Dr. Rosanne Welch and writers from “When Women Wrote Hollywood” at the Denver Pop Culture Con via Instagram

Dr. Rosanne Welch and writers from “When Women Wrote Hollywood” at the Denver Pop Culture Con 

Dr. Rosanne Welch and writers from “When Women Wrote Hollywood” at the Denver Pop Culture Con via Instagram

Editor/Writer Dr. Rosanne Welch and a few of her fellow writers ((l-r) Sydney Haven, Mikayla Daniels, Kelley Zinge and Amy Banks) discusses the women in her new book “When Women Wrote Hollywood” which covers female screenwriters from the Silents through the early 1940s when women wrote over 50% of films and Frances Marion was the highest paid screenwriter (male or female) and the first to win 2 Oscars.  Yet, she fails to appear in film history books, which continue to regurgitate the myth that male directors did it all – even though it’s been proven that the only profitable movies Cecil B. de Mille ever directed were all written by Jeannie Macpherson film ever won for Best Picture was written by Robert E. Sherwood (who people have heard of, mostly due to his connection to Dorothy Parker) and Joan Harrison.


Buy a signed copy of when Women Wrote Hollywood

Paperback Edition | Kindle Edition | Google Play Edition

 

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Dr. Rosanne Welch Reads from “Hey, Hey, They Wrote The Monkees” at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Video] (5 minutes 19 seconds)

It was marvelous to be asked to read a portion of my contribution to Paperback LA #3  (“Hey Hey They Wrote The Monkees”) at the launch party on Sunday. 

Dr. Rosanne Welch Reads from

 

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

See the entire collection of photos from the event

Editor Susan La Tempa hosted all the local contributors at the event space in the Helms Bakery district, which gave us a chance to check out that lovely landmark.  Then I had the chance to meet Lisa See – author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of 4 generations of her Chinese-American family living in Los Angeles and running a factory, an antique shop and a restaurant popular with the Hollywood crowd of the 1930s and 40s.  We had first heard of her book when Doug and I were docents at the Autry Western Heritage Museum in Griffith Park and they had a whole exhibit dedicated to telling the story of the book (which it turns out Lisa curated!) It was so popular an exhibit that it hung around long enough for Joseph to be born and to become old enough to play in the little mini restaurant they set up with pots and plates and menus.  So it was wonderful to hear Lisa read an excerpt from the book and then to talk to her during the book signing segment of the afternoon.

I was also deeply impressed by the way Susan opened the event with a native Tongva greeting – something I had only seen done at the public events we attended in New Zealand where everyone began events with the traditional Maori greeting where you introduce yourself in terms of what is your mountain, your river, and your ancestry.  Beautiful! So hearing it in Los Angeles was a lovely idea we all ought to emulate.

 

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]
Then the super cool thing was that several friends made the trip down to Culver City – thanks Duke and Dena Jackels and Dan and Liz Forer – and Euphemia – for coming to the reading, and for buying books!

Being my typically exuberant self via Instagram

Being my typically exuberant self

Being my typically exuberant self via Instagram

Before reading at Paperback LA #3 (“Hey Hey They Wrote The Monkees”) launch party

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Get Your Copy Today!

See the entire collection of photos from the event

Editor Susan La Tempa hosted all the local contributors at the event space in the Helms Bakery district, which gave us a chance to check out that lovely landmark.  Then I had the chance to meet Lisa See – author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of 4 generations of her Chinese-American family living in Los Angeles and running a factory, an antique shop and a restaurant popular with the Hollywood crowd of the 1930s and 40s.  We had first heard of her book when Doug and I were docents at the Autry Western Heritage Museum in Griffith Park and they had a whole exhibit dedicated to telling the story of the book (which it turns out Lisa curated!) It was so popular an exhibit that it hung around long enough for Joseph to be born and to become old enough to play in the little mini restaurant they set up with pots and plates and menus.  So it was wonderful to hear Lisa read an excerpt from the book and then to talk to her during the book signing segment of the afternoon.

