The Presidentï¿½s Page

OUR PREVIOUS/MOST RECENT MEETING

Information about our most recent meetings is available via a link on the “Welcome” page. (To the left)

Visit the “Programs” page (to the left) to learn about our next meeting and other writer related events.

W now post current and most recent columns from our President, our Editor/Web-master, and any member or guest who wishes to contribute to ensure everyone sees them.

(Newest is at the top)

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Howdy,

Well, we’re getting closer to a return to normal. Just heard on the news that one top virologist has predicted that we might reach herd immunity by the middle of June! (Hope you’re fully vaccinated by now.) I had written in an earlier column that I was hoping for a June meeting. Looks like we’ll miss that date (as everyone has missed nearly every predicted date,) but we’ll keep our fingers crossed for July. I miss our meetings. I miss all of you, my fellow SASPers and SASPerillas. I miss our bell-ringers. Who has actually done something in the field of literature over this past year? Have you finished a manuscript? Had something published? Written a poem? Entered any contests? They’re about to turn your book into a movie? What else? Let us know – Dave will get it in the newsletter and on line.

As I was typing this, my phone rang. A person asked if I was the James Parry who had written Book All the Teachers. I answered in the affirmative. The voice on the other end said her company was interested in my book and the CEO of the company would call me soon. Now, I’ve heard this song-and-dance before so I replied, “Please tell the CEO that she/he will not be getting a penny up front from me, so don’t waste my time or your time. But if he/she is interested in a percentage of profits from the sale of the book, we could talk.” The voice then wished me a good day, and hung up the phone.

Did you catch the wonderful Poetry Rising event hosted by Spokane Public Library on April 20? We got to hear readings by MJ Hudon, Beth Camp, and Stephen Pitters. I missed the live performance, but thankfully it was reposted by Beth so I was able to enjoy the entire hour. (I think you can still see it on Facebook.)

A burglar stole all my lamps. I should be upset, but I’m delighted.

In signing off, I’m reminded of the beginning lyrics of Steve Martin’s Grandmother’s Song:

Be courteous, kind, and forgiving.

Be gentle and peaceful each day.

Be warm and human and grateful

And have a good thing to say.

Jim

FROM THE EDITOR/WEB-MASTER

Most of the time, receipt of Jim’s From Our President column triggers production of the next issue of SASP NEWS. I go into the working file for the newsletter, add his new column, delete the old one, change the cover to reflect the new issue, update the month at the bottom of each page, and as well, create a new, From the Editor/Web-Master column. This time, it only took his warning that the column was on its way to spur me into action. I should warn you, however, that this might end up being a fairly lengthy edition. I have a couple of things to write about, and as most of you know, I can get long winded.

For a while now I’ve been complaining about forwarding e-mails to all of you via the SASP e-mail account and having some of you respond or reply to that account instead of to the original sender. (Sometimes these e-mails are forwarded three or four times before they reach you.) I could never figure out why folks didn’t just use the original sender’s e-address in the original, at the bottom, e-mail. It finally occurred to me that many of you may not be checking e-mail on your computer, desk-top or lap-top, but instead are checking via your phone. I got to wondering if somehow some of the sender information doesn’t show up, especially for e-mails farther back in the chain. It also might be different with different phones, different internet services, etc. I just checked on my on phone for a couple of e-mails I recently forwarded, first from me to SASP, and then to you all. On my phone, anyway, I can still go back and find the e-address of the individual who sent the message to me in the first place. But again, that may not be the case with all phones, etc.

So I’ll try to be a little less abrupt when replies come back to SASP instead of to the original sender. I’d also ask that if you need to reply to the original sender, that you use their address (if available) and just don’t select “reply,” type your message and then hit “send.” It’s only going to go back to the e-mail account that sent it to you. It will not go back to everyone along the chain. If you hit “reply all,” your message will go back to the account that sent or forwarded it to you, along with everyone else that received it from that sender. Once again, it will not go back to other links in the chain or ultimately to the message originator.

If the SASP e-mail account does receive a reply from one of you that should go to the originator, I’ll assume that you are on your phone and the originator’s e-address didn’t show up. I’ll simply forward your reply to the originator and quite possibly “CC” you to let you know it was passed along.

So, what does all that mean? It probably means I’ve made some assumptions over the years. I do most of my writing and work on newsletters via my desktop. I have always imagined that everyone else does, too. Oh, I can do my personal e-mail on the phone, but I only have access to SASP e-mail via the computer.

I had my second Covid shot nearly two weeks ago. So, by the time you all receive this I should be able to claim full protection from that nasty Corona Virus. I hope the majority of you have also had or are close to getting your vaccinations as well. It’s nice to think we are getting closer to having this pandemic behind us, even though there is now talk of Spokane County going back to Phase II for a while.

