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| President's
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Summer
2004 issue |
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If you move or change your e-mail address, please notify the Museletter editor. Bulk mail is not forwarded, so you will not receive your Museletters. E-mail is the only way members are notified of Museletter deadlines.
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Welcome
New member inquiries should be directed to Peter Piaskoski,the credentials chair. Join us!
Fall Conference October 15–16, 2004 Ashland, WI Watch for information in your Fall Museletter! |
| Meet
Your Board Members: Nancy Rafal, Northeast Regional VP When I moved to Door County ten years ago I became interested in the poetry of Wisconsin authors. Thanks to my sister-in-law, I became acquainted with the Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar and was hooked. I took Clearing classes with Barbara Larsen and David Jones, joined WFOP as an associate (non-writing) member, and was coaxed into writing by a covey of talented writers. About six years ago I imposed a project on myself: a bibliography of poems about Wisconsin places and I’m still working on it. Through that project I corresponded with a number of poets whom I later met. In the winter of 2002, Barbara Larsen quietly asked me to take her place as regional vice-president and, after bribing me with lunch, I agreed. I’m hobbling along in the job and will never be able to fill her shoes but am honored that she trusted me with the office. My first poem was written in about 1955 when I was turning a teenager. I keep it at the front of my poetry binder to remind me to thank the muse for later guidance. “In Progress” is part of my boilerplate when I transfer my work from pen to keyboard. It signals me that there’s always room for improvement. Lorine Niedecker’s work has been important to my poetic development. “Condense, condense, condense” are the three wisest words I know when it comes to poetry. Cid Corman was most gracious toward me and his sparse comments about poems I’d send him were always right. I wish I could have shared Slightly Off Q, my first chapbook written with Judy Roy and June Nirschl, with Cid but he died before it went to press. Before taking up the poet’s life I was an elementary special education teacher and school media center director in Lombard, Illinois. The state made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and, since my psychologist husband had retired earlier, we decided to move to Door County. Harry’s favorite poets were Robert Service and Mary Oliver. He died in November, 2000 of lung cancer. Michael Farmer, WFOP calendar business manager, and I operate South Nest Retreat, a writer and artist retreat in the woods north of Baileys Harbor. We share our home, North Nest, with three loving felines. In addition to WFOP activities, I’m a member of the board of the Door County Land Trust and a volunteer for the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts and The Friends of Toft Point. I’m even more active than I was when I taught grade school but am grateful for this full, rich life and for never having to attend a faculty meeting again. |
| River
of Words Contest Winners Announced The Wisconsin Lakes Partnership has announced winners of the 2004 Wisconsin River of Words contest. The winners hail from K-12 classes in Sturgeon Bay, Fish Creek, Menasha, Madison and Clayton. This year, Wisconsin also had a national finalist in the Grade 10-12 poetry category: Joanna Foster, age 17, from Gibraltar School in Fish Creek. Her teacher is Gary Jones. There were 20,000 entries in the national contest, so being named a national finalist is an honor. National finalists are not entered in the state contest, as they have already placed nationally. Wisconsin River of Words (ROW) is part of an international K-12 environmental art and poetry program created to promote watershed awareness, literacy and the arts. Through an annual art and poetry contest and educator’s tools, Wisconsin ROW helps communities begin exploring the natural and cultural history of their own homegrounds. ROW is coordinated in Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership, which includes the University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program, and is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Center for the Book. A series of workshops each fall gives educators resources on watershed activities, outdoor activities and poetry/art activities. All entries to the ROW contest are sent to the national competition in California. Once they are judged at the national level, the Wisconsin entries are judged on a statewide basis. Judith Strasser served as the poetry judge and the UW-Extension Lakes Program staff judged the art entries. In 2003, there were 53 Wisconsin entries and in 2004, there were 464. Awards are $50 for first place and $25 for second place in each category. The award money is provided by the Wisconsin Center for the Book. The contest winners also receive a certificate. Winners in the Poetry division, grades 3-6 included two students of WFOP member, Dee Paulsen. In first place was Sarah Chayer, age 12; in second place was Hannah Grohman, age 12, both of Sturgeon Bay. To view a complete listing of winners, go to the Wisconsin River of Words website at www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/row/. |
News
from the Literary Fund Committee Happy poeming,
The Literary Fund Committee proposes to accept a generous donation of
$200 from George Saunders that will be used to fund the New Poet’s
Award in the 2004 Triad Poetry Contest. We will rename the category The
Kay Saunders Memorial New Poets’ Award and expand the prizes to
include second and third place winners who will receive $30 and $20 respectively.
