Meeting Tuesday November 2nd

Writing assignment

"Impressions of Kimberley"

Christine wrote three short pieces that captured for her the essence of Kimberley very succinctly. In summary they included 1. fresh-baked huckleberry pies, nature's beauty, a bath in a mountain lake and not looking for Happy Hans. 2. Friendly locals in a welcoming community who were there when a crisis struck.
3.After 22 years Christine feels she is almost a local. They know my name, my children, my house and my car.

Don read excerpts from his book "Headwinds and Horizons" which recalled the first memories of arriving in Kimberley in 1967 with his new bride. June's reaction was to burst into tears and sob uncontrollably. Don didn't help matters by spending time in the pub with the locals for a couple of hours leaving June to discover his whereabouts after her short shopping spree.

Sue's impressions were of the beauty of the natural environment and Kimberley folk being hardy souls with an incessant cheeriness. They give directions based on how things used to be. They need to take a trip to Frigon Island to get get a dose of world reality and drink something other than berry and flower tea.

Nina came to Kimberley via Toronto "to be" Lost memories haunt her of a life once lived. She feels a lack of attachment, ambition and purpose so far but has a sense of freedom.

Heather. Two poems captured her impressions. Kimberley, how do I love you? Let me count the ways. They included kindred spirits that reside in the mountains blessed with elk and bear, toddlers laughter, Mark Creek's ebbs and flows, wingterscapes and trails, resplendent forests, lakes and rivers. Let me end my ode. Calgary is the toad.

Kay has a new used dog for company to ease the loneliness of waking alone. She is looking for a partner. That charming young man she discovered, after an evening of gin and tonics, confessed his love for leading a single life. She is resigned to being single. There is still room on the bed for the dog.

Margaret shared lots of reflections of her 25 years in Kimberley that included seeking recreation rather than employment, to be recognized, to listen to trees and deer, to await seasons patiently, to evolve never. She loves the brisk mountain air, the reflective clear waters and graceful golden larch. It's here that she is able to pursues her passions.

Mike. Kimberley has changed over the years from a working class commmunity that has morphed into a middle and upper class community becoming dominated by vacant holiday homes of the wealthy. Where there were once forests surrounding the town with trails close beyond the backdoor there are now barbed wire fences across old trails and resident bears that once roamed free are being slaughtered because of the encroachment into their habitat. There has been a loss of it's character as a diamond in the rough and commmunal independence has been lost. It is certainly a diffferent place.
"Impressions of Kimberley"

Christine wrote three short pieces that captured for her the essence of Kimberley very succinctly. In summary they included 1. fresh-baked huckleberry pies, nature's beauty, a bath in a mountain lake and not looking for Happy Hans. 2. Friendly locals in a welcoming community who were there when a crisis struck.
3.After 22 years Christine feels she is almost a local. They know my name, my children, my house and my car.

Don read excerpts from his book "Headwinds and Horizons" which recalled the first memories of arriving in Kimberley in 1967 with his new bride. June's reaction was to burst into tears and sob uncontrollably. Don didn't help matters by spending time in the pub with the locals for a couple of hours leaving June to discover his whereabouts after her short shopping spree.

Sue's impressions were of the beauty of the natural environment and Kimberley folk being hardy souls with an incessant cheeriness. They give directions based on how things used to be. They need to take a trip to Frigon Island to get get a dose of world reality and drink something other than berry and flower tea.

Nina came to Kimberley via Toronto "to be" Lost memories haunt her of a life once lived. She feels a lack of attachment, ambition and purpose so far but has a sense of freedom.

Heather. Two poems captured her impressions. Kimberley, how do I love you? Let me count the ways. They included kindred spirits that reside in the mountains blessed with elk and bear, toddlers laughter, Mark Creek's ebbs and flows, wingterscapes and trails, resplendent forests, lakes and rivers. Let me end my ode. Calgary is the toad.

Kay has a new used dog for company to ease the loneliness of waking alone. She is looking for a partner. That charming young man she discovered, after an evening of gin and tonics, confessed his love for leading a single life. She is resigned to being single. There is still room on the bed for the dog.

Margaret shared lots of reflections of her 25 years in Kimberley that included seeking recreation rather than employment, to be recognized, to listen to trees and deer, to await seasons patiently, to evolve never. She loves the brisk mountain air, the reflective clear waters and graceful golden larch. It's here that she is able to pursues her passions.

Mike. Kimberley has changed over the years from a working class commmunity that has morphed into a middle and upper class community becoming dominated by vacant holiday homes of the wealthy. Where there were once forests surrounding the town with trails close beyond the backdoor there are now barbed wire fences across old trails and resident bears that once roamed free are being slaughtered because of the encroachment into their habitat. There has been a loss of it's character as a diamond in the rough and commmunal independence has been lost. It is certainly a diffferent place.

