Spring 2002 Museletter

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Christine Falk
9556 Upper 205th Street West, Lakeville, MN 55044
(952) 985-5375

thefalks@frontiernet.net

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Welcome
to the following new members of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets who have joined since the Winter Museletter issue.

Sandra Ahrens	Fond du Lac
Jan Bottliglieri	Schaumburg, IL
Brent Christianson	Madison
Mario DelRosso	So. Milwaukee
Kristi Evans	Poplar
Hanne Gault	Ellison Bay
Diane Harvey	DeForest
Laura Hertzel	West Bend
Roger Kuhns	Egg Harbor
John Lehman	Cambridge
Douglas Nietzke	Mazomanie
A.B. Orlik	Madison
Norma Gay Prewett	Madison
Angela Rydell	Madison
Fran Zell	Madison

Arts Day 2002 to be held in March

All members of the WFOP and the Poet Laureate Nomination Commission are cordially invited to attend Arts Day 2002, scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, 2002 at the State Capitol. Arts Day is an opportunity for arts lovers throughout the state to meet with legislators, to learn about politicking for the arts and to become better educated on the process of marrying arts and government. Plus, they have some pretty cool speakers. The cost to attend is just $15, which includes admittance to all Arts Day sessions, the Wisconsin Arts Coalition's 2002 edition of the Arts Resource Guide and other educational materials, legislative breakfast and box lunch. For more information or to register, go to www.wisconsinarts.org.

What's Happening in Your Region?
Central-Fox Valley Region
     Besides having poems published in the 2001 Fox-Cry, the Wisconsin Poets' Calendar: 2002, and being one of several poetry readers at an October 13th "read" at Conkey's, Barbara Germiat has had her Favorite Poem nomination accepted for publication in the book, Poems to Read. This book, to be published by W.W. Norton & Company this summer, is a part of the Favorite Poem Project started a few years ago by then U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. The poem Barb nominated, Richard Wilbur's "Death of a Toad", will appear along with her nomination letter, or an excerpt thereof. There are 139 contributors – selected from the 19,000 people who recommended poems! The book will be "widely available at bookstores and online booksellers", says Project Director Maggie Dietz. A web site, www.favoritepoem.org, has more information.
      Ellen Kort wrote and presented a poem for Oconto County's Sesquicentennial Celebration in Oconto Falls and she wrote and presented an "Eagle" poem for Eagle Scout Court of Honor – Bay Lakes Council of Boy Scouts. She participated in poetry readings with Fox Valley Writers at the Appleton Public Library and at Harmony Café, Appleton, a coffee house that celebrates community diversity. Ellen was the keynote speaker with a presentation on "Journaling For The Health Of It" at Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, Stevens Point. She also was keynote speaker at a business seminar, "Marketing Demystified" at the Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton and "Finding Your Place in the Circle" at Unitarian Universal Church, Appleton. And she served as keynote speaker at the Rhinelander District Library's Author Series, co-sponsored by The Northern Arts Council.
      Ellen was introduced by the mayor of Rhinelander and was presented with a key to the city. Ellen conducted several poetry/writing workshops: Wisconsin Public Television's "Poetic License" student poetry workshop, Wisconsin Dells and Sturgeon Bay; Weekend Writing Workshop, St. Joseph Retreat Center, sponsored by Door County Writers; Poetry Workshop for high school students at St. Mary High School, Menasha; Writing workshop for Appleton School District's Talented and Gifted "Young Authors' Conference"; Student poetry workshop, Rhinelander High School; Poetry workshop for Appleton School District's Title 9 Native American Student Program; "Discover Your Own Story" workshop, Appleton Public Library; and a Poetry Workshop, "Mastermind" Women's Group, Green Bay.
      Ellen also served as a reader at the Appleton Boychoir's "Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" and as a volunteer for Appleton North High School's DECA Community Service Program: "Breakfast With Santa." She was a featured interviewee on "Weekend", Wisconsin Public Television, Madison, and on Time Warner Cable Television, Appleton. Ellen had Wisconsin Quilts: Stories in the Stitches, published in Fall of 2001.
      Michael Koehler had a poem in Texas Observer and one accepted by Scene. His writing group "Between the Sheets" read on February 27th at the Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay. He also did a reading at the Montello Library and one at the Renaissance School for Ellen Kort's class.
      Laurel Mills did a program "Journey of a Novel," at the Noonhour Philosophers group at Trinity Lutheran Church, Appleton. On February 22nd she read at Room of One's Own in Madison.

