Fall 2008
Home
Poet pages
Museletter
Events
Conferences
Calendar
Publications
Links
Markets
Contests
Laureate
About Us
Suggestions
Join
Next
Museletter Archives

President's Message
     During the first half of my term as WFOP president, one recurring topic of discussion has been the treatment of Roll Call poems at our conferences. If you’re not familiar with the idea, the Roll Call portion of a conference is a time when each attendee comes forward to deliver one of his or her best poems for all others in attendance. For the past many years this session has been held on Saturday morning, just after the general business meeting.
     Unlike the informal open-mike sessions that are typically held on Friday nights, the Roll Call sessions have more of a sense of formality (though not necessarily in the poems themselves, of course). In an open-mike session, a person might try a poem just to see how it flies before an audience. During Roll Call, people tend to demonstrate their mastery instead. Not everyone attends an open-mike session, but those who do, often stick around for two or three turns at the mike. For Roll Call, everyone is in attendance, and each person gets only one turn at the mike.
     Many people view the Roll Call sessions as the “backbone” of the WFOP, and I tend to agree. If you want a sense of who WFOP members are and what sort of poetry they are writing, a Roll Call session is the best place to find out. Recently, because of increased attendance at our conferences (a very good thing, of course), the Roll Call sessions have become problematically long. With roughly 100 people reading, it has become difficult for listeners to pay attention for the full session. To reduce that problem, conference organizers have begun to split the Roll Call into two sessions, with a small break between for visiting the book tables. In addition, they have asked readers to observe a 24-line limit to their poems.
     With all this in mind, at our summer board meeting in July, the board voted to make these Roll Call guidelines official:

1. Every conference shall have a Roll Call session.
2. Fall conferences shall treat Roll Call in a traditional manner:
     a. There shall be a line limit for poems read during the session.
     b. The Roll Call shall be split into two sessions.
     c. There shall be no concurrent programming to compete with the Roll Call.
3. Spring conferences shall be free to experiment with Roll Call format.

     Our hope is that these guidelines will help to protect the purpose and spirit of Roll Call while also allowing for growth and change. We would ask for your patience and understanding regarding the topic, and that you work within these guidelines when attending a conference.
     As always, of course, if you have any comments, concerns, or other ideas, I welcome you to send them to me or any other member of the board.
     Thanks for your attention.

Sincerely,
Les

Next deadline: November 7, 2008
Send Museletter contributions to the Editor:
Christine Falk
9556 Upper 205th Street West
Lakeville, MN 55044
(952) 985-5375

thefalks@frontiernet.net

SEND US YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS if you haven't already, so we can update the WFoP database. Your address will only be used for communication among members.

Museletter Delivery Options
     To read and download the Museletter from our website, request e-mail notice, with a link to the Museletter web page. By choosing this option, members will be removed from the bulk-mail list and will not receive a hard copy of the Museletter except the one they download and print themselves. This will provide the fastest delivery, at a significant savings to the Fellowship.
     Members may also opt to receive the Museletter by first-class mail rather than bulk mail. There is no charge to members, but this will increase mailing costs to the Fellowship.
     Notify the Museletter editor if you wish to exercise one of these new options. The "default" delivery method will be bulk mail.

Remember:
If you move or change your e-mail address, please notify the Museletter editor. Bulk mail is not forwarded, so you will not receive your Museletters. E-mail is the only way members are notified of Museletter deadlines.

Make Sure Your E-mail Address is Up-to-Date
     In recent years, e-mail communications have increased within the WFOP membership. The list of e-mail addresses is kept in the main membership database. On occasion, announcements are e-mailed to the entire membership. Each time this happens, some e-mails get bounced back to the sender. The main reason this occurs is that the database manager has not been notified that an e-mail address has changed. If you have not received e-mails from the WFOP in recent months, most likely we do not have your most recent address. If you change your e-mail address, please contact Chris Falk at thefalks@frontiernet.net and let her know of the change so it can be corrected in the membership database. This will ensure that you receive all electronic correspondences.

Welcome
to the following new members who have joined since the last Museletter issue.

Doris Bezio

DePere
Sue Blaustein Milwaukee
Rae Brown Milwaukee
Rob Eckert Slinger
Dennis Idzikowski West Allis
Howard Paap Bayfield
Laurie Risch Oconomowoc
Karen Schleicher Wauwatosa
William Skog Darlington

New member inquiries should be directed to Peter Piaskoski,the credentials chair. Join us!

Membership List Available
Fellowship members are entitled to receive a list of members at a cost of $2.00 to cover postage. Please send cash or check payable to Chris Falk. Receiving the list via e-mail is free. E-mailed lists will be sent as a .pdf which requires Adobe Reader, available as a free download from www.adobe.com. In order to receive the list, members must now sign the agreement and submit it with each request (copy and paste to e-mail it).

Conference Info & Rotation Schedule


Poet Laureate Fund Tops 10K!
Thanks to your donations, the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Fund has reached its initial goal of $10,000. That amount enables it to become a “permanently endowed fund” which generates 5% ($500) interest each year. That interest will be used to help pay for gas, copying, phone, food and other expenses, as the Laureate travels the state promoting poetry. Now that we’ve established the baseline for an endowment fund, we can move forward toward our ultimate goal of $25,000 for the Poet Laureate Fund—so we’re not quite finished. But we thank you!

