Sheryl's Forthcoming Publication in BACOPA Literary Journal!

01 August 2016

After long silence, Scatchetpoet is back -- announcing publication of my poem "Seven Ways of Looking at a Red Wheelbarrow" in the forthcoming issue of Bacopa, the beautiful journal put out by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville, Florida.  Here is a link to the journal; check it out at:

writersalliance.org/bacopa-literary-review/

Thanks to Wallace Stevens, and all the other poets who have gone before.

The Book Social: Good Idea, Good Time!

Last Tuesday evening (4/21), at a friend's invitation I accompanied her to her monthly "book social," held this time at a nice Italian restaurant.  Not quite knowing what to expect, as I'd been told this was not the same as a book club or book discussion group, I brought along a copy of Madeleine Albright's Read My Pins, a book I'd read several years ago.  The Bellevue Arts Museum is exhibiting her touring collection of pins and we were planning to visit the next day.

It turns out that a book social is exactly that:  a social gathering where the members talk about books they have read, books they want to read, books they loved, hated [Elegance of the Hedgehog], or felt neutral about -- all in a cozy setting of wine and companionship.  Several people returned borrowed books and lent or borrowed others; one woman talked about her current writing project.  There were inquiries as to absent members, and updates on everyone's activities.  All the members of the group, except me, are volunteers for the Friends of the Monroe Library, which is how they found each other.  At the end of the evening, I concluded this seemed more relaxed than a group focused on discussing just one book.

I'd love to hear from bloggers/blog readers who have experienced variations on the traditional "book club."  Maybe you are starting something new in your neighborhood, for the love of books.  Read on!

A Poem Is Born (and published!)

I am pleased to announce the publication of my poem "Advice for the Newcomer" in Whidbey Life Magazine.  www.whidbeylifemagazine.org/

Here is the backstory.  Back in August 2012, I was interviewed by Betty Freeman about the publication of Write Wing Publishing's new anthology, "Surrounded:  Living With Islands."  Betty related that when she had been a newcomer to Whidbey, she was worried about getting lost.  She was promptly reassured by friends and locals, don't worry, you're on an island.  To my ear, this belonged in a poem.  And so, "Advice" was born.  Thanks, Betty, and thanks to WLM for publishing my poem.  Enjoy!

Looking Back: Some Bad, Mostly Good

It's that time again -- when one reflects on the year gone by, and considers what might be coming in the New Year.

November and December on Whidbey Island have been stormy, with the December 11 windstorm so strong it scared us, as well as ripping our greenhouse out of the ground from its 12" stakes, and flinging it against the cherry tree.  This was on top of the damage to our cabin roof and tool shed roof from a huge maple tree falling down on November 29.  The crash came at 7:15 AM and shook the ground.

This morning my husband and I spent a couple hours combing through the rubble, trying to find the cap from our stovepipe that also blew off on December 11.  We found it lying underneath some fallen-over lattice pieces that had been leaning against the house.  In brilliant sunshine (although 29 F.), we enjoyed a moment of celebration.  Today is our 20th wedding anniversary, and we are spending it clearing away branches and broken pieces so the contractor can begin repairing the roofs.

I think we are experiencing some consequences of climate change.  After all, there is no reason to think any particular region of Earth will be spared the effects of human ignorance.  As I struggle to shove negative thoughts out of my brain, I replace them with memories of 2014 highlights:  our trip to Amsterdam and Bruges in May; a fun three days in Whistler B.C. with my sister in August; a week at Seaside, Oregon in September; a visit to Arizona for my mother's 93rd birthday.  She is in good health and still enjoying life.  Trivia parties with wonderful friends.  My smart, healthy, beautiful daughter.  So much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to.  There will no doubt be more storms to come, of both the physical and metaphysical types.  With grateful hearts, we will weather them.

Happy New Year, everyone, and may you enjoy health and happiness in 2015.

Inspired by Elizabeth George

Yesterday (29 May 2014) my husband and I attended a seminar at Camp Casey here on beautiful Whidbey Island.  It was called "Leave a Legacy for What You Love," and featured talks by various residents and financial experts regarding how to best give gifts for furthering the work of one's chosen nonprofits.  The seminar was a joint venture of Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Good Cheer Food Bank, and the Whidbey Institute (once called "Chinook," for you old-timers).

The highlight of the day for me was the concluding talk by Whidbey author Elizabeth George -- probably because I discovered that her leading interests/motivators were so similar to my own. George listed her criteria for giving in this order:  (1) the creative process; (2) love of animals; and (3) preservation of land.  She supports the creative process through gifts from her Elizabeth George Foundation, with funds going to support writers.

The most interesting part of the talk, for me, was learning that George was inspired by the English author Beatrix Potter, who lived much of her life in England's Lakes District.  When Potter began to achieve writing success through her Peter Rabbit stories, she used her money to purchase farmlands around her.  She arranged for her estate to donate these lands to the National Trust, to be forever preserved and not developed.

George had lived in Orange County, California in the 1970s and had experienced the drastic landscape changes through over-development there.  She vowed she would not let that happen to Whidbey Island and, indeed, has been a staunch supporter of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust (www.wclt.org) for a long time.

