WEALTH OF IDEAS

February 6 is National Wear Red Day, run by the Go Red For Women , which is a movement dedicated to helping women fight heart disease, the #1 killer of women in America. It's a day to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke. Things most people do to support the National Wear Red For Women Day: 1. Avoiding tobacco, Being more active, Choosing good nutrition 2. Visiting the Go Red For Women website at www.GoRedForWomen.org 3. Honoring heart disease survivors by inviting them to tell their stories at meetings, in classrooms, or workshops. 4. And writers? What can you do? Here is an idea to write a story on the theme. Tell a story (writing with a purpose) about a survivor, or a poem that raises awareness for better health in this area, or one dedicated to all victims and survivors. Nearly each day is a day of something. Here is a partial list for February: Feb 4: World Cancer Day Feb 6: Bob Marley Day; Wear-Red-for-Women Day; International Day Against Female Genital M...

The growing StoryTime , an online magazine for new writing, is accepting stories about Valentine Day. So if you have a love story, or one about what Valentine means to you, visit the website for contact details. It's a good way keep the pen moving. I will try to polish my story and submit it too. Romance paruzevha .

I plan to attend Kim Addonizio's reading at Bistro 33 on February 4 (9:00pm). Local event (Davis) hosted by my Facebook friend Brad Henderson. Kim is my friend too on Facebook!

Terry a O'neal, a poet based in Sacramento, California, has introduced Black History Bee, a contest similiar the to Spelling Bee, but which focuses on Black History. Recordnet reveals that O'Neal was compelled to launch this contest because children are not learning important facts about African American history in schools. "Parents are working their butts off to keep a roof over their heads and I'm sure black history is probably one of the furthest things from their minds," O'Neal said. "I feel like we're losing it, that kids are losing out ... on our culture, our history." "Through her nonprofit organization, Lend Your Hand, O'Neal is hoping to correct that, launching a Black History Bee, which debuts Feb. 11 at Stagg High School," writes Lori Gilbert of Recordnet. O'Neal plans to spend all of February visiting schools in the Stockton and Sacramento areas to conduct the "spelling bee-like event". Terry O'Neal i...

Yesterday I stopped in a bookstore cafe to order a coffee. To rationalize this consumption of caffeine here instead of at home, I gathered a few magazines about writing and found a seat in the cafe, near where people ordered their beverages. Because I was within earshot of them, I found myself listening to how and what they were ordering. I am happy to report that everyone I heard order something opted for small. Small latte, small white mocha, small frapucchino (isn't it always small?), small cookie, etc. So then I started thinking: Downgrading to small is actually a form of upgrading. In the long run anyway. Financially. These people were perhaps thinking what I had thought when I ordered my coffee, that I could have made a cup at home before I left. But small is a good start; which may explain why one coffee chain is closing hundreds of its stores nationwide.

I discovered this Naval Langa's blog through Sarudzayi Chifamba-Barnes. The blog is loaded with information to quench your literary thirst. Langa, a writer and lawyer based in India, posts his short stories, book reviews and other people's stories on this blog that receives hits from all over the world. Naval Langa's literature blog is entitled SHORT STORIES AND BOOK REVIEWS and a good starting point would be to get a taste of Langa's short stories , then move on to courageous reviews of J.M. Coetzee's books here and here , but while you are still there, see all the other entries that Langa has made. Naval Langa is also a follower of StoryTime , and hopefully he will consider submitting something there, to add to the growing number of writers who are serious about their art.

Chris Mlalazi has published one of his short stories on StoryTime, an online magazine of new fiction. If you haven't read Mlalazi's stories, check this one out. I like the narrative style and symbolism. The "Matchstick Man" is imagination stretched to the limits. In related news, Molara Wood, the Nigerian writer who blogs at Wordsbody , is featured in the Winter 2009 issue of the reputable Per Contra Magazine . The journal features her short story and a flash fiction piece, and an interview with the Miriam Kotzin, the editor. From Geneva, Petina Gappah writes that her publicity trips for Elegy for Easterly , her upcoming, Faber-published short story collection have begun. She reports that she spent time with some important book people in London. It pays to work with publishers who are willing and able to work for the writer. The Sacramento Bee has published this CRC call for submissions: "The editors of the Cosumnes River Journal – the literary magazine of ...