May 28, 2026

 

WRITE ON HOOSIERS

May 28, 2026

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm

MEMBERS’ PRESENT:

Beverly Biehr, Amy Brailey, Bernadette Fortuna, Ruthann Graczyk, Chris Hasara, Shirley Hinman, Cindy Horgash, Karen Lauper, Sharon Palmeri, Trent Pendley, Diane Stratton, Shirley Vaughn, Andrew Cummins, and students: Kaelyn Springer, Kaeya Nelson, Jonathan Moore, Zoey Mitchell

OLD BUSINESS:

The minutes of May 14, 2026, were read and approved by Shirley Hinman, and Cindy Horgash seconded.   

Amy Brailey (Pres.) reminded members of the Creative Arts Summit on May 30, 2026, from 12:00-4:00. When asked how many were attending, (5) members raised their hands. Members were told they were responsible for selling their own books.

Sharon Palmeri (Exec. Dir.) asked members to start submitting their stories to writeonhoosiers@yahoo.com for entry into the WOH members’ upcoming book. Submission deadline is July 30, 2026.

NEW BUSINESS:

Chris Hasara announced he will be participating in the Regional Idol competition on Wed, June 3^rd, at the Bulldog Park Pavilion at 6:00 pm.

LITERARY NEWS:

Amy Brailey (Pres.) announced her latest book, “I Teach for Free Entertainment,” is out and available on Amazon. She is still waiting for copies to sell. Amy also stated her student’s book, “Stories in Bloom,” is also available for sale.

Chris Hasara has two poems, “A Man of My Age” and “Eulogy,” published in the anthology called Lost Child.

READINGS:

CHRIS HASARA read his poem, “Retire,” about the hopes of a man planning not to have to work. His second poem, “Round,” is about the last day of school bleeding into summer and summer’s end. His third poem, “A Man of my Age,” deals with the world, getting old, death, and dying while struggling with Arrested Development.

SHIRLEY VAUGHN read a description of three of her published novels that she plans to display with books during the upcoming Creative Arts Summit. She also read from her first published book, “The Path of Their Existence.” It’s about an advanced planet being threatened by a young man who plays with the military computer system. This causes the threat of nuclear war.

BERNADETTE FORTUNA read her short story “I Should Have Listened” based on a true experience, juggling tasks to dissolve her sister’s estate between Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis, which didn’t coordinate too well. Thinking there was time for an important FedEx delivery to arrive turned into a flat tire adventure and a lesson in listening to the inner voice

KAELYN SPRINGER read her poems titled “Contrast Poems.”

TRENT D. PENDLEY read Chapter Four, Part Two of his historical fiction, “Lewry Lurie,” and of a painting of Karen Lewry that is now in the POCO Museum in Valparaiso, IN.

“Baja Blast (Limerick)” was written and read by KAEYA NELSON.

“Don’t Hang Up,” read by SHARON PALMERI, is Part II of 4 of her short story about Maria, an interior decorator whose husband was in the Army.  Maria checked to see who the woman called.  Shortly after that, something disastrous happened…to be continued....

SHIRLEY HINMAN read her poem “Full Blast,” about a summer of calm and peace disrupted by loud music and noise pollution from a neighbor. This poem reveals that frustration.

JONATHAN MOORE read his poem “He Who is My Hero.”

KAREN LAUPER read her nonfiction short story, “A Mother’s Day Surprise.” A past garage sale customer brought me a potted Jack-in-the-Pulpit plant due to a conversation we had one year earlier. I had told him that I had never seen a Jack-in-the-Pulpit. He remembered and brought one to me, and it happened to be Mother’s Day, a happy surprise.

ZOEY MITCHELL read her poem, “Summer.”

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Respectfully Submitted:

CINDY HORGASH