I came away from the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and place.  A key point made by the presenters is that one need not be a millionaire to be a philanthropist.  Small gifts count! Volunteerism counts!  Although we already donate to several nonprofits on the Island, I feel we could do more, and this morning I am checking out volunteer opportunities.

Love where you live -- get involved.  By loving the land and the animals who live there, we also honor our fellow human residents.

It's Not Too Late ...

to celebrate April, National Poetry Month.  One anthology you'll want to check out is Ghost Town Poetry, Vol. 2, published by Chris Luna and Toni Partington of Printed Matter Vancouver.  This lively collection celebrates ten years of open mic readings (2004-2014) at Cover to Cover Books in Vancouver, Washington.  The book is available at https://www.createspace.com/4559411 and features vibrant collage-style cover art.

To further feed your poetry appetite, take a look at Write Wing Publishing's second anthology, edited by Sheryl Clough and titled Through A Distant Lens:  Travel Poems.  The book features 45 poets from all over the U.S., and one from Australia.  Here is the link:  https://www.createspace.com/4394067

Take a walk, shoot a photo, sing a song, write a poem, attend a reading; whatever you choose to do, make National Poetry Month your own and ENJOY!!

THROUGH A DISTANT LENS: TRAVEL POEMS finished & available now

The beautiful new anthology Through A Distant Lens: Travel Poems from Write Wing Publishing is finished, and is receiving rave reviews from early recipients.  Representing the work of 45 poets from all over the U.S.A., plus one from Australia, this collection celebrates the joys, pitfalls, and surprises that come along with traveling.  The four thematic sections are illustrated with black-and-white photos from diverse locales including Bhutan, Costa Rica and London.

Plans are afoot for a book launch party and reading to be held on Whidbey Island.  In the meantime, the book can be ordered at https://www.createspace.com/4394067

OR, order directly from the publisher:  Write Wing Publishing, 3795 Hubble Court, Clinton, WA  98236.  $15.00 per copy includes the mailing cost, and the editor will sign your book upon request.  Gift wrap is also available at no extra cost.

I'm in the process of mailing contributor copies to all the poets and photographers -- this process should be complete by March 10, 2014, so if you haven't received yours yet, please be patient. Thanks to all those who contributed to this project, whether by writing, photographing, encouraging, or suggesting.  You know who you are ...

Write Wing Publishing Announces 2014 Poetry Prize Winner

Write Wing Publishing takes great pleasure in announcing CAROL ALEXANDER of New York, NY as the winner of the 2014 Poetry Prize for her poem Piazza San Marco, 1980.  Carol has been awarded $50.00, and her poem is published in the brand-new anthology Through A Distant Lens:  Travel Poems.

Here is the photograph used for the anthology cover art:

This is from a mural on the wall at Small Town Coffee in Kapa'a, Kauai -- if you get the chance, stop in and try their fantastic breakfast bagels.

What a difficult task:  to choose one winner from among dozens of graceful, eloquent, inspiring, funny, evocative, etc. etc. poems -- the experience caused me to re-think the morality of giving a cash prize at all.  So many of the poems published in this book are deserving of notice and reward.  However, when I called Carol on the phone to give her the good news, she quickly vanquished my inner arguments against prize-giving.  She said something along the lines of, here I sit, writing all these poems, and wondering am I just talking to myself here?  I know on the occasions when I have been paid for my writing, it is sweet vindication for all those hours of brainstorming, drafting, revising, proofreading -- well, you all know the drill.

Congratulations, Carol -- and congratulations to all 46 of the poets who are published in this exciting new volume, now available from CreateSpace at:  https://www.createspace.com/4394067

Anthology Behind Schedule!

Dear Contributors and Potential Readers of "Through A Distant Lens:  Travel Poems":

my original plan was to have the new book ready for holiday gifting.  A few days after releasing the call for submissions, I received a phone call out of the blue asking me to teach a creative writing course at Skagit Valley College (two hours+ round trip drive from home).  The instructor originally scheduled to teach this had bagged out on short notice -- of course I said yes, and then scrambled hard to put together text and syllabus.

Shortly after that, I was asked to take part in poetry judging for a local competition, so of course I said yes, and guess what?  This year saw a record-high number of submissions.  That is good news for the local writing community.

Long story short:  I am not at the point I hoped to be with the new book project, for which I have also received more submissions than anticipated.  The overall quality is high, the poems are delightful, and I do not want to rush this compilation in order to meet my earlier, arbitrary timeline.  January completion is looking much more realistic, and keep in mind that a poetry collection will be a delightful Valentines Day surprise for a loved one.

The cover photo has been (tentatively) selected.  Many poets have already been notified, but if you have not yet heard about your submission, hang in there.  Heartfelt thanks to all who sent poems.  This will be a gorgeous collection.

*** New Anthology Takes Beautiful Shape ***

Poems have been arriving from all over the place, including Australia, for Write Wing Publishing's new anthology "Through A Distant Lens:  Travel Poems."  These poems are amazing, set in Machu Picchu, Long Island Sound, Venice, Croatia, Burgundy, Wisconsin, and Buenos Aires, to name just a few, and also some destinations of the