January 2015 wordplay at work

Dear members of RCLAS,

Welcome to 2015! I hope your year is off to a great start. The last year has been momentous for RCLAS, and we’re looking forward to keeping that energy going into the new year.

First of all, I’d like to acknowledge and thank our past president Candice James. She has been the heart of RCLAS since its founding two years ago and she has driven our success and growth to levels beyond prediction. Candice has poured her imagination and effort into the society and has made a huge impact in the literary landscape of the Lower Mainland by doing so. I am grateful that she is staying on the board as a director and can continue to help RCLAS in the coming year; I am also grateful that she has been so helpful a mentor as I come into her position.

As the new president of RCLAS, I am very much looking forward to working with the board and membership. We as a group do so many good things already, with so many opportunities to learn and perform. At the same time, we still have many ways to grow and are actively planning to do so. We plan to expand our membership, staying inclusive of many communities of writers. We want to expand our funding base, with the eventual goal of hiring an executive director. We’re working on developing policies that guide our future. We would love to increase our number of workshops, special events, and awards. And we definitely want to create more opportunities for members to showcase their immense skills.

Of course we can always use help creating this rosy future. If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch with me or with our volunteer coordinator, Sonya. I myself joined RCLAS because of its strong culture of community and participation; this aspect of our society is my favourite and I will work hard to enhance it and get you as involved as you wish to be!

As we sail into 2015, I’m sure you’re as excited as I am to share together the experience of growing as writers. Let’s make it a year to remember!

Yours sincerely,

Kyle McKillop President, Royal City Literary Arts Society

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Submissions open now Deadline March 15, 2015 Winners will be announced April 1st, 2015

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3 categories: o non-fiction, (1500 words max) o fiction (1500 words max) o poetry (1 page single spaced max)

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1st prize, 2nd prize, 3rd prize, cash prize winners each category 3 honourable mentions in each category Winners and honourable mentions will be published 1st place winners read at Lit Fest New West Gala Evening Showcase Apr. 2015 Fees $10 per entry for members, $20 per entry for non-members Multiple entries are allowed.

Previously published work will be accepted as long as author retains copyright.

Submit entry as a Word Document ( Font Times New Roman, Size 12)  Include Cover letter with Name, Address, Email, Category, Title, Payment info.  Blind judging.

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January 2015 View Calendar and Bios at www.poeticjustice.ca HERITAGE GRILL, BACK ROOM 3-5 pm Sunday Afternoons—two features and open mic 447 Columbia St, New Westminster, near the Columbia Skytrain Station CO-FOUNDER & BOOKING MANAGER—Franci Louann flouann@telus.net Website & Facebook Manager, Photographer—Janet Kvammen janetkvammen@rclas.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/poeticjusticenewwest/

January 4 Sunday 3 – 5 pm Poetic Justice featuring STEVE DUNCAN & SHO WILEY Host: Deborah L. Kelly http://poeticjustice.ca/event/poetic-justice-featuring-steve-duncan-sho-wiley/

January 11 Sunday 3 – 5 pm Poetic Justice featuring DAVID BLINKHORN & KATHY FIGUEROA Host: Franci Louann http://poeticjustice.ca/event/poetic-justice-david-blinkhorn-kathy-figueroa-with-host-franci-louann/

January 18 Sunday 3 – 5 pm Poetic Justice featuring ANGEL EDWARDS & HELGA PAREKH Host: Lilija Valis http://poeticjustice.ca/event/poetic-justice-featuring-angel-edwards-helga-parekh-with-host-lilija-valis/

January 25 Sunday 3 – 5 pm Poetic Justice featuring KENNEDY ARBOR & JENNI MADISON Host: Franci Louann http://poeticjustice.ca/event/poetic-justice-featuring-kennedy-arbor-jenni-madison-with-host-francilouann/

February 1 Sunday 3 – 5 pm Poetic Justice featuring CELESTE SNOWBER & SYLVIA TAYLOR Host: Candice James http://poeticjustice.ca/event/poetic-justice-featuring-celeste-snowber-sylvia-taylor-with-host-candicejames/

