National League of American Pen Women
Denver Branch
Minutes—September 6, 2025
- The meeting was called to order at 9:36 AM.
- Members present: Risa Waldt, Linda Volin, Rachel Seekamp, Eleanor Binnings, Kelly Ann Compton
- Guest present: Nichelle Seely—Her coaching website it at https://nichelleseely.com, Nichelle is an independent author of crime fictions and mysteries.
- Inspirational Reading: Risa read a quote from Zane Grey on greatness.
- Our member Carol Ehrlich passed away recently. Kelly Ann will send a poem she wrote about Carol to Pen Woman Magazine.
- The Minutes were approved as written.
- Treasurer Report: Our current balance is $345.86. We will be paying our Zoom subscription this month. It will be around $170.00.
- Committee Reports:
- Programs:
- October: Beth Barany—Overcoming writer’s block
- November: Savannah Gilbo—Editing your messy first draft
- December: TBD
- With our funds low, Rachel, Linda, and Diane are looking at free workshops and presentations for the foreseeable future.
- Webmistress: There was a problem with the website showing errors and not letting visitors in. Virginia says the problem has been rectified.
- Critique group: The group currently has five members—Eleanor, Atlanta, Karen, Rachel, and Kelly Ann—there is room for two or three more members. The critique group meets every other Friday at 4:30 PM.
- Upcoming events:
- The Highlands Ranch Craft Fair is September 13.
- The Windsor Gardens Craft Fair will be on November 14 & 15. The cost is $30.00 for one table or $60.00 for two tables. The cost will be divided among the Pen Women who participate in the fair. Please let Linda know by September 12 if you are interested in participating.
- Programs:
- National Business:
- The NLAPW biennial will be held in Washington D.C. April 2026. Information can be found on page 3 of the spring issue of The Pen Woman.
- The Pen Woman Magazine needs book reviewers. Please contact the NLAPW office in Washington D.C. for more information.
- Old Business:
- Rachel shared that she, Diane, and Virginia are working together to get a MailerLite account set up. MailerLite is a place to keep email contacts and send emails. Our guest, Nichelle, said that MailerLite is hard to set up, but works well when set-up is completed.
- Writing Heights, a group in Northern Colorado might be a group to query for new members for our branch. Their web address is www.writingheights.com
- New Business: There was no new business.
- Open conversation took place. We talked about our branch and checked in with one another..
- The meeting was adjourned at 10:21 AM.
After the meeting, Rayya Liebich presented a delightful workshop on Blackout Poetry.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelly Ann Compton.