What's Happening in Your Region?
Central-Fox Valley Region

Bill Gillard, Central-Fox Valley Regional VP
1478 Midway Road
Menasha, WI 54952-1224
bill.gillard@uwc.edu

      Cathryn Cofell had work accepted or published by Oranges & Sardines, Conceit Magazine, Moon Journal, and Heart: A Journal of Spiritual Writing, and was a featured reader at The Coffee Cabin in Wautoma.
       Merle Hazard had a poem, “Carpe Diem”, accepted for the 2008 Fox Cry Review.


East Region

Shelly Hall, East Regional Co-VP
1703 Elder Street #207
Waukesha, WI 53188
shellylou58@aol.com

Annie Parcels, East Regional Co-VP
2148 Ludington Avenue
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
bigtreesandwater2@yahoo.com

     Stephen Anderson will be the featured reader on October 6th at the Montello Public Library, Montello, WI. The reading will take place at 7 p.m.
      Charles P. Ries’s poetry book reviews have appeared or will appear in: Debris Magazine, Great American Poetry Show, League of Laboring Poets, Poetry Market, Word Riot, Poesy, The Audience Review, Pen Himalaya, Outsider Writers, Quill and Parchment, Ibbettson Street, Wisconsin River Valley Journal, Free Verse and Chiron Review. His reading of his poetry was aired on “The Road Home From Everett” which is produced by J. Glenn Evans for KSER in Seattle, Washington. His poetry has appeared or will appear in: Secret Press USA, Free Verse, Kudzu, Gloom Cupboard, HazMat, SNReview, PRESA, Hot Metal Press, Cinnamon Press’s anthology In The Telling, and Rain Farm Press’s Paradigm Quarterly Journal. His short stories have appeared or will appear in: The Wisconsin River Valley Journal, Can I Sit With You, Cezanne’s Carrot, and Gander Press Review. His article on divorce will be published in the October 2008 Edition of Chicken Soup for The Divorced Soul. His story “Dad Drives” is in the final round for the Chicken Soup for the Soul “Teen Talk Middle School” series. His article entitled, “Is Writing Trying to Kill Me?” has appeared in Free Verse, Creativity Connection, Working Writers, ESC!, and Gloom Cupboard.
      Sharon Foley’s poem, “Wendy” is scheduled to be published in the fall issue (October 2008) issue of Plainsongs. Her poem, “Quietly” was just published in Bellowing Ark in their July/August 2008 issue.
      Sister Irene Zimmerman’s poems have appeared/will appear in Christianity and Literature, Fox Cry Review, and Review for Religious (3 poems). She also won Honorable Mention in the “Memory” contest sponsored by ByLine magazine.
Mary Jo Balistreri has published her first book of poems, Joy in the Morning. It was published this month by Bellowing Ark. She had poems published in Toward the Light and The Healing Muse (both in July).
Marilyn Taylor has been awarded a three-week residency at The Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, November 13th to December 2nd, 2008. Marilyn was selected by the poet Eamon Grennan, with whom she will be studying during her stay.


Mid-Central Region

Joan Johannes, Mid-Central Regional VP
800 Ver Bunker Avenue
Port Edwards, WI 54469
joanjeff@wctc.net

      Barbara Cranford conducted a poetry workshop in Hancock in July.
       Jeffrey Johannes had a poem accepted by Fox Cry Review.
       There will be a Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar Poetry Reading at McMillan Memorial Library in Wisconsin Rapids at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25th, in the all-purpose room. Poets who will be reading include the 2009 Calendar editors Kathy Miner and Nancy Rafal, along with Joan Wiese Johannes, Jeffrey Johannes, Jim Pollock, Beverly Scott, Barb Cranford, Lucy Rose Johns, and Linda Aschbrenner. Other poets published in the 2009 Calendar who would like to join us should contact Joan at joanjeff@wctc.net.
       Joan Wiese Johannes and Jeffrey Johannes served as judges in the Free Verse #95 contests.
       Barb Cranford and Michael Kriesel received honorable mention recognition.
       Michael Kriesel had three poems in Free Verse #96.
       Linda Aschbrenner spent a week in July at Edenfred in Madison as part of the Cooperative Residency Program. Also in July, Linda judged the poems entered in the Hal Gruztmacher’s Writing Exposé Contest. Linda will be a featured presenter at the Writers Festival at Lakeland College on November 6th and 7th.
       All poets are invited to attend the Final Friday open mike. Readings are held the last Friday of the month at 7:00 p.m., January through October, at Thimbleberry Books, 166 S. Central Avenue, Marshfield.
       Readings are also held the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Coffee Cabin, W7829 State Highway 73/21 at Village East Plaza, Wautoma.