Submitted by Kay Saunders, Central-Fox Valley Regional VP

Karla Huston recently has published poems and reviews in Poesy, Midwest Book Review, Free Lunch, Rattle, The Wisconsin Academy Review, Fox Cry Review, and Nightsun. She has poems and reviews forthcoming in North American Review, 5 AM, Chiron Review, Poesy, One Trick Pony and Kalliope. She was the featured reader at The Neville Public Museum on February 27.

East-Milwaukee Region
Charles P. Ries lives and writes in Milwaukee. He is currently working on a biographical memoir titled Riesville about surviving Catholicism while being brought up on a mink farm. His first book of poetry titled bad monk: neither here nor there was published in December 2001 by Lockout Press. His poetry and short stories have appeared in the following publications: Shoes, Clark Street Review, Avocet, Ya’Sou, Ragtime Joe's Review, Superior Poetry News, Pop Poets, WFOP Museletter, Pop Gun E-Zine, Museskiss E-Zine, Wondering Press, Anthology, Starry Night Review, Write On!!!/Just Stories, Clovis Hook Press/Hazmat Review, Barbaric Yawp, Emotions Magazine, and Hadrosaur Tales. Elaine Cavanaugh's name appears on the Publisher's Honorable Mention list on the Spondee web site at www.spondee.net. This site features poems by Wisconsin writers.

Mid-Central Region
Laurie Pech-Daley received three Honorable Mentions in Byline for her poems "Revelation" and "Kitchen Lessons" from My Kitchen Table, and "Thanksgiving 1973." Edith Nash was interviewed by Jean Feraca on Wisconsin Public Radio on January 31st. Edith gave a reading from her new book, Practice: the Here and Now, at Canterbury Books in Madison on February 3rd. She will give a reading at the McMillan Coffeehouse in Wisconsin Rapids on March 11th. Barb Cranford and Mary Lou Judy conducted a poetry workshop on November 17th. They published a limited edition 51-page chapbook, Before the Snow Flies, based on the poetry from the nine poets participating in their workshop. Gloria Federwitz published a new 48-page book, Krazy Angel, with color illustrations. Mary Casey Martin of Home Brew Press published the book Once Around the Table, based on poems and recipes from the Riverwood Roundtable poetry group. Members of the group gave a reading at the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center in Wisconsin Rapids on February 9th. Mary Lou Judy gave a poetry reading on February 11th at the McMillan Coffeehouse in Wisconsin Rapids. Linda Aschbrenner will give a reading at the Montello Public Library on March 4th.
The Marshfield Area Poetry Society (MAPS) is beginning its fourth year of hosting poetry readings at the Marshfield Public Library. Linda Aschbrenner and Sue Twiggs coordinate the readings which are funded through the Friends of the Marshfield Public Library and the Marshfield Area Community Foundation. Upcoming readers are: Mark Scarborough, March 20th; Ethna McKiernan, April 17th; Ron Wallace, May 16th; and Thomas R. Smith, July 15th. In June, the group will read the poetry of Isadore Larmon at the Purdy Retirement Community. "A New Foundation: Poetic Perspectives on September 11" is the theme of the poetry on the Poetry Trail located at the UW Marshfield/Wood County Arboretum. The poetry trail is sponsored by MAPS and the Office of Continuing Education. In the spring, the trail will feature the poetry of Ron Wallace.

