Archive for the ‘Being an ESL Student / Speaker’ Category

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  To read the full text:   http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Is there an event in San Francisco on December 10, 2010 for Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

Yes!

When & Where Is Pen Oakland Josephine Miles 2010 Literary Awards?
Thanks to Bookman Beattie's blog, here's the answer:

The 20th Annual PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles National Literary Awards will take place on Saturday, December 11, 2010, at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Avenue–from 2 to 5 p.m.

I, Teresa LeYung Ryan (manuscript consultant & writing career coach), will be there with my pal Kim McMillon (playwright and radio show producer).

The ceremony, which will be followed by a reception and book signings, is free and open to the public. Former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata will be the keynote speaker.

PEN Oakland, founded in 1989, is a chapter of PEN International, founded in 1921.
Dubbed “the blue collar PEN” by the New York Times, PEN Oakland annually sponsors the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Book Awards, named for the late poet and faculty member of U.C. Berkeley’s English Department. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the awards.
Each year PEN Oakland presents an award to outstanding book titles published in the previous year.

For names and book titles of the 2010 PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Literary Award winners:

http://beattiesbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/pen-oakland-20th-annual-2010-literary.html

See you there!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

GraceArt Publishing is the publisher of Build My Name, Beat the Game: 22 Days to Identify & Develop My Writer’s Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention. Paypal is available http://writingcoachteresa.com

Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”  

Is Thanksgiving Day an American Holiday?     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving

I give thanks to everyone in my life and wish you all tasty and nourishing foods, music, art, laughter, books, literacy, nature, love and peace.

MamaCoAtl & Kim McMillon, thank you for giving me a role in blogging about activities to raise public awareness that say “END Violence Against Women & Girls!”: http://16daysofartivismforthehealingofviolence.wordpress.com/

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In honor of UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls, please feel free to tell the world about any events you support by submitting a comment at:
http://16daysofartivismforthehealingofviolence.wordpress.com/tell-us-about-your-events-to-commemorate-international-day-for-the-elimination-of-violence-against-women/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
Author / Writing Career Coach / Manuscript Consultant / Publisher

16 days of ARTivism (Nov. 25 – Dec. 10 San Francisco Bay Area) begin on Nov. 25 United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls, which is also Thanksgiving Day this year  http://16daysofartivismforthehealingofviolence.wordpress.com/

GraceArt Publishing is the publisher of Build My Name, Beat the Game: 22 Days to Identify & Develop My Writer’s Platform to Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention. Paypal is available http://writingcoachteresa.com

Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”  

To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for my blog http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.  http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

I am happy to announce my Love Made of Heart online store where you’ll find gift items for yourselves, women, children, moms, grandmas, babies, friends and pets. http://lovemadeofheart.com/Love-Made-of-Heart-Online-Store-&-Gift-Shop.html

http://www.facebook.com/Teresa.LeYung.Ryan

Are There Any Events in San Francisco Bay Area for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls?

Yes!

Today, Tuesday November 23, 2010,  Noon– at steps of San Francisco City Hall.  MamaCoAtl, playwright Kim McMillon, Poet Nina Serrano, city officials and community members will kick off 16 Days of ARTivism for healing and education to end violence against women and girls. How befitting that the 16 days of ARTivism will then begin on Nov. 25 United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls, which is also Thanksgiving Day this year 2010!
For schedule of events through Dec. 10, 2010 http://16daysofartivismforthehealingofviolence.wordpress.com/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan,  Author/ Writing Career Coach / Manuscript Consultant / GraceArt Publishing

“Teresa uses her book Love Made of Heart to help survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

http://writingcoachteresa.com

Happy Birthday to Love Made of Heart!  My novel (published by Kensington Publishing, New York) made her debut on October 1, 2002

Thank you to everyone named on my acknowledgment page!

In addition to the folks I thanked on my post http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/first-book-turned-seven-in-october/, I wish to thank everyone else who has kept Love Made of Heart alive and well!

I celebrate the memorable characters who have taught me how to talk to my mother, how to see life through new eyes, how to forgive one’s self.

author Teresa LeYung Ryan celebrates the characters in Love Made of Heart

I celebrate everyone who advocates compassion for mental illness.

• Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.

I celebrate National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org From its inception in 1979, NAMI has been dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

I celebrate Carmen Lee & everyone at Stamp Out Stigma.  www.stampoutstigma.org Stamp Out Stigma is a consumer driven advocacy and educational outreach program designed to make positive changes in the public perception of mental illness and inform the community about the personal, social, economic and political challenges faced by people living with mental illness. Founded by Carmen Lee.