Northeast Region

Sarah Rose Thomas, Northeast Regional VP
970 School Place
Green Bay, WI 54303
psychopsychosarah@yahoo.co
m

      Judy Roy and June Nirschl read from their new book, Two Off Q: A Conversation in Poetry at the following locations this summer: The Meadows at Scandia Village in Sister Bay on June 24th, Peninsula Bookman in Fish Creek on June 26th, Blue Horse Cafe in Fish Creek on July 13th, Neville Museum in Green Bay on July 31st and The Bridge in Egg Harbor on August 2nd.
       Ralph Murre has recently refereed tag-team readings of his book, Psalms (Little Eagle Press 2008), at the Peninsula Bookman and at the Little Sister Resort. Plans are afoot to present the book’s artwork at a gallery showing. Some of his work has appeared lately in Knock, Clark Street Review, and The Cliffs “Soundings”, and online at Poetry Dispatch and his own Arem Arvinson Log.
       Michael Kriesel’s poem, “Dot-to-Dot” was one of 20 finalists in the Atlanta Review’s 2008 International Poetry Competition, and will appear in the fall issue.


Northwest Region

Jan Chronister, Northwest Regional VP
3931 S. County Road O
Maple, WI 54854
janchronister@yahoo.com

      “The Sacred Buck of Watersmeet”, a poem by Jan Chronister, was published in this year’s Outrider Press Anthology (Indiana). Jan took First Place at the annual Seeley Poetry Jam July 5th, and Naomi Cochran received the Special Merit Award sponsored by WFOP for her poem, “Caddisflies.”

submitted by Jan Chronister, Northwest Regional VP

      Naomi Cochran’s poem, “Another Possibility”, will appear in the September 2008 Fox Cry Review.
      Jane-Marie Bahr, Menomonie, has two poems, “Diligence” and “Vernal Equinox”, accepted for publication in Free Verse. Her poem, “Blooming Daffodils” won Honorable Mention in the spring haiku contest sponsored by Free Verse Contest #95. Another poem of hers will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Hummingbird.


South Region

Frank Konieska, South Regional VP
3633 Honey Creek Rd.
Burlington, WI 53105
konieska@tds.net

      Two of our members from the South Region, and quite a few others from across the state, attended the School of the Arts in Rhinelander this year. As always, it was a great week and we urge anyone and everyone to try to attend whether their writing needs jump-starting or not. Mine did, and I wasn’t disappointed by what I learned this year.
       Progress continues on the Spring 2009 Conference with the acquisition of Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc as the meeting place and we are now actively pursuing our featured speaker. The theme will be Regional Poetry and we are asking anyone and everyone who has regional poetry to send them to us to consider using as table settings and other displays. The Conference will take place on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th, 2009.
       Author’s Echo Writer’s Group in Burlington is still going strong and meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00 pm at Grace Church. Four current South Region WFOP members belong to our group and it’s always refreshing to hear what they have to read. One of our members has had a very nice book of poetry and reminisces published recently and we are quite proud of that.

submitted by Frank Konieska, South Regional VP


South-Central Region

James Roberts, South-Central Regional VP
324 Kedzie Street #30
Madison, WI 53704
jrob52162@aol.com

      Greetings! After the June deluge, this has been a pretty warm summer. Still hobbling around a bit after the car crash back in March but am on the mend. Hope everyone has been taking it easy and writing poetry … or just writing. And keep sending me your news!
       On May 7th Shoshauna Shy gave a talk, “Craft & Critique: From Pen to Published Page,” on poetry publishing tips at Angela Rydell’s apartment.
       Poets Cliff Dillhunt and Richard Roe joined the winners of the Greater Dane County Youth Poetry Festival for a public reading on Friday, May 9th, at the Wisconsin Neighborhood Center (room 805) Memorial High School in Madison. (I also attended this event and it was fun listening to the kids read—and some were very good.)
       On May 14th Tim Walsh read poems from his new book Blue Lace Colander, published by Marsh River Editions, and was joined by Sara Parrell at Avol’s Bookstore.
       Angela Rydell gave an afternoon of playful poetry exercises at Avol’s Bookstore on Saturday, May 17th under the forceful festschrift of “Extreme Exercises and Radical Revisions.” She also held a week-long workshop, “Raising the Stakes: Taking Risks in Poetry” June 16th–20th, held at Pyle Center.
       June 8th turned out to be a memorable day for Ron Czerwein, who thought he was going to read poems along with Jeannie Bergmann, who was celebrating the release of her new chapbook Constellation of the Dragonfly and instead became the recipient of a “Wisconsin Friend of Poetry” award and tribute. Regrettably, I was unable to be present at this special occasion due to a high school reunion.
       F.J. Bergmann, Fabu, David Graham, Peg Lauber, Kathy Miner, Nancy Rafal, Eve Robillard, Kay Saunders, Richard Swanson, Sarah Rose Thomas, Tim Walsh, and Phyllis Wax read at the 16th Annual WFOP Invitational Poetry Marathon on Sunday, June 22nd in the Atrium of Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Thanks to Fran Rall and Wendy Vardaman for keeping this wonderful event going.
       Peg Sherry writes cheerfully that “Fabu has chosen one of my poems to put in Madison Magazine in the July issue. I am thrilled!” PS: Still remember the fun we had working with the “sheriff.”
       Gillian Nevers had a poem accepted by Oak Bend Review, a new e-zine.
       Okay, folks, are you ready for this? F.J. Bergmann has just won the Science Fiction Poetry Association’s Rhysling Award for the short poem “Eating Light,” which appeared in Mythic Delirium Issue 17. She will be attending the Viable Paradise science fiction and fantasy writing workshop in Martha’s Vineyard in September. Recent publications and acceptances include Alimentum, Asimov’s, Doorways, Farrago’s Wainscot, Helix, Hummingbird, Mississippi Review, Paradox, Quill Full of Blood, Rhino, Southern Poetry Review, Starfish, Talebones, Tales of the Unanticipated, Weird Tales, and Women in REDzine.
       And after that, what can I say except … James P. Roberts has had poems accepted at Fox Cry Review and also published in the 2009 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar, along with too many other South-Central Region members to list. If you want to find out who they are, buy a copy, or even a half-dozen. Sarah Busse and James P. Roberts were two of the poets who read at the Folk on State musical concerts on Saturday afternoons in Madison during the summer.

