January 20th, 2021

Wednesday Afternoon January 20th, 2021

The group gathered again at Bay Heights Park in Englewood for our second outdoor meeting. Returning were Dennis Cathcart, Peter Frickel, Ann Moore, Scott Anderson, Jim Kelly (of Venice,) and Ernie Ovitz. Sue Haley and Bruce Haedrich joined us this time and brought our number up to eight. Rod DiGruttolo sent his regrets due to a schedule conflict.

It was a sunny day. Even at seventy degrees, the breeze off the water felt chilly, so we decided to set our chairs up under a big shade tree around a picnic table.  Getting down to a round-table discussion on our writing projects, a lot of useful information was shared. We all agree; there is no substitute for the inspiration we get from an in-person get-together.

All present agreed until COVID19 is behind us and we can, hopefully, gather again at the fire station the group will hold the first meeting of the month, the first Wednesday of the month at the usual time, on Zoom, and the second meeting, the third Wednesday of the month at 1:30 pm, at the park in Englewood.

We went into overtime as our discussion carried us to 3:00 pm, and we all agreed to stay on for the readings. After a break, we continued and wrapped it up at 4:00 pm.

Dennis Cathcart led off our discussion by sharing that he is now working on a second project writing about his adventures in Peru. He has placed his first manuscript with a professional editor and reported that he is well pleased with the progress. Dennis read from his manuscript about his experience in 1971 on the Bahamian island of Inagua. Manny, an old hermit, didn’t talk much and had little in the way of possessions, but he was one of the happiest and most at-peace men he ever met. Dennis said that he has found that COVID has given him the time and freedom to pursue his work without distraction.

Peter Frickel seconded the sentiment. COVID has created a very productive time for him. He talked about taking his yellow pad, sitting down, and thinking deeply about his work and projects. Peter is currently working on a book of poetry, a collection of short stories, and a compilation of letters. For his reading, Peter read several short pieces. His first began: “Tomorrow I will travel to Paris by train.” In Paris, he was joined by a companion of the fairer sex. We could expect no less from Peter. A lively discussion followed. As always, thank you, Peter, for setting a high standard for the group.

Bruce Haedrich has four projects going, including a book of illustrated children’s poems in conjunction with his daughter.  She is a professional illustrator. He shared two poems featuring his characters Jessie and Chris: Ants and Butterflies. Bruce is also working on his Dan Marin detective series, minus his main character Dan Marin. Marin has left the scene and sold his boat to his partner (girlfriend) Marlene, who will continue the detective adventure. Bruce writes in the first person. So he says it will be a challenge to write from her point-of-view. 

Sue Haley, our group’s founder, has had a challenging year health-wise and was glad to be with us. We were delighted she could be too. One of the events that captured her attention this past year was the western wildfires. She shared a poem written to offer appreciation to our firefighters. Her work brought to mind the Nokomis firefighters, who have our continuing gratitude. Even though we can’t meet in their training room at this time, we hope we can return when this pandemic eases. Thank you, Susan.

 Ernie Ovitz continues his work on his historical novel series on the Roman Emperor Constantine’s life. He is in the editing and rewriting stage, drafts two, three, and etc. Over the project’s life, research has brought new insights and appreciation for the period. He shared some details concerning the logistics and manpower requirements for the Roman Army. At the Battle of Hadrianoplein 324, A.D., almost three-hundred thousand men met in battle. The conditions for feeding and supply those men were staggering. Herein added challenges for the writer to portray the event’s scope while keeping the story exciting and action moving came to the fore.

 Bruce Haedrich spoke up and seconded the importance of logistics in military campaigns from his experience serving in the Air Force’s quartermaster corps.

 Ann Moore shared the news for those that were not at the last meeting of her new project, one that has been her dream for many years. Her goal: to write about the lives of seventy women from around the world in their seventieth year. She has plans to travel and hopes to meet, share, and look for those universal things they have in common. She has the support of a group that has encouraged her to proceed and promised help with the project. She has continued to gain support and encouragement for her effort.

 Scott Anderson shared more news of the pending publication of his butterfly research in Sarasota County. The leading professional journal has agreed to publish his work as an 85-page book distributed to all its subscribers. He said the editing process is rigorous, and he has been asked to provide a cover photo. He showed the group the one he selected, a pair of White Peacock butterflies, mating. The back-lighting created a fantastic image, almost like a stain-glass window. Scott read his photo blurb, which was near poetic. Something we expected from our poet, Scott. He also shares that he has been asked to provide cover photos for two other publications. Well done.

 Jim Kelly shared that he plans to continue his civil war/western expansion saga that began with his historical novel on General Hancock’s life. He traveled west over the summer and visited the sites where his current work is set. Jim read a scene from his present writings. Shadow Hawk and Lone Elk, two Sioux warriors, discuss the onward expansion of white men into native lands. We discussed the challenge of right-sizing a novel after finding that he needed to break his story of General Hancock’s life into two books. He is shooting for a book in the 80,000-word range.

 It was a most enjoyable and fulfilling experience to meet with the group again. We will search for an open-air spot closer to the firehouse for a future meeting as well. Take care to stay healthy, and we hope you can join us for the Zoom meeting on February 3^rd.