Rebecca Bruns, a inspiration to many BATW members Rebecca Bruns, a founding member of BATW and one of our shining stars, had her trajectory cut tragically short by illness in 1994, at the age of 44. That she remains a muse to many of us is a testament to both her brilliance and her generosity of spirit. Rebecca...

News Flash!! Updated Program for February 21 BATW Meeting: High School Contest Winners Plus Travel Writer Brad Newsham Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:00 AM-12:30 at Books Inc. in Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness between Turk St. and Golden Gate Ave. in San Francisco In addition to our meeting the BATW High School...

This is a very exciting time for BATW: transitions into fresh ideas and technology, top quality professionals joining our organization from around the country, an energetic and creative Board of Directors with several superb new members, and a terrific menu of upcoming events for 2009.

"Laurie McQueen" prepares for the launch of her first book, An Erotic Alphabet. It’s a book launch, but Laurie McAndish King (who’s using the nom de plume Laurie McQueen), says the launch of her first book, An Erotic Alphabet, is also “a party” at Book Passage in Corte...

The next developmental phase of Tanya Shaffer’s musical Sid Arthur has arrived.   This, she says, is a mammoth project she’s been working on for several years.  In early February she will have the first public reading of the complete script and score with music by her collaborator, Vienna Teng. ...

Marc Longwood joins a panel with five other photographers to discuss “Photography… How To Succeed In A Tough Market” at an American Society of Media Photographers Northern California (ASMPNorCal) town hall meeting at Blue Sky Rental Studios in San Francisco on Feb. 10.

Michael Shapiro, a contributor to National Geographic Traveler and author of A Sense of Place, offers an in-depth course in the art of the travel story: The Essence of Travel Writing.  Shapiro will discuss the elements of a successful, modern travel story:

Thanks to BATW Associate Member John Poimiroo for this: The Mono County Tourism Commission has a number of free admissions to the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show (Feb. 14-15, LA Convention Center) which it offers to travel or outdoor writers

Thanks to Marc Longwood for forwarding information about: Travellers’ Tales Festival “Celebrating the World’s Finest Travel Writing and Travel Photography” Feb. 28 – Mar. 1, 2009 London, England

The Mar 21 meeting is at 10 a.m. in South San Francisco at the Intramuros Restaurant, 101 Brentwood Dr. at El Camino Real. Agenda: The Philippine Department of Tourism is hosting lunch – Sandy Sims