THE WRITING LIf E NONPROFIT ANNUAL ORGANIZATION Howard County Poetry and Literaure Society U.S. POSTAGE 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, ELB 239 PAID REPORT Columbia, MD 21044 COLUMBIA, MD PERMIT NO. 197 FY 2006 410-772-4568 www. hocopolitso.org Howard County Poetry & Literature Society ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED JULY 2005-JUNE 2006 SILEXENLARGING THE AUDIENCE FOR CONTEMPORARY POETRY & LITERATURE SINCE 1974 Plan to join us! Friday, February 9, 2007 20 Years of The Writing Life ’ve now participated in the pro- 29th Annual duction of four episodes of The IWriting Life, sitting in the HCC Irish Evening TV studio to watch our hosts inter- Sherman Alexie Edgar Gabriel Silex Lucille Clifton Anne Enright view Michael Coady, Edward P. Jones, Sherman Alexie, and Anne Enright. At that point, having arranged the part- nership and managed to get the writer 2006 Event Highlights to the studio on time (or not – there are good backstories there), there is ■ HoCoPoLitSo’s 32nd program year opened with Native American poet/novelist nothing to do but sit and watch what Sherman Alexie performing to an overflow audience at Howard Community College. His happens...which is always unexpected, residency was made possible through a partnership with the HCC Book Connection. That enlightening, inspiring, and often evening, a screening of Smoke Signals, based upon Alexie’s novel Reservation Blues, preceded hilarious. The writers and hosts are 20TH YEAR ON THE AIR a discussion facilitated by poet and professor Edgar Gabriel Silex. COMING UP THIS WINTER endearing in their willingness to HoCoPoLitSo’s The Writing Life, a cable television series, airs up to DECEMBER Ciaron Carson hosted by Terence Winch ■ In November at the Tai Sophia Institute, four local writers, Anne Barney, Ann Bracken, demystify the idea of The Writer and five times a week year-round on local educational cable stations. Irish poet Ciaran Carson, a traditional musician, flutist, tin- Mike Clark and Brendan Donegan, read from their work in “Speaking of Healing.” his or her Life, to laugh at themselves Shows changing monthly are accessible to more than two million whistler, and singer, is hosted by poet and musician Terence and the eternal optimism that keeps ■ At the 28th Evening of Irish Music and Poetry, Event Chair Catherine McLoughlin- Marylanders. This writer-to-writer talk show has been repeatedly Winch. Author of nine books of poetry and five of prose, he people telling and listening to each funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Maryland Hayes welcomed Dublin author and broadcast journalist Anne Enright to The Jim Rouse reads excerpts from Last Night’s Fun as well as from his recent other’s stories. Mysteriously, however, Humanities Council, as well as by local sponsors and viewers. translation of Dante’s Inferno. Mr. Carson was featured at the Theatre in Columbia, MD. His Excellency Noel Fahey, Ambassador of Ireland, introduced the more they show us behind the cur- 25th Annual Evening of Irish Music and Poetry in Columbia in the evening. A concert of traditional Irish music with musicians from Celtic Thunder and In FY 2006, two new editions were produced at the Howard tain, the greater my esteem, regard, Community College TV Studio: Sherman Alexie hosted by Edgar February 2003. (Encore) Narrowbacks Dominick Murray, Linda Hickman, Tony DeMarco, Terry Winch, and Silex debuted in November 2005, encore in March 2006; and Irish and awe for their art. JANUARY Celebrating Josephine Jacobsen Jesse Winch, along with stepdancers Maura Hodgetts and Caitlin Golding, followed. writer Anne Enright hosted by George O’Brien, debut April HoCoPoLitSo created this rich literary 2006. Three Maryland poets – Lucille Clifton, Michael Collier and ■ Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Maxine Kumin was unable to attend the scheduled Poetry archive, spanning twenty years and Elizabeth Spires – celebrate their distinguished colleague, the Month reading. In her place Linda Pastan, former Maryland Poet Laureate and winner of Encore editions airing during the year included Stanley Kunitz late Josephine Jacobsen (1908-2003). A closing segment over sixty poets and writers, under the the 2003 Ruth Lilly Prize, read with colleague Jean Nordhaus. hosted by Gregory Orr (1986) in July; Mary Gordon talks to includes never-before-seen videotape of Ms. Jacobsen, “a simply direction of Ellen Conroy Kennedy as Madison Smartt Bell (1995) in August; Saul Bellow with students astonishing poet” (Baltimore Sun) reading three poems and ■ As part of the Columbia Festival of the Arts and in partnership with Howard County founding president and Writing Life (1986, 2005) in September; Edward P. Jones hosted by E. talking about poetry during a 1982 Howard County visit. (Not Library, HoCoPoLitSo screened Voices in producer. Honored by the National Ethelbert Miller (2005) in October; Ciaran Carson with Terence to be confused with her 1995 show, at 88, with Roland Flint.) Wartime, Winch (2003) in December; Elizabeth Spires with Michael Collier (Encore 2003) a documentary that illuminates