2009 Spring - Wisconsin Writers Association

Page 42009 Board of Directors, Committees, and Other Contacts(number and year following names of Board Members depicts term and year ending)Board of Directors7 Vacant Board PositionsActivity & Committee LeadersPresidentRobin Butler (2/2010)1408 Columbus St.Manitowoc, WI 54220-5602(920) 682-1795President@WRWA.netVice-PresidentNate Scholze (1/2009)9708 Idell Ave.Sparta, WI 54656-4424(608) 269-8541Vpresident@WRWA dot netSecretary &Boyd Sutton (1/2011)23059 Old 35Siren, WI 54872(715) 653-4376bdsutton@centurytel.netTreasurerLaMoine MacLaughlin (1/2011)250 85th Ave.Clayton, WI 54004(715) 948-2829treasurer@WRWA.netRoxanne Aehl (2/2010)Sauk City, WI 53583(608) 643-3229bookfair@WRWA.netEarle W. Garber483 Airport Ave.Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494(715) 421-0244Groups@WRWA.netBarb Jensen (2/2010)410 Winnebago Ave.Portage, WI 53901-1230(608) 742-6848Lindemann@WRWA.netHeidi Overson (1/2011)E4710 Koll RoadCoon Valley, WI 54623(608) 452-3230slowmoe@mwt.netThe WRWA Constitution adoptedlast September allows for 15 boardmembers, each with terms of threeyears, to be elected in groups of fiveso we have a constant turnover andelection of five per year. We willbuild to 15 over the next three yearsin a manner that deliberately createsthree “classes” of five per year. Ifinterested in becoming a boardmember, please contact LaMoineMacLaughlin, Nominating CommitteeChair, or any current board member.Regional RepresentativesNorthwest RegionBoyd SuttonNorth-Central RegionEarle W. GarberNortheast RegionVACANTSouthwest RegionHeidi OversonSouthcentral RegionVACANTSoutheast RegionVACANTLifetime MembersJerold W. AppsPatricia Dunson BoverhuisDorothy CareyBetty EpsteinElayne Clipper HansonLorraine HawkinsonSharen KaatzDarlene KronschnabelRalph “Bud” MasonKathleen McGwinMargaret NelsenLibbie NolanMember Services CommitteeChair, Nate ScholzeAssistant, Dave RankFall Program CoordinatorNate ScholzeSpring Program CoordinatorRoxanne AehlConference Sites SelectorBarb JensenJade Ring Contest ManagerJennifer Turner1131 15th St. SouthWisconsin Rapids, WI 54494jadering@WRWA.netjturner4@charter.net(715) 712-0745Florence Lindemann ContestManagerBarb Jensenlindemann@WRWA.netAl P. Nelson Contest ManagerBill Nelson2365 Mary Beth Court, Brookfield,WI 530054968nelson@WRWA.netRound Robin ModeratorCredessa A. WilliamsN4849 Robinson RoadBlack River Falls, WI 54615(715) 284-5948Membership RecorderDeb Klein11502 Greenstreet RoadMaribel, WI 54227-9718membership@wrwa.netPoet Laureate RepresentativeCharles P. Ries(414) 607-0183charlesries@wi.rr.comConference Registrar(after Spring Conference)Loretta Kottkeregistration@wrwa.netNominating CommitteeChair, LaMoine MacLaughlinMary JacobsenJane OsypowskiBill BrightYouth Members Services CoordinatorCassandra Hansen(715) 570-6854Cassandra.M.Hansen@uwsp.eduPublications & Information CommitteeChair, Boyd SuttonWeb Manager/Web Team LeaderSue Wentzwebmanager@wrwa.netWeb Content CoordinatorClaudia Andersonthe_writing_unicorn@yahoo.comWriters’ Workshop and E-mailForum ModeratorSue WentzWebmasterRalph SharpWebmaster@WRWA.netPublications Team LeaderVacantJournal EditorBoyd Suttonbdsutton@centurytel.netWRWA HistorianLorraine Hawkinson3836 Rutland-Dunn RoadOregon, WI 53575-2409(608) 873-3129Publicity & Information TeamLeaderVacantGroups CoordinatorEarle W. GarberSpeakers’ BureauJane OsypowskiJane.osypowski@yahoo.comDave Rankdavejrank@ameritech.netJudges’ PoolSue Wentzpfrsue@verizon.netBookkeeperJane Osypowski(920) 539-6919Jane.osypowski@yahoo.comAmbassador of GoodwillRalph “Bud” Mason8526 W Keefe Ave.Milwaukee, WI 53222-2821(414) 463-3652rbm@execpc.com

Page 6Greenbay Fearless Freelancers: Cheryl Kelley 2069 Bridge Port Court 11, DePere, WI 54115920-632-4565 ckelley329@new.rr.comThe Fearless Freelancers are celebrating their second anniversaryin February. We started out the year by sharing goalsfor 2009 and we have some ambitious ones! There are severalnovels in the works, as well as many great articles that membersare working on. The goals are varied and so are the methodsof keeping on track. Members use anything from a coupleof different calendars to a table with 3-6-9-12 month goals todatabases and more.Monette Bebow-Reinhard had the opportunity recently tobe an extra in the new Tony Shaloub movie Feed the Fish andhas also sold a poem. Congratulations to Mo! Two of ourmembers are currently in talks with agents for representationwith both a novel and a self-help book so it’s an exciting timefor us. The group is looking forward to additional success aswe work our way though the year! #Janesville Area Writers’ Club: Edna M. Thorp, Reporter mefarley@ticon.net 608-752-5559222 N. Franklin St. #215, Janesville, WI 53548-2987Marilyn Nielson received an Editor’s Choice Award fromInternational Library of Poetry for her poem, “West of MySoul.” Her poem will appear in their current publication andhas been selected for recording on a CD.Mary Farley’s account, “Taking Down the ChristmasTree,” was published in Julian’s Journal, December, 2008.Sherry Willie plans to attend the EPICon Conference inLas Vegas, March 4 – 8. Her novel, Roundtree, was publishedin February, and UMBA will be out in May.We are sorry to report the death of Fern Truax of Edgerton.She was a member of this club at its inception in 1967.Although Fern has not been able to participate recently, weremember her lively personality and capable writing. #Minds Without Boundaries: Amanda Linsmeier, 8902 Hilltop Road, Cato, WI 54230-8510(Manitowoc area) mandere@msn.com, 920-254-9495Deb Klein invited the members of the Manitowoc basedwriters’ club to a Christmas party at her home, Emerald HillsFarm, on December 13, 2008. The new officers for the clubare President, Keith Cribbs; Vice-president, Roxanne Kahan;Secretary, Amanda Linsmeier; Treasurer, GeorgeKluck. Jim Smith, who drew the short straw, will fill theposition of reporter to WRWA. We now have 34 members onthe club roster, but, needless to say, not all members attendevery meeting.During the January meeting, at the suggestion of AmandaLinsemier, Robin Butler wrote language to change theMWB office position of Secretary-Treasurer to two separatepositions. The recommendation passed by voice vote.Keith Cribbs designed and displayed a possible new Webpage for the group. Keith also distributed information aboutthe “Top 10 Business Web Hosting Companies.” After a discussionof which Web sites might be scams and various waysto proof/edit our papers, Keith asked whether or not wewanted junior high or high school students in our group. Oppositionwas voiced that younger people might not find ourmeetings exciting.Robin Butler introduced his short story, “Immunity,” thathe had entered in the WRWA Jade Ring Contest. He includedthe judge’s comments and asked for the members’ suggestions.After the discussion, Robin explained that he had followedthe judge’s recommendations and had written a newending to the story. The group seemed to like his revision betterthan the original ending.Amanda Linsmeier read a section from the second chapterof a novel she is writing, and the members were ready withvery positive reactions.Deb Klein will make a presentation entitled “History of theMystery” at the February meeting. Ed Koch will completepart two of his excellent November 2008 presentation on“Poetry Forms.”Randy Edinger has announced the release of his next AndrewKnight mystery: The Forgotten King:www.turnermaxwellbooks.com/The Forgotten King.htm.Meeting agendas are posted at:www.mindswithoutboundaries.com. #

Page 7Sheboygan County Writer’s Club: Genevieve Beenen, Reporter silverwolf5@mac.com1545 North 17th St. Sheboygan, WI 53081 (920)-452-4389Carol Ehrenreich: Article, “Christel’s Cash Stores ofBrillion and Valders,” was published in the Red WingCollectors Society Inc. Newsletter, August 2008. Thearticle covers the history of Christel Cash Stores’ advertisedpottery items made by Red Wing Pottery of Minnesota,which were freely given to their Brillion and Valdersvalued customers in the 1920-30s.Carol also won first place (an e-book) in The WowPrinciple Newsletter Contest, “What's in a Name?” withher entry “Lusty Wench and Stud Muffin.”Sylvia Bright-Green: Three anthologies in which shewill be published this year: Familia Books, entry titled“Breadmaking: A Rite of Passage,” Thin Threads Anthology,entry titled “I Will Survive,” Adams Media DadHero Stories, entry titled “The Greatest Dad AwardGoes to ...”Paul Hanson had two fine book reviews published inthe Sheboygan Press.Genevieve Beenen had an article published as a guesteditorial in the Plymouth Review.Jane Kocmoud has received recognition for her poetry.Our Club has just completed its annual Writers’ Contest,The Write Stuff, co-sponsored with the SheboyganPress. Winners were chosen on March 9 and will be announcedlater this month. First prize in each category--poetry, short story, and essay—will be published in thePress. #Unpolished Gems Writers’ Group: Betty Smedlund, Reporter Pfrolic@aol.com1326 Sunset Drive, Kimberly, WI 54136 920-739-9039The Atlas Coffee Mill & Café has scheduled two dinnertheatres with The Gems for MORE Naked Stories – DressedUp on April 1 and April 4. We will again perform a short skitand read our new and original short stories written just forthese events.Barbara Jo Gauthier has published her fourth book titledThrough a Telescope of Time. This book of narrative poetry isavailable at all Fox Cities libraries, Conkeys Bookstore inAppleton, Bookland in Neenah, The Aspen Coffee and Tea,The Atlas Coffee Mill, and many other locations. Barbara Jois a master storyteller. I can’t tell which of her stories are trueand which are fiction. She is a virtuoso with words.The Gems are scheduled to read their work during thegrand opening of the new Aspen-Bela location in Appletonsome time in May.The Gems will facilitate a one-day writing workshop atThe Atlas Coffee Mill & Café in the fall. A variety of writingtopics will be covered, and we anticipate a fun day along withgood food. Stay tuned for specifics in the next WRWA Journal.Barbara Jo Gauthier and Don Wydeven will be“Together Again” for two luncheon readings at the Atlas CoffeeMill & Cafe. Dates to be determined. You can stay updatedat www.atlascoffeemill.com.The Second Annual Fox Cities Book Festival, ConnectingWriters & Readers, is scheduled for April 14 through April19. This year the festival will be even more packed full ofwonderful events featuring Wisconsin authors. All librariesare participating. Even the Appleton Performing Arts Centeris involved, featuring author and musician Michael Perry andThe Long Beds performing the evening of April 16. Celebratethe pure joy of reading. Check out the web site:www.foxcitiesbookfestival.org. #Waukesha Writer’s Workshop: Mickey Burgermeister, Reporter 262-679-0862S69 W17349 Kirkwood Drive, Muskego, WI 53150-8851Ramon Klitzke’s short story, The Summer of 33,” appearedin the Timber Cheek Review, Summer 2008 edition.“The Trade Off,” by John Campbell, was published in theAugust 2008 edition of Rosebud.Gloria Anzilotti’s translation, Le Adventure DiPinoccio,was reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement last year. Publishedunder her maiden name, Gloria Italiano, she workedfrom the first edition published by Felice Paggi in 1883. Shealso reproduced the original drawings by Enrico Mazzanti.The reviewer states, What Italiano has done, rather, in additionto making the Paggi edition available again, is to offer anEnglish translation that is at once carefully thought out andidiomatic.”The Bo Carter Memorial Contest entries are due not laterthan Monday, April 20, 2009, 10:30 a.m., at the regular meetingof the Waukesha Writers’ Workshop at Brookfield HighlandSenior Apartments Community Room, 20825 GeorgeHunt Circle, Waukesha, WI. If you are unable to attend theApril meeting, MAIL or DELIVER manuscript(s) to MickeyBurgermeister, S69 W17349 Kirkwood Dr., Muskego, WI53150, with check for dues or reading fee(s), to be receivedPRIOR to meeting date. Complete rules are available onpage 33 of the winter 2008 edition of the Journal. #

