Here are the minutes for the HWA Oregon meeting held on June 22, 2025. Thank you to everyone who attended, and I hope these notes are helpful for those who were not able to attend. – Richard Leis, HWA Oregon Secretary.

Business

1. Welcome and introduction.
2. HWA Oregon Chapter Vision:
   1. Monthly meetings continue on the third Sunday of the month.
   2. Quarterly in-person chapter meetings and events to be held in different regions around Oregon throughout the year.
   3. Book club.
   4. Chapter Events that matter to you, the member! Survey link provided (will be emailed as well.)
   5. Chapter update sent for July 2025 issue of HWA Newsletter; thank you everyone who shared your announcements and news.
3. HWA News
   1. HWA is launching a new process for providing limited chapter financial support soon.
   2. This year was the biggest StokerCon yet with over 800 attendees.
   3. The goal is to get StokerCon attendance over 1,000. 
   4. HWA is growing and has surpassed 2,000 members.
   5. StokerCon 2026 and 2027 will be held in Pittsburgh, PA at the Westin Hotel. Tickets are available now.
4. StokerCon 2025 recap with H. A., Frances, and Richard
   1. H. A. talked about one panel in particular: combating loneliness in the writing profession. Highlights:
      1. Social Media isn’t required but those connection spaces are. If you are going to step away from social media, make sure to replace your connections with meetups, writing groups or conventions. 
      2. Taking time to support other writers by listening to them and offering advice can build natural network connections in the industry. Everyone has something to offer someone else, don’t hesitate to reach out. 
      3. Building a literary community can increase momentum for traditional, small, and self-published authors. You never know who you will meet in the community when you reach out and plug in. 
      4. Everyone needs a writing friend/critique partner that counters the voice in your head that always tries to put you down. 
   2. Frances: HWA membership and StokerCon attendance is growing.
      1. As members, you can check into other chapters and their meetings, though you can only be a member of one chapter for chapter election voting purposes.
      2. StokerCon is full of editors and agents; interactions are dynamic and there are no barriers between attendees.
      3. Mass author signings.
      4. Everyone is really approachable.
      5. StokerCon has a different vibe than other conferences: people are more approachable, conversations are spontaneous.
      6. The 2025 StokerCon had lots of fun and spontaneous happenings and sightings. Examples:
         1. A room full of lamps, and lots of noise even though no one was in there.
         2. 20 people in a spontaneous seance with a medium/author.
      7. Stamford, CT was a little hard to get to, but Pittsburgh, PA the next two years is more accessible.
   3. Richard: Even for socially anxious people, the vibe helped. Lots of connections and conversations.
   4. We’re looking into tabling HWA Oregon at next year’s StokerCon to sell our member’s books. This year, a few different chapters were there doing so.
      1. It seems like a great way to both promote our chapter and our members’ hard work! 
5. Upcoming Chapter Events
   1. June book: Reprieve by James Han Mattson
   2. Book club: Sunday, June 29th at 5:00 p.m. on Google Meet
   3. July book: The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
   4. Next chapter meeting: Sunday, July 20th at 5:00 p.m. on Google Meet
   5. Next book club meeting: Sunday, July 27th at 5:00 p.m. on Google Meet
   6. August book: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca
   7. Beaverton City Library Halloween Event on October 25 from 1-3 p.m.
      1. Thank you, Frances, for helping to organize this with Beaverton City Library, who are likewise very excited.
      2. Readings
      3. HWA table to sell our books and sign  for free
         1. Frances can vend, or individuals, or someone else
      4. JB Kish: Great turn out last year; it’s great to hear the attendees wanted to be able to buy our books.
         1. Great opportunity to PG-ify your work for a general audience.
      5. Let us know if you want to participate soon so the library can begin advertising the authors who will be there.
6. Future Events
   1. Upcoming events where HWA Oregon could table or participate in panels, around Oregon and elsewhere:
      1. Pride events (Eugene Pride deadline passed but we can look for later in the year and next year.)
      2. Fae Ball and Book Market
      3. Orycon
      4. Portland Book Festival
      5. UFOFest in McMinnville (SF and horror sells well there)
      6. HP Lovecraft Film Festival
      7. StokerCon 2026
      8. HWA financial support, authors sharing cost of table, other financial options

Announcements

• Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito: Open call for Kozy Krampus (Underland Press), June 15-30, 2025.
• Zachariah O’Keeffe: Finished outline for second book.
• David Barker: Collection of horror stories coming from Jackanapes Press in fall. New stories in Art Born Words (Demagogue Press.) New flash fiction in upcoming “The King In Yellow” inspired edition of Weird Fiction Quarterly. Writing short sonnets inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s sonnets. 
• H. A. Spector finished the first draft of his novel over Memorial Day weekend, now editing it for his thesis, and will graduate soon with MFA.
• Tom Witherspoon: Submitting work.