Volume 62, Issue 1(winter2012) - National Federation of State ...

Volume 62 Issue 1
Page 4
G e t t y s b u r g P o e t r y S o c i e t y S t a y s
B u s y a n d P r o d u c t i v e
Linda Clark
The Gettysburg Poetry Society has remained busy
during the winter months. We finished up 2011 with a
dessert potluck where we also shared some holiday
poetry. Our schedule for the year 2012 has seen
some changes to accommodate one of our favorite
venues. Beginning in January, GPS meetings will be
held on the second and third Tuesdays of the month at
the Adams County Library, and on the last Wednesday
of the month at Battlefields and Beyond Military Bookshoppe.
All meetings begin at 6:30 and all are invited
to attend. Our meeting on the second Tuesday of the
month continues to be a time of sharing poetry, followed
by a brief business meeting. On the third Tuesday
of each month our meetings will include a time for
critique, plus a time for planning. Since GPS will be
hosting the Pennsylvania Poetry Society Autumn Conference
on November 2 and 3. 2012 we will use part
of our critique session to organize this event. So, mark
your calendars for Friday, November 2 and Saturday,
November 3rd.
The timing should work out well. In addition to nearing
the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg,
2012 is also the 40th anniversay of the death of
Marianne Moore, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, who is
buried in Gettysburg. So be there or be square! How
poetic!
Our last session of each month is designated as our
workshop night and seems to be a favorite. Our members
dutifully sign up to lead these sessions and have
covered a wide array of topics. Greg Price recently
shared some of his experiences incorporating poetry
into a psychiatric ward setting. He then led us
through the creation of some spontaneous poetry of
our own. Imogene Hunt has some special poetic activites
up her sleeve that will certainly amuse and
enlighten the members. More about her workshops
and others in the next issue!
Our Traveling Troubadours are hitting the
nursing home circuit again on the last Tuesday
of each month. We have talented singers and
readers and talkers! After we share our musical and
poetic selections, it is nice to just communicate with
the residents. Of course in January we sang our snow
selections in 60 degree weather!
Special GPS events included a January presentation
of Civil War era poetry as part of a Charity Afire
presentation at the Mother Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg,
Maryland. The event commemorated the valiant
and valuable nursing duties carried out by the Sisters
of Charity. We had eleven members in amazing costumes
on stage! Upcoming events include a Remembrance
Poetry Contest, Gettysburg Festival Presentation,
and the Pennsylvania Poetry Society Autumnal
Conference.
Our individual members have been busy as
well. Sandi Polvinale won second place for her watercolor
of the green arcanna egg, and entertained with
ukulele music for a canned goods drive for the local
food bank. Additionally she was the guest speaker at
the Fairfield Area High School honors art induction
where she recited her speech in poetic form. The
speech was very service oriented and well received by
the young artists. Constance Trump has had poems
published on both the Seton Heritage Ministries and
Mt. St. Mary's University websites, and written for the
Gettysburg Experience Magazine. She also earned the
Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) designation
through Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership.
Denise Jackson of Masterpiece Creations Grapics
and Publishing Company created a beautiful cover and
format for Linda Clark’s manuscript Star Light, Star
Bright- A Tale of Old Gettysburg. The book, which features
1863 Gettysburg civilians, an 1847 reader, and
original poetry is available from Bernadette Atkins at
the Battlefield and Beyond Military Bookshoppe.
And Bert Barnett and Myrna Morton have been
asked to do a poetry presentation for an upcoming Historic
Gettysburg Adams County meeting.
So, poetry is alive and well in Gettysburg!