Page 8Fox Valley Writers’ Club: Marian Athens, Reporter mathens@juno.com, Appleton, WISee the club’s web site at http://www.focol.org/foxvalleywriters/The Fox Valley Writers Club has had an active winter in spite of the Alaskan type weather. The Curtis Brown writingcontest has announced its winners for this year. This contest is open to members and the public.This year's topic was, “If you were to interviewed on public television, who would you like to interview you and whatquestions would you like to be asked?” The winners were: First place: Raisa M. Ramos, “What's Baby Thinking?”Second place: Vic LeClair, “Bean Bag.” Third place: Judy Verhoven, “Shirt Tails.” The second and third place winnersare members of FVWC.Earl Gates - The Post Crescent Community Commentary - essay - February 1st, 2009 edition.Vic LeClair’s new book, Vesuvious, is now available.The topic for our annual Shirley Lee Contest is “I Should Have Grown UP In The Gay Nineties.” This contest isopen to members only. Winners will be announced in May.Bill Bright - Article regarding Lions Club missions to Mexico in the Lion’s Paper and in the Greenville Newsletter.Jessica Beckencorf - “How Can I Forget?” in The Lutheran Message. #Writers Ink of Cudahy and Milwaukee: L. A. VanVeghel vanveghell@msn.com5557 S. Disch Ave., Cudahy, WI 53207 www.writersink.writernetwork.comWe’ve picked up some new members, and this is terrific.This adds additional perspectives, ideas and positive critiques.Our club knows the value of good critiques, since in our approximate30 years of existence; our writers have sold a vastnumber of manuscripts.Chris Peppas is in mid-season form, and baseball springtraining has just started. His work is increasingly seeing print.Our vice-president has a piece, “A Whole New Life,” on theFroedert Hospital Web site. Healthy Thoughts magazine isusing his essay on aging. This piece used the general idea ofthe aforementioned piece, and it shows how writers, by usingsome thought, can do more than just one piece on a topic. Peppasis preparing a passel of poems for the upcoming WritersDigest contest.Barbara Robish has finally been able to unearth her writing.She had been using the desk for box storage space aftermoving. Besides being the person who arranges our speakerdates, Robish has had a poem published in The WashingtonIsland Observer. Anyone who would like to speak to our clubcan contact Robish at hollandam85@hotmail.com.Gail Toerpe, our president (for life), has had seven articlesand two photos in The Washington Island Observer. Toerpejoined Writers Ink many years ago, and she had not sold anything.To show the effectiveness of our club, Toerpe now isthe owner and editor of The Washington Island Observernewspaper. Toerpe has recently portrayed her civil war“Molly” character in a presentation to the DAR. Toerpe wrotethis play that shows how the ladies who followed the soldiershad helped them throughout the war. Our president is also thenewsletter editor for the Oak Creek Historical Society, and shehas recently submitted an article to Acorn magazine.L.A. Van Veghel, aka Larry, is also the publicist for WritersInk. In the latter capacity, he’s sent numerous press releasesregarding club speaker meetings. He does the same forthe Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd., http://www.wisconsinfishingclub.com/ as their media director, andagain does the same as the secretary and media director of thestatewide Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations,WCSFO. Regarding the latter, he’s had a recent article on theWCSFO blog, “Writer’s Ink – Spring 2009.doc.” He also hasan article in On Wisconsin Outdoors. He’s working on twobooks. One book is a collection of blonde jokes, and the secondis a Fishing Glossary covering fishing, equipment, river,lake and biological terms. He’s currently working on a bookreview piece for the WCSFO blog site. His new, personal blogis at http://anglerwriter.spaces.live.com/blog/. Larry is stayingactive despite having just gone through colon cancer and gallbladder surgery, and he undergoing chemo.Celia Koch, our secretary, treasurer and archivist, provesthat it is great to remain active as a senior. We appreciate allshe has stepped in and is doing for our club. Koch is workingon revisions of her latest article, and she hopes to have itready for submission to the Al Nelson WRWA contest.Stoy Jovic, a new member, is working on a book, plus he’srevising his latest writings. He already is fitting into our clubas though he’s been a member for a much longer time.Jason Waltz remains super busy as an editor, publisher andwriter. He will have a story in an upcoming anthology.Adolfo Perez is a recent new member, and he’s alreadyabout 90% through the writing on his first book. Said a clubmember who looked over what Perez has written, “He writesreal life stuff.” Perez knows how the book will end, but he’salso refining this ending.WRWA president, Robin Butler was our speaker at theFebruary 19, 2009 meeting. As expected, he did an outstandingjob both on his topic and on fielding questions regardingthe everyday activities and upcoming events ofWRWA. #

Page 9Philosophyby Susan H. LitehiserFor who has said that all the great sunny days are merely a memorytomorrow keeps for us to ponder.The dreams and joys of future lifegrow within repose.Stayed within the night’s quiet whisper, the frogs thrum.The chortle of a robin out on his morning hunt brings the slow,magnificence of God's own touch into our lives.Would that tomorrow was as plain as a grey ordinary winter dayof snow on every head, I would still find cause to celebrate, asone’s life days are never void.There is always something there to love and cherish, To hold inmy heart.I see with the eyes of a child, whose body is fifty.

Page 11Let’s Talk Law: Writing and The Law by Attorney, Lois RentmeesterTax time is right around the corner. What better timeto examine our writing in the context of tax and legalissues than right now?First, has your bookkeeping system (income and expenserecords) kept up with your needs for tax reporting?“No income for me,” you may be thinking. “Butthat could change!” Are you ready? Plan now so thatnext year’s reporting will be even easier.Record keeping can be quite simple. The key lies inseparation of business and household records. Set up aseparate checking account, credit card account, and generalledger (on paper or using software) for your writingbusiness. Keep track of all writing related expenses andincome. Remember barter is taxable too. When the IRSor the WDR come knocking, your writing business recordswill be in order.Some political appointees have garnered unwantedattention because they failed to treat household helpersas employees. Have you fallen into the same quagmire?Have you hired an employee or an independent contractor?Sometimes it is hard to tell which is which. Thelaw treats each quite differently for tax and other purposes.For example when you hire an editor to clean upyour manuscript, do you owe payroll taxes? Should youpurchase worker’s compensation insurance for the parttimehelper who comes to your home office and helpsyou get out 100 copies of your self-published book?Must you pay minimum wage? If you don’t know theanswers to these questions, consult an attorney whorepresents artists and writers or other small businesses.Better safe than sorry.More and more people are working out of home offices.Can you deduct a portion of your household expensesif you have a home office? Can you deduct a portionof your household expenses for the spare room youuse for storing your selfpublishedbook while you marketthem?Everyone seems to preparetheir own tax returns these days.Yet tax software cannot answerall our questions. Software maybe current in federal law but is itup to date on state and local lawissues? Are you obligated to collectand pay state, county or municipal sales taxes onyour self-published book sales?Ignorance of the law is no defense. If you find yourselfwith a list of tax or business questions, don’t hesitateto ask for help. Consider consulting with a tax specialistwho is familiar with tax and small business law.The best time to get your questions answered is beforethey become a problem.Consulting professionals during off-season may beless expensive but if you need to know now, set up anappointment and discuss your questions and concernsbefore you file that tax return. I have found that a ten orfifteen minute consultation has saved me heartache andmaybe even a date with the tax guy. Some attorneys andaccountants are so impressed that you want a consultationin advance of a problem, that they discount or waivetheir fee for the consultation. Now that really makes askingfor help good business sense.I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions.I can be reached at lerentmeester@opexonline.com,at 608-825-8975, or at P.O.Box 952, Sun Prairie, WI 53590. I do not and cannotoffer legal advice in this column. #In Memorium—Franklin William Beecher by John CampbellJohn Campbell tells us that Bill Beecher( Franklin William Beecher) passed away on Tuesday, December 9th. “Billwas a great writer-friend of mine, and he always held the Jade Ring over my head—he won it and I never have. Weused to have breakfast once a week, when he would critique my writing without mercy, always asking ‘What’s thisstory about?’—a question I always found difficult to answer. He always ordered biscuits and gravy for breakfast, adish I predicted would kill him. My prediction came true, as he was within two months of being 86 years old, when hedied.“Bill had many friends in the writing classes at WCTC. Born in Norman, Oklahoma, retired Dean of Men atWCTC, business professor, Bill was a great story teller with several tales published in Reminisce Magazine as well asthe Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel newspaper.“I shall never forget him. Bill Beecher was a great writer, however unknown.” #

