Our meeting began with a short discussion. Don Westerfield brought in a couple of… well, I guess you could say “lovingly used” references (a thesaurus and dictionary), for our viewing. With spines broken and taped, yellowing worn pages, and frayed covers, these books represent the extent to which a seasoned author relies on tools. Many of us who’ve been writing for years rely on physical tools which we’ve used since the beginning, while others have transitioned to modern electronic versions. No matter which version you use, tools are essential to our trade.
The discussion was based on the premise, Grammar and Structure go hand in hand. Think about that and check out this website, Quickstudy.com.
Our reading portion opened with Will Jensen, Editor, and Publisher of SlipStream, a magazine for flyers past and present. He read his article about a subscriber who’d recently passed away. President George Herbert Walker Bush was a distinguished flyer and hero of World War II. Will’s article gives us a deeper insight into Bush's life and exploits during his flying career. Well written, Will. Thank you.
The Bimini Caper brings us to the Bahamian islands on Dennis Cathcart’s mission to repair a friend’s boat by replacing a faulty starter. Off to a rocky start, the part promised by the friend turns out to be only a few minor parts, not the promised assembly. The situation only gets worse when they arrive in Bimini; it seems the marina owner holds a lien on the boat for $500, an amount not mentioned by the boat’s owner, and the old starter is at the bottom of the inlet in which the marina is located. After diving to retrieve the starter they spend several days dining on local cuisine and waiting for the starter to dry out, they rebuild the part and get the boat fired up and running. Now, how to get it out of hock? A simple test ride and feigned breakdown do the trick. A full-out run in the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean to Miami makes for an unforgettable trip. I'll bet the marina owner won't forget?
When Peter Frickel's rich baritone fills the room reading a chapter from Memon, a hush falls. In a café beside the river Seine, a writer ensconced in the café/bar he sees and hears life as its being lived. Did he actually see a mermaid? He recalls the passing of his true love and in his mind can always hear her final words.
Poetry plays a big part in our group and Ed Ellis brought us a beautiful example in Wild Honey. His requiem for a friend displays true feelings.
Don Westerfield’s poems are always welcomed and this week’s entries, Self-Made Man and Love, a Risky Game, showcase Don’s gift for incorporating deep feelings with a subtle undertone of humor. Fun and touching, a wonderful combination for life.
Beyond the Sun and IOU by Susan Haley ask personal questions. Do we live in shadows until we learn to fly? Are we responsible for our lives on this frail earth? What do we owe those who pass through our lives? Poetry inspires thoughts of things we often take for granted as these works do so well.
Only here can you hear the work of Scott Anderson. His latest entry is a poem made up of poems. By My Father Told is unique and inspiring. A group of eleven poems inspired by his father’s oft-told stories gives us a glimpse into the writer’s upbringing and memories of this father.
Returning to prose, Cuba under Castro’s rule is the subject of a chapter in Jeffery Kutcher’s work, an autobiography of Amauri. Two youngsters decide to play a dangerous game by teasing a cop. An old portable radio tuned to a banned radio station beamed from the United States evokes the desired response. Chased by the cop the boys make their escape to familiar hiding spots in Havana's harbor.
The Pencil is a short, eerie story documenting the history of a simple writing/drawing instrument. When a young architect chooses a special pencil he really can't afford to design a bridge for entry in a competition which can only be entered by registered architectural firms, the story begins. Showing the design to his boss, he asks that it be entered. The design wins but the firm takes all the prize money and the young man receives no credit. Despair sets in and leads to a predictable conclusion. The pencil finds its way via the widow to her brother on his way to North Africa during World War II. After receiving many beautiful letters from him written with the pencil she receives a final package, a conciliatory letter and his belongings, including the pencil. Bruce Haedrich has a knack of bringing us suspense and surprise in his stories even when we expect something, it comes from a different direction.
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