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

It was marvelous to be asked to read a portion of my contribution to Paperback LA #3  (“Hey Hey They Wrote The Monkees”) at the launch party on Sunday. 

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]

See the entire collection of photos from the event

Editor Susan La Tempa hosted all the local contributors at the event space in the Helms Bakery district, which gave us a chance to check out that lovely landmark.  Then I had the chance to meet Lisa See – author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of 4 generations of her Chinese-American family living in Los Angeles and running a factory, an antique shop and a restaurant popular with the Hollywood crowd of the 1930s and 40s.  We had first heard of her book when Doug and I were docents at the Autry Western Heritage Museum in Griffith Park and they had a whole exhibit dedicated to telling the story of the book (which it turns out Lisa curated!) It was so popular an exhibit that it hung around long enough for Joseph to be born and to become old enough to play in the little mini restaurant they set up with pots and plates and menus.  So it was wonderful to hear Lisa read an excerpt from the book and then to talk to her during the book signing segment of the afternoon.

I was also deeply impressed by the way Susan opened the event with a native Tongva greeting – something I had only seen done at the public events we attended in New Zealand where everyone began events with the traditional Maori greeting where you introduce yourself in terms of what is your mountain, your river, and your ancestry.  Beautiful! So hearing it in Los Angeles was a lovely idea we all ought to emulate.

Rosanne Reads at Paperback LA 3 Launch Party [Photos]
Then the super cool thing was that several friends made the trip down to Culver City – thanks Duke and Dena Jackels and Dan and Liz Forer – and Euphemia – for coming to the reading, and for buying books!

Sculpture of Vittorio Emanuelle II during battle for Italian Reunification via Instagram

What are your favorite period of Italian History? Share in the comments!

 Sculpture of Vittorio Emanuelle II during battle for Italian Reunification

Sculpture of Vittorio Emanuelle II during battle for Italian Reunification via Instagram

On our trip to Milan for the 2019 SRN Conference we had the time to visit the Museum of the Risorgimento so I could do some research on the Italian perspective of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the topic of my second Mentoris novel. It really helped me see him from several sides – and artwork like this highlighted the place he holds in world civilization. 

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Females, fiction and uprising in the Poly Post, Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly Student journalist Daniela Avila did a great job summing up the points I made in my recent library lecture on my favorite female science fiction writers.  — Rosanne


Females, fiction and uprising in the Poly Post, Cal Poly Pomona

Females, fiction and uprising in the Poly Post, Cal Poly Pomona

Education on the role of women in science fiction — which has been gravely overlooked — was brought by Rosanne Welch at Cal Poly Pomona’s University Library last Thursday, April 25.

Welch discussed several different women in this genre.

Not only in books and written works, but also in television and movies.

She was very passionate about the subject and the significance of women in the genre which many fail to acknowledge.

“It’s a place where audiences and writers go to discuss the issues of the world in a safe place,” Welch said, in regards to science fiction.

Welch began the lecture with the woman that started it all — Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Shelley is responsible for writing the famous novel “Frankenstein.”

This was written in 1818; however, she asked that the book remained anonymous due to the reactions of a woman writing such a dark and challenging work. Her intentions were to sit back and wait for the book to be judged based off of merit not the author.

It wasn’t until 1823 that her name was placed on the cover.

Read Females, fiction and uprising by Daniela Avila in Poly Post


Watch the entire presentation here!

