August 5th, 2026

 

Forgive me, but I couldn't resist:😂

 It was a dark and stormy night; the lightning flashed, and the thunder rolled. Rain pelted the roof of the firehouse, and eight stalwart writers gathered to discuss the perils and positive energy of writing. 

Bob, did I hear that you left your windows open?

Well, we came together as we do the first and third Wednesday of the month to share our work and learn. We started off with a short discussion on Artificial Intelligence. We’re learning more and more about this tool. Several of us are using it as a research option. Those who do use it that way report it as an effective way to dig info out of the internet.

BTW—due to a technical glitch in this old man’s brain, the last blog posting was stuck in a nook or maybe a cranny and never reached its destination. I dug it out and posted it properly. Sorry about that.

* * * 

We entered into the reading portion of our meeting with Ernie Ovitz leading off. Ernie is working on a series of fictional stories that take us into the world of international finance influenced by politics, outlaws, and just plain old greed. His characters range from the righteous, hard-working investigator to the down-and-dirty mob boss who will do anything to get a buck, to a power-hungry politician bent on world domination. Ernie handles it well and gives us an engrossing story that keeps you wanting to read more. Tonight he read from the third book in the series, The Roaring Lion.

Sometimes we just need a break from our everyday lives. This week was Dennis Cathcart’s turn. He and his lovely wife spent a week at the beach, and Dennis, not bothered by the daily chores of home life, took the opportunity to write about an incident his wife, Linda, experienced at the beach. In the past year, the condo has made some changes, along with many needed repairs to the property and buildings. To prevent hurricane-driven water from encroaching upon the property, a large sand dune was constructed between the beach and the buildings. Linda was intent on taking advantage of the beach and set out on a trek with all the necessary materials. Beach chair, folding type, latest book, sun block, and other necessities in a beach bag. Dressed in a swimsuit, sandals, and a sun-shade hat, carrying the beach bag and folding chair, she made her way through the paved parking lot and stepped onto the sandy beach. A few steps more on the soft sand and she began to scale the side of the tall dune. Climbing the mountain of sand laden with all her accouterments became a near Huclean task. Two steps up, slide back one, repeat again and again. But Linda is a trooper; she persevered and finally made it to the top of the dune. Descending was easier; one step and she slid all the way to the bottom. There she was, on the beach of white sand under a midday sun in 95-degree humid weather with no shade except that provided by her hat. Sunscreen may keep you from getting sunburned, but it doesn’t provide cool. How long do you think she lasted? Probably longer than I would have. Tune in next time to hear the end of the story.

Bob Miller brought us something unique in his memoir this week: a chapter entitled Burning the Bridge to This Life. Bob is a believer in Cremation rather than Body Internment. He has written a chapter that is akin to a ‘voice from the grave’ giving us an argument for Cremation vs Internment. Bob says this memoir is for his family to read, not necessarily for general distribution, and he wants to include this to enforce his wishes. Why not?

 

When Scott Anderson entered a Haiku poem in an internationally acclaimed publication contest, he didn’t expect to win but wanted to see how he’d fare. Well, he didn’t win, but he did come in second.

Congratulations Scott!

Reading several of his latest poems, Scott gave us something to think about. I think more of us are coming to appreciate Haiku due to his help. Thank you, Scott.

 

Ursula Wong tells us that her latest book is doing well in the market and another is in the works. The 7^th Mission is coming soon. But tonight she took us away from the Russians and read a standalone short story. A Force of Will is a powerful story of dedication to a difficult task despite the pressures and regrets. It’s doing what you must, even if you don’t want to.

 

Bruce Haedrich has launched an effort to write as much flash fiction as he can in the shortest amount of time he can. Tough job, but he’s producing some really good work, including the story he read tonight, Brown Eyed Girl. Taken from a song by Van Morrison with the same title, this short ‘short story’ is a conversation between two people facing a catastrophic event while discussing what they could wish for if wishes could come true. Bruce brings the story to life and makes us part of his world.

 

Rod Digruttolo takes us back to shortly before the stock market crash of 1929. A discussion between two men about selling off their stock holdings and converting them into liquid assets weighs the pros and cons of such a move. One of the men seems to have information that portends the upcoming crash, while the other wants to ride the wave of high profits and massive dividends. Rod asks the group the question: Does this sound real? The passage is from his book, Disciple of Darkness.

 

Well, I hate to say it, but that’s all I have for this meeting. I’m sure I missed something, but I find it easier to ask for forgiveness than remember everything. So, until next time—please, READ, Read, and read some more, then WRITE, Write, and write some good stuff.

July 15th, 2026

 Good afternoon, evening, or even morning, whatever the case may be. It’s good to know someone is reading this post. This evening, ten of our stalwart crew came together to share ideas and listen to some inspiring words. We opened the discussion with something most of us seem to dread, though we know it’s absolutely necessary and must be done. We talked about “Rewriting.” 

Yeah, I know it’s hard work. You’ve written a masterful story. The words flowed so easily—well, maybe not so easily, but they are beautiful, well-formed, and without a doubt, immortal. There are so many. How can you change them? The members of your writer’s group have listened and approved, given you a few suggestions, and sometimes their suggestions hit on a good idea. Yep, I can make a few of those changes; they were good ideas. Well, the good ones I’ll keep. The first sentence should read… Wait a minute, that change works… It grabs your attention in the first paragraph. Oh, here, we don’t need all these words; strike them out.

Guess what? You’re rewriting, and it’s helping your story on to the next paragraph. Wait, nobody mentioned that. Did I write that? The next thing you know, the 110 thousand words become only 90 thousand of your darling words. Now, is it time for the Editor?

Here in this setting, where you read your work to a group of authors, you expect challenges; you expect critique; but you do not expect rude or unfriendly criticism. Don’t take the critique personally but take it to heart. Your fellow authors want you to create something you can be proud of. Because the readers of the world aren’t as well-versed in the skills needed to write your story, they are who you must satisfy when it comes to who will read your work. All of us can do better. That’s why we rewrite, not just edit. If you discover that the woman you called Joan in chapter one has become Joanne in chapter seven, don’t you think you should fix it before publication? What happens if you are in the third or fourth book of a series? You might have to go back to the first, second or wherever to fix that. Be prepared.

*** 

OKAY! Let’s move on to the reading portion of tonight’s meeting. Nine of the attendees had work to share. Leading off was Ernie Ovitz. Working on the third book in a trilogy, Erine brings us a scene from The Roaring Lion. Money is the theme for the three books of this series. In this installment, a congressman visits a private (I think it’s a charter school) in West Chicago. A change in the availability of government funds leads to funding cuts. Where will the money to keep the school open come from? I mean, after all, this is Chicago.

