Bill Berry with Glenn Churchill, Franchisee/The UPS Store Auburn, NY who exhibited at "Market Cayuga" trade show held at the Holiday Inn on November 10, 2010 Last Wednesday, November 10th, I represented aaduna at the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo.  I met several "influencers" who have already provided valuable network info, as well as access to artists and leaders of local cultural institutions.  Before leaving, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with the Superintendent of the Auburn Enlarged City School District, J.D. Pabis.  He encouraged me to reach out to a contact at the Auburn Education Foundation in case teachers want to write grants to support the aaduna literacy initiative.  I will provide more about this initiative in the coming weeks. This past Friday, November 12th, I took Lisa and my Mom for lunch at The Bellhurst Castle, located  in Geneva, NY along Seneca L...

The start of fall routinely signals the start of a new cultural/artistic season.  Amidst new exhibitions, premiers, special issues, tours, and openings, there is the behind the scenes drama that challenges creative minds to challenge one another, compromise, negotiate and quite possibly re-direct individual energies towards different paths than previously planned.  In this type of vortex, it is often wise to rise above the process, view it with a certain ease of detachment, seek clarity, and re-enter the "fray" with a singular sense of purpose.  As aaduna experiences such a process, I am reminded of the various temperments when I interned at The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts/National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston; directed the BFA/MFA program at Antioch; mounted a cultural arts performance program at Stony Brook; experienced the affects of political interference on academic freedom associat...

November 13th is the date.  Please encourage folks you know to submit unpublished works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or a visual artwork for consideration.  If they have questions, they should send an e-mail to info@aaduna.org The aaduna Call for Submissions postcard has been redesigned.  While the changes are subtle, the revised card captures the eye better than the start-up version.  These cards are normally left at cultural venues, and some commercial establishments that support the arts.

Lisa, Carrie, and I left Auburn at 7:37 this past Saturday morning, and returned around 6:40 yesterday evening.  We had dinner (including my Mom, younger sister Ronnie and her partner Allen, oldest daughter Isis, and her cousin Jasmine) at Sequoia in DC (Georgetown area).  Afterwards, we all went to Cirque du Soleil's show "Ovo" at the National Harbour in MD, and had fun comversation at my Mom's place in Arlington, VA to cap the evening.  And while it became an unplanned aaduna free-weekend, the creative juices flowed in that direction.  aaduna will benefit  from ideas on the next trip down  in November around "Thanksgiving" time.  And my Mom is in Auburn until that return trip.  I will get aaduna info to a few bookstores in DC next month.  Kramerbooks and Cafe, and Politics and Prose are top on the list, and there is at least one other (I can...

Poetry from New Jersey, and fiction, in standard script format, from Toledo, OH are recent submissions.  Off to VA/DC tomorrow morning; back in Auburn Sunday evening.  Wishing a gracious weekend to all.

Existed at The UPS Store reception at Turning Stone this past Monday evening.  I met and had good conversations with store owners, as well as Sean Brown, Director of SavOn Operations (the Oneida Nation's convenience stores), who first thing Tuesday morning put me in contact with the Nations' VP of Human Resources.  It appears HR may have an interest in supporting and working with aaduna.  Sean felt aaduna's mission speaks to several concerns that the Nation is trying to address. After dinner, Lisa and I rejoined her colleagues at the Casino's Sports Lounge.  Met Stuart Mathis, President, MBE (Mail Boxes Etc., a UPS Company).  We were in e-mail communication Wednesday morning, and at another point in time, I hope to parlay that meeting towards a value added relationship for aaduna.  I was also able to talk about the publication with company officials form Atlanta by way of Reno, Nevada.  Much tha...

Lisa arranged the invite so I'll attend the Northeast Regional Quarterly Network UPS Store Meeting convened at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY.  The meeting starts today (with a golfing event and I don't golf even though my Uncle Lou was on the PGA tour...way before Tiger).  It ends tomorrow.  I will pitch aaduna at the main Reception this evening.  I need to identify the corporate folks who handle philanthropy, and establish a relationship with area store owners.  Corporate officials will be in from San Diego, and some other officials are coming up from Atlanta to join their regional colleagues. What else should I be doing to build readership, solicit submissions, and lay the ground work for a revenue stream????  Let me know.