Page 12Craft Shop—Punctuation and Close Quotes by Boyd SuttonA good friend who was workingon publicity for WRWA’s SpringConference in Siren brought to myattention that we had somehowmanaged to post some badly punctuatedprose on our Web site. Every period and comma wereoutside the closing quotation marks—and there were many.That’s the British convention. No one along the way—including me—caught the errors. It’s a bit embarrassing for awriters’ Web site to get the basics of punctuation so wrong.But such mistakes are common, even among experiencedwriters. I see them every time I process Club News and othersubmissions for the Journal. Accordingly, I thought it mightbe useful to give everyone a brief reminder on the basic rulesof punctuating close quotes.Periods and CommasAmerican style (they do it differently in England) requiresthat periods and commas always (repeat, always—no exceptions)be inserted before the closing quotation marks. This isso whether the quotation involves an entire sentence, a phrase,or a single word.Wrong: He told me I was “too harsh”.Right: He told me I was “too harsh.”The most frequent error I see in submissions is when citinga publication by an author.Wrong: Her article, “The Bloom is Off the Roses”, wasrecently published in What’s Playing magazine.Right: Her article, “The Bloom is Off the Roses,” wasrecently published in What’s Playing magazine.The same problem occurs when someone cites several publications.Wrong: Gina had three poems published last month:“Silence”, “Laughter”, and “Joy”.Right: Gina had three poems published last month:“Silence,” “Laughter,” and “Joy.”Always, always, always put periods and commas before theclosing quotation marks.Colons and SemicolonsReverse the above rule and always put colons and semicolonsafter the closing quotation marks.Wrong: The first poem she read was “Silence;” then shewent on to read “Laughter”, “Joy”, and “Shade”.Right: The first poem she read was “Silence”; then shewent on to read “Laughter,” “Joy,” and “Shade.”(I threw in some wrongly-punctuated commasand a period just for fun and reinforcement.Hope you caught them. )DashA dash may be used to indicate that a statement withinquotes is incomplete. In such cases, put the dash before theclosing quotation mark.Wrong: Come on, who’s going to get this one wrong?Right: John said, “I don’ believe that he-” (Note there isno terminal punctuation after the dash.)An em-dash follows the close quotation mark if the dashbelongs to the sentence housing the quotation, but not to thequotation.Right: He said, “You’ll never take me alive”—and thenhe jumped. (Note there is no punctuation before the closequote.Question Marks and Exclamation PointsIt always depends on context. Such marks are inserted beforethe close quotation mark if they are part of the quotation(that is, if the quotation is a question or an exclamatory statement),but after the close quotation mark if the entire sentenceis a question or exclamatory statement.Wrong: He asked, “Why wait until tomorrow”?Right: He asked, “Why wait until tomorrow?”Wrong: She wailed, “Not again”!Right: She wailed, Not again!”But, when a statement inside quotes is only part of the sentenceand the entire sentence is a question or exclamation, themarks come after the close quote—even if the quote itselfmight be a question or exclamation.Wrong: Did she really say, “Can you ever forgive me?”Right: Did she really say, “Can you ever forgive me”?Wrong: How dare you call me “strumpet!”Right: How dare you call me “strumpet”!SummaryCommas and periods always come before close quotes.Colons and semicolons always come after close quotes.Question Marks and exclamation points may come beforeof after close quotes, depending on context.There are many, more esoteric, rules for punctuation. I’lldiscuss those in future editions of “On Craft.” But the basicsnoted above are important and easy to remember. Get themwrong in a query letter, a book proposal, or a submission to anewspaper or magazine and you give an editor or agent aneasy excuse to reject your manuscript. #Journal Submissions WantedShort stories, articles, poetry, essays, reviews of members’ books, Craft Shop, On My Mind. Send your ideas to theeditor at journal@wrwa.net or bdsutton@centurytel.net, or via snail mail to my address (see p. 4). Or call me. #

Page 13Craft Shop—Strunk and White Forever by LaMoine MacLaughlinI forget the exact reason, but recently I had occasion toonce again read The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr,and E. B. White, originally published in 1935. As an editor ofa small newspaper, I think that I had simply grown weary ofreviewing and correcting the English prose I read every day assubmissions from articles, letters to the editor, stories, andessays. This material comes from ordinary members of ourcommunity, certainly most with high school diplomas, somewith college degrees, and a few with advanced degrees. Andthese submissions include material from WRWA members.Whatever the level of their education, all of these writerswould do well to read or to reread Strunk and White’s book.My edition totals seventy-one pages, a total beyond no one’sability to commit to read. And what a wealth of instructiveinsight and good humor!I would like to recommend and to focus here upon two admonitionsfound in The Elements of Style: “Use the activevoice” and “Write with nouns and verbs.” As a working example,consider the following sentence:In response to my question, anger was experienced bythe woman, who got into her car and left.The sentence is clear enough; we know the writer’s intent.However, the use of the passive voice (“anger was experienced”)states the description of the situation weakly, andemploying the active voice strengthens the statement, thus:In response to my question, the woman experiencedanger, got into her car and left.Much better. But what about the subject of the sentencenow (“the woman”)? Who was she? What did she look like?More specifics make her come alive. Let’s include this information:In response to my question, the blonde experiencedanger, got into her car and left.OK—so we know she is a blonde. Is that enough? Howabout a little more?In response to my question, the shapely blonde experiencedanger, got into her car and left.By adding an adjective, we are deviating a bit from Strunkand White’s advice, but not far. Besides, it helps with theoverall content of the sentence, and if the woman wereshapely and blonde, we should not forget to include thosefacts. And we probably should include one more importantaspect:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeexperienced anger, got into her car and left.She was young, of course. Now we probably have enoughinformation about the woman, but what about the verb? Certainlyshe could have done something more than “experiencedanger.” How about this?In response to my question, the shapely young blondegrew livid with anger, got into her car and left.Here “grew livid with anger” is much stronger than“experienced anger,” but it might be even more effective tocarry the situation further:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, got into her car, and left.Much stronger yet. Showing us trounces telling us somethingabout it. Now let us proceed onward into the second halfof the sentence. In the original she simply “got into her car.”Wouldn’t it be better if she had “slipped into her car”—well,perhaps not. Or “bolted into her car”—probably over the top.Let’s go with this:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, jumped into her car and left.Now we have more action. But shouldn’t we have moreinformation about the car? Here we go:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, jumped into her Porsche and left.But “Porsche” seems to beg for another piece of information:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, jumped into her Porsche convertibleand left.And perhaps a tiny bit more:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, jumped into her yellow Porsche convertibleand left.Blondes frequently drive yellow Porsche convertibles. Butis that all she did: she jumped in and left? Somehow we knowthere is more:In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, jumped into her yellow Porsche convertibleand sped away.Of course. Blondes do not simply leave; they speed away.But what does “away” mean?In response to my question, the shapely young blondeslapped my face, jumped into her yellow Porsche convertibleand sped out of sight.Ah, yes! The sadness! The ultimate tragic conclusion! Nowreread the sentence as it began—weak, dull, lifeless—and as itended up—strong, alive, full of action.Actually, the example I use here reflects the journey we allshould pursue in developing every sentence of every paragraphof whatever novel, story or essay we might be writing.Follow the process. In another place, Strunk and White adviseus to “Make the paragraph the unit of composition,” but wemust keep in mind that effective, forceful sentences built fromspecific, concrete nouns and from strong, active voice verbsform the foundation of any memorable paragraph. Above all,be sure to read and to reread Strunk and White’s The Elementsof Style! If your copy is not cover-worn and dog-eared, it stillhas life left to offer you. Use it. #Plan to Attend WRWA Fall Conference in Eau Claire, September

Page 16Useful URLsA “URL” is a Uniform Resource Locator—Web-speak for the addressof a Web site. Please submit the URLs for sites that you believewould be of broad interest and value to members. Please submit onlythose sites relating to writing. Send the URL and a brief description(use the items below as examples). The Editor personally visits eachWeb site before including them here to ensure the link exists anddoes not appear to be a scam, but he offers no warrant to that effect.http://www.usabooknews.com/home.htmlSite for book lovers and writers. Sponsors “best books” annual contestin many categories. Provides best seller lists (e.g., New YorkTimes and more). Publishes free newsletter you can read online orreceive via e-mail. Must have ISBN, but self-published entries areacceptable. Note that lists of winners by category include winner andseveral finalists in each category. Data presented includes“publisher.” So this could be good reference/research if, for example,a writer were looking for what publishers to query in a particularcategory.[Tip from Meg Graham]http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/Characterizes itself as “the leading site for freelance writers aroundthe world. Whether you are already freelance writing and looking forwriting markets, or if you're just starting out as a freelance writer andyou want to learn more about starting and growing a freelance writingbusiness, our web site is designed to assist you. We'll help you to:• learn about freelance writing • find writer's markets • get published• set up a home office • and much more”Offers a free weekly e-mail newsletter with writing tips and markets.Promises that your e-mail address won’t be sold or shared.[Tip from Monette Bebow-Reinhard]http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00800/journey.htmDiscusses use of Chris Vogler’s “Hero’s Journey.” Very useful inanalyzing plot and character. Works for fiction books, screen plays,short stories, TV scripts. Vogler’s book, The Writer’s Journey:Mythic Structure for writers, is one of the best books for a fictionwriter on my shelf.[Tip from Boyd Sutton and Pat Fitzgerald]http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/online/writing/index.htmlOnline writing courses from the University of Wisconsin Extension.Contact Christine DeSmet at cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.[Tip from Pat Fitzgerald]http://www.theatlantic.com/index/fictionThe Atlantic Magazine Fiction Issue is no longer being distributed tosubscribers. It is available on news stands and at the above link forfree.http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/Paperback Writer is a blog that includes great tips on writing.[Tip from Dave Rank]http://www.diyconvention.com/Lists many book and screenplay festivals, including related contests.[Tip from Dave Rank]http://davebrendon.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/review-bloggers-gigantic-link-up/Lists over 100 book review sites and provides links to them.[Tip from Boyd Sutton]Not all sites that can be beneficial are exclusively about writing.Membership at http://boomerwomenspeak.com/ has brought me accessto their entire membership for my activities on behalf of authorsand exposure to books. They have an authors forum, too.[Tip from Carolyn Howard-Johnson]Learn more about editing--everything from grammar to formatting abook--in easy doses from The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor atwww.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com . Ask questions, too! BoydSutton is a frequent guest.[Tip from Carolyn Howard-Johnson] #A Whole Different Animalby Jim PollockJamilah Kolocotronis, author ofthe Echoes Series—RealisticStories With Real ValuesInnocent PeopleEchoesReboundingTurbulenceA whimsical story of the creation of aperfect animal. Order at: http:// penpointpress.comor jimpolock@charter.netor call 715-295-9979(free shipping by mentioning this ad)Descriptions, excerpts, order information are at:http://jamilahkolocotronis.writerswebpages.comContact Jamilah at:echoes_series@yahoo.com

The WRWA Book ListPage 17Pathways 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.Mary T. Carlson, Journey from Cornwall, 2000, 272 pages, $5.00 from englishmary@charter.net or Box 214, Abbotsford, WI 54405A novel about two families, Cornish immigrants to Wisconsin and an English family in World War II. (4/08)Margaret Houk, That Very Special Person¾Me!, for pre- & early teens, Herald Press, $7.00. Order at marghouk@juno.com or call 920-687-0559. Help your favorite teen(s) find lasting self-esteem by seeing their worth in the eyes of God and following godly ways. Good gift item.Margaret Houk, 100 Easy Ways to Teach Your Child to Love God’s World, Baker Books, $5.00. E-mail marghouk@juno.com or call 920-687-0559. Dozens of fun ideas, educationally & spiritually healthy, enjoy with your favorite little guys aged 3-10. Charming art. Good gift.Margaret Houk, Lighten Up and Enjoy Life More, Judson Press, $14.00. Order at marghouk@juno.com or phone 920-687-0559.De-stress your life without making major life changes. Great, workable ideas. A full-length book, advertised by Ingram in Publisher’s Weekly.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. (4/09)John Manesis, Other Candle Lights, 2008, 92 pages of poetry, paperback, $15. He explores memory, including his Greek American heritageand medical career. Order at www.seaburnbooks.com (4/09)Dorothy Maroncelli, For Easy Travel Pack Less, 28 pages, $7. Discover the joy of traveling light. And beat airline baggage fees with tips from aprofessional. Call 800-663-4430. (4/09)Dorothy Maroncelli, Britain on Your Own, 261 pages, $14. www.britainonyourown.com , call 800-663-4430. Forget group tours—plan a carefree, once-in-a-lifetime trip to Britain that fits you own special interests. (4/09)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.Milt Neuhauser, miltneu@pctcnet.net, or Milt’s Books, 276 South Lake Avenue, Phillips, WI 54555. (all 4/08)Jade Mountain, 279 pages, $8.50, Exciting adventure novel.A Wile Ride for Aaron, and other prize-winning short stories, 144 pages, $6.50I’ll have a French 75, Please, and more prize-winning short stories, 58 pages, $6.50Growing Up Gentle, 151 pages, $6.50 Autobiography—Life in a Mennonite family, 1922-1941. Final chapter document’spersonal account of Pearl Harbor attack.Growing Up Gentle—No. 2, 80 pages, $6.95. Begins with December 7, 1941 and continues Milt Neuhauser’s story.James P. Roberts, Darkling I Listen, and for Many a Time...and Other Imaginations, 2005, $15 paperback, $30 hard cover.23 science fiction/fantasy/horror tales. Orders to James P. Roberts, 324 Kedzie St., Madison, WI 53704, orjrob52162@aol.com.James P. Roberts, Spirit Fire, 2003, 96 pages, $10 paperback, $15 hard coverPoetry collection on themes of shadows, nature, mysteries, and places.James P. Roberts, Famous Wisconsin Authors, 2002, 218 pages, $15 paperbackBiographical sketches of 35 Wisconsin writersCarol Westfahl, Faith, Hope, & Cancer: A Survivor’s Tips, 149 pages, $19.60, November, 2006, www.faithhopeandcancer.com, Radiant HeartPress, Madison, A book of ideas the author researched and tested personally while coping with cancer treatment in 1996 and again in 2002. (1/08)Billie 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.A one-time listing costs $5, but $10 will get up to three books listed in every edition for a full year. Send your listings to the Editor via e-mail or letter. Makechecks out to WRWA, Inc. Cost must include shipping. Contact may be a web site, your e-mail or regular mail address, or your phone number. Each line maybe no more than 115 characters, including spaces and punctuation. #

