Tag: Poetry

A Burst of Life

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By Susan E. Wagner

We’ve all seen grenades explode on television or in the movies. It’s dramatic. It can make changes in a story and in real life.

Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem, Grenade, provides a vivid visual to the reader. A Vietnam veteran, who served in the army as a reporter during the war, Komunyakaa’s complex and powerful poem caused an immediate physical and emotional reaction in me.

The Vietnam War defined my entire childhood. It was on the news every night and in every Sunday newspaper. From sixth grade on, we discussed it in school. It was almost always our current events.

So, when I felt such a powerful reaction, I knew I needed to dig deeper. Everyday, I reread the poem. Because the imagery is so concrete, I took from individual words, phrases or a sentence, to jumpstart my daily journal writing. Continue reading “A Burst of Life” →

Writers Guild Begins 2019 Season

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The Pearl S. Buck Writers Guild invites authors and poets to our 2019 season on the lovely grounds of Green Hills Farm, Pearl’s historic Bucks County residence, on Sunday, March 17th.

The Guild meets 1 to 3pm on the third Sunday monthly, March through October. Writers of fiction, non-fiction, essays, memoir, poetry and short stories are encouraged to join us to share and critique their writing.

Members may bring 15 copies of their excerpts for comments. This provides a forum to gain support and feedback from other writers and editors.

The first 2019 meeting is Sunday, March 17th at the Cultural Center [Red Barn building], 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA 18944. Season membership is $50 for eight meetings. Single meetings are $10.

Click here to register.

Call to Authors – Beat the Doldrums

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By Linda Donaldson

New beginnings bring new opportunities for our Writers Guild members and our Writing Center. Soon we will be rolling out our 2019 Calendar of Events detailing two upcoming Memoir class series and our 2019 meeting schedule for the Writers Guild.

Mark Sunday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day) on your calendar for our first meeting at 1pm in the Cultural Center (red Barn) at Green Hills Farm, 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA 18944.

Expect a blog later this week with Dr. Anne Kaler’s essay on the theme (it’s a secret) for the next issue of our Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal – the Spring/Summer 2019 issue.  Stay tuned.

Today I’d like to share a link, provided by Sandra Carey Cody, one of our Writing Center presenters and a published author, to a writing contest. The theme of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable short story contest is Animal Stories.

Entry fee is $10 for stories of 2,000 words or less about wild animals, pets or imaginary beasts (so long as an animal is an important character or element of the story.) Deadline is March 31st.

Put on your thinking caps! And keep an eye out for new blogs by Sue Wagner, author of the new poetry book Unmuted: Voices from the Edge.

Fall 2018 ♦ Volume 3, Number 2

Published on by Pearl S. Buck Writing Center4 Comments

Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal

 There are 20 contributions to this Fall issue of the 2018 Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal. The theme of this issue is Transformation. Submissions include essays, memoirs, poems, short stories, and an excerpt from a novel.

Our thanks to authors Dr. Anne K. Kaler, Sandra Carey Cody, David H. Werrett, Jane Bleam, Paul Teese, Joseph A. Vitella, John McCabe, Susan E. Wagner, Joel Mendez, Kat Cerruti, Meredith Betz, Linda Wisniewski, Archana Kokroo, and Bob McCrillis.

Anne K. Kaler, PhD
Professor of English Emerita
Gwynedd Mercy University

(Click title to read selection. Author’s biography at end of contribution)

Transformation

An Essay by Anne K. Kaler, PSBVA

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Shadows

A Short Story by Sandra Carey Cody

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Sunflowers

A Poem by David H. Werrett

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The Baby Squirrels

A Memoir by Jane Bleam

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The Naming Project

A Short Story by Paul Teese

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Jake Meets Nick Rossi

An Excerpt from a Novel
by Joseph A. Vitella

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Sidewalk Sanctification

A Short Story by John McCabe

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The Woman Who Bound Pain to Her Bones

A Poem by Susan E. Wagner

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An Hour and Forty Minutes

A Short Story by Joel Mendez

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From Walking Under Trees

A Poem by John McCabe

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Father and Daughter

A Short Story by Susan E. Wagner

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Mary Gertrude and the Alligator

A Short Story by Anne K. Kaler

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Daddy’s Little Princess

A Memoir by Jane Bleam

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A Lesson Learned

A Memoir by Kat CerRuti

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White Gloves

A Memoir by Meredith Betz

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Lake in the Woods

A Short Story by Linda Wisniewski

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Transformations

A Short Story by Archana Kokroo

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# Me Too?

