04/29/2002

Attention Connecticut Writers: Contest, Lecture and Workshop

The Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association (CAPA) announces the first annual Jerry Labriola and Brian Jud Writing Competition for writers of short fiction, personal essay and poetry. The competition is open to Connecticut residents. Deadline for entry is September 14, 2002.

Entries must be original, unpublished works that meet the following guidelines: Short Fiction—stories of up to 2,000 words. Personal Essay— non-fiction of up to 1,500 words; and Poetry—poems up to 30 lines in length. There is a modest entry fee per story or personal essay submitted (to cover the cost of mailings and prizes—CAPA is a non-profit organization). For poetry, up to 3 poems may be submitted for each entry fee paid.

A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 are offered in each of the categories. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded in December at CAPA's annual holiday party (open to the public). Winning entries will be published in a special edition of CAPA's monthly newsletter, The Authority, in 2003.

CAPA recently celebrated its eighth year as an organization dedicated to furthering writing in all genres and to providing support and networking opportunities for bringing work to print. The group meets monthly at Tunxis Community College in Farmington and boasts members from all over the state.

For contest entry form and rules, and for more information about CAPA, visit the Web site at www.aboutcapa.com or write to: CAPA, Competition 2002, PO Box 397, Canton, CT 06019

***

Litchfield, CT: Wisdom House in Litchfield, CT, will offer a weekend program "The Harriet Beecher Stowe Lecture and Writers' Retreat" in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin May 31 through June 2, 2002.

The program will open with a lecture by Katherine D. Kane, Executive Director of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford. The Stowe Center's mission is to preserve Stowe's Hartford home and to provide a forum for the discussion of her life and work, and to inspire people to embrace a commitment to social justice, working toward positive change in their communities.

Ms. Kane, who has a BA in Sociology from the University of Denver and an MA in Anthropology from the University of Colorado, has been an active lecturer at the University of Colorado, Metropolitan State College and Colorado College. She is active with the American Association for State and Local History, the American Association of Museums and with many Hartford community organizations.

The program continues on Saturday morning with an in-depth look at how anyone, as citizens and writers, can effect social change. Frances Chamberlain, Coordinator of Programming and Public Relations at Wisdom House, will lead the sessions on social justice writing. She is a widely published journalist with credits in The New York Times, national magazines and newsletters, and regional newspapers. She has taught writing workshops at Wisdom House and other New England centers, as well as English composition at several different colleges.

The lecture begins on Friday evening, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. Writing workshops begin Saturday morning after an 8:00 a.m. breakfast and end at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

This program is offered with the support of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford, and Hickory Stick Bookshop, Washington, CT. Wisdom House is an interfaith retreat and conference center that offers a variety of programs meeting the artistic, spiritual, cultural and educational needs of diverse people. For more information about the Harriet Beecher Stowe Lecture and Writers' Retreat, call (860) 567-3163 or visit the Web site at www.wisdomhouse.org.

***

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.