Page 18The Wisconsin Regional Writer is published quarterly by theWisconsin Regional Writers’ Association, Inc. solely for thebenefit of its members. Submission deadlines are February15 (spring), May 15 (summer), July 30 (fall), and November15 (winter).Send all e-mail submissions to the Editor at bdsutton@centurytel.netor journal@wrwa.net. Send regularmail to Boyd Sutton, 23059 Old 35, Siren, 54872.Advertising Rates1/8 page $201/4 page $351/2 page $501 page $90Same ad run in multiple editions:2 editions discount 10 percent3 editions discount 20 percent4 editions discount 30 percentMembers may list books for sale at $5 for one edition or $10for four editions. E-mail listings or requests for ads to theeditor at the above address. Acceptance of an advertisementin this publication does not imply endorsement or approvalof the product or service by the Wisconsin Regional Writers’Association, Inc. or its associates. #Web Team Seeks CommentsPlease visit the WRWA Web site atwww.wrwa.net, the WRWA News Annex(blog) at http://wrwaonline.blogspot.com,and the WRWA Writers’ Workshop athttp://wrwapubcom.proboards.com.Let us know what you think, what you’dlike to see on these sites, and how you’dlike to help. Send comments to Sue Wentzat webmanager@wrwa.net.Please send any items you’d like to seeposted on the Web site or blog to ClaudiaAnderson at webcontent@wrwa.net. #2009 WRWA Calendar2009January 1 Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest OpensJanuary 1 Florence Lindemann Humor Contest OpensFebruary 15 Spring Journal Submission DeadlineMarch 15 Lindemann and Nelson Contests CloseMarch 15 Jade Ring Contest OpensApril 2 Spring Conference Flyers MailedApril 3 Deadline for entries for SOAR Scholarship from WRWAApril 17 Deadline for Registration for Spring ConferenceApril 17-19 Center for the Book Literary Bash, Meade Wildlife AreaMay 1-2 Spring Conference in SirenMay 15 Summer Journal Submission DeadlineJune 15 Summer Journal mailedJune 15 Jade Ring Contest ClosesJuly 17-18 Board Planning Session for 2010 (in Rhinelander)July 19-24 School of the Arts at Rhinelander (SOAR)July 30 Fall Journal Submission DeadlineAug 23-28 Green Lake Christian Writers’ ConferenceSeptember 18 Deadline for Fall Conference RegistrationSep 26 Board meeting in Eau ClaireSep 26-28 Fall Conference in Eau ClaireNov 1-30 National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/)November 15 Winter Journal Submission DeadlineDecember 15 Winter Journal mailedPlease submit calendar items to the Journal Editor for consideration. We’d like to includecontests and regional conferences sponsored by WRWA affiliated clubs that are open to allmembers and other events of broad interest to WRWA members. #Writers' Showcase At Redbird: It's My Party!All Wisconsin writers and friends are invited to join the party atRedbird, Thursday, April 30th, 6:30 p.m. in the main floor SocialRoom at the Marian Center, 3195 S. Superior Street, Milwaukee.This year's showcase is a celebration of past success and new thingshappening at Redbird. Studio founder Judy Bridges and Red Oakdirector Kim Suhr will take the stage along with writer/teachersRobert Vaughan, Jeannee Sacken and Laurel Landis, and writersTom Biel, Marjorie Pagel, Carol Wobig, Jeri Smith and MikeO'Keefe.This is a Milwaukee Book Festival Event. Authors Roi Solberg,Stephen Boehrer, Cari Taylor Carlson, Judith Zukerman and otherswill be available to chat and sign books. Light refreshments servedbefore and after the program. No fee.Redbird is also accepting registrations for May-June roundtablecritique groups and a new summer session of the nationally recognizedcraft and motivational seminar, Shut Up & Write!May-June Roundtable Critique Groups:Tuesday afternoon with Jeannee Sacken, 12-2:30, May 5, 19, Jun 2,16. $85AnnouncementsWednesday evening with Laurel Landis, 6:30-9 May 6, 20, Jun 3, 17,$85Thursday evening with Robert Vaughan, 6:30-9, May 14, Jun 18 (1/2session) $45Friday morning with Robert Vaughan, 9:30-12 May 15, 29, Jun 6,19, $85New Summer Weekend Shut Up & Write! with Judy BridgesThursday evening Aug 13; Friday evening Aug 14; Saturday 9:30-3,Aug 15. $345Red Oak Young Writers Summer Camps: July and AugustFor more about Redbird, see www.redbirdstudio.com or call 414-481-3195. For more about Red Oak Young Writers, seewww.redoakyoungwriters.com. For more about the Milwaukee BookFestival, see http://www4.uwm.edu/sce/mbf_schedule.cfm.Women’s Media Center Seeks ContributorsWe look for timely stories and commentaries that provide a missingfeminist perspective on news events, underreported topics, storiesthat analyze the media’s treatment of women, and stories aboutwomen in the media industry. (continued on page 18)

Page 21ROTO-WRITER TO THE RESCUE!Need help rooting out those pesky problems cloggingyour writing?Do you find yourself blocked by conflicting feedback?Receive a friendly and concise critiquefrom Award Winning Author J.R. Turnerand become flush with saleable works!FANTASTIC SPECIAL!For a limited time only, enjoy these new prices!3,000 Word Critique:Normally $25.00--now $20.00Submission Package(First 3 chapters, Synopsis and Query):Normally $150.00--Now $100.00For additional package options and payment plans,Visit: http://www.jennifer-turner.comAdvertise in the JournalAll ad revenue is used to underwrite the cost of morepages used for articles, columns, and members’ writing.Advertising Rates1/8 page $201/4 page $351/2 page $501 page $90Same ad run in multiple editions:2 editions discount 10 percent3 editions discount 20 percent4 editions discount 30 percentKathie GiorgioDirector and Founder234 Brook St., Unit 2Waukesha WI 53188Phone: (262) 446-0284website: www.allwriters.orgWriting is an act of isolation,but writers don’t have to be isolated.We offer online and on-site classes in all genres and all abilities of creative writing.Coaching and editing services also offered.Actively publishing and educated facultyAllWriters' is the home of Quality Women's Fiction, an international literary magazine.We provide monthly Celebrity Saturday events, allowing writers to learn from wellpublished,well-known authors.

Page 22In Memorium—John “Milt” NeuhauserJohn “Milt” Neuhauser passed away Monday, January 12, 2009, at the age of 86 of complications from a stroke. He was along-standing member of the Phillips Regional Writers Club, which has the distinction of being the first Rural Writers’ Clubfounded in 1948. [This club was featured in the fall 2005 edition of the Wisconsin Writers’ Journal.] His obituary was written byhis youngest son, Ben, and reprinted in part here with permission.Born in Pompeii, Michigan, in 1922, Mr. Neuhauser moved with his family to Flanagan, Illinois, when he was a young boy. In1940, he enlisted in the U.S . Army Air Corp and was stationed in Hawaii. On December 7, 1941, Mr. Neuhauser was stationedat Bellows Field on the island of Oahu when the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1944, while on leavefrom the Army, he married Phillips resident Annita Dirksen, whom he had met prior to World War II, when both lived in Illinois.After the war, Mr. Neuhauser returned to Phillips and worked several jobs before completing a correspondence course in journalismwriting, which led to a job as a reporter for The Bee. He next worked as a lithographer in Park Falls, before returning toThe Bee, where he served as editor for many years. In 1968, Mr. Neuhauser accepted a position as public relations officer for theWisconsin State Department of Agriculture in Madison, where he served until 1984, when he retired to Phillips.In his later years, Mr. Neuhauser became a self-published local author, releasing such titles as the autobiographical GrowingUp Gentle, Parts 1 and 2, the fictional Jade Mountain, and several award-winning short stories. His other hobbies included golf,photography, lapidary, and painting. #Plan to Attend WRWA Fall Conference in Eau Claire, September 25—27Speakers will include Barbara Poelle (New York Literary Agent), Greg Peck (on pros and cons of working with a small, mainstreampublisher), John Lehman (on poetry), Cassie Hanson (on an emerging generation of young writers), Jean Feraca (on turningpoetry into memoir), and Eva Apleqvist (on how hard can it be to write for children and young adults). Plus the Jade RingBanquet; breakout sessions for poets, fiction, non-fiction, and freelance writers; and the ever-popular Writers’ Roundtable andSherrie Avery-King open mic with Roxanne Aehl. Complete agenda and registration forms will be in the summer Journal. #

Page 23Writers’ Markets by Sylvia Bright-GreenBP HOPEhttp://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx?alias=prowritersSpeaking to the 2.5 million Americans who havebeen diagnosed with bipolar disorder, along withtheir families and medical caregivers. BP is not amedical journal, but rather, a lively and information-richconsumer magazine. Main articles arebetween 1,500 and 2,500 words. They cover subjectsof broad interest such as emotional coping,health and/or bipolar treatment issues, the history ofbipolar manic depression, research, personalities,lifestyles and creating a more stress-free pattern ofliving with bipolar disorder. Each issue also containsregularly appearing short features (approx.650-750 words) on such topics as: interviews withthose living with bipolar; food and nutrition;healthy living; spirituality; parenting with childhooddepression; exercise, wellness, and so on.Pays up to 75 cents/word.BACKROADShttp://www.backroadsusa.com/home.html/Writers_Guidelines.htmlA publication created with the idea of giving readersplaces of interest to ride to and getting the mostenjoyment out of their motorcycles. AlthoughBackroads is geared towards the motorcyclingpopulation, it is not by any means limited to justmotorcycle riders. Non-motorcyclists enjoy greatdestinations, too. Backroads has developed moreand more into a cutting edge touring publication.Payment for all articles is upon publication, andvaries from $75 upward. Backroads buys first-timeNorth American publication rights.ON THE BRIGHTER SIDEhttp://othebs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=26We're looking for humorous essays and short stories,both fiction and non-fiction, even if it has ahorrific edge, a science fiction angle, or a romanticsensibility to it. We don't care. Anything goes! Ifyou can make us laugh, we'll pay you for it. Storiesshould be anywhere from 50 - 2,000 words. Paysthree-five cents/word.SPACESUITS AND SIXGUNShttp://www.spacesuitsandsixguns.com/submissions.htmlSpacesuits and Sixguns is a magazine of contemporarypulp fiction - simple, straightforward storytellingwith an emphasis on action. 4,000 words orless. Fiction pays 3 cents a word up to $100.SHROUDhttp://www.shroudmagazine.com/info.htmlShroud Magazine publishes speculative fiction witha dark orientation. Up to 5,000 words. Rates of twocents (most) to five cents (very few) per word, plusone contributor copy.SIGURD JOURNALhttp://www.sigurdjournal.com/Prose is considered up to 1,500 words. Payment is$10 per 500 words for prose. A literary journal ofAmerican life.LOVE STORIES MAGAZINEhttp://grassrootsmag.com/submissions.htmlThe overall theme should involve short stories oflove and romance. These stories may be contemporary,historic, inspirational, paranormal, or anyother theme as long aslove and romance arethe main thrust of thestory. Story lengthshould range from2,000 to 5,000 Words.After you sign therelease we will issue apayment of $300 to you ON PUBLICATION alongwith complementary copies of the magazine.DIABETES HEALTHhttp://www.diabeteshealth.com/writersguidelines.htmlProvides patients, educators and healthcare professionalswith practical advice and the latest informationon new methods, technologies and researchrelated to diabetes. Payment varies.TRAVEL THRU HISTORYhttp://www.travelthruhistory.com/html/submissions.htmlPublishes stories featuring the historical, archaeological,and cultural aspects of a destination. Wealso accept stories about literary journeys and exoticadventures. Pays "a modest honorarium."PLAYShttp://www.playsmag.com/Plays is a magazine of one-act plays for childrenand teens. Editor Liz Preston is looking for playsabout contemporary topics such as friendships,relationships within peer groups and family andcommunity and school activities. She also welcomesplays about inspirational figures from history,comedies, mysteries, melodramas and skits.The plays must have plenty of action, believabledialogue and a fast pace. Pay is $75 to $250, onacceptance, for all rights.TURNROWhttp://turnrow.ulm.edu/submissions.php$50 per poem; $15 per page of prose; $150 - $250for a feature.Turnrow publishes original poetry, fiction, essays,interviews, social commentary, and visual art. Clickon About Turnrow for specific editorial interests.For a department called Mnemonics, we seek historicaldocuments of artistic, social, or politicalinterest: letters, vintage interviews, journal entries,unpublished posthumous work, and the like.MODERN FICTION MAGAZINEhttp://www.modernfiction.net/index.phpModern Fiction accepts most genres of fiction andwill pay you between $50-$200 for your stories ifthey are chosen for publication.CANTICLEhttp://www.canticlemagazine.com/writerguide.htmWe welcome submissions that reflect a solid andmature grasp of authentic Catholic faith. Write in atone that is positive and respectful, recognizing thatthe Holy Spirit guides the Church and providesnumerous legitimate charisms to help her membersgrow in holiness. Web site has themes, guidelinesand contact information. Pays 10 cents/word forfeatures and about 15 cents/word for columns. Theyeven have a sign up for you to receive informationon their writers' needs.WINNER MAGAZINEhttp://www.winnermagazine.org/listwinner/var_pages/guidelines.aspWinner magazine provides drug education and lifeskillstraining slanted toward students in the fourththrough sixth grades. The overall premise of Winneris that preventive drug education is the mosteffective. Pays approximately ten cents/word.DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS, USAWeb: http://www.awmanet.org/dc/dc.htmlhttp://www.awmanet.org/dc/dc_write.htmlMagazine published 10 times per year primarilytargeted toward distributors of candy, tobacco,snacks, general merchandise, health and beauty careproducts, beverages, foodservice items, and more.Pays $0.50 per word.DIVER, CANADAhttp://www.divermag.com/online/pages/Editorial-Guidelines.htmlMagazine publishing Canadian and North Americanregional dive destination articles. "Instead ofproviding formal writer's guidelines, we'd ratheryou just read the magazine to get a feel for the kindof stories and tone that would fit our magazine."Paying market.GREENPRINTS, USAhttp://www.greenprints.com/wguidelines.htmlThe Weeder's Digest. Gardening. Shares the humanside: the joy, humor, frustrations, and heart in fineprose and fine art. Pays up to $200.GOLF TIPS, USAhttp://www.golftipsmag.com/submissions.htmlMagazine with in-depth golf instruction and equipment.Pay rates vary.MIDWIFERY TODAYhttp://www.midwiferytoday.com/magazine/guidelines.aspPays ten cents/word. Midwifery Today (a 72-pagejournal that includes International Midwife) is aquarterly publication for birth practitioners. Weemphasize natural childbirth, breastfeeding, networkingand education. Our aim is to foster communicationbetween practitioners and families andto promote responsible midwifery and childbirtheducation around the world.THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE MAGAZINEhttp://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/writersguidelines.phpAreas of particular interest include articles andanecdotes about vital aspects of homeschooling andfamily life: living in God's strength, involvingfathers, encouraging mothers, joyful parenting,creative homemaking, improving organization,raising children and getting it all done. We alsowelcome academically oriented pieces such asconference information and reports, applications ormethods for teaching academic subjects in thehome school environment, state and nationalhomeschooling trends, political affairs and internationalhome education news. Research pieces andprofessional or technical articles relating tohomeschooling and education are especially welcome.Themed issues. Pays up to $200.BEEMAGhttp://www.beemag.com Written for hardworking,educated women. Covers personal finance, lifestyleand a little politics. Pays up to 75 cents/ word forup to 1,500 words.BIRDER'S WORLD

Page 24More Writers’ Markets by Sylvia Bright-Greenhttp://www.birdersworld.com/brd/default.aspx?c=ss&id=38A bimonthly magazine for people with a broadinterest in wild birds and bird-watching. The readersown field guides and books on birds and readwidely. Features up to 2,250 words. "AttractingBirds" column 700-900 words. "Birding Briefs" are150-250 words.Pays $450 for most features.BELL BRIDGE BOOKShttp://www.bellebooks.com/bellbridge/Currently we are only looking for fantasy, darkfantasy, urban fantasy, and general Southern fiction.Please do not submit other genres. We'll letyou know when we expand.MUNDANIA PRESShttp://www.mundania.com/submissions.htmlMundania Press is open for unsolicited submissionsduring the months of March, April, September, andOctober each year. We Accept Novels, Novellas,and Short Stories in the following genres: Romance(Especially interested in Paranormal Romance),Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery(Especially interested in Paranormal Romance), andYA (age 12 and up, must have science-fiction,fantasy, paranormal, or horror genre themes). Shortstories must be at least 5,000 words. Short storycollections may be submitted together under acommon title (an anthology). Previously publishedor self-published works are considered for republicationas long as the work is out of print everywhereand your publishing rights have been explicitlyreturned. We take both print and electronicrights.MIDNIGHT INKhttp://www.midnightinkbooks.com./Midnight Ink is a fresh new voice in mystery fictioncommitted to publishing suspenseful tales of alltypes: hard-boiled thrillers, cozies, historical mysteries,amateur sleuth novels, and more. It's alwaysmidnight somewhere.POSTCARD COLLECTORhttp://www.postcardcollector.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1064Postcard Collector brings informative articles on avariety of collecting interests of postcard collectors.It includes auction coverage, an extensive showcalendar, and a classified marketplace for paper andpostcard collecting enthusiasts. Postcard Collectoris packed with articles from experts who specializein all eras - from pioneer to modern and everythingin between. Pays up to $200 for up to 1,500 words.PETS MOBILITYhttp://www.petsmo.com/news/writersguide.asphttp://www.petsmo.com/news/News, features, reviews, health, travel, celebrities,working pets, technology. Stories should includeexperts and industry professionals. Features, however,can include narratives, investigative pieces,essays and memoirs. For pet lovers.GREEN PRINThttp://www.greenprints.com/wguidelines.htmlPays $200 for up to 2,000 words. We focus on thehuman, not how-to, side of gardening. On the peopleas well as the plants. After all, gardening is arelationship, not a recipe. GreenPrints explores thatrelationship, not by instructing, preaching, or lecturingabout it. Instead, we celebrate it by sharingthe stories and experiences we all have trying (andsometimes failing) to get along with plants.NEW JERSEY YOUTH MAGAZINE - EdwardsEducational Serviceshttp://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=926487A new quarterly New Jersey-based magazine targetinga demographic of urban young readers andtheir parents is accepting freelance writing submissions.The circulation is central Jersey: New Brunswick,Perth Amboy, and Trenton.The types of stories desired are personal experiencesin becoming successful in spite of difficulturban circumstances and how-to shepherd yourchildren into academic success in spite of somedifficult situations in urban environments. Articlesshould be written from expert interviews or interviewswith subjects on matters covered in the articles.Accepted and published submissions pay $.02a word. We are looking for submissions of between500 and 1,000 words. Please send queries to edwards.educationalservices@gmail.com.NEW MEXICO WOMANhttp://www.nmwoman.com/magazine/WritersGuidelines.pdfPays five cents/word. Interested in articles aboutprofessional and working women in New Mexico.Target readership is women between the ages of 25-65. Prefers articles that highlight the positives andsuccess of women in the community. Covers education,opportunities, career options, self improvement,women's health issues, and occasionallyarticles about home, hobby, travel, lifestyle, ornonprofit programs that serve women in the community.THE HEALING PROJECThttp://www.lachancepublishing.com/guidelines.htmlWe seek stories of your personal experience, or thatof family members, friends care givers or spouses."Voices Of"books feature true stories of literary merit and realemotional impact, stories that give insight, provideinspiration, courage and comfort to those in need.We also seek stories that might show a lighter sideof the challenge.Stories must be 500 to 2,000 words and pay $200.Similar to Chicken Soup series.LOVE STORIES MAGAZINE NEEDS POEMShttp://www.grassrootsmag.com/lostpo.htmlPlease allow up to 10-12 weeks for us to reviewyour poem.If your poem is accepted, pending originality verification,we will send you a release which states thatthis is your original work and it has never beenpublished before. We will buy global, electronicand Internet rights in all languages as well as futureanthology rights. You may not resell your storybefore it is published in Love Stories Magazine.After you sign the release we will issue a paymentof $50 US - $75 US to you ON PUBLICATIONalong with complementary copies of the magazine.ATLANTIC PUBLISHING SEEKS BOOK RE-VIEWERSE-mail: amiller@atlantic-pub.comhttp://www.atlantic-pub.com/ http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=940262Atlantic Publishing Company is a leading publisherin the business, finance, real estate, and hospitalityareas. We are searching for freelance writers whoare interested in reading our books and writinghonest reviews of 1-3 paragraphs. We will pay $50for the entire project upon completion. ** If youhave done book reviews with us in the past we willnot be able to re-hire you at this time. We wouldlike writers who are interested and would like additionalinformation to e-mail Amanda Miller andprovide writing samples. We will provide youadditional info at that time.HOUSE & HOME MAGAZINEhttp://southjersey.craigslist.org/wri/wri/728728198.htmlhttp://housemagazine.com/index.phpHouse & Home magazine is seeking freelancewriters. Most work can be done via phone and e-mail, although some travel to local NJ locationsmay be required. Applicants should have an interestin writing about home renovations, interior designand household products. Rates are $250 to $300 forarticles ranging from 800 to 1,200 words. Writersmust also request advertisers' photos and writecaptions.LES BONNES FEEShttp://www.les-bonnes-fees.com/guidelines.htmlLes Bonnes Fees is primarily a fairy tale magazineassuch, we are open to fiction submissions, as longas they relate to fairy tales in some way. Prose andnonfiction-- one to three cents/word up to 3,000words. Poetry-- fifty cents/line, up to 30 lines.VIBRANT LIFEhttp://www.vibrantlife.com/vl/writers.htmlVibrant Life is a bimonthly lifestyle magazine thatpromotes physical health, mental clarity, and spiritualbalance from a practical, Christian perspective.Information must be reliable--no faddism. Articlesshould represent the latest findings on the subject,and if scientific in nature, should be properly documented.Payment for articles ranges from $100 to$300.WOMEN'S ADVENTURE MAGAZINEhttp://www.womensadventuremagazine.com/magazine/guidelines.htmlProfiles, travel, general interest for women, health,first person narratives, food. Designed for womenwho participate in outdoor sports. Pays up to 50cents/word.GREAT WESTERN FICTIONhttp://www.greatwesternfiction.com/_mgxroot/page_10735.htmlOriginal, unpublished works of western fiction setin the American Old West before 1914. Short storiesand novels in the classic style for a generalreadership. No language. No sex. Word Length:Short stories from 3,000 to 10,000 words. Shortnovels over 40,000 words. Long novels over 90,000words. Payment: $50 for a short story. $250 for ashort novel. $500 for a long novel. #

