinching, Ly Tran’s House of Sticks follows the author’s immigration from Vietnam to New York as a toddler, and the subsequent identity shaping and re-shaping she undergoes throughout her youth and early adult years. Resettled in Queens through a humanitarian program—her father is a former POW—Tran attempts to honor her family through faith and labor, only to find herself yearning for something that exists outside of their home. Intimate yet universal, this is a masterclass in memoir.” —Elle, Best Books of Summer 2021
“A moving recount of how Tran and her family immigrated from a small town in Vietnam to a two-bedroom railroad apartment in Queens, and how she forged her path in a new culture.” —Marie Claire, 20 New Books by Asian Authors to Get Excited About

Social Media for Writers
2022-03-05 14:30 - 15:30 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Join us at our March 5th meeting for a presentation on Social Media for Writers with Caroline Gilman. Everything writers need to know about Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Tips galore for networking with fellow writers and how to promote your own work on your social channels!
Zoom invite:
Topic: SDMWA March Meeting for Members
Time: Mar 5, 2022 02:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85022797292?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 850 2279 7292
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Food Writing in Memoir and Social Justice with Madhushree Ghosh
2022-04-02 14:30 - 16:30 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Food Writing in Memoir and Social Justice
Khabaar is a food memoir and personal narrative that braids the global journeys of South Asian food through immigration, migration, and indenture. Focusing on chefs, home cooks, and food stall owners, the book questions what it means to belong and what does belonging in a new place look like in the foods carried over from the old country? These questions are integral to the author’s own immigrant journey to America as a daughter of Indian refugees (from what’s now Bangladesh to India during the 1947 Partition of India); as a woman of color in science; as a woman who left an abusive marriage; and as a woman who keeps her parents’ memory alive through her Bengali food.
The talk will focus on what food means in memoir writing, how can we use it to talk about our own experiences, and also about social justice issues.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86131957629?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 861 3195 7629
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Introduction to Hybrid Publishing – Get Your Story Out! with Holly Kammier
2022-05-07 14:30 - 16:30 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Introduction to Hybrid Publishing – Get Your Story Out!
Holly Kammier, Co-Founder of Acorn Publishing, will discuss the pros and cons of your 5 main publishing options today:

Traditional Publishing
Small Publishers
Self-Publishing
Vanity Press
Hybrid Publishing

About the Author
Holly Kammier is co-founder of Acorn Publishing, a highly selective hybrid publishing imprint to a large collective of best-selling, award winning authors. Holly, the international, best-selling author of Kingston Court, Choosing Hope, and Lost Girl, is also an accomplished writing coach and a former journalist who has worked everywhere from CNN in Washington, D.C. and KCOP-TV in Los Angeles, to the NBC affiliate in small-town Medford, Oregon. Holly teaches at several writers conferences across Southern California. The UCLA honor grad and mother to teenage boys lives in her hometown of San Diego, close to family and friends.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85459178203?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 854 5917 8203
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Laura Engel Talks About Her Debut Memoir, You'll Forget This Ever Happened
2022-06-04 14:30 - 16:30 | CA
Join us June 4th when guest speaker Laura Engel talks about her debut memoir, You’ll Forget This Ever Happened – Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960s
You Got This!
Laura walks us through the ups and downs of writing her book about secrets, trauma, and incredible joy. As she takes us along on her writing, editing, and publishing journey we will learn how writing her memoir healed her in ways she never dreamed. Laura will read passages from her book and answer your questions and she promises that you too have a book inside of you.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86079642954?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 860 7964 2954
Passcode: [REDACTED]
About Laura:
Many of you know Laura as President of the San Diego Memoir Writers, a fellow writer and friend. What you may not know is that five years ago she never dreamed she would write and publish a memoir about the darkest secret in her life. Writing her book started by accident in a Writers Ink, Artist’s Way class that segued into walking into her first Memoir 101 classwith Marni Freedman and Tracy Jones in January 2017.
Check out Laura’s website for more information: https://www.lauralengel.com

