2005 Winter - Wisconsin Writers Association

The WRWA Book ListPage 19Pathways Through Life - Writers & Artists from the Lowell Center, 2005, $15, lschill@lowellcenter.org or mail toLowell Center 220 Third Avenue South, Wisc.Rapids 54495; 34 short life stories, 15 paintings; their lives and skills.John Manesis, With All My Breath: Selected Poems, 2003, 109 pages, $13.00, or CD at $10, Jmanesis@earthlink.netPortraits and insightful treasures invite the reader on an alluring nostalgic trek with humor and poignancy.John J. Mutter, Jr., To Slay a Giant, 2000, 6 x 9 in., 176 pages, paperback, $20.20, www.burstonellc.com.The Fight to Protect the Wolf River From the Proposed Crandon Copper Mine. A lengthy battle, that we won!Burnette V. Mutter, The Hobo Poet, 2001, 6 x 9 in., 96 pages, paperback, $15.70, www.burstonellc.com.Poetry about the seasons, life, childhood fantasy, holidays, nostalgia. There's something for everyone.John Mutter, Jr., Out in the Country, 2005, 8 ½ x 11 in., 96 pages, paperback, $16.15, www.burstonellc.com.33 stories about nature and rural living, including 3 award winners. Animals, trees, and life experiences.Dan Ritter, a.k.a., God, 2005, 157 pages, $17.84, www.xlibris.com/ritterThe Old Testament is great literature; as religious premise it is counterproductive.Shirley J. Starck, Gabrielle’s Gamble, 2005, 95 pages, $12.00, shirlee@cvol.net - 12-year-old Gabrielle leaves parents and Germanybehind in 1860, seeks better life in Wisconsin, encounters challenges, finds adventure.Jean Willett, DEAR MOM, or Why Raising Four Boys Was Neither Boring nor Monotonous, 2005, 472 pages, $21.88, jwillett@chorus.net.Humorous with universal appeal to all generationsBillie Williams, Watch for the Raven, 2005, 151 pages, $12.95, www.billiewilliams.com1853 Colorado, Indian friend/enemy hauls 15-year-old hurt boy to Indian cap. Survival adventure begins.Billie Williams, Skull Music, 2005, 289 pages, $14.95 print, www.billiewilliams.comLove/obsession, Scientific experiment/medical breakthrough, insurance fraud/espionage; a bizarre mystery.Billie Williams, Purple Haze, 2005, 214 pages, $ 5.99 electronic only, www.billiewilliams.comCan twisted serial killer murders be solved before another dies? Only clues: feather, froth, and haze, all purple.Consider purchasing these books by WRWA authors or requesting them from your local library. Contact the authors if you do.A one-time listing costs $5, but $10 will get the book listed in every edition for a full year. Send your listings to the Editor via e-mail or letter. Make checks out to WRWA, Inc. Cost must include shipping. Contact may be a web site, your e-mail or regularmail address, or your phone number. Each line may be no more than 115 characters, including spaces and punctuation. #Book Review: DEAR MOM, or Why Raising Four Boys Was Neither BoringNor Monotonous, by Jean Willett, 2005.This book took 20 years to write—from November 1956 to June 1976—butat the time, Jean Willett didn’t know she was writing a book. She was simplywriting her Wednesday letters in response to her mother’s Sunday letters.Jean had once told her mother that she thought being a housewife must beboring and monotonous. In response, her mother had just smiled. Jean andDann were married in 1950, and eventually four boys rounded out their family.Fortunately, Jean Willett writes very good, very humorous, yet sensitiveletters. Fortunately, too, her mother saved all of them. The result is the storyof a family moving into an old house, remodeling, funny anecdotes, joys, sorrows,illnesses, and recovery—all the details that make up a lifetime. Boyshave a way of growing up.This book is not meant to be rushed through, but savored, letter by letter.This reviewer can easily relate to the stories, as she has three sons of her own.It all rings true. The author has self-edited, retaining what is pertinent to movethe story forward. She recognized that what she had was, indeed, the makingof a good book. When you read it, you will recognize it, too, recognizing Wisconsinplaces and events along the journey.Bernice Abrahamzon, Northwest Regional Writers #Finding Faith inYourself as a WriterBarbara Fitz Vroman's FallWRWA speechNow available on CDIncluding winning entries inthe Jade Ring contest, readby their authors.$6.99 plus postage and tax.(Half of all profits go toWRWA)Order from:Sales: N4721 9th Dr.Hancock, WI 54943