This will be in keeping with the other two categories of the Triad contest
monetary awards. (Currently, the first place winners receive $50 and the
judge is paid $50. The balance of the donation will be used to cover supplies.) Respectfully
submitted, |
Mary Wehner participated in a reading at Conkey’s in Appleton on May 4th.
Mid-Central
Region
Bruce
Dethlefsen won honorable mention in the Posner Award from the Council
for Wisconsin Writers for his book Something Near the Dance Floor,
published by Marsh River Editions. He accepted his award at the CWW Awards Banquet
at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee on May 8th.
Joan Johannes was the keynote
speaker at the high school writers’ workshop held at UW-LaCrosse in March.
She also taught a workshop and led a critique group for poets from around the
state.
Isadore Larmon celebrated
her 94th birthday in April.
During National Library Week, Marshfield
poets gave a presentation about writing and publishing at the Marshfield Public
Library. WFOP Poets participating were Linda Aschbrenner, Kris
Rued-Clark, and Doug Seubert. Doug served as panel
coordinator. Marshfield poets read their poetry on the sidewalk at Art On the
Avenue in Marshfield on May 7th. Marshfield poets invite all area writers to
the Final Friday Poetry, Prose and Anything Goes Open Mic Night. They are held
from 7 to 9 p.m. the last Friday of each month January through October at Simply
from the Hearth in Marshfield at 126 S. Central Avenue. Doug Seubert
serves as MC. Featured poets are Michael Kriesel from Aniwa
on June 25th and The Off Q Gals, June Nirschl, Nancy Rafal,
and Judy Roy from Baileys Harbor on July 30th. They are the
authors of Slightly Off Q.
Phil Hansotia published
his first book of poetry, Somewhere There. It was published by Barb
Cranford of the Jack Pine Press.
The new theme for the Poetry Trail at the
UW-Marshfield/Wood County Arboretum is Off the Beaten Path. The Marshfield Area
Poetry Society and the Office of Continuing Education coordinate the changing
displays along the trail.
Barb Cranford and Mary
Lou Judy conducted poetry workshops in April and July.
John
Lehman conducted a poetry workshop in Wisconsin Rapids in May attended
by many area poets.
Linda Aschbrenner published
the sixth anniversary issue of Free Verse. The poetry journal features
monthly contests sponsored by readers of the publication. Recent contest sponsors
were Jo Bartels Alderson and the Sheets writing group.
Linda Aschbrenner released
the seventh chapbook from Marsh River Editions, Saying Grace by James
P. Lenfestey. Laurie Pech-Daley’s poem, “Summer
Night Fantasia” received an honorable mention from ByLine. Linda
Aschbrenner will publish it in an upcoming issue of Free Verse.
During
April, students at North High School, Sheboygan, (WI), celebrated National Poetry
Month. At first, they were encouraged to guess the purpose of the “tree”,
decorated with ??? marks, which “sprouted” in Mrs. Ruth
Harker’s Mac Computer Lab, (the tree was created from large branches
painted white, arranged in a milk can). Later, letters from the word “poetry”
were attached to resemble leaves. Finally, students were invited to explore
poetry web sites on the Internet, “fool with words”, then write
a
poem to share and attach to the “PoetTree”. Brandi Violetta received
a journal for her poem “Comet’s Crash”, and Nic Radtke was
given a pen for his entry, “Life.”
South-Central
Region
It’s
rather late to be reporting on winter doings, but conflicting deadlines prevented
listing the 2004 Winter Festival of Poets participants in the previous Museletter.