Memoir, Mentors, and Mimosas Fundraiser
2022-06-12 11:00 - 13:00 | San Diego Writers, Ink, 2730 Historic Decatur Rd. #202-204, San Diego, CA, 92106, United States
Join us June 12th at San Diego Writers, Ink for an in-person fundraiser event. Bring your questions!
Cost: $75- General Admission
$100- Right to sell books at the event
Tickets are tax-deductible
Purchase your Tickets Today:

Admission Levels

General Admission $75.00 USDOption to sell books $100.00 USDStar Donor $500.00 USDAngel Donor $1,000.00 USD

Just a sample of the topics you can ask about:

What are some trauma-reducing tools for memoir writing?
Where should I start my memoir?
Do I need an author video?
How should I publish?
How can I tackle procrastination?
How should I approach publicity?
How should I handle social media?
What’s the difference between marketing and publicity?
Can I make a documentary about my life?
Can breathing and centering improve my writing?
How should I end my memoir?
How do I find an agent?
How do I publish a memoir writing about people who are still alive?
How do I overcome self-doubt?
How can I make my first five pages the best they can be?
Should I use flashbacks?
How can I turn my memoir into a movie?
Do I need an author website?
Do I need an editor?
How do I write about family?

Mentors:
Amy Wallen: Author, Teacher, Pie Maker
Tracy J. Jones – Editor, Writing Teacher Writing Coach
Jennifer Coburn: Author, PR Specialist for Authors
Jeniffer Thompson: Author Branding Expert
Vin Schroeter PhD: Bioenergetic Therapist
Carlos de los Rios – Filmmaker, Author Video Specialist, Documentarian
Marni Freedman: Author, Editor, Writing Teacher, Writing Coach
Madhushree Ghosh: Author, Memoirist, Social Justice Advocate

How to Write a Winning Memoir Showcase Piece
2022-07-08 13:00 - 14:00 | CA
Free online workshop on zoom. Register Here
Here is the zoom Info:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88397281090?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 883 9728 1090
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Vulnerable and Brave with Dr. Michelle Zive
2022-07-09 14:30 - 16:30 | CA
Are you ready for an interactive writing workshop that will help you to disrupt the stories you’ve been told and get empowered to express long buried parts of your authentic self?
How to participate?
Bring a photo – or an image from the internet to the session that says something about your vulnerability or bravery.
THERE IS NO WAY TO DO THIS WRONG. ANY PICTURE WORKS (we will also have some images to choose from on the day of the workshop). Zoom link will be emailed prior to the event.
Register Here
Here is your Zoom invite for SDMWA July 2022 meeting:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83851830772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 838 5183 0772
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Michelle Zive, PhD
Michelle Zive has a PhD in leadership from the University of San Diego. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutritional sciences and is a registered dietitian. For over 30 years, she’s worked at UC San Diego as a Principal Investigator on large-scale community health projects focusing on access to healthy foods, physical activity, and food security. Based on her excellency for writing grants and telling the story, she’s brought in over $20 million dollars into UCSD. Zive has authored or co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles. She was the recipient of the SD Book Award for best unpublished memoir in 2009. Her focuses are on middle-aged women, feminism, equity, and social justice.
Here’s the vulnerable and brave bio:
Michelle Murphy Zive considers herself a suburban hippie. She grew up half of her formative years in Pacific Beach (a party and “progressive” town) and the other half in Alpine (a bedroom community with 3,000 people) which is 29 minutes from downtown San Diego. She created two kickass and vulnerable daughters from her first husband. She is a divorcee (such an antiquated word) and remarried to a man who sees her. Together they have a son. The mere fact that she married a wonderful man and had a son means she cannot hate 49% of the population. Instead, she is finding ways to create a world where women have a voice. She is the founder and disruptor of Representation Rebellion (RR). The mission of RR is to disrupt the stories they sell and tell about us by telling our own.
Here is the RR About page https://www.representationrebellion.com/our-rebellious-team/

August Meeting- Local Author Spotlight
2022-08-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118
Our August monthly meeting will be an in-person meeting at the Coronado Library Saturday, August 6, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the Winn Room. We would love to see you there!
Featured Authors