 

Chapter 7 of The Reluctant Heiress takes us to a rural setting in southern Pennsylvania. There, Roberta Molaro places Jennifer in a situation new to her. She’s dining with a family whom she is meeting for the first time. The McCoy’s are friendly yet mysterious in some ways. The food is excellent, but different from the fare Jennifer is used to. The ingredients were mostly from the farm the McCoys own. During dinner, a phone call brings some bad news. Aunt Mae has died. Aunt Mae is not really an Aunt, but simply a close family friend who was looked upon as an honorary ‘Aunt’ by everyone in the family. All this was explained to Jennifer by an attractive young man, Drew McCoy, who was about the same age as Jennifer.

 

Bob Miller is writing his memoir and shares Chapter 17 with us this evening. Joining The Navy at 17—What Could Go Wrong? For a youngster setting off in the world is hard enough at the tender age of 17, but to join the Navy straight out of High School can be a bit enlightening. Expecting to sail the high seas, visit new places, and meet new people are great expectations. Boot camp was not in those expectations. Bob did not anticipate becoming a professional toilet scrubber, nor did he think yelling was an effective way to convey ideas, or that sweating was something you did while running at a trot for mile after mile in the hot sun, not playing baseball or football. Oh, and the language. Words never used in public or around the fair sex became part of normal conversation. Cussing like a Sailor was something he now understood where the saying originated. 

 

Dennis Cathcart brought us an update to his original essay, Time Traveler, for our enjoyment. Time travel does exist; we simply ignore it as we look at the ancient trees, plants, and flowers that have survived floods, droughts, and upheavals for time immortal. Dennis sees these things as he travels the world’s exotic locales such as the rocky highlands of Brazil, the windswept cliffs of New Zealand, and many other places where he seeks the rare and unmatched beauty of flora and fauna worldwide. Thank you, Dennis, for giving us a unique look at these wondrous living species as they have existed over time. 

Scott Anderson is experimenting with Hikau and learning about the many ways of expressing thoughts about different phases of life and things around us. Tonight he brought us seven unique offerings of a personal nature. Poets look at life and divine images not all of us can grasp. To look at a memory we cannot see, they show us a feeling put into words. Even the manner in which the words are accented can change the meaning of a poem. Scott masterfully writes and reads his work so that, to this writer, it seems like a video. 

Another masterful poet is our own Don Westerfield. Don’s work often takes us back in time, for those of us who are now senior citizens like himself. As he reads his poems, a scene forms in our minds, and our hearts beat to the cadence of memories. The Sinner tells of the sinful things we’ve done in the past, mostly those we might regret and have no way of correcting. In today’s realm, the Sonnet is almost forgotten. But Don returns to an earlier time as he reads Blue Sonnet, a true Sonnet expressing the happiness that often dwells in poetry and replaces misery.

 Hearing Ursula Wong read a piece I shall call Return to Scrabble Hill because I failed to catch the title, she does an excellent job of showing the readers the actions of a robust party of simple people of the land. The piece had a wholesome feel of rural America, possibly in New England, as evidenced by a lobster pot and regional language, but could as well have taken place in an unlimited number of places. It was a well-written piece that conjured the nuances of friendship, sexual tension, and even a competitive undertone one might feel at such a gathering. Great job, Ursula.

 

 Bruce Haedrich has completed the initial work on his novel, Nadia, and has moved on to a project of writing Flash Fiction. Tonight he brings us, Nancy, a brief but poignant story of a young woman who wanted to bear a child but couldn’t for years. But, as a result of a miracle, according to Nancy, she finally bore a daughter. Nancy’s brother was suspicious of Nancy’s steadfast belief in God and scoffed at it. When Nancy reported noticing a loose seatbelt on the baby’s car seat, she stopped to fix it. To her surprise, there was no problem. Oh well, better safe than sorry, she thought and continued on her journey. A pickup truck ran a stop sign and broadsided her. Because the seatbelts were fastened, both Nancy and the baby survived without major injury. Her brother still did not change his tune, If you hadn’t stopped to fix a seatbelt, you wouldn’t have been at that intersection at the wrong time.

James H. Kelly tells us of the War to End all Wars, WWI, in his tale of the Mackenzie clan, Advance the Line. Young Lieutenant Mackenzie volunteers for the newly formed Tank Corps under then Major George Patton. New weapons will bring about new ways to fight. Learning about the machine and its abilities is the first priority in this chapter. The massive machines are not invincible, but they provide much greater protection for the soldier than infantry does. Or that is what young Mackenzie tells his lover in letters home.

Well, there you have it. We’ve completed another meeting and enjoyed hearing some fine writing. We did our jobs by critiquing our fellow writers and learning something with each session. We’ll be back at the firehouse onAugust 5^th, at 6:30 PM. We hope you can join us and share ideas and stories with us. Until then, READ, Read, and read some more, then WRITE, Write, and KEEP ON WRITING.

July 1, 2026

 

Even though it looked as if it might rain, eight of our stalwart writers came to our meeting. It is summer, and the heat is dangerous. Be careful, drink plenty of water, and stay out of the heat as much as you can. It’s a great excuse to stay indoors and write. I’m doing my best to adhere to that policy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the United States of America! We’re 250 years old and have learned a lot, some of it the hard way. We can only wish we get smarter in the coming years. As authors, we may sway an opinion or two.

After a brief discussion about the use of AI for research or editing, we learned that none of us present use it for writing, only for research and basic editing features. How much do you think the major publishing houses use AI?

 

Leading off the reading portion of our meeting, Ernie Ovitz read from the opening chapter of his latest financial thriller, The Roaring Lion. This is the third book in the saga of Lee Santino, as he endeavors to shed the influence of the Chicago mobsters, of which his uncle was once the Capo. A lot of money is involved, and we can imagine what the Mob might do to get it. (Well, at least Ernie can.)

 

We all know that when Don Westerfield takes the floor, we’re going to hear some good stuff. Tonight was no exception. Don regaled us with two poems. In I’ll Remember You, he tells of a lonesome evening in Honolulu as a young soldier takes a break from yet another war in 1966. He meets a young woman as lonely as he is. They dance on a warm evening until the music ends, playing the song, I’ll Remember You. His second selection was a great follow-up to the first. Sweet Dreams tells of a love lost to wanderlust. Regrets follow but remain in the dreams of an unrequited love.

 

Haiku is a fascinating form of poetry. Each verse conveys a message clear in the author’s mind, but that could be different in the mind of the recipient. Scott Anderson fills our minds with images as he reads his Haiku selections. Nature, Human thoughts, and Fantasy are all there in so few words, read in a brief moment.

 

Bruce Haedrich approaches the future maybe a bit ahead of the rest of us. His stories often foreshadow technological and political ramifications before they occur. Some of his predictions are frightening; some are hopeful; and others are just simply amazing. In Bruce’s story, Nadia, we look into the future of robotics, specifically humanoid robotics. As Bruce nears the end of his story, things get complicated. If you’ve read any of his work, you know his stories are always complicated, but this one takes it to new heights. Look for the book as it moves toward publication.

