AUGUST 7, 2013

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Sharon Buckman, Sharon Dorelli, Tom Spencer, Doris Curless, Kathy Flotz, Beverly Stanislawski, John DeYoung, Mike Musak, George Miga, Jackie Huppenthal, Suzy Stueben, Art Wilkerson, Michelle Vargas, Sharon Palmeri

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval was requested for the July 17^th minutes.  First approval was given by KATHY FLOTZ and seconded by BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI

NEW BUSINESS:

SHARON PALMERI mentioned our new web-site, and stated it had a definite advantage since it can be directly updated.   Sharon also mentioned the WOH Christmas banquet, stating that it will again be at the LOFS clubhouse on the first Wednesday in December (Dec. 4^th) and will be $25.00 per person  or $50.00 per couple.  The banquet will have the same menu as last year and will also have a guest speaker.  Sharon also reminded the members to have their entries for the Hoosier Horizon magazine sent to her before the end of August. She also mentioned that now is the time for the photographers in the group to gather up the photos they would like to submit for our magazine cover selection in September.

SHARON BUCKMAN reminded the members of the upcoming annual Craft & Car Show on Sat., Aug. 24^th, from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home. There will be various venders with a $25 charge for each table, this can include book displays and sales.  All donations will go to the American Diabetes Assn.

LITERARY NEWS:

MICHELLE VARGAS stated she now has a blog, www.michellemcgillvargas.workpress.com.

JACKIE HUPPENTHAL  mentioned the fifth annual banquet for the Indiana Writer’s Consortium which will be held at the Avalon Manor in Merrillville on October 10^th.  The doors open at 6:00 P.M. and dinner at 7:00 P.M., $27 for members and $30 for non-members – book table sales space is available for $10. RSVP to indianawritersconsortium@gmail.com or js.jm4huppenthal@sbcglobal.net.

READINGS:

SHARON BUCKMAN read her four page short story entitled, “Going Home.”  The story took place at the beginning of World War II; It told of a young brother and sister being kidnapped and taken to the kidnappers farm where they were forced to work for him until their escape twelve years later.

SHARON DORELLI  read a poem which she treasured that she had found several years prior, which had been written anonymously.  The poem had several beautiful phrases included in it, one which we all related to was, “so you plant your own garden, and decorate your own soul.”

TOM SPENCER brought his five stanza poem entitled, “Panoptical.”  The poem related to the Seven Deadly Sins  and ended with,  “Rules are made for others, as everybody knows, the world was made for me.”  A very fit ending I thought.

KATHY FLOTZ read two pages of her story entitled, “After the Pebbles.”  Her story, given this title because of her novel, “Pebble in my Shoe,” told how she had met her husband, George, and their German wedding which took place at St. Bride’s Church in Chicago.

DORIS CURLESS read her two mirror poems.  The first entitled, “Fly and Flea,” and the second entitled, “Son Ray,” which had the appropriate ending, “My sun ray is my Son Ray.”

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read her seven stanza, free verse poem entitled, “Miss Gallagher.”  The poem told of her fifth grade teacher, an Irish lady, who “shared a special joy of learning” and took on Beverly as her “special project.”

JOHN DE YOUNG read the first four pages of his novel entitled, Team 3:16.  The novel begins with two detectives sitting in their squad car on a cold rainy night in Chicago waiting to bust an illegal drug and gun operation and ending with how the two officers had met.

MIKE MUSAK continued with his screenplay, this chapter entitled, “Randy’s First Day.”  The cast consisted of only two characters (played by two of our members) and told of several bad happenings on “Randy’s first day” of work, including the wreck of two forklifts.

JACKIE HUPPENTHAL re-read her three stanza poem, “Wonderful Worms.”  Her poem, written for grade school children, told of the soiled, grimy earthworms but ended with, “Good for gardens, food for birds, love them wonderfully, filthy worms.” Because she recently received promising news from a children’s magazine, she also showed us a puzzle which she created and planned to include with the poem  when she submits it.

SUZY STUEBEN began with the introduction of her new novel entitled, Battle Mage. The novel is an adult fantasy about the battle mage and begins with her sitting looking out over Lake Michigan, watching the waves and enjoying the sounds of Chicago.  She then has her day shattered by some illegal fireworks, reminding her of a battle she fought long ago.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN