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A Common Wealth of Poetry The newsletter of The Poetry Society of Virginia Oct. 2008 www.PoetrySocietyOfVirginia.org Email address: PoetryInVA@aol.com ________________________________________________ From our President Hello, Poetry Lovers, As I write this letter, I am preparing to attend the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival for the fourth time, and hoping to find other PSV members among the group that fills Waterloo Village every two years. “The Dodge” has been the source of many happy memories for me, and I hope more of our members will avail themselves of this mini-vacation with immersion in poetry. Our new year is off to an auspicious start, with the Contest Committees already gearing up for the next competition. I’m excited that an old friend, a highly acclaimed professional singer-songwriter, contacted me in time to be asked to judge our “Come Out Swinging” category, joining the number of outstanding judges on our list. Our Real Virginia Poets project has already begun to receive inquiries, and Beth Huddleston has alerted the seven poets on her list. If you signed up for the project, but did not hear from Beth, please contact her. The project had a delayed beginning, and some of the applications may have been lost. If you are a published poet, and haven’t signed up for the project, contact Beth to find out particulars, and see if you’d like to join this innovation. We have received a collection of books of poetry by past and present PSV members, and some other Virginia poets, from Muriel Hegre, a former member who lives in Richmond. These books will be added to the archives, with special thanks to Ms. Hegre, who may have been known to some of our long-term members as Muriel Jones. After the success of this year’s effort, the Executive Committee has agreed to provide support for next year’s Virginia Highlands Festival. Plans are also underway to establish an annual reading and prize in Northern Virginia, for an outstanding poet, in memory of former president Ellen Anderson. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the Western Regional meeting in the beautiful autumn mountains in Lynchburg, and again at the First Saturday poetry reading in Norge, as well as the November Poetry Day in Richmond. Be well, and God bless everyone! Patsy Anne Bickerstaff ________________________________________________ FUTURE MEETINGS Oct. 18, 2008 Western Nov. 22, 2008 Eastern Please note the November meeting is on the fourth rather than the usual third Saturday Feb. 21, 2009 Executive Committee Mar. 21, 2009 North Apr. 18, 2009 Central Please note this is the contest awards meeting. May 15-17, 2009 for our annual Festival in Williamsburg Put it on your calendar At the Nov. 22 meeting in the Eastern Region Jill Winkowski will conduct a workshop on Integrating Memory into Poetic Forms. Sounds like a good meeting. Plan on attending. Poetry Contests for 2009 Contest categories and rules for both the Annual Adult Contest and the Annual Student Contest (as well as information about the Oct. meeting) can be found at the end of the newsletter. ________________________________________________ News from Members Jack Underhill reports that in September the fourth edition of Poets of Tallwood was published by the Osher Life Long Learning Institute at George Mason University. The publication contains poems by members of the poetry workshop, coordinated by Mike McNamara and Jan Bohall. The workshop has been going on for over ten years. One of the early coordinators of the workshop was Ellen Anderson, who recently left part of her inheritance to the Poetry Society of Virginia. Members of the workshop are frequent contributors to The Poet's Domaine. Jack Underhill, the PSV current Northern Virginia Vice President has poems in the volume as well as his photograph on the cover. Elaine Morgan reports that she recently was awarded Senior Poet Laureate for State of Va. through the Kitchener Foundation for the 3rd time with her poem "A Study in Silver." She has had poetry published in Out of Line, Heart Journal, and her poem "January Rose" will appear in Volume #24 of The Poet's Domain. Janice Egry reports that her poem, "Silence of the Song" was one of three grand prize winners in the Dancing Poetry Contest. It will be performed (read and danced) in San Francisco at their festival on September 27. Another of her poems, "Of Shadow and Light" also managed a second prize category in the same contest. ________________________________________________ Poems by Members NOTE FROM EDITOR: we are able to publish on a space available basis poems by members. Unpublished and previously published poems are acceptable. Shorter poems are more likely to be published. Email submission to poetryinva@aol.com is preferred. Here is a poem by new member Raquel Morton, a college freshman: Suicide Doesn't Hurt Anyone, Right? So you say you want to die and it will only hurt you. If you really believe that here's a few things to think through: You can overdose on drugs until your insides turn blue, And leave your parents with the question of where they went wrong with you. You can get really drunk and then decide to drive, But the boy in the car you hit is no longer alive. If you decide to swallow the barrel of a loaded gun and pull the trigger, Who's going to explain to your child the danger of guns? Yeah, go figure! You can slice your wrist or drown in your own blood and sorrow But who will comfort the little girl playing because your body she'll find tomorrow. So, if you still think suicide doesn't hurt anyone but you: Then think of the parents, the boy, your child, and the girl in the park And remember that when you leave the damage remains in their hearts. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Marilyn Marsh Noll had this poem published in the Pittsburg Gazette: Saturday Poem: Emily's Writing Table - Circa 1860 An inkstand and dip pens await Her thoughts and careful hands. Her words -- birds' footprints scattered down-- Form verse and news to friends. A slender table -- straight-back chair -- Is all that she requires. The simple tools that she employs Enhance life, birds and flowers. A leather-bound herbarium Close by and open wide Displays a vast collage of blooms Pressed skillfully inside. One pencil rests across the top Of paper stark and white And on her bed are reams of poems Tied up -- to hide from sight. The earth has not discovered yet The genius of this Child Of Nature, Light and Solitude Who celebrates the world. ________________________________________________ Can You Identify This Poem Several years ago I read a poem that I think was titled “Sounding Stone.” In the poem the depths of the poet’s love for his loved one was compared to casting a sounding stone to measure the depth of the water and the stone never touched bottom. I have tried unsuccessfully to find this poem on the internet. If you know the poem please tell me where I can find it. Email me at poetryinva@aol.com or write. Stu Nottingham ________________________________________________ Farewell to a Master Former Poet Laureate of Virginia, George P. Garrett, Jr., who died May 26 of this year, received fitting tributes from his colleagues at a Memorial Service, September 22, at the University of Virginia Chapel. Speakers included UVA President John T. Chasteen, III, and poets Gregory Orr, Fred Chappell, John Casey, Richard Dillard, Robert and Richard Bausch, Allen Wier, Casey Clabough, and others. Most focused upon his mentorship and friendship, and read their favorite Garrett poem. All loved George’s ability and capacity to entertain with his stories. Poetry Society members may recall George’s presentation at the Poetry Festival of 2002, just months before he was named Poet Laureate of Virginia. His stories had everyone eating out of his hand. Shortly thereafter he became a member of the PSV Advisory Board, a position he held until his death. In 2004, George participated in the Four Virginia Poets Laureate program with Margaret Ward Morland, Joseph Awad, and Grace Simpson, a program that PSV taped, then turned into a compact disk. In March of this year, PSV recreated the 2004 Poets Laureate program for the Festival of the Book in Charlottesville. Unfortunately, George was too ill to participate; Casey Clabough read for him. The Memorial Service was a fine farewell to one of Virginia’s all-time greatest writers. ________________________________________________ Meet Virginia’s Poets Patricia Flower Vermillion, from Hampton, is a part of the Artist-In-Education Program of the Virginia Commission for the Arts and teaches poetry for LifeLong Learning at Christopher Newport University. Her poetry has won prizes and appears in various literary magazines and journals. Improvisation comes into soles of feet, causes toes to tip, laced shoes to lean, ankles to ramble under curved knees and blues harnessed hips. Rib cages re-arrange polyphonic phrases, mouths pout, fingers skitter and then only then does jazz-joy gather like rain in hat rims where it spills out, scours creole streets clean with rhythmic verse and pulls lonely balconies near to hear counter- point conversations. (Inspired by the oil painting Street Jammin’ by Gloria Coker) ________________________________________________ Executive Committee Officers 2008-2009 President Patsy Anne Bickerstaff granypatsy@yahoo.com Vice President, Central Helen Eano nellnick@aol.com Vice President, Eastern Nancy Powell nancyp1734@aol.com Vice President, Northern Jack Underhill gwaposr@cox.net Vice President, So. Eastern Pete Freas mindworm@juno.com Vice President, Western Frank Craddock fdallasc3@aol.com Treasurer Peg Crews pegcrews@cox.net Membership Chair Stuart Nottingham poetryinva@aol.com Contest Chair, Adult Judith Bragg musicsavy45@yahoo.com Contest Chair, Student Peg Crews pegcrews@cox.net Newsletter Editor Stuart Nottingham poetryinva@aol.com Webmaster Linda Nottingham lindanottingham@aol.com Archivist Warren Harris wmharris@naxs.com Parliamentarian Guy Terrell ggterr@infionline.net Recording Secretary Maria Butler Mariawb@earthlink.net Poetry in the Schools Beth Huddleston bethhud@shentel.net Festival Chair Ed Lull ewlull@verizon.net Nominating Com. Chair Evelyn Tower ertower@earthlink.net Exec. Dir. Joseph Awad James McNally Carolyn Foronda Beth Huddleston Shirley Sellers Ed Lull Jim Gaines Adv. Board Ron Smith Margaret Morland The Poetry Soceity of Virginia Oct. 2008 Newsletter of The Poetry Society of Virginia. Poetry Society Of Virginia 913 DeWolfe Dr. Alexandria VA 22308-2602 ________________________________________________ The Western Region of The Poetry Society of Virginia Annual Meeting 18 October 2008 Community Room, Public Library* (Rear of building) 2315 Memorial Avenue, 24501 Lynchburg, Virginia Vivian Teter Of Virginia Wesleyan College Poetry as Protest: From Love Poetry to War Poetry & Reading from her poetry Registration and Coffee 9:30 Vivian Teter - Lecture 10:30 Vivian Teter- Poetry Reading & Questions. 11:15-12:00 Lunch (see below) 12:00 Open Mike Reading 1:00 –3:15 Final Notes 3:00 – 3:30 * From South: 29N to 163. Public Library on left. From North: 29S to 210 to L163. Library on right. From West: 460E to 128 to R163. Library on left. From East: 460W to 163. Library on left. (Thanks to the Public Library of Lynchburg, Virginia) _Friday evening, 17 October, join us for dinner at Panda House, 29N of Lynchburg, about 6:30 _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Registration and coffee: $4.00 Registration and lunch and coffee: $12.00 Box lunch from Magnolia: Chicken Salad _#________________ Tomato , Avocado Wrap (meatless) _#__________________________ Send form and check to: Frank Craddock (Fdallasc3@AOL.Com) 114 Harrison Street Lynchburg, VA 24504 by 10 October 2008 ________________________________________________ |
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