Page 25Wisconsin Writers—Remembering Robert Gard by LaMoine MacLaughlinGrowing up in Wisconsin during the 1950’s, I can still hearin my memory a frequent mantra chanted at the end of whatseemed every other program on Wisconsin Public Radio:“This has been a production of the Wisconsin Idea Theater,Robert Gard, Director.” I can still remember that, as a youngboy, those programs filled me with wonder and delight. Onlymuch later did I learn the greater value of Gard’s work, andhow it reached into so many corners of community arts developmentin Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin Regional WritersAssociation.Robert Gard was born and grew up in Iola, Kansas, in1910. Very early he developed a feeling for the importance ofa sense of place in people’s lives, and he carried that sensethroughout his own life. Of the place where he was born, Gardsaid, “There was our local river ... the Neosho .... It seemed tome that the men of our town and countryside were shaped bythe river and that the river knew and held their destinies. Itcrushed at will and gave at will ....” Wherever he taught inlater life, Gard always stressed the importance of the sense ofplace in theater and in writing.After studying theater with Alan Crafton and graduatingfrom the University of Kansas, Gard went on to pursue graduatework with A. M. Drummond at Cornell University. Duringhis study at Cornell, Gard discovered and mined the folkloreof up-state New York with such plays as “The Cardiff Giant.”Upon receiving his graduate degree, he spent two years inAlberta, Canada researching, performing, and publishing Canadianfolklore in several collections of radio plays. Then, in1945, Gard was hired by the University of Wisconsin as Directorof The Wisconsin Idea Theater.When he first came to Wisconsin, Gard said, “I had no realknowledge of Wisconsin then, or of its traditions. I had readabout the state, but I had not studied it. I knew about LaFollette,and I had admired his crusades in politics and in government.I understood that under a great program known as theWisconsin Idea he and his followers had attempted, and successfullyso, to extend the principles of democracy into thelife of the average citizen.” Gard saw great potential for ex-tending the principles of the Wisconsin Idea into citizen involvementin all of the arts, and especially in theater and writing.In 1948, Robert Gard was the ideal person to be asked todirect Wisconsin’s centennial celebration activities. That yearalso saw him develop a statewide organization of writers, theWisconsin Rural Writers’ Association (later renamed the WisconsinRegional Writers’ Association), which quickly grew toinclude a membership of 1,200 Wisconsin residents. Gard’sstory of assisting local writers can be found in three of hisbooks: Grassroots Theater (1955), Coming Home To Wisconsin(1982), and Prairie Visions (1987). Gard went on to writemore than forty books about Wisconsin, as well as countlessarticles for arts and theater related journals. (See http://www.gardfoundation.org/books.html)Gard received numerous awards during his lifetime. Limitedspace here provides no justice. I had the good fortune tomeet Robert Gard shortly before his death in 1992. At the ageof 82 he was contributing what he could to help form whateventually became the Wisconsin Association of Local ArtsAgencies (now Arts Wisconsin).Although he may no longer be with us in person, certainlyhis memory and his spirit remain in the hearts of those whofollow in his footsteps within Wisconsin’s local arts agencies,within Wisconsin’s community theaters, and within the WisconsinRegional Writers’ Association. During 2010 we willcelebrate the centennial of Robert Gard’s birth with theknowledge that his legacy remains vibrant and alive in ourhands as we continue the work he began.[Editor’s Note: Jerry Apps suggested at our 2008 Spring Conferencethat we should take special note of Wisconsin’s richlegacy of writers. This is the first in a series about these writers.Who better to start with than our founder, Robert E.Gard? The author, LaMoine MacLaughlin, is a former Presidentof the Robert E. Gard Foundation and is currently ExecutiveDirector of the Northern Lakes Center for the Arts inAmery.] #Memorial Day—A Small Town in Wisconsin by Agnes KennardThe panoramic view of the cemetery revealed grass verygreen and well kept, fresh with new life. It ran down a sweepingslope through the headstones and up a gentle knoll disappearinginto stately soft white pine.Participants stood in small quiet respectful groups, thewarmth of the sun upon their heads. A breeze wrapped itselfaround everyone carrying with it the eerie sound of bagpipesas their hearts and their minds dwelt upon the character of theholiday.Twenty old gentlemen and a couple women in uniformappeared, walking in uneven columns down the center of thecemetery; some carrying flags, others carrying rifles, all tryingtheir best to stand straight and smart—a difficult task for theolder ones whose age demanded bent backs. Their hair re-flected hazy silver in the sunlight forming halos around theirheads. The ceremony was brief, mistakes—a few—but themeaning was perfect. Everyone in attendance was deeplytouched.At the end of the ceremony, into the stillness and from thestillness, taps trumpeted as chills ran up and down their arms.Off in the distance the taps were echoed, floating, as if fromoverseas where many brave young soldiers died, the notesreaching from their graves—reminding everyone of their presence.To breathe would have been a desecration.The final note faded away into eternity. Everyone, in unison,released a deep sigh from their souls, close in spirit asthey walked separately back to their cars in silence. #

Page 26Life in the Manure Pile by Marsha JordanThe husband once aspired to be a self-sufficient, back-to-thelandpioneer. He bought a windmill, oil lamps, beehives, and acouple of pigs, which we named Lois Lane and Clark Kent.This dirty duo caused me headaches from the day we tookthem home. We tied them in gunny sacks and secured them in theback of our truck; but the Houdini hoglets somehow freed themselves,tumbled from the vehicle, and headed for the hills. Weeventually got the slippery little buggers safely home, but onlyafter a wild skirmish in the woods.The adventurous and clever Clark soon discovered his alternateidentity as Super Pig. He learned to climb atop his roofedshelter and leap over the fence to freedom. Lois, not to be outdone,was never far behind. Motorists on the highway near ourhome reported seeing wild pigs darting between cars. I also receivedsome angry phone calls from horrified neighbors whowere shocked to find the pair digging up their flower beds. Perhaps,rather than Lois and Clark, they should have been namedLewis and Clark, due to their propensity to explore.These two heavyweights usually embarked upon their adventureswhile the husband was at work, so I was the designated pigherder, responsible for bringing the troops home after each rendezvous.How does one lure two full-grown hogs to follow you?It takes courage, determination, and a slop bucket full of swinedelicacies like apple cores, potato peels, and moldy bread crusts.More than once, I trudged through waist-deep snow, dropping atrail of leftovers behind me.I've never liked animals that were too big to sit in my lap, butthese humongous hogs were more than intimidating. They wereman eaters! While leading them home like the pied piper, I had torun to stay one step ahead as they followed close behind, nippingat my heels.Yes, pigs BITE—at least these two did. They were scarier thanattack dogs.Once Lois and Clark tasted blood, they preferred it to theirusual diet. That diet consisted of truckloads of stale doughnuts,sour milk, and assorted restaurant scraps. Keeping the porkers fedwas a big job. They ate a lot, and you can imagine what else theydid—a LOT.The manure pile grew into a mountain, which remained longafter Lois and Clark were laid to rest as pork chops in our freezer.The following summer, I planted a garden that I faithfullyweeded, fertilized, and watered.At the end of the season, I was shocked to discover that myprized vegetables were dwarfed in comparison to the giant tomatoesand cucumbers that had sprung up from the manure pile.You may wonder why I'm telling you more than you care toknow about pigs and manure. It's because I've found that wherethere's manure, there's sometimes a lesson buried under it.Like you, I've known sorrow, loneliness, and disappointment.At those times, it often feels like I'm living smack dab in the middleof a mountain of manure. However, things that stink aren'tnecessarily bad. Sometimes, what we think is awful right nowmay end up being good for us. Ask anyone who took castor oil asa kid!Just as the garbage in a compost heap makes gardens grow, thegarbage in our lives can enhance our personal growth. Trials canresult in strong faith and character. The stuff that stinks the mostis usually the best fertilizer for healthy spiritual development.Even stinky manure, after a time, turns into healthy and cleansmelling soil.Gardens go through seasons. Spring is the season to plant andfertilize. Summer is the season to weed and cultivate. Fall is theseason to harvest. Winter is the season for the land to rest. Ourlives have different seasons too. Some of them are more difficultthan others. But if we endure “for a season” without giving in toshort-term thinking, we will reap a harvest.When your heart is broken, it may feel hopeless; but there'salways hope, even in the dung heap. Consider what the end resultmight be for this situation.Blossoms of blessing can spring up from pig manure. Thesmelly, disgusting manure that our lives can become often bringsforth prize-winning fruit. Celebrate the fact that others haveclimbed that manure mountain and made it to the sunshine on theother side. Believe and keep the faith, then grab a shovel and startdigging. There's a harvest on the other side. #Submission GuidelinesWRWA members may submit articles, essays, historical/remembrances, short stories, or poems for consideration to The Editorat 23059 Old 35, Siren, WI 54872 or via e-mail to newsletter@wrwa.net. We strongly prefer e-mail submissions, but will accepttypescript submissions. If sending via e-mail, please include “WRWA Submission” in the subject line and include the manuscriptin the body text and not as an attachment. If typescript, please submit on clean white paper, 12 point font. The maximum length is800 words, though shorter is preferable and will have a higher chance of being printed. We will, on occasion, take longer items,but only rarely. Short stories, historical/remembrances, and poetry may be submitted without prior coordination. If you wish tosubmit an article or essay, however, it is best to discuss that with the editor in advance via e-mail, letter, or phone. We will try toacknowledge receipt of all submissions. That’s easy via e-mail. However, if you send something via regular mail, please includeyour phone number. No manuscripts will be returned. The editor retains the right to edit any submission for clarity, punctuation,spelling, grammar, and length. Submission constitutes the author’s permission for one-time publication rights in The WisconsinRegional Writer and inclusion in periodic collections of Journals and anthologies of articles and creative writing published thereinand distributed by WRWA on CD/DVD media. The author retains the copyright and all future rights. #

