Margaret Cadwaladr was born in Vancouver, BC. She earned a Masters degree from the University of British Columbia where she developed her interest in autobiography and life story. Margaret has served as a regional representative and Vice-President of the Federation of BC Writers.She is author of Canadian bestseller In Veronica’s Garden: The Social History of the Milner Gardens and Woodland. In Veronica’s Garden was extremely well received and was a finalist for an international award given by the Council on Botanical and Horticultural libraries for an “outstanding contribution to the literature of horticulture or botany.”
Margaret founded Madrona Books & Publishing in 2002. She published Speed’s War: A Canadian Soldier’s Memoir of World War II by George A. Reid and Come Back, Judy Baba: Memoirs of India by Mary Hargreaves Norbury and Judy Norbury. She developed a Life Writing Workshop with Sheila Munro, author of The Lives of Mothers and Daughters: Growing Up With Alice Munro. She has given readings or lectures at a number of locations, both local and international. These include:
National Botanic Garden, Dublin Glin Castle, Ireland Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania Garden Writers National Symposium, Valley Forge Pennsylvania Federation of BC Writers AGM New England Garden Show, Boston, Massachusetts Canada Blooms, Toronto, Ontario NorthWest Flower and Garden Show, Seattle VanDusen Flower & Garden Show Victoria Flower & Garden Show Island Book Fair, Nanaimo Qualicum Beach Historical Society Numerous garden, historical and non-profit organizations
WRITER OF THE MONTH
Coincidence
© Margo Prentice
John was glad the screens were tight on his windows, the mosquitoes were like a ravenous army. He felt comfort in the sounds of the crickets and the cool warmth of the prairie night. He had been working in the heat of the chicken house all day; he did not smell very nice. The moon was full, and the backdrop provided a showcase for a prairie sky of stars. He had been married a long time to Nora; they were great friends. They were satisfied with their life both worked hard and long hours on the farm. Nora was a good woman; they had two grown children, a son and a daughter. They did not want to stay and work the farm much to John’s disappointment. Raising chickens and growing corn was a big business. With hired help, he could manage the maintenance of thousands of chickens. His crew came as a package, a family, mother, father and two sons. They seemed a bit foreign to John he just couldn’t quite figure where they might have come from and didn’t bother to ask. They arrived at his doorstep looking for work, when his last hired hand quit. It was a night like this one when they came one week ago. It had been quite the day then too, for when he went out to look at his corn field there was a large circle of mowed down grass. He figured he was visited by aliens other than the ones who knocked at his door. Just before he reached this mowed circle phenomena, he had felt very dizzy and blacked out for a few seconds. He thought it was just too much sun and manure fumes from the hen barn. As he walked in the door, his wife shouted to him, “Make sure you throw those clothes in the laundry and have a shower. There’s a clean clothes in the bathroom for you.” The shower felt good, nice to get the stench of chicken shit from his hair.
“Well, that sure looks good.” John said as he approached the table. Nora had served up his favourite, mashed potatoes, green peas and pork chops. They bowed their heads in prayer and said grace. After supper John decided to go for a walk. “Better put some mosquito repellent on,” yelled Nora. “Okay, okay,” yelled John as he walked out the door. He walked through the cornfield to the spot where the mowed down corn was and felt the same, dizziness and momentary blackout he felt a night before and thought it an odd coincidence. As he approached the field he saw the work hand family walking around the circle. “Good evening” he said. They waved back and smiled. He stopped in his tracks and yelled at them, “Hey,” he yelled at them, “What do you think about that damn crop circle? You guys know anything about what it is? Don’t want it to ruin my crops or creep the neighbours out. Whatcha think?” They didn’t answer him, just shrugged and nodded no. Next day he spent in the hen house with his workers. That evening was exactly like the night before and when he came into the house, his wife, yelled at him, “Make sure you throw those clothes in the and have shower, there are clean clothes for you in the bathroom.” He sat at the supper table and had the same supper as he had the night before. That was strange; Nora never cooked him the same meal twice. After supper he decided to go for a walk, “Nora yelled at him, don’t forget the mosquito repellent.” ‘Am I having déjà vu?’ He walked to the field and as he approached the circle he experienced the same dizziness. Too much a coincidence he thought, and once more he saw his workers in the cornfield circle. “Hey,” he yelled at them, “What do you think about that damn crop circle? You guys know anything about what it is? Don’t want it to ruin my crops or creep the neighbours out. Whatcha think?” “Shit I asked them that last night, I’m really losing it.”
Every night for the rest of the week the same incidents happened over again. Nora cooked the exact meal every night. “Didn’t we have pork chops last night?” Nora just gazed at him giving him a blank look. ‘Am I going crazy?’ he thought. He started reading all he could about flying saucers, crop circles and still could not figure out what was happening to him. He was going crazy! He was not abducted, but still wondered what was happening to him. What about his new hired hands? Where were they from? His paranoia became intense; he was terrified and raging with anger. On the eighth night he took his rifle with him, it was fully loaded; he was going to kill those strangers! As he walked to the field he saw them once again, this time he didn’t wave or say hello, he just took aim and shot them all down. The ground shuttered, lighting struck, a loud roaring noise came from overhead. Now he knew the madness was real, for overhead was a machine, a flying machine, and the area around the circle wobbled, the air crackled with heat intense. The hired hand family and crop circle disappeared! John was never the same, he joined a group of people who claimed alien abduction, although he didn’t figure he was abducted, but something had sure messed with his head. All he wanted to do was forget, what had happened but no matter what he did he just couldn’t do it. Nora was different, her mind was gone and John had to commit her into the mental hospital where she was to stay the rest of her life. He sold the farm and moved into the shack the workers had lived in. Over and over again, he asked himself, “What happened? What happened?” He was never able to erase the memory of the haunting and terrifying time of strange eerie coincidences. -------------------------------------------------------
Coincidence © Margo Prentice
An active member of the Waves writing group, Margo Prentice has been published in the Vancouver Sun and her poetry appears in the Royal City Poets Anthology 2011 and most recently in the Royal City Poets Anthology 2013 hot off the press. She is the Artistic Director of the Golden Age Theatre and has written a number of plays which have been performed by this group. Next up for Margo GOLDEN AGE THEATRE PRESENTS 'HOME SWEET HOME' at Century House, New Westminster Directed by Margo Prentice, written by Greg Finnigan A very funny play with lots of laughs! Enjoyable entertainment for young and old. NOV 15 FRI. 7:30 PM, AND NOV 16. SAT. 1:30 PM TIX $10 refreshments included
* Reads at Poetic Justice as well as recites at open mic at Renaissance Books in New Westminster. * Written more than 150 stories, and recently finished the manuscript for a book she hopes to publish soon. * Senior worker on the Heart2Art Project, a leader in spoken word. * Stand-up comic who has worked extensively in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. * Writes her own material, and especially enjoys writing comedy.
WRITER OF THE MONTH
The Air Within
© Margo Prentice
Finalist, 2013 Burnaby Writers’ Society Contest, Theme of Air
To err is human, to fart is divine. Ah the air that is in all of us! We all do it, it happens to each and every one of us. Scientists discovered that babies in the womb pass wind and it is known that after we die we still pass gas. Did you know that when you eat you just don’t swallow your food? You swallow air which contains gases that travel through your stomach as you digest that wonderful meal. So, when your food is broken down in your tummy it forms some powerful gases like carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane. Well, that’s what happens; we make farts and they can’t stay inside. “Oh no,” the gassy stomach ache! They have to leave you. Why do some smell so bad? Well, it is the combination of hydrogen, carbon dioxidemethane that joins forces with hydrogen-sulphide and ammonia. And there you have it a smelly fart. Some of the good foods that contribute to this common condition are beans, onions, and fried foods. Here are the ‘Facts on Farts.” We all release one-half litre of gas per day. Passing the gas is not the same as burps, different composition. In space, a fart can propel an astronaut. Flatulence is not a sign that something is wrong with you, which is extremely rare. You are relieved; you do not have to worry about the wind within. Farting is normal, intestinal gas is normal. Women and men pass gas in the same amounts but women hid it more while most men let their air blow free with pride. You may wonder why the silent ones are smellier. It is because some of the gases produce fermentation and make smaller bubbles, and there you have the infamous SBD (silent but deadly). Some social etiquette is involved. Try