TONIGHT! Nov. 17, 6 – 8 PM: Local Author Open House for Over 100 Authors! near St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Local Author Open House for Over 100 Authors!
TONIGHT! November 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Spencer Road Branch of the St. Charles Public Library, 427 Spencer Road, St. Peters, MO 63376
(near St. Louis, Missouri, USA)

local-authors-st-charles-library-upper-part-of-flyer-2016

Many prizes, discounts, free and low-priced books and coupons for ebooks, just in time for your holiday shopping! I know it’s on a weeknight, but it’s early enough that you can come and still get home in time for evening activities!

We eat local, we shop local, so let’s read local! Don’t miss the St. Charles City-County Library District’s Local Author Open House. At this one-of-a-kind event, more than 100 local authors will be gathered in one place to sell and autograph their books, and to talk to visitors about how they got their start.

The 2016 Local Author Open House, now in its 8th year, is being held on Thursday, November 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Spencer Road Branch, 427 Spencer Road, St. Peters, MO 63376.

“This gathering of so many local authors in one place, is an event that you will not find anywhere else in the area,” said St. Charles City-County Library District Adult Services Manager Sara Nielsen. “We are excited to be able to help people discover the many authors that live right here in our own community.”

The St. Charles City-County Library District offers a special collection that features the work of local authors. This collection is housed at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch, or you can browse and reserve a title online.

To access the collection online, go to http://www.youranswerplace.org/specialservices and select “Local Author Collection.”

Refreshments will be provided, and attendance prizes will be given out.

Register online at youranswerplace.org or call the Spencer Road Branch at 636-441-0522.

Participating authors include:
of course, Sally Ember, Ed.D.This Is/Is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, Volume III, and Volumes I and II of The Spanners Series, with special discounts to attendees for purchases at or via the Fair: visit my table! Or, visit http://www.sallyember.com/Spanners for book trailers, discount coupons, blurbs, covers and more!

3-paperbacks

and

Debbie Manber KupferP.A.W.S. former guest on my video talk show, Episode 27! Watch conversations with my previous CHANGES conversations between authors’ guests any time: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq Learn more about and get yourself or recommend someone to be scheduled as a guest: https://sallyember.com/changes-videocasts-by-sally-ember-ed-d/

and

Fedora Amis – Mayhem at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
Peggy Archer – Name That Dog! Puppy Poems from A to Z
Linda Austin – Battlefield Doc: Memoirs of a Korean War Combat Medic
Bradley Bates – Trinity
Jessica Marie Baumgartner – Embracing Entropy
Stephanie Bearce – Stan Musial
Jenny Beilsmith – The Change: Insights into Self-Empowerment
Chris Bostic – Savage Hills
John Bryant – Something of an Ordinary Life
Marvin Byrd – Make it Plain – Keys to being a successful high school student
Lynn Cahoon – A Story to Kill
Ann Chandonnet – Barn Raisings and Cemetery Cleanings: Frolics, Bees & Other Old Time Occasions for Good Food
Steven Clark – The Saint Louisans
Brad R. Cook – Iron Zulu, book II of The Iron Chronicles
Victoria Cosner – Missouri’s Mad Doctor McDowell: Confederates, Cadavers and Macabre Medicine
Liz Costanzo-Morrison – Flashback
James Creighton – Shark Bait: The “Misadventures” of an Oceanic Ferry Pilot
Suzanne DeWitt Hall – Rumplepimple
Eileen P. Duggan – The Not-Ready-for-Juilliard Players
Donna Duly Volkenannt – Chicken Soup for the Soul, Angels and Miracles
Jeanne Felfe – The Art of Healing – A Novel
T.W. Fendley – The Labyrinth of Time
Kristen Flood – Seeking Incandescence
William Flowers – William Flowers: Reflections Upon My First 3 Decades
Bridget Fogarty – Where My Heart Has Always Been
Cherita Ford – Leo, A Different World
Shyona Gaines – Broken
Marcia Gaye – Times They Were a’Changing
Lindsey Gendke – Ending the Pain: A True Story of Overcoming Depression
Linda Gilman – The Suffragette Takes a Husband
Judith Golightly – Billy’s Story – Every Parent’s Nightmare – The Loss of a Child
Ellen Harlie – Through Hell and out the other side
C.S. Hart – WindStone: The Secrets Within
Ann Hazelwood – Josephine’s Guest House Quilt
Judith Hennessey – First Rodeo
Mark Henrikson – Origins: Discovery
Michael Henry, Ph.D. – Ghosts of St. Charles
Bonney Hogue Patterson – The Devil Came to Town and the Angels Followed
Emily Humpherys – The Dark Ferret Society
D.L. Jenkinson – Faraway
Lisa Kelly – Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became
Valerie Battle Kienzle – What ‘s With St. Louis?
Robert Lampros – Intended Consequences
Louis Launer – Townies’ Turn: Molly’s Challenge
Lyssa Layne – My Calling
Dee Livers – Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo
Terri Luckey – Kayndo Ring of Defense
Marita Malone – My Mother My Daughter: A Memoir
Ross Malone – Missouri’s Forgotten Heroes
Amalyn Martin – Max and Mila at the Beach
Jim Merkel – The Colorful Characters of St. Louis
Bryce Meyer – Of Oceans and Rivers, Fishes and Whales II
C. David Milles – Legacy
Sheree and Russell Nielsen – Folly Beach Dances
Jay Noel – Iron Warrior
Linda O’Connell – Chicken Soup, Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
Chad Odom – The Last Archide: Warlord of Navarus Author’s Edition
Ellen Parker – Stare Down
Brian Peterson – Dragon’s Flight: Book III – Still Waters
Mark Pitts – The Good Shepherd and the Baaaad Sheep
Piper Punches – 60 Days
Robert Reason – SUCCESSFUL Sales People Listen To REASON
Rory Riddler – The Bitter Divide
Sioux Roslawski – Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be the Best You Can Be
Rebekah Ross – Nancy’s Numbers
Saturday WritersElements in Writing: Anthology #9
Tandy and Makenzie Schaller – Little Red Conquers Her Fear of Flying
Claudia Shelton – Slater’s Leverage
Angela Skurtu – Pre-Marital Counseling: A Guide for Clinicians
Christy Smith – Forever and Always
William Spradley – Cold Trail
Alaina Stanford – The Price of Magic, Hypnotic Journey Book 6
Jennifer Stolzer – Dog Park
Di Storm – YES SIR!
Doyle Suit – Baker Mountain
Izora Summers – Breaking the Silence from Shame: My Journey
Cleve Sylcox – Recluse – David Winter Mysteries
Steven Thomas – Aloha
Lugosi! Kimbra Townsend – My Neighbor’s a Real Turkey, Neighbor Series
Nancy Jo Van Hook – My Intimate Journey to Self
Pat Wahler – Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Gratitude
Ken Wheeler – Dead Spaces
Fred Wolf – Alexander the Good Dragon