Anastasia Zadeik is a writer, editor, and narrative nonfiction performer. She lives in San Diego, CA, where she serves as Director of Operations for the San Diego Writers Festival and as a mentor and board member for the literary nonprofit So Say We All. When she isn’t reading or writing, you will find her hiking, practicing yoga, playing tennis, swimming, or hanging out with her husband and their empty-nest rescue dog, Charlie. Blurred Fates is her first novel. Visit her website at www.anastasiazadeik.com

Janet Hafner born and bred in Queens, New York, married her high school sweetheart after graduating college in Maryland. As a military wife, she was always on the move with her husband and their three sons.
She doesn’t have a long history of writing accomplishments. Her passion and strength have always been teaching. A thirty-year career teaching English and Spanish at Palomar College was followed by a second career as a communication/language trainer for international corporations. So . . . when did writing enter the picture? Late in life. A dream, complete with plot, characters, setting and lots of conflict compelled her to write it down. That became her first middle grade novel, Peter Poppin and the Lost Emerald. The decision to self-publish gave her an opportunity to learn more about writing and the art and science of putting a book together.
As if by fate, Janet met Marni Freedman whose infectious drive for engaging story telling stimulated her to write scenes from her life which she shares with other memoir writers in Marni’s memoir critique group. Her life episodes have been published in Shaking the Tree anthologies and have been selected twice as winners for the Memoir Showcase. A desire to learn more about writing led her to join the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild where she served on the Board of Directors for four years.
She is now honored to be a member of the San Diego Memoir Writers Association board. She is currently working on her second middle grade novel about a dog named Tessa who loves being an author. Her website is www.jrhafner.com

Laura L. Engel, born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast transplanted to San Diego over 50 years ago. She is married to the love of her life, Gene, and the mother of five beloved grown children and an adored golden retriever, Layla Louise. Laura is the proud Grammy of 10 cherished grandchildren. In 2016 Laura retired from a 35-year career in the corporate world with plans to quietly catch up on hobbies and travels with her husband Gene. In October of that year her plans changed when a miracle happened in her life. She soon found herself busier than ever taking writing classes and writing up a storm about a secret she thought she would take to her grave.
Along with writing her memoir, Laura holds the office of President of San Diego Memoir Writers Association and is an active member of the International Women Writers Guild. She is also a member of San Diego Writers Ink and San Diego Writers and Editors Guild.
Today finds Laura fulfilling her life-long dream having written her first book, a memoir she never dreamed she would write, You’ll Forget This Ever Happened -Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960s published by She Writes Press in may May 2022 and is now available wherever books are sold. Visit Laura’s website at www.lauralengel.com

Lindsey Salatka is an author, ghost-writer, and editor. She is best known for her debut novel, Fish Heads and Duck Skins. Her writing has been featured at Blog Her and in Shanghai Family Magazine, Urbanatomy: Shanghai, and Volumes 3 and 4 of Shaking the Tree: Brazen. Short. Memoir. She is on the advisory board of the San Diego Writers Festival and serves as Director of the KidsWrite! Children’s Writing Contest. You can find Lindsey at www.lindseysalatka.com, on Instagram @mywhatlovelygillsyouhave, on Facebook @fishheadsandduckskin, or on Twitter @lindseysalatka.

Madonna Treadway is an award-winning author. She is also a mentor and speaker passionate about helping others learn to move beyond grief after losing a loved one. Her first book, Six Healing Questions: A Gentle Path to Healing Childhood Loss of a Parent, walks readers through gentle healing steps, current research, and her own powerful story.The loss of her parents at age eight inspired a life-long quest investigating the meaning of grief and loss in her life and the lives of others.
Her new book, due out in late 2022, Grief Hack, A Creative Process for Coping with Everyday Loss, is a short, inspirational guide that walks readers through a creative process that can transform the pain of grief and loss into profound, life-altering realizations. Dedicated to ongoing research and creative discovery, Madonna wants to change the narrative around grief and loss from one of avoidance to sharing, embracing, and, ultimately, transformation. Visit her website www.madonnatreadway.com

