Saturday, February 16^th, 2008

Topic: Report from National - National President Elaine Waidelich will update the Pikes Peak Branch on the state of the National Organization of American Pen Women and give us a few tips on her art – flower arranging.

Bio: Virginian by birth, Elaine has traveled widely around the world: Brazil, Thailand and Asia, Europe and Saudi Arabia.  She worked for the world famous Jim Thompson’s Thai Silk Co. and helped Princess Anne of Great Britain, Crown Princess of Denmark and other celebrities select beautiful silks.  Flower arranging is Elaine’s art form as well as photography and fashion modeling.  Elaine got her first taste of flower arranging in Florida in 1959 and went on to study and teach in Thailand.  Today, she is a National Flower Show judge for shows all across the country.

Saturday, March 15^th, 2008

Topic: Flash Fiction Contest

Local members will judge the annual Flash Fiction submissions.  Selection guidelines will be distributed on site and a lively discussion will follow.  Consider this an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of crafting a tight, concise, but compelling story!

Saturday, April 19^th, 2008

Topic: Every Song is a Story to Tell

Bio: As Executive Director of Colorado Springs Children's Chorale, Marcia will give us the history of Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale, how chorale performances are choreographed and arranged and how singing inspires all of us to lead creative lives.

Saturday, September 20^th, 2008

Topic: Biography: The Most Exciting Non-Fiction
Doris’s talk will focus on three unsung Colorado women-one writer, one taxidermist (yes!), and one educator

Bio: Doris Baker is owner/publisher at Filter Press, a regional publishing firm specializing in the history and lore of the Southwest, Colorado history, and mid-grade historical fiction.  Her love of reading and background in librarianship made the transition to publisher seem the next step when she purchased the company in 1996.  She has brought scores of books to readers overseeing all aspects of the publishing process.  Doris currently serves as president of Colorado Independent Publishers Association.  A transplanted Southerner, she and her family have enjoyed living in the Pikes Peak region since 1991.

Saturday, November 15^th, 2008

Topic: Networking Your Way to Success in the Creative Arts
Beth will discuss how networking with associates is as important to those in the creative fields as it is to those in more traditional pursuits, using her own career as an example.

Bio: Beth Groundwater's debut mystery novel, A Real Basket Case, was released in hardcover by Five Star Publishing in March, 2007.  It has garnered good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and other publications and has gone into a second printing.  She also has published seven short stories, including one in Wild Blue Yonder, Frontier Airlines's in-flight magazine, and one which was translated into Farsi.  Between writing spurts, she defends her meager garden from marauding mule deer and wild rabbits and tries to avoid getting black-and-blue on the black and blue ski slopes of Colorado.  Beth invites you to visit her website at bethgroundwater.com and her blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com.

Click for 2007 programs

Last modified: Thursday June 5, 2008.