The Magic and the Music of Poetry: Whistling in the Dark—Is Anyone Out There?by LaMoine MacLaughlin, First Poet Laureate of Amery, WisconsinPage 27In the dimness of human memory,while we huddled together around thefire on cold winter nights, we listenedto those stories that celebrated our culturalheritage and were passed down tous, sung by our poets. The act of listeningto poetry and the act of poetic compositionwere communal acts. Thesinger was performing his part of agroup, communal experience, providingan important role in the preservation of the traditions, thesocial customs, the spirituality, the glue that held the communitytogether. And that ancient singer was communicatingwith that audience, unconcerned about originality or individualvoice, instead focusing upon the retelling of the story. Andwe are still hearing his voice thousands of years later.Part of our problem is that authentic experience of communityis increasingly rare in American society during the beginningof the twenty-first century. Philosopher Baker Brownellhas told us that many of our contemporary social problemsspring from the disintegration of community in our time. Certainlyany contemporary definition of community is very complex,but all too often that definition degenerates into a feelgoodfuzzy to describe any social group and to mean all thingspositive with the result that community has come to meannothing tangible or specific to anyone. The danger, of course,is that it will eventually drop from our vocabulary and theconcept will altogether vanish from our consciousness. Moreoverrecent disasters have shown the extreme fragility of thefabric of community in urban areas. As human beings we allneed community, real community, and it is far too important aconcept to be allowed to disappear.As writers, we all need community, real community, tokeep us honest and to keep us truly communicating with otherauthentic human beings. Sometimes we refer to virtual(almost, but not quite) reality and at times we seem unable todistinguish it from genuine reality. The arts used to be shared,communal experiences. What happened? Perhaps as poets wehave also failed in our responsibility to keep the foundation ofcommunity strong.Explore these possibilities: Talk with your Mayor aboutestablishing the position of Poet Laureate in your village orcity. Visit your local schools and help teachers spread poetrythroughout their classes by reading for their students. Shamelesslyproselytize for poetry. Become your town’s wild poetryprophet. Run for school board or city council. I might evenaccept church council. You might not win, but try it anyhow.Do something to enter deeply into the life of your local community.Read Vachel Lindsay’s “The Gospel of Beauty.” Andkeep reading and writing. #It’s write for meby Nan GellingsMany times, I struggle for words I’d like to sayGroping in my mind’s closet for expressions I’ve packedawayI want to give advice, to offer comfort or cheer,Choice words at the right moment for someone I hold dearThe spoken word eludes me, love is left unsaidOr when it’s spoken I wish I’d said something else insteadGive me pen, paper, and moments to choose each wordI will share from my heart the me you have never heardWords can be a gift; how we present them is the keyGod bless the good speaker but the written word is meTimeBy Peg Sherryhangs midair whispersa moment scentedwith ripe purple grapesclinging to their vineswaiting secretsTattooing An Old Lady’s DreamBy Peg SherryIn the shop of tattoos,I watch the actionfor just a fraction of a minute.I promised to satisfy my thoughtsso I brought a snapshot of us,in which your admiring smileshowed how I beguiled in younger days.But now the craze of wrinklehides my twinkle behind the bags.The artist studies me and the photo,“Go to the skin guy next door.He’ll make your eyes wideYou’ll be surprised at the change.Then come back and I’ll arrangea heart upon your arm,add to your charm”We smile. We knowI won’t go,even though it’s cool,but such schemingadds to the dreamingof an old fool

Page 28Upper Lake St. Croix was a frozen mirror on December 9,2006. It was already 3 p.m. that sunny, cold day, and I knewthe light would fade soon. At this latitude in December, wehave usable sunlight for lake skating only until about 5 p.m.,depending on cloud cover. I finished my work for the day, anddecided a long-distance skate on our seven-mile lake would beperfect. The lake ice had frozen and firmed up a week before,and I checked it for safety earlier that day. No snow had fallenthat late autumn, so the lake surface was a brilliant sheet ofwide-open, clean ice; an old hockey player’s private paradise,something rarely seen now in yearsof warmer winters.From our garage hockey equipmentbox, I grabbed my Bauerskates, hockey gloves, and one ofmy old banged-up, ragged-tapedsticks. Hadn’t used them in a yearor more, and it sure felt good to beheading for a well-lit skate on theglassy lake. With the total lack ofsnow in our area that year, thewalk down to the lake bank wasquick. There, I sat on a big rock atthe edge, tied on my skates, andput on my gloves. I grabbed mystick, pushed off with my life-longskater’s legs, and power glided outon my smooth, personally reservedrink. There was no one else around.It felt sublime to stride strongly,and skim over the slick, bright surfacein the sun. I skated north about two miles in just a fewminutes, where the ice got rougher, then I turned around andheaded back south to explore around the Island at the otherend of the lake.In my rush to get out on the ice during sunlight, I forgot tobring a puck along to stick handle and pass as I skated up anddown the lake. Our puck bag, of many black, hard rubberdiscs and a few red-plastic street hockey balls, was underneathother gear in our box. I neglected to grab it when I left. Not aproblem for us old-time outdoor hockey guys; I just skatedaround any loose chunk of ice, small stick, or pine cone I sawon the ice, scooped it in with my curved stick, and passed it onahead to my imaginary team mates as I skated hard. What fun,and what pure joy, to move nearly silently, effortlessly on afast, friction-free surface. “Best skate ever,” I thought, eventhough I was alone on the lake. I skated along briskly, enjoyingthe wind from my speed, the endless blue sky, and theopen panorama of the lake and surrounding forests. I was lostin my own exceptional early winter world.Hey, up ahead, a dot on the ice. I skated up closer, andcould see it was a faded yellow round thing. A tennis ball? Orhad someone lost their street hockey ball or their drivewaypuck out here earlier? Curious, I charged up closer, neverguessing from a distance what it really was: a whole lemon,frozen solid. How random: a loose lemon lying on the ice,Ice Lemon by Thomas Wayne KingI am holding Sonja Socks and Debbi has Scotty Boots, bothpups are Sheltie/Border collie mix from up on Hawk Ridgefarm in Duluth, and both topics of several stories and manysongs in Red Pump series.hard as a rock, and faded from a bright grocery-store yellow.The story behind that was anyone’s guess. Maybe it fell out ofan ice fisherman’s cooler? Maybe animals got it out of garbagenear a lakeshore cabin?Who knows? Whatever its method of arrival on the lake,the lemon was exactly the missing “puck” I needed. I skatedfast now, in rapid bursts, and slapped it on ahead on thesmooth ice, then raced to catch up to it. I stick handled it forwardand backward, in tight turns and long loops; I tried crazybehind-the-back and between-the-skates passes. They allworked. I was so loose and relaxed.My team of one was lookinggood. If only I’d had a partnerto pass to or been in a game thatday, could I have shown them myold stuff. I didn’t even have toworry about hitting ruts or holesduring all my gyrations, becausethe surface was so clean and clear;almost like newly re-iced indoorskating.In awhile, I was tired from allmy tight turns, stops, and reversalsof directions with my new lemonpuck. It was my first skate of thewinter, so to slow it down a bit, Iskated directly north, around theeast side of Crownhart Island, thenturned south at the Island’s northernmosttip to skate along thesunny west shoreline in the windbreakof the tall pines on the Island. I cruised in a silent, pureworld now, sending my ice lemon way out ahead of me, thenchasing it, and shooting it out again, over and over.My attention had been fully occupied for the last hour, upand down the lake, back and forth. Now, suddenly, a movingshape came into peripheral view over my left shoulder, somethingmoving casually, at about shoulder height and maybejust 10 feet now to my left. It was a large bald eagle comingslowly to my level, in full-spread glide pattern with wings atleast 7 feet across, tip to tip. He, maybe she, floated in silently,about 5 feet off the ice, focused on the lemon out aheadof us about 50 feet. The eagle held his glide pattern over thelemon, dropping to about 3 feet above the ice, then tipped hishead down to look more closely at the yellow treasure as hepassed above. He gritted through a tight left banking powerturn, not unlike what I had been doing on the ice surface. Thenhe rose in the air, flew back around me, and came in againfrom north to south over the ice at about waist height, tryingto get a closer look at this mysterious object.I stopped and watched in amazement. My silent lake partnerrepeated his close airborne inspections of the randomthing on the ice at least three more times, trying to figure outwhat that wobbling, flopping, skidding, yellow object was:Food, fish, unusual prey? I can only wonder. Then he flew off,(continued on next page)

Page 29Ice Lemon (continued)disappearing into the endless blue over the distant forests.For a few moments, the Eagle and I were in a sunlit, clearworld of curiosity that day on the ice. We shared our joy ofmoving freely and effortlessly: him reveling in gliding,swooping, and turning in the air; me enjoying much the sameon my glassy two-dimensional medium of polished, once-in-alifetimelake ice.We both pursued a silly target that afternoon, and had somefun together. I will never forget us both, eagle and skater,chasing that random lemon during our shared St. Croix icemirror adventure. What an experience, and what a story. Icouldn’t make it up if I tried. And, by the way, our ice lemonis still in a plastic bag in our barn freezer near the Red Pumpto this day. It will stay there as a reminder of that cold afternoonof crystalline perfection, frozen fondly in my memory,forever.—————————-Excerpted from Tales from the Red Pump ~~130 years ofnorthland Wisconsin family adventures~~Pages 113-116. Copyright 2009 Thomas Wayne King. AllRights Reserved. Reprinted here with permission.Tales from the Red Pump is now available at these Northlandbusinesses:Solon Springs Mercantile www.solonmercantile.com andTheLittle Gift House http://www.littlegifthouseonline.com/Tales from the Red Pump recounts stories from over 130years of Northland Wisconsin family adventures, joys, andchallenges. These varied, wide-ranging Tales provideglimpses of human and natural history in our changing northernenvironment.Thomas Wayne King lives and writes in Solon Springs,Wisconsin. He and Debra, married 34 years, enjoy theirNorthland paradise everyday. Thomas, a prolific author andcomposer, is professor emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Some of his books, articles, and music are knowninternationally. Contact info: PO Box 98, Solon Springs, WI54873-0098. 715-378-2776 or writerrabbit77@yahoo.com2009 Spring Conference SpeakersMichael PerryMichael Perry is a humorist andauthor of the bestselling memoir"Population 485: Meeting YourNeighbors One Siren at a Time", andthe essay collection Off Main Street.Perry has written for Esquire, TheNew York Times Magazine, Outside,Backpacker, Orion, Salon.com, and isa contributing editor to Men's Health.His essays have been heard on NPR's All Things Consideredand he has performed and produced two live audience recordings(I Got It From the Cows, and Never Stand Behind aSneezing Cow). Perry lives in rural Wisconsin, where he remainsactive as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medicalresponder. He can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.Raised on a small dairy farm, Perry equates his writingcareer to cleaning calf pens—just keep shoveling, and eventuallyyou've got a pile so big, someone will notice. Perry furtherprepared for the writing life by reading every LouisL’Amour cowboy book he could get his hands on—most ofthem twice. He then worked for five summers on a real ranchin Wyoming, a career cut short by his fear of horses and anincident in which he almost avoided a charging bull. Based ona series of informal conversations held around the ol’ brandingfire, Perry still holds the record for being the only cowboyin all of Wyoming who was simultaneously attending nursingschool, from which he graduated in 1987 after giving the commencementaddress in a hairdo combining mousse spikes ontop, a mullet in back, and a moustache up front—otherwiseknown as the bad hair trifecta. Recently Perry has begun tolose his hair, and although his current classification variesdepending on the lighting, he is definitely Bald Man Walking.Perry has run a forklift, operated a backhoe, driven truck,worked as a proofreader and physical therapy aide and hasdistinguished himself as a licensed cycle rider by careeninginto a concrete bridge completely unassisted. He has workedfor a surgeon, answered a suicide hotline, picked rock in therain with an alcoholic transvestite, was a country music roadiein Switzerland, and once worked as a roller-skating Snoopy.He can run a pitchfork, milk a cow in the dark, and say “Idon't understand” in French, Greek, and Norwegian. He hasnever been bucked off a horse, and contends that falling offdoesn't count. He is utterly unable to polka.Michael NormanMichael Norman is a writer and formercollege journalism professor whomakes his home in the Minneapolis/St.Paul region. He is the co-author with thelate Beth Scott of the popular “HauntedAmerica” series of true ghost storiesincluding, most recently, HauntedHomeland, released in 2006by ForgeBooks/Tom Doherty Associates, andnow available in a paperback edition. Norman and Scott’searlier collaborations include Haunted Heritage, HistoricHaunted America, Haunted America, Haunted Heartland, andHaunted Wisconsin.Michael is also the co-author with writer Carol Roeckleinof two vocabulary books written for ages twelve and up:(continued on next page)

