NOVEMBER 15, 2018

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Al Koch, Tammy Brietweiser, Amy Brailey, Danielle Johnson, Katherine Flotz, Caren Von See, Tim Philippart, Sharon Buckman, Diane Stratton, Beverly Stanislawski, Sharon Palmeri, Valia Hardarshan, Paula Stephenson, Corri Stephenson, Gail Galvan

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the November 1, 2018 minutes was first given by CAREN VON SEE, and seconded by KATHERINE FLOTZ.

NEW BUSINESS:

VALIA HARDARSHAN encouraged the members to visit the American Writer’s Museum in Chicago at Michigan and Randolph, he stated it was a wonderful experience for him for only $5.00 per person.

SHARON PALMERI informed the members it was necessary to postpone this year’s 30^th anniversary celebration due to unforeseen circumstances.  The suggested new dates for this 30^th year event were as follows:  1^st choice, April 10^th, 2^nd choice, March 13^th and 3^rd choice, April 3^rd.  The decision will be made after Sharon is able to contact Avalon Manor to obtain the availability.

LITERARY NEWS:

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI announced that she was able to take several prizes in the Louisiana State Poetry Contest.  She took 2^nd Pl. for her poem, “Soldiers of the Corn,” 3^rd Pl. for “Shell Shocked,” and lst H.M. for “Zydeca Isn’t Cajun.”

READINGS:

AL KOCH read his two-page short story entitled, “First Miracle.”  The story related to a slave girl giving birth to a baby boy in a desert town called Sidon.  After having been deserted by the boy’s father and the caravan she was traveling with she soon found she was unable to care for the disfigured child and gave him away to a childless couple.  The boy, named Joseus, found his way to Bethlehem and to the inn where he happened to be in the manger when Jesus was born. After Mary lifted her newborn to place his hand on the crippled boy, the boy soon found his withered leg completely healed.

TAMMY BRIETWEISER read her four-page short story entitled, “One of One.”  The story tells of a young woman and the depression she goes through after losing her fiancé due to an accident.  After carrying her depression with her everywhere she went she suddenly encounters a little girl walking by herself in a marketplace.  After having a quick conversation with the girl, she suddenly realizes the girl is her as a child and suddenly sees herself as the person she has become.

DANIELLE JOHNSON continued with Chapter 2 of her novel, Love & Dissidence.  In this part of the novel, Karina’s grandmother tries to convince her that her sister, Katia, didn’t abandon her after her marriage.  The grandmother tries to tell her she should begin to make new friends but ends the discussion when Karina’s mother enters the room.

KATHERINE FLOTZ shared a two page Christmas story entitled, “Mother and Child.” The story, taking place somewhere in Southeast Europe, told of countless ethnic Germans freezing and hungering in the concentration camps of Tito.  Maria, a young woman far along in her pregnancy was finally helped by one of the German guards who managed to take her away to a barn he found, placing her in the straw and giving her milk from one of the cows.  After being cared for by an old woman he found, Maria and the baby were later taken to the border where they escaped. She story was not written by her, but was one that always touched her heart when she read it.

CAREN VON SEE continued with Chapter 9 of her novel, My Treasure Chest.  In this part of the novel, Antonio hires Pepe as his woodworker after reviewing the portfolio he brought with him.  Later he hires his friend, Walenty, to redo the family portraits.

TIM PHILIPPART read his six short poems.  The first, “Marvelous Realism,” tells of the magic revealed by the painter.  The second poem, “The Society of Antisocial Behavior,” tells of social and antisocial behavior drawn to each other in a strange attraction.  “Spin Doctor,” is the third poem , asking “why spend time spinning truth when the hammer of untruth is handy.”  The fourth poem, “Since She Left,” tells of the loneliness encountered when she is gone.  Number five, “Maybe If the Box Was Bigger,” tells of all the things hiding in the repurposed microwave box, except for her.  “Master of Disaster,” is the 6^th poem telling of the man who is a man-made disaster.

DIANE STRATTON tells of a true story involving a friend.  The story, “Mercy,” reveals an unfortunate series of events that leaves the woman soon to be evicted from her apartment as well as losing her car.  All of her bad luck was due to severe health problems involving surgery and no family around to help her.  The story ended with the woman finding a stranger who took her in and who she was later able to help by taking care of her children.

VALIA HARDARSHAN wrote a one page true story entitled, “Answer Hate With Love.”  This story was inspired by a newscast he watched entitled, “Political rhetoric invigorates fringe groups.”  Valia later encountered Arno Michaelis, a former leader of the white-power band Centurion, who was wondering if his lyrics urged the killing of six Sikh worshipers and wounded scores more.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

 

SHARON BUCKMAN

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Tim Philippart, Katherine Flotz, Sharon Buckman, Amy Brailey, Caren VonSee, Amy Clites, Ruthann Graczyk, Sharon Palmeri, Hardarshan Valia

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the October 18, 2018 minutes was first given by CAREN VON SEE, and seconded by HARDARSHAN VALIA.