Northeast Region
     Welcome to new poets in the Northeast Area! They are: Anita Beckstrom, Donajean Durkin, and Francis Xavier. Also a belated welcome to Tori Gran-Wellhouse, Kathryn Gahl, Barbara Gossens and a welcome back to Tobin Rockey. Harriet Murphy provided the program for the Ellison Bay Women's Club recently. She delivered a narration on how she moved to Door County, illustrated with poems she has written during and since the move.
      Bill Olson asked Poet Laureate Billy Collins for permission to reprint his "Thesaurus" in Guidelines , the Washington Island Writers Society newsletter and received it. "Meet William Butler Yeats" is the name of the class Barbara Larsen taught during the month of February at the Clearing In Winter classes. Round Robin group 4 is off and writing. Its members are: Loraine Brink, Donajean Durkin, Betty McMurry, Kathryn Gahl, Anita Beckstrom, and Nancy Rafal. Nancy Rafal, Judy Roy, and June Nirschl were the featured poets at a reading at The Bridge coffee house in Egg Harbor in February. Sue DeKelver was one of the featured readers at the first Poetry Night scheduled there earlier. Sue also racked up a good publication score in the last three months with three poems in Free Verse, three on the musictoears.com web site, one poem in The Valley Scene, and one in The Door Voice. An appeal to poets in the NE area: Please share your e-mail address with me to facilitate communication. Send to barbaral@dcwis.com.
      Attention Northeast region poets: You are invited to submit a poem for possible inclusion in the Spring Conference Program booklet. Poems should relate to the conference theme: "Saying the Things That Cannot Be Said." Poems should not exceed 16 lines and may have been published elsewhere. Submit good clear copy which can be scanned. Deadline for receipt of poems is March 22nd. Send your poem to June Nirschl, 9000 County Road Q, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202.

submitted by Barbara Larsen, Northeast Regional VP

Joey Wojtusik had a poem published in Free Verse. Annette Grunseth will be a featured reader at Conkey's Bookstore in Appleton on March 5th.

Northwest Region
WFOP, CHARAC (Cable/Hayward Area Arts Council) and the Drummond Public Library will host a Second Sunday Reading on March 10th at 2:00 p.m. featuring Eric Hjerstedt Sharp reading from his collection of poetry, Rune Tailings. An open reading wll take place before the featured reader. A Second Sunday Reading celebrating National Poetry Month and sponsored by the same organizations will be held on Sunday, April 14th at 2 p.m. Following an open reading, area poets will read works by nationally recognized poets. Refreshments will be served at both events and the public is invited. Both events are at the Drummond Public Library.
Jan Chronister and Diana Randolph had work accepted by the Dust & Fire Anthology, to be published by Bemidji State University in March. Jan and Diane were also the featured readers at a Winter Solstice gathering held in Duluth and sponsored by the Arrowhead Reading Council. Jan Chronister was one of the winners of the Lake Superior Writers Contest.

submitted by Jan Chronister, Northwest Regional VP

South-Central Region
      Lenore Coberly read short fiction and poetry at Canterbury Booksellers in Madison on November 18th. The day before that, 50 poets read to a packed house in an open-mike reading dubbed "Poets Without Borders" at the Electric Earth Café in Madison, organized by Rusty Russell. The event was a benefit for the international humanitarian foundation Doctors Without Borders. Also featuring local musicians, it began at 8 PM and went late into the night. Many WFOP members, from the South Central chapter and otherwise, were present. Poets contributed a printed copy of their selection to be bound in a book as a memento of the occasion. The book was raffled off at the end of the evening.
      A party celebrating the release of the tape cassette featuring the "summer poets" from the "Poetry Buzz" radio show took place on December 9th. WFOP-SC poets included on this tape are Art Madson, Dale Ritterbusch, Susan Elbe and Kathy Miner. Coordinated by Andrea Musher, the "Poetry Buzz" was a weekly feature in 2001 on radio station WORT in Madison. A CD containing the full year's worth of poets will be available at the year-end party at Canterbury Booksellers in Madison at 2 PM on Sunday, March 17th. "Calendar Reading 2002" was held at Canterbury on December 11th. WFOP-SC poets taking part were: Lynn Patrick Smith, Alice D'Alessio, John Gibson, Richard Roe, Margaret Benbow, Margaret Smith, Shoshauna Shy, CX Dillhunt, Heather Gyles-Lyngard, Brian Powers, Lou Roach, Susan Godwin, Eve Robillard, Bobbie Krinsky, Kathy Miner, Robin Chapman, Fran Newhouse, Barbara Houghton, Jeri McCormick, Fran Rall, Iefke Goldberger, Jackie Langetieg, and Bill McConnell.
      Readers featured at the Madison Barnes & Noble store since the last Museletter have been Jeri McCormick (November), and Richard Roe and Lynn Patrick Smith (December). Jeannie Bergmann read at the Village Booksmith in Baraboo on December 14th. At press time for this Museletter, the annual Winter Festival of Poets was in full swing at Canterbury Booksellers in Madison. The Sunday-afternoon series began on January 20th and will continue through March 10th. WFOP members reading on the first 3 dates included Paul Thompson, Brenda Lempp, Phyllis Reisdorf, Dave Smith, Jeannie Bergmann, CX Dillhunt, John Lehman, Fran Rall, Barbara Houghton, Richard Roe and Chuck Cantrell. Lynn Patrick Smith coordinates this mega-event, for which the Madison area poetry community is deeply grateful! Readers from subsequent dates will be reported in the next Museletter.
      Dale Ritterbusch, Richard Roe and Kathy Miner were among the crowd at the 8th annual Woodland Pattern Poetry Marathon in Milwaukee on January 26th. (Dale and Richard read; Kathy listened.) Over the course of the 11-hour event, they were treated to the work of more than 100 poets and encountered several WFOP members from other chapters. The marathon is an annual fundraiser for the store, located on Locust Street, which is a fabulous resource for books of and about poetry. You have never seen chapbooks like you can see – and buy – at Woodland Pattern! Kathy Miner and Shoshauna Shy read at Canterbury on February 7th. Shoshauna has had two poems published recently: "Reconnaissance" was published in Maelstrom, and "Birth Defect" in The Mid-America Poetry Review. She also has a new chapbook out entitled Slide Into Light. Eve Robillard's new chapbook Everything Happens Twice, published by Fireweed Press of Madison, is currently available. She read selections from it on WORT radio on December 18th and at A Room of One's Own in Madison on February 1st. Eve also had two poems published in the September issue of Wisconsin Academy Review. Get-well wishes to Art Madson of Whitewater, a longtime member of WFOP. Art has been generous with his poetry and his humor over the years.

Submitted by Kathy Dodd Miner, South-Central Regional VP

This summer, new WFOP member A.B. Orlik inherited Scrawl, a monthly allgirl spoken word open mic in Madison. Scrawl can now be found every second Saturday at Java EsCafe, 14 West Mifflin Street (on the Square between State and Wisconsin), with sign-up at 7:45 and show at 8 PM. Women of all ages, backgrounds and persuasions are encouraged to read their original poetry, prose, songs, or other ramblings. Several WFOP members, including Jeannie Bergmann and others, have taken the mic in recent months. For more information, call (608) 251-1861 or write scrawlgirl@yahoo.com.
The Village Booksmith in Baraboo continues to be a great venue for poetry. There are slams on the last Monday of each month (signup at 7 PM, reading begins at 8) and traditional readings on the second Friday. The Village Booksmith is located on Oak Street in downtown Baraboo, "right across the street from the cannon." Madison-area poets are reminded to check www.madpoetry.org for the very latest in literary events.

South Region
April 17th is Racine Poetry Day, proclaimed by the mayor and sponsored by the Racine Public Library. An open mike to the community and visitation/ performance by WI poet laureate Ellen Kort are on the planning table as this Museletter goes to press. Last year, Kat Rygasiewicz led a noon-time open mike at Schwartz Bookstore-Downtown Racine; about 20 Walden School young poets participated among others. Katarzyna (Kat) Rygasiewicz won herself a sacred turkey: published three times in a row in the Mount Horeb Nature Sanctuary spirituality magazine Circle-Summer, Spring, Winter 2001- Sacred Plants, Sacred Creatures, Sacred Places issues. She's also been doing performance art on her hometown Racine's street corners and bus stops with a large 60s genuine antique peace sign and one of her terror-recognition poems, calling herself the Human Vintage Peace Poet Installation. Lots of honks, friendly waving, and flashed 2-finger peace signs from cars going by. No gun shots.

