The following description was written by Program Director Judy Salamacha.

Is it time for the return of the western? You know, that time when a handshake was a bonded promise, when the good guys were squeaky clean-good and the bad guys were really dark. When women were seen, but not often heard, because they were cooking and cleaning and tending -- longingly taking care of their heroes. When each adventure was the story about a man and his horse or a boy and his dog or a lady in waiting, whether of the night or at the homestead.

And the love interest was romanticized by a brief touch of the hand, locked penetrating eyes saying it all. Unless one of the sets of eyes was the lady of the night, and then it was a quick tumble with skirted ruffles covering the coverlets.

But I digress to celebrate a genre prominent on the book shelves, which appears to be making its way back to the Silver Screen and TV-Town. The western has always offered golden themes for conflict yet rich and less complicated settings and characterization. Point of view would probably never be from a man’s horse, although I heard recently that how one treats his or her horse represents a “window to his or her soul.”

At our January meeting the team of Bill Scott and Anne Schroeder will be defining the Western genre, the traditional western and its historical derivatives. They’ll explain why reading western history can be valuable to every writer in all genres. They’ll also solve the mystery: Why westerns are on the upsurge.

Anne Schroeder scored a first at the

Bill Scott recently won the coveted 2011 Willa Literary Award for Original Soft Cover Fiction at the Fall Convention of Women Writing the West. His novel Light On A Distant Hill claimed the first place honor in Original Soft Cover Fiction.

As well, please be aware that many of our members who have published books will have those books available at the meeting for your reading -- and purchasing -- pleasure!

DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE PG&E CENTER:

1. Heading South on 101: Take San Luis Bay Drive exit (#196); turn right at stop sign, then the first left onto Ontario. It’s a quick left, because Ontario is a frontage road, so keep an eye out. As usual in California, signage isn’t as good as it could be. The PG&E Center is on the right about 1/4 mile from the turn.

or

2. Heading North on 101: Take San Luis Bay Drive exit (#196); turn left at the stop sign and go across the bridge over the highway. Just after bridge ends, after the southbound entrance to the 101, turn left onto Ontario, the frontage road. You’ll find PG&E on the right just a little way down the road. Huge parking lot with lots of lighting.