NEW BUSINESS:

SHARON PALMERI stated that all banquet money needs to be in by November 18^th – NO EXCEPTIONS!

HARDARSHAN VALIA mentioned that a memo was placed in the Lake County Library for writer’s that have books published may bring them on December 3^rd to sell.  You may check with the library for further information regarding the time, etc.

READINGS:

TIM PHILIPPART read five of his short poems.  The first, “May is Now November,” tells of all the hope brought forth in the spring only to be dashed from the difference in November.  The second, “What the Present Have Been,” telling of a man who tries to live in the moment, only to be ignored by those who live in the past, or to “a future that never keeps its promise.” The third, “Theory,” explains of the tightest tornado being vacuumed into suffocation.  The fourth, “Today,” tells of his response to the belief that it takes 42 days to break a habit or un-break a heart. The fifth, “No Fool Like,” tells of his favorite likes.  The sixth, “Tickle Its Face,” telling of the clock stealing time in the spring and holds dawn hostage in the fall. The seventh, “Project,” how he gives little time to self-improvement.

SHARON BUCKMAN first read her poem on “Procrastination,” and later a short one page story of what happened to her as a bad example of what not to do.

AMY BRAILEY read her short, unfinished story entitled, “Out of Sync.”  The story tells of a female student trying to avoid the attention of a young man who insists on trying to help her with her research.  The story ended with her trying to decide if she really wanted him to leave her alone.

CAREN VON SEE continued with her novel, “My Treasure Chest.”  In this part of her novel Antonio hires Pepe as a wood carver for his estate after seeing his portfolio.  After starting his work, Pepe recommends his friend, Walenty, to restore his family portraits.

AMY CLITES read her nine-stanza poem, “When There Are Nine.”  The poem tells of all the bad things that could not happen, such as, “no stories like Columbine, or misleading headlines,” if there were nine.  In this poem every line rhymes with the title.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN

OCTOBER 4, 2018

LATE ENTRY

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Tim Philippart, Sharon Buckman, Beverly Stanislawski, Marilyn Kessler, Katherine Flotz,  Danielle Johnson, Amy Brailey, Caren VonSee, Tammy Breitweiser

NEW BUSINESS:

MARILYN KESSLER stated she would soon be leaving for Rome to see the canonization of Kathryn Casper from Dernback, Germany.

AMY BRAILEY mentioned she would soon be seeing a performance for the Passion Play in Oberamonergaw, Germany.

KATHY FLOTZ reminded the members that we had only two meetings left before the Christmas Party on December 5^th and they needed to turn in their money for the party if they planned on attending.  There will be no meetings in December, the next meeting will be at the Merrillville library on  January 3^rd.

LITERARY NEWS:

 BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI stated she has taken 2^nd place for her poem, “Wanna Run,” and 3^rd place for her poem, “Maestro,” in the Massachusetts State Poetry contest.

READINGS:

CAREN VON SEE continued reading Chapter Nine of her novel, My Treasure Chest.  After receiving their inheritance of property and monies, Antonio and Sara started working their way through all the rooms and buildings they had just inherited.  They were left with only one unidentified key for which they were unable to place the proper door.  Senor Albano was quite aware of Sara’s distant behavior towards him.

TIM PHILIPPART read three of his poems.  The first poem, previously published in Zoetic Press Anthology, was titled, “Bus Fare Was Nearly Free.”  In this six-stanza poem Tim described how a Mom, along with her son and daughter, would ride a bus back in l956 with all the windows opened in the summer months so that they could enjoy the breeze.  The second poem, “What Shall We Call This Dance?,” told of two lovers enjoying a dance that they couldn’t name.  The last poem, entitled “Introverts,” told of how extroverts felt themselves superior.

TAMMY BREITEISER read her two-page short story entitled, “A Moment in Time.”  The story told of how the death of a man from a car accident affected the lives of three different people.  It began with his wife being jolted awake at 4:56 A.M., already knowing her husband was dead.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI  read two of her poems, “Overcome the World,” and “Verse I Did Not Rehearse.”  The five-stanza first poem told of how “nothing can tear love asunder, when one is left to stay, the other is waiting yonder.”  The second poem,  a Diversification poem with the first letter of each line spelling out the word, VERSIFICATION.

MARILYN KESSLER read her two-page story, possibly to become a novel at a later time, entitled, “Maude.”  The story begins at a cemetery and is being told by Maude as she lies in peace next to her sisters, father, aunts, and uncles.  Maude is the last to be laid to rest among her prominent Midwestern family who has seen good times and bad.

DANIELLE JOHNSON read two pages of her novel, Love & Dissidence.  The story begins in the Palace of Marriages where Katia and Nikolai are getting married.  As the clerk begins to ask Katia a number of questions, she begins to glare at him.  When she is told that if they are planning to move in the next few years they will need to get on the waiting list.  She informs him they are not planning to have children for many years.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN