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Recognitions

Joan McNulty Pulver

Welcome to Recognitions, a column designed to celebrate the writing successes of Writers' Village University members!

Shanna Lewis appeared on the National Public Radio (NPR) Weekend Edition on Saturday, May 13, 2006, with host Scott Simon. Interacting with the Future Farmers of America in Westcliffe, Colorado, Shanna's non-fiction piece, Raising Funds Rocky Mountain Oysters, spoke to their cause. Listen to Shanna at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5402884

“It wasn’t until I finally heard my story on national radio that I really believed it was happening. Having a piece on NPR had always been one of those little dreams that I never really thought could come true. Now it has. I’m thrilled, amazed and excited about the future."

Shanna participates in other activities which include yoga, tai chi, belly dancing, walking and skiing. She said all of these enhance her writing because as she does them she becomes more engaged in both the world around her and the world within her.

“I am also a photographer which makes me look at the world and the people I meet with an eye for the inherent beauty that I know is there. Plus I can take pictures to go with my writing. I’ve loved books, reading, and words from the time I was a small child. I always thought about being a writer but really never knew how to get started until I joined WVU."

Shanna is a staff photographer, staff writer, and a page designer for the Wet Mountain Tribune, a small weekly newspaper. For the last year she has also been producing radio news features for Western Skies, a regional radio newsmagazine broadcast from KRCC in Colorado Springs. “My freelance writing and photography has appeared in the Denver Post, the Canadian National Post, the Daily Record, and other publications.

“I also write fiction. Several of my short stories have won contests and been published online in KidVisions, Whim’s Place and the Peacock Chronicle.”

Shanna joined WVU in the spring of 2001 and is currently a member of Middle Earth, Natural World and the Non-Fiction study groups. “WVU gave me both the skills and the confidence to call myself a writer."

Nancy Conner embarked on a twenty-city radio "tour" last summer after Career Press published her book, 20 Questions to Ask Before Selling Your Home with Steven Holzner. Claiming that it is less glamorous than it sounds, Nancy said, “I sat at home and waited for the phone to ring so I could talk to a radio host in Albany or Los Angeles or Miami or wherever." Nancy's writing successes continued to be realized that summer when O'Reilly published her book, eBay: The Missing Manual.

“I knew before I wrote them that these books would be published. That's one of the nice things about nonfiction—you can sell a book on a proposal and get paid to write it, rather than writing the entire book in advance and then hoping to interest someone in publishing it. Of course, when the contract arrived with my name on it, I was thrilled. And it's fun getting checks via my agent that are marked ‘Author Royalty Account.’

“I'm one of those people who's wanted to be a writer since childhood. I took a few detours along the way—I've been a university professor, a high school teacher, and an editor, among other jobs—but I always knew I wanted to write. I'm a lifelong avid reader, and wanting to write is an extension of that, I think. My main hobby is directly related to writing.”

In addition to nonfiction, Nancy writes novels. She recently finished a humorous mystery set in a college town a lot like the one where she lives, and she just started working on a manuscript with two storylines: one modern and one set in the Middle Ages. Both touch upon the life and writings of Marguerite Porete, who was burned at the stake for heresy in Paris in 1310.

Nancy joined WVU in 2001 and is a long-time member of the Persist & Publish study group. “It is an amazing, inspiring group of fellow writers and friends. Many of us have known each other for years, so we've supported each other, cheered each other on, and witnessed each other's development as writers. I've watched, from start to finish, as several fine novels have been produced by members of this group."

Nancy has at least one more popular reference book coming out in 2006: The Savvy Guide to eBay Motors, which will be published by Sam's.

Dee Walmsley loves the outdoors and its wildlife; she also enjoys writing about it. She has been published a number of times over the years in on-line mags [mostly free] Sapphire, Inditer which are now in Canadian Archives, Clevermag, Critter Chronicle, Raccoon News and the Barnacle.

“I've won two contests, awarded a writer's collector's plate and an original oil painting. I rarely enter contests as most of them are American and can't be bothered with all the exchange with monies, stamps, etc.”

Dee has been working on two manuscripts for years, Wizard of the Woods, a non-fiction about raccoons and a fictional account of a hunter and a wildlife rehabilitator, a storyline something along the lines of On Golden Pond. Dee said that she has always written. She loved essays in school and published a monthly newsletter "News & Views" while in the Royal Canadian Air Force, ran an oil spill society for 10 years and published a monthly newsletter "Spill Busters" and also contributed on "The Ocean Parker" a local magazine.

“I joined Writers’ Village University close to the time when it first started. The study group started as Nature Lovers - Natural World. I wrote the original Nature course and facilitated it and then re-wrote it with Yvonne Garcia. I learned a lot about writing from helping others learn. I like WVU and all the members I've been in contact with. We inspire each other to keep writing.
 
“I am 69, married to Jack, have two grown children, Sheri and Craig, and two cats, Jade and Simba. I love animals and nature. I like to garden, golf, and do volunteer work. My latest project is volunteering at a community TV station where I am a producer and have a monthly show called "Seniors' Moments." I interview local seniors, usually over 80, so their families can tape the show and have those moments in their memories. I've worked for this station as a volunteer producer for 20 years and have produced a number of programs."

Congratulations Shanna, Nancy and Dee. We wish you continued success in all of your writing endeavors and thank you for sharing your information with us.

We look forward to reading about your writing accomplishments in this column. If you or someone you know received recognition for writing, please send the information to recognitions@wvu.org. Let us know!


About the Author
Joan McNulty Pulver, mother of five and grandmother of five, works as an Administrative Secretary for the State of Florida but considers her writing and editing to be her vocation. She is a columnist for T-Zero: The Writer’s E-Zine, a course developer and facilitator at Writers’ Village University and the Personnel Coordinator/Editor for ePress-online. Joan has had two short stories published and is currently working on a non-fiction book and a fantasy novel.