February Grotto Notes newsletter

Students should come to the workshop with an idea about a travel story they'd like to write, as well as a laptop, notebook, etc. We will be doing a lot of in-class writing, with the idea of leaving the workshop with the beginnings of a saleable travel story.
Instructor bio: Janis Cooke Newman's travel stories have appeared in the LA Times, SF Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Miami Herald, and Chicago Tribune, as well as in Backpacker and Country Living magazines. She writes a recurring column called Have Kid Will Travel for the SF Chronicle, and her travel essays appear in four Travelers' Tales editions. She is also the author of the memoir, "The Russian Word for Snow," and the novel, "Mary."



**How to Get Your Non-Fiction Writing Published**

Instructor: Ethan Watters
For Registration Contact: ethanw1@..., 415-348-1849
Number of sessions: 1
Meeting times: February 21, 2009, 10 am - 3 pm
Course fee: $150

Full payment in advance is required for a reserved seminar seat. Class will be limited to 20 People.

This class will put beginning and intermediate writers on a path to getting published. We will focus on how to sell magazine pieces and non-fiction book projects. Topics will include

-Writing effective query letters for magazine
-Crafting book proposals
-Understanding the magazine/book market place
-Establishing and developing relationships with editors and agent
-The five most common mistakes of beginning writers

Instructor Bio: Ethan Watters has been a freelance writer for 20 years. He's written for The New York Times Magazine, Men's Journal, Outside, Esquire, Discover, Spin, Mother Jones, GQ, Details, HG, and San Francisco Magazine, among other national and regional publications. He has also created pieces for Public Radio International's This American Life. He has written three books: Making Monsters, Therapy's Delusions and Urban Tribes. Ira Glass has purchased the movie rights to Urban Tribes and has written two scripts based on the book. In 1994 he co-founded the San Francisco Writers' Grotto. He is currently at work on a book about America's influence on mental illness around the world.

There is still limited space available. Visit the Grotto website at http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes.html for more information, or to register.




LAST CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE BIG UGLY REVIEW "STOLEN ISSUE"

Grottoite Elizabeth Bernstein says it's your last chance to submit to Issue #8 of The Big Ugly Review, “The Stolen Issue.” The online magazine is seeking work in all categories -- fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photo-essay, music and short films of five minutes or less -- but especially welcomes more photo-essay, film and music submissions. All work must somehow relate to the theme "The Stolen Issue." People have been asking us what we mean by the theme, "The Stolen Issue." That's for you to tell us. Send us submissions about stolen kisses, stolen oil, stolen cars, stolen elections, stolen hearts, stolen years, stolen money, stolen girlfriends, stolen office supplies, stolen identity, stolen candy bars, stolen glory!

The magazine is also accepting submissions to the “And So It Begins” contest: 500 words or less that begin with the phrase, “We were robbed.” Please visit http:\www.biguglyreview.com/submissions for complete guidelines. Questions? info@...



JD ON A PANEL ABOUT ARTISTS AND THE LAW AT HASTINGS, PLUS HER NEW ARTWORK DEBUTS ON FEBRUARY 13 AT MISSION 17

Hastings Law School, in collaboration with visiting professor Sonia K. Katyal, invite you to an exciting new lecture series on art, law, and politics. Inspired by the San Francisco art world and the rise of new media, the Law School has asked a variety of award winning emerging and established artists, including Grottoite JD Beltran, to share their perspectives on the role of art, the law, new media, and the public and private domain. Each talk features a different topic and is designed to facilitate a collaborative dialogue between the artists, members of the public, and the community on the role of art in law – or vice versa.

The lectures are free and open to the public, although RSVP is required. The talks last from approximately 3:30 to 4:45. To attend, as seating is limited, please contact Roslyn Foy at foyr@..., and specify the date you plan to attend, your name, and the number of participants.

