January 10, 2026
10 a.m. ─ 12 noon at The Well, 210 James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK
During our January program, the winners of the 2025 Galaxy contest will read their winning entries aloud. Starting with the first-place entries, we’ll continue with as many manuscripts as time will allow. If you won any of the awards, please bring your entries . . . and prepare to be applauded! Come join us.
July 12, 2025 Meeting
Business Meeting: 10 a.m.; Program: 10:30 a.m.
The Well, 210 South James Garner Ave., Norman
Zoom Available
Our July speaker, Mike Swain, has always written stories. Swain is currently in his 42 nd year of teaching classical literature and creative writing. He’s currently writing NevЯland, an Apocalyptic three-book series about a world where everyone over 18 vanishes. He also uploads stories to Substack and to a new platform called Ream.
He belongs to OWFI, Mystery Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association, and Ozark Creative Writers. He’s also the founder of the Lawton Fiction Writers. Mike loves Baby Blue (his 2008 Harley), and he rides all over Oklahoma to attend conferences and local writers’ groups.
Mike will talk about fantasy and writing, including urban fantasy. He recently returned from LibertyCon where he learned a new term: “cozy” fantasy. He will tell us all about it on July 12. So come learn what’s ‘cutting edge’ in the writing circles.
June Meeting:
June 12, 2025, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Speaker Erin McKnight
210 South James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK
(ZOOM Available)
Erin McKnight is a contemporary romance author, marketer, and copywriter. Her two published romances are Batter Days and Coming Home. When she's not writing, she indulges her love of crocheting, sports, and cooking.
She is an active member of her church and enjoys giving back to her community. Erin grew up in the small town of Ketchum, located in the northeast corner of Oklahoma. She moved to Norman to pursue her education, graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. She currently resides in Moore with her husband and their furry sidekicks — cats Percy, Apollo, and Jennie.
NORMAN GALAXY OF WRITERS SPEAKER MEETING
May 10, 2025, 10 a.m.-12 p.m
210 South James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK
(ZOOM Available)
Mary Payne will discuss the legacy of Peter Elbow (Writing
With Power) and how we can use his experience to enhance our writing.
She will finish with a few words about historical fiction. Mary is a graduate
of Phillips University and the University of Oklahoma.
She
has been actively researching and writing since the 1980s. She’s currently the
president of Galaxy, the editor of Write Line, and a member of OWFI
and SCBWI. Her books are Adoption’s Hidden History and Lyncoya:
Andrew Jackson’s Adopted Indian Son. Her current project is a Young Adult
novel, Surviving Summer. When not writing, three acres of yard work
beckon, but her favorite thing to do is to curl up with a good book.
NORMAN GALAXY OF WRITERS
SPEAKER MEETING
April 12, 2025, 10 a.m.-12 p.m
210 South James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK
(ZOOM Available)
With a background in music, creative writing, and education, Peggy Doviak went into finance when a stockbroker exploited her mother. Now a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM professional and bestselling author, she has spent more than twenty years helping others avoid what her mother experienced.
Peggy’s award-winning personal finance books offer bite-sized pieces of financial information and activities to help you apply what you’ve read. In 52 Weeks to Fearless, creatives are invited to Ask Peggy® questions about their money. Finances can be intimidating when your passion is in the arts.
Peggy also writes cozy mysteries. Her best-selling You Can’t Cheat Death is the first in the Magnolia Hill Series. The second in the series, You Can’t Bury Death, will be released in late June.
When she’s not working or writing, Peggy loves cooking and traveling and is owned by two horses and two cats.
NORMAN GALAXY OF WRITERS
SPEAKER MEETING
March 8, 2025, 10 a.m.-12 Noon
210 South James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK
(ZOOM Available)
MARCIA PRESTON
Marcia Preston has been a high school teacher, freelance writer, magazine editor, and public relations director. Her third book in the Chantalene mystery series, Speaking to the Unseen, was released in 2024.
A previous title, Song of the Bones, won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for suspense fiction. She writes women’s and literary fiction, as well as mysteries. She has eight traditionally published novels.
Marcia is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Tornado Alley Chapter of SinC. She’s a past president and honorary lifetime member of Oklahoma City Writers and OWFI.
October 12, 2024
Business Meeting: 10 a.m.
Program: 10:30 a.m. The Well, 210 South James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK. Zoom will be available.
Speaker: Judith Briggs Coker
September 14, 2024
Business Meeting: 10 a.m.
Program: 10:30 a.m. The Well, 210 South James Garner Avenue
Speaker: Nathan Brown
Nathan Brown is an author, songwriter, and award-winning poet who doesn’t live anywhere in particular. He holds a PhD in English and Journalism from the University of Oklahoma. He served as Poet Laureate for the State of Oklahoma in 2013/14 and travels fulltime performing readings, concerts, workshops and speaking on creativity, poetry, and songwriting.
During his Galaxy ‘Snapshot Memoir’ presentation, he will talk about how to write stories in segments and snapshots, timelines, and vignettes.
His
earlier book, Two Tables Over, won the Oklahoma Book Award. His
latest album of all original songs, The Streets of San Miguel, features
Paul Simon’s accordionist, Joel Guzman and international fiddle champion,
Warren Hood.
He’s taught
songwriting, memoir, poetry, and performance workshops from Tuscany and Ireland
to the Sisters Folk Festival in Oregon, the Taos Poetry Festival, the Woody
Guthrie Festival, Laity Lodge, the Everwood Farmstead Foundation in Wisconsin,
as well as for Blue Rock Artist Ranch near Austin, Texas.
His online live video series The Fire Pit
Sessions—inspired by the Pandemic Poems Project—has had more than 80,000 views. At
almost 300 episodes now, Nathan reads a few poems from the project and performs
a song at the end.
August 10, 2024
Business Meeting: 10 a.m.
Program: 10:30 a.m. The Well, 210 South James Garner Avenue
BETSEY KULAKOWSKI is a federally-trained investigator with 30+ years of experience as an occupational safety specialist and a degree in emergency management. Betsey served on disaster response teams at the Murrah Federal Building Bombing, the World Trade Center, Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, and other disasters in Oklahoma.
Betsey is the author of the bestselling, award-winning, paranormal thriller, The Veritas Codex, and the series of the same name. She has experience as an amateur paranormal investigator and is an avid history buff and family genealogist.
NGW Speaker Meeting:
NORMAN GALAXY OF WRITERS SPEAKER MEETING
PRESENTS ANDY RIEGER
WHEN: July 13, 2024
WHERE: The Well, 210 South James Garner Ave., Norman, OK
Andy Rieger, a Norman native, earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma. He has worked as a reporter and editor on Oklahoma newspapers for more than 40 years, retiring from the Transcript in 2015 after serving as editor for 20 years. He has taught reporting and journalism history classes as an adjunct professor at OU for many years. Rieger is a member and past president of the Norman Rotary Club and has twice chaired the United Way of Norman annual fund drive. He enjoys cycling and sailing.
Galaxy Meeting:
WHEN: June 8, 2024, 10 a.m.-12
WHERE: The Well, 210 South James Garner Avenue, Norman, OK (Zoom available).
WHAT: Presentation by University of Oklahoma Professor Emeritus Geary Hobson
Geary Hobson champions his Cherokee-Quapaw/Chickasaw heritage. He is a poet, short story writer, novelist, and literary scholar. He was among the first professors in the U.S. to teach Native American literature. He helped establish the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas (NWCA), an international consortium of Native and Non-Native writers and scholars. In 2003, he received their Lifetime Achievement Award. His written works include:
