E-MAIL NEWSLETTER PASSES ON, BUT THE BLOG SURVIVES: With the 12/22/06 edition, wyolitmail e-mail newsletter will cease publication. I began wyolitmail in 1999 when the Wyoming Arts Council board, facing big deficits, cut funds for our print newsletter. The agency decided to jump whole hog into electronic communication via its web site. Unfortunately, the switch from print to electrons was a bit premature and we're still catching up.

In the beginning, wyolitmail was sent weekly via e-mail to the 20 or so writers on the WAC roster and those who had won literary fellowships -- those who had e-mail addresses anyway. Those people started to forward wyolitmail to others, and they contacted me to get on the list. Pretty soon I had hundreds of subscribers for the free service, some even beyond the state's borders. Today, 540 subscribers receive it every Friday.

The wyolitmail blog will survie, and I'll do my best to update is daily. After all, a writer must support his habit -- and his fellow writers. In September, my job title changed from literary arts specialist to individual arts specialist. I’m now in charge of fellowships and Individual Artist Professional Development grants for literature, performing arts, and visual arts. I’m also the editor of a two new publications: the all-Arts Council monthly e-mail newsletter and a new quarterly print newsletter. The weekly edition of wyolitmail had to go.

The new all-WAC e-letter will feature info for individual artists and arts organizations. I’m already receiving lots of info about arts exhibitions and theatre performances and concerts. You may already have seen them sneaking into wyolitmail. However, if you don’t want to receive this more comprehensive arts e-letter, let me know. First issue is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 26, 2007. Please send your announcements at least a week in advance, and I’ll do my best to get them in.

Change is good, as they say (whoever "they" are). If you find yourself nostalgic for the e-mail wyolitmail, you can check out the WAC archives on the literature page.

Labels: Wyoming Arts Council

- posted by Michael Shay @ 8:42 AM