February 11, 2009: Re-imagining Public Space - JD Beltran, Johanna
Poethig and Matthew Passmore (Rebar) For more information, see http://www.uchastings.edu/news/2009/02/art-law-media.html


JD’s new artwork also will debut this month at the MISSION 17 space as part of the exhibitions imPOSSIBLE!: and Cantocore: Free On Board. See the details below in the “Recommended” section. Opening Reception, Friday, February 13, 6 - 9pm and more information at http:\www.cantocore.com and http://mission17.org/exhibits/upcoming.htm





CONGRATULATIONS TO MEGHAN FOR HER CHRONICLE REVIEW LAST WEEKEND

Kudos go out to our own Meghan Ward, who commanded this week's Chronicle Book Review section with her review of Abraham Verghese's CUTTING FOR STONE. Well done!

Read it at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/01/RVCU15HBP4.DTL


A NEW AWARD--INSPIRED (IN PART) BY JASON'S BOOK!

Grottoite Jason Roberts reports: “Both my book and Robert Kurzon's recent Crashing Through deal with the adventures of very determined blind travelers. In the spirit of both books, the Sendero Group, the company that pioneered "talking map" software for the GPS, is now sponsoring an annual $2,500 award "for the most impressive travel adventure for the year" by a non-visual traveler who shares "personality traits [with] the characters in either Crashing Through or A Sense of the World."

Here's a statement from Sendero "We are looking for independent travel. Travel with sighted friends, colleagues or family is fine as long as the blind applicant is demonstrating independent travel, a leader rather than a follower. "

So if you know a modern-day blind adventurer (or are one yourself) under the age of 29, of any nationalilty, it's time to get that application in! The deadline is February 15 for this year's award. Both Kurzon and I have been asked to serve on the awards committee, which is quite an honor. Full details, and application forms, can be found at http://www.senderogroup.com/ctapp.htm



EXPERIMENTAL MAN PROJECT ONLINE!

Experimental Man: What one man’s body reveals about his future, your health, and our toxic world, by David Ewing Duncan, will be published on March 16, 2009. In the book, David takes every high tech medical test available — genes, environment, brain and body — in an effort to describe the coming brave new world of health care, and who we are.

In the meantime, check out The Experimental Man Project website at http://www.ExperimentalMan.com — the website is interactive with the book, and will include a wealth of information and data related to the book, videos of imterviews, and the the Experimental Man Blog. The official launch date for the site is February 10, but check out the work in progress now!

Also, save the date for the San Francisco book launch party on March 19 at Bubble Lounge, details to come! For more information on the the book and related projects, go to http://www.davidewingduncan.com

Thanks to everyone that has helped with The Experimental Man Project!




DAVID DIRECTS COMMERCIALS TO SUPPORT MOVIE HABIT

Long-time Grotto lens-head David Munro has joined Kontent Films' Kollective to direct digital video content for a range of clients and online platforms. The group comprises five award-winning Bay Area filmmakers, including Oscar-nominated documentarian Sam Green, and was formed in response to shrinking film investment and the growing demand for visual content on the web. By making their talents available to ad agencies, corporate marketers, and webcasters, Kollective filmmakers are bootstrapping personal projects by shooting instead of begging - a tactical shift the SF Chronicle found newsworthy enough for a Datebook cover story.

David and fellow Grotto filmmaker Xandra Castleton's debut feature "Full Grown Men" will be released on DVD in early to mid 2009 and can be saved in your Netflix queue now. (hint, hint)



OUR OWN HELENA, ONCE MORE GIVING THE WORLD GOOD MANNERS, WITH A SMILE

We all need better manners. Catch Grottoite and expert on good graces Helena Eichlin during her appearance on The Early Show Los Angeles at:

http://www.tv.com/video/oXK8AAnWhHktagX9cpCYFy3z9IKg7fkQ/helping-out-of-work-friends?o=cbs



WINE MEETS FICTION – CHECK OUT JORDAN’S REVIEW OF “BORDEAUX” FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Check out Grotto dweller Jordan Mackay's review of an oenophilic novel called "Bordeaux" by Paul Torday in the Chronicle. Apparently, the main character has a predilection for "passing out in public places and falling into alcoholism-related delusions that have him being chased through the rainy streets of Bogota, Colombia."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/21/DD5P156MFS.DTL



CHECK OUT THE CASITA LAURITA AS AN OASIS FOR FINISHING YOUR LATEST BOOK

Grotto dweller Laura Fraser finished building her writing retreat in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and already written about 50,000 words there. If you need a retreat to finish your latest book, you can rent Casita Laurita. Check out the website here: http://web.me.com/phraze