submitted by James P. Roberts, South-Central Regional VP

      New member Geoff Collins recently had poems published in Main Channel Voice and Slant. He also has work soon to appear in Free Verse and Willow Review.
      Shoshauna Shy’s latest collection, What the Postcard Didn’t Say, received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association. She had poems published in the anthology Poem, Revised by Marion Street Press, J Journal, Ariel, and in two on-line journals, Poemeleon and The Orange Room Review.
       Lou Roach was featured reader at the Coffee Cabin in Wautoma on July 3rd. She read from her new book of poetry, For Now. Lou will read at Conkey’s in Appleton on September16th. She received two honorable mentions and a 2nd prize for poems in Free Verse contests, according to Issue #96. Lou also had a poem accepted for the 2009 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar, as did Elayne Hanson.


West-Central Region

Sandra Lindow, West-Central Regional VP
320 W. Tyler Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54701
lindowleaf@yahoo.com

      Western Wisconsin summer is delicious with flowers and poetry this year. June 14th, Dina St. Louis, Yvette Flaten and Steve Betchkal read poetry at Phoenix Park in an outdoor celebration on the labyrinth. On June 17th, Bruce Taylor gave a reading of his poetry at Jinan University in Zhuhai, People’s Republic of China as part of a five lecture series on American Poetry. Peg Lauber read her poetry at Olbrich Gardens in Madison June 22nd. Yvette Flaten and Sandra Lindow were part of the June 23rd, White Pines Solstice celebration at the Acoustic Cafe in Menomonie. Lauber, St. Louis and Flaten read at Grand Ave. Café in Eau Claire July 10th. A special edition of Kaleidoscope Magazine, The Effects of War: Mind, Body & Spirit has a poem by Susan F. Kirch-Thibado, “The Arrangements.” Lindow’s poem, “Intersect,” will appear in the October 2008 issue of the Fox Cry Review. Candace Hennekens’ mixed media collage titled “Country Road C” was selected for the 25th annual “Culture and Agriculture” show at the New Visions Gallery in Marshfield. It will be on display until September 6th. For information about gallery hours, go to newvisionsgallery.org. To view Hennekens’ online gallery, visit swallownest.etsy.com.

submitted by Sandra Lindow, West-Central Regional VP

Keep Your Dues Current
      Please remember that membership dues are payable by January first of every year. We no longer offer a "grace period" after nonpayment of dues. Members must be current with their dues to enjoy membership benefits such as:

  • the opportunity to be published in the Museletter's Poetry Page
  • listing of recent publications in the Museletter
  • free chapbook ad, and reduced advertising rates for other ads in the Museletter
  • eligibility to enter the Triad poetry contest
  • reduced entry fee for the Muse contest
  • free member web page on the Fellowship's web site
  • and, of course, the Museletter itself.

Don't Forget the New Dues Option
Members may pay $100 for a five-year membership. That's five years worth of membership for four years' dues. Please take advantage of this savings. The Fellowship also saves money by reduced mailing cost for all those payment reminders and lapsed memberships.


Keep Your Dues Current
      For a third year a $250.00 scholarship is available for a WFOP member. The scholarship must be used toward tuition and expenses at the School of the Arts-Rhinelander in 2009. This scholarship has been sponsored by one of the Fellowship’s members.
       The Board will select the recipient at their winter meeting. The recipient must attend SOAR in 2009 and present receipts to WFOP to verify participation. He or she may take any classes.
       The first recipient of the scholarship was Brenda Hansen in 2007. Caroline Vargo was the 2008 recipient. In order to apply please send the following in a single envelope:

  • Name, address, and contact information
  • A statement of roughly 100 words describing what you hope to achieve at SOAR and whatever else you consider important in supporting your request for this scholarship
  • A sample of your writing (three pages or so)

Please send to:
      Lester Smith, WFOP President
      PO Box 12
      Elkhorn, WI 53121
Application postmark deadline is December 31, 2008.