war Hometown Video Festival and the (2003) in January; Rita Dove with Michael Collier (1999) in through the light of poetry, followed by a BRAVO network’s “Art’s for Change” February; Mark Strand hosted by Henry Taylor (1991) in May; FEBRUARY Robert Bly hosted by Cornelius Eady panel discussion with local poet Karen Award and awarded funding from the and Carolyn Forche – Poetry of Witness with Roland Flint in June. Bly, who had authored over 40 books at that time, dedicated Arnold and historian Komozi Woodard, Maryland Humanities Council, the this edition of TWL to his poetry which William Stafford says, moderated by education expert Denis Doyle. National Endowment for the Arts, “enchances your life.” A World War II veteran, he talks about A residency by pop-up book artist Robert The Columbia Foundation, The LIVE EVENTS 2007 the power of the poets of that era that expressed emotions on Sabuda and The Langston Hughes Project, Columbia Festival of the Arts, The Paul Muldoon at 8 PM, Friday, February 9, 2007 the subject and the differences he saw with the Vietnam War. Among the poems Bly reads are: “Counting Small Boned a multi-media presentation, were also part of David Mura at Noon, Wednesday, May 23, 2007 continued on next page Bodies,” “Why We Don’t Die,” and “Ode to My Socks.” the Festival. Jean Nordhaus Linda Pastan (Encore 1997) HOWARD COUNTY POETRY & LITERATURE SOCIETY ■ www.hocopolitso.org ENDOWMENT GIFTS Ensure HoCoPoLitSo’s FUTURE. Gifts and pledges to the HoCoPoLitSo Fund at the Columbia Foundation The Writing Life Student Audiences Baltimore SUN; and Nora Scanlan, for- from February 1996 to October 15, 2006 are indicated below. mer Howard County high school guid- NOBEL CIRCLE Saundra Barrett Catherine McLoughlin-Hayes Joan Greenberg & Barbara William Dove continued from previous page Between October 2005 and March ance counselor. Lucille Clifton Douglas Heinrichs & Diane Lawson John Farrell $20,000 and up 2006, more than 765 students from Dianne M. Connelly Marshall In memory of Fredericka Dr. Catherine Gira Rouse Company Foundation and The ten creative writing winners were Padraic & Ellen Kennedy Frank & Margaret Lee Conroy Susan Thornton Hobby Clifton Mary T. Gould Howard County’s public high schools Jean & Bob Moon Minta D. Davis Michael & Carolyn Kelemen Thomas & Mary Lorsung John Harding Friends of HoCoPoLitSo, the half-hour Kelly Balkin (Centennial), Elizabeth In memory of Bessie Hurni In Honor of Ellen Conroy Linda & Robert Keller Virgie Mason Dr. Tara Hart discussed the process of writing poetry Flanagan Kennedy Janice Kisner Sylvia Padow Ken Jennings shows feature unique conversations – Dobbins (Centennial), and Matthew Patty Rouse Paula & Franco Einaudi Donna Lyle Russell (Joan) Phillippi Hazel Swann Jones with Baltimore poet Kendra Kopelke, In honor of Padraic and Ellen Richard & Mary Louise Michael & Louise Riemer Mary M. Kamerman moments and insights not reproduced Lehtonen (Hammond) in the personal LITERARY LIONS Kennedy McCally Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Rodbell Chaya Kaplan HoCoPoLitSo’s 14th poet-in-residence. Sandra B Goolsby Catherine McLoughlin-Hayes Nora Scanlan Kathleen Larson anywhere else – between distinguished essay category; Justin Landy $10,000 – $19,999 Floyd & Cassandra Grayson Helen & Joe Mitchell Lawrence & Patricia Taubman Pearl D. Laufer An Associate Professor of Communica- writers and their distinguished hosts. (Reservoir), Owen Greeley (Hammond) Peter & Beth Horowitz Dan & Mary Margaret Fred & Virginia Pausch Margot Treitel Barbara Lawson tions Design and Director of the M.F.A. Michael Moon Kamerman Ruth Penn In memory of Raphael Treitel Alexander Leak Those interviewed could form an anthol- and Katherine Holtrop (Reservoir) in In honor of Jean Moon To honor Pearl Tobin Beverly Fearn Porter Bayard Waterbury Adele K. Levine Program in Creative Writing and The Columbia Foundation Gordon Mumpower Carol S. Rodricks Terence Winch Anne R. Markham ogy of the most well-known and award- the short story category; and in the poet- Linda Odum Hanne Skov Virgie A. S. Markham Publishing Arts at the University of LAUREATE CIRCLE Lawrence Pomeroy Hilary Tham GIFTS IN HONOR OF Russell & Mary Louise McCally winning names in contemporary litera- ry category, Gabrielle Boguslaw In memory of Moira Kennedy Jean M. Meisel Baltimore, she has authored two collec- $1,000 – $9,999 Pomeroy PARTICIPANT ELLEN CONROY Barbara Merke ture, including Lucille Clifton, Michael (Glenelg), Laura Messenheimer Alpha Phi Alpha Jim & Patty Rouse Charitable KENNEDY Helen Buss Mitchell tions of poetry and is co-editor of Foundation Up to $99 Gail Moore Barbara Lawson Judith Adams Collier, Roland Flint, Linda Pastan, E. (Glenelg), and Erica Szalkowski Tim & Beth Singleton Lanny Morrison & Lynne Harry “Chip” Lundy Ann Augustine Steve Alpern Passager, a national literary journal focus- Allan Starkey Nemeth Pam & Steve Mack In honor of Robert M. Vaeth Virginia Bates Ethelbert Miller, Henry Taylor, Stanley (Hammond); in the playwriting catego- Marvin & Marcia Thomas Esen & Ralph Paradiso Donald & Brigitte Manekin Ann Barney Kathleen O.