 

James Kelly continues the saga of the Mackenzie family in his latest book entitled Advance the Line. It’s 1918, and the War To End All Wars finds the first divisions of the U.S. Army on the line in France. Young Lieutenant Mackenzie’s platoon is at the center of the company in an area where the fighting has been very light. The French commanders have placed the untested Yankee Division on this part of the line because they have not felt the brunt of combat and fear they might not hold if attacked. However, the German forces recognize the opportunity and launch a fierce assault. They drive the American forces back. Assigned to hold as long as they can, Mackenzie’s platoon suffers many casualties but holds. The Americans regroup and counterattack. They break the enemy’s line and drive them back. After the battle, Mackenzie answers the call for volunteers to join the Tank Corps. Despite his superiors’ wishes, he is transferred.

 

Fitting for this meeting, Roberta Molaro reads a new poem, Independence, written especially for our nation’s 205^th anniversary. In addition to her poem, Roberta shared some of her history with us as she tells the tale of Someday Hill.

 

It’s been a great evening. Beautiful words filled our ears and sank into our minds. We’ll meet again on July 15; it will still be hot, so you can stay cool and write. In fact, you can READ, Read, and read some more, then WRITE, Write, and write some more. In any case, KEEP ON WRITING!

June 3rd. 2026

 

I’m back. Sorry about the last meeting, I couldn’t make it, I had grandpa duties to attend to. When your eleven-year-old great-granddaughter asks you to attend her singing debut, you go! She did well, I might add.

Regardless vs Irregardless: we all know ‘Irregardless’ is not an official word, but how often do you see or hear it in your everyday lives? It’s one of those colloquialisms that pop up in conversations and quick notes across the English-speaking world. I’m not sure if other languages have a similar word, but I’ve even found myself popping it into a conversation once in a while. Regardless, try to remember: use ‘Regardless,’ not ‘Irregardless’, in your everyday spoken language, and you will be less likely to drop it into your writing.

 The weather forecast predicted rain, even possible thunderstorms, for this Wednesday evening. Regardless, see how I snuck that in there, eleven stalwart writers joined us this evening. Our co-host, Ernie Ovitz, couldn’t make it because he was a bit under the weather and didn’t wish to share his malady with the rest of us—thank you, Ernie. After a short discussion about ‘Regardless vs. Irregardless,’ we moved on to our readings.

Gary Conkol gifted those of us present with proof copies of his newest ‘ENATAU’ series, Martian Contact, Interplanetary Similarities V1, and The Death of AI – (Artificial Intelligence) – Bad News and Good News. Gary is an engineer (by his own definition, semi-retired) who is venturing into fiction with the ENATAU series. As a Master Engineer with extensive experience in technology, Gary offers insight into interplanetary travel and the possibility of contact with species that might have inhabited Mars in the past. He incorporates the team concept into his tale, highlighting the potential for great achievements if the world's societies combined their abilities and talents. He read from the latest installment of his series, Volume 3, as Mark, a robot tasked with translating The Martian Chronicles into English, recounts the fate of the Martian population for the team leaders.

 

Roberta Molaro, also venturing into prose fiction from her comfort zone of Poetry, reads from Chapter Six of The Reluctant Heiress. Jennifer has traveled to a small town in Pennsylvania, where her birthmother once lived. She is looking to fill in her history, as her adoptive parents had only a few sketchy details of her past. There, she meets a lady named Clare Kelly. Jennifer is convinced that Clare knows something about her history and accepts a dinner invitation with Clare and her family at their farm. Who is Clair? What does she know? Why did she invite this complete stranger to dinner?

 

For all of us who’ve been following Bruce Haedrich’s tale of Nadia, we know Chris and Nadia are a couple, even though she is not human and he is. In Chapter 44-New Worlds, Chris has chosen to forsake his human girlfriend, Nancy, and continue his relationship with Nadia. Some facts have been revealed. Due to government interference, the company that produced Nadia has been disbanded and can no longer support the life-giving nutrients the humanoids need to live as long as the average human. The humanoid’s lifespan may only be fifteen or so years, but Chris is willing to accept that.

 

Hikau is an interesting form of poetry when you look more closely. Scott Anderson is studying the form and writing prolifically. Each poem has a structure and meaning to the writer, but may have a significantly different meaning to the listener. As Scott writes of the color of a bloom, we see the change in our lives as we age. The travel of a worm across a garden becomes the flight of a spacecraft across the universe. Hikau evokes feelings, imagination, and vision to all who read, hear, and write.

 

Tom Grubb, a fairly recent attendee, shared an interesting chapter with us this week. In a piece with the working title of Getting Ready, Tom shows us the mental workings of a person who has psychological issues stemming from substance abuse. In a masterful bit of writing, we see the torture in the mind of one man. How does he steel himself to face the world? Will he recover mentally and or physically? Does this bring back dark memories in the reader?

 

As Ursula Wong took the floor, we anticipated and received a cliffhanging spy thriller. Grace Urban created an AI program that can change the world. She paid a ransom for her friend using the program as payment. In turn, the Georgian Vory leader with whom she bargained used the program as payment to a Russian GRU officer in an attempt to provide protection for his son, thus releasing the program’s power on the world. Now Grace must destroy the program; success will destroy her work; failure will destroy the world as we know it.

 

Well, that pretty much wraps up our meeting this time. Be sure to join us again at the Nokomis Fire House on June 17^th at 6:30 PM, we always have fun, and you might just learn a little bit about writing, or even about yourself. Until then—READ, Read, and read some more, then WRITE, Write, and write some more, and KEEP ON WRITING.

May 12th, 2026

 

Welcome back, readers and writers.

Well, Spring has sprung, and we are on our way to hot, humid days ahead. We had a good turnout for this meeting, with 12 attendees, including 2 newcomers. We welcome Ally Simx and Pablo Vannucci, and we hope you enjoyed your visit. Of the 12 in attendance, 10 had work to share.

 

Our co-host Ernie Ovitz led off the reading portion with another excerpt from his latest work, The Crucible. The death of ‘El Patrone’, the boss of the Chicago Mob, His funeral was attended by all the upper echelon gangsters from Chi-Town as they came to Sarasota, Florida. A lavish banquet was held at a prominent upscale hotel and convention center. Ernie was masterful in his attention to the individual actions, which reflected the inner thoughts and desires of those seeking to profit from the old man’s death. Ernie, are you a ‘Made Man’? You kind of think like one.

 

Scott Anderson continues in his study of Haiku. Tonight, he brought us a group of poems that once again made us use our visualization skills. Each person sees, feels, or understands the short poems differently. Scott recently had one of his poems accepted for international publication in a noted Haiku site. Keep us in the loop, Scott.

 

As always, Don Westerfield kept us enthralled with two poems written in his fascinating style. His look back at past events is always invigorating. In Sailing to the Moon, we could see the bright full moon hanging above the water as we guided our little sailboat toward the silver orb. We felt the salt spray and wind in our faces, smelled the ocean’s salty brine, and recalled our days as lovers watching the heavenly orb from earth. As Don read The Nature of Things, we see the man behind the words as he looks at those things outlined in the world around us. Why do Salmon swim upstream to spawn? Why can an apple grow on a pear tree? And why do things happen in an order? It’s the nature of things.

 

Roberta Molero continues her journey into the world of prose with Chapter Two of The Reluctant Heiress. Young Jennifer recently graduated from college. On that day, her parents revealed that she was adopted. Although she loved them and they loved her, she set out on a quest to find her birth parents. She began a journey from her lifetime home in New York City to track down her beginnings in rural Pennsylvania. The trip, her first alone, opens up a new and strange world. Will she soon discover something, or will the Culture Shock be too much? Her first encounter is with a woman in the Post Office. Was the strange look she got because she was a stranger, or was it a look of recognition? Her adventure in procuring a night’s lodging triggered caution within her. Stay tuned for more adventure.

 

Robots! Now that I have your attention, can you imagine a robot so much like a human you can’t tell the difference? Well, Bruce Haedrich can. Bruce writes of a robot, humanoid, terrestrial, or whatever you want to call it, that has all the attributes of a human. Physically, she is flawless, beautiful of face and body; intellectually, well-informed and ultra-intelligent, as a supercomputer instilled its knowledge into her brain. And I hear she’s damn good in bed, too. What more could you want? H’mm, I hear there are some issues, especially with our narrator’s human girlfriend. She seems to think there’s something wrong with our current model. Could it be she’s not really human, but just a robot?

 

Are we really going to Mars? Gary Conkol has already been there in his book, Martian Contact–Interplanetary Similarities. This is his second book in the ENATAU (Emerging New Age of the Technology-Assisted Utopia) series. A team of scientists is stationed at an outpost on Mars. Among their many accomplishments are a few discoveries of artifacts belonging to previous inhabitants. Who are these beings? Are they truly Martians? Whoever they were, they were highly advanced in technology and had a sophisticated society. They looked surprisingly like humans, but a common trait among their species was a peculiarity in their eyes. Most, if not all of them, had two different colored eyes. A rare occurrence on earth, but….

 

Short stories are a wonderful way to get your reading done in the free moments of your day. Danny Spurlock is a masterful storyteller and writes enchanting short stories. Tonight’s offering, Simple Interest, tells of a young man, married and successful, who, on a visit with his father, returns with a cupboard full of baking pans and equipment for bread-making. His wife asks, “Why did you drag home all this junk?” his simple answer is, “It’s a family tradition.”

 

James Kelly writes of the MacKenzie family, from the battlefields of the Civil War to the Indian wars in the Dakotas, the Spanish-American War, and now WWI. The MacKenzie men and women have served in uniform or been married to men in uniform. Now, the latest chapter of Advance the Line tells us of the young Lieutenant, Joshua MacKenzie, who finds himself in Seicheprey, France, his company having just relieved a French unit in the trenches guarding the town. Early in the day, well before dawn, the German General sends his men to attack. Led by the Shock Troops, who slip quietly through the darkness, they attack first by attempting to destroy the machine gun emplacements, then by infiltrating the trench, they drive back the defenders. MacKenzie and his platoon were isolated and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the advancing enemy. My! How exciting! Look for Jim’s newest installment in the MacKenzie Saga and join us in Nokomis to hear what happens next.

On his first visit with our group, Ally Simx read from his latest work, a Sci-Fi adventure. Claire Sparks is a leader fighting in a future revolution. The stress and fatigue of the war have driven her to use a powerful drug, to which she is now addicted. She seeks the counsel of her mentor, Findly, in an hour of depression.

 

On his first visit, Pablo Vannocci also read the opening from SKYKR, his current Sci-Fi adventure. In this opening chapter, Pablo goes to great lengths to show how birth might look to a fetus with awareness of the world around it. His graphic descriptions took the listeners from the darkness of a womb to the exploding light of a new environment, never before known to the fetus. Powerful, exciting, and different. Damn fine writing, Pablo.

 

 

Wow! From the Chicago Mob to a first-time traveler and on to Mars. From all-out war to the confusion of birth. We did some traveling tonight. Isn’t that the wonder of reading? We can travel to Mars, fight in a World War, and dine with mobsters without leaving our easy chair. Oh yeah, we can snuggle up with the robot of our dreams when our eyes grow heavy. Ain’t this a wonderful world. Until our next meeting, May 20^th at the Nokomis Fire House, READ, Read, read some more, then WRITE, Write, and write something you'd like to read to us.

April 15, 2026

 Welcome back, readers and writers. The year is rushing past like a mountain stream. There are rough spots and smooth stretches where everything changes. Sometimes our efforts crash upon the rocks of life, and we get very little done, no matter how hard we try, while in the smooth stretches, our first thoughts fit perfectly and require little or no editing. Sometimes I think the rough times are the most productive because we have time to rethink and revise what we’ve written. Those smooth moments can lull us into false thinking. Are we really that good? Do words really come that easily? That’s why we attend writers’ groups. If you want an honest critique designed to make you a better writer, trust your friends in the group. These writers are not your competition; they have their own issues and rely on you to help them as much as you need help. Listen and learn. Sure, some of the advice is off target, but most of it is truly meant to guide you on a path toward better writing. You are the author, you must decide what changes to make and what to leave alone. The same goes with editors. Editors are here to point out errors, not rewrite your work. That misplaced or overlooked comma, the dangling participle, a forgotten word, or the too often repeated word, can change the quality of your work. We all have our individual style, and that is where we can shine, or go down in flames. Don’t fall in love with your words; be open to change. Listen to what readers have to say about what you’ve written. Beta readers, those who read what you’ve written and give you honest feedback, no matter how brutal, can help you more than the “good job” advice you get from family and close friends who don’t want to insult you. When an editor, or another writer, says, “That doesn’t look right,” maybe there is a problem. Check it out!

 Again, I’ve gone on too long, but that’s what you get when you have a writer and a computer in the same room. We had a smaller group this time. We wish Dennis a speedy recovery from the ailment that struck him and his lovely wife, Linda. Get Well Soon! Ursula, you and yours enjoy your trip.

We look forward to seeing y’all back soon.

We only had six people at the meeting, but it was a success. Four of us read our work and listened to feedback. 

Starting off with Ernie Ovitz. Ernie brought us the continuation of his newest story. El Patrono’s funeral was attended by the leadership of Chicago’s Mob and their wives. Lee Santino, El Patrono’s nephew, who was more like a son than a nephew, revealed a plan to allow the organization's made men to retire with a clean-money pension. While Lee dealt with the mobsters, including the new boss, Tony C. -- Maryam Santino, Lee’s wife, observed the actions and foibles of their wives. The underlying tension, too much booze and rich food of the final dinner, weighed on everyone. Too much for Maryam, who was newly pregnant.

 

Scott Anderson is a poet studying the art of Haiku. Tonight, he shared with us five new verses submitted to a prestigious publication of the genre. Each poem has meaning to the reader. Different readers may have different meanings. To me, the meanings represent:

Shadow Existence, that part of us and others unseen, the shadow self beneath the living us: 

Broken Eggs, those things we’ve done that cannot be undone: 

Ship in Fog, the difficulty in finding one’s way in the confusion of life: 

Large Hail, the big thing that cause change in life: 

Space Inside, what happens to the space inside a box if the box in destroyed? Does it still exist? Does it simply join the space outside the box?

Fun, isn’t it?

 

The inquisitive mind of Bruce Haedrich is hard at work creating a dilemma for readers to ponder. His latest work, Nadia, is such a piece. Originally a robot, a humanoid, Nadia is a beautiful human replica. Recalled by the factory to repair flawed hardware and software issues, Nadia was transformed into a different being. Aesthetically the same, a beautiful female human replica, she returns as a new form, a new species of human, as assessed by science. A young man, Chris, accompanies her to a special school designed to train these new forms, now called terrestrials, on how to perform as real humans. But are they? Chris brings Nadia to Florida, where they join Nancy, Chris’s human girlfriend. The problem is that Chris has fallen in love with Nadia. Nancy knows this and suggests that Nadia is still just a humanoid, not a human. Is she? Is she not human?

 

Roberta Molaro is a poet venturing into the world of fiction in prose. Tonight she brought us Chapter 2 of her story, The Reluctant Heiress. Traveling alone for the first time in her life, Jennifer heads from the suburban life in New York to the small rural towns of Pennsylvania in search of her birth mother. She has only a name, no pictures, no physical description, only the name, Mary Hoover, and the name of a town, Owensburg, PA. Jennifer’s first stop in town is at the Post Office. There, she bumps into a woman in the lobby who is reading a letter from her son in the Navy. The woman looks shocked to see Jennifer, then leaves after apologizing for the collision, and turns back at the door to take another long look at Jennifer. It was as if she recognized her. The Postal Clerk says he hasn’t heard of any Hoovers in town, but he’d only been here for a year. The Postmaster isn’t much help either; he doesn’t recall the Hoover name.

 ***

We are left hanging at almost every meeting. We give suggestions to the reader/writers and wait until the next meeting to see whether they’ve taken them or made changes to the story. Sometimes the whole story changes direction based on an idea given or changed by a suggestion.

 

Well, that's about it for this meeting. Our next meeting is May 6, 2026, at the Nokomis Fire House. We call the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. A group of us usually shows up around 6:00 and visits before the call to order. You’re welcome to join us. There’s no charge, all we expect are you and your opinions. We hope you enjoy and learn. If you like to read but do not write, you are still welcome. Who knows, you may discover a desire to write, and our motto is Writers Helping Writers. So, until we meet again, READ, Read, read some more, and then WRITE, Write, and KEEP ON WRITING.

April 1. 2026

Welcome back. We open the meeting on April 1, 2026, with a promise not to pull off any April Fool’s pranks.

 

Do you use dashes in your writing? There are three popular dashes, em(—), en(–), and hyphen (-). Several articles mentioned that many publishers/editors discourage the use of em dashes in popular writing. They are a legitimate type of punctuation. The em dash is the width of an M in type and is often used to set off additional information. For example:

·         The grocery store—known for its great bakery—was very busy. 

 

The em dash can also be used for an abrupt change in thought or an interruption.

·         I was halfway to the store—but I realized I’d forgotten my wallet.

An em dash can introduce a Summary or an Explanation.

·         We had one goal in mind—making enough money to pay for the car.

In dialogue, it can indicate an interruption.

·         “It was just a—” “No, let me finish!”

Easy ways to insert an em dash in MS Word are: two hyphens without a space --. In some versions, this will work, but not always. Press the Ctrl and Alt keys at the same time as you press the minus key (Ctrl+Alt+- = —.) You can also use the Insert tab and choose the em dash symbol, but for me, this is too time-consuming and difficult to find the proper symbol.

There are other ways to accomplish the scenarios listed above, but you are the author; use whatever method you think is best suited to the work you are doing. Note that the em dash does not have a space before or after it. That is not always the case with the en dash.

The en dash is the width of an N in type and is often used to set off a range in numbers, dates, or times.

·         “Please attend the meeting scheduled for 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM.”

·         “We will discuss pages 19 – 22 in the operations manual.”

·         “The Miami–New York flight has been delayed.”

·         “The Father–Son dinner has been canceled.”

If you are using a Compound Modifier with one of the elements being a compound adjective as a multi-word phrase, use an en dash.

·         The post–graduation party is in Victor’s Hall.

Note the space before and after the en dash in the time and date scenarios (numerical), while there is no space in the text.

In many cases, a hyphen can be used without many readers noticing. Use the hyphen when using compound words or multi-word phrases. Don’t be afraid of the hyphen; it’s a handy tool, a punctuation mark used to join words or parts of words. Be careful, it is not interchangeable with the em dash or en dash.

Have I confused you enough? I think so. Let’s move on to the meeting notes about the readings.

Ernie Ovitz led off the reading session with an excerpt from his latest story, The Crucible. The patriarch of the Chicago mob died at his Florida home. The upper echelon of the organization came to Sarasota for the wake, funeral, and send-off dinner. Ernie gave us an insight into what such a gathering and its almost unlimited financial resources can provide. The alcohol and food were top-of-the-line vintage and prepared by world-class Michelin-starred chefs. Agosto Santino, called El Patrino by his associates, had been the pattern for a typical mob boss. Cruel, bloodthirsty, and unforgiving in his younger days, he changed in his declining years. Using funds generated by nefarious means, he set up a financial program specifically designed to legitimize the questionable funding and use the profits to provide a retirement for his soldiers in the organization. The fund had grown to an enormous amount and was still growing. The fund and its administration were handed over to Leonardo Santino, Agosto’s nephew, the head of a group of Hedge Funds based in Colorado. The problem? Leonardo didn’t want to have dealings with his uncle’s old associates. How’s that going to work out? Look for the book on Amazon soon.

 

When Don Westerfield took possession of the lectern, we knew we were in for a poetry lesson. Having visited the historic battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Don sat down and wrote his verse entitled “Forgotten.” The forlorn message, read with the twang of a real country boy, stirs emotions, allowing us to hear the wind passing over the now-quiet battlefield, to feel the pain of the fallen, and to understand the loneliness of the unknown left behind. In his second verse under the title of “Old Chum.” Don speaks to an old friend from his youthful self. His words bring forth memories of yesteryear for me; for some, the word may apply only days or hours hence. The last line bears an apology for tears wept upon the “Chum’s” stone.

 

Have you ever dreamed of space travel? Remember those books and television shows that show the wonders of other planets. Well, Gary Conkol is midway through a story of space travel that takes us to Mars. A group of visionaries and brilliant scientists developed space travel so sophisticated that they can reach Mars in mere minutes instead of weeks and have established a colony on the red planet. There, they discover pictures of what may be ancient Martians; they look very much like earthlings, except for their eyes. Their eyes closely resemble…

 

Nadia’s story continues. Bruce Haedrich brings Chris and Nadia back to Chris’s home in Florida. They arrive late at night; Chris is glad he doesn’t have to face Nancy until the next day. Finally, at six o’clock that evening, Chris and Nadia met Nancy for dinner. It was awkward, even though Nancy and Nadia hugged, and Chris gave Nancy a kiss. When asked about the future, Nadia says, “We plan to settle somewhere in the States, far away from a major city.” Nancy sets a trap, “Who’s we?” she asks Nadia. In a private conversation the next morning, Nancy plants a sliver of doubt in Chris’s mind about Nadia being humanized. Is there trouble brewing in paradise?

 

Bob Miller, like most of us, husbands and wives, feels an obligation to attend his wife’s class reunion. In this case, they travel from their home in Michigan to Sidney, Montana, for the big event. Bob, being Bob, decides he’ll take the name tag of an alum they know won’t be in attendance. The highlights of the trip are the rodeo and Bob being crowned the alum who changed the most in appearance. Oh, by the way, Bob, I was looking at the Montana Police Blotter this weekend. There’s a warrant out for someone who looks a lot like you.

 

It’s 1918 in France as James H. Kelly begins to read from Chapter 17 of Advance the Line. A thunderous volley of artillery exploding rips Lieutenant Madkenzie from his half-sleep. The barrage continues walking its way down the trench line of the 102^nd Infantry. The concussions hammered the line. The hands on his watch glowed in the darkness, showing 4:00 AM. Shaken awake, but alert and ready, the men scanned the no-man’s-land for movement. The machine gun posts were silent, men straining their eyes to pierce the darkness. “JETZT!” came the command in German, meaning NOW.

The evening ended with Rod Digruttolo reading an excerpt from Chapter 47 of his latest work, The Garden’s Secret. Dale Anderson is a Special Investigator for the Sheriff’s Department of Clay County, Georgia. He is investigating a 50-plus-year-old murder case in which four young girls were raped and murdered. Dale reports to the Sheriff about his latest findings. A murder in Tennessee, suspected to be committed by the same killer, is proven to be the work of a deranged man who committed suicide shortly after the murder. The chapter moves the story along, keeping the mystery alive.

 

THAT’S ALL, FOLKS, at least for this writing. We hope to see y’all at the next meeting, April 15^th. at the Firehouse in Nokomis. Until then, READ, Read, and read some more. Then WRITE, Write, and write some more great stories.

March 18, 2026

Hello, once again from Sunny Sarasota. Our co-host, Ernie Ovitz, is not with us this evening. He and his lovely wife are celebrating their wedding anniversary.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

It was a tough winter all over the country, even here in the warm enclave of the central Gulf Coast. But Spring is upon us, with mild evening temperatures in the sixties and warm days reaching the low eighties with clear skies. It is probably the best time of year, as it meets the weather preferences of most people. It will soon be hot. For those of us who enjoy the warm weather, we will be happy for a long time until it cools off again in the Fall, well, maybe around Christmas. Whatever the weather, enjoy it–we can’t change it.

 

After a brief update on each attendee's activities, we got right into the reading portion of the meeting, starting with Don Westerfield. Don is a poet and writes about the world from his point of view as a senior citizen, pilot, aircraft mechanic, and career military veteran, among his many roles in life. Tonight, he regales us with three offerings: To Race the Wind, Echoes, and Night Flight. His poetic descriptions of soaring above the clouds, drifting with the gale, and approaching the ‘gates of Heaven’ take our breath away and let us feel the joy of flight. Poetry allows Don to tell of the past in a way that lets us hear the Echoes of its passing and feel it in our hearts. When darkness overwhelms us, the analogy of flying through the night sky, trusting the machine and our pilot's skill to get us to our destination safely, allows us to relax and engage in introspection of our soul.

 

Already an accomplished Haiku author, Scott Anderson recently completed a course hosted by a Haiku master. Having picked up some important tips, he presented us with a collection of poems he had written during and after the course. How many different ways can a reader interpret a Haiku? We find out that it may be unlimited.

 

In a rare incursion into the world of fiction, Roberta Molaro shared a rewrite of Chapter Two of The Reluctant Heiress. On a trip to rural Pennsylvania, our adopted heroine encounters several residents of the small town where her birth mother once lived. Roberta crafts a story that gives us all a chance to look into the lives of people in small-town, rural settings, as one might find across our country. We get the opportunity to see what we do not experience daily. That is the joy of reading.

 

Was, or is, Ursula Wong an experienced spy, or is she just a damn good writer? One might draw either conclusion while reading her soon-to-be-published novel, Strategic Deception. Now, reading from the rough draft of her newest book, the installment following up on her previous book, she sends Grace back into the fray in Lithuania. Having developed an AI program called Eparlay, she destroyed it in an attempt to prevent it from being used improperly. But a single copy survived and fell into the hands of a Russian politician/espionage director. Oh, what webs we weave.

 

How many of us had paper routes back in the day? I suppose, somewhere, there are still youngsters out there peddling on bicycles or walking the streets delivering newspapers. Danny Spurlock remembers and tells us about it in That’s the Job. Saving up for a new bike, the newsboy collects 35 cents a week from customers, then pays 24 cents a week to his route manager. Saving all 11 cents, he earns $4.07 per week. A new bike costs almost $40, two and a half months’ work. But ‘That’s the Job.’

 

How’s your memory? In Nadia by Bruce Hadrich, Nadia has some blank spots. We all do; our brains discard useless material sometimes, or at least, files it away where it won’t get in the way until it’s needed. Wait a minute, wouldn’t we remember something as important as our birth? Apparently not, at least according to Nadia’s dream. Hold on here. Nadia wasn’t born; she was manufactured, destroyed, and remanufactured in a different form. Look, you’ll just have to wait until Bruce publishes it and then read it for yourself. It’s worth waiting for.

 

Bob Miller is writing a memoir; his working title is From Nowhere to Somewhere. Your life is a straight line from nowhere to somewhere, OOPS! Wrong! Look back from where you are. Connect the dots. Up, down, sideways, in circles, that’s nowhere. It’s where we are today, that’s somewhere. But we’re still traveling. Take any time frame, and you can say you traveled that path between nowhere and somewhere. Bob, keep going toward somewhere; you’ve already been nowhere.

