COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A connection to Abraham Lincoln. A history that began in 1897. Put these facts together with creative women from around the U.S., and you have the face of the National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW).
N. Taylor Collins is the current national president and is based in Washington D.C. She was in Colorado Springs on Friday and spoke with FOX21 Morning News anchor Grace Polanski about NLAPW.
"Women back in the 1800s were very talented writers and poets...but when it came to getting jobs and being paid to write, they were not able to be hired," Collins explained.
She said the Press Club did not allow these women to participate in major events of the day, and thus, women formed the NLAPW. The group has included former First Ladies.
"Eleanor Roosevelt was one of our most active, famous members," Collins said.
It was an NLAPW member named Vinnie Ream who sculpted the well known statue of Abraham Lincoln that stands in the U.S. Rotunda. Ream met with the President for a half-hour each day for six months to accomplish the feat, according to Collins.
"That is one of our biggest focuses that we're having this year because we are part of the official Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission celebration," Collins said. "A lot of people don't realize that sculpture was done by a female. When she sculpted him from life, she was actually 16."
Collins explained that a lot of the NLAPW members in its early days went from writing into radio, because that was one of the few ways they could get paid for their trade.
"One of them was Catherine Cravens from Texas, who actually became the first coast-to-coast radio correspondent," she said. Cravens helped promote flying in the U.S. during a time that the public "wasn't too keen to fly" as she flew around the country reporting on events.
Collins said NLAPW tries to be role models for younger women coming up in the ranks of writing, art and music.
"Eleanor Roosevelt insisted a lot when she was First Lady that she be covered by the female reporters of the day. She didn't want to be followed by the male press corps -- she really insisted that the women cover her story," Collins said.
NLAPW has published a book that is a commemorative anthology of stories about Lincoln for the bicentennial called, "Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln." The book has essays, poems, music and scholarly works about Lincoln, and was compiled by about 80 members of NLAPW, including a contribution from a member who is 91 years old and has been involved in Pen Women for 61 years.
The book is available online via the national Web site. The $28 cost includes shipping. Proceeds from the book sales will be used to establish a Lincoln Legacy Scholarship award for students who produce literary works of merit that best exemplify one or more of Lincoln's contributions to the American ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity.
Collins is in Colorado Springs this weekend to attend the NLAPW Pikes Peak Branch meeting where an award will be given to local author and member, Beverly Lewis, honoring her for the more than 70 published books she has written. The event is private and limited to branch members, but new members are always welcome to join the Pike Peak Branch. Meetings are held monthly at various locations.
Pikes Peak Branch is currently accepting entries from anyone for its annual "Flash Fiction" contest. Deadline is March 2 for entries that tell a story in 100 words or less about the theme, "Everything Was Perfect." First place winner receives $75. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded. Contest entry fee is $10 per story. Winners will be notified by April 15, 2009.
For more information about NLAPW Pikes Peak Chapter, click here.
Click on the camera icon to view the segment as it aired on FOX21 Morning News.
(Note: FOX21 interactive managing editor, Pamela Cosel, is 1st Vice President of the Pikes Peak Branch of NLAPW and encourages those interested in joining to send an e-mail for more information to pcosel@kxrm.com or to PP Branch President, Nancy Bentley, at nancybentley@q.com.)
