2019 Monthly Speaker's Program
Saturday, November 23
Special Event Speaker:
Sisters in Crime National President
Lori Rader-Day
Location: College Park Clubhouse
9001 Fordham Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Lori Rader-Day is the Edgar Award-nominated and Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of Under a Dark Sky, The Day I Died, Little Pretty Things, and The Black Hour. She lives in Chicago, where she is co-chair of the mystery readers’ conference Murder and Mayhem in Chicago and the new national president of Sisters in Crime.
Lori is originally from Central Indiana and is a chapter member of Speed City Sisters in Crime.
Schedule:
9:30 Business meeting
10:00 Registration
10:30 Intro/SinCSC announcements/Author chat on writing, publishing, Under a Dark Sky
Brief break/ snacks?
12:30 Craft Talk/Signing
2:00 Finish for the day / lunch
Special Event Speaker:
Sisters in Crime National President
Lori Rader-Day
Location: College Park Clubhouse
9001 Fordham Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Lori Rader-Day is the Edgar Award-nominated and Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of Under a Dark Sky, The Day I Died, Little Pretty Things, and The Black Hour. She lives in Chicago, where she is co-chair of the mystery readers’ conference Murder and Mayhem in Chicago and the new national president of Sisters in Crime.
Lori is originally from Central Indiana and is a chapter member of Speed City Sisters in Crime.
Schedule:
9:30 Business meeting
10:00 Registration
10:30 Intro/SinCSC announcements/Author chat on writing, publishing, Under a Dark Sky
Brief break/ snacks?
12:30 Craft Talk/Signing
2:00 Finish for the day / lunch
Saturday, October 19th
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Forensics Investigator John Kelly John Kelly served the State of Indiana 35 years as an Indiana State Trooper
Post Meeting Lunch at 1:30: Luciana's (3716 E 82nd St.) |
Mr. Kelly has worked more than 2,000 criminal cases, of which 300+ were death-related. He has been an expert witness in the State of Indiana during trial testimony and lectures for professional groups/organizations on a variety of forensic science and criminal investigation topics.
He has been an educator for 20 years and currently serves as an adjunct for IUPUI in the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Department and has served as an adjunct for Indiana University Kokomo and Ivy Tech Community College. He is currently working with high school students from eight Indiana high schools interested in pursuing post-secondary education and careers in Forensic Science/Criminal Justice. Mr. Kelly is a graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin and the Indiana State Police Law Enforcement Academy. |
Saturday, September 28th
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Biographer Wes Gehring Wes Gehring is also a George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of telecommunications, and associate media editor of “USA Today Magazine,” for which he also writes the column, “Reel World.” Gehring is an award-winning author of more than 40 film-related books, with special BookExpo national recognition for recent biographies of James Dean, Red Skelton, Steve McQueen, and Carole Lombard. Gehring holds a doctorate in film studies from the University of Iowa, where he was also a member of the undergraduate Iowa Writers’ Workshop. |
Wes Gehring, distinguished professor of film at Ball State University, will discuss the humor of Alfred Hitchcock, which just happens to be the subject of Gehring’s latest book, Hitchcock and Humor: Modes of Comedy in Twelve Defining Films.
If you’ve never thought of the “Master of Suspense” as a humorist, you will after you view him through Gehring’s tightly focused lens. Prepare to learn about Hitch’s unconventional and subtle uses of humor, much of it dark, and discover how you can insert them into your own stories. CHOICE, a publication of the Association of College & Research Libraries, said “Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship.” Gehring was recently honored with the ”President’s Award” from the local chapter of the NAACP. His BSU honors include the Outstanding Young Faculty Award, Outstanding Researcher Award, and Distinguished Researcher Award. He has served as an on-air scholar for Turner Classic Movies’ summer online film class since 2016. |
Saturday, August 24th
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Author Phil Dunlap Phil believes his latest novel, Crimson Harvest, is his most historically significant work to date because of its relevance to Indiana. The story is set amid a tragic and brutal incident in 1812 perpetrated by a Shawnee chief against the peaceful settlers in Scottsburg. Crimson Harvest will be at the center of Phil’s presentation when he speaks to the Speed City Sisters on August 24. Post Meeting Lunch at 1:30: LePeep (8487 Union Chapel Rd #240 across 86 from B&N) |
Phil Dunlap, who calls himself a “cowboy at heart,” is the critically acclaimed author of 14 historical Western-mystery novels, which include the critically acclaimed Sheriff Cotton Burke series — Cotton’s Inferno, Cotton’s Devil, and Cotton’s Law.
A native Hoosier, Phil grew up in Lebanon and today lives in Carmel with his wife, Judy. He started his career as an illustrator for magazines and comic strips, later teaching cartooning at Herron School of Art in the 1970s. After a stint in advertising, he honed his writing skills as a correspondent for the Indianapolis Star and freelance writer for numerous local, regional, and national publications. He published his first novel, The Death of Desert Belle, in 2004. The love of Westerns extends back to Phil’s youth, when he spent his Saturday afternoons at the movies, taking in the latest flicks starring the likes of Hopalong Cassidy, Wild Bill Elliott, Lash La Rue, and his favorite (even today), John Wayne. And on other days, he spent every spare minute reading books and watching TV shows that depicted American life on the western frontier. |
|
Saturday, July 27th
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Tour of the Indiana State Archives with Archivist Michael Vetman 
Meet Our Guide, Archivist Michael Vetman
Archivist and Records Manager Michael Vetman has been with the Indiana State Archives since 2007, assisting customers, and researching, and fulfilling their requests for a wide range of records. Prior to joining the Indiana Archives, Michael was an Army Intelligence Officer, serving as the squadron’s historical officer and documents security officer. He holds a master’s of library and information science degree from Kent State University. |
The State Archives facility is located at 6440 E. 30th Street, Indianapolis, between Arlington and Shadeland Avenues. To access the parking lot from 30th Street, turn north onto Ridgeview Drive and make a right turn almost immediately. The entrance we’ll use is the one off the parking lot. We’ll be watching for you.