 

Advance the Line by James H. Kelly follows a young man into the chaos of war. The latest chapter is from the viewpoint of the German command in Metz, France, on 15 April 1918. Knowing American troops have arrived and taken up positions on the line in an area that has been quiet for some time, the German commander plans to launch a push to break through the untested newcomers to the Western Front. Marshaling three battalions of Stormtroopers (not like the ones in Star Wars), the German forces hope to break the untested Americans and force the French and English to stop fighting. The Stormtroopers creep forward toward the American lines. Advance the Line is the latest in the saga of the Mackenzie family of soldiers.

We did it! Another interesting journey through the works of some fine authors. We meet again on April 1^st at the firehouse in Nokomis. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM but come early. There is usually somebody there around 6:00 PM. Get on the sign-in sheet as it’s first-come, first to read.

We look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, READ, Read, read some more; then, WRITE, Write, and write some more.

 We look forward to seeing you at this event in March

February 18th, 2026

Welcome back. 

Here we are nearing the end of February, and our winter season is drawing to a close. We may have another cold snap or two, but spring in Florida comes early, especially on the southern Gulf Coast.

It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of one of our founders, Susan Haley. Susan was instrumental in forming our group along with a small cadre of fellow writers, all of whom are no longer with us. Her poetry was inspiring and sometimes brought us to tears, but it addressed the issues important to her life. She was a loyal friend and supportive to all of us who knew her. May the Writing Dieties embrace her and welcome her to the afterlife.

Stories abound all around us. The baseball teams are in town for their annual Spring Training. Tourists flood the highways, and each one of them has a story to tell. Take time to look and listen to those old men gathered in the coffee shop, the women chatting as they get their hair done, and young couples walking on the beach. They are all stories. Use your imagination. What do you see? What do you hear? That old man with the walker may have been wounded fighting in Asia or Europe. That woman with the freshly coiffed hair, was she a nurse responding to the Twin Towers? Maybe she said she was from ‘New Yawk.’ Ya’ll are writers, so write.

 

Of the twelve persons attending this meeting, ten of us had work to share. 

Opening up the reading portion of the meeting was Ernie Ovitz. Ernie writes under the name E.G. Ovitz. You can find his work on Amazon. If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially the Roman Empire, his trilogy, Emperium Books I, II, III, will give you a glimpse of what it was like in the court of Constantine, the first Christian to rule Rome. Ernie shares his latest work with us tonight, delving into international financial espionage, crime, and violence. No stranger to the genre, the working title for this work is The Crucible, a follow-up novel for The Penitent Man. The characters are strong, driving these books through the maze of international money traps and government interference aimed at undermining the stability of Western Financial Institutions. Follow Lee Santino, Marco Rossi, and Lee’s beautiful wife, Maryam, as they spar with Yan Qing and his Chinese Secret Agency while under the threat of the Chiago mobsters. This book has it all–Mob ties, Spies, Corrupt Politicians, and Murder.

 

An expert in exotic plants, especially bromeliads, Dennis Cathcart is writing a memoir following his previous two book editions Koule’v–a Haitian word meaning ‘Snake’. He includes observations of his life with his lovely, vivacious wife, Linda. He has titled it The Edge of the World. While traveling in Ecuador, the couple encounters rare plants, some of which are unclassified. When Linda asks, “What is that plant?” Unfamiliar with the genus or having never come across a similar species, Dennis answers, “I don’t know.” Observing a crestfallen expression on Linda’s face, he asks, “What’s wrong?” She answers, “I thought you knew everything.” How does a man handle such a blow to his ego? Linda rebounded from her disappointment and made up for it by gifting the children and the people they encountered with lollipops and small, useful gifts for the remainder of their travels.

 

Roberta Molaro is a poet and a fiction writer. Tonight, she graced us with two poems. When We Were Only Kids highlights the 'different kid' in the neighborhood, the one who rarely comes out to play, the one who rides the special bus to school, the one who can’t tie his shoes. The ‘Special Kid,’ whom those of us who are older remember, how often we ignored that kid, and sometimes we made fun of them. Now we embrace them, as Roberta does, and we support the Special Olympics. Her second poem is very personal, a remembrance of a child taken from her, as she reads, Legacy, what a way to remember a love of your life.

 

James Harold Kelly continues the MacKenzie family story. This edition is titled The Tip of the Spear. Tonight, he reads from Chapter 13, “The Quiet Sector.” Newly minted Lieutenant MacKenzie arrives in France in 1918 and is assigned to lead his men into the trenches of an area designated The Quiet Sector. Arriving at his destination, they find the remnants of a village with only a few standing buildings, none of which are undamaged. Only a few residents remain; the rest have left or have succumbed to the intense barrages of Bosch artillery. The French and German forces have come to a stalemate in this sector. The troops MacKenzie’s men are replacing have enhanced the trenches into an almost permanent home. But will General Pershing allow the stalemate to continue?

 

As another poet takes the floor, Don Westerfield remembers in a piece he titled “Me”. The poem speaks of memories. Memories that become golden as the poet ages. A second piece titled “Another Me” explores the person within. The person whom the poet wishes to be but cannot find in the instant, the suave, witty, and debonair person, is desired. Maybe someday.

 

Bruce Haedrich is attuned to the world and watches its development, or at least that which is deemed “progress” by many. Robots? Are robots going to take over for mankind? In the story Bruce is composing, “Nadia,” society faces a flood of humanoid robots becoming increasingly human-like. Nadia started out as a replica of a beautiful, intelligent woman, a companion to a socially inept man who purchased this machine to fulfill his desire to have a companion in his life. However, after an upgrade or two, the company recalled the model for reprogramming. Now Nadia is nearly human and almost impossible to classify as a robot. The government has deemed them to be “Terrestrials,” another form of life. Some groups, the oligarchs of society, are set on eliminating these beings from the earth and have empowered humanoid robots with the authority to destroy those terrestrials they find. To combat detection, terrestrials are enrolled in schools to teach the skills needed to survive in a hostile environment. But what about the men and women who the terrestrials replace as lovers, boyfriends, girlfriends? Will they survive the wrath of the jilted?

 

Is AI dangerous in the wrong hands? Ursula Wong thinks so. A program written by a programmer in the USA, designed to help handicapped persons, has been corrupted by an unscrupulous and ambitious Russian agent who sees himself as the next ruler of his nation. He has used the program to alter speeches and comments made by the Secretary General of NATO in an attempt to discredit the powerful organization. Will it work?

 

Don’t Tell Me No! is the poem Anne Moore reads tonight. Don’t tell anyone they can’t do something based on their race, sex, or physical makeup; that’s the message this powerful poem, Anne will be reading to a group that has invited her to share it. Great job, Anne.

