California Writers Club
Encyclopedia
The California Writers Club traces its founding to the San Francisco Bay Area
literary movement of the early part of the 20th century.
The informal gatherings of Jack London
, George Sterling
, and Herman Whitaker
, along with others, eventually formed itself into the Press Club of Alameda. In 1909, a break-off group from that club formed the California Writers Club with Austin Lewis serving as the club's first president. A quarterly bulletin—under the guidance of Dr. William S. Morgan--was established in 1912. The club finally incorporated in 1913, choosing the motto Sail On from the Joaquin Miller
poem, "Columbus".
, George Sterling
, John Muir
, Joaquin Miller
, and the first California poet laureate
, Ina Coolbrith
.
In 1914, the first edition of West Winds
, a hardcover collection of fiction by members, was published. It was illustrated by local California
artists. Since that time three other West Winds
have been published.
The first California Writers Club Conference was held in Oakland in 1941. Today, writers conferences are held by several of the Club's 18 branches, such as South Bay's East of Eden Writers Conference, San Francisco/Peninsula's Jack London Writers Conference, and San Fernando Valley's conferences. Each attracts from 100 to 400 writers and dozens of literary agents, editors, authors, and publishers from all over the United States
to present lectures, workshops, and panel discussions on all aspects of the writing life.
Writers Memorial Grove at Joaquin Miller Park
in Oakland
celebrates California's great writers with the planting of trees. The first tree was planted for Joaquin Miller. Bret Harte
, Charles Warren Stoddard
, Edward Roland Sill, Ina Coolbrith, Jack London, Mark Twain
, Charles Fletcher Lummis
, and Edwin Markham
are so honored as well as Dashiell Hammett
, Gertrude Stein
, and historians, Will Durant
and Ariel Durant
.
officially declared the third week in October of each year as California Writers Week (Members Resolution No. 2170). The Resolution is endorsed by the California Library Association.
Every other year, each branch selects one member to receive a Jack London Service Award in recognition of their contributions to the Club.
The general purposes of the California Writers Club are to provide a forum for literary criticism and for recognition of achievement, to discover new authors and assist them in developing their talent, and to sponsor educational meetings to promote professional growth.
Today, the California Writers Club has more than 1,400 members in 18 branches spread throughout California.
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
literary movement of the early part of the 20th century.
The informal gatherings of Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, George Sterling
George Sterling
George Sterling was an American poet based in California who, during his time, was celebrated in Northern California as one of the greatest American poets, although he never gained much fame in the rest of the United States.-Biography:Sterling was born in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York, the...
, and Herman Whitaker
Herman Whitaker
Herman Whitaker was a Californian writer.Whitaker and his family moved to the Piedmont hills in 1902 and took up residence in "The Bug House," which is now Blair Avenue....
, along with others, eventually formed itself into the Press Club of Alameda. In 1909, a break-off group from that club formed the California Writers Club with Austin Lewis serving as the club's first president. A quarterly bulletin—under the guidance of Dr. William S. Morgan--was established in 1912. The club finally incorporated in 1913, choosing the motto Sail On from the Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller was the pen name of the colorful American poet Cincinnatus Heine Miller , nicknamed the "Poet of the Sierras".-Early years and family:...
poem, "Columbus".
History
Early members of the club included Jack LondonJack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, George Sterling
George Sterling
George Sterling was an American poet based in California who, during his time, was celebrated in Northern California as one of the greatest American poets, although he never gained much fame in the rest of the United States.-Biography:Sterling was born in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York, the...
, John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller was the pen name of the colorful American poet Cincinnatus Heine Miller , nicknamed the "Poet of the Sierras".-Early years and family:...
, and the first California poet laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
, Ina Coolbrith
Ina Coolbrith
Ina Donna Coolbrith was an American poet, writer, librarian, and a prominent figure in the San Francisco Bay Area literary community...
.
In 1914, the first edition of West Winds
West Winds
West Winds is an historic site at 300 Wakefield Street in West Warwick, Rhode Island.The site was built in 1740 and added to the National Historic Register in 1993....
, a hardcover collection of fiction by members, was published. It was illustrated by local California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
artists. Since that time three other West Winds
West Winds
West Winds is an historic site at 300 Wakefield Street in West Warwick, Rhode Island.The site was built in 1740 and added to the National Historic Register in 1993....
have been published.
The first California Writers Club Conference was held in Oakland in 1941. Today, writers conferences are held by several of the Club's 18 branches, such as South Bay's East of Eden Writers Conference, San Francisco/Peninsula's Jack London Writers Conference, and San Fernando Valley's conferences. Each attracts from 100 to 400 writers and dozens of literary agents, editors, authors, and publishers from all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to present lectures, workshops, and panel discussions on all aspects of the writing life.
Writers Memorial Grove at Joaquin Miller Park
Joaquin Miller Park
Joaquin Miller Park is a large open space park in the Oakland Hills owned and operated by the city of Oakland, California. It was named after early California writer and poet Joaquin Miller, who lived here in his house "The Hights", now preserved as the Joaquin Miller House.-Park:The park's are...
in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
celebrates California's great writers with the planting of trees. The first tree was planted for Joaquin Miller. Bret Harte
Bret Harte
Francis Bret Harte was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California.- Life and career :...
, Charles Warren Stoddard
Charles Warren Stoddard
Charles Warren Stoddard was an American author and editor.-Life and works:Charles Warren Stoddard was born in Rochester, New York on August 7, 1843. He was descended in a direct line from Anthony Stoddard of England, who settled at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1639...
, Edward Roland Sill, Ina Coolbrith, Jack London, Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, Charles Fletcher Lummis
Charles Fletcher Lummis
Charles Fletcher Lummis was a United States journalist and Indian activist; he is also acclaimed as a historian, photographer, poet and librarian....
, and Edwin Markham
Edwin Markham
Charles Edwin Anson Markham was an American poet. From 1923 to 1931 he was Poet Laureate of Oregon.-Life:Edwin Markham was born in Oregon City, Oregon and was the youngest of 10 children; his parents divorced shortly after his birth...
are so honored as well as Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
, Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
, and historians, Will Durant
Will Durant
William James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for The Story of Civilization, 11 volumes written in collaboration with his wife Ariel Durant and published between 1935 and 1975...
and Ariel Durant
Ariel Durant
Ariel Durant was the co-author of The Story of Civilization.-Biography:Durant was born in Proskurov as Chaya Kaufman to Ethel Appel Kaufman and Joseph Kaufman. The family emigrated to the United States in 1901. She met her future husband, Will Durant, while a student at Ferrer Modern School in...
.
Present day
In 2003, the California Writers Club worked to establish a week to celebrate and recognize California Writers. The result of this effort occurred on September 4, 2003 when the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
officially declared the third week in October of each year as California Writers Week (Members Resolution No. 2170). The Resolution is endorsed by the California Library Association.
Every other year, each branch selects one member to receive a Jack London Service Award in recognition of their contributions to the Club.
The general purposes of the California Writers Club are to provide a forum for literary criticism and for recognition of achievement, to discover new authors and assist them in developing their talent, and to sponsor educational meetings to promote professional growth.
Today, the California Writers Club has more than 1,400 members in 18 branches spread throughout California.