Page 302009 Spring Conference in Siren, May 1—2Wordwise, Vocabulary Guides to Enhance Your Real-WorldConversations. Both are published by MindWare, a leadingdistributor of educational materials. The books can be ordereddirectly from the publisher at www.mindwareonline.com.As a playwright, Michael has written several plays, includingEntering the Circle: The Lives of Pioneer Farm Women,for the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial with support from a grantby the National Endowment for the Humanities. The play useddiaries, memoirs, letters and other reminiscences to tell thestory of rural Midwestern farm women. He also wrote Nyeand Riley Tonight!, based on the nineteenth century lyceumprograms of Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley and humoristEdgar Wilson “Bill” Nye.For nearly 30, he taught journalism and mass communicationsat the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.He is currently at work on a collection of Minnesota ghoststories to be published in 2009 by the Minnesota HistoricalSociety Press/Borealis Books.Beverly LarsenBeverly Larsen teaches Speech Communicationat UW – River Falls. She haswritten and published poetry for yearsand is currently working on a chap book.She's also the author of two children'sbooks. Bev lives on a small farm nearHudson and enjoys her horses.Professional Photographer at Spring ConferenceAnna Martineau Merritt, a member of the Northwest Region’sSolon Springs club, the St. CroixWriters, will attend the WRWA SpringConference in Siren and the Fall Conferencein Eau Claire and serve as officialphotographer at no charge toWRWA. If the arrangement works out,Anna will continue as official photographerfor other WRWA conferences.WRWA will retain all rights to the photographstaken by Anna at these conferences, though she willbe free to use them in advertising her business, Misty PinesPhotography, LLC. http://www.mistypinephotography.com/.Anna lives near Gordon, WI, on a hobby farm with herhusband, Kevin. She began her love of photography at ayoung age and continues to capture life through her camera.Her book of photographs, Life—Through the Window of MyCar, can be previewed and purchased at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/440926. #Hotel ReservationsHotel reservations are on your own and are due prior to April24 th , 2009. The occupancy rate for both single and doublerooms is $85.00.Please contact: The Lodge at Crooked Lake24271 State Road 35 N.Siren, Wisconsin 54872Toll-Free 1-877-THE-LODGE(1-877-843-5634)1-715-349-2500www.mylodge.comGetting ThereComing from the south (is there any other direction whenwe’re this far north?), I’d take I-94 to Eau Claire and get offon US 53 north. Continue north to State Route 70 west nearSpooner. Head west through Spooner on SR 70 until youcome to a “T” in the road just north of Siren. Turn left on SR70/SR 35 heading south. The Lodge at Crooked Lake is onyour right (west) just as you enter Siren.Good EatsFor those arriving Friday evening, no meals are provided, butthere are four good places nearby.Adventures Restaurant is immediately adjacent to TheLodge. Good variety, reasonable prices.Dairy Queen is a long block south on SR 35 if you wantfast food and a treat afterwards.Across from DQ on the left (east) side of the street, you’llfind the Pour House. Bar with connected restaurant.Kris’ Pheasant Inn is another long block south on SR 35on the corner of Main Street. It’s a bar that serves alimited menu, but it has what I think is the best allyou-can-eatwalleye fish fry in Wisconsin. That’swhere you’ll find me!Continue south on SR 35 to the stop light and on thesouthwest corner is Madden’s Steak House. Excellentupscale food, reasonable prices. John Madden,proprietor, is always there. Tell him Boyd sent youand he’ll add 10% to your price. Driving TimesSolon Springs 65 mi 1:30Wausau 190 4:00La Crosse 195 4:00Stevens Point 220 4:15Portage 250 4:20Madison 283 4:50Janesville 314 5:15Green Bay 280 5:45Milwaukee 350 5:50Manitowoc 322 6:15Times are calculated from city centerAnd holding to speed limits.

Page 312009 Spring Conference in Siren, May 1—2Friday, May 1st6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Writers’ Roundtable (separate sessions forprose and poetry)Saturday, May 2nd8:00 – 9:00 Registration, coffee, and meeting each other9:00 – 9:10 Opening RemarksRobin Butler, Boyd Sutton, Denis Simonsen9:10 – 9:30 Brief Presentation: Alan Ansorge Play9:30 – 9:45 Book Sales/Signing/General Audience Admission9:45 – 10:45 Michael Perry (1) – Stories from Home(Public access for Michael Perry’s 1 st presentation only)10:45 – 11:00 Break – Book Sales/Signing(People who came only for Perry’s presentation buy books and depart)11:00 – 12:00 Michael Perry (2) – Freelancing, Publishing,and the Writing Process12:00 – 12:15 Book Sales/Signing12:00 – 1:00 LunchExplanation of Exhibit: Ladysmith Exhibit(writing & visual arts)Brief Presentation: Thomas Wayne King(reading/recitation)Lindemann & Nelson Contest Awards1:00 – 1:45 Michael Norman – How to gather and organize material for your writing1:45 – 2:15 Youth Contest Awards (Denis Simonsen andLaMoine MacLaughlin)1 st place winners read their entriesCassie Hanson Song2:15 – 3:00 Beverly Larsen – Poetry is Significant3:00 – 3:15 Break – Book Sales/Signing3:15 – 4:15 Open Mic4:15 – 4:20 Closing RemarksPlease Drive SafelyConference costs:Registration Form(check one)Pre- Registered W.R.W.A. Member$40.00 ______Pre-Registered non-member$50.00 ______Student/Youth discount$15.00 ______Additional cost for late registration walk-ins $10.00 ______Meal Costs:Saturday morning breakfast (included) $ 0.00Saturday lunch(wild rice corn chowder, chicken dumplingsoup, turkey/ham/beef sandwiches,brownie and coffee/tea/water)Saturday snack (included) $ 0.00$10.00 ______Name (s): _____________________________________________Address: _______________________________________________City:State:Zip:Phone:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________E-Mail: ___________________________________Member: Yes No (circle one)(Please do not send membership application or renewal with conferenceregistration. Please send it to the Membership Recorder.)Please answer yes or no to the following:I am a board member. Yes No (circle one)I am interested in volunteering some of my time tohelp improve WRWA. Yes No (circle one)I will attend the Friday afternoon (1:00) board meeting. Yes No(circle one)I will be attending the Friday Night Writers’ Roundtable. YesNo (circle one)If yes, please state poetry or fiction:______________I will bring a book to sell. Yes No (circle one)I want to read at the Open Mic. Yes No (circle one)PLEASE REGISTER BY APRIL 17 TH , 2009!Pay online at www.wrwa.net via PayPal or make checks payable to“Wisconsin Regional Writer’s Association, Inc.” and mail to:David AehlConference Registrar500 Monroe StreetSauk City, WI 53583If you have any questions regarding registration, call David at (608)643-3229 or e-mail registration@wrwa.net with the subject line:Spring in Siren. #

Wisconsin Regional Writers’ Association1408 Columbus St.Manitowoc, WI 54220-5602For and About Wisconsin WritersThe Board of Directors held its firstever Special Planning Meeting in WisconsinRapids on January 17, 2009,and unanimously agreed on a numberof items that came out of the planningprocess as well as a dozen flip-chartpages of objectives and ideas to guidefuture planning. The first accomplishmentwas agreement on four overarchinggoals, i.e. desired “ends” towardwhich to keep moving WRWA. Theyare:1. Put WRWA “on the map.” Make it the state-wide acknowledgedpremier writers’ organization.2. Increase membership. Pay special attention to the recruitmentof youth, younger members, and writers actively seekingpublication.3. Increase/improve member services. Provide not only newservices, but improve the quality of present services as well.4. Establish an over-all organizational financial foundation.Develop a point-of-contact, publicity, and motivation for contributoryrevenue—gifts, donations, bequests, etc. to subsidizeWRWA community outreach.Some additions to the rules for WRWA contests were alsoapproved. These can be found on page 32 of the 60 th AnniversaryEdition of the Wisconsin Writers’ Journal in the first threeparagraphs of “2009 Writing Contest Rules.”Also approved was a “vision” statement, WRWA Governanceand Management Considerations in which the difference betweenProper Board Governance and Proper Staff Managementis outlined. I will share that outline with you in my nextPreznotes To Members sent by e-mail, and by surface mail to theRobin’s Ramblings25% of our membership lacking e-mail capability. The full statementwill be included in the WRWA Leadership Manual as astanding rule.In the remaining space allotted to Ramblings I want to pointeveryone’s attention to the VACANCIES on pages 4 and 25 ofthe Journal’s 60 th Anniversary Edition. WRWA needs your help!First and foremost is our need to bring the Board of Directors upto its full Constitutional strength by the end of 2011. Our Constitutionspecifies how Wisconsin is to be represented on theBoard—see Article V: Board of Directors, SECTION 2.Board Membership on page 27 of the Anniversary Journal.Please consider volunteering yourself as a candidate to representa Service Region (or at-large) by contacting NominatingCommittee Chair LaMoine MacLaughlin at treasurer@WRWA.net.If we are to realize the vision we have for WRWA, we needmany more volunteers. The Executive Committee will be proposinga “compensation matrix” to the board in the very nearfuture, intended to regularly reward members who volunteer tomanage WRWA activities and occupy staff positions. Dependingon the nature of the position, compensation we can offer willbe in the form of “perks,” such as free membership, waiver ofconference registration fees, and the like.Those of you who are interested should contact Nate Scholze,Chair of the Member Services Committee, at Vpresident@WRWA.net,Dave Rank, Vice Chair, at davejrank@ameritech.net,or Boyd Sutton, Chair of the Publicationand Information Committee at bdsutton@centurytel.net. Or youcan contact me at President@WRWA.net and I will forwardyour name to the appropriate person.As always, I encourage you to write to me with your ideas. –Robin #