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WHY I BE WRITIN’ STUFF.........................................................................................................................JOSEPH EARL THOMAS
Why I Be Writin’ Stuff
Poem by Joseph Earl Thomas
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Because I never learned a damn thing in school,
since D.A.R.E. came long after truth.
Because maps don’t work here, and
there is oil, but “The Rainbow isn’t Enuf.” Because ain’t no nigga playing Spider-Man Or James Bond.
Because it’s raining right now in Antigua,
but North Philly is lovely this time of year.
Because gaps need bridges, but snitches get stitches
Plus, Anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law.
Because there are no mirrors big enough.
Because singing out loud demands confidence. Because Mr. Emas died half-way through graphic design class— took my visual art with him.
Because anxiety wasn’t uniquely holding a gun to my head,
And Frankford by-laws state I should have long since been dead.
Because so few cats can swim
and even salmon die trying.
RESOURCES
Philadelphia Great Books
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Philadelphia Stories is pleased to announce the 2017 Ninth Annual Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction
This annual national short fiction contest features a first place $2,000 cash award and invitation to an awards dinner on the campus of Rosemont College; a second place cash prize of $500; and third place cash prize of $250. The Marguerite McGlinn Prize for Fiction is made possible by the generous support of the McGlinn and Hansma families.
Opens: January 1, 2017
For more information, www.philadelphiastories.org
61st Annual Great Books at Colby Summer Institute
at Colby College, Waterville, Maine — July 23 - 29, 2017
Family Matters!
Sophocles & Anouilh, Antigone Edmund Gosse, Father and Son Vladimir Nabokov, Speak Memory Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose Eudora Welty, The Optimist’s Daughter Alice Munro, Three Short Stories
The $610 adult registration includes: a dormitory-style room, all meals, books and discussions. There are social activities, swimming, tennis, films, a Maine lobster bake, and the Atlantic Music Festival! Commuter rates and programs for children are available.
For more information visit www.greatbooks-atcolby.org Creative Writing Workshops Express your unique voice. Find joy in writing.
Evening and daytime workshops
Flourtown, PA • Center City, PA • Havertown, PA • Wyndmoor, PA
Writers of all levels welcome
Fiction • Non-fiction • Creative non-fiction • Memoir • Poetry
Find out if a workshop is right for you. Sit in on one workshop meeting as a guest, by appointment only.
Alison Hicks,
MFA, Greater Philadelphia Wordshop Studio
www.philawordshop.com • ah@philawordshop.com • 610-853-0296
Mondayevenings in Havertown • Tuesday evenings in Center City Private Consultation for Manuscript Development
Rachel Kobin, Philadelphia Writers Workshop
www.phillywriters.com • Rachel@phillywriter s.com • 610-449-3773 Tuesday evenings in Flourtown • Thursday evenings in Wyndmoor Private Consultation for Manuscript Development
Michener Level
($30 - $49) Aaron Bauman Leigh Goldenberg Angela Adams Barb Cutler Barbara East Bernadette Donohue Carolyn Guss Charles Watts Christina Sexton Christine Chiosi Christine Obst Christine Weiser Constance Garcia Barrio Cynthia Orr Danielle Karthauser Deborah & William Off Diana Krantz Dorothy Fulton Douglas Gordon Elizabeth Bodien Elizabeth Mosier & Christopher Mills Elizabeth Ray Frances Metzman Fred Greenberg Fred Lachat Gail Priest Harriet Rola Helen Mirkil Irene Fick Irma Shapiro Jeffrey Klemens Jenna Geisinger Jessica Herring Jim & Joanne Brennan John Novelli Joseph Cilluffo Joseph Wechselberger Joy Nash Karen Elliott Kathye Fetsko & Michael Petrie Katie King Kenneth Garson Kevin Cook Kristin & Henry Joy McKeown Lisa Hoffstein Lise Funderburg Liz Dolan Lois Charles Lora Lavin Mark Cofta Marlyn Alkins Mary Erpel Mary Gilman Megan McPhillips Michelle Castleberry Mo Ganey & Don Kates Nancy Kress Pam Mclean-Parker Patricia Sentman Peter Campbell Rich Casamento Robert Evans Roma Kohut Ruth Littner Sandra Thomas Shelley Schenk Shoshana Loeb Stacy Hartung Stelia Nappi Susan Breen Susan Etkin Suzanne Comer Teresa Donnelly Tom Minder Tom Molinaro Walter Maguire
Buck Level
($50 - $99) Catherine Stine Charles Holdefer Christine Barnes Christine Kenn Sebelist Cynthia Guiles David Sanders & Nancy Brokaw Eileen Cunniffe Eileen Clark Elizabeth Cosgriff Elizabeth Larsson George Brady Ginny & Kenneth Pina Harry Groome Helen Canavan & Brian Lipira Helen Ohlson Janice Hayes-Cha & Jang-Ho Cha John Donovan Kathryn Taylor Lawrence O. Spataro Martha Bottomley Paul Dobias Robert Heuser Robert Schachner Rosalind Kaplan Susan Karol Martel Suzanne Kimball Tracy Wismer Virginia Dillon William Kirk
Whitman Level
($100 - $499) Annalie Hudson Barbara Bloom Betsy Mckinstry & Joel Edelstein Cheryl McLaren John & Karen Shea John Gallagher Judith & Walter Jones Judy Jones Julie Cohen & Nigel Blower Kay Peters Lyndon Back Nathan Long Sharon Sood & Scott Lempert Steven Sher Sue Harvey & Scott Jahss Trish Rodriguez Vernita Hall Walter Curran
Potok Level
($500- $999) Carol Oberholtzer Concha Alborg Mary Pauer Polia Tzvetanova Randall Brown & Meg Boscov Mitchell Sommers
W.C. Williams Level
($1000+) Heather McGlinn & Scott Hansma Michael Ritter & Christine Furtek Thomas McGlinn Will Woldenberg
Sustainer Members
Adam Toscani (Buck) Bryan Skelly (Buck) Charles McGray (Buck) Courtney Bambrick & Peter Baroth (Buck) Dana & Chris Scott (Whitman) Edwin Krizek (Buck) Erin Entrada Kelly (Buck) Julia Arnold (Whitman) Julie Odell (Whitman) Kimberly & Shawn Ruff (Buck) Maureen Fieldling (Buck) Nancy Jackson (Whitman) Robert Vincent Mallouk (Whitman) Stephen Kolter (Buck) Tara & Andrew Smith (Buck) Thomas Baroth (Whitman)
Conrad Weiser Author Fund
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THANKS TO MEMBER SUPPORT, PHILADELPHIA STORIES HAS BEEN SERVING THE WRITING COMMUNITY OF THE GREATER DELAWARE VALLEY SINCE 2004 IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
• Connecting local writers to readers through 5,000 print copies of a free quarterly literary magazine, distributed at more than 200 locations, including all branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
• Supporting a community of young Philadelphia-area writers through
Philadelphia Stories, Jr. & Teen, print and online magazines by young writers.
• Offering affordable conferences and workshops for writers. • Hosting readings and other social events for writers. • Publishing books through our boutique imprint, PS Books. • Hosting two national contests, one for fiction and one for poetry.
YOU can help keep Philadelphia Stories—a non-profit 501c3—in print and free by making a donation today! For as little as $25 a year, you can get home delivery and know that your gift directly supports the local arts community.
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