At the same time I wonder if this past year, with all its stay at home, social distancing practices might affect how we act once we do meet or are able to gather in larger groups. A couple of weeks ago, the Inland Northwest Corvair Club, of which I am a member, held its first outing in a long time. We had a guided tour of the Heritage Flight Foundation at Felt’s Field. That went smoothly. Everyone was masked, and tried to maintain some resemblance of social distance. Once that was done we planned to go up the street to the Skyway Café for a bite to eat. I’m not sure why, but suddenly I had the urge to not go with the group, got in my truck and drove home. It was my first time out in a social situation in a long time, and perhaps I’d had enough of it at that time. I wasn’t mad at anyone, upset with the way things were going, or especially worried about the virus. I just didn’t want to be in a group anymore. Maybe I’m so used to the once a week runs to the store and to check mail for SASP and the aforementioned Corvair Club, that anything more got to me.

Finally, let me switch hats to that of the Treasurer. As I’m sure you are all aware, when it became obvious we wouldn’t be able to meet for a while, we extended everyone’s membership forward by one year. Thus, if you paid for 2020, you were automatically extended to 2021. If you last paid in 2019, you were extended to 2020. And if you’ve joined during the pandemic and paid for a single year, we’ve also extended your membership an additional twelve months.

There were a number of individuals who had last paid in 2019, who were extended to 2020. They now are due (overdue) for the current membership year of 2021. Eventually their names and their Member Web-Pages will be taken down from our web-site. If you fall in that category, please send along your dues, or contact a SASP officer and let them know you no long desire membership.

Speaking of membership and dues, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those who, while paid up for 2021 due to the extension, have seen fit to pay another year’s worth of dues anyway. All of you are now paid for 2022.

Because of the Pandemic we haven’t been screaming for dues, but if you want to pay, the easiest way is to mail a check or money order for $15.00 to:

Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers

P. O. Box 18573

Spokane, WA 99228-0573

I check the mail weekly, and if we receive any dues payments, I take those payments directly to our financial institution for deposit.

If you are ever looking for our mailing address, it’s on the front cover of each and every issue of SASP NEWS. It’s also on the Welcome Page and the Membership Forms page of our web-site. I hope that helps.

As I’ve mentioned a time or two, if you want to share any Corona Virus/Covid 19 experiences with your fellow SASP members, I’ll be glad to pass it along to the group.

If you have a chance, visit our web-site and check out your member web-page. Let me know what corrections and updates it needs. If you have new books, book information, bios, headshots, etc., send it along and I’ll try to get it updated as soon as possible. If you do not have a member web-page available on the web-site, check and see if you are up to date on your dues.

P. S. I’m still trying to get the cover art done for the third Stone Island Sea Story. Truth is, I’ve not painted much since doing the cover for my second book several years ago, and I guess I’m out of practice. I did sit down a few weeks ago and do a quick scenic painting to try and get back into the swing of things. Also made an attempt at the cover art but I don’t like it and will be starting over on it. Anyway, here’s my practice painting…

FROM OUR PRESIDENT (Previous)

Hello there my fellow SASPers and SASPerillas,

Garsh, still no meeting. Would have been on April 1^st – and that’s no joke! Still have my fingers crossed for sometime this summer.

Hey, did you read the March 7th Locally Writ column in the Spokesman-Review? Author Ike Andrews offers some good advice: First, he says it may take something powerful and/or dramatic in your life to spur you on to complete that novel. Andrews had put a manuscript aside - until a near-death experience jolted him back to work. (Hopefully, it doesn’t have to be that traumatic to kick you into high gear!) He explains further that the experience gave him fresh eyes and a new sense of purpose.

Another bit of Ike advice is the old: Have a habitual time, place, and established writing structure. His routine consists of starting his writing early in the morning using only pen and paper. Andrews does no editing at this juncture; he just writes and writes. When he transcribes his longhand drafts to his computer, only then does he start the editing process. Andrews states, “Find an environment where you feel comfortable expressing yourself, and then make that a discipline. There are times when you really don’t feel like writing, but go ahead and sit down there and keep trying. Sometimes it doesn’t come easily, but sometimes it flows like a stream.”

Or, I follow the advice of Ernest Hemingway. He always poured a tall glass of whiskey and set it behind his typewriter. He would then force himself to write a chapter before he took a drink.

From a great literary character: Live long and prosper,

Jim

FROM THE EDITOR/WEB-MASTER (Previous)

As April arrives we enter the second year of not being able to meet in person. But as they say, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully it is not an oncoming train. Every month that goes by in which we can’t meet means we are one month closer to being able to do so.

I had my first shot a week or so ago. Even that seems to add a bit of a glow to that light far away. Overall, my optimism is soaring, compared to what it was a few months ago. And as I’ve mentioned a time or two, if you want to share any Corona Virus/Covid 19 experiences with your fellow SASP members, I’ll be glad to pass it along to the group.

Because of the Pandemic we haven’t been screaming for dues, but if you want to pay, the easiest way is to mail a check or money order for $15.00 to:

Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers

P. O. Box 18573

Spokane, WA 99228-0573

I check the mail weekly, and if we receive any dues payments, I take those payments directly to our financial institution for deposit.

Spokane Authors & Self-Publishers

Page revised 05/02/2021 DAM