Nancy Johnson is a retired high school English teacher, writer, wife, mother, and grandmother. She published articles in La Mesa Courier Newspaper, Discovering My City La Mesa Magazine, and English Literature Journal. Her short stories appear in Sunshine Noir II (Working and Walking the Boulevard), Shaking the Tree II (Glass Shards), and Shaking the Tree III (The Sky is Falling). Her blog is Slightly Squinting. She had a blast writing and performing “The Armpit Years” for So Say We All. She volunteers for San Diego Writers Festival and San Diego Writer’s Ink. Her book, Things My Mama Never Told Me, will be launched in 2020. She is a student of Marni Freedman, V.A.M.P., Writer’s Elements, all the writers who have gone before her, and the amazing teenagers who have shared their lives with her and who will remain part of her forever. Visit her website at www.nancypantsjohnson.com

Who am I? Suzanne Spector asked herself as she stripped off the bonds of marriage and conventional suburban life. Her adventurous journey of discovery led her from a nude beach on Ibiza at 41, to a banya in Siberia at 55, and into a hot love affair at 80.
These probably would not be the tales your mother or grandmother would tell about her life, but this 85 year old’s ebullient memoir of the second half of her life will move you to weave some rich new yarns into the tapestry of your own story. Her message: It’s never too late. Visit her website at www.suzannespector.com

Leslie Ferguson is an accomplished educator, editor, and writing coach. As a youth in foster care, she dreamed about becoming a teacher. After earning her teaching credential from the University of Redlands, she taught high school English at her alma mater for nearly two decades. During that time, she obtained a master’s degree in English literature and an MFA in creative writing from Chapman University. She lives with one husband and two cats in the greater San Diego area, where she binge-watches dark character dramas and reminisces about her glory days as an All-American basketball player and collegiate Hall-of-Fame athlete. When I Was Her Daughter is her first book.Visit the author at LeslieFergusonAuthor.com

September Meeting — Editor’s Panel
2022-09-03 14:30 - 16:00 | CA
Ask an Editor!
Do you know the difference between a copy editor and a content editor? Do you know what editor to use at the beginning, middle, and end of your writing journey?
Bring all your editing questions to the International Memoir Writers Association’s September meeting!Saturday, September 3 at 2:30 p.m. on Zoom and Facebook LiveModerated by Tracy J. Jones and featuring editors Nadia Geagea Pupa, Erin Willard, and Chris Zook.
Zoom LinkTime: Sep 3, 2022 02:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/88157033175?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 881 5703 3175Passcode: [REDACTED]

Tracy J. Jones is a professional content writer, editor, and writing coach. She’s co-runs the San Diego Memoir Showcase and co-edits the Showcase anthology, Shaking the Tree: brazen. short. memoir. Tracy runs several read and critique groups, teaches at San Diego Writers, Ink, Oasis San Diego, and hosts the Warwick’s + San Diego Writers Festival Book Club. She’s a freelance editor for Acorn Publications. She can be reached at tjjones1@gmail.com.

Chris Zook brings more than 25 years of professional copywriting and editing experience to every project. He writes and edits online content, blogs, e-newsletters, grants, reports, press releases, and marketing materials for various nonprofits. He also edits full-length books for self-publishing authors, yoga manuals, as well as scholarly articles and dissertations for academics.
He holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of California Santa Barbara, where he advanced to Ph.D. candidacy, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College. He’s the former president of the San Diego Professional Editors Network (2015–2018) and a member of ACES: The Society for Editing. His business website is TheConsciousWriter.com.

Erin Willard is a copy editor whose past projects have included editing manuscripts of award-winning novels, short stories, and memoirs. Working with independent authors and small publishers is her specialty, giving a light polish to the voices of new writers, seasoned professionals, and those in between. Erin received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from San Diego State University and her certificate in copyediting from UC San Diego Extended Studies. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA); ACES, the Society for Editing; the Association of Independent Publishing Professionals (AIPP); and the San Diego Professional Editors Network (SD/PEN), where she served as secretary in 2017 and 2018 and co-president in 2019 and 2020. More information about her business, Erin Willard, Copy Editor, can be found on her website, ErinCopyEditor.com.

