March 19th, 2025

 

Welcome back to both readers and writers. It’s hard for me to sit at a desk and write in the fantastic weather we’ve been having. I mean clear skies, temperatures in the mid-seventies, and no rain for days. Who could ask for more? I wished for rain on Saturday, but I’m not a rainmaker. All I got were a few clouds and one clap of thunder. I couldn’t force myself to go inside and sit in front of a computer. So, I took my laptop out in the backyard, and… Here’s the result.

Eleven stalwart writers made it to the meeting this Wednesday. We enjoyed seeing everyone. Bob Sutherland stopped by, and although he couldn’t stay for the whole meeting, we were glad he could make it, even for a brief visit this evening.

Ernie Ovitz led off the reading portion of the meeting with the latest chapter of his new work of fiction, a story with the working title Ghost. Lee Sardino is the CEO of a successful hedge fund in Colorado. He is also the nephew of, and heir apparent of, the aging Mafia Don, who oversees operations for nearly one-third of the U.S. When Treasury Agent Rossi visits Lee’s office, questions must be answered. And what’s up with Lee’s wife? What does she do? I mean, she works for the government. They pay her way too much to be a clerk. She must be something else???

When Bruce Haedrich takes the floor, we usually expect an essay about the environment or a mystery story not unlike his Dan Marin detective adventures. Of course, it might be poetry or sci-fi… wait a minute. We don’t know what to expect when Bruce starts reading. So, imagine a nerd who works with you suddenly showing up dressed to the nines instead of his regular sweatshirt and blue jeans and talking about his gorgeous new girlfriend, Nadia. In his latest story, Bruce has imagined just that. In Nadia Costea, a nerd invites a friend from work for a BBQ at his new uptown apartment. Upon arrival, the friend and his girlfriend meet a stunning young woman with all the correct answers and exquisite taste in wardrobe, who just happens to be a gourmet chef. Is this too good to be true? 

 

Don Westerfield is our Senior Poet in Residence. As he read the first of two poems, Watermelon Man, we had no idea how close he was to his subject. Telling of the clanging bell announcing the arrival of a pushcart filled with watermelons, you could almost hear the lilting voice of the watermelon man singing his song to attract buyers.

Watermelons, watermelons,

sweet and juicy, chew the rind

drink the juice, watermelons.

 

Little did we know the watermelon man was really Don’s father. Don’s second reading, The Man With The Wooden Eye, tells the story of a man who enjoyed life as his travels took him near and far. Though he couldn’t see it, he lit up the world around him. He was courageous and tolerant as he wore his wooden eye.

 

An airport baggage claim area often holds a surprise for those who watch people. Today, a disheveled man carrying a bouquet of roses catches the writer’s eye. Danny Spurlock brings us the story of Po’ Girl. Weave in a flat tire, a delayed flight, ten red roses, and a mother whose oft-used expression gave her daughter a nickname and the title of this tale. Why only ten roses? Danny knows. Will he share it with us?

 

You’ve heard the expression, “a face only a mother could love,” right? Well, Nancy Old knows all too well what that means. Her mother took one look at the infant, Nancy, and when she saw an excess amount of hair around the baby’s ears, she freaked out. “Oh, that poor little thing, her mother must be devasted!” she said. It was only then that she realized it was her baby. Nancy relates this story in her memoir and entitles this chapter, The Ugly Baby.

 

Soldiers, the men and women who protect our country, are called upon in case of strife and must make sacrifices to do their duty. They are thrust into danger, often suffering extreme hardships, mentally and physically, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice. Soldiers are asked to go where needed while leaving loved ones behind. James Kelly knows this all too well. Chapter 2, entitled The Girl Left Behind, explores the feelings of both the soldier going off to war and the lover who remains. Jim does an excellent job as he writes this scene from two perspectives. As Johnathon prepares to go, he ponders telling Lizzie how he feels about her by expressing his love in words. At the same time, Lizzie longs to hear the words describing his feelings for her. Does Johnathon speak? Does Lizzie ask?

 

Well, it’s time to say goodbye for another fortnight. Why don’t you join us one of these Wednesday evenings? It might be fun, and it could awaken the Muse in you. But until then, READ, Read, read, and KEEP ON WRITING.

Feb 19th, 2025

 

Hello again. Due to illness (notably mental overload), I failed to present a blog for the meeting on Feb 5^th. I subsequently destroyed my notes in an overzealous purge of desk fodder. Please excuse me; it’s not my first error, nor will it be my last.