West-Central Region
The month of January 2002 was memorable for West Central poets. It was the culmination of the second Vision and the Word Artist/Writer collaboration. Last spring each writer or poet was matched with a visual artist and during the months that followed the pairs worked off of each others' work and/or collaborated on new joint projects. It was an amazing flowering of creativity that resulted in January in a splendid show at the State Regional Arts Center Back Door Gallery and four Sunday afternoon events highlighting each of the pairs and the various aspects of their collaboration. Sandy Lindow, Nadine St. Louis, Peg Lauber, Carrie Beth Becker and Yvette Flaten participated with reading old and new poetry. A high point was Nadine St. Louis's poem about a painting of a marionette that comes to life. The dancer/model for the painting honored the audience by demonstrating the dance itself. We were all sad when the last reading was over. February 14th, Yvette Flaten participated in an annual Valentine's Day Poetry reading at the State Theater Gallery. March 20th, Sandy Lindow will work as a guest author/critic in UW Eau Claire's Spring Creative Writing Festival that is sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Gifted and Talented Network. She will lead three workshops for middle and high school students.

Submitted by Sandra Lindow, West-Central Regional VP

Jane-Marie Bahr, Menomonie, has had a poem accepted for spring publication in Poetry Motel #30.

Dues Have Increased
At the Fall Conference, 2001, the membership approved the Fellowship's first dues increase in over fifteen years. Dues are now $25/year for Active and $15/year for Associate members. The increase became effective January 1, 2002. Unfortunately, the deadline for the Winter Museletter came before the membership's vote. We were unable to publicize the dues increase in time for this year's renewals. We are sorry for the oversight.
Because of the inadequate notice, we have accepted this year's renewals at the old rate. However, we ask those members who have not yet renewed to pay the new (higher) dues. If you have already renewed, we hope you'll send a check for the difference. This will not only support the work of the Fellowship, but provide a modest tax deduction for next year. Please send your dues or donation to our new Treasurer, D.B. Appleton, 720 E. Gorham St. #402, Madison, WI 53703.

Joint Conference With WRWA, Fall 2003
      Plans are continuing for a first-ever joint conference with the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association. The Fellowship and the WRWA share many members in common, and both organizations agreed that pooling resources might allow a full weekend of activities with more programs for all participants.
      The Fellowship's conference rotation has been shifted slightly to accommodate the schedules of both organizations. The 2003 Fellowship conference date, originally November 7 - 8, has been moved to September 27 - 29, 2003. The conference will be at the Pioneer Inn in Oshkosh.
      Please note the additional day: we hope to have enough programs so we can continue the conference into that Sunday. Fox Valley regional vice president Kay Saunders has appointed Cathryn Cofell and Karla Huston as our representatives to the joint planning committee. Volunteers are welcome, as are suggestions for programs and speakers.

Join Us at The Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival...
brings poetry's crème de la crème to the beautiful, rustic Village of Waterloo, New Jersey for four days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of concurrent readings and workshops at various village sites such as the sawmill, the gristmill, the gazebo, the white barn, and the Church. The PBS television series The Language of Life with Bill Moyers focused on this festival. This year's Festival runs September 19 - 22.
     The Fellowship has arranged a tour package with Lamers Bus Lines that offers affordable transportation and lodging for the entire Festival. The group will depart Appleton via deluxe motor coach Tuesday, September 17th and arrive the 18th for four nights at the Parsippany, NJ Holiday Inn. We depart Sunday, Sept 22nd at the end of the event, and arrive back in Appleton the 23rd.
     One price includes the transportation, lodging, and shuttle service to and from the Festival grounds. Meals and admission are not included. Prices range from $485 to over $600, depending on the number of people sharing a room. A $50 deposit holds your place.
      For information on the Festival, visit www.grdodge.org/poetry.
      For more information on the tour package, contact Bob Smith at Lamers Tour and Travel, (800) 236-1976; or click here for mail-in printable form. Mail to: Lamers Tour and Travel, Attn: Bob Smith, 2937 Monroe Road, DePere, WI 54115.

