April 4, 2019

The meeting began at 6:05 P.M.

MEMBERS PRESENT: 

Katherine Flotz, Amy Brailey, Sharon Buckman, Marilyn Kessler, Ruthann Graczyk, Caren Von See, Al Koch, Paula Stephenson, Corri Stephenson, Mike Ripley, Hardarshan Valia, Diane Stratton, Bev Stanislawski, Sharon Palmeri, and Jackie Huppenthal,

OLD BUSINESS: 

A vote of approval for the March 21, 2019, minutes was first given by HARDARSHAN VALIA and seconded by SHARON BUCKMAN and KATHERINE FLOTZ.

NEW BUSINESS: 

REMINDER: We will return to Merrillville May 2, 2019.

LITERARY NEWS: 

KATHERINE FLOTZ will be speaking at Wittenberg Village in Crown Point on April 29.

 HARDARSHAN VALIA shared information about the Indiana Humanities Grant for non-profits.  The website is   https://indianahumanities.org/about-grants.  He also had a poem published in Who Writes Short Shorts on April 3, which he will read.

RUTHANN GRACZYK  submitted a story to the Writer’s Digest Contest.

SHARON PALMERI  reminded members that the WOH public Facebook Page (the pencil in the circle) has contests on it.

AMY BRAILEY shared about Reedsy—a website that sends writing prompts and offers a weekly contest with a $50 prize.  The website is:  https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/

READINGS:

AMY BRAILEY read “Apocalypse Forgotten,” a short story about two futuristic kids who sneak away from government school only to discover a lost civilization and a government cover-up. 

HARDARSHAN VALIA read two poems.  The first entitled “Why Do I Write” is a tribute to those whose words we carry with us and pass the impact along to others.  “Roosters of Hawaii” is based on a situation in which a tornado moved chicken coops, this making them displaced citizens.     

AL KOCH shared an article from Koch’s Choice entitled “Dandelion, O Dandelion.” This fun combination of poetry and prose commiserates with anyone who’s ever been tasked with weeding out Dandelions.   

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI  presented a moral tale called “The Richest Man,” in which a rich master is warned by a serf about the death of the richest man in his kingdom.  The master and the reader alike learn that true riches are not found in gold but in our care for others.

CARON VON SEE read the end of Chapter 12and the start of 13 of My Treasure Chest.  In this section, we learn that the ghost has a child.  She tells Sara she can communicate with her, but Sara is more scared than encouraged.  She takes a few clothes from the chest and leaves.  Antonio reveals his aunt had died in childbirth.

JACKIE HUPPENTHAL shared a memoir entitled “Ceramic Attraction (From the Edge of the Prairie theme change)” in which a favorite childhood toy finds a match in a family gift from Amsterdam.  These two are different in so many ways, but share a commonality which makes them belong together, adding to the value of both.  (Ask Jackie to see the picture).    

MIKE RIPLEY read Chapter 2 “Our Home and Our Guys” from his short novel (commuter novel) entitled Lake Stories.  The first “loss of innocence” event occurs with the death of President Kennedy.  This section also begins to develop the character of the narrator’s friends, one of whom can be especially cruel, whether throwing rocks at cars or seeing that possums are really dead and not simply playing. 

MARILYN KESSLER read a speech entitled “Openness to the Spirit” which she will be sharing with the Poor Handmaids.  She connects times of hearing from the Spirit like Mary and Joseph in Bible times to Catherine Kasper, founder of the Poor Handmaids, whose vision started the organization.  Finally, she shares her own experience of following the Spirit’s prompting which led her to a convent where she was able to stay while she worked at the VA. 

The Meeting Adjourned at 8:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted by Amy Brailey