NOLA STARs

Members are retreating. We will NOT be meeting in the Library this month, but join us in November for our meeting where Winnie Griggs will be present a program and we will be putting together the new Policy and Procedures Manual and sending out our Christmas cards to NOLA Friends.

Dennis Clarkston is a Bossier City native who has lived in Natchitoches for the last 31 years.  He received his BS in Electronic Enfgineering Technology with a math minor from Northwestern State University in 1982.  In 1997, he received his BA from NSU in Journalism with emphasis in newsprint.

His interest in writing started in first grade when he attempted to write several stories but never did get too far.  His interest did not rekindle until he was 24, and he's been writing ever since.

At this time he, had access to a 1950's era Underwood typewriter and plenty of correction slips.  This is how he taught himself to type.  Within a couple of years, he purchased a TRS80 Model 4 with a whopping 64 KB of RAM.

Until 1991, he worked haphazardly around with his writing.  He kept rewriting many of his works.  While working at Computer Services and Consulting in Natchitoches, he met Suzannah Davis.  She introduced him to Nola, and he joined both RWA and Nola in May 1991.

Dennis plans to present a program on interviewing our characters.  Thank you Dennis for all you do for the group!

Karen Guerin is a graduate of the Master's of Liberal Arts at LSUS and an Instructor of Humanities and English at BPCC.  She was able to explore her lifelong interest in folklore, myth, and culture in her master's thesis in which she examines the popularity and the controversy about The Da Vinci Code.  Karen employs scholarly research on the literary, cultural, and historical aspects of Brown's diverse sources and theme, to explain the "recipe" that has resulted in his postmodern bestsellers.  This includes the long history of Arthurian legends involving the Grail, the popularity of the medieval legend of Mary Magdalene, as well as other aspects of Celtic folklore, mythology, and postmodern trends.  Her cultural studies approach appeals to people who are interest in diverse cultural and social trends.

Mr. Bob Alexander, Director of Debate at Bossier Parish Community College will present a brief program at our monthly meeting on "Becoming a more Competent Communicator:  Strategies for success in written and oral communication.  Mr. Alexander has previously coached intercollegiate speech and debate teams at the University of West Florida and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and over the last ten years his students have earned more than 1300 awards including multiple individual and team national championships.  Mr. Alexander has authored numerous textbooks, chapters, journal articles and conference papers;  he has also served as a reviewer and associate editor of numerous journals and textbooks.

Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald, MD, is currently Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Vice-Chair for Psychiatry Education at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, La.  Clinically, she is Director of the Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service.  Dr. Fitz-Gerald has participated in over 50 psychopharmacologic drug trials and has won numerous awards in the past including the Psychiatrist of the Year for the La. Psychiatric Medical Association.  As a national media representative, Dr. Fitz-Gerald has appeared in Good Housekeeping Magazine, Vitality Magazine, Lifetime Television’s Strong Medicine, MSNBC, CNS News, and Wall Street Journal.