The Sisterhood of Science Fiction: A Walk Through Some Writers and Characters You (Should) Know And Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MuJ-Wxpjng

 

The Sisterhood of Science Fiction: A Walk Through Some Writers and Characters You (Should) Know And Love



* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

Semester In LA Writers Round Table Class – Columbia College of Chicago

Semester In LA Writers Round Table Class - Columbia College of Chicago

Semester In LA Writers Round Table Class

Here’s a great photo of my current (and nearly graduated) Columbia College Writers Round Table class together with the marvelous actors who joined us for the last 3 weeks. The did table reads of all 9 student scripts. The actors are: Erron Jay (on the right in the back row), Khanisha Foster (2nd row #6 from the left/standing next to me), Juan Villa (last one on the right in the 2nd row) and Christina Nieves (in the middle in the front row). Kudos to Khanisha for gathering them all for us because they went above and beyond the call of duty by giving great notes for the (inevitable with all writing) rewrites to come. All in all, a fun and productive 3-week collaboration!

“When Women Wrote Hollywood”, Dr. Rosanne Welch, Cal State University, Fullerton

I've taken part in the Pollak Library Faculty Noon Time Talks for the last couple of years.  This year I had a great time delivering this lecture built around all the wonderful female screenwriters included in my book When Women Wrote Hollywood. Thanks to subject librarian John Hickok for organizing these events - and for the nice introduction.Part of the California State University, Fullerton Faculty Noon Time Talks at the Pollak Library.Dr. Rosanne Welch discusses the women in her new book “When Women Wrote Hollywood” which covers female screenwriters from the Silents through the early 1940s when women wrote over 50% of films and Frances Marion was the highest paid screenwriter (male or female) and the first to win 2 Oscars.  Yet, she fails to appear in film history books, which continue to regurgitate the myth that male directors did it all – even though it’s been proven that the only profitable movies Cecil B. de Mille ever directed were all written by Jeannie Macpherson film ever won for Best Picture was written by Robert E. Sherwood (who people have heard of, mostly due to his connection to Dorothy Parker) and Joan Harrison.Buy a signed copy of when Women Wrote Hollywood   Paperback Edition | Kindle Edition | Google Play Edition* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library

Watch the complete presentation

Dr. Rosanne Welch discusses the women in her new book “When Women Wrote Hollywood” which covers female screenwriters from the Silents through the early 1940s when women wrote over 50% of films and Frances Marion was the highest paid screenwriter (male or female) and the first to win 2 Oscars.  Yet, she fails to appear in film history books, which continue to regurgitate the myth that male directors did it all – even though it’s been proven that the only profitable movies Cecil B. de Mille ever directed were all written by Jeannie Macpherson film ever won for Best Picture was written by Robert E. Sherwood (who people have heard of, mostly due to his connection to Dorothy Parker) and Joan Harrison.

 

 

Buy a signed copy of when Women Wrote Hollywood

Paperback Edition | Kindle Edition | Google Play Edition

 

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Met a mini-Aslan on my way to CS (Clive Staples – who knew?) Lewis’ grave at Holy Trinity Church in Headington via Instagram

Met a mini-Aslan on my way to CS (Clive Staples – who knew?) Lewis’ grave at Holy Trinity Church in Headington

Met a mini-Aslan on my way to CS (Clive Staples - who knew?) Lewis' grave at Holy Trinity Church in Headington via iInstagram

– and then I found the window dedicated to his Narnia books inside – it’s etched (not stained) so it’s hard to see but Aslan’s face is in the upper left with the Dawn Treader below it and the castle of Cair Paravel on the bottom right. Imagine being a writer who wrote something so lovely that the churchyard has to place location signs from your grave…and other writers would seek you out all these years hence.

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

First day of lecture/research trip to Oxford-Brookes! (Oxford, UK) via Instagram

First day of lecture/research trip to Oxford-Brookes! (Oxford, UK)

First day of lecture/research trip to Oxford-Brookes! (Oxford, UK)

I’m off to the UK once more to spend a week teaching Screenwriting to the students of Oxford Brookes University. This is part of an exchange program between Oxford Brookes University and the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting.

 

Paolo Russo, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, has twice spent a week as a guest lecturer here in Los Angeles and now I get a chance to spend a week with his students. This Master Class is just one part of my activities there. I’ll be working closely with his screenwriting students individually and also get a chance to visit some important research locations like the Bodleian Library.