Poetry Publications
This section is for the listing of recent publications by WFOP MEMBERS EXCLUSIVELY. Recent publication: Copyright 2001-02. For more information, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the author or publisher.

TITLE

PUBLICATION

AUTHOR

Knots of Sweet Longing

Chapbook

Richard Roe
For more info, contact:
Wolfsong Pub.
3123 South Kennedy Drive
Sturtevant, WI 53177

(262) 886-5809
wolfsong@wi.net

bad monk: neither here nor there

Chapbook

Charles Ries
For more info, contact Charles at:
5821 West Trenton Place
Milwaukee, WI 53213

charlesr@execpc.com

Meet Your Officers:
Sandra Lindow, West-Central Regional VP

      I have been West Central Regional Vice President since 1985. When Karen Updike first called me about being an officer, I was trying on a tight, one piece undergarment to wear under a dress for the local university's elegant Viennese Ball. We were also at the beginning of a three year process to adopt a yet to be born Korean infant through Lutheran Social Services. I wondered how I could fit in one more thing in my life. Much has happened since then. That infant, our daughter Miriam, turns fourteen in December. You’ve watched her grow up at conferences and in my poems. My son, who was still a little boy in 1983 when I joined the WFOP is now 26 and living on his own in Minneapolis.
      One of the reasons I married my husband, Michael Levy, was that he liked my poetry and encouraged me to publish. Eighteen years later we are still married and still publishing. He is an English professor at the University of Wisconsin - Stout. We share books, write together and edit each other. He is my best friend, cheerleader, and poetry punctuator. Last year I took a 3 and a half month sabbatical. We lived in Dalkeith Palace, Scotland where he taught Wisconsin UW students and I was able to focus on my writing. It was a difficult, wonderful time.
      Since 1981 I have worked as a Title I Reading Specialist at the Eau Claire Academy, a treatment center for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. It is hard, emotionally draining, fulfilling work and I am grateful that I work in a place where I can really make a difference in the world. Hardly a day goes by that I am not teaching writing, for, as you all know, reading and writing go hand-in-hand. This year due to limited federal funding to Title I, my position has been reduced to .9. I am able to take every other Friday off. These have been wonderful days devoted to my writing and I looking forward to semi-retiring in three years.
      I first joined WFOP as a result of winning an Edna Meudt poetry contest. At that time there were no other WFOP members in the Eau Claire Area. Now we have a small active group that gets together for monthly workshops at the library, occasional potlucks, restaurant get-togethers and a handful of public readings a year. We just finished our second annual Turning Leaves Festival where nationally recognized poet Naomi Shihab Nye gave a reading to an audience that mostly filled up the State Theater. Right now we are involved in a series at Friday After Five Events that pair poets with musicians and the second Eau Claire Area Vison and Word Show that matches artists and poets. I am confident that we as poets have stepped down from our ivory towers and are bringing excellent, accessible poetry to our communities, to our state, and to the world.

Camden Arthur Coberly
Camden (Cam) Coberly, long-time Patron member of the Fellowship, died unexpectedly last December. He is remembered for his gentle dignity and love of the language. He is survived by his wife, Lenore McComas Coberly, also a Patron member. We extend our condolences to Lenore and her family. He will be greatly missed.

There are Those Among Us...

There are those among us who set their sights
on this world's worthiest tasks;
through their patina of doing, we are buffed
to a higher sheen.

There are those among us who travel with grace
among the earth's bright furnishings,
harboring across the continents
a pulse of unmapped wonder.

There are those among us who plant for seasons
promised and unpromised,
their vivid harvest burgeoning heart to heart
above our root-shared soil.