RCLAS WRITER OF THE MONTH

Kyle McKillop

Kyle McKillop is a poet and teacher who was born in North Vancouver but grew up in Victoria, where he earned a BA in English and History from UVic. He has since travelled in 27 countries on four continents, getting sunburned in the Aran Islands, tiptoeing from angry North Korean soldiers in Kumgangsan, and climbing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Outside of those adventures, he attended SFU to gain his Bachelor of Education and now teaches English in a Surrey public school. Kyle’s publications include poetry and travelogues and he won first place in non-fiction for RCLAS’s 2014 Write On! Contest as well as receiving second place for fiction and honourable mention for poetry.

He is the new president of Royal City Literary Arts Society and was recently accepted into UBC’s Optional-Residency MFA program for Creative Writing. He can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kylemckillop or on Twitter @kylemckillop.

Margo Prentice

Doug Setter

Aline LaFlamme

Don Smith

Janene White

November 12, 2014, Renaissance Books – We had 14 people attend. The calibre of writing was amazing! Writers are coming back and the group is cementing into a creative niche. We had six writers read. Phil Ransom who is new to the group read from a chapter of his book A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Hell. Our essayists read, Real Snow - Don Smith, and On Dreams - Grant Dawson. Aline LaFlamme stories are rich in imagery and insight. Our other new guest was Doug Setter who read a story

about

his

wartime

experiences

in

Yugoslavia. Janene White read a story on bilingualism and in the second round she read a humorous story about dating. I read two very short stories and a longer mystery story. Good time was had by all who attended.

Margo Prentice, Short Story Open Mic

Join Margo on JANUARY 14 for the next Short Story Open Mic! Have fun!

The Coldest Winter © Margo Prentice As night approached it was evident that the temperatures were dropping. The forecast was for 50 below. Smoke billowed from the neighbourhood chimneys in a straight line into the air like solid white pillars.

“Make sure you go out and get lots of firewood for the fireplace.” I yell to my husband from the kitchen and while you are at it go to the utility closet and take out the candles and flashlights in case there is a power outage. “Go down into the basement and get our camp cook pot, the coffee pot and the sleeping bags.” I asked my oldest son. “We might need to cook something or boil water in the fireplace.”

The living room became a big bedroom, with sleeping bags for everyone. My husband built a roaring fire in the fireplace. Four children bundled themselves in the sleeping bags with their parkas close by. We still had power and settled in to watch television. The children dropped off to sleep one by one. Then it happened! No electricity, the house became completely dark and the furnace stopped its humming! I peeked through the curtains at the frozen landscape outside. The power outage was caused by falling trees on the electric wires. It was awesome to behold. Then I heard a loud crack! Then another! It was so cold that the trees were splitting down the middle.

By the light of the candles and fireplace we were all warm and comfortable. I phoned my elderly neighbour to see if she was ok. “Yes,” she replied, she had extra blankets, flashlight and the phone nearby in case of emergency. We turned on our battery operated radio. The news told of how BC Hydro linemen were out repairing the problem. I shuddered at the thought that these men were working outside in such brutal weather!

My husband and I slept in our sleeping bags on the floor and took turns keeping the fire burning. Next morning it was still warm enough in the living room, the children went to their bedrooms to get dressed and use the bathroom. The rooms were so cold, they could see their breaths white in the air, so they put on their clothes quickly, rushed back into the living room and climbed back into their sleeping bags.

Using the camping pot I made porridge in the fireplace. I carefully moved the pot from the fire with heavy oven mitts. I then gave everyone hot porridge in bowls with milk and heaps of brown sugar. The children returned to the sleeping bags to read books or colour. I remember the poor dog had to pee and I let him out into the garage where he went reluctantly and very fast!

The electricity came on at noon and slowly the house warmed up. We were all thrilled by the experience; I felt a sense of awe with the power of nature. The temperature rose and in a few days we were able to go outside, into the cold. The sun was shining and the sky was so blue I had to wear sunglasses.