 FEB. 19, 2025

As usual, I polled what our writers have been doing since the last meeting. Most are continuing on ongoing projects, a couple are taking a break to recharge, and one is having eye surgery and will have to wait a while to read or write. Good Luck. I suggest you try audiobooks until they’re comfortable again; that’s what I did.

Ursula Wong suggested, “If you’re considering entering a contest or contacting a publisher which contacted you, check them out. Writer Beware’s blog covers many scams and links to web pages that do the same. This is not a recommendation, only one of many possibilities to protect writers from scams and illegal promotions.

 

Our meeting moved on to our reading and helping portion, with Ernie Ovitz sharing his newest project, The Ghost, for our interest. The story follows a modern Mob Family headed by an aging Capo, who has turned the daily operations over to a young heir. Under the guise of a Denver-based hedge fund, the heir is heavily involved with a Chinese underworld gang. Extremely powerful and ruthless, they have lashed out at a perceived wrong by sabotaging the airplane carrying the brother of an ex-US President. The oxygen system in the aircraft failed, killing all aboard. When it flew, unpiloted, into Cuban air space, the Cuban Air Force shot it down. An international commission is now investigating the incident and the Hedge Fund operations.

 

The Future of History is what Bruce Haedrich entitles his latest work. Spinning off his successful GAIA publication, Bruce looks back over time, comparing the actions of previous civilizations to our present dilemmas. Pointing out the lack of change in Human Nature, Bruce contends we may be committed to making the same mistakes our ancestors made again and again. Although this theme has been touted time after time, Bruce uses snippets of history in stories to illustrate his points. If only a single person changes, it’s a win for mankind.

 

Bill Elam is a storyteller akin to those who sat around the campfires of yore and spun their tales as the youngsters listened, learned, and understood what must be done to keep their families safe. His sonorous tone and rhythm take us back in our minds to those evenings listening to the stories, oft-repeated, seldom ignored, and always needed to remind us of our history and duties.

 

That Was Yesterday is a poem by Don Westerfield, our senior statesman among poets. With the appropriate words, Don laments the passing of a partner who spent many days with him. One who “touched his heart in every way, but… that was yesterday.” Songs often hold a place in our lives for as long as we live. Remembrance Song is a poem about one such ballad that always brings forth a singular memory of a single night in one’s past, “I’ll Rember You.”

 

Gary Conkol is an experienced technical writer who sees writing as a technical skill that can follow a pattern for each story. He views AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a tool rather than a substitute for producing a viable story. Used wisely, AI can enhance a story; if used verbatim, it is seriously flawed. However, using the intent of an AI suggestion may produce a well-thought-out work. Using the format of The Federalist Papers, a collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym “Publius,” to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Gary suggests that four new essays may be hiding somewhere, The Last American, You Are Not Alone, In Defense of Charity, and We Need More American Citizens. Maybe we could look for Publius 2025?

 

Patriotism is not exclusive to the United States, as Ursula Wong shows us in her newest novel, Strategic Deception. Grace Urban is an exceptionally talented programmer and writer who develops an app that can potentially destroy the world. To save a close friend and family in Lithuania, she must give her app to a vicious leader of the Russian Mafia, who in turn gives it to an officer in the Russian GRU. Ursula is now working on a second book, The Last Soviet, with a working title. Will Grace, now a CIA operative, be able to stop Russia’s use of her app?

 

James Kelly’s stories of the Mackenzie family show men and women dedicated to life in and supporting the U.S. Military. Yes, despite a few flaws, they are good and honest. The United States prepared to engage in the conflict as WWI raged in Europe. Johnathon, freshly graduated from the Norwalk Military School, prepares for his role in the fight. He knows he must leave a girl, Lizzy, behind. This dilemma is still faced by lovers and spouses in the military today. How does Johnathon MacKenzie resolve it?

 

Well, there you have it. We’ve been left with quite a few cliffhangers. We must wait patiently for the next meeting, Wednesday, March 5^th, at the Nokomis Firehouse training room. We hope to see y’all there. We start up around 6:30 PM. Until then, read, read, and read some more–and most of all, KEEP ON WRITING.

