Join Young Willamette Writers...
Why?

• It's Free!
• You'll meet and join other students like yourself who have an interest and love in writing.
• Share your work with your peers, and help each other grow as writers.
• Meet and learn from writing experts.
• See your best work published on this Web site and in an annual anthology.
• You'll have fun, make new frieds and learn how to improve your writing!

Meetings . . .

are held at the same time and place as the adult Willamette Writers.

• Day: The first Tuesday of each month (YWWs meet only during the school year).
• Time: From 7 to 8 p.m.
• Place: "The Old Church" on SW 11th and Clay in Portland, Oregon.
• Price: Free! (Unless you want the Newsletter and other benefits of regular WW Membership.) Parents can attend the adult meeting for free while you are in the group.
• Who: Students from 5th through 10th grades who love to write. Our meetings are divided between mini-workshops led by the co-chairs of the group, and special presentations by writers, editors, publishers and other writing professionals. Students usually get a chance to read their work at the end of meetings.
  

Our next meeting...

will be December 6th, 2005.

This is the story of how different people working together can make good things happen, and each YWW will be part of turning a dream into reality. Christmas is fast approaching. In this season when we think of other's wishes, YWW are fortunate to able to give a gift that keeps on giving longer than the Energizer Bunny. We will give new books to community libraries devastated by Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Both hurricanes destroyed at least a dozen libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi. Tons of books became a soggy, unusable mess that destined them to the trash heap. A call went out from the affected libraries asking for help to restock their shelves for the benefit of the community.

Enter Alibris, an on-line bookseller. For every book we purchase Alibris will donate the same book we choose at no charge. They are working with the Texas Library Association (TLA) which has storehouses to process and keep the books until the libraries are ready to open. Where does the money to make this possible come from? Enter writer Elaura Niles, who some of you may remember came with her husband during The Meteor Hunter video made for TV. Elaura has generously given two of her speaking fees to YWW to use for hurricane library relief. Those funds will be matched by funds raised at this past summer's conference. Normally the conference money helps support the cost of speaker fees, but in light of the hurricanes, this year we will have less speakers and apply the monies to book purchases.

Students will be given a fifteen page list of the books the libraries have requested from which they can make selections. We will order the books and Alibris will mail them. In addition, the students will be asked to make a list of their favorite books. I will purchase those books locally. Students will box them at the meeting, and include a note to the person who checks out the book. Then I will ship them to the warehouse in Texas.

So put on your thinking cap and decide what favorite book you would pick for the library. (The Harry Potter series has already been purchased.)

We will meet on Tuesday, December 6th from 7 to 8 p.m.. See you there. Happy Holidays to all.

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Some of our past speakers have included Linny Stovall, one of the doyennes of publishing in the Pacific Northwest; Bill Johnson, author of "A Story is a Promise," Jessica Morrell, author of "Writing Out the Storm;" and Native American storyteller and poet, Ed Edmo.

Bringing a student to YWW?

When you arrive, please stop at the front desk and fill out a name tag for everyone attending. Please escort your students to the reception room where you are welcome to help yourself to refreshments before the meeting begins. YWWs meet in the Victorian parlor off to the side of the reception room. Parents are welcome to stay with their students or to attend the main WW meeting at no charge.