For Mapquest directions to the Archives, click here: https://tinyurl.com/y5sqzqc6 The day’s schedule: 10:00 a.m. — Critique group 11:00 a.m. — Business meeting 11:30 a.m. — Tour led by Archivist Michael Vetman 1:00 p.m. (approximately) — Lunch at His Place Eatery at 30th & Shadeland Lunch will be at 1:30 at His Place Eatery at 30th and Shadeland |
Saturday, June 22nd
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Robert Kent The Basics of Self Publishing Editor Peggy Tierney says she receives thousands of manuscripts per year, reads perhaps fifty, and publishes only one or two. With publishers consolidating and purchasing fewer books each year, advances shrinking, and legacy contracts becoming more restrictive than ever – and with breakout self-publishing successes like Hugh Howey, Andy Weir, and Amanda Hawking making headlines – self publishing is no longer a marginalized zone for writers not talented enough to get a "real contract." It's a practical approach to to making real money through writing and reaching actual readers that's so much more fun than sending endless queries into the void. |
Robert Kent is the author of the horror novels The Book Of David and All Together Now: A Zombie Story, and the novellas Pizza Delivery and All Right Now: A Short Zombie Story.
Under the name Rob Kent, he writes middle grade novels such as Banneker Bones And The Giant Robot Bees and Banneker Bones And The Alligator People. He runs the popular blog for writers, MIDDLE GRADE NINJA, which features interviews and guest posts from authors, literary agents, and other publishing professionals, and was the recipient of Middle Shelf Magazine's Best Blog award. He also hosts the Middle Grade Ninja podcast. Robert Kent holds degrees in Literature and Creative Writing from Indiana University and owns over 900 Batman action figures. He lives with his family in Indianapolis where he teaches courses at the Indiana Writers Center and is hard at work on his next book. |
Saturday, May 25th
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Jim Naramore Online Tools to Advance Your Writing Career Jim will speak about online tools that help writers find markets for their work... predominantly Duotrope for short story writers, as well as other sources for novelists who might be looking for agents or publishers. |
Jim Naremore is a novelist and short story writer with a uniquely American background. Originally from Louisiana and the deep South, he has lived all over the country, mostly in the Midwest. Now living and working in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jim has been writing fiction seriously for the past twelve years. His debut novel: The Arts of Legerdemain as Taught by Ghosts (Belle Lutte Press, 2016) was awarded a bronze medal for “best first novel” by the Independent Publishers Book Awards and was a finalist and short listed for the Lascaux Prize. His short fiction has appeared in numerous journals, including Thrice, Typehouse, The Offbeat, and Emrys, among others. He is the 2019 recipient of the Dennis Lehane Fellowship.
|
March Meeting Special Event
Saturday, March 30, 2019 11:30 p.m.- 1:30 p.m. Larry Sweazy Short Story Writing Workshop |
As a special event in preparation for our next short story anthology, award-winning author Larry Sweazy will present a two-hour workshop on short story writing. The workshop will take place just after our monthly chapter meeting, which will begin an hour early at 10:30am. The workshop is open to members and guests.
Larry D. Sweazy is a multiple-award author of fourteen western and mystery novels and over eighty nonfiction articles and short stories. He is also a freelance indexer and has written back-of-the-book indexes for over nine hundred books in twenty years. Larry lives in Noblesville, Indiana with his wife, Rose, two dogs, and one disagreeable cat. More information about Larry’s writing can be found at http://www.larrydsweazy.com. Critique Group and monthly meeting will start 1 hour early. 9:00 - 10:30 -- Critique group 10:30 - 11:30 -- Business meeting 11:30 - 1:30 -- Short Story workshop |
Saturday, February 23, 2019
12:30 p.m.- 1:30 p.m. Maurice Broaddus Grant Writing 101 |
Need extra money to attend a writers’ conference? To cover research expenses for your next project? To sustain your writing career? Many grant opportunities await the enterprising writer. Learn about some of them, the best practices for applying, the elements of a proposal, what funders and reviewers want to see, and how to present the proposal to the funder.
MAURICE BROADDUS is an Indianapolis-based community organizer and teacher. His work has appeared in magazines like Lightspeed Magazine, Weird Tales, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Asimov’s, Cemetery Dance, Uncanny Magazine, with some of his stories having been collected in The Voices of Martyrs. His books include the urban fantasy trilogy, The Knights of Breton Court. And the (upcoming) middle grade detective novel, The Usual Suspects. His latest novella is Buffalo Soldier. As an editor, he’s worked on Dark Faith, Dark Faith: Invocations, Streets of Shadows, People of Colo(u)r Destroy Horror, and Apex Magazine. Learn more at MauriceBroaddus.com. |
Speed City Sisters in Crime January speaker
Saturday, January 26, 2019 12:30 p.m.- 1:30 p.m. Will Higgins Retired Indianapolis Star Reporter |
Will Higgins is going to talk about some of his favorite stories he wrote for the Star... how he found them, his experiences with the various sources, responses the stories got, and some of the surprises.
A sneak peek at some of his favorites: Museums at odds over using John Dillinger as draw When you die, will someone claim you? Hoosier bank robber Morris Lynn Johnson outdid Dillinger — and lived to tell about it Will Higgins writes about topics such as: historic preservation, professional wrestling, book banning, the custom of discharging weapons into the air on New Year's Eve and, one time, a deceased pimp. |