A Short Story by Bob McCrillis

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Swimming Lessons

A Short Story by David H. Werrett

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Other People’s Shoes

A Short Story by Meredith Betz

Guild Notes, 2019 Class Preview and BookFest

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By Linda Donaldson

Cindy Louden opened our August Writers Guild meeting opened with a preview of the 2019 Writing Center’s classes with final dates to be announced.

Linda Wisniewski will offer a Beginner’s Memoir series of classes for six weeks in May and June. She will then offer Advanced Memoir classes monthly from June through October.

Pam Varkony, author, speaker and last year’s recipient of the Pearl S. Buck Woman of the Year award, will teach two classes next year: one on essays, op-eds and exposes, and the other on marketing your writing through web and social media. Pam plans to offer each of these two topics at three different times – morning, afternoon and evening – June and July.

Writers Guild meetings will be held next year at 1pm to 3pm on the third Sunday of the month from March through October. Continue reading “Guild Notes, 2019 Class Preview and BookFest” →

Upcoming Meeting and Calls for Submissions

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By  Linda Donaldson

Happy Summer to all you Writers Guild members and followers! We meet this Sunday, August 19th from 1pm to 3pm at the Cultural Center at Pearl S. Buck’s scenic Green Hills Farm in Perkasie. The gardens are blooming and the setting is inspiring. Come join us!

Here’s a list Anne Kaler has shared of upcoming submission deadlines for several publications with links to their details. First up is the ubiquitous Chicken Soup for the Soul series. We show links for their overall guidelines as well as a list of quite a few upcoming deadlines. Continue reading “Upcoming Meeting and Calls for Submissions” →

June Writers Guild Meeting Summary

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By Anne K. Kaler

The June 17th meeting started at 1 pm in the upper area of the red barn. Cindy Louden (chair) and Anne Kaler (instructor) led the meeting where all seven attendees presented their writings which are summarized below.

Notice was given on several new sources for short stories and poems under the BookBaby ads. One of their downloads includes a list from Authors Publish Magazine of 180 journals who accept submissions of poetry and prose. Visit www.authorspublish.com. Continue reading “June Writers Guild Meeting Summary” →

Summer 2018 ♦ Volume 3, Number 1

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Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal

There are 12 contributions to this Summer 2018 Pearl S. Buck Literary Journal. The theme of this issue is Justice and Mercy. Submissions include essays, memoirs, poems, short stories, and an excerpt from a novel.

Our thanks to authors Dr. Anne K. Kaler, Rev. Edgar P. Roosa, Bob McCrillis, Susan Wagner, Harry J. Houldin, Jane Bleam, Sandra Carey Cody, and Paul Teese.

Anne K. Kaler, PhD
Professor of English Emerita
Gwynedd Mercy University

 

(Click title to read selection. Author’s biography at end of contribution)

Justice and Mercy

ESSAY BY ANNE K. KALER, PSBVA

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Social Justice Themes in the Life and Writings of Pearl S. Buck

ESSAY BY REV. EDGAR P. ROOSA

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The Thief of Time

POEM BY ANNE K. KALER, PSBVA

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Mrs. Hastings

SHORT STORY BY BOB McCRILLIS

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Everest

POEM BY SUSAN WAGNER

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To the Bulge

EXCERPT FROM A NOVEL BY PFC HARRY J. HOULDIN

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Lydwyna the Spinster and the Pearl Embroidery

EXCERPT FROM A NOVEL BY ANNE K. KALER, PSBVA

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Sans Poetic Punctuation

POEM BY JOHN McCABE

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The Goose Family

MEMOIR BY JANE BLEAM

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The Cherry Trees

ESSAY BY SANDRA CAREY CODY

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Respite

ESSAY BY PAUL TEESE

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Extinguished Camp Fires Burn

SHORT STORY BY JOHN McCABE

Writers Guild Meets May 20th

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By Linda Donaldson

The Writer’s Guild meets on Sunday, May 20th at 1 pm. Don’t forget we begin a half hour earlier this year so we can wrap up by 3 pm.

Become a follower of this blog to get immediate notification of blog posts with links. We feature helpful articles to start you on your writing projects, and to polish your poetry and prose. Look for an informative and entertaining blog on writing from Bob McCrillis tomorrow.

Want to bring a story, essay, or poem to share? Supply 10 to 15 copies, and remember to include your email address on your work so others can provide further comments. We only devote about 10-15 minutes to each selection, so please limit excerpts to 3 or 4 pages.

Writing and Workshops

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By Susan Wagner

If you could dream something into being for a particular person in your life, what would it be and who would it be for?

You can pick anyone and any dream, but you must pick up your pen and write without stopping for five to seven minutes. Try to use concrete images and sensory descriptions. Go. Continue reading “Writing and Workshops” →