Sunday, March 10, 2013

MARCH 6, 2013



MEMBERS PRESENT:
Sharon Buckman, George Miga, Donna Douglass, Sharon Dorelli, Sharon Palmeri, Neil Bedeker, Gail Galvan, Ron Trigg, Jane Burns, Tom Spencer, Julie Perkins, Michelle Vargas, Kelly Chase, Laurie Chase



OLD BUSINESS:
A vote of approval for the February 20, 2013 minutes was first given by DONNA DOUGLASS and seconded by JULIE PERKINS.


NEW BUSINESS:
A discussion was held by the members for a possible award to be given for the most acceptance and or rejection letters, non-contest, received by one member starting January 1st of this year.

LITERARY NEWS:

GAIL GALVAN  has decided to temporarily take a traditional publishing route for her new book New Jack Rabbit City. She said she has sent queries to Chicago agents and publishers, but has yet to hear back from any of them.  She received an email rejection letter from Stephen Barr, Lit agent at Writers House in New York. The agent stated, “Despite its poise and polish, I wasn’t wholeheartedly connecting with your writing.” 

NEIL BEDEKER mentioned he had attended a Writer’s Conference while in St. Petersburg, Fla.,  and found that Allium Press in Chicago was interested in historical facts concerning Chicago.  This info was interesting to Neil as well as JULIE PERKINS, both writing novels concerning the Chicago World’s Fair.

JANE BURNS announced that a short article she had written on Jackie Tyler had been accepted in the Not-Radio Times Doctor Who anniversary special.

TOM SPENCER stated that this Saturday, March 9th, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., would be the last poetry meeting hosted by the Lowell Library.

READINGS:

GEORGE MIGA continued with four pages from his novel, Medal of Dishonor.  This section of the novel began with McCall, Eleanor, Tony and Cordell Jackson meeting with President Johnson to discuss who should actually be the recipient of the Medal of Honor.  Since the medal had already been given to Oliver Crawford, who had recently been named Secretary of the Army, by President Johnson, it was, to say the least, quite a problem for the President.

DONNA DOUGLASS read four pages of her short memoir, “Detour Down Christmas Tree Lane.”  In the beginning of her memoir, Donna told of her experience working as a part time teacher for a Jewish school in 1997 in Atlanta.  The story began with a T.V. truck pulling up in front of the school to tell of the destruction caused when red swastikas had been sprayed on the drive, buildings and lawn.  Donna told of having a difficult time trying to explain why anyone could hate people they never knew.

SHARON DORELLI read her delightful one page memoir entitled “Waiting For Peter Pan.”  The memoir told of her fascination with Peter Pan as a child and waiting nights by her bedroom window waiting for him to come.

GAIL GALVAN read her narrative poem entitled, “Katfish Karma.”  The poem told of her dismay at the time wasted by people looking for love on the internet.  Adding to the problem of deception was the waste of time involved instead of actually looking for the real love of your life.

RON TRIGG read a four page memoir about his childhood in North Hammond.  The memoir entitled, “An Unlikely Naturalist,” told of his fascination with all things involving the natural world, including jars of insects, centipedes, etc., and ending with his most prized possession, a dead baby alligator.

JANE BURNS continued with her novel, Atalanta.  In the beginning of this part of her novel the women of Urtygia surrounded a pyre of wood, holding a funeral ritual for one of their elders, Ella.  Several men came to help lift the body into a hollow log, placing it on top of the pyre, thereby beginning the ritual with the women calling their goodbyes by yelling “go back, go back home.”

TOM SPENCER brought his seven stanza poem entitled, “Lost Love.”  His narrative reverse poem told of the wonderful memories, thoughts and visions he endured while standing alone upon the shore of a barren beach.

JULIE PERKINS read her 18 line heroic couplets poem entitled, “Refuge.” The poem related to a child’s version of a battlefield during World War 11 as he compared his bedroom floor, with all the soldiers, race cars and rubber toys to a battlefield.

MICHELLE VARGAS read her two page synopsis of her novel Striving After Wind.  Her historical novel told of the Tolleston Gun Club of northwest Indiana during l876 and the coveted piece of property being sold only after Tabitha is wounded in a gun battle.  The synopsis ends with Tabitha raising a young boy that turns out to be her nephew.

KELLY CHASE continued with her short story, “Stormy Night.”  Jamie, after spending an afternoon raking leaves with Lizzie, has another nightmare involving Lizzie and the large bat-like creature that leaves three large scratches on her face when she awakes.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 P.M. 

Respectfully submitted:
SHARON BUCKMAN

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