Commemorating an Extraordinary Teacher and Person: Bill Heyde, who passed on 10/26/16

Celebrating an Extraordinary Teacher and Person:
Bill Heyde, R.I.P., 10/26/16, reported by the Ladue Education Foundation in St. Louis, MO, USA

bill-heyde
Mr. Heyde, circa 1973, courtesy of the Ladue Horton Watkins High School yearbooks, as published for his obituary in the St. Louis Post Dispatch

Dear Friends of Mr. Heyde,

I am saddened to share with you the news that our wonderful Mr. Heyde passed away on Wednesday. His health had recently been improving, and he was scheduled to return to his assisted living facility, but his life came to a close on October 26, 2016. As you all know, he had a life-changing impact on many of his students’, colleagues’, and friends’ lives.

Visitation will be on Sunday, October 30, from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Road in Kirkwood, MO.

The funeral service will be Monday, October 31 at 10:00 a.m. at Bopp Chapel.

Burial will be immediately following the service in Cape Girardeau.

Condolences may be sent to Bill’s sister: Adelaide Parsons and her husband Robert, 3120 Independence, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to two of Bill’s favorite organizations:
Missouri Scholars Academy Development Fund
c/o Honors College
210 Lowry Hall
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO 65211

and

The Ladue Education Foundation
9703 Conway Road
St. Louis, MO 63124

Here is the link to the obituary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/stltoday/obituary.aspx?n=william-albert-heyde-bill&pid=182178423&fhid=6378

For those of you who missed it the first time around, here is the link to the clever rap written and performed by 1972 alumnus Steve Levin to honor Mr. Heyde in 2015: https://youtu.be/tA5F3XdNcwI

As a grateful former student of Mr. Heyde’s, I’m so glad I was in St. Louis for the wonderful event honoring him as an amazing teacher and person in April, 2015!

Mr Heyde and students circa 1970
Mr. Bill Heyde and students, Ladue High School, circa 1970?

We had a BLAST!
Bill H and Bill W - Copy
Bill Heyde and Bill Weiss

Doug Cassel and Tom Newmark - Copy
Doug Cassel and Tom Newmark (sorry it’s blurry)

Jim McKelvy - Copy
Jim McKelvy and ??