Food for the Heart & the Hungry Poetry Reading
      This year marks the 5th annual Food for the Heart & the Hungry Poetry Reading sponsored by the Wasteland Poets on Saturday, September 13th. The open mic reading begins at 6:30 p.m. at Martha Merrell’s Books & Café, 231 W. Main Street, Waukesha. Poets and audience are asked to bring a non-perishable food donation for the Waukesha County Food Pantry. Refreshments will be served and door prizes given away.
       To sign up early to read, e-mail Anjie Greene-Martin at poetanj@gmail.com, or call Liz Hammond Rhodebeck at (262)695-2761. There will also be a sign-up sheet at the door. Participating poets are welcome to sell their books that evening. See wastelandpoets.com for more information and downloadable flyer.

In Memoriam

Katherine Short

     Katherine Short, known as Kay by her fellow Round-Robiners, from Edgerton, Wisconsin, died in March 2008. Born in l921 and raised in Upper Michigan’s Mining country, Kay moved to Wisconsin with her six children, after the untimely death of her first husband. Later she remarried and had two more children. All eight children survive her. Kay began writing poems in high school, and has been frequently published in magazines and anthologies, including the Poets' Calendar. She also has several self-published chapbooks. She enjoyed her WRWA Round Robin affiliations and was astute in her critiques. She lived on a small acreage where her windows looked out over gardens and cornfields where she gleaned her inspiration for the family, spiritual and nature themes that dominated her writings. We shall miss her lovely poems and her sage advice.

Elayne Clipper Hanson, Member of the Live Poets Society Round Robin and Dorothy’s Robins, two groups of which Kay was also a member

Eleanor “Isadore” Larmon

     Eleanor “Isadore” Larmon, 97, formerly of Marshfield, died Saturday, November 17, 2007. She was born in Center, CO in 1910. Writing was Isadore’s life-long passion, in particular the writing of poetry. She had her first poem published by the Milwaukee Journal when she was 11 years old. Isadore was named the Poet Laureate of Wisconsin in 1966. She was a member of the WFOP, WRWA and most recently the Marshfield Area Free Verse Poetry Group.


Markets
Contest Updates
Publications

Museletter Poetry Page
Parenting
Editor: Wendy Vardaman

COMING OF AGE

On his twenty-first birthday
my son calls from a rainforest hut
at Cape Tribulation, Queensland
through radio waves, no lines,
to tell me how he watched
the poisonous snake’s display
after his walking pole missed it by inches,
fished with his bare hands in crocodile waters,
swam with sharks at the Great Barrier Reef.

Soon he’ll leave his hosts in Cairns
to study at Mission Beach
a flightless bird named Cassowary,
blue-necked and wise-looking in books,
more like birds in dreams or paintings,
but their kicks have proven fatal.

And having taken my breath away,
he announces that he will learn next week
to scuba dive off Orpheus Island.

The names of unknown places tease me.
Does he see the reef of history
strewn with displaced dreamers?

His parting shot is Mom, you have to see
this place: it’s time for you to travel.

             —Estella Lauter, Fish Creek

 

THE RUBES HIT OAKLAND, 1956

“She’s wearing a Max,” my four-year-old girl told me.
“A what?” “A Max. On her face. It scares me.
I wish she’d take it off.”
I was confused. “Where is she?” I asked.
House by house, we walked down the street until we found it.
A house with a little old Chinese lady in the yard.
“Oh, a mask!” I said. “Honey, she’s nothing to be afraid of.
It’s not a mask like for Halloween. That’s her face.
She’s just a different race from us. That’s her skin.
It doesn’t come off. If you fall down and skin your knee,
it grows back, just the same look and color.
It comes from the inside and never changes.”
There was a thoughtful pause while she considered.
“Can’t she just take it off a little?” she asked..

             —Fran Rall, Madison



WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE

They live in a forty-foot mobile
with blinds drawn so that
no one will know anything.
He works in the stench
of the leather factory south of Sioux City,
a recovering alcoholic, waiting for the day
he can drive again.
She’s not recovering, though if she knows
you’re coming, she’ll sober up
and talk about old times.

Two large flat-faced tvs
dominate the living room
and two despondent over-stuffed chairs
face the screens.The kitchen table is stacked
with boxes, unrelated to food,
though she says she cooks.

When he speaks to her he orders her
to take out the trash.
Showing some pride, she doesn’t
respond at the time,
but eventually does as she is told.

Her appearance is hollow-cheeked;
the hood of her grey sweat-shirt,
covers the burn scar above her left ear.
As a child her face was full of smiles;
her dark eyes danced to the tune of her stories.
Sunshine followed her down the sidewalk.

             —Lincoln Hartford, New Lisbon

 

FIFTEEN

upon each cheek
a red flush of passion
that tempts
the boy-man
to reach
for the fruit
under her sweater

my kitchen poem
will not assemble
just pretends to dance
in the deep sighs
that are my daughter
and her boyfriend
on the living room couch

kissing

in a patch of sunlight
on a Saturday afternoon.

             —Susan Huebner, Mukwonago

FIRST BLOOD
(May 7, 2002)

“Your daughter’s started her period!”
“What should I do?”
“Nothing, you’re the dad.
Dads aren’t supposed to know.”