Meeting Tuesday November 2nd

Writing exercise.
Christine provided the following opening sentence that we had to finish in story form...
"So Nick Wally lived a half hazard life from the day he was born. Mostly due to no fault of his own but by the time he was seventeen....."
Margaret's Nick headed out for new horizons in his van with his dog.
Kay. Nick discovered that he was a genius which meant that life only became tougher for him.
Heather's Nick lost his virginity albeit late in the day after being successfully taunted by Candace.
Nina. Nick had to take responsibility for his actions. Someone was dead and Nick believed he was involved.
Sue. Nick plunged into degenerate negativisms being on drugs and shooting up in the foul washroom of the Cecil Hotel. Death was waiting to release him from his despair.
Don. Nick had been in jail three times that he claimed was no fault of his own. Once for hosting a drunken party that got out of hand and again for delivering a box of health food itmes to a friend in Mexico that the customs agents believed were drugs.
Christine's Nick left his half-crazed mother to go in search of his dad who his mother told him was dead and had gone to hell.
Mike. Nick was determined to leave his Italian Mafia connected relatives to find hbis own way in the world.

Workshop with Luanne

In Luanne's email, she said that people who have specific questions about their work can email her some reading ahead of time if they wish at luannea@telus.net.

Here are the details.....


“WRITE ON” WRITERS’ GROUP PRESENTS…

A WRITING WORKSHOP WITH
LUANNE ARMSTRONG
THEME: ‘A SENSE OF PLACE’


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 7 PM - location TBA

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 9:30-3:30 - at Center 64, DEER PARK AVE. KIMBERLEY
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST
(INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS BY APPT.)

REGISTER AT CENTER 64, (250) 427-4919
REGISTER BEFORE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH $70
REGISTER AFTER FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH $80


FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL HEATHER AT
(250) 427-5112
or email heatherwattie@gmail.com

National Novel Writing Month 2010

Who has heard of NaNoWriMo?
I've been meaning to do this for years now and have never tried it. Are there any brave souls willing to give up the month of November?
Here's a summary

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Next Meeting

From Christine in regards to our next meeting's assignment...


As you might remember, I was reading a poem from a poster of Nelson, which I have had in my possession for many years. Here it is:


"To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable;
and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to the stars and the birds, to babes and sages;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual unbidden and unconscious grow up throught he common."
...This is life in Nelson


Opinions where divided about the poem and how it really relates to living in the City of Nelson, but that is in the eye of the beholder.


What I would like to ask as an assignment is for everybody to write something up about Kimberley. Could be a poem, a story or even a rant - whatever comes up.

One Book, One Kootenay 2010 Selection

Announcing the One Book, One Kootenay 2010 Selection.

Treading Water

by Anne DeGrace has been chosen as the book to read this year.

Set in a fictional community based on Renata, B.C., the novel traces a community and its people from the first settler to the last to leave in the face of hydroelectric dam development in the 1960s. For people living in the Columbia Basin, and for anyone who has faced forced evacuation, this book is close to home.

Join us Friday, October 29, 7 pm Kimberley Public Library

Anne DeGrace reads from Treading Water, with slideshow from Remembering Renata exhibition

Sponsored by the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance,

Kimberley Public Library, and the Kootenay Library Federation. www.obok.ca

Author photo by Timothy Schafer

October 19th, Meeting Wrap Up

This week facilitator Heather opened up the floor extra wide for our creativity to flow through. A warm up exercise prompted by only the word Halloween and, of course, the take home exercises prompted by the words "Fall Leaves".

We were happy to welcome, again, some new faces to the group; Leigh Ann and Nina. Even with the comings and goings of some members, just the curiosity is a mere demonstration of the interest in the this quirky and subjective art form in our area. Subjects ranged from poetry to creative non-fiction.

Margaret started us off with poetry that illustrated a "copper coloured sky", Don described the beautiful Lois Creek forests and their ancient cyclical nature, Susan's poetic & personal piece used Fall "Leaves" as a verb as did Leigh Anne's. Both of the ladies' pieces were unique, vivid and beautifully written. Nicole (me) triggered the sense of smell through the "fall leaves" prompt. Heather did two shorter pieces, one regarding a Fall Leaf found in her Great Grandmother's journal and a second hide-and-seek in the fall leaf piles. Linda told of a woman named "Fall" and her struggles with the politics of South Africa. Marilee did three pieces that couldn't hide a gardener's expertise. Mike wrote, and as always, flawlessly performed, an older style rhythmic poem about the seasons that surround fall.

We're all looking forward to the workshop with Luanne. Please post - what is it you're looking to get out of the workshop? Have your say!