There are those among us who have culled from living
the portions that bespeak a whole –
the all-that-they-needed-to-know.
They are the ones we can never let go.

by Jeri McCormick

Missing Cam

We have lost him, gardener who loved
wild West Virginia hills and fomented riots
of dames rocket, forget-me-nots, violets
in the shady corners of his Wisconsin year.
We have lost him, engineer who crafted
wire-mesh mulch for the autumn crocus bulbs
to keep out squirrels, rabbits, and crows;
who built six-foot square canvas-stretchers
for artist son; dressers, cabinets, tables,
for daughters, granddaughters, Lenore.
We have lost him, lover of trees
whose well-trimmed hickories rained down
nuts enough for the neighborhood as he proved
that the right tool, endless patience, and a well-placed
blow could yield the nutmeats whole – or nearly so.
We have lost him, lover of stone
who polished an agate big as a dinosaur egg
for a week to bring out its burnished gold;
bearer of farmer cheese and Fetzer wine
to the writers at the close of manuscript group.
We have lost him, suddenly, in mid-stride,
Cam, who said in his fiftieth wedded year,
"I am the happiest, the luckiest of men alive" –
and even as we mourn his death
we move among the works of his hands.

In memoriam, Camden A. Coberly, 1922-2001 by Robin Chapman

WFOP Conference Registration - April 26 & 27, 2002

Dues Payment
You are past due on your 2002 dues if your mailing label says (01) after your name. If your mailing label says (01) after your name (and past due on your 2001 & 2002 dues if your mailing label says (00))!

Just remit the proper amount to renew your membership and mail to:

D.B. Appleton
720 E. Gorham Street #402
Madison, WI 53703

Be sure and include your Name, Address, City/State/Zip, E-mail address, and Amount Enclosed:

Patron $100.00
Active $25.00
Associate $15.00
Student Member $7.50

Calendar Retail Sales Increase
      The Wisconsin Poets' Calendar for 2002 found a number of new markets this year. The current poetry collection was placed in 81 retail outlets across the state, beginning in July, 2001. The calendars were sold by museums, gift shops, art galleries, University of Wisconsin bookstores in several locations, resorts, craft stores, natural food stores, the Peace Action project in Milwaukee, and, of course, bookstores from Superior to Beloit and everywhere in between.
      Major booksellers this year included Barnes and Noble in Madison and LaCrosse; Borders Book Shops in Madison, Milwaukee and Eau Claire; Little Professor shops in Stevens Point and Green Bay and Conkey's in Appleton. Many small book stores continue to be strong supporters of state poets. UW campus book stores in Whitewater, Milwaukee, Madison and Marshfield placed orders, as did Beloit and Alverno Colleges. Libraries in Racine and Madison purchased the 2002 publication.
      As payments for this year's calendar arrive, it is clear that funding for the 2003 calendar is already in place. Calendar business manager Lou Roach expects a smaller profit from sales this year due to a decrease in individual orders. The overall outlook is positive.
      WFOP members may order the calendar at a sale price of $3.00 per copy at this time. Mailing costs will be as usual:

one book $1.50
2-3 books $2.50
4-5 books $3.50
6-10 books $4.50

Orders may be sent to:

Lou Roach
WFOP Calendar Account
311 Meadow Lane
Poynette, WI 53955

(608) 635-7997

Poetry Workshop to be Held in Late May
Robin Chapman and Judith Strasser will be leading a workshop at The Clearing in Door County the week of May 26-June 1, 2002. The workshop, titled "Whose Woods These Are: The Poetry of Place" will take participants on an exploration of the ways that natural history and landscape feed the poetic process. Workshop members will read and discuss examples of place-oriented poetry by a wide variety of contemporary writers, and will write and discuss their own poems, focused on the landscapes of The Clearing and northern Door County.
Judith and Robin will also meet individually with poets who would like comments on previously completed work. This workshop is designed for beginning and intermediate poets. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of up to three poems they would like to discuss with Judith or Robin, as well as writing materials--pens and notebooks, and a portable typewriter or laptop, if possible.

If you're interested in the workshop, send your name and address to Robin, 205 N. Blackhawk, Madison, WI 53705 or Judith, 511 Sheldon Street, Madison, WI 53711. They will be sure you get registration materials when they are available.