Moniker change may capture attention of social media
Leading up to a historic “vote for (name) change” at our 60th anniversary conference, I implore our members and attendees to read the history as presented by NMPW Historian Denise Tessier in the recent BROADSHEET. In true journalism form, she shows rather than tells the story behind the passion our upcoming discussion and vote are sure to ignite.
As a state board member, former chapter president, and with 15 years invested in our organization, I, too, recall the debates, some heated, about the pros and cons of moving to a gender-neutral moniker. In the early 90s I was somewhat convinced it was imperative to our survival that we drop “women.” At the turn of the century, armed with new research that women, although highly visible in media and other professions, had not made ample strides in pay and promotions, I swayed toward keeping our name intact. Okay, yes, I flip-flopped. Even now, I am torn. Currently two of our three chapters are led by men. In the trenches of a college campus daily, I also have anecdotal evidence that some millenials are turned off by the gender specificness of our name, while others are not aware men are ”welcome.”
But for me, the tipping point came earlier this year when I learned that young bloggers in Albuquerque were about to launch yet another media networking organization in an effort to embrace “new media.” “Hold the (cell) phone,” I exclaimed! ABQ has a plethora of professional organizations focused on communication, PR and marketing. Press Women, I argued, is exceptional in that we shine a light on ethics in journalism and fight to preserve the First Amendment. These not-so-subtle differences poise our organization to bask in the glow of the explosion of new media. These social writers and artists seek recognition and guidance as they bravely manuever an entirely new world of communicating – one that is instant, global. We are positioned to offer a certain wisdom 60 years in the making. Will becoming a palindrome (New Mexico Media Network) attract and sustain membership? I’m still not sure. I propose we blog about it. And then let’s enjoy each other’s company at the conference!
Laurie Mellas
NMPW College Scholarship Chair
Note: 22 of the state affiliates still have “women” in their names; 15 do not.
Hank Stuever headlines NMPW’s 60th anniversary conference
Over the past 60 years we’ve won many battles for freedom of the press and equal rights and seen a metamorphis in the media landscape. Yet the business of communication — of storytelling — is in many ways the same.
New Mexico Press Women preserves this legacy while helping us adapt to technological and cultural changes and welcoming new members to the profession. Please join us in celebrating NMPW’s 60th anniversary at the annual conference Friday, April 16-Saturday, April 17, at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown.
The conference features keynote speaker Hank Stuever, an award-winning pop culture writer for the Washington Post’s Style section, where he has worked for the past decade. He is currently the paper’s television critic. He has also been a reporter for newspapers in Albuquerque and Austin, and has twice been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing. Stuever is the author of “Off Ramp,” an essay collection, and “Tinsel,” a nonfiction book about Christmas. He has appeared on Today, The View, The Early Show, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, MSNBC and National Public Radio. He lives in Washington, D.C.
To register, send a check payable to NMPW along with your name, business affiliation, member status, mailing address, e-mail address and which event(s) you plan to attend to:
Sandy Schauer, NMPW Treasurer
P.O. Box 1054
Los Lunas, NM 87031-1054
Full Conference Registration:
Member: Midnight Special (by Feb. 15) — $130
Member: Early Bird (by March 26) — $145
Member: Full Fare — $160
Non-member: Early Bird (by March 26) — $160
Non-member: Full Fare — $180
Full-Time Students — $75
Awards Banquet and Keynote:
Early Bird (March 26) — $45
Full Fare — $55
Saturday only: $110
Breakfast only: $20
Zia lunch only: $25
Per workshop: $30
Registration will be accepted no later than April 9.
Rooms at the Sheraton are available at a discount rate of $99 (plus tax) per night for a single or double room for reservations made by 5 p.m. on March 25. After that date, standard rates will apply.
To receive the discounted conference rate, call 1-800-252-7772 and request the “Press Women” rate. For more information about amenities at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, visit http://sheratonabq.com (the discount is not available with online reservations).
The BROADSHEET Newsletter Winter 2009
Zia Awards Update
contributed by Sari Krosinsky, Zia Awards Chairperson
An outstanding New Mexican writer will be honored for her work in fiction next spring when her book receives the prestigious Zia Award.