 

Bill Elam says there is something special about being High. Oh, no, not high as in intoxicated or stoned, but high as being at 20,000 feet looking down on the clouds. Above the earth is a special place that draws millions of people into its mystery. From the heights, a person can see things they miss by being too close to what’s happening. Being on high gives us a different perspective on the mundane and ordinary. If you can, give it a try, start with an easy way. Go to the top of the tallest building you have access to.

 

Some critics say every chapter of a story must drive it toward a conclusion. Probably a good idea for most chapters. However, writers must show, not tell, their characters’ personalities, and a short chapter that describes the feelings and emotions of important characters can do so. Rod Digruttolo brought such a chapter to read this evening. His newest work, The Garden’s Secret, Chapter 41, reveals the human side of a minor character as the protagonist assesses the man’s words. A character who has been seen as a resentful person shows his true self by forgiving those who injured him by accepting his role in the incident.

 

Well, I guess that about does it for this session. Stay tuned for more insights into the minds of writers, poets, and everyday people. Take time to read. Take time to write; stories, letters, poems, or anything that meanders through your mind. Readers are always looking for something new to read. SO–KEEP ON WRITING! We hope to see you again at the Firehouse on March 4^th. at 6:30 PM. 

February 4th, 2026

 

It’s good to see all of you again. It has been a little too chilly for my liking, but it’s nothing compared with the temperatures north of Tampa, you know, in that part of the country called Canada. Why, it even got chilly south of Fort Myers, you know, in Cuba. Oh well, spring will be here soon.

We opened the meeting with a question: “Do You Title Your Chapters?” Some do – some don’t, about fifty-fifty. Why?

1.         1.  More information for the reader

2.         2. To let the reader know what’s happening in the chapter

3.         3. To set a time frame

4.         4. It allows the chapter to tell its own story

5.         5. To allow a table of contents

6.         6. How about both? Chapter 1, Bob meets Sally

All good reasons. It boils down to a matter of personal preference. Do you like titles, or will numbers do the job? I have used both methods, Titled and Untitled, but always with Chapter Numbers. 

I’ve even gone so far as to have it look like this, Chapter One, Bob meets Sally, June 5^th, 2025. To be honest, do whatever you wish in this instance; there are no complex rules unless your agent or publisher sets them. Bestseller lists break down into three major categories.

1.         1. Chapter (sometimes called parts) Numbers but no titles

2.         2. Chapter titles but no numbers

3.         3. Combined numbers and titles

Remember, you are the writer, the author of a story. If you want titles on your chapter, if you want a Table of Contents, it’s your choice. Oh! Don’t forget, what are your chapter headings going to look like? Please be consistent; style all your Chapters the same in your book.

1.         1.  1,2,3

2.         2.  I.II.III

3.         3.  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

4.         4.  Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III

5.         5.  One, Two, Three

6.         6.  Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three

Note: Chapter numbers are rarely followed by a period unless a chapter title follows on the same line.

 ***  

As we moved into the reading portion of the meeting, Don Westerfield led off by reading two poems, The Park Bench Poet, and The Park Bench Poet II. Sitting alone on a park bench, our poet watches the world go by. People, creatures, the weather; nothing escapes his attention. As he ages, his view of all changes he may be a bit more understanding of faults, of the good, of the strengths he sees, but he is constantly aware.

 

We live in a world that is constantly changing. Politics, Social changes, and greed work their way into our daily lives. Every few decades, we go to war with people of different ideologies. Who would know more about this than a soldier? James H. Kelly writes of a family, the Mackinseys, who are soldiers. His latest chapter, of Advance the Line, follows the Mackenzie boys to France during 'The War to End All Wars,' WWI. A charge forward as the troops go over the top, rising from the trenches to assault the enemy, fear, religion, panic, and every emotion screams in the minds of the men as they face death or worse on a battlefield.

 

From a battlefield filled with men facing the worst moments of their lives to an equally stressful situation for a young woman. On the day of her graduation from the University, Jennifer’s parents gave her a nondescript manila envelope. Inside are the adoption papers and birth certificate she had never known existed. Why did they wait until today? Do they still love her? Do they want her to find her Birth Mother? Roberta Molaro gives us this story to ponder in Chapter One of The Reluctant Heiress.

 

Remember? In an essay about the music of past decades, Bruce Haedrich asks us to remember what many consider the Silent Generation, those born between 1925 and 1945, and their music. Among many of the great songs written during that era, 1940’s thru 1960’s, he focuses on a particular song that topped the charts in 1962. Where Have All the Flowers Gone, by Pete Seeger. Have you ever pondered the meaning of this lyric?

 

To open a novel about international intrigue, runaway Artificial Intelligence, and soul-crushing government, Ursula Wong starts her latest story in a setting where young immigrants live, meet, court, and marry without ever leaving the neighborhood. How does this take us to Russia and the former Soviet Bloc, where an AI program developed by an American is creating chaos in the delicate political balance of the region?

 

Gary Conkol is a technical powerhouse. Most of his writings are technical and very precise. However, he has now ventured forth into the world of Science Fiction. Tonight, he brings us Chapter XXX, Nancy’s Brother, from his new novel. A group of free-thinking scientists formed a group they call “Emerging New Age Technology Assisted Utopia” ENATAU, which has enabled faster than light space travel and established a colony on Mars. Earth is ruled by an Emperor/Dictator who has issued a proposal and sent an ambassador to negotiate who will rule the colony. The Ambassador has chosen the name, Hunttu. He is a ruthless man known to have caused the death of numerous citizens of Earth, including Nancy’s brother. What will happen? Stay tuned. I’m not sure this is all fiction.

 

When Bill Elam took the floor to read his Untitled poem, which became his mantra for entrepreneurship, we listened intently. The attributes of Honesty and Reputation took the forefront in how you must do business.

 

Anne Moore took a break from her interviews of mature women to delve into poetry. Reading her favorite poems, The Cows Are All Gray. The Twenty, and Then the Bird

Anne will be reading on Feb 16, 7-8 pm, Florida Studio Theatre https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/

Doors open at 6:30.

Several of us were selected to read a favorite poem; mine’s “The Night House” by Billy Collins.

 

Feb 22, 5 - 6 pm, Arts and Central Restaurant https://artsandcentral.com/happenings/

I’ll be one of two poets, plus a visual artist, speaking at their monthly arts reception. I’ll read four or five original poems.

Can I bribe you with (the restaurant’s) free wine and appetizers? And if you’d like to stay afterwards and enjoy dinner with a 15% discount, let me know before February 15th so I can include you in the reservation.

 

I hope you can join me at one, or both, events.

And if you can’t make it, I know you’ll be there in spirit.

 

Well! There you go. That’s about all I have to say today. We had a great time as always, and I learned something, as always. I hope you can join us at our next meeting on February 18^th, at the firehouse. Until then, READ, Read, read some more, and WRITE, Write, and write some more.