I celebrate Glenn Close and everyone at Bring Change 2 Mind bringchange2mind.org The idea of a national anti-stigma campaign was born of a partnership between Glenn Close and Fountain House, where Glenn volunteered in order to learn about mental illness, which both her sister and nephew suffer from.Glenn Close’s documentary film “Pax” will be featured at the 2nd Annual Lady Filmmakers Film Festival! Oct 8-10, 2010 Click Here http://ladyfilmmakers.com/Home_Page_MV6D.php for more information.  At the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA

Love Made of Heart inspires adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.

Publisher’s Note: Kensington Publishing Corp, NY

“The Chinese word for ‘love’ is made up of many brush strokes. In the center of the word ‘love’ is the word ‘heart.’ Love is made of heart…”

Twenty-seven-year-old Ruby Lin has what many women envy: a beautiful apartment in one of San Francisco’s best neighborhoods, a busy social life, and a coveted position as manager of special events for the tony St. Mark’s Hotel. But it’s Ruby’s personal life that’s become unmanageable ever since the day her mother’s emotional breakdown forced Ruby to hospitalize her, shaming the family. Now, Ruby is caught in the crossroads between two vastly different cultures-one in which she is the American girl, raised on kitschy television shows and black-and-white movies, and one in which she is known only as Daughter, the eldest, fulfiller of responsibilities.

In putting together the pieces of her mother’s life, Ruby finds herself exploring the wounds of her own past. Starting with a forbidden locked tin box and the yellowing photograph inside, Ruby embarks on a startling journey of self-discovery that takes her through a family history rife with violence, betrayal and loss that reaches back through generations, from China to America, and finally to the secret pain of a mother’s sacrifice. Like the Chinese calligraphy that adorns her walls, Ruby comes to see that “life is not a straight road,” but a language drawn with many brush strokes, where every misunderstanding must yield to the simple message of the heart.

Filled with warmth and wisdom, this luminous debut novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in fiction as it explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, the choices that divide us, and the love that brings us home.

From http://www.mhprofessional.com/templates/chases/special-months.php

October is:

•    Antidepressant Death Awareness Month
•    Depression Education and Awareness Month
•    Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart; writing-career coach, founder of GraceArt Publishing

http://asianamericanmedia.org/ What is the Center for Asian American Media’s Mission Statement?

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. We do this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media.

September 13th through Sunday September 19th, 2010
http://www.sfjapantown.org/Events/
Different aspects of Japanese and Asian film, anime, fashion, music, and other forms of pop culture will be celebrated.
Sunday Sept 19, 2010 – Check out the CAAM outdoor screening of HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE at Japantown Peace Plaza, San Francisco!  8:30pm and is free for everyone. Early arrival is highly suggested as seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sept. 22, 2010   6:30 PM to 8:00 PM 500 Courtland Avenue, San Francisco, 415.355.2810

SPEAKING IN TONGUES screening at the Bernal Heights Public Library

author Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for those who cannot speak for themselves through her writings.

Photo: University of Louisville

“Happy Birthday, 19th Amendment (And thanks to Harry T. Burn’s mom)”

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Today is the 90th anniversary the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the one that gave women the right to vote after a full century of organization, agitation and marching.

On this date in 1920 the Tennessee General Assembly became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, thus making it official.

To read the full article/post . . .  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/08/19th-amendment-constitution.html

* * * *

Happy Birthday, 19th Amendment; Thank You, Suffragettes and the men who walked the walk of equality with them!

The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits each state and the federal government from denying any citizen the right to vote based on that citizen‘s sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920.

Did you know that the Women’s National Book Association http://www.wnba-books.org/ was established in 1917, before women-citizens in America even had the right to vote?

The Women’s National Book Association is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. WNBA exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book.  WNBA has been a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) member of the United Nations since 1959.  http://www.wnba-books.org Jill A. Tardiff & Nancy Stewart are our UN DPI/ NGO representatives http://www.wnba-books.org/chapters-members/wnba-officers/

I am so proud to be a member of WNBA. I think my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother would be proud too. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday Sept 12, 2010, 2:00-5:00pm, come by the San Francisco Public Library-Main Branch…

http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

ZEN AND THE ART OF THE BOOK DEAL

Publishing Panel: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010 • 2-5 p.m.

San Francisco Public Library-Main Branch

Latino Hispanic Community Room, Lower Level, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.

FREE TO THE PUBLIC

Women’s National Book Association – San Francisco Chapter brings you the latest news in the publishing industry from the following insiders:

• JENNIFER JOSEPH – publisher and editor of Manic D Press
• PETER BEREN – literary agent and publishing consultant
• BRIDGET KINSELLA – Breaking Books & navigating the publishing landscape
• GEORGIA HUGHES – editorial director of New World Library

• Moderator: Mary Knippel, immediate past president, WNBA-SF Chapter

• September is National Literacy Month. Join our panel of experts as they share the newest insights into the publishing industry.

• Participate in our Great Book Give Away. See you there!
• http://wnba-sfchapter.org/

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan
Writing Career Coach Teresa says: “Reach out, not stress out, when building your writer’s name/platform.”

Build My Writer’s Name and Platform: Attract Agents, Acquisition Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention (the 22 minutes for 22 days workbook) http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

To comment on any of Teresa’s columns (blog posts), just click on the blue title bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press “submit.”  Please click here for her blog http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Teresa uses her acclaimed novel Love Made of Heart to help survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.  http://lovemadeofheart.com/Advocacy-For-Women-Resources.html offers resources for women.

How a Book Gets to be in a Special Collection at the Boston Public Library

I’m a member of Women’s National Book Association–San Francisco Chapter.

When Laurie Beckelman was national president of Women’s National Book Association, she coordinated with the Boston Public Library to create a WNBA Collection. Thank you, Laurie!  Thank you, everyone at the Boston Public Library!

My dear sister was in Boston and guess what she did?  She visited the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library and took photos of my novel Love Made of Heart proudly shelved. Thanks, Sis!

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

Chinese American author who writes for and about modern courageous women unbeknownst to themselves.

As an author I use my novel Love Made of Heart to encourage adult-children of mentally-ill parents to speak openly about the stigmas that their parents suffer.
Love Made of Heart is:
• recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association
• used in Advanced Composition English-as-a-Second-Language classes
• archived at the San Francisco History Center

Love Made of Heart is in  97 public libraries (84 branches in the United States, 2 branches in the United Kingdom , 9 branches in New Zeland; 1 branch in Austrialia, 1 branch in Singapore).

http://www.worldcat.org/isbn/0758202172

In 2003 when my editor at Kensington Publishing Corp. New York told me that they were going to release the trade paperback edition of my novel Love Made of Heart (hard cover edition had been published in October 2002), I asked if I could add an “Author’s Note to Reader” and he said “Yes.”

To the readers who have read/are reading from the hard cover edition, here is the Author’s Note to Reader:

Thank you for letting me share Ruby Lin’s story with you.  Many readers have asked what the characters in the novel have done for me.  My answer is this:  I’ve learned that behind every face is a compelling story.

Please remember me as a writer who says YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence and child abuse.

Who is Mrs. Nussbaum?  She lives in all our hearts.  Just as we have the “child within,” we also have the “wise elder within.”  May you always embrace your compelling story and allow your Mrs. Nussbaum to embrace you.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

author of Love Made of Heart

http://LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Sunday August 1, 2010

I’m organizing photos from yesterday’s Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival.

Women's National Book Association members Margie Yee Webb, Mary E. Knippel, B. Lynn Goodwin, Sarbjit Rai, Teresa LeYung Ryan

I had a good time on the panel with other fiction authors. Gail, thank you for moderating. Nathan, thank you for taking photos. Delightful audience.

authors Jeff Carlson, Laurel Anne Hill, Tanya Egan Gibson, Teresa LeYung Ryan, Jack L. Parker with Library Specialist Gail McGrath & Library Advocate Nathan

Authors Susan Osborn & Margie Yee Webb cheer for the Friends of the Roseville Library

Also I presented “Transform Your Personal Experiences Into Potent Stories” Thank you to the participant-writers.  Here are some comments from them:

I asked: What did you value most about the workshop?

• “Verbalizing what my readers will learn from my story.”

• “Good comments & tools from Teresa for moving forward.”
• “Handouts so organized.”

Your next steps with your stories?

• “Bring my stories out and start again—with your ideas for tools”
• “Find a publisher.”
• “Re-read my favorite novel & mark it up. Thank you, Teresa!”

My colleagues  (Catharine Bramkamp, Laurel Anne Hill, Antoinette May, Susan M. Osborn) also presented their writing workshops.

Special thanks to Jamie Finley, Dena Grover, Gail McGrath, Lynn Brown and everyone at Roseville Libraries, Margie Yee Webb and colleagues at California Writers Club, Mary Knippel & Sarbjit Rai & fellow members of Women’s National Book Association, bookseller James Van Eaton of Winston Smith Books, friends old and new, readers and writers, and everyone who made the festival a celebration of literature.

Teresa LeYung Ryan, Mary E. Knippel, Margie Yee Webb advocate for public libraries.

http://www.roseville.ca.us/library/

3 branches in Roseville, CA

Maidu Library & Maidu Community Center

Martha Riley Community Library

Downtown Library

Gail McGrath (Library Specialist) holding Teresa's novel Love Made of Heart, Bob Quinlan author of Earn It: Empower Yourself for Love, and Margie Yee Webb author of Cat Mulan

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung Ryan

As an author and community spirit, Teresa LeYung Ryan speaks out for public libraries, honors immigrant-stories, advocates compassion for mental illness, and helps survivors of violence find their own voices through writing.

“To comment on any of my columns (blog posts), just click on the color title-bar of the post, fill in the boxes and press ‘submit.’  Thank you.”

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/