heavy with

sadness

amidst

boulders

both          solid

neither    motile

ocean waves come in

I see them

hear them

feel them

smell them

then allow myself

to be the waves

smash ashore

pound the rocks

thunder the air

reduce my sadness

from solid form

to drops of water

ebbing    from mind

By Dennis West

“I know enough to No tequila!”

“If only pain dissipated like smoke.”

“Avoid the religiously moral wayward juggernaut.”

“Turned fifty, now a wreckless driver.”

“Tired of pursuing the distant mirage.”

“Love is tangible. Just like fog.”

“He is rare. Like Timex watches.”

“Her life reads like bad fiction.”

“”Lost and Found” has been stolen.”

“Quarry profundity, dig deepest in mirrors.”

“Should we hang all the racists?”

© March 6, 2010-Dennis West

& The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

Founded by Ruth G. Hardman

FIRST PLACE: $2,000 and publication
SECOND PLACE: $1,000 and publication

Contest Rules

Contest Begins: January 1, 2010

Postmark Deadline: April 30, 2010

Poetry: 3-10 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems).

Fiction: 7,500 words maximum.

No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. Author’s name must not appear on the manuscript.  Include a cover sheet containing major title and subtitles, author’s name, full address, phone & email.  ”Contest Entry” should be clearly indicated on both the outer envelope and the cover sheet. Manuscripts should be stapled, if possible; if not, please bind with a black clip. Manuscripts will not be returned.  Nimrod retains the right to publish any submission.  Include SASE for results only.  If no SASE is sent, no contest results will be sent; however, the results will be posted on Nimrod’s Web site. Submitters must have a U.S. address by October of 2010 to enter the contest. Winners will also be brought to Tulsa for the Awards Ceremony in October. All finalists will be considered for publication.

Entry/Subscription Fee: $20 includes both entry fee & a one-year subscription (two issues).  Each entry must each be accompanied by a $20 fee.  Make checks payable to Nimrod.

Send to:

Nimrod Journal
Literary Contest–Fiction or Poetry
The University of Tulsa
800 S. Tucker Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74104

So, what’s the problem?  Well, kind of an embarrassment of riches.  We’ve had such an enthusiastic response from the kids so far that we will DEFINITELY exceed the capacity of the mentor roster.  WE NEED MORE MENTORS!

I can’t overestimate how valuable this one, simple gift — the gift of your attention, for a few hours a month — can be to a child.

What’s this program, again?  The purpose of the Young Writers’ Mentorship Program is to encourage kids, 7^th through 12^th grade, to explore writing in a fun and supported way.  Most mentors meet with their student for an hour at a time, once a week or (more likely) once every two weeks, at a public place like the library or a cafe.  We provide some suggestions for writing exercises to get you started, and resources to find more.  Some mentor-student pairs follow the format of meeting, chatting for a bit (catching up), then doing a few writing exercises, reading the responses to each other, chatting a bit more.  In other cases the kids might be more self-directed, and have a project they want to work on.  The trick is to gently guide while following the kid’s lead.  There’s no homework, and the emphasis is on FUN, not correction or precision — although, if a child asks for help in that department, of course that’s something you can offer.

Mostly, the program is about this:  kids like stories (poetry, sci fi, you name it), and are curious about writing.  Adults provide a safe, supportive environment to explore that field, and at the same time show an interest in the child’s overall well being. That’s just a fancy way of saying that you might become friends.

I should mention that mentors have program support — we offer workshops you can attend with your student (or not) throughout the program, we have a big festive initial get-together where all the pairs meet (and parents are invited, too), and we’re available for help should you run into questions.

The program starts mid-February and runs through the end of April.  Most mentors meet with their kids between six and ten times, total.

We need YOU, and we need your help getting the word out.  Please mention the program to any other writers — professional or recreational — whom you know.  We’ve found the best way to recruit new people into the program is through word of mouth.

And if you’d like to sign up, please email us, somos@somostaos.org

Fee:  $8 – general admission, $6 – Members, Seniors, Free admission for High School Students

Bonnie Lee Black will be reading from her gripping memoir, Somewhere Child (Viking Press, NY, 1981), which sold roughly 22,000 copies, and was instrumental in the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and is still featured on the reading lists of organizations designed to help parents of abducted children.

Jeffrey Haas will be reading from his recently released book, The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther.  In 2004, Jeff began writing about the intersection of his life with the life and death of Fred Hampton, the young Panther leader killed by the Chicago Police.  Chicago in 1969 was a microcosm of the forces in conflict in the world.  The book attempts to capture the mood and political tensions of that moment and how they led to Hampton’s murder.

This week’s post is installment 2 in my big show blog at http://Miriamfeder.com Just scroll down the page to pick up Installment 1, if you’re a stickler for order. I’ve also reposted What is Chanukah All About and Manhattan Christmas (coming next Saturday.)–this time the In Print versions–since so many of you like those. (thanks!) I’ve recorded them with http://30hourday.org/ for a fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank, Toys for Tots and other charities. Check out this interesting high tech community  project.

Are you able to put out a call to arms, or rather, a call to the show?  You have contact lists and many of you are facebookers.  Here’s a little item you might post as your facebook status or edit a little for an email blast. (Wouldn’t you like to be part of a healthy virus? )

Miriam Feder is premiering her original musical in PDX Jan 15–31–The Only Way Out is Through–at the Sellwood Masonic Lodge. Take a look at her fanpage. Leave comments (she’d love that.) Copy this and make it your status today. Let’s see if we can help fill her shows. Tickets are available through her website at miriamfeder.com

—now you go to those funny little icons below the box and click on the piece of paper icon–”add a link”–and paste in this link to my fan page: http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=148636909781#/pages/The-Only-Way-Out-is-Through/146421976618?ref=ts

Or paste in the link to my website http:///miriamfeder.com if you think they’d prefer that (this is probably better but some people might prefer to stay in the facebook environment–dunno why.)

This will really help my cheap marketing campaign and bring cheer to the gloomiest month.  If you’re interested in VOLUNTEERING, if you want to talk about CHEAP TICKETS FOR YOUR GROUP  please email me!

Thanks!  Wishing you lots of holiday love, chocolate and cheer.

Miriam

The Only Way Out is Through
See the show!   January  15-31
Sellwood Masonic Lodge, PDX
nochowfun@gmail.com
http://miriamfeder.com

(From a Range of Light – The Americas, Nimrod International Journal Spring/Summer 1998 Volume 41 No. 2)

Lyn Bleiler
(From La Puerta, Taos – the Art of Fetching Sky Volume I copyright 2009)