January 22nd, 2025

 

It really does get cold in Florida. Reports of snow are coming in from our northern border area. Northern Florida, that is. I once saw an old humorous weather map showing the Canadian Border a few miles above Tampa and a demarcation line at Fort Myers, assigning all south of that as South America. Maybe the weather gods took it seriously. It’s chilly outside right now, but that didn’t stop eleven of us hard-core writers from showing up at our meeting. This was the last meeting in January, and we will return to our regular schedule for February 5^th and 19^th at the Nokomis Fire Station Training Room. We hope to see you all there.

 

I accidentally clicked on an icon for an AI site while writing a bio for myself. Within a fraction of a second, I had an impressive bio on my screen. After reading it, I discovered I was much more accomplished than I knew. The only problem was, IT WASN’T TRUE! I don’t know where the information came from, but AI took snippets of my work and amplified it, filled it with falsehoods, and made my bio sound like a Madison Avenue advertisement. BEWARE OF WHAT YOU ASK FOR.

 

Oh well! Let’s move on to the readings we enjoyed this week.

 

Anne Moore is moving on with her project of 70 women in their 70’s offering their life experiences and wisdom to younger women. Anne is looking for an appropriate title for her book. Although she has several suggestions, she’d like more. Send us a comment at the bottom of the page if you can think of a title you might pick up at the bookstore.

 

As an experienced lecturer and presenter on exotic plants and their care and his adventures in finding these beautiful and rare species all over the tropics, Dennis Cathcart has experienced many extraordinary and, yes, exciting adventures to procure such specimens. He’s written two books about his escapades in Koule’v, Books I and II. Being asked to address audiences of plant lovers from all over the world, Dennis tries to relate to his love of plants as discovering life experiences and feeling respect toward things in our work-a-day world. Kudos Dennis!

 

THEY’RE HERE! Ernie Ovitz (E.G. Ovitz) has published this Trilogy, The Story of Constantine the Great, IMPERIUM, books l, ll, and lll are now available on Amazon, and Ernie is pressing on with a new project. His efforts have moved into the future as he delves into the world of organized crime. With a working title of Ghost, Ernie’s characters have drawn the attention of Federal Investigators after the private plane of a former President’s brother crashes, killing all on board. Why did a major Real Estate company headquartered in Colorado pay for the wedding of the former President’s brother? The company’s CEO is the nephew of a powerful, aging Don of the Crime Syndicate.

 

Have you ever been to Bryant Park in New York City? Although I haven’t, Don Westerfield must have been there. His poem Bryant Park paints a picture I’ve seen in more than one city park. I don’t know if the parks today are as pastoral as they once were, but it is nice to remember as Don does in his second poem, Past Memories. Visions of the past come to mind of when we were… well, you know, young. Naughty or Good, which memories do you miss the most?

 

Richard Cope brings us the conclusion of his short story, Coolangatta. After more than a week in a life raft and contemplating reverting to cannibalism of the body of the dead First Officer, a trio of survivors make their decision as one of them flings the only knife aboard out to sea. The corpse is commended to the deep. Another, driven insane by the sun and lack of food and water, dives overboard and strikes out swimming. A shiver of sharks ends his swim in a frenzy after a few hundred yards. Now, there are two, Nathanial and Becky. Visiting Australia, Prince Charles and his new bride, Diana, reference the sole survivor, Nate, in a speech at the terminus of the race. Where was Becky?

 

Bruce Haedrich set aside his collection of Noir short stories to honor a request from a fellow writer. He is returning to an Essay entitled, The Future of History. Reaching into the past five thousand years, Bruce details when mankind has risen to a level wherein an Empire was formed. In each case, corruption and social occurrences destroyed the basic foundation of the Empire, causing it to fall. After a time, another empire took its place, only to suffer the same fate. Will mankind eventually learn from history, or will we continue to make the same mistakes? Let’s see what Bruce has to say.

 

Ursula Wong is preparing her latest offering for publication and plans to include a second in a series. Read over the handout and send Ursula your suggestions. Even bad ones may hold some semblance of ideas.

 

James Kelly reverted to the beginning of his latest tale and reconstructed the first chapter. He heightened the anticipation of the coming war in Europe. He amplified the importance of the use of tanks in the conflict. Life in a military academy with a social hierarchy, even between brothers, is clarified in this edition.  

Note to Jim: Your work has always been top tier, but you are improving with each chapter.

 

All is well and we've started off well in the New Year but as always, KEEP ON WRITING. We'll see you on Feb, 5th at 6:30 PM at the Nokomis Fire Station.  

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