Here they are, in random order: Paul Thompson, John Lehman, Ronnie Hess,
Lynn Patrick Smith, Yvonne Yahnke, Jackie Langetieg, Richard Roe, Kathy Miner,
Alice D'Alessio, Richard Swanton, Brenda Lempp, Chuck Cantrell, Susan Elbe,
Fran Newhouse, CX Dillhunt, Judy Washbush, Jeri McCormick, Angela Rydell, Jeannie
Bergmann, Fran Rall, Lenore Coberly, Judith Strasser, Nydia Rojas, Josey Zell,
Dave Scheler, Robin Chapman, Ron Ellis, Barbara Houghton, Suzi Godwin,
and Margaret Benbow. The readings took place from January 18th
to March 7th, in Canterbury Booksellers—now Avol’s Books—in
Madison.
Jackie Langetieg won an
honorable mention in the WFOP Muse contest. She was also a runner-up in the
Wisconsin Academy poetry contest, along with Jeannie Bergmann , Shoshauna
Shy, Michael Kriesel (Northeast region), Kay Sanders
(Central region). A reading was held on April 30th at Café Montmartre
in Madison for all winners of that contest.
Jeri McCormick, Richard Roe, CX
Dillhunt, and Jackie Langetieg have recently been
featured at Sunday night readings at Barnes and Noble in Madison.
Lynn Patrick Smith won
two honorable mentions in the second annual Madison Songwriters Group competition
in February, for “Once She Gets Organized” and “Junk Food
Life.”
CX Dillhunt has published
a new book, Girl Saints (Fireweed Press) and has been busy reading
from it. He even had two out-of-town readings: April 21st in DePere, and May
13th in Green Bay.
Jeannie Bergmann was a
finalist for the Sow’s Ear Review poetry prize and the runner-up
for the words and images Stephen Dunn Award. She and Robin Chapman
were both finalists for the Violet Reed Haas Poetry Prize from Snake Nation
Press.
Susan Elbe had a poem published
in the April issue of Wisconsin Trails magazine, two poems in Nimrod,
one in the May issue of Smartish Pace, and one in the spring issue
of Puerto del Sol. Her book manuscript (working title: Eden in
the Rearview Mirror) was a semifinalist in the Winnow Press First Book
Contest.
National Poetry Month strikes again …Brenda
Lempp, Mary Ann Rasmussen, Mary Cunningham, Phyllis Reisdorf, and Peg
Sherry (aka “the Segoe Poets”) were among those participating
in a reading at Oakwood Village in Madison on April 12th.
Selma Calnan (WFOP member
currently living in Topaz, California) has published her first novel, The
Water Wars of El Viejo.
And last but not least, the Madison chapter
hosted the WFOP Spring Conference on April 23rd and 24th. Except for heavy traffic
around the Capitol Square on Saturday morning (hey, who knew it would be the
first Farmer’s Market of the season and the annual Crazylegs Run road
race?) it was a smashing
success! Huge thanks are due to the conference committee: Judith Strasser
(registrations), Richard Swanson (programs and registration
table), Jeannie Bergmann and Richard Roe (Saturday
night slam), Yvonne Yahnke (goodie bags and stuff to put in
them), John Lehman (Cup of Poems donation), Peg Sherry
(book sales), Barbara Houghton (food details), Lynn
Patrick Smith (roll call emcee), Alice D’Alessio
(poetry circle emcee), and registration table helpers Jackie Langetieg,
Robin Chapman, Vicky Daniels Bardell, and Lincoln Hartford.
And then there was our intrepid treasurer, D. B. Appleton,
who declined a spot on the committee but then did a beautiful job researching
20-year and 35-year members for our “honor roll” poster. Mercy buckets,
everybody!
submitted
by Kathy Miner, South-Central Regional VP
Bill
McConnell exhibited poems & photos at Pres House on the University
of Wisconsin-Madison campus in March, and also at the national offices of InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship, Madison, April 21-30.
Shoshauna Shy’s poems
have been published by Westview and Phoebe. She was a runner-up
in the Wisconsin Academy Review contest, and read at Café Montmartre.
Rosebud published a Roundtable discussion that she was part of in their
spring issue, and she performed with the Prairie Fire Poetry Quartet on Higher
Ground. She has just launched a new poetry program titled “Poetry Jumps
Off the Shelf.”
Jackie Langetieg participated
in readings on January 25th at Canterbury Books and on February 29th at Barnes
& Noble, along with CX Dillhunt. Jackie was a runner-up
in the Wisconsin Academy Review’s poetry contest and received
an honorable mention in the WFOP Muse Contest.