Nadia Geagea Pupa, president of the San Diego Professional Editors Network (SD/PEN), has worked as an editor and graphic designer for more than 15 years. She works with both corporate clients and self-published authors to assist in developing, editing, and designing content. Nadia provides in-depth book evaluations and cohjfgaching sessions to help writers create a solid framework for their books. She is passionate about helping authors stay true to their mission and to publish with personality. For more information about her company, Pique Publishing, visit piquepublishing.com.

November Meeting - Wisdom and the Writing Life
2022-11-05 14:30 - 16:00 | CA
Wisdom and the Writing Life (and Pie)
Perseverance, inspiration, revising, completion, publishing!
Join novelist and memoirist extraordinaire Amy Wallen as she shares insights from her brand new, delicious book, “How to Write a Novel in 20 Pies.”
November 5, 2022 – 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85745612250?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 857 4561 2250
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Amy Wallen

Amy is the author of When We Were Ghouls, A Memoir of Ghost Stories. Her essays have been published in The Gettysburg Review, The Normal School, Country Living, and others. Her first novel MoonPies & Movie Stars, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller.

Awakening the Creative Spirit with Marni Freedman and Tracy Jones
2023-01-07 14:30 - 16:00 | CA
Join Marni and Tracy for a hands-on workshop that will cover how to tackle the 4 myths that may be holding you back creatively, the laws of the creative source that may help you to break free from self-sabotage, and ideas to awaken your most creative year yet.

STT4 Shaking the Tree Launch at Warwick's IN PERSON
2023-01-12 19:30 - 20:30 | Warwick’s Bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
For Tickets: https://www.warwicks.com/event/shaking-the-tree-2023
The official launch for Shaking the Tree Four! We will have readings and giveaways as we kick off the official book tour!
Readers: Jen Laffler “Big Apple, Big Cherry, Big Smoke,”
Lindsey Salatka – “I am Ajumma,”
Kenny Sucher – “Strength Training”
Kathleen McCabe – “Thirty Bucks,”
Chili Cilch – “Did That Really Happen?”
Lauren Cross – “Flings”

Writing Fearlessly with Jesse Leon ONLINE (members)
2023-02-04 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Jesse Leon, SDWF memoirist of the year, will do a short reading from his stellar memoir, I’m Not Broken and then discuss the path he took to write it all down fearlessly.
ABOUT I’M NOT BROKEN
In this unflinching and inspiring memoir, Jesse Leon tells an extraordinary story of resilience and survival, shining a light on a childhood spent devastated by sex trafficking, street life, and substance abuse.
“A book for survivors and those who know someone they hope survives, bodhisattvas all.” —Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of The House on Mango Street

Born to indigenous working-class Mexican immigrants in San Diego in the 1970s, Jesse Leon’s childhood was violently ruptured. A dangerous and harrowing encounter at a local gift shop when he was eleven years old left Jesse with a deadly secret. Hurt, alone, and scared for his life, Jesse numbed his pain by losing himself in the hyper-masculine culture of the streets and wherever else he could find it—in alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. Overlooked by state-sanctioned institutions and systems intended to help victims of abuse, neglected like many other low-income Latinos, Jesse spiraled into cycles of suicide and substance abuse.

Shaking the Tree 4 Book Signing and Selling at Diesel IN-PERSON
2023-02-05 15:00 - 16:30 | Diesel Bookstore, 12843 El Camino Real Suite 104, San Diego, 92130, United States

How Writers can Approach Gender, Trans and the Non-Binary Experience with - A Panel Discussion with Riley Silverman, Nancy Johnson and Mary Ann Horton (members) ONLINE
2023-03-04 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States

Writing about Secrets, Drug Use and the Path to Publish Traditionally with Laura Cathcart, Author of Stash (open to all) ONLINE
2023-04-01 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Join us to discuss “Writing about Secrets, Drug Use, and the Path to Publish Traditionally” with Laura Cathcart Robbins, Author of Stash.

