Margie will also be out of contact for a week or two.

Website
Sally has achieved a terrific website - you'll all have received her email today about it. One of the snags of doing everything by email is that we can't show our appreciation in person - but perhaps we can all think of giving her a cyber hug this evening! Thanks Sally for what you've achieved - it's up to all of us now to find anything missing on the website.

Book:
I've been in touch with many of you asking for your help in completing articles and/or proof-reading. I've been in touch with Margie's daughter about the cover, but she wants dome direction about what to include, but I've told her no photographs!

1. We need a title: So what about

(It's a bit clumsy, but can we refine something like that? As we are doing his with an Arts Council grant, and such grants are to promote Arts in Britain, I've got to be fairly careful to make sure that Britain features. That sort of wording implies that British residence is not vital.)

2. We should have our logo on the front cover somewhere.

3. We must have the Arts Council logo somewhere (I think on the back cover)

4. I'm thinking of asking Michele simply to use a montage from our writings - simply black on white - with the title in white cut-outs. This would emphasise we are communicating by words, and not relying on colour or anything else (it's cheaper, too). I think it could be quite effective. If you have any comments, please send them directly to me: I don't think we can have a general discussion on this.

Regular challenge:
See the Challenges page for details of this month's regular challenge - and the results of the last one!

I have had no volunteer for dealing with Challenge 5, so you should send the entries to me, but it would help me considerably if someone offered to help out with some of the future challenges. Ann has offered to deal with one in February.

Additional Challenge:
For those of you who remember the additional challenge I gave you last year (the initials of well-known sayings) I have another this year which I'll circulate on Alpha Day 6.

Longitudinal experiment:
Click here for details.

Group Creative Writing:
Click here for details.

Discussion:
I am asking you all to review a story which has been written by one of our members: it's in an attachment to this Circular. I also have had an offer for review, but that will be for a later Alpha Day Circular.

I had a disappointing response to my suggestion about CREATIVITY - but can we have a suggestion for another topic?

Best wishes to you all

- Olaf