Birmingham

Become an Official See Jane Write Member

Become an official SJW member — if not for me, for Hello Kitty.

When I started See Jane Write Birmingham in March 2011, my hope was to create an independent, grassroots organization that offered free events.

People have asked me, “Where do you get your funding?” and my answer is always the same: “My Hello Kitty wallet.”

Until I started asking for donations earlier this year, the money for food, venues, etc., came out of my own bank account, my very, very sad bank account. With some events costing a couple hundred dollars to bring to fruition, See Jane Write was turning into quite an expensive hobby and causing my husband to grimace and groan whenever he balanced our checkbook.

So, folks, some changes have to be made.





Starting August 1, 2013 See Jane Write will become a membership organization. Membership is for women age 21 and up who reside in Alabama. See Jane Write membership will cost only $25 a year.

Most of our events will remain open to all — women and men, boys and girls, members and non-members. Many of our events will continue to be free, but we will start charging for panel discussions and workshops. Admission to these events will be free for members.
Other advantages to being a member include an opportunity for early registration for limited seating events (such as Bloggers Who Brunch) and access to special members-only events. Additionally, perks such as job opportunity announcements, discounts to conferences, and other special offers frequently extended to See Jane Write will only be available to members starting in August.
You’ll have an opportunity to apply for See Jane Write membership at Sketches & Scribes, set for August 3. You can RSVP and get more details here.Other opportunities to apply for membership will be announced in August.

Let’s make this official, ladies!

The Simple Booth is simply awesome at See Jane Write Magazine Launch Party

Sponsor Spotlight: The Simple Booth

Thursday’s launch party, presented by Hamer Law Group, was amazing! More than 75 people came out to Aloft Hotel Birmingham to help us celebrate. My friends and family members and even people I’d never met before came to show their support. Some even drove in from cities like Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Jacksonville, and Guntersville.
The food was delicious, our signature drink — The Jane — was yummy, and the party was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. And none of this would have been possible without our great sponsors.
The highlight of the night, however, was The Simple Booth. The Simple Booth takes photo booth fun to a new level offering an open play area that includes you, a camera, a remote, and a bunch of your closest (or soon-to-be close) friends as you see just how crazy you can act!
The Simple Booth is run by Lynsey Weatherspoon, a very talented Birmingham-based photographer.
Below you’ll find some of my favorite Simple Booth photos from the night, but you can view all the pictures and even download and purchase prints here.
And if you’d like to book The Simple Booth for your next event, visit TheSimpleBooth.com for more information.

Lynsey Weatherspoon of The Simple Booth
See Jane Write founder, Javacia Harris Bowser

Keith Lee of Hamer Law Group, our presenting sponsor
Alan Duke of Hamer Law Group, our presenting sponsor
Christy Turnipseed and Tanya Sylvan, two See Jane Write Magazine contributors
Darlene Millender of Designed by Didi, one of our great sponsors

Read more about the See Jane Write Magazine Launch Party here. 

Join Us at Sketches & Scribes

I can’t draw to save my life.

Nonetheless, I am immensely inspired by visual art.

Though I don’t fancy myself a great fiction writer, I can look at a portrait of a woman — be it a photograph, painting or sketch — and create a character. I can look into her eyes and imagine her name and whole life story.

In April I traveled two and a half hours to the High Museum in Atlanta to see the exhibit Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics & Painting because Frida Kahlo inspires me like none other. Her self-portraits motivate me to write personal essays.

Frida once said, “I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”

And Frida inspires me to be bold in my writing.

She once declared, “The only think I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”

I don’t need a fancy art museum exhibit, however, to get inspired by visual art.

I find inspiration in offbeat art galleries too, in places like Naked Art Gallery.

Naked Art Gallery is all about making art accessible by focusing on functional art and funky wall art too.

Naked Art Gallery, located at 3831 Clairmont Ave., is one of our July sponsors and to show our appreciation we’ll be hosting a mixer at the shop on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 2 to 4 p.m.

At Sketches & Scribes we’ll browse the shop, eat some snacks, and chat. Also, we’d like to challenge those who attend to go home and write something inspired by a piece of art seen at Naked Art Gallery. Then, if you’d like, submit your piece or a link to your blog post to seejanewritemag@gmail.com and your work may be featured on our new online magazine.

I hope you’ll join us. You can RSVP via Facebook here.

Sketches & Scribes will also be a See Jane Write membership drive. Find more details on SJW membership here.

Check out Christmas In July: Great Gifts for Writers for a preview of the great functional art at Naked Art Gallery.


3 Reasons Writers Should Love WBHM

Sponsor Spotlight: Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM




My love for Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM is no secret. This year on Valentines’ Day I posted an open love letter to Birmingham’s NPR station right here on this blog. 

And when WBHM volunteered to be a July sponsor for See Jane Write Birmingham and See Jane Write Magazine, I began to appreciate the station’s dedication to support its community even more. 

But there are reasons that you, women writers of Birmingham, should love our local NPR station too. 

1. At Thursday’s See Jane Write Magazine launch party WBHM is giving away two 15-oz. glasses that feature a custom, public radio-inspired “Listen & Be Transported” painting by local artist Bethanne Hill. 

2. NPR features so many author interviews there’s a whole page dedicated to them on the NPR website. WBHM marketing manager Audrey Atkins, who is also a writer and blogger, said, “Personally, I learn a lot from hearing about other authors’ creative processes, what drives them, what inspires them, why they wrote what they wrote, how they wrote what they wrote, how long it took them, their frustrations, their victories.”

  
3. With its Crime in the City series NPR focused on one piece of the writing process — location — and created an entire series based on it.  Crime in the City focuses on different cities that were used as the setting for a detective novel. This summertime series is sure to get you mystery writers inspired.


Why do you love public radio?