10 ½ years is too soon.
She’ll figure it all out.
Get it on with tampons, maxi pads, and Advil.
Doesn’t seem fair. Showing up so early
when she still wants to be a boy.
Runs faster than any boy.

Of course I don’t know about it.
Not invited into the Women Only Blood Club.
Staying clueless—the elegantly simpler gender.
My mind works on an impromptu ol’ dad-soft-shoe
             circle of women, full moon,
             the ebb and the flow,
             women’s secrets, sisterhood,
             and the Goddess Girl’s Club,
but it’s not working. Nothing sacred about any of this for me.

When I get home I hug her
“let's go for a coke and a hamburger”
             … as if nothing’s happened.
Just your same old dad. The old safe shoe.
Feeling sad for she who must now bleed in secret, alone.

             —F.J. Bergmann, Poynette
previously appeared in Southern Poetry
Review

 

LISTEN, MOTHER

I am first of all not disturbed
rather I do what is right
and you don’t understand

mom you kept me from you
in ways I couldn’t argue
all I wanted then was to hold you

so tight and ride over
those angry waves or sink
with our arms around each other

and see where that would go
sometimes I almost remember so much
I couldn’t do anything about

but now I have his strong arms
around me I don’t need your
woman’s touch you wouldn’t give

what I must do now is wait
he’s left his wife and all that
just a year and the law lets me go

oh why do you keep saying “no way”
no way I’ll take my meds
you bet your ass there’s more I’ll do.

             —R. Virgil Ellis, Cambridge

 

FISHER-PRICE

A man slumps in a plastic chair
at a plastic table in a blue-and-
pink kitchen. He is staring at a
plastic place mat. His wife and
baby have driven off in the shiny
red convertible. The double doors
suddenly fly open. God’s face fills
the doorway. He is two years old,
and he knows everything.

             —John Lehman, Cambridge

 

STAY IN THE KITCHEN

That’s where the action is
so said the mother
of teens
and the words turned me
into a middle-aged
Cinderella

Well past midnight
I baked cookies
filled the crock pot
cleaned the refrigerator
scrubbed pots
clipped coupons
polished silver

Staying close to the hearth
I tended the fire
Listened to my children

After they were asleep
I sifted the ashes.

             —Kathleen Phillips, Waukesha
previously published in Free Verse

Theme for Fall issue:
“What were you wearing?”
See below for more specific submission information.

Deadline:
Friday, November 7, 2008

Poems by Our Membership
NEW EDITOR! Submit via email, either pasted into the message or attached as a Word document, to
mlt@uwm.edu. Or send via snail-mail to: Marilyn Taylor, 2825 E. Newport Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211. Membership status must be current to be considered for publication on these pages.

Theme for Poems By Our Membership Pages
“What were you wearing?”
a poem about a specific event in your life, large or small, that also has something to do with what you had on at the time. Possibilities: first day of school; somebody's wedding; meeting the in-laws; the junior prom; a disastrous job interview, a costume party, etc. The poem should be written IN THE FIRST PERSON, but keep in mind that it does NOT necessarily need to be strictly autobiographical. It could be an experience borrowed from someone else, or even made up out of whole cloth, so to speak
.

THIRTY LINE MAXIMIUM. All forms are welcome, including free verse—but please, no haiku and no prose poems.

Thank you from Wendy Vardaman
With my family headed to Italy for the fall semester and an expanded job looming at the Young Shakespeare Players when I return, it seems like a good time to step down from the position of Poetry Editor for the Museletter, which I’ve held for four years now. I’d like to thank all the members of WFOP for having me—I’ve enjoyed getting to know the wide range and depth of Wisconsin poets who are part of this supportive and talented writing community. Although I won’t be editor any longer, I do have several poetry projects in the works, including a collection,
Obstructed View, forthcoming from Fireweed Press in 2009.
Meet Your New Poetry Page Editor: Marilyn Taylor
We’re very fortunate that Marilyn Taylor will be the next Poetry Page editor. Marilyn’s poems have appeared in
Poetry, Measure, The American Scholar, The Formalist, and many other journals and anthologies. Her work won first place in competitions sponsored by Dogwood, Passager, The Ledge, GSU Review, and Anamnesis Press, and her second full-length collection, titled Subject to Change, was nominated for the Poets Prize in 2005. Her latest chapbook, The Seven Very Liberal Arts, was published in 2006 in a fine letterpress edition by Aralia Press—and another is due out in early 2009 from Parallel Press. Marilyn is a Contributing Editor for The Writer magazine, where her articles on poetic craft appear bi-monthly. She has taught for many years at the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, and served as Poet Laureate of Milwaukee in 2004 and 2005.

How Not to Write a Query Letter
by F.J. Bergmann

A while back, a query letter arrived that failed to serve its intended purpose on every possible level: a nearly perfect example of how not to query a publisher or editor. I sent a considered reply that I hoped would be helpful, as well as serving as the basis for the following reminders of recommended procedure.

