APRIL 2, 2015

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Sharon Palmeri, Beverly Stanislawski, Sharon Buckman, Bob Philpot, Tom Spencer, Lisa Groszak, Luniel Morrow, Mary Ellen Beecher, David Wilgus, Adam Sedia

GUESTS PRESENT:

Ruth Onwuka, Amy Brailey

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the March 19, 2015 meeting was first given by BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI, and seconded by BOB PHILPOT.

NEW BUSINESS:

SHARON PALMERI mentioned that she will be on the grant proposal panel for the Individual Artist Program for Literature which will be held in Indianapolis on April 14^th.

LITERARY NEWS:

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI has been busy winning more awards for her poetry.  She has taken second and third place in the Oklahoma Poetry Society contest for her two entries, “Waltzing with Leaves” and “Grandma’s Mystery Tin.”  She also received certificates for “Love Birds” and “Daddy’s Rocker.”

SHARON PALMERI  brought attention to the fact that April is National Poetry Month, and plans on posting poetry contest and events on the W.O.H. blog and/or W.O.H. writers Facebook group page.

READINGS:

LISA GROSZEK continued with her short story, “Becoming Memorable.”  This part of the story began with Abby and Ryan, a newlywed couple, looking at the pictures Ryan had taken on their honeymoon.  The camera he used had been purchased on their honeymoon and had a questionable history of producing very bad luck, presumably being responsible for a murder.

BOB PHILPOT continued with his novel, Strange Friend.  Beginning with Jim Shack, the Chief Communication Officer, knocking on his partner’s office door without an acknowledgement, purposely causing irritability from his partner, Tug McDuffy.  The story continued as he handed Tug a transcript that he knew would further cause his partner additional displeasure, giving credit to a Yuma Sheriff for saving a life by shooting a cattle rustler.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read her two page short story, “The Passover Lamb.”  The story told of a young boy taking his lamb to the priest for the annual Passover as a sacrifice for his family.  The boy became distraught when the animal got away.  As he sat down and started crying a stranger came along and offered his help.  As the two continued along they came upon “a man, bloody and beaten, staggering between some angry soldiers.”  The man explained the boy’s lamb sacrifice was no longer needed.

DAVID WILGUS continued with the Joshua Anderson Story, the story of a young child stricken with a rare disease for which they were referred to the Cleveland Clinic by their family physician.  This part of the story tells of the reassurance they received from a local Community Bible Church and of their arrival at the clinic.

SHARON BUCKMAN read four pages of her sequel, Beyond the Canopy. In this part of the story young Harold finds himself in a dilemma when he discovers his father has been lying to him about his absence of three weeks when he was supposedly visiting his cousin.  He becomes further confused when he makes another discovery concerning his young friend, Anne.

TOM SPENCER brought his seven stanza acrostic poem entitled, “Alpha-Bits.”  In these seven stanza’s Tom manages to begin each line in alphabetical order and “Enhancing the beat with alliteration,” he continues his reputation as a perfect poet.

MARY ELLEN BEECHER  continued with her memoir  entitled, “The EEOC.”  The memoir told of her son’s ordeal involving a weekend in jail during his Christmas holiday from college.  After driving to the county jail to pick him up they found a delay in his release.

ADAM SEDIA read his four stanza free verse poem entitled, “Sun Shower.”  The poem told of the beauty of an electrical storm, ending with “True Light transcends all mortal taint.”

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN

 

MARCH 19, 2015

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Sharon Palmeri, Beverly Stanislawski, Katherine Flotz, Sharon Buckman, Bob Philpot, Tom Spencer, Marjorie Peterson, Mary Ellen Beecher, George Miga, Paul Mulligan, Ruthann Graczyk, Mike Musak

GUESTS:

Adam Sedia, Ruth Onwuka

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the March 5, 2015 meeting was first given by SHARON BUCKMAN, and seconded by MARY ELLEN BEECHER.

GENERAL NEWS:

PAUL MULLIGAN stated (on a non-literary note) he was recently flown to Atlanta for an interview with American Airlines. He was not hired, but was happy to have been considered.

LITERARY NEWS:

The group congratulated member TOM SPENCER, who has been given the honor of having an award named after him. Spencer is the co-founder of the Northwest Indiana Poetry Society, and past president of the Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs. The top winner of the IWC’s annual Power of Poetry Project (PoPP) for 4^th & 5^th graders, will be given the Tom Spencer award. A Times news article, that was written about him, was passed around for members to see.

TOM SPENCER mentioned that Northwest Indiana Poetry Society meeting was on Saturday, March 21 at 10 a.m. at the Lowell Library.