Mark Zooie and Mr H mock debate - Copy
Mark Zooie (sp?) in mock debate

Randy Rubin mock debate - Copy
Randy Rubin in mock debate

Scott Anderson and Glenn Caplin - Copy
Scott Anderson and Glenn Caplin (former Debate captain)

Tripp Frolichstein mock debate - Copy
Tripp Frolichstein in mock debate

At the actual event, many people contributed to a large scrapbook and to the event’s festivities, including an amazing speech by former Missouri state debate champ, Neal Osherow, and an incredible original poem/rap, written and performed by former debater, Steve Levin https://youtu.be/tA5F3XdNcwI, and a mock debate (pictures, above) with many former debaters. So much fun! So much respect, admiration, love, re-connecting.

Mr. Heyde gave a prepared speech (but mostly from his memory!!) of the history of the debate team at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis and that was fascinating. There were many former debaters and Speech competitors there (as I was, having won 4th place at the Missouri state level with my acting partner, Karen Raskin, in Duet Acting!), and students of Mr. Heyde’s. Excellent turnout: many had to be turned away due to fire code restrictions!

Thanks, Ladue Education Foundation organizers, for imagining, creating and hosting this excellent festival!

Here is my letter, sent to Mr. Heyde in 2012 and again in 2015 for this event:


Hi, Mr. Heyde,

I just found out how to contact you and wanted to thank you. You may not remember me, since you have had thousands of students, so let me jog your memory: I was then Sally Fleischmann (Jonathan’s next-younger sister) at Ladue High School (we have 2 younger sibs you may also have taught, Wendy [now, Ellen] and Lauri). I took your Advanced Composition class in 1970-71. I was one of the only students to get a “B+” on a first draft, while most received “D”s and “F”s. So, I suppose I can’t give you credit for ALL of my writing skills and abilities, but please, read on.

Another memory jog: One of the essays written for your class (about game-playing imagery in a short story by William James) was published in that year’s LHS creative writing journal. I then went on to torment Ms. Cannon in the Advanced Placement English class my senior year by never getting less than a “B” on any written paper, while acting up in her class a lot (I did win the vote [along with our class President, Andy Eder] for “Class Clown” in our yearbook’s “Senior Superlatives,” after all…).

Although I had been published, starting as a 4th-grader, in school and camp newsletters, for short stories, articles, poetry and songs, and again as a freshman, in Missouri Youth Writes, for a poem, prior to having your class, I felt that this essay’s being published was my first “adult” placement. As an actual adult, I have had short stories, poetry, articles, nonfiction books, songs and plays published and produced by others, and served as an editor/rewriter/proofreader for many publications.

In 2013, I became a blogger (Sally Ember, Ed.D., http://www.sallyember.com), and a self-published science-fiction author with Volume I, This Changes Everything, of The Spanners Series</strong>; in 2014, I added Volume II, This Changes My Family and My Life Forever, and I hope to add Volume III, This Is/is Not the Way I Want Things to Change, in 2015 and seven more after that! In 2014, I began hosting my own talk show, conversations between authors, CHANGES, and I often think of you while talking to others about their writing. I also write reviews for Goodreads and Amazon, and while critiquing others’ books, your phrases about what constitutes “good” or “bad” writing often come to mind.

I credit you and want to thank you for modeling for me (and many others, I’m sure) how to teach and inspiring me to teach composition and writing to adolescents and young adults. I went on, after teaching elementary school and middle school language arts, to teach writing: for five summers at Upward Bound; for several years at three community colleges; for five years at two different universities; and, for six years in community education locales, including Corrections Education, in several states. While acquiring my Master’s and doctorate at UMASS/Amherst, I taught writing in Peter Elbow’s peer review process’ domain. I also have had occasional contract work as a researcher/ writer/ editor/ proofreader. I know that your recognition of my writing as “good” (a characterization you did not give out to many pieces) set me on this path.

I think of you often, as a great teacher and someone who inspired me to write more and to teach writing. Even 43 years later, I can picture you perfectly, gesticulating strongly, your necktie blowing about as you passionately enjoined us to become literary critics, not just essay-writers. “Literary criticism” was a foreign concept to me as a junior in high school, until your class. I had learned about symbolism, metaphor and allusion, even how to cite quotations. But, putting it all together analytically, originally, and interestingly? Never even crossed my mind, until you gave us your assignments.

You opened me to a whole new intellectual world. I remember with intense clarity the exact moment when I first “got” what you were trying to convey, and understood (in a very basic way, but still, understood) how to construct a critique. I was astonished. It was as if you had been decrypting a code, helping us to begin using a secret language within English. I really was thrilled to be part of this new “club.”