The absence of an SASE, which usually triggers an instant discard without a response, was the first of many errors—and made a lament about the cost of postage especially unattractive. The letter began by stating that it was “generic” because “I do not have the time … to address publishers individually.” This implies a lack of concern with suitability for the press, and a preference for wasting a busy professional’s time rather than one’s own. Savvy poets—even those with full-time jobs—investigate markets, and the pertinent protocol, before submitting. And describing oneself as a "retiree" will be perceived as "having ample time at one’s disposal." The letter succeeded in being rude and arrogant right off the bat—unlikely to be well-received in an industry where properly-submitted manuscripts form slushpiles many feet high.

It also mentioned “creative efforts,” and that the writer considered himself a “poet by birth”; remarks like these tend to be received with hilarity. Self-flattery in a query marks an insecure novice. Any mention of copyright also indicates inexperience with publishing conventions. And syntactical errors in a cover letter do not inspire confidence in writing skills.

Lecturing on rigid views of poetics, e.g., “iambic pentameter … is as natural as a person walking down the street,” or marketing, e.g., “If … publishers are going to see anything that resembles a profit …,” is nothing short of disastrous. If an editor is interested in the form espoused, didactic remarks are superfluous; if not, he is likely to take offense. These marketing suggestions contradict actual sales of poetry books. Contemporary formalists’ books sell no better than those lacking in “the old school of rhyme, rhythm, and meaning.” Nor do lengthy poems (also castigated in the letter) drive away consumers; new long works, as well as classics, e.g., Beowulf, continue to sell.

A poetry press is interested in (non-self-reported) poem quality, which inclusion of a small sample (no more than 10 pages!) and publication record would have made evident. Usually, when a poetry manuscript is accepted, many, if not most, of the poems will have already been published in literary journals—the only credits taken seriously. Publication credits cited were industry and fraternal organization newspapers and newsletters—and even worse, poetry.com.

For every poem or poetry book published, thousands are rejected. Except for manuscript contests, few presses want to see an entire book manuscript without a sample first. The exception would be vanity presses, and any publisher that requests a manuscript in the wake of a letter like this hopes to profit from the writer, rather than from book sales.

Information on submitting for publication can readily be obtained at public libraries and online. Find a mentor who is published. Join a critique group. Attend writing workshops. Join WFOP! Go to local poetry readings and open mikes. Haunt bookstores, like Woodland Pattern, Milwaukee’s (and Wisconsin’s) preeminent poetry bookstore and resource for poets. Read contemporary poetry. What living poets do you enjoy, and which of them are writing work similar to your own? Begin by submitting to journals where these poets have been published.

A number of Wisconsin literary journals (there is a distinction between a journal or magazine, and a book publisher) are receptive to submissions by inexperienced poets: Cup of Poems, Free Verse, and the Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar, to name a few. An appropriate strategy would be to submit poems to these—after a careful reading of their submission guidelines—and try more renowned journals as you get a feel for what is actually being published where.

Links to previous Museletter articles by F.J. Bergmann at fibitz.com/poemfactotum/submit.html.


Workshops, Contests, Etc.

Come to Redbird Studio This Fall for the Bi-Weekly Poetry Roundtable!
Fall Session
4 Tuesdays: September 2, 16, 30, October 7: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Late Fall Session
4 Tuesdays: November 4, 18, December 2, 16: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The format is always informal; the atmosphere supportive. Facilitated by WFOP member Marilyn Taylor, this group ofenergetic, creative poets is positively brilliant at pinpointing problems, analyzing, and very often totally healing the ailing poem. A warm welcome will be extended to all poets! For more info, call Judy Bridges at Redbird: (414) 481-3195. Or e-mail her at jb@redbirdstudio.com.

“Getting a Word in Edgewise”
September 21 to 26, 2008
Marilyn Taylor’s 5-day Poetry Workshop at Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor
“The best words in the best order.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge said it first—and even now, 200 years later, most poets agree that this is still the goal to strive for. We’re aware, as Coleridge was, that a genuinely successful poem has far less to do with an “interesting idea” than it does with choosing exactly the right words for expressing it. This poetry workshop will focus on our finding and using those very words—the ones that will help us build our most unforgettable poems to date. Interesting and very revealing exercises will help us reach deeply into our vocabularies, and take selective advantage of the vast supply of synonyms that the English language provides. We’ll also try playing a little fast-and-loose with syntax (word-order), to make sure our words are affecting our readers exactly the way we intend them to. We’ll be creating new poems in the process, of course, and trying out a few makeovers for our old ones, too. For more information, go to lawrence.edu/dept/bjork/08_intro.shtml.
From Poem to Sequence
Robin Chapman will teach a workshop on From Poem to Sequence: Writing into chapbooks and books in the Celebrity Saturday series 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, September 20, 2008, at AllWriters Workshop, 234 Brook Street #2, Waukesha, WI 53188. For more information, call (262) 446-0284 or visit the website at: allwriters.org/celebrity_satudays.asp.