READINGS:

KATHERINE FLOTZ read two pages of her novel, The Journey. The story, which originally began in Germany following World War 11, focused on the American pilot, Tom Wilson, who had originally escaped capture after being hidden in the home of Martha Brenner.  After learning of her whereabouts he is now trying to decide how he can repay her by finding her a home and being her sponsor in America.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read her short story, “La Senora.”  The story begins with a young Spanish girl searching for sea shells for her “adopted” papa in the hopes of finding the gigantic oyster with the “biggest pearl inside” he always talked about.  The end of the story reveals her finding the oyster only to throw it back into the ocean when she hears of her papa’s death.

TOM SPENCER brought his eight stanza free verse poem, entitled “Social Fabric.”  The poem tells of the importance of various artists and ends with the special importance of the poet, “the fabric of society.”

SHARON BUCKMAN read her seven stanza poem entitled, “Backyard Haven.”  The poem, accompanied with a picture of her backyard, showed deer that were enticed by food.

 SHARON PALMERI read her six stanza line poem entitled, “Night Sea.”  The poem tells of the beauty and seductiveness of the night sea as it, “invites stars and shadows to dance wildly on its belly.”

PAUL  MULLIGAN read  “Working into Love”  his five stanza poem which told of his attraction to a very pretty young berry picker and the outcome of his romantic endeavor. After a  member’s suggestion, however, he changed his title to “The Girl Who Picked the Berries.”

ADAM SEDIA read his very touching four stanza poem “Skyscraper,” accompanied with a photograph.  The poem told of an eighty story Chicago skyscraper with its “monolithic frame,” “rising proudly over gaudy, cheap, absurd designs.”

GEORGE MIGA continued with two pages of his newest novel,  Ariela – Lioness of God.  This part of the novel told of the young Anne Frank being able to crawl out of the trench lined with bodies piled in four layers.  As she crawls towards the nearest shed she is taken inside by a young Jewish nurse.  Anne is unable to remember anything about herself. 

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI ended the meeting with a short, humorous poem entitled “St Pat’s Tricks,” which told how St. Patrick rid Ireland of its snakes.

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

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN

March 5, 2015

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Marylu Cowley, Lisa Groszak, David Wilgus, Sharon Palmeri, Tom Spencer, Bob Philpot, Kay Depel, Katherine Flotz, Beverly Stanislawski

GUESTS:

Adam Sedia

                                                                                               

OLD BUSINESS:

SHARON PALMERI opened the meeting asking for approval of the minutes. KATHERINE FLOTZ approved; MARYLU COWLEY seconded.

NEW BUSINESS:

Some writer’ meetings were discussed with fliers passed around for those who were interested in attending. SHARON PALMERI mentioned The Lake County Public Library Foundation’s 15^th Annual Literary Tea on Saturday, April 11 at 1p.m. at the Radisson Plaza. Price is $25 and speaker is screenwriters Jim Henry. BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI mentioned a Friday March 6^th at Reading at Paul Henry’s Art Gallery sponsored by Blotterature Literary Magazine. KATHERINE FLOTZ mentioned that she may have a new lead where she can speak about her book, Pebble in My Shoe.  BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI said she had won third place from Arizona’s Poetry Society for her poem, “The Argument.”

READINGS:

DAVE WILGUS continued with his novel in progress The Joshua Henderson Story, including the couple’s visit to a doctor and hearing a diagnosis of Leigh’s disease for their young son. The doctor suggested contacting the Cleveland Clinic for treatment.

LISA GROSZAK read a part of Chapter 1, of Becoming Memorable. We accompanied a young married couple to an antique store with an odd shopkeeper, crowded piles of merchandise, and a rather unique Rollieflex camera which appeared to be a real bargain.

KATHERINE FLOTZ presented Chapter 2, from The Journey. In December, 1943, a family in Yugoslavia finds an injured, American bomber pilot. Knowing it is dangerous to harbor an enemy, the mother does it anyway, remembering that her missing husband, Michael, might be in the same condition somewhere.

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read “Intertwined,” a Pantoum type of poem which was popularized in Malaysia. Certain lines are repeated and the rhyme scheme and meter are to be strictly followed.

TOM SPENCER offered “The Crimes of Time.” His poem included ideas about depression that comes to all, unregulated ethnic cleansing, and over rated democracy.

BOB PHILPOT continued his tale, Strange Friend . Cob tells Zeb about an encounter with a semi-truck driver who might have been rustling. Cob was jumped and left to die, but Zeb happened along.  Zeb later explained desert survival including proper head covering and supply of water for horse and rider.

ADAM SEDIA presented his Petrarchan sonnet, “The Seashell,” which described an “errant shape…awash with vibrant hues and iridescent flash…an angel” which shared some deep wonders of another world.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Beverly Stanislawski