SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Beverly Stanislawski, Sharon Buckman, Katherine Flotz, Tim Philippart, Amy Brailey, Hardarshan Valia, Adam Sedia, Andrew Kuck

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the August 16, 2018 minutes was first given by AMY BRAILEY and seconded by KATHY FLOTZ.

NEW BUSINESS:

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI told the members about a program starting on September 8^th.  The program involves ten weeks of poems and discussions of poems – with people from around the world, and can be reached  at https://www.coursera.org/learn/modpo/resources/vizXG.

TIM PHILIPPART mentioned a nature program at Talltree in Valparaiso entitled the Indiana Master Naturals, possibly promoted by the I.N.R. and a program he enjoyed very much.

HARDARSHAN VALIA mentioned a program he had attended at Miller Beach last year that had been sponsored by the Indiana Writers Consortium.  There will be more information on this event in the next WOH minutes

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ADAM SEDIA stated he has a new book out entitled Visions Beyond, a book of poems.  He also stated that there will be a book signing on Thursday, Oct. 18^th at the Lake County Bar Assn, 1078 W. 84^th Dr., followed by a one hour CLE on Copyright Law from 4:30 to 5:30 P.M.  A $20 fee for Non-Attorneys.

READINGS:

AMY BRAILEY read two pages of the 12^th chapter of her novel, Jon Everett and the Hall of History.  After falling asleep in his history class and being assigned to a trip at the History Museum, he finds a set of keys to a trunk in his attic.  One of the keys fits a keyhole in George Washington’s portrait.  After going through the door, he meets the real George Washington and is mistaken for a flag bearer.  This part of the story relates to this experience and how he must learn all the various things he must do.

ADAM SEDIA read his ten-stanza poem entitled, “Cape Horn.”  This beautiful poem told of all the terrors the seaman endured when they traveled around Cape Horn with their ships being tossed and torn “and they glimpsed their last: Cape Horn.”

SHARON BUCKMAN read her true three-page short story entitled, “Cheap Vacation – Maybe Not.”  In this short story Sharon told of the trip her and her husband took out west to celebrate their 25^th anniversary.  The money they had saved for the trip began to dwindle as they got closer to leaving.  This caused them to change their plans and try tent camping to save money.  Needless to say their plans began to go awry, making their vacation a short one.

KATHERINE FLOTZ read her one page memoir entitled, “I Remember When.”  The memoir began in December 1944 and told of her 17yr. old cousin, Tobias, and how he had been taken to a Russian Labor camp, along with l05 other young men, from her home town in Gakowa, Yugoslavia.  Katherine ended her story by telling of a phone call she received from a friend asking her for a copy of her book, Pebble in my Shoe.  After the friend received it she mentioned that her father was from Gakowa and had also been taken to Russia.  It turned out her father knew her cousin quite well, eating and bunking with him. 

TIM PHILIPPART read three poems.  The first poem, “Evening Song,”  told of the overwhelming beauty of the evenings finale when frogs, cicadas and crickets compete in cacophony.  The second poem, “Greeting,” tells of climbing to the top of a steep meadow, feeling the sun’s rays wash over his body and thinking he is the first to be smiled on by life.  The last poem, “Divorce,” tells of a “marriage dying in increments.”

HARDARSHAN VALIA read three of his poems, originally written in his native language in 2015 and translated in English for our members.  The first poem, “Eclipse,” tells of the dust begging from the mighty sun and being blessed by a cloud full of rain.  The second poem, “Devoid of Flight,” tells of the featherless dove, covered in shame, begs for feathers.  The third poem, “Beggar’s Sleeves,” tells of “images born, without expecting fruits, appeared as shining stars, during his Final Sofourn.”

ANDREW KUCK read his beautiful, and sad, eleven-stanza poem entitled, “Is The Hermit Crab Sad?”  The poem, each stanza beginning with “Tell me mama, please,” was written when Andrew was teaching on the Marshall Islands and tells of tragedy when their huts and boats were burned and all that could be seen were navy boats and army tents.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read two of her prize winning poems.  The first poem, “Ballerina,” tells of a beautiful “Dainty dancing diva … Toed above the rest.”  The second poem, “ Eternal Audience,” tells of listening to Dylan’s music and being caught in his “silvery web” as she listens to the “Eternal Circle.”

The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN