SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

NOTE: After seven long months of not meeting face to face, Write-On, Hoosiers met (with Covid 19 distancing guidelines) at a park in Lakes of the Four Seasons. We were also on remote standby for any of the members who couldn’t make it and wished to attend on ZOOM. It was nice to return to some form of normalcy.

 Before this meeting, W.O.H. was meeting on exclusively on ZOOM.  Whether we will be able to meet again outdoors this year depends on the weather and meeting arrangements.  It is unlikely that the library meeting rooms will be open by the end of the year. Thanks to those who attended. Take care, be well and stay safe.

SHARON PALMERI

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The meeting began at 5 pm. 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Sharon Palmeri, Sharon Buckman, Shirley Vaughan, Diane Stratton, Dennis Mc Lean, Amy Brailey

LITERARY NEWS:

DENNIS MC LEAN stated that his book, The Eye of the Gift Horse, was just recently published by  the Flying Turtle Publishing House in Hammond.  Several copies of his book was purchased by the members that were present.

SHIRLEY VAUGHAN also announced that her book, The Will of God, was just recently published by Draft2Digital and is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other distributors.

READINGS:

SHARON BUCKMAN read her short story, possibly to become a novel, entitled, “Running on a Treadmill.”  The story begins with a young woman, Sandy, planning on leaving her domineering boyfriend.  Afraid  that he will try to stop her she tells no one of her plans.  After a successful escape she calls her mother to tell her where she is, inadvertenly giving her boyfriend the name of the town she is in.

AMY BRAILEY read one page of her novel in progress, Jon Everett and the Hall of History.  This part of the novel, Chapter 17, began with the funeral of Monakatuca’s son.  Because of the help that the Indians had given General Braddock, especially Monakatuca, his son was given full military regalia.  At the end of the funeral Jon saw Christopher Gist slip out of the woods and into the crowd of people, pretending to have been there all along.

DENNIS MC LEAN read his four page excerpt from his novel in progress, Flatboat. This part of the excerpt tells of Abraham Lincoln and several other men’s attempt at building a flatboat.  The purpose of the flatboat was to float down the river to New Orleans.  As the boat was leaving Abe stated he felt “ depressed and ashamed, depressed because he was leaving his wife for one month and ashamed because he was happy to get away from her.”

SHIRLEY VAUGHAN read four pages from her published novel entitled, The Will of God.  This part of the novel, Chapter 3, tells of people rushing  for safety, away from the missiles flying overhead.  The aeromobiles that flew up from the parking lots were losing control of their vehicles as they tried to see where the missiles were coming from.  The military, not knowing the attack was caused by a computer hacker, were blaming several other countries.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN

February 20, 2020

The Meeting began at 6:15 P.M.

MEMBERS PRESENT: 

Pam Maud, Hardarshan Valia, Al Koch, Dennis Mclean, Sharon Buckman,  Katherine Flotz, Sharon Palmeri, Beverly Stanislawski, Amy Brailey, Marlene Starcevich, Diane Stratton, and Gail Galvin

OLD BUSINESS: 

A vote of approval for the January 16, 2020 minutes was first given by Dennis McLean and seconded by Sharon Buckman.

NOTE: The banquet will be held at Innsbrook Country Club instead of Avalon Manor, which will provide a more cozy atmosphere.  Date TBA.

LITERARY NEWS: 

April 18, Dennis McClean and Al Koch  will be at the Hammond Author’s Fair.  Come out and support them (and buy their books if you haven’t already 😊)

Hardarshan Valia will attend the Big Sur (Oregon Mountains) and Cape Cod Writer’s Workshop.

Sharon Palmeri mentioned the Midwest Writer’s Workshop.  More information to follow

Gail Galvan shared about the 27^th Dancing Poetry Contest (Deadline April 15^th for entry).  If you win, they will dance to a performance of your poem.  Feel free to apply at www.dancingpoetry.com

Al Koch responded to Last Sunday’s Arts and Entertainment section’s question about what books you’ve enjoyed.  He responded that he has enjoyed his own book.  So have we, Al!

Beverly Stanislawski had three ranking poems entered in the Texas poetry contest which received two 4^th place awards and one 5^th place awards.  Congratulations, Beverly!

READINGS:

HARDARSHAN VALIA read a free verse poem entitled “Audacity of Doves” which was based on an idea inspired by Dennis McClean’s writing.  In this poem, he describes how doves dutifully carry on with their obligation of representing peace.

AL KOCH shared “The Gift of March”—a brief history of our calendar and its components are presented for the reader’s review.  The importance of the third month, March, is highlighted and presented with insightful personification and appreciation.

DENNIS MCLEAN presented a reading of “Flatboat.”  While drifting on a flatboat down the Ohio River, Abe Lincoln and Allan Gentry reminisce about their school days.  The speculate on the meaning of the story in the book of Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar casts the three Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace.

GAIL GALVAN read a poem entitled “Born with a bit.”  Like Mark Twain, we are writers, “born with a bit of his wit” and share our stories and poems.  “We share his love for life’s sunshine and thunders.”

AMY BRAILEY read Chapter 16 of her book entitled Jon Everett and the Hall of History.  In this section, General Braddock’s line is attacked by Native Americans, and Washington’s regiment shoots one of their Indian allies. 

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read her three award winning poems.  “Live for Today” (4^th place Texas) is a triolet poem (17^th century French form where there are two rhymes.  The first line is repeated in lines 4 and 7, the second line is repeated in the 8^th.)  This iambic pentameter poem was about not allowing the past to define us.  Her second poem was her 4^th place haiku in which a worm tries to escape being eaten.  Finally, “Family is my Hometown” rehearses that there truly is no place like home with family.

DIANE STRATTON read “What’s That You Say?”—a humorous look at old sayings and where they have come from.  So many clichés have illusive meanings.

MARLENE STARCEVICH read a selection of George Joseph the Rescue Cat, sharing her grief about the day her father died.

PAM MAUD wrote a selection entitled “A New Coat” exploring how furniture affects humans and how humans affect furniture.  She examines the stories our own furniture could tell.

The Meeting Adjourned at 8:10 P.M.

Respectfully submitted by Amy Brailey 

JAN 16, 2020

 MEMBERS PRESENT:
 

Katherine Flotz, Beverly Stanislawski, Al Koch, Mike Ripley, Dennis Mclean, Amy Brailey, Pam Maud, Ruthann Graczek, Hardarshan Valia, Marlene Starcevich, Gail Galvan

GUESTS PRESENT:

Philip Wielgus, Diane Alicea 

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the January 2, 2020 meeting was first given by Dennis Mclean and seconded by Katherine Flotz

READINGS:

AL KOCH read his essay entitled “Journey to a Degree” that displayed glimpses of his sojourn to becoming a teacher. It began at age of 23 bringing in life-changing events: socially, economically, and personally. Juggling his way through arduous journey, he was able to fulfill personal responsibilities, obligations, commitments, duties, and promises. However, after more than 50 years, the journey still continues per a stanza in Robert Frost’s poem “ Stopping by the Woods One Snowy Evening:” ‘The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.’

Marlene Starcevich read a chapter from her book-in-progress entitled George Joseph, The Rescue Cat which deals with author’s journey coping with family illness, family death -- and a very special cat named George.  The author poignantly describes a daughter’s dilemma when her 90-year old mother wishes to return back to her own home after recuperating from illness. She reluctantly comes to terms with granting her mother’s wishes. However, dilemma arises when mother asked for one of the two cats that were author’s pet. After much discussion, mother agreed to adopt a rescue cat and proposed the name “George” after her father’s name. The continuity of connectivity to love through generations, and into the future, was movingly presented in this story..

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read “The Puzzle Pro” narrating the story of Preston Crawford, a businessman, who has a “silent” battle over a crossword puzzle and the stranger who “stole” his newspaper. The tension builds as Preston is in a race to finish the crossword puzzle before the stranger completes the same puzzle. The desire of revenge overpowers Preston. At the end of the story, the stranger humbly explains his winning strategy to Preston. 

DENNIS MCLEAN read his four short free-verse poems. In his poem  “Directions”  the he laments about the human right abuses that come from all directions.  The next poem, “The Past, the Present, and the Future” describes how broken promises of hope have always been a constant factor in the vastness of time and space.  “More on Time (or Moron Time)” Dennis sheds light on how time creates its own elusive dreams about promises of a better future.  His last poem, “Strange Worlds” ponders upon the perpetual motion of the spirits with no place to call their home.

MIKE RIPLEY read his story entitled “Avoid the Night.” It narrates a mayfly’s flight to the west to avoid nightfall. As nightfall approaches, the mayfly finds beauty of life in the arms of a rose flower. Its end of life metaphor conveyed beautifully that is hard to find in today’s literature. 

Amy Brailey continued with Chapter 15 of her book  Joe Everett and the Hall of History. Marching towards Fort Duquesne, Jon notices Lieutenant Colonel Gage is looking for someone. When two spies return and Gage continues to search, Jon realizes someone has not returned. 

Pam Maud read from Chapter 1, Part 2 of her book-in-progress entitled God’s Fingernail. Linda puts the final touches on the preparation for the family’s last camping trip of the season. In the process, Linda empties a cash box and gives it to her friend without noticing the content of the cash box, which she figures her husband Dale will sort it out at a later date. After the friend leaves, Linda awaits for Dale’s return hoping he arrives early for the trip.

Gail Galvan before reading her two poems “Fiercely at Play” (Dedicated to Max Ehrmann) and “Afternoon Near the Tippecanoe,” She introduced attendees to the writings of Max Ehrmann, American writer, poet, and attorney from Terre Haute, Indiana. He is widely known for his 1927 prose poem “Desiderata” (Latin: “things desired”). In the first poem “Fiercely at Play,” Gail describes how Max Ehrmann’s poem inspired her to heed the simple remembrance of nature’s rewards and heartfelt deeds while taking blissful strides through pathways of her own life. In the second poem “Afternoon Near the Tippecanoe,” the she describes her gratefulness to “all creative life jackets thrown at her during her poetic travels both on land and when tried to walk on creative waters.”

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

Respectfully submitted by:

Hardarshan Valia, Jan. 20, 2020