VIEWS APRIL 2009 by Excellence Enterprises

VIEWS

NATIONAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION LOS ANGELES

APRIL 2009 Sunset in Monument Valley: Paul Hartman

CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

NEA Literature Fellowship Winner John Struloeff to Speak

Photos: Courtesy of John Struloeff

John Struloeff has been writing since he was old enough to hold a pencil. He says, “I don’t remember when I wasn’t writing stories. I wrote stories in first and second grade. In third grade, I wrote and illustrated a book titled The Bee, and the librarian asked to keep it. A proud moment for me.” Struloeff was recently interviewed by Forrest Anderson for the Southeast Review Web site. Anderson asked, “You started writing poetry with the promise that you would write a poem a day for a year. What drew you to poetry? And why such a fevered pitch?” “I began my PhD program at the University of Nebraska in 2000, fully focused on being a fiction writer and with the intent of teaching fiction writing at the college level,” says Struloeff. “By this point, I hadn’t spent much time with poetry — just the poetry segments in undergraduate literature classes, maybe scratching out a few juvenile poems every year or two. I decided, though, that I would be selling myself — and my future students — short if I graduated my PhD program in Creative

Writing without having at least attempted to better understand poetry. I thought the best way of doing this was to immerse myself in the writing of poetry for a while. In my life, for years at a time, I have studied guitar playing, foreign languages, martial arts, etc., and I knew from those experiences that a daily regimen was the most productive way of learning. So I decided that one year was a good time frame — and I set about writing a poem every day for a year. Who knew it would end up getting me a Stegner Fellowship to Stanford, an NEA Literature Fellowship, and my current position as Director of Creative Writing at Pepperdine? Without my decision to start writing poetry, those things almost certainly would not have happened, and I would be struggling with so many others in the current job climate.” THE DEFINING MOMENT “I started college as a physics major, wanting to study fusion as a power source, but I continued writing for my own self-expression,” says Struloeff. “In my junior year, stress and studying for level senior-level physics exams had exhausted me. I took a nap and when I awoke I had an epiphany that I must be a writer. I had been preparing for it my whole life. I immediately changed my major. “I was fortunate to have had some very strong mentors. Marjorie Sandor, at Oregon State University, set the foundation for how stories work. Now, as I look back, I realize how much she taught me.

“Ted Kooser, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who is now US Poet Laureate and a Pulitzer Prize recipient, offered a one-on-one mentoring program that I participated in for one hour a week during my PhD program. He was very encouraging and compassioncontinued on page 6

Meet John Struloeff April 18, 2009, at Mo’s Restaurant 4301 Riverside Dr. Burbank 10:00 a.m. www.nwalablog.org www.nwala.org

REDUX

Author John West &

The Last Goodnights

Photos: LaVonne Taylor

Clockwise from top left, John West accepts Speaker of the Month award from NWALA president, Tom Howard. West gestures as he explains a detail that led up to the events he discusses in his book, The Last Goodnights: Assisting My Parents With Their Suicides. NWALA vice president, Joe Panicello, waits while his copy of the book is autographed by the author.

Thought- and discussion-provoking, The Last Goodnights: Assisting My Parents With Their Suicides (Counterpoint, Berkeley, California; February 2009) as presented by the author, John West, did indeed bring about quite a bit of dialogue, not just during the Saturday, March 21, 2009, meeting but for days afterward. See pages 3 and 4 for opposing viewpoints about this very serious subject. During his talk, West pulled no punches as he told about his parents’ decisions to take control of their final exits by taking lethal doses of medication. In his book, he tells about the events leading up to the final night for each parent and how emotionally wrenching it was for him, and how he persevered in order to follow their wishes. For more information go to www.TheLastGoodnights.net

April 22 Is Earth Day

Try the following ways to go green.

1. Clean green: Baking soda, lemons, vinegar and Borax kill as many bacteria as commercial cleaning products. 2. Rock out with solar: Get off the grid. Buy a solar recharger — think Solio — and use rechargeable batteries. 3. Water down: Rethink the twenty-four pack of water, and invest in reusable water bottles, use an at-home filtration system such as Brita or Pur.

4. Unplug & save: Pull that plug when appliances are not in use. They keep using power, even when turned off! 5. Mail for free: The USPO is in the act now. Send your used inkjets and small appliances to recyclers for free. 6. Get noisy: Join organizations such as the Sierra Club and participate. 7. Go closet natural: Invest in a wardrobe of nonanimal fabrics and renewable, organic plant materials. 8. Eat pure: Try to buy locally grown organic produce.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Over the Hump

I just hit the big 60. I asked Mary Ports to “roast me” and she rose to the occasion on March 31, skewering me and our Tuesday writing class into smithereens of laughter. I also threw myself into the ring and organized a piano recital of original songs and instrumental compositions, along with a few favorite pieces from my repertoire of classical music and songs from musicals. Great fun was had by all. I also continue to plug away at the writing project I call Mrs. Foley’s Flowers, working collaboratively with my mom, who lives in New York, to assemble a collection of her amusing stories. I also have been dusting off my autobiography, inspired in part by singer and entertainer, Ray Rappa, and his devotion to the task of getting down on paper his very interesting life story. In preparation for our March speaker, LaVonne and I strategized on how best to publicize the event, but the results of our efforts were not overwhelming. Why was I worried that the back room of Mo’s would be overflowing, perhaps with hordes of wheelchair bound cancer victims with hemlock branches held in their teeth? My other worry was that I would want to joke

about the serious subject of John West’s book and talk. I am relieved and grateful that LaVonne offered to write up the cover story on West, and also appreciative of all the time and effort that Arturo Ruiz devoted to reading West’s book, talking with others and writing up the opinion essay piece on page 4, with a rebuttal written by LaVonne. Bravo to both for wrestling as writers with a complex and controversial subject. I look forward to hearing our April speaker, poet John Struloeff and then, watch out, world, for Playboy journalist, Katie Moran, who will rattle our coffee cups in May. Surprises, freakish news events, yo-yos and other challenges keep hitting us, but since we are writers, to us it is all just fodder. Happy writing! —Tom Howard

Poetry Fun From Mary L. Ports

Following are three short poems called the Octelle, a new poetry form created by Mary’s poet friend, Emily Romano. It consists of eight lines using personification and symbolism in a telling manner. The syllable count structure for this verse is 8,8,7,7,7,7,8,8 and the rhyme scheme is aa/bb/cc/aa. The first two lines and the last two lines are identical.

Dead End

And from our resident Dodger fan, Wanda Weiskopf

Piggy-wiggy-liggy-diggy, Hips and thighs are getting biggy. Greedy, little monster eats Too much candy, too much sweets. Doesn’t like to exercise – Couch potato, drawing flies. Piggy-wiggy-liggy-diggy Hips and thighs are getting biggy.

Manny Mania

Flakey-Cakey

Flicky-flakey-makey-takey Betty bakes a lemon cakey. In the oven, pop, it goes Tempting everybody’s nose. Dinner won’t be served till eight All the kiddies have to wait. Flicky-flakey-makey-takey Betty bakes a lemon cakey.

Diggin’ Down

Inty-binty-nibbity-fig Undertakers are prone to dig. Down and down the bodies go Top on top and row by row. To a great big family Higher, higher goes the fee. Inty-binty-nibbity-fig Undertakers are prone to dig.

Manny, we’re happy you are back in LA! This time, we know you have come here to stay. We need all those home runs, your glove in left field — LA is your team, now the contract is sealed! We like your black curls and free-swinging snap — Just keep hitting home runs in your Dodger-blue cap! The team will play better and have more fun too — You will help win the pennant as a Dodger true-blue! —Wanda Weiskopf

OPINION

Gothic Tales in Modern Times By Arturo Ruiz On March 21, 2009 when chapter president, Tom Howard, introduced authorlawyer John West, he described West’s recently published memoir, The Last Goodnights, as addressing a serious and controversial subject. Howard, along with most of the members present, had not read the book, with the exception of a very select few. So, when West stood behind the mike to deliver his presentation, what we didn’t know could fill a book. What transpired, in my opinion, was West spotlighting his recently established organization, called also The Last Goodnights, which rallies for legalization of assisted suicide in the state of California. A spirited discussion over the issue followed. For those who could not make it to our Saturday gathering at Mo’s, I must point out that you missed a darkly bewitching and rather esoteric program which seemed intended for the chosen few. Perhaps, it was West’s hope to recruit initiates experienced in having dealt directly or indirectly with death. Not being experts on this subject (Lord have mercy!), I strongly suspect that most of us in the audience of twelve have done very little poking around to know what kind of legal trail exists for the person taking part in assisted suicide. Umpteen whammed-out thoughts activated the wheels of my brain cells as I listened to West reiterate the list of euphemisms that society has for dying (kick the bucket, bite the dust, feed the worms, etc). Before going to this event, my friend and fellow member, Barri Clarke, had read West’s book in its entirety. I had not. I expected the usual literary presentation of an author showcasing his book by reading selected excerpts. Such was not the case with West’s program. He avoided a reading, except to mention the title of his book, now and then. West’s lack of specifics in his talk to us regarding his assistance to the final exit of both his father and mother was a double whammo of unclear detail. After the session I read the book. Slow-

ly, I managed to piece together, from West’s generalities in his talk, the actual background circumstances that led to the final events.

It was as if some uncanny telepathic perception had occurred when I inadvertently connected, later in the week at another writing group, with Barri’s conclusive response to West’s book. Barri had felt that “No one should ask their children to assist them; it caused West so much anxiety and stress.”

Barri also said that John West must have had “conflicting feelings” toward his father, Jolly, whose unconventional life style of infidelity and philandering directly and adversely affected the whole family. When West described in his talk his father’s urgent request, what flashed like lightning in my brain was a high degree of questioning of the father’s proposition. Like Barri, I felt that it was not right for the father to ask any of his children to perform such a horrible task. The road to assisted suicide may possibly be a dead end to the family unit, in particular when there’s been prior disagreements between siblings or when parents have long held favorites among their children. In this particular case, only one member within the family was considered worthy of confidentiality for the purpose of assisting their parents’ suicides. West and his siblings now remain alive to struggle for years with the strain and stress of what happened. During the Q and A session, our resident funny man, Joe Panicello, asked Mr. West, “When it’s my time, are you available?” West smiled, but did not seem eager.

OPINION

Dying With Dignity Should Be Everybody’s Right By L. Taylor I felt that West explained the issue and his position very well. I thought the Views writeup laid out the matter as well, for those who took the time to read it. The point is to give people who know they are entering the exit stage of life the option to choose when to go out and by what means and to be able to do it legally. VICKIE’S STORY Three years ago my mother Vickie entered Rose Haven convalescent home at the age of ninety-five after she was brought back from the brink of her own final exit. She cried for days because we had indeed, inter-

ferred with her attempt to take charge by withholding food and water from herself while living in an assisted living facility. Instead the health professionals stabilized her, pumped her full of antidepressants, and moved her to long-term care. And there she languished. The ability to do the things she loved had been taken from her. Her eyesight was gone, so she could no longer read or even watch television. Her arthritic hands could no longer give expression to her artistic temperament, she could no longer write, draw, or do needlework. Her hearing was failing as was her short-term memory. She was

bedridden because arthritis had destroyed both knees. She often expressed how tired of being here she was and wished “God would just take me.” Unfortunately and fortunately, she lived in Oregon. Unfortunately, because I was stuck in LA and couldn’t visit her as often as I wanted. Phone conversations were difficult because of her hearing impairment and inability to hold the receiver effectively. Fortunately, because when she made up her mind once again to leave this plane, it was somewhat easier for her to do so. She awoke one morning in March of 2008 and told her attendants to no longer bother to bring her food or water because she would not take either one. Of course they called me and I tried to talk her out of her course, but to no avail. For days, they continued to offer her food and water, which she refused. The convalescent hospital called me almost daily to give me a report. I asked them to intubate her and they pointed out that when she had entered Rose Haven Mom and I had signed an “Advance Directive” stating that she was not to be intubated or even given an IV, and that no extraordinary means were to be used to keep her alive, as a consequence, they were legally bound not to. I made arrangements as fast as I could to travel up there. But I didn’t move fast enough. My mother went into a coma. Around noon on April 4, a nurse held the phone to her ear as I said ”I love you, Mom, please don’t leave me.” “I think she heard you. Her eyelids flickered at the sound of your voice,” said the nurse. At 4:00 p.m. Vickie died. LEARNING TO LET GO As hard as it was for me to let go of Mom, I admire her for the strength of will to end her own suffering. My mother had always been an unusually capable, strong individual. In any other state besides Oregon or Washington, her wishes may not have been fulfilled and she might have been resuscitated yet again to suffer many more years. But because she had the foresight to retire to Oregon thirty years ago, her passing was in her control. And no, she didn’t ask me to assist her. If she had, I trust that I might have had the personal fortitude to do so. None of us know what we’re capable of doing until we’re confronted with the task. I hope that I would have inherited enough of her powerful character traits to help her through the

Hamming it up for the camera, author with her mom Vickie on the right. portal if and when she asked me to. But now we’ll never know. NO CARTE BLANCHE My father died a long time ago in agony. And my sister died about five years ago. Mom was lonely for them both. She loved me, but I was busy and active and she didn’t want to be a burden to me. After watching my mother suffer for more than twenty years, I have come to believe in having the right to decide on time, method, and place of our own exit when there is not longer hope. I do not believe it’s a sin and I do not believe we will go someplace too warm because of the decision. I hope that when my turn comes I will have the right by law to go peacefully on my own terms. I told Vickie’s story to point out that legalizing assisted suicide is not a blanket endorsement for murder, but would be another option made possible without fear of legal action for an activity that is already taking place, just as abortion takes place, whether societal approval of such acts exists or not. I also respect that some people’s belief systems simply do not allow for this kind of control over one’s own final departure. However, for the rest of us, legalizing the option would make it subject to controls and less likely to be abused. It would be done only at the request of the individual who is suffering and only after several medical people agree that there is no hope. And it would be carried out only under medical supervision. Why are we more merciful to the other species than we are to ourselves? We put

family pets out of their misery when the time comes. Why not allow suffering, cognizant individuals to make that decision for themselves ... and do so legally? VIEWS, a newsletter for the members of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Writers Association is published monthly, except for July and August of each year. The meetings take place at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month, except July and August, at Mo’s Restaurant, 4301 Riverside Dr., Burbank. OFFICERS President-Tom Howard Vice President-Joe Panicello Secretary-Arturo Ruiz Treasurer-LaVonne Taylor CHAIRMANSHIPS Historian/Photographer-Madelyn Beck Hospitality-Mary L. Ports VIEWS editor-LaVonne Taylor Fundraising-LaVonne Taylor Membership-Jack Clubb

For information, call: 323-876-3931 or go to www.nwala.org or www.nwalablog.org __________________ Send manuscript submittals to: LaVonne Taylor 3040 Aspen Lane Palmdale, CA 93550-7985 or via e-mail: lavonne.taylor@sbcglobal.net

John Struloeff contined from page 1

ate about my struggles with this new form, and he ended up being very influential in my development. I think if you read his work, then look at poems of mine such as ‘The Foothills’ or ‘Funeral of Earl Jay, a Logger,’ you’ll see that influence. I am still learning from him. He is truly a genius, especially with the embedded metaphor.” WHAT’S IN THE NEAR FUTURE? “I’m working on at least one new poetry collection,” says Struloeff. “My blog postings are just drafts toward that new book, and I have revised them over time. I have

a lot more poems that have either been published or that I have kept to myself, which I think might be part of this book, so it’s coming together. I’m still unsure about the shape of the book, however. The manuscript will be at least six months from now, if not longer. As for fiction: I’m currently writing a biographical novel about part of the life of Leo Tolstoy. My trip to Russia in May will be (in part) to conduct some research for that book. “I will also be reading at Stanford in May. It will be nice to get together with colleagues that I met while I was there during my Stegner Fellowship.”

John’s spouse, Cindy Struloeff, PhD, also teaches at Pepperdine University. Together they have produced a son, Will. Struloeff does most of his writing late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. “I’m lucky to get five hours’ sleep a night during the school year,” he says. To find out more about John Struloeff, go to: www.poetrymountain.com www.theshadowwaters.blogspot.com www.johnstruloeff.com www.southeastreview.org/2009/struloeff0330.php —Compiled by LaVonne Taylor

NEXT MONTH

The 2009 Omnidawn

Katie Moran author of The “On” Position will speak May 16

judged by Ann Lauterbach, is for a first or second full-length collection of poems by a poet writing in English.

Poetry Contest,

In The “On” Position, featured Playboy writer Katie Moran, the granddaughter of actor Paul Picerni who spoke at NWALA last year, presents a wry, witty book that is part narrative, part how-to, and part where-to that will inspire readers to explore and enjoy their sexuality. The significance of the book’s title is more than the click of a vibrator and the woman who is not afraid to use it. It is that women want to be turned on. Women are tired of sterility; they want electricity!

The winner receives: ÿ$2,000 ÿFall 2010 Publication by Omnidawn ÿ100 complimentary copies of the book The entry fee of $25 entitles you to one free Omnidawn title of your choice, if you send a priority mail SASE. Submission period: 3/1/09 - 6/30/09

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Katie Moran is a Los Angeles native who started writing soft-core porn involving nuns and janitors at the age of twelve — the lingering effects of a Catholic school education. Her first writing gig was for Step Magazine, an independent film and music publication, for which she was a staff writer. In 2001, Playboy published two of her articles, making her one of the youngest writers in the magazine’s history — not to mention one of the few female writers too.

The prize-winning book will be produced, distributed, and advertised to full Omnidawn standards. As with other Omnidawn books, we will encourage the winning poet to participate in the design of the book, including choice of typefaces, cover artwork and design, with all stages subject to the approval of the winning poet. All costs, including production, distribution, and advertising will be fully paid by Omnidawn. The winner of last year’s contest, judged by Marjorie Welish, is Michelle Taransky, for her manuscript, Barn Burned, Then, to be published September 2009.

Moran wrote Playboy’s popular “Why Women Say Yes” column in March, April, and July of 2002, an instructional to men on all the countless reasons why women agree to go to bed with them.

For full contest details and a list of Omnidawn titles, visit www.omnidawn. com

At age twenty-nine, and already seen as the golden girl of the West Coast literary scene, Moran is a rising star who speaks to the millions of female book buyers who made Kim Cattrall’s Satisfaction and Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary bestsellers.

The Taylor Trust: Poetry & Prose Now reading for the summer, fall, and winter issues Go to www.thetaylortrust.wordpress.com for writers’ guidelines Spring issue due out soon! Single copies $6 + $2 shipping

Read samples of her work on www.amazon.com or www.books.google.com