100 Years of Writing Excellence
in Sacramento

I recently accepted a position on the board of directors of the California Writing Club, Sacramento Branch. It is a fortuitous time to be involved with the group, as we are on the precipice of celebrating our branch’s centennial. Initially started in 1907 in Oakland, California, early CWC members included Jack London, John Muir, Joachin Miller, and California’s first poet laureate, Ina Coolbirth. It was the first club of its kind in the United States.

100 years! I try to imagine life in 1925. A radio broadcast carried President Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration, allowing Americans to hear a live transmission of the change of power for the first time. The Scopes “Monkey Trial” in Tennessee resulted in the conviction of a science teacher who had assigned a reading on evolution to his students, in violation of Tennessee law. Later, the court overturned the case because of a technicality. In 1925, “Flappers” wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, and flaunted their disdain for codes of decent conduct by drinking, smoking, and dancing to jazz music in public. 

Set against this backdrop of trends, rebellions, and discoveries, a group of 31 poets, photographers, composers, playwrights, novelists, and journalists joined forces to form “Branch #1” of the California Writers Club in Sacramento. Our first president was Edna Wilson Becsey, a county government secretary and emerging published writer. The new branch provided lectures on the craft of writing, hosted speakers such as Hildegard Hawthorne (Nathaniel Hawthorne’s granddaughter), and formed critique groups. In one year alone, members sold nearly 600 articles and books. 

Writing in 2025

Fast forward to life in 2025. Writers can instantly find one another from anywhere around the world. Words leave our keyboards and land in someone else’s inbox with no face-to-face communication. And yet, the human connection has never been more important. We’re told that writing is a lonely endeavor, yet it’s through contact with our fellow scribes that magic happens. In-person sharing of thoughts, feelings, and ideas creates a synergy that the digital realm cannot replicate.

I have benefitted from membership in the writing club, and I encourage all writers to seek out local organizations dedicated to furthering the craft. Members of CWC-Sacramento are fortunate to have twice-monthly gatherings. Friday breakfast networking meetings host speakers on topics ranging from how to write a memoir to marketing and getting on podcasts, along with a meal and cordial conversation with others. 

Saturday membership meetings include a mini-lesson given by one of our members and a main speaker—often a literary agent, publisher, or nationally known member of the writing community. At a recent meeting, I was fortunate to give a mini lesson on how to find readers for one’s work. 

The Centennial Gala

Our club’s Centennial Celebration takes place on October 18 from noon to 3 at the North Ridge Country Club in Fair Oaks, California. The keynote speaker is Pulitzer Prize winner Jack Othman, who will give a talk entitled “At Wits End.” 

A star-studded lineup features Rich Eisen of Capitol Weekly, literary agent Sandra Proudman, Sacramento journalist Alison Linton, Pushcart Prize nominee Carol Lynne Stevenson Grellas, cultural historian Maryellen Burns, and documentary filmmaker Al Gonzalez. The celebration includes a no-host bar, buffet lunch, and music provided by an award-winning student jazz band.

Seven Greater Sacramento Literary Awardees, selected by a blue-ribbon panel, will receive recognition during the event. Awardees include: 916 Ink, Capitol Storytelling, Jan Haag, Ginger Rutland, Sacramento Poetry Center, and Under the Gum Tree.102-year-old Kayo Sato, winner of the William Saroyan International Writing Award for her book Dandelion Through the Crack (Renamed Kiyo’s Story) will be in attendance. 

A collection of rare books and periodicals from early California Writers Club members will be on display, many of which were subsequently made into movies or popular TV series. 

Everyone who cares about Sacramento history and culture is welcome to attend. You do not need to be an author, publisher, or editor! For tickets, please go to https://Sacramentowriters.org.

~ Julie Snider