Yes, I am a geek. I usually read over 250 books a year. Yes; I do. I have, since elementary school, been an avid reader. I was also an athlete: a runner, a cheerleader in 9th grade, a gymnast and field hockey player; also, I am a musician and singer/actor; and, in high school, I was “popular,” including having been elected/selected to that pinnacle for girls in that era, a cheerleader. This is to say to your students that these “identities” are not mutually exclusive: being inducted into the National Honor Society and having lots of friends happily co-exist in many, and I heartily encourage your students to cultivate both their brains and their hearts.You will help them, I’m sure.

I mainly wanted you to know what a great influence and help you were in my professional life, and what warm memories I have of your class. Never think your import was forgotten or unsung, even if we don’t find you to tell you: THANK YOU!

Best to you and your students, past, current and future. Write on!

Take care,

Sally (Fleischmann) Ember, Ed.D.


Do you have a teacher, coach or other mentor you’d like to thank? Start by commenting here and keep on sharing! #thankateacher

Mr Heyde and one student
Mr. Bill Heyde and student, Ladue High School, circa 1970?

Art Exhibit, 6/3 – 7/31: “Hidden Messages: The Subtlety of Oppression,” St. Louis, MO USA

Art Exhibit, 6/3 – 7/31: “Hidden Messages: The Subtlety of Oppression,” St. Louis, MO USA

My most recent #author guest on CHANGES conversations between authors Darian Wigfall (Episode 49, 6/1/16, on Google+ https://goo.gl/OYRt1H or YouTube https://goo.gl/x5IxVZ), is also an artist, activist and community organizer in St. Louis County. His #art is part of the exhibit that opens TONIGHT, 6/3/16, and runs through July 31, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA (yes, where #FERGUSON is), with that of many other #artists whose work interacts with #oppression, #activism, #intersectionality and #hope.

GO! TELL OTHERS! Free & open to the public during gallery hours.

Grand Center Arts & Entertainment District
501 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63103

(Closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
Wednesdays 11 AM – 6 PM
Thursdays 11 AM – 6 PM
Fridays 11 AM – 9 PM
Saturdays 10 AM – 5 PM
Sundays 12 PM – 5 PM

June 3 EXHIBIT OPENING, 6 – 9 PM

Poetry and interpretive paintings by Emily Timmerman exploring oppression in the areas of race, class, and gender.

About:
Oppression is being exposed all over the world. From the Arab Spring to Black Lives Matter, people are waking up to the fact that we are being oppressed by those who have the money to control the narrative about people and how they are punished.

These paintings are interpretations of the messages that our oppressors have handed down to us to keep us under control. Over time we have adopted these messages for ourselves, reinforcing and perpetrating the oppression against ourselves. The last piece in the 4 stanza poem is a warning that our comfortable lives will be destroyed by the forces that create the artificial comfort we enjoy.

Darian alone
Darian Wigfall

Darian art
image from gallery’s website

http://kranzbergartscenter.org/calendar/current-events/item/hidden-messages-the-subtlety-of-oppression

The Kranzberg Arts Center is a non-profit organization located in the heart of the Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District at 501 N. Grand Blvd. It houses three distinct, multi-use spaces: a gallery space dubbed the Kranzberg Arts Incubator, a flex-seat 100 capacity black box theater, and a 100 capacity cabaret/lounge performance space with pro audio & lights. The basement of the KAC is home to the Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design Education Center while the Black Box is the home of resident theater companies UMSL & Upstream.

Connect:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kranzbergartscenter
Twitter/Instagram: @KranzbergArts

For Inquiries: chris@kranzbergartscenter.org

St. Louis Indie Book Fair is TOMORROW! Saturday, May 7, 2016, 10 – 5: FREE!

Come one, come all! St. Louis Indie Book Fair is TOMORROW! Saturday, May 7, 2016, 10 – 5: FREE!

2016 Indie Book Fair logo
image and all organizational work by Mark Pannebecker

All genres, all ages, fiction and nonfiction, books for children, YA and adult readers!

WHERE? St.Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO USA 63103

Author readings are all day! Mine, from Volume I of The Spanners Series, This Changes Everything, is at 11:18 AM or thereabouts for about 10 minutes. Also, discounts/authors’ giveaways, autographs, conversations, food, more!

Join me (and ask for a special Spanners Series‘ paperbacks discount when you see me!) and many other authors, including Debbie Manber Kupfer.

ALSO: Please come me and other authors share from our work at the public reading auditorium.
11:18 AM!

Full list of participants here: http://www.markpannebecker.com/#!itinerary/c9um

For more information: http://www.markpannebecker.com/#!st-louis-indie-book-fair/c1pz

Never-before-released Autobiographical Info about ME in Today’s Feature

Look who’s featured on today’s “Wednesday Writer’s” slot on Jnana Hodson​’s site? ME!

Never-before-released autobiographical info about ME in today’s feature!

Please visit, comment, follow:

https://frugaljnana.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/1812/