----------------------------------- copyright Margo Prentice. All rights remain with the author.

ECHO Š Manolis She opened her window powerful feminine exhilarating gesture that shook me memory rekindled paradisiacal kisses and I dreamed of capturing the echo of a raindrop falling through fog into the plaza fountain greetings, oh life, here I am splash!

HASTE Š Manolis It was still too early for us to choose a new path when the door of the morgue opened and we went inside to identify our dead relative while the ones with the money hidden in the worn out mattresses, pointed their finger to the scale with the lone feather on one side and with no words or hesitation they began to write down the weight of his soul with numbers that represented the size of the coffin into where its eternal beauty could fit

SEASONAL REBIRTH © Marc Mullo While snow and temperatures are falling a new year appears on the horizon, Inevitably comes warmth but people like me cope with a dire-like condition, Not to say that there are positive benefits in struggling under any depression, Tougher measures are needed in harsher moments that we will all encounter, Emotional battles won’t always be won and as such rely on continual fodder, Resisting harmful temptations is crucial during the downward periods in life, True survival lies in never giving up amid fresh starts and even certain strife, Instances of renewal come around semi-often to briefly calm our daily grind, Making for a temporary hiatus with which to relax the ever-wandering mind, Every fibre of our being is constantly in need of encouragement of any kind!

STARTING FRESH – AND COLD © Marc Mullo Now that another annual calendar turnover has arrived amidst January’s freezer, Every type of resolution and lofty goal encapsulates your mind so much deeper, Winter has clouded certain judgments as you attempt to survive the long season, Yearning for warmer climates is why we travel without question or other reason, Emptier thoughts simply cause confusion and even disarray as one begins anew, After all that isn’t said or done in the past twelve months can leave a bad review, Ringing in such invaluable times in our lives may conceal secrets or what’s true, Separating the good from the great for the next dozen months is a job and a half, Decisions are left in a boss’ best interests as they gauge any full workplace staff, All things considered our society in general could really be that much worse off, Yuletide greetings become fine memories as focus shifts to new found wonders!

SUBMITTING TO RCLAS Please send RCLAS your LITERARY EVENTS/BOOK LAUNCHES/CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS/CONTESTS Submit your literary events/readings/workshops/performances/book launches/call for submissions/contests and we will share them via our newsletter, events listings Facebook and website.

Please Submit to RCLAS Events Listing Coordinator, Sonya Furst-Yuen at sonya.yuen@rclas.com Include all information typed within the body of the email (NO ATTACHMENTS PLEASE).

Please write up your announcement in the simple format listed below: Title: Date: Time: Location: Contact Person: Email: Website: Description: Sticking to this format will allow us to copy and paste which will help ensure no errors are made in your listing. Please send your announcement as early as possible to give us adequate time to post.

WORKSHOPS IN REVIEW:

Write (and Edit) Like an Eagle Flies" with Max Tell September 18, 2014 Photos by Sonya Furst-Yuen

Write (and Edit) Like an Eagle Flies With Words and Wisdom by Max Tell From notes by Sonya Furst-Yuen

The title of the workshop relates to writer's block. The key is not to focus on just one word because it can lock you in a place where you don't want to be.

Peripheral vision helps the writer to edit by seeing the phrases around a particular word.

Much like an eagle that flies above who is focused on one single blade of grass. His vision is not open to the many other things around and therefore cannot see the other possibilities.

The same can apply to a writer when they leave themselves unopened to the many meanings of just one word.

To be a good editor, you must have a sense of calmness when the pressure to write comes on.

Question words are invaluable; therefore, it's not a process, but a mindset.

The wrong words can kill; the solution

"write and edit like an eagle flies".

Workshops In Review: "The Business of Being a Writer" with Bernice Lever From the notes of Sonya Furst-Yuen

Photos by Janet Kvammen, Ken Ader and Sonya Furst-Yuen

Professional writers have and need a game plan.

As a writer, you should look at your art as a business.

Think about how much time you will devote to your business.