Women writers living in the state are invited to submit their books for consideration for the award, given each year by the New Mexico Press Women at the annual spring conference. The 2010 conference will be held in
Albuquerque, April 16-17.
For full submission guidelines, visit us here.
New Mexico Communication Contest Update
contributed by Connie Gotsch
Here’s a reminder to everyone to enter the Communication Contest. The Deadline is Jan. 12. Anyone interested can download the contest brochure at our website, and fill out the entry form in MS Word. If hard copies are desired, please call me at 505. 566. 3377 or email gotschc@sanjuancollege.edu.
Each complete entry must be submitted in a 9×12 manila envelop with the entrant’s name and class on it. If the entry won’t fit in that size envelope, a larger one may be used. I’ll answer any questions and help with entry confusion.
Scholarship Update
contributed by Laurie Mellas
The NMPW Scholarship Information is updated and available for download from the NMPW site. If you have higher education contacts in the world of higher education, please forward the information along to faculty and others electronically.
Thank you to Sari for making it look snazzy and thank you to everyone for spreading the word about this great opportunity for college students. Here’s the link:
More on the September 2009 National Conference
As we reported in the Autumn 2009 Broadsheet, Carol Clark was elected to the National Board to serve a two-year term as Secretary. What we didn’t report is that she was also quite the shutterbug at the conference, but now we’ve got the pictures to prove it! (More photos will be uploaded soon.)
Enjoying a Meal in San Antonio
New President, Former President, and Carol Clark
Susan Walton and NFPW President Marsha Shuler
Communicator of Achievement Award
Susan and Marsha and the Big Screen
Feature Contribution
What’s in a Name? 60 Years of History
By Denise Tessier
NMPW Historian
One could conclude that I’m in favor of keeping the name New Mexico Press Women, based on that headline.
But as a member of this organization for half its existence – 30 years, nearly 20 of those as NMPW’s historian – I submit this article rather as an as-close-as-I-can-get-to-factual observation about previous attempts to take the “women” and the “press” out of our organization’s name, so that when it comes to a vote at our 60th anniversary conference in April, members will have the benefit of a bit of institutional memory.
I became a dues-paying member of New Mexico Press Women in the fall of 1979 after attending a regional meeting of the National Federation of Press Women held in Las Cruces. I was not a “joiner” at the time – I had turned down offers from various groups in both high school and college – and wasn’t sure this group had anything to offer.
I was surprised to discover in NMPW something I hadn’t realized I needed. That is, an antidote to the all-male world I worked in then. This was a time when newspapers were still running stories about the “first female fire chief,” “first woman” this and “first woman” that. The world was still pretty much run by men.
At that point in my short career I had covered the Second Judicial District Court and its 12 judges, all male. I could probably list the women attorneys by name, there were so few, most of whom worked in the public defender’s or DA’s offices. The same was true when later I covered federal court, with its three male judges and male federal attorneys. Most PR people I dealt with at the federal agencies and farm and ranch groups I covered were also male.
Then there were the press organizations – SDX and the New Mexico Press Association – whose boards pretty much consisted of all men. Albuquerque Press Club ran the Gridiron and gave out “Ape” awards, but it was essentially a social club.
NMPW, on the other hand, was run by women and was an advocate for women in terms of pay and promotions. It offered professional workshops at its conferences and monthly luncheons, offered a “mini-grant” for members to take professional courses. I liked that it supported youth – both male and female – with a scholarship for college students and a high school contest that allowed first-place winners to compete nationally. NMPW gave its Zia book award annually to a New Mexico woman author. And probably most important, it ran a communications contest that offered the opportunity for national competition.
It still does all those things.
Formed in 1950, New Mexico Press Women grew out of the Albuquerque Press Women’s Club of the 1940s, and became an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women soon after its start. At that time, there were no chapters, but two divisions: Division 1 for Albuquerque and Division 2 for the rest of the state.
NMPW has since seen the creation of several geographic chapters, the history of which is included here because they also grappled with the question of whether to change their names.
NMPW’s first chapters – Eastern New Mexico and Santa Fe Press Women – formed around 1976. Albuquerque Press Women started in 1978, and in 1980, Las Cruces Press Women grouped after hosting the 1979 regional national conference. Also, a Western chapter was organized in Grants. In 1985, Lea County Press Women formed in Hobbs.
