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Mad Poets, Mild Poets, Wild Poets a History of the Rotorua Mad Poets Society

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Mad Poets, Mild Poets, Wild Poets a History of the Rotorua Mad Poets Society The magazIne OF The New ZealanD POETRY SOCIETY ISSN 1177-6544 (PRINT) ISSN 1178-3931 (OnlIne) Tea Hunga Tito R uri o Aotearoafine line July 2014 Mad Poets, Mild Poets, Wild Poets A History of the Rotorua Mad Poets Society NEW ZEALAND POETRY SOCIETY Jackie Evans Te Hunga Tito Ruri o Aotearoa On May 15th 1994, a group of poets met for the first time at Monkey Jo’s Bar in Amohau Street, Rotorua. Initially they were strangers, but not for long. New ZealanD POETRY SOCIETY Frank May, a member of the Rotorua Writers Group, had placed an ad in the PO BOX 5283 Rotorua Daily Post. It went something like this: “Calling all poets. If you have an LambTON QUAY interest in reading, writing, or listening to poetry, join us at Monkey Jo’s Bar on WellIngTON Monday May 15th, at 6pm.” Cynics said at the time that a town such as Rotorua, lacking a university, PATROns Dame Fiona Kidman would never sustain a weekly poetry group, since it ‘lacked culture’. However, Vincent O’Sullivan in the words of the late John Bayley, former President of the Mad Poets Society, “the shroud-wavers were proved wrong”. PRESIDENT Now, almost 20 years and nine published collections of verse later, Mad Lonnard Dean Watkins Poets are still meeting on a weekly basis, and recently celebrated their 914th meeting. Foundation members on May 15th 1994 included Frank May, John EMAIL: [email protected] www.poetrysociety.org.nz Bayley, Diane Broadworth, Phillip Ball, Maureen Doherty, Dorothy Wison, Lia van Lent, June Willis, Alan Papprill, and Dave O’Connor. On June 9th, 1994, the following article appeared in the Rotorua Daily Post: Calling all Live Poets: closet poets of all ages have been crawling out of the woodwork to share their masterpieces with fellow artists. Since the Mad Poets Society was established about a month ago by Mr Frank WELLINGTON MEETINGS May – a member of the Rotorua Writers’ Group – it has attracted over 30 Poetry @ The Thistle Inn people, and continues to grow every week. Mrs Maureen Doherty, who 3 Mulgrave St, Wellington Central helped Mr May get the meetings underway, says it is an informal get- Starts at 7.30pm with open mic. together, with the emphasis on having fun. “The Mad Poets Society is a warm and friendly group, with everyone To find out who the Guest Poet is, please see: being warmly applauded when they perform their poems. There’s no http://www.poetrysociety.org.nz/ criticism, and no judgmental attitudes – for example, nobody thinks you comingevents have to be intellectual. Many people put pen to paper, including men. It’s just a great night of laughter and fun. Although there is a theme every second week, any kind of poetry is encouraged, from political satire to DEADLINE FOR humorous rhymes – absolutely anything, as long as it’s not filth. There‘s always a smorgasbord of work,” Mrs Doherty says. “The Society is SEPTEMBER ISSUE: considering holding a live poetry competition, and perhaps publishing a booklet at a later date.” 1 SEPTEMBER In September 1994, Mad Poets changed its venue to the Pig and Whistle Pub in Tutanekai Street, where they celebrated their 215th meeting with a party. The Weekender reported Frank May as saying: “There will be limericks and poems about life and living and something for a laugh. Renowned poet Sam Hunt has been invited and everyone will have the opportunity to recite their own work”. In 1995, Steamy Lakeland Verse, the first collection of poems published © New Zealand Poetry Society / JULY 2014 / EDITOR: Laurice Gilbert / [email protected] / 1 by the Society, was launched with funding assistance nights. Hundreds more favourite poems penned by the from the Rotorua Community Arts Council. Maureen great bards of literature have also been read by members.” Doherty claimed first prize in the Rotonia Community At this 200th meeting, members brought an object, or Arts Council/Daily Post (1996) Poetry competition, dressed up to depict a character from their poem. A live with her poem ‘Upper Whirinaki River’. rooster, brought by Maureen, sat quietly on her shoulder All Steamed Up, the Society’s second collection all evening. Her poem was ‘The Battery Hens’. of verse, was published in 1996. In his introduction In the Rotorua Daily Post (15/9/98), Maureen President John Bayley said: “This is the second anthology reported: “We are a vibrant, friendly group, and welcome of poems by some of Rotorua’s poets, members of the new members. It’s wonderful to see new members Rotorua Mad Poets Society. We have been careful to improve in confidence, from those first barely audible place no rules upon the form or content of the poetry. We readings, with shaking paper, to a confident live poet.” celebrate and regard every contribution as original and A