The Yankton Area Writers’ Club, assisted by Yankton Area Arts, will hold a writing conference at JoDean’s Steak House and Lounge, 2809 Broadway Avenue, Yankton, on Saturday, September 11. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. and concludes at 3:00 p.m. Anyone interested in writing is welcome to attend.
Pre-registration is required by September 1. The fee is $25 for adults
and $15 for students through college. This covers two coffee breaks and the noon
meal. Registration fees may be sent to C. Gartner, P.O. Box 261, Crofton, NE
68730-0261. Checks are to be made out to
Yankton Area Writers Club.
 | Melanie Rigney, former editor of Writer’s Digest Magazine, is the featured speaker. Rigney, a Sioux Falls native and SDSU graduate, is a writer-editor with the U.S. Department of Treasury in Washington, D.C., and a freelance book editor (www.editorforyou.com). She has provided content and copy editing and manuscript evaluation services to more than two dozen authors and publishers on topics ranging from dog care to legal thrillers to children’s picture books. While at Writer’s Digest Magazine, she also served as editorial director of Writer’s Digest Books and was a contributing editor to Family Tree Magazine for genealogists. Earlier in her career, she worked for Advertising Age Magazine, Thomson Financial Publishing, Macmillan Computer Publishing and United Press International. She and her two sisters and brother are at work on a memoir about their father, Bernard Rigney, who died in Yankton in February, 2002. |
Rigney will lead sessions titled “Self-Editing: 10 Ways to Improve Your Manuscript,” “Current Publishing Trends,” and “Writing a Memoir to Remember.” The last session of the afternoon will feature a panel of local authors joining Ms. Rigney. They include Mary Gunderson, Paul Lowrie, and Jerry Wilson.
| Mary Gunderson is a nationally-noted food writer and culinary historian. Her book, The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition (History Cooks®, 2003) has been awarded the Bill Fisher Best First Book - Nonfiction Award, in addition to several other awards. |
| Paul Lowrie has authored or co-authored over 17 books including two national bestsellers, The Conversation Piece and The Christmas Conversation Piece. He conducts publishing seminars and provides consulting on individual publishing projects. William Randall Publishing is his South Dakota based publishing company. |
| Jerry Wilson, author of the book American Artery, as well as numerous essays and short stories, worked as a journalist, taught college literature and writing, and now serves as managing editor of South Dakota Magazine in Yankton. |
Tables will be provided for registrants to sell their own books. Sellers must
provide their own change and supervise sales of their books.
Rigney will also speak at
Roncalli Hall, south dining room, on the Mt.
Marty Campus in Yankton on Friday evening, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. The
public is invited to attend. There is no charge.
If you have questions about these events, you may call 605-664-5864 or e-mail
mkratz@iw.net.