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JD’S ART PICKS FOR FEBRUARY


DON’T MISS THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE ART OF PARTICIPATION AT THE SF MOMA:

Looking back nearly 60 years across a wide spectrum of genres and media, this engaging and compelling exhibition curated by Rudolph Freiling examines how artists have engaged members of the public as essential collaborators in the art-making process. On view are works by more than 40 artists, from early performance and conceptual pieces to contemporary sculpture and web-based projects. Encompassing re-stagings of historic installations as well as new commissions that invite your direct participation, the exhibition reveals how artists pioneered many of the collaborative tactics now associated with the Web 2.0 zeitgeist. The presentation will change in form and content as you and other visitors contribute — either at the museum or online.

Through February 8th. For more information, see http://sfmoma.org/exhibitions/306


CANTOCORE: FREE ON BOARD AT MISSION 17 THIS MONTH

Cantocore: Free On Board is the second installment of a collaborative project, exploring the globalized conditions of contemporary culture, through an exchange specifically between artists from the San Francisco Bay Area and Guangzhou, China.

The collaboration takes its inspiration and its name, "Cantocore,"from the rapid economic, social, and cultural changes currently taking place in Canton province. Hip Hop is thriving, heavy metal music is blasting, and the art market is booming. Over the last 20 years, cities such as Guangzhou, the capital of Canton, have changed from having a uniquely Chinese culture into global cities influenced and informed by diverse forms of representation. During the same period, Chinese artists also have exerted a growing influence on culture across the globe - and perhaps nowhere more than here on the Pacific rim of California, where Chinese Americans have played a central role since its inception. Art and culture is no longer defined by merely national boundaries - if it ever was - and yet cultural differences persist, providing productive tensions, rich with critical and creative possibilities.

Cantocore works to explore these globalized conditions of contemporary culture and the possibilities they present, by cultivating the dialogue specifically between the Bay Area and Guangzhou. Artists involved in the project include, among others, Americans with roots in China, Chinese who have come to study and work in San Francisco, and Americans who have emigrated to China. The first installment of the project, titled Cantocore: Import / Export, took place in September 2008 at the Ping Pong Space in Guangzhou. Cantocore: Free On Board provides the follow-up response.

What common concerns inform these artists work? How does their art nevertheless read differently across the globe? How do the histories and environments of each city inform the aesthetics of the work produced and presented there; and how does the work transcend its geographic origins, drawing aesthetic and conceptual influence from elsewhere?

This exhibition is a collaboration with The Garage Biennale, The Fabricatorz, and Ping Pong Gallery, China. Participating Artists:JD Beltran, Deer Fang, Wang Ge, Misako Inaoka, David O. Johnson, Guy Overfelt, Jon Phillips, Lin Fang Suo, Zhou Tao, Katherine Worel, Huang Xiaopeng.. Curated by Deer Fang, Justin Hoover, Jon Phillips.

Opening Reception, Friday, February 13, 6 - 9pm and more. 2111 Mission Street, Suite 401, San Francisco 94110. Telephone: 415.861.3144. For more information, see www.cantocore.com and http://mission17.org/exhibits/upcoming.htm



IRREVERENT: CONTEMPORARY NORDIC CRAFT ART AT THE YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Irreverent showcases the surprising work of a new wave of craft artists from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden who challenge the aesthetics and principles of Scandinavian modernism. Rejecting te sleek elegance and mass production that characterized the modernist movement, they emphasize the role of the maker in the act of crafting and the narrative potential of functional objects. The artists move away from the utilitarianism of high modernism and turn instead to camp and intricacy, triggering a fresh relationship between craft and art. Through April 12. More information at http://www.ybca.org/tickets/production/view.aspx?id=8198




ALSO AT JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY: "Abstract and Figurative: Highlights of Bay Area Painting." The Bay Area Figurative movement was one of my all-time favorites, and here is that rare show highlighting why. More information at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/24/DD2V15DPJU.DTL&type=art



"Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness ... Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together."

Martin Luther King. Memphis, Tennessee. April 3, 1968