Purchase Stash from Warwick’s here

Zoom Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82455304639?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 824 5530 4639
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Facebook LIVE Link: https://fb.me/e/2VwWCRNkD?mibextid=RQdjqZ

“An irresistibly delicious story.” —Holly Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author
A propulsive and vivid memoir—in the vein of Drinking: A Love Story and Somebody’s Daughter—about the journey to sobriety and self-love amidst addiction, privilege, racism, and self-sabotage from the host of the popular podcast The Only One in the Room.
After years of hiding her addiction from everyone—from stockpiling pills in her Louboutins to elaborately scheduling withdrawals between PTA meetings, baby showers, and tennis matches—Laura Cathcart Robbins settles into a complicated purgatory.
She learns the hard way that privilege doesn’t protect you from pain. Facing divorce, the possibility of a grueling custody battle, and internalized racism, Robbins wonders just how much more she can take.
Now, with courage and candid openness, she reveals how she managed to begin the long journey towards sobriety and unexpectedly finding new love. Robbins harrowingly illustrates taking down the wall she built around herself brick by brick and what it means to be Black in a startingly white world. With its raw, finely crafted, and engaging prose, Stash is the story of just how badly the facade she created had to shatter before Laura could reconnect to her true self.

about the author

Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance writer, speaker, and host of the popular podcast The Only One in the Room. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Her recent articles in HuffPost and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2022 TEDx Speaker, and an LA Moth StorySlam winner. Currently, she sits on the advisory boards of the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ Podcast Festival. She lives in California. Follow her on Instagram @LauraCathcartRobbins and find out more at TheOnlyOnePod.com.

How to Write a Braided Memoir with Madhushree Ghosh
2023-05-06 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Khabaar is a food memoir and personal narrative that braids the global journeys of South Asian food through immigration, migration, and indenture. Focusing on chefs, home cooks, and food stall owners, the book questions what it means to belong and what does belonging in a new place look like in the foods carried over from the old country? These questions are integral to the author’s own immigrant journey to America as a daughter of Indian refugees (from what’s now Bangladesh to India during the 1947 Partition of India); as a woman of color in science; as a woman who left an abusive marriage; and as a woman who keeps her parents’ memory alive through her Bengali food.

Purchase your copy of Khabaar here

about the author
Madhushree Ghosh works in oncology diagnostics, and is a social justice activist. Her work has been awarded a Notable Mention in Best American Essays in Food Writing and a Pushcart Prize nomination. She lives in San Diego, California.

praise for…

“A seemingly effortlessly wise collection of essays that shows again and again the ways writing about food involves more than a story, a political history, or a family legacy, as Ghosh takes the food essay into entirely new directions. The result is a brilliant book about the past and the present that also feels like the future of the form.”—Alexander Chee, author, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays
“In Khabaar, Madhushree Ghosh shares her unforgettable story deftly and beautifully, as only a gifted storyteller can. Like the foods that shape and inform Ghosh’s memories and reflections, her intimate, powerful prose is meant to be savored. This memoir, at once global in scope and deeply intimate, is a treasure.”—Deesha Philyaw, author, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“I have been an enthusiastic follower of Madhushree Ghosh, and have great admiration for her literary talent. But I was not prepared for this new, very powerful, and entrancing work. I highly recommend it. It’s unforgettable.”—Luis Alberto Urrea, author, The House of Broken Angels
“As thought-provoking as it is delicious, joyful, and a delight to read.”—Sonia Faleiro, author, The Good Girls: An Ordinary Killing
“Wildly original. With her scientific sensibility, chef’s palate, and poet’s heart, Madhushree Ghosh has given us a singular and spectacular read.”—Mira Jacob, author, Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations
“Madhushree Ghosh seamlessly blends stories of food and family, longing and grief, to reveal the power of food to connect us—to the past, to one another, to our appetites and desires, to that which we wish to say when language fails. A book to read with all your senses, Khabaar will break your heart and make it swell.”—Lacy M. Johnson, author, The Reckonings: Essays
“Khabaar crackles with energy and passion. This book engages the reader on many levels: it awakens the senses, heightens awareness of racial and gender disparity, and perhaps above all is a powerful love story between its author and her family and country of origin. Ghosh has written a book that educates as it entertains, which is no easy feat. I am enriched for having read it.”—Dani Shapiro, author, Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
“Madhushree Ghosh is a talented and exciting voice in the literary field. I’m looking forward to reading everything that she writes now and in the future. This is one writer to watch.”—Nayomi Munaweera, author, What Lies Between Us
“Ghosh writes especially well through her memories, from tender (as a child shopping for goat with her father in a bustling Delhi market) to terrifying (desperately escaping a hotel room she was accidentally locked in before a job presentation). . . . A likable food memoir from a self-aware and culturally astute author.”
— Kirkus Reviews