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When too many things are going on, it is difficult to focus. However, it's important and crucial to "stay in the moment".

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You need to have the belief in yourself and develop that hope.

There is a world

out there who wants to read what writers write.

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Remember to think about who you want to read your written work first, before you send it in to an editor or a contest. From publishing to marketing, a written contract should be in place at every stage.

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Meeting with publishers, editors, workshop presenters and making connections within the literary industry is beneficial. In doing so, you build your reputation.

"Translation As An Art" with Manolis Aligizakis From Notes Compiled by Sonya Furst-Yuen Translation is a passion for expression. The translator is enthused by the artistic expression and deals with the obvious. They mesh the original work to best express it into another language.

The notion is to:  stay close to the translation  to feel free --> move with freedom

in order to have the ability to show the meaning of the work  convey the information with imagery and sentence structure Ninety percent of the time, the translator faces difficulty to relate to the other language. It can be approximate, not ideal or exact. The translation will create the beauty in the personal work of the translator. Therefore, the better the knowledge, the better the translation.

English is a positioning language, since it has so many forms. However, in the Greek language the words can be translated more freely to show the same meaning.

Why do people translate?

To present a new piece of work. Therefore, it is a piece of art when creating the translation.

It is the translator's intention, not a desire. Yet, it gives them an emotional and personal satisfaction.

Getting to the soul of the story, the translator needs to have a good affinity and a philosophy. Because each translator puts on the page what they feel best suits the translation, no translator can create the same piece of work as another.

Finally, a translation is an approximation --> the more we apply ourselves, the more we learn.

Our own writing can be enriched by practicing translating.

"Awakening the Creative Force" with Facilitator Bonnie Nish Photos & Notes by Sonya Furst-Yuen

Expressive Arts Workshop Oct 25, 2014 with Bonnie Nish From Notes Compiled by Sonya Furst-Yuen In writing, our passion is our creative force.

When we see objects that resonate with us, we can build a written collection of work based on:  shape  colour  position  texture

We may find ourselves repeating what we do, we can still awaken our creativity in a different way.

By asking ourselves where certain written work takes us, we explore what the author did for us through their writing in the thoughts they presented.

We can also examine how relevant this is to us and what was the result...

our wish or hope.

It might even lead us to our childhood.

Photos by Sonya

Through poetry, we can examine our thoughts and feelings.

At times, we can take a specific thing that's ordinary

and make it extra-ordinary!

Expressive Arts website: http://www.bonnienishexpressivearts.ca/ Authors to research: Li-Young Lee; "Have You Prayed" Fiona Tinwei-Lam; " Enter the Chrysanthemum”

FEEDBACK & E-ZINE SUBMISSIONS

Drop us a line –

aa

Janet Kvammen, RCLAS Director/Newsletter Editor & Design janetkvammen@rclas.com Antonia Levi secretary@rclas.com

Open Call for Submissions - RCLAS Members Only Poems & Prose Call for Submissions on the following themes: February 2015: Haiku, Love and Romance. Deadline: Jan 21 Open Call: Poems, Short Stories, Book excerpts & Songs are welcome for submission to future issues of Wordplay at work.

Submit Word documents to janetkvammen@rclas.com RCLAS Members: Please send us your latest news, feedback on our e-zine and any ideas or suggestions that you may have.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Sonya Furst-Yuen is our RCLAS Volunteer Coordinator.

If you would like to participate in a single event, or make an even bigger contribution, please contact our volunteer coordinator. sonya.yuen@rclas.com

Thank you RCLAS members for your continued support.

Thank you to our Sponsors 

Arts Council of New Westminster

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Judy Darcy

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The Heritage Grill

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New Westminster Public Library

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Chuck Puchmayr

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City of New Westminster

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Renaissance Books

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Wayne Wright

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Saddlestone International

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Silver Bow Publishing

January 2015

Wishing you all a creative year!

Happy Writing!

Wordplay at work

ISSN 2291-4269

Contact: janetkvammen@rclas.com RCLAS Director/ Newsletter Editor & Design