poetry competition in 1999 for intermediate school valid for both the individual and the group.” children, as part of the Youth Celebration Festival, drew a magnificent crop of entries. A prime organiser of the OnWARD AND UpWARD event, Peter Ball, said in the Rotorua Review that the quality of entries had been quite staggering. A special Meetings continued to flourish, and in 1996 the first of presentation was held in the Rotorua Public Library, with many poetry competitions to encourage young Rotorua a large attendance of young people, parents and members poets was organised by the Society, in conjunction with of the public. the Rotorua Review. From176 entries, John Paul College Mad Poets, Mild Poets, Wild Poets, the fourth student Stephanie Northey was placed first, winning $100, anthology of verse collected by the Society, was published with her poem, ‘Nana’s Stroke’. in October 1999. Peter Bald described it: “This book is With a new venue, the Good Sports Hotel, Mad considered our best to date, in terms of both presentation Poets continued to flourish. Under Maureen Doherty’s and content.” In the preface, Maureen Doherty wrote: leadership, poets were encouraged to recite in schools, “The poetry reflects a wide range of abilities, from the rest homes, and for community groups. The Rotorua beginner poet, tentatively penning those first lines to the Daily Post (August 1996) stated: “The Mad Poets Society more polished, previously published poet.” held its 100th meeting on Monday and members John On March 12th 2000, Maureen Doherty died. Bayley and Jackie Evans visited Glen Brae Rest Home on Founding member and loved President of the Mad Poets Wednesday afternoon, entertaining the residents with Society, she had suffered from a serious heart condition their favourite lines of verse.” for some time. Look Twice For Me, a biography of I recall John Bayley asking if any resident would like Maureen Doherty by Jackie Evans (2009) describes the to recite a poem. A frail elderly man, who had appeared life and work of Maureen Doherty, acclaimed poet and to be dozing, suddenly came to life, and recited ‘The writer, teacher, and conservationist, and a kind and caring Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth in a loud voice – word friend to many. A fact which Maureen rarely mentioned perfect – to enthusiastic applause! was that many of her poems had been published overseas, A card of appreciation from Room B1 at Rotorua including England, Canada, Israel and the USA. Primary School read,:“Thank you to Gwen [White], Jim Since Maureen’s death the Maureen Doherty [McGregor], Barbara [Kissock], Durelle [Dean], and Kay Intermediate School Poetry Competition, organised [McGregor] for sharing your poems.” The card included a in conjunction with the Rotorua Review, has been run number of the children’s original poems. biennially. As a consequence many young Rotorua poets For this community outreach, Mad Poets was have been encouraged to put pen to paper, and in 2001 awarded Runner Up in the Community Arts and Culture Mad Poets published its first collection of verse by young category of the Trust Power Spirit of Rotorua awards. Rotorua poets, entitled Bubbling Up – Voices of Young The Society’s third collection of verse, Letting Off Rotorua Poets. Steam, was published in 1998. Secretary Durelle Dean Valerie Dyson, president of Mad Poets from 2000- stated, “This is a versatile and enjoyable book of verse, 2001, wrote in the preface: “It is heartening to see so very readable, and appealing to a wide group of people.” many young people expressing themselves in poetry. Maureen Doherty added, “We believe it is a professional Looking at the selection in this book, I would say poetry contribution to the Arts in Rotorua. The book will be is alive and well and living in Rotorua.” distributed locally, but is expected to be sent to libraries throughout the country.” In September 1998, Mad Poets celebrated their 200th PERSONAL SUCCESSES night of live poetry. Apart from Christmas and New Year Individual members now began publishing their own breaks, the group had not missed a single Monday night work. One of the first to do so was Gwen White, whose since May 15th, 1994. Maureen Doherty said, “Hundreds book Have You Considered? was published in 1999. In the of poems have been penned by members during our 200 Rotorua Daily Post (2/2/98), Gwen described her book as, 2 / © New Zealand Poetry Society / JULY 2014 / EDITOR: Laurice Gilbert / [email protected] “A light-hearted look at human stories about everyday life.” – Sixty Poems on the Lighter Side. Illustrations and In 2000, Esme Kissock published Two Lands, One Heart, cartoons for this book are by Mad Poet and artist, Diane a year after winning the Florence Keene Memorial Poetry Broadworth. competition with her poem ‘Outside Paradise’, which Collected poems of the late John Bayley, president and attracted national interest.
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