NMPW membership in 1980 was about100. In 1991, membership reached an all-time high of 204 (and did not top 200 again).
That peak year, an NMPW conference was held in Roswell, a new chapter was formed, and to attract more members in this small community, its founders chose a gender-neutral, press-free name: Roswell Media Association.
Las Vegas Press Club almost went that far when it formed, and three chapters modernized around this time by dropping “women” and/or press from their names, creating Eastern New Mexico Media Association, Santa Fe Media Association and Taos Press Club. A Western Media Association was re-formed to include Cibola, McKinley and San Juan counties.
On the national level, in 1991, NFPW changed its highest award – the Woman of Achievement – to Communicator of Achievement to include men (and affiliate states followed that lead). A heated debate ensued soon after on whether national also should change its name.
At a national conference, members voted to keep the name National Federation of Press Women. But the vote came after hours of sometimes emotional and pointed comments, including a plea for change from the male president of the North Carolina Press Club, and the final tally was close.
By February 1995, 36 percent of the state affiliates had changed their names to titles like Ohio Professional Writers and Wyoming Media Professionals.
New Mexico talked about it, but did not change. In 1994, NMPW had surveyed its members in order to set goals. The more than 40 responses to a 24-page questionnaire revealed most members remained in NMPW for networking, professional enrichment and friendship. And when asked how members felt about changing NMPW’s name, four respondents said to change it, 16 said don’t and 10 said change it only if national does.
By this time, only the Albuquerque and Las Cruces chapters still had “Press Women” as part of names.But by 1999, only those two chapters remained. The rest had closed.
What happened?
To be fair, Las Vegas Press Club and Roswell Media Association were still fairly young when they petered out and Western Media Association closed because key members moved elsewhere in the state.But Santa Fe, Taos and Eastern had been active stalwarts of NMPW.A key year to review is 1993. Both Roswell and Western already had disbanded.The Santa Fe Media Association, having elected Biddle Duke as president the previous year, was headed by T.J. Sullivan, president, and Steve Terrell, first vice president, and
switched to an informal meeting format mid-year with sessions at The Green Onion, a local tavern. Eastern New Mexico Media Association found itself regrouping under the leadership of Mike Pierson, Public Information Officer at Cannon AFB, after the departure of Marsha Vohs. Women still led Albuquerque Press Women, Las Cruces Press Women, Las Vegas Press Club, and Taos Press Club.
The leadership pattern among chapters was similar in 1994, but by mid-year, Santa Fe was unraveling. At that time, Hollis Walker stepped in to serve as “ad hoc president” and reported that four chapter meetings were held during the year, with only four or five attending at each. A winter holiday party was cancelled, then moved to the Eldorado Hotel bar, where about 20 showed up. In 1996, the Santa Fe chapter disbanded after nearly 20 years. The treasury balance of $1,000 was turned over to NMPW’s Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship Fund.By 1999, Taos and Eastern had also folded.
At this point, I would like to offer personal observation.
The facts as presented here should not, in my opinion, lead to the conclusion these groups folded because more men were involved. In fact, Albuquerque Press Women and Northern New Mexico Press Women (which formed in 2004 to encompass northern communities like Taos, Santa Fe and Los Alamos) are both being led at this moment by men – Dan Mayfield in Albuquerque and R. Thomas Berner in Santa Fe – and seem quite healthy in terms of regular chapter programs and membership involvement.
But I would submit that taking out “Press Women” from NMPW’s name changes the organization and the expectations of those who join it.
Those currently advocating the change say it’s needed to attract new members. They say communications professionals and students resist joining, either because they think the name is sexist or because they’re not a member of bonafide press. Keep in mind that all of us who are members joined NMPW under the current name – including the men.
I say, the name does not have to accommodate men and those who aren’t members of the “press.” Because of past support, I still get invitations to join the NAACP – one does not have to be black to support its civil rights initiatives. (Note: The NAACP has not changed its name since its inception in 1909, despite the fact the term “colored people” is dated.)