FINANCES
First Quarter Financial Report**

April 1, 2008 through June 30, 2008

General Account:  submitted by Nancy Rafal, treasurer
Balance
April 1, 2008                  $53,224.05
Income: Dues
$875.00
  ’08 Spring Conference Income
$3,887.00
  T-shirts/tote bags
$84.00
  Museletter book ad
$5.00
  5 for 4 CD Interest
$51.94
  ’06 Student Contest Checks uncashed
$20.00
  Total Income
$4,922.94
Expenses: Museletter
$1,012.40
  J. Bergmann-web stuff

$60.00

  N. Rafal: postage/supplies

$89.34

  C. Vargo-SOAR

$250.00

  N. Jesse-Student Contest

$524.30

  Student Contest Judge

$100.00

  Student Contest Prizes

$200.00

  Radisson-Spring ’08 Conference

$3,181.51

  V. Golata-Conference Speaker

$250.00

  M. Kriesel-Conference

$2.73

  R. Lasley-Conference Music

$50.00

  M. Schlogenhaft-Conference Printing
$40.00
  J. Roberts-Conference Costs
$82.47
  ’08 Spring Conference-Refunds
$174.00
  Total Expenses
$6,016.75

Outstanding checks ($270.00)

Closing Statements Balance as of June 30, 2008   $52,400.24

General Account Balance June 30, 2008   $52,130.24*

*$25,000 of this is invested in three interest-bearing CDs: one $5,000 CD (22 months) for the General Account to help bridge the gap created by “5 for 4,” and two $10,000 CDs (13 months) the interest of which goes to the Literary Fund for our contest prizes.


Literary Fund Account:  submitted by Susan Kileen, Literary Fund Co-Chair
Balance
April 1, 2008                        $1,583.83
Income: Donation
$45.00
  Total Income
$45.00
 Expenses: Muse Cash Awards
$375.00
  Muse Trophy
$214.34
  Muse Winner Lunch
$12.00
  Triad Fliers
$10.41
  Total Expenses
$611.75

Outstanding check ($10.41)

Closing Statement Balance on June 30, 2008          $1,027.49

Literary Fund Balance on June 30, 2008      $1,017.08


Calendar Account:  submitted by Michael Farmer, Calendar Business Manager
Balance
April 1, 2008            $4,357.81
Income:
Calendar Sales
$291.58
  Total Income
$291.58
Expenses: Postage
$40.39
 
Total Expenses
$40.39
Calendar Account Balance June 30, 2008  $6,255.63

General Fund
$53,130.4
Literary Fund
$1,017.08
Calendar Fund
$6,255.63
Total
$59,402.95

Fiscal year is April 1 to March 31 to coincide with our federal tax filing; the quarterly designations are now as follows:

First Quarter April 1 — June 30
Second Quarter July 1 — September 30
Third Quarter October 1 — December 31
Fourth Quarter January 1 — March 31

submitted by Nancy Rafal, treasurer

"Fellowship" T-Shirts, Sweatshirts & Mugs Available
Sport your Fellowship membership proudly, and support us as well! The WFOP logo now graces T-shirts, sweatshirts and coffee mugs. The "T" is a basic-white model, silkscreened front and back in black. L and XL for $10; XXL costs $11. The sweatshirt, screened yellow-on-blue, goes for $20. The mug, at $5, is white ceramic with fired-on black printing. To purchase, contact membership chair Peter Piaskoski at kppi2105@sbcglobal.net or call (414) 332-9113.

Door County Retreat for Rent
South Nest

Three bedroom, two bath house near Cana Island. A quiet, restful, woodland retreat located in the boreal forest just off County Q. Woodburning fireplace, convenient location for all of northern Door County. 8734 E. Moonlight Bay Drive, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202-0340. (920) 839-2191 or mrsticket@dcwis.com Rates: $50/night/room or $125/whole house/night.

Wisconsin Poets' Calendar

It’ll soon be that time of year again! Submissions for the 2010 Wisconsin Poets’ calendar will be open from November 1, 2008, through February 1, 2009. You’ll be able to send up to three poems (each of 32 lines or less). Previously published poems are welcome—we’re looking for your best work, so send it. Full guidelines will be available at the WFOP Fall Conference and also in the fall Museletter. We look forward to reading your poems! Huzzah.

B.J. Best and
Charles Nevsimal, co-editors

Calendar Info Page
Order Form


Conference Rotation Schedule

  Fall 2008
Oct. 31–Nov. 1
Northwest
VP Jan Chronister
Spring 2009
April 24-25
South

Fall 2009
November 6-7
East-Milwaukee

Spring 2010
April 23-24
Northeast
Fall 2010
November 5-6
Central-Fox Valley

Museletter Advertising Rates
Books for Sale in Poetry Publications
section..................... $5.00 per listing
(This price is not discounted to Members. Discount is built into the one free listing per book, per year)

Business Card ....... $25.00
Quarter Page ........ $50.00
Half Page.............. $100.00

Prices are for camera-ready advertisements. Specialty designs or advertisement setups at a price to be determined. Contact Museletter editor if interested in purchasing advertisements.


Remember!
The next Museletter
DEADLINE
is
November 7, 2008
How to reach the Museletter Editor:
Christine Falk
9556 Upper 205th Street
West Lakeville, MN 55044

(952) 985-5375
email: thefalks@frontiernet.net