and not break wind in an elevator. It is not considered polite to fart at dinner or in a group. If it happens all you can do is say, excuse me. You can blame the dog or the cat if one is around. It can be different in families or in cultures. When I married into my Chinese family, farting was perfectly acceptable at the table; it meant that the meal was first rate. I never ever got used to that. Children are always thought farting was funny. When I was a child I was told that farts or toots were spiders barking. I will always remember the gleam in my father’s eyes when he’d say, “Pull my finger.” I would reluctantly pull his finger and ‘voila,’ he tooted. I would always feign disgust and we would roar with laughter. I started to write a story about air, and this story is about how we all give off airs. We had a saying in our family. Farting is okay; holding it in is not good. Written on a grave somewhere in Scotland is this epitaph, “Where err you are let your wind blow free, for holding mine was the death of me.” ------------------------------------------------------The Air Within © Margo Prentice
children of air india Renée Sarojini Saklikar UN/AUTHORIZED EXHIBITS AND INTERJECTIONS www.nightwoodeditions.com
children of air india: un/authorized exhibits and interjections is a series of elegiac sequences exploring the nature of individual loss, situated within public trauma. This is a deeply personal collection, rendered in poetic voice by Renée Sarojini Saklikar as she shares her family’s tragic connection to the June 23,1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182. Decades after the horrific mass murder, the years of investigation and one of the nation’s longest and most expensive inquiries (with no findings released yet), Air India continues to haunt not just the individuals touched by loss, but our collective human psyche.
Vancouver Book Launch November 13, 2013 Wednesday 7-9PM SFU Woodwards, 149 W. Hastings
Renée Sarojini Saklikar, whose work includes poetry and non-fiction, also writes thecanadaproject, a life-long poem chronicle about her life from India to Canada, from coast to coast. Work from thecanadaproject appears in literary publications including The Georgia Straight, The Vancouver Review, PRISM international, Poetry is Dead, SubTerrain, Ricepaper, CV2, Ryga, ajournal of provocations, Geist and Arc Poetry Magazine and is forthcoming in anthologies (Mother Tongue/Oolichan presses). A recipient of the 2003 first place poetry award at the Surrey International Writers Festival, Renée’s continuing obsessions include performance as a site of research—thecanadaproject.wordpress.com. children of air india is her debut collection. Renée is the daughter of Rev Vasant Saklikar, deceased, a former BC School trustee and United Church minister and she is married to Adrian Dix, Leader of the Official Opposition in British Columbia. She lives in New Westminster, BC.
November 2013 @ POETIC JUSTICE View Calendar and Bios at www.poeticjustice.ca
HERITAGE GRILL, BACK ROOM 3-5 pm Sunday Afternoons—three 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
November 3 Sunday 3-5pm Poetic Justice Featuring Dennis E. Bolen/ Murray Reiss/ Kevin Spenst Host: Deborah Kelly
November 10 NO Poetic Justice Remembrance Day Weekend
November 17 Sunday 3-5pm Poetic Justice Featuring Liz Bachinsky/ Mickey Bickerstaff/ Elliot Slinn Host: Candice James
November 24 Sunday 3-5pm Poetic Justice Featuring Warren Dean Fulton/ Sean McGarragle/ Sonja Littlejohn Host: Sho Wiley
FEEDBACK & NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS Drop us a line Janet Kvammen: RCLAS Director/ Newsletter Editor/Design janetkvammen@rclas.com Deborah Kelly secretary@rclas.com
Submissions - RCLAS Members Only Please Christmas & Winter for December/January Issues Poems & Stories & Songs are welcome for submission for possible publication in an upcoming newsletter. To RCLAS Members: Please send us your latest news, feedback on our newsletter and any ideas/suggestions you may have for us!
Member’s News RE:2013 writing contest on the theme of ‘Air’. Finalists Jonina Kirton, Margo Prentice and Janet Kvammen had a wonderful evening reading their poems and stories at the BWS Awards Night on October 15th 2013 at La Fontana Caffe in Burnaby, BC hosted by the lovely BWS President, Kelly Dycavinu.
For more information and further updates, join BWS on Facebook at https://www.faceboo k.com/BurnabyWriters Society Congratulations to all the winners!
Below l-r: Janet Kvammen, Margo Prentice and Jonina Kirton attend the Burnaby Writers’ Society Awards Finalist Night. See Margo’s entry, The Air Within in this issue. Jonina read her free verse, “Air Travel” & Janet read her poem, O2.