Those who support NMPW obviously are comfortable with its support of advancement for women and First Amendment rights of a free press – with the added membership benefits of networking, work tips and contest recognition in all aspects of communications, including the Web.
Keep in mind that people generally are resistant to joining organizations, and might be using the name as an excuse not to get involved in a commitment or expense. Changing the name does not guarantee more people will join NMPW.By changing our name to something like New Mexico Media Network (the acronym of which, as our board member Nora Heineman-Fleck pointed out, is a palindrome, NMMN being reversible), NMPW is bound to change, perhaps fundamentally. After 60 years as an organization, perhaps it is time.
But I still like that the organization is primarily women, with the inclusion of some terrific men who are obviously confident enough to support and be active in a women’s organization.
If you think we no longer need an organization that advocates for women, read The Mismeasure of Woman column that ran recently in The New York Times. Perhaps you feel, as columnist Joanne Lipman once did, that we are beyond issues of gender, or race. She says now:
Right now, NMPW’s numbers are growing. Our contest is open to anyone and attracts new members each year because those who win at the first place level have to join NFPW to compete on the national level. Hundreds of young people have benefited from New Mexico Press Women’s college scholarships and high school contest and no doubt reflect positively on the name of that benefactor. And our Zia Book Award is a prestigious honor, hawked by
publishers of the books that win it. It is only given to a New Mexico woman author. This is part of NMPW’s reputation and legacy.
I say: Offer the programs, the contests, the scholarships, the awards and the advocacy – and get the word out about these benefits and accomplishments – and members will come.The name neither draws nor repels people. It is simply who we are.
A final note: The latest issue of NFPW’s “Agenda” shows that as of October 1, NFPW had 1,480 members in 37 affiliates. The top three affiliates in terms of membership, as far as I can tell from the map with this article, are Virginia Press Women (141), Illinois Woman’s Press Association (86) and New Mexico Press Women (85). (We actually have more members on the state level, but this reflects only those who also pay national dues.) All of these states kept “women” in their names. And, according to the state directory section of the NFPW Web site, 22 of the state affiliates still have “women” in their names; 15 do not.
Chapter News
North Chapter president R Thomas Berner is reporting brisk sales for his book Tamaqua: Then and Now, in which he shows old photographs of the Pennsylvania coal town where he grew up, side by side with the current scene. He took the photographs on a return visit last summer.
“Facebook has been a wonderful way to reach people,” Berner says, although he notes he doesn’t find many of his high school classmates online—just their children and great-grandchildren. He is donating his royalties to his hometown public library.
(Though he doesn’t mention it, looks like Tom has been nominated for Communicator of Achievement for the Northern chapter! See Anne Hillerman’s member news, below.*)
The Las Cruces Press Women Chapter has been busy with a wide range of events. In the last few months, they’ve offered a well-received half-day writing workshop with noted nature writer Susan Tweit, which wrapped up with a private reception at St. Clair Bistro; a meeting focused on graphic design with a presentation by college instructor Abby Osborne; a holiday potluck and two networking socials. The chapter continues to attract new members through these activities. They plan to kick off 2010 with a presentation on social networking media and another on research for non-fiction writing.
As the hosts for the 2011 NMPW conference, Las Cruces Press Women looks forward to preparing an exciting program for their fellow members statewide and showing off what has put Las Cruces on “best of” lists nationwide.
contributed by Cheryl Fallstead
Member News
Anne Hillerman writes:
My restaurant guide/cook book, Santa Fe Flavors: Best Restaurants and Recipes won the New Mexico Book Award for best cookbook of 2009. The book is a result of my years of hard, calorie-laden research as restaurant reviewer for the Albuquerque Journal in Santa Fe.
My newest book, Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn, was released in late October. It got a glowing review in both the November issue of New Mexico Magazine and in Publisher’s Weekly. Photographer Don Strel and I have set up a number of promotional appearances as benefits for libraries, literacy organizations and the Hillerman-McGarrity Scholarship fund at UNM. On Dec. 15th, we’ll be in Taos as a benefit for the Taos Public Library. Don, also an NMPW member, has created a fabulous slide show of photos from the book, other shots of places we visited in our three years of research, and family pictures of my Dad. The text includes some memoir by me, quotes from Dad’s books describing the scenery, and some description of the sites themselves.