How to Write a Winning Memoir Showcase Piece
2023-05-25 18:00 - 19:00 | CA
Are you interested in writing a piece for the Memoir Showcase but aren’t sure how to begin? “How to Write a Winning Memoir Showcase,” with Tracy and Marni, can help! These powerhouse editors have all the tips you’ll need to get your story in shape.
This class is $7 for non members and FREE for members!
Register Now

Publicity and Marketing for Memoir - Julia Wouk Brown and Tricia Hedman
2023-06-03 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Wondering how the world of author publicity works? Thinking you have to spend a lot of money? Wondering if there are steps you can take on your own? Join expert book publicists Julia Wouk Brown and Tricia Hedman who will present ideas on how to get your book the visibility it needs. Tips on both working with a professional and how you can independently create publicity/marketing opportunities. There will be a Q & A session – so bring your questions!
This is a member-only meeting. Membership is only $50.00 annually, so join today and join us at our monthly meetings! Join here!

Summer Speakeasy Fundraiser
2023-06-10 18:00 | CA
Join us for a fundraiser event benefiting the International Memoir Writers Association and the San Diego Writers Festival. The ticket includes drinks, appetizers, live music, open mic, and more! Space is limited so get your tickets today. Private location to be disclosed to ticketholders.
Purchase tickets here

Dean Nelson and Rabbi Steve Leder in Conversation about Journaling and his new book, For You When I am Gone (open to all) ONLINE
2023-06-15 18:00 - 19:00 | CA
Register here

Writing About Trauma with Leslie Ferguson and MFT Mahshid Hager (members)
2023-07-08 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Join us for an insightful discussion about how to get traumatic events onto the page and how to take care of yourself when visiting the dark side of memoir.

Walking Meditation and Picnic at the Beach
2023-08-05 | CA
Mark your calendars for the August IMWA monthly meeting. We’re gathering as a community for a walking meditation with our very own Marni Freedman and Anastasia Zadeik, followed by a picnic! It’s on Saturday, August 5 at Parque Mission Bay (Crown Point Beach) at 2:30 p.m. We hope to see you in-person soon!

Filming Your Life Story with documentarian Carlos de los Rios
2023-09-09 14:30 - 16:00 | ZOOM Online, CA, United States
Join Carlos as he will walk you through the following topics:

What is a filmed life story? What is a bio-pic documentary?

What is a book trailer for a memoir?

What are the benefits of doing an oral/filmed history (on top of or instead of a written history)?

What does it mean to leave a visual legacy?

How long should it be, and what shape would it take?

How the process works and what to do next!

Who should consider making one and why?

Carlos de los Rios is a 20-year veteran of the film industry – an award-winning writer, producer and documentarian. He has written movies that star Academy Award-winning, Emmy Award-winning, Golden Globe Award-winning and Tony Award-winning actors. He has the distinction of having written silver screen legend Lauren Bacall’s final film, The Forger.
He has a passion for helping people tell their life stories.

Festival U
2023-10-07 10:00 - 16:00 | CA
A full day of writing workshops including:
Session 1 (10 am to 11 am PT)
Books that Change the World – How Authors with a Cause Can Impact Us All with Winnie Li and Valena Beety. Moderated by Anastasia Zadeik
Session 2 (11 am – 12 pm PT)
On Memory and Metaphor – Bringing the Past to Life with Sue William Silverman
Session 3 (12 – 1 pm PT)
The Art and Craft of Middle Grade Fiction with Award Winning Author, Chris Baron
Session 4 (1pm – 2pm PT)
Historical Fiction: Keeping it Real While Keeping it Interesting with Jennifer Coburn
Session 5 (2 pm – 3 pm)
Nothing is Wasted – The Art of How the Writer Brings It All Together with Judy Reeves
Session 6 (3 pm to 4 pm)
Ask An Agent – An Hour to Ask Any Question You Have Ever Had! With Lilly Gharhamani
Learn More