Also reading on Open Mic was Franci Louann reading her ‘Raven Rendezvous’ poem which we found out later ‘won’ Honourable Mention – at the Surrey International Writers Conference with a prize of $150. CONGRATULATIONS to Franci Louann our Poetic Justice Co-ordinator and RCLAS member! BRAVA!!!
Janet’s Journal By Janet Kvammen
Congratulations to RCLAS President Candice James Award from Pentasi B Event, Manila, The Phillippines
AUTUMN DANCE POETRY Many RCLAS members including Lilija Valis, Deborah Kelly, Bernice Lever, Dennis Bolen, Max Tell, Alan Hill, Enrico Renz, Candice James and myself had an enjoyable day sharing of poetry and dance at the Writer’s International Network event, 2nd Annual Autumn Dance Poetry on October 5, 2013 at Richmond City Hall, Council Chambers. W.I.N. creator and President Ashok Bhargava created the event to celebrate verse and dance and community. Open Mic was hosted by Una Bruhns who also presented a lovely video poem. Ken Ader took video of the entire event. Welcome to RCLAS, Ashok! We look forward to sponsoring your next event in spring 2014.
Lilija Valis @
songwriter’s open mic October 27, 2013 I just learned music can raise the Dead! During the Poetic Justice celebration of Halloween preceding the Songwriters, the microphone was suitably dead. No expert on the premises could fix it. When musician host Lawren Nemeth came in and sang to it, it stirred back into life and worked without any protest the rest of the Songwriters night. Wow! The theme was ghosts and ghosts accompanied all the musicians, in one form or another. Lavana La Brey sang about ghostly nights and being left by a lover; Max Tell about a monster in his desk and the shadow not wanting to sleep at night but to dance; Lawren Nemeth sang about his struggle with the Devil to save his family and making peace with the ghosts of his past; Chris Horne about the simple life, judgment day and the grave, and the wayward ways of people; Synn Kun Loh explored temptation and promised to remember and acknowledged that "love knows no boundaries"; Dawn improvised on ghosts, revealing she was on friendly terms with them; Enrico Renz, our guide into the world as animals see it, did his clever Crab Song, with its multi-layered meanings; and Lilija Valis pulled aside the Veil of Time. All in all, I think the ghosts had a good time. I saw them dancing when Max did his sound musical improvisation, with all the musicians joining in.
Lilija Valis
Poet/Entertainer/Writer Max Tell
Photos By Lilija Valis
Songwriter’s Open Mic Hosts Lawren Nemeth and Enrico Renz
YOU ARE INVITED RCLAS Christmas Party Welcome to All Writers
“Meet ‘N MiNgle” December 10, 2013 Tuesday Eve 6:30 – 8:30 PM Location: New West Public Library 716 6 th Avenue, New Westminster Info/RSVP
secretary@rclas.com
Volunteers Needed
Royal City Literary Arts Society (RCLAS) is looking for a volunteer Events Listing Co-ordinator. If you are interested in this exciting position, please email the RCLAS secretary at secretary@rclas.com It is a wonderful opportunity to work with a great group of individuals. We are a rapidly growing and dynamic International Literary Arts Society.
Are you “on the scene”? Active on Facebook and twitter? Perhaps a writer yourself?
We would LOVE to have you on our team! Our aim is to post a weekly events listing to all our members.
Please email Janet Kvammen janetkvammen@rclas.com if you wish to volunteer in some capacity.
About Us
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Pay by Paypal on our website www.rclas.com or send cheque or money order to: RCLAS – Royal City Literary Arts Society Box #5 - 720 – Sixth Street, New Westminster, BC V3L 3C5 For further information: Phone – 778-714-1772 Email – secretary@rclas.com
November 2013
Wordplay at work
ISSN 2291-4269
Membership Application - Annual fee $28 including tax Pay by Paypal on our website www.rclas.com or send cheque or money order to:
RCLAS – Royal City Literary Arts Society Box #5 - 720 – Sixth Street, New Westminster, BC V3L 3C5 For further information: Phone – 778-714-1772 Email – secretary@rclas.com Drop me a line Janet Kvammen, RCLAS Director/ Newsletter Editor/Design janetkvammen@rclas.com RCLAS Members send me your latest news, feedback on the newsletter or any ideas you may have!