*I’m also the point person for Tom Berner’s much deserved nomination as Communicator of Achievement for our northern Chapter of Press Women.
Find Anne at www.annehillerman.com
Artemesia Publishing of Tijeras, NM recently published Belle’s Star, a book for 8-12 year olds, by NMPW member Connie Gotsch of Farmington. A free download of an activity book with discussion questions about Belle’s Star is available from the publisher’s website. The activity book was written by NMPW member Margaret Cheasebro of Aztec. Belle’s Star tells the story of an abused dog, Belle, who finds a good home and discovers that, even though she may not be able to change circumstances in her life, she can react appropriately to them. When used with the activity book, Belle’s Star becomes a dynamic tool for use in classrooms, homeschool situations, and a variety of organizations involving young people. It’s a great gift idea for any time of the year for a child or for an adult who works with kids.
Gail Rubin writes:
I’ve started a blog called The Family Plot: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die. The blog is designed to provide information, inspiration and tools to plan and implement creative, meaningful and memorable end-of-life rituals for people and pets.
When I wrote “Matchings, Hatchings and Dispatchings,” an Albuquerque Tribune column on life cycle events, I found that the columns on death elicited the greatest reader response, indicating a need for the kind of detailed information that people don’t usually deal with until there is a death in the family. It’s presented with gentle humor and offers a unique opportunity to help Baby Boomers face the death of their parents – as well as members of their own generation – with the care and creativity they have embraced all their lives.
Note from the editor:
Due to other obligations, Karen Lehmann will regretfully be stepping down as NMPW’s Broadsheet newsletter editor at the end of 2009. It’s been a great year, and I highly recommend that another of our members give this role a try! Thanks to Sari’s technical wizardry and the genius of WordPress you can put the newsletter together and edit it straight into the NMPW Web site/blog. Reach me at karen@phrasesincorporated.com if you need a helping hand.
Call For Volunteers
The NMPW Board is still looking for a Secretary, a PR Chairperson and now – a Newsletter Editor as well. We encourage our members to step up to fill these positions. Bring your ideas, your vitality and creativity to these roles and help make the NMPW an even stronger and more diverse organization than it already is. You’ll see, it will be fun!
Call For Auction Items
Susan Walton writes:
What would you like to buy at our April 2010 Silent Auction? We’ll have a variety of items, gift certificates and books for you to bid on at our Friday, April 16, 2010 fundraising auction at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown.
New Mexico Press Women hosts this silent auction during our annual awards banquet at the state conference to raise money for our two college scholarships, awarded annually to New Mexico students pursuing careers in journalism, public relations, writing, photography and other areas in our field.
Please help us to find “treasures” from all over New Mexico by donating one yourself, or by asking stores and places you do business with to contribute. I can send letters to ask, if you’ll give me names, addresses and a description of what donation I should request.
If you have any questions, or need a receipt contact me at (505) 338-3004 or swalton@sandiaprep.org. Thank you in advance for your generosity! This Silent Auction is when and where I love to do my annual Christmas and birthday present shopping. So as you shop this month, keep April in mind for future purchases!
NMPW 2010 Scholarship Applications
NOTE: The deadline for the Cary Herz scholarship only has been extended to Wednesday, March 31.
New Mexico Press Women is offering two $750 Doris Gregory Memorial scholarships to male and female students majoring in journalism, broadcasting, photography, graphic art, writing, communication, public relations or advertising. In addition, for 2010, we are offering one $2,000 Cary Herz scholarship specific to students studying photojournalism.
Scholarships will be awarded to recipients at the New Mexico Press Women State Convention Awards Banquet Friday, April 16, 2010, in Albuquerque.
Completed applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 5, 2010.
Main criteria for this award are career potential and financial need, although scholastic standing is a consideration. Students must be a New Mexico resident enrolled at/attending a Post-Secondary/Higher Education institution.
We would appreciate your help in getting this notice out to potential applicants. Please post prominently or include in your scholarship listing or email alerts.
Applicants are required to send samples of their work, proof of financial need, an academic transcript, letter of recommendation, letter of intent with career goals and the application form.
