| January 15 |
Harry Spiller, best-selling author and retired Sheriff of Williamson County sold his first true crime story in 1989 to Official Detective Magazine and since then has sold 32 other short stories to various periodicals. In 1992, his first book Death Angel, a memoir of his time in the Marine Corps was published by McFarland Publishers. He participated in the book Spouse Killers, a collection of true crime stories, and in the follow up book Greed Killers. His series Murder in the Heartland published by Turner Publishers have been regional best sellers. American POW's in World War II is Harry's 12th book. The Illinois Center for the Book selected Harry Outstanding Author in the State of Illinois 2006. Harry served as sponsor for the SIWG from 2001-2008. |
| February 19 |
Catherine Field is a member of the first cohort of MFA graduates in creative writing at SIU-C. Catherine has had poems published in Poetry, Farmer's Market, The Spoon River Poetry Review, The Southern Poetry Review, and the Anthology of Magazine Verse & Yearbook of American Poetry. Catherine has taught creative writing, composition and technical writing at SIUC, Rend Lake College, and John A. Logan College, as well as a teacher of American and European literature. Catherine currently teaches sociology at SIUC, and is finishing a doctorate in the area of social movements. Catherine is in her second term as president of the Stage Company community theatre, and is also serving as a board member for the newly-constituted Varsity Center for the Arts. |
| March 19 |
Jon Musgrave is currently the Director of the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office in Marion, Illinois. Some of the numerous publications on Illinois History by Jon Musgrave are: The Bloody Vendetta of Southern Illinois (Milo Erwin & Jon Musgrave, writers); Slaves, Salt, Sex & Mr. Crenshaw: The Real Story of the Old Slave House and America's Reverse Underground R.R.; Handbook of Old Gallatin County and Southeastern Illinois. |
| April 16 |
CRITIQUE NIGHT. Members are encouraged to bring their writing, be it poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or memoirs. Members can share their work or just enjoy listening to others read. |
| May 21 |
David Bond is a SIWG member and poet who has published work in Rhino, The Spoon River Poetry Review, Crab Orchard Review, and other literary journals. A two-time Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Poetry winner, he applied and was chosen to attend The MacDowell Colony, America’s premier residency program, in 2006. His presentation will be an informal talk on that 5-week stay, its attraction, support, and creative influence on his further writing. |
| June 18 |
Jason Lee Brown teaches writing at Eastern Illinois University. His work has appeared in The Journal, Natural Bridge, Spoon River Poetry Review, Post Road, Tar River Poetry, Ecotone and others. He has been nominated for Pushcart Prizes in fiction and poetry and received honors from the Academy of American Poets and the Playboy College Fiction Contest. He was a 2008 RopeWalk Writers Retreat scholarship recipient in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. He previously taught at both SIU and John A. Logan. |
| July 16 |
Ken Gilbert, know to friends and colleagues as Fog, writes poetry under the pseudonym of jacob erin-cilberto. He has published 10 books of poetry, most recently Against the Current, that includes the Pushcart nominated poem "Splash." He also teaches poetry workshops for the Heartland Writers Guild and for the SIWG. His program this evening will include audience participation in sharing their poetry with other members, discussing reactions and possible suggestions. He will also discuss different aspects of writing and publishing poetry, including sending poems out for publication and self-publishing work. It will be a workshop type session. |
| August 20 |
CRITIQUE NIGHT. Members are encouraged to bring their writing, be it poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or memoirs. Members can share their work or just enjoy listening to others read. |
| September 17 |
Misti Sandefur began writing short stories at the young age of eight. Then in 1999, she turned her love of writing into a career when she started her freelance writing business. Today, Misti has had over 150 articles published in both print and electronic publications. Furthermore, she writes Web, print and blog content for businesses and individuals, manages two blogs of her own (Life of a Writer and WAHM's Journey to Weight Loss), she’s editor of the Coffee Break for Writers e-zine, and the author of two books (Help From Above and On the Net Resource Guide for Writers), which are published under Misti Jackson and can be ordered through your local bookstore or at Amazon.com. Note, however, that Misti is in the process of rewriting her two books, and once she is finished rewriting and editing them, she’ll have them republished under Misti Sandefur. |
| October 15 |
Darrel Dexter is a published author, professional genealogist and currently a high school teacher of American history, government, Illinois history, civics, current events, geography and consumer education at Egyptian Community School in Tamms, Illinois. Dexter has been guest speaker for numerous historical societies on topics of Illinois and local history, such as African American Museum, Carbondale, IL, Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site, Chester, IL and the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, to name just a few. Dexter has published Pioneer Sketches of Union County, Illinois; Union County Guardianship Records 1818-1918; and Union County Illinois Probate Records 1856-1868. Darrel Dexter has many other publications such as A Trot Down to Egypt: The Lincoln-Douglas Debate in Jonesboro, Illinois (2008), published by P.A.S.T., Anna, Illinois and various works published by the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, Carterville, Il. Dexter was awarded the Delta Award (2006) from Friends of Morris Library, SIU-C, for writing and publishing about Southern Illinois history with distinction.
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| November 19 |
Critique Night and Election of 2010 Officers. |
| December |
No meeting in December. SIWG wishes you and yours the very happiest holiday season. |