Alice D’Alessio had
two poems accepted by Earth’s Daughters and one accepted by Out
of Line for an annual anthology of writings with underlying themes of peace
and justice. Her chapbook A Blessing of Trees was published in April.
Richard
Swanson will have poems in Wisconsin Review and Door Peninsula
Voice. His comic romance novel, Brigid Does Bleak, is now available
online at AOL and Barnes & Noble.
West
Central Region
Presently
48 local poets and artists are collaborating in the Chippewa Valley Epidemic
Peace Project. The state travelling EPP Show will be brought to the Eau Claire
State Gallery for the month of October.
March 17th, Yvette Flaten
and other area writers participated as author/critics in the La Crosse Young
Writers Conference. Also on the 17th Yvette Flaten, Nadine St. Louis
and Sandra Lindow joined other local artists for an event honoring
a local patron of the arts.
In April, Yvette Flaten
and Gail Wickman read their poetry at the Heyde Arts Center
in Chippewa Falls.
On April 13th, poet Michael Dennis
Brown read at the library in celebration of poetry month.
April 29th, local poets met for supper and
poetry at the Eau Claire Green Mill Restaurant.
Peg Lauber, who wrote sixty-five
poems during her sixty-fifth year, is now collaborating on the libretto for
an opera of Karen Hesse’s Newbery-winning book length poem, Out of
the Dust.
Nadine St. Louis was honored
to have her chapbook, Weird Sisters, offered as a premium for high-level
contributors to Eau Claire Area Arts Council and the State Theater.
Sandra Lindow had poems
appearing in the Magazine of Speculative Poetry, Volume 6 #3, and Snow
Monkey: An Eclectic Journal #14. Lindow’s “The Winter Garden”
won first prize in the Free Verse Caretaking poetry contest. Her poems
“Nursery Ghosts” and “Morning Becomes the Milkman” have
been nominated for the Rhysling Award, the highest honor in speculative poetry.
Candace Henneken’s
poem “Winter Punctuation” has been accepted by Hummingbird
and Free Verse published her “The World Inside a Fabric Shop”
in the February/March, 2004 issue.
submitted
by Sandra Lindow, West-Central Regional VP
Jane-Marie Bahr, Menomonie, has a poem, “Nature’s Wrath Unmasked,” in an upcoming issue of Free Verse.
|
In Memoriam
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Keep
Your Dues Current
Fellowship
Drops NFSPS Affiliation Museletter
Adds Extra Delivery Options |
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| Chapbook
Workshop This fall, Robin Chapman and Judith Strasser will be leading a workshop at The Clearing in Door County for poets who have a body of work they’d like to shape into a chapbook. The workshop is called Getting It Together: From Poems to Chapbook. The dates are October 17-22, but space is limited and The Clearing is accepting registrations. To register, visit The Clearing web site at www.theclearing.org or phone toll free 1-877-854-3225. |
“Modern
Haiga” Offered at Peninsula Art School Haiga is the traditional Japanese art form that combines a “nanga,” or simple ink print, with a haiku. Peninsula Art School is offering “Modern Haiga” at the Fish Creek, Wisconsin campus August 25-28. This updated, westernized approach uses photography as the “nanga.” The course is taught by poet Peter Sherrill and photographer Suzanne Rose. Peter Sherrill has won the Jade Ring for poetry, and the WFOP’s Muse and Triad prizes. His work has been published widely. Suzanne Rose recently received a Fellowship in the Visual Arts fron the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. Her work appears in numerous area venues. For further information and a course catalog, contact staff@peninsulaartschool.com. Other questions can be directed to Peter at pmsherrill@pol.net. |
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| FINANCES January 1, 2004 through March 31, 2004
General Account: submitted by D.B. Appleton, treasurer
Balance March 31, 2004 $36,341.35
Literary
Fund Account: submitted by Sue DeKelver, Literary Fund
Chair
Balance March 31, 2004 $2,266.24
Calendar
Account: submitted by Lou Roach, Calendar Business Manager
Balance March 31, 2004 $10,085.56 submitted by D.B. Appleton, treasurer |
| Remember!
(952) 985-5375 |