NMPW scholarship applications can be downloaded here:
Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship 2010 Application
Cary Herz Scholarship 2010 Application
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Laurie Mellas
Scholarship Chair, New Mexico Press Women
Fiction entries sought for women’s book contest
An outstanding New Mexican writer will be honored for her work in fiction next spring when her book receives the prestigious Zia Award.
Women writers living in the state are invited to submit their books for consideration for the award, given each year by the New Mexico Press Women at the annual spring conference. The 2010 conference will be held in Albuquerque, April 16-17.
The 2010 Zia Award will be given to the author of an outstanding book in fiction published in 2007, 2008 or 2009. The contest is open to novels, novellas and short story collections and to all genres.
Each year the award rotates to one of three categories: nonfiction, fiction and children’s literature. To accommodate this schedule, a book published in the last three years is eligible.
Submissions can be made by the author or by someone else on behalf of the author, such as a publisher. Membership in the association is not required, but the writer must be a woman. Authors must also live in the state or have a strong connection to New Mexico; however the book can be published anywhere. A $10 submission fee is required and helps to defray the costs of the award. Entries must be postmarked by Jan. 11, 2010.
New Mexico Press Women is an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women and exists to provide professional development, networking and First Amendment rights protection to professional journalists and communicators. For more information on the association, visit www.NewMexicoPressWomen.org.
The Zia Award was started by members in 1953 to honor an outstanding woman in New Mexico media.
Book entries are considered a donation to the organization and are not returned. The books will be part of the silent auction held at the annual spring awards banquet to raise scholarship funds.
To submit a book entry to the Zia Award contest please send a cover letter containing contact information and a paragraph stating the author’s connection to New Mexico, an email address or stamped postcard for acknowledgement of receipt, the book and a check for $10 payable to New Mexico Press Women to the following address postmarked by Jan. 11, 2010:
Sari Krosinsky
Zia Award Contest Chair
315 Terrace Street SE
Albuquerque, N.M. 87106
For more information on the contest please send correspondence to the address listed above or email michal_kro@hotmail.com.
New Mexico Press Women announce 2009 Zia Book Award honors
An unprecedented six Zia Book Awards were given to five New Mexican women for their outstanding book-length work in non-fiction and one publisher by the New Mexico Press Women this month at their annual conference in Santa Fe.
The Zia Award is given annually to a woman book author who lives or has ties to New Mexico. Each year the contest focuses on one of three genres: non-fiction, fiction, or children’s literature.
Receiving the top honor was Las Crucen Paula Moore for “Cricket in the Web,” which is the result of three years of intense researching and interviewing to flesh out the story of the Cricket Coogler murder case and its political aftermath.
“I believe the book covers the most notorious unsolved New Mexico murder in the twentieth century — the most notorious of the nineteenth century being the murders of Col.
Albert Fountain and his young son Henry in 1896, another case that still triggers heated debate in
Doña Ana County as well,” Moore said.
Published in 2008 by University of New Mexico Press, Moore’s book, subtitled “The 1949 Unsolved Murder that Unraveled Politics in New Mexico,” has also been honored by the state and Doña Ana County historical societies with awards. In the history of the Zia Award given since 1954, seven other Las Cruces-area women have received the honor, the most recent being Linda Harris, also a non-fiction honoree.
Other honored titles dealt with subjects as diverse as Native American healing, wild and domestic animals, a New Yorker who falls in love with the Southwest and New Mexico on hiking excursions, and nuclear power. Each book was set at least in part in New Mexico. The other New Mexican women honored for their non-fiction books are:
• Marsha Scarbrough, First Runner-Up for “Medicine Dance: One woman’s healing journey
into the world of sweatlodges, drumming meditations and dance fasts,” 2007, O Books;
• Ruth Rudner, Second Runner-Up for “Ask Now the Beasts: Our kinship with animals wild
and domestic,” 2006, Marlowe and Company;
• Mary Beath, Chair Award for “Hiking Alone: Trails out, trails home,” 2008, UNM Press;
• Gwyneth Cravens, “Honorable Mention for Power to Save the World: The truth about
nuclear energy,” 2007, Vintage Books.
Scarbrough’s healing journey brought her to the revelation that she was a warrior in an archetypical sense. Beath quotes Barry Lopez in her introduction: “The differing landscapes of the earth are hard to know individually. They are as difficult to engage in conversation as wild animals.” Through her hiking and journaling Beath realizes she has done just that, while we learn reading through her book of essays Rudner is the one engaging wild animals. Guided by a Sandia National Laboratory scientist and environmentalist, novelist Cravens seeks to counter his nuclear endorsements, but ends up totally convinced nuclear energy should replace carbon-based fuel sources.
Runner-up honors were given in 2007 (fiction) and 2008 (children’s literature) but addition awards were given this year because of the large number of submissions and it was the end of the three year term of the current Zia Award Chair. The Chair Award, given to Beath represents the personal favorite book of the committee chair and this is first time the award has been given. Cravens received the Honorable Mention, also a first time honor for a Zia Book Award submission.
Publisher UNM Press received a certificate acknowledging their role as submitter of the three books that have received top honors in the three-year cycle covering the three genres recognized by NMPW with a Zia Book Award. The titles submitted and honored with the top award by UNM Press the past three consecutive years are: The King’s Lizard by Pamela Christie (Fiction – 2007), The Voyage of the Beetle by Anne H. Weaver (Children’s Literature – 2008) and Cricket in the Web by Paula Moore (Non-Fiction – 2009).
The 2010 Zia Award will be given to a woman author of an outstanding book in fiction. Eligible titles will have been published in either 2007, 2008, or 2009.
NMPW is the state affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, organized to provide professional development, networking and First Amendment advocacy for women journalists and communicators. NMPW, an inclusive media organization, is open to men and women. Visit the website at: www.NewMexicoPressWomen.org.
Lac Cruces Press Women Presents “Writing as Practice”
Las Cruces Press Women presents a workshop by Susan Tweit, award-winning author, teacher, and former host of KRWG-FM’s Wild Lives, on Friday, Nov. 6, 1-5 p.m. at St. Clair Winery and Bistro, 1800 Avenida de Mesilla in Las Cruces. From 5-6 p.m., Las Cruces Press Women will host a private reception for workshop participants only, and an open book signing will follow at 6 p.m.
Writing As Practice: Finding and Tending The Voice of Heart and Spirit
In a world where we’re in constant contact via cell phone, text, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and email, how can we tune in to the “small, still voice” of our own heart and spirit? In the constant busyness of work, family, and community obligations, where do we find the time and energy to tend our own writing? Join award-winning writer Susan J. Tweit for a half-day workshop based on her new memoir Walking Nature Home, hailed by reviewers as “lovely, brave, inspiring” and “one book you don’t want to end.” Tweit will share the tools she has learned in transforming the work that earns her living–books, magazine features, newspaper columns, radio commentaries, lectures–into work that also nurtures her heart. Come prepared to explore, be moved, and to write!
Tools: Pencil and paper, laptop, whatever you need to write.
The workshop is limited to 20 pre-paid participants. The cost is $30 for current Las Cruces Press Women members, $40 for nonmembers, and $45 for the workshop plus membership to LCPW. Please RSVP to Elaine Stachera at 646-2959 by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Payment instructions will be given at the time of RSVP and payment must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Reserve Your Room for the 2010 Conference
Make your room reservations early for New Mexico Press Women’s 60th anniversary conference, April 16-17, 2010, at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown. A discount rate of $99 (plus tax) per night for a single or double room is available until 5 p.m. on March 25, 2010. After that date, standard rates will apply.
To receive the discounted conference rate, call 1-800-252-7772 and request the “Press Women” rate. For more information about amenities at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, visit sheratonabq.com (the discount is not available with online reservations).
If you have any difficulties making a reservation, please contact the conference chair at michal@unm.edu.
2010 New Mexico Communication Contest
It’s time to get your entries ready for the annual New Mexico Communication Contest, recognizing excellence in print, broadcast, electronic or Internet media, photography, marketing, public relations, graphic arts and journalism in New Mexico. The submission deadline is Jan. 11, 2010. Awards will be presented at New Mexico Press Women’s annual banquet on Friday, April 16, 2010, at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel. First place winners advance to the national contest.
