February 6, 2007

Open Mic Night

Barnes & Noble offers writers a venue to express themselves

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Perhaps you started your memoirs years ago or maybe you think you have a story that could be the next “Great American Novel.” Or maybe you want to hear what other writer’s are working on. If this is the case, Open Mic is just the venue for you.

“I like to tell stories and sometimes they laugh at parts that surprise me,” said Woody Horn who shares his memoirs at the Open Mic groups. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

Open Mic is the brainchild of the South Bay branch of the California Writer’s Club that is showcased weekly at various locations in Santa Clara Valley.

“Most people like the energy,” said CWC South Bay branch president Bill Baldwin who attends each of the Open Mic meetings. “I’m an audio person. When I’m reading, I really notice everything. You hear different things in your work and you receive insights on better writing.”

At Open Mic at Barnes & Noble at the Pruneyard in Campbell a dozen writers recently shared their original work. Emcee Bill Baldwin read from Philip Roth’s “The Facts” followed by a presentation he called “amazing book covers.” Later, he shared a novella of his own work in progress.

Next up at the podium was Meredy Amyx reading from her novel “Lydia.”

Open Mic organizer and CWC South Bay Branch President Bill Baldwin attends all four of the monthly meetings a various locations in Santa Clara Valley.

“Six years ago I said I wanted to be a writer,” said Amyx, who has worked as an editor for 25 years, and now is a regular attendee of Open Mic in Campbell. “Hearing your own work changes your awareness. Also, there’s validation of your work and the discipline of preparing something for the group. And I enjoy the society of writers where the camaraderie overrides the rivalry.”

A visit to a high school reunion in Indiana brought back dozens of reminiscences for memoirist Woody Horn, which he shared with the group. He attended Open Mic when the group first formed in 1999 and now has 20 published stories of his childhood.

“I like to tell stories,” said Horn, a former KNTV art director who also has taught memoir writing classes. “Sometimes they laugh at parts that surprise me. It’s good to receive feedback and it’s fun. There’s intelligent conversation and a good opportunity to refresh the brain.”

The readings continue: memoirs, short stories, novels and even haiku. After the meeting many of the group greets each other as old friends but newcomers are just as welcome to come and listen and to share in the joy of writing.

“After writing the story in my column about Open Mic for South Bay Writers Talk, I was so impressed I’ve continued to attend the meetings,” said writer Anne Darling. “Open Mic offers free entertainment, a chance to meet and greet other writers and who knows, the opportunity of hear a budding author. How can you go wrong?”

Silvia Bichler shares her novel with the Open Mic group in Campbell.

The California Writer’s Club was founded in 1909 and is the nation’s oldest professional club for writers. Casual meetings of Jack London, poet George Sterling and short-story writer Herman Whitaker eventually formed the Press Club of Alameda. A portion of the original group started the CWC, incorporating in 1913 with the motto “Sail On!” from Joaquin Miller’s poem “Columbus.” The first CWC was held in Oakland 1941.

Today, one to three day conferences are sponsored by various club branches throughout California. The South Bay branch hosts a monthly meeting at the LookOut Restaurant in Sunnyvale as well as the annual East of Eden conference featuring authors, agents and publishers. It will be held Sept. 8-10 in Salinas.

The CWC is dedicated to educating writers of all levels of expertise in the craft of writing and marketing their work through meetings, workshops, contests, seminars and conferences. Writers of all disciplines are welcome to join.

South Bay Writers Open Mic is the first Friday of each month at Barnes & Noble, Almaden Plaza; second Friday at Borders Books, Santana Row; third Friday at Barnes & Noble, Pruneyard in Campbell and the fourth Wednesday at Borders in Sunnyvale. All sessions are from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Contact Bill Baldwin at (408) 730-9622 or wabaldwin@aol.com to be added to the roster or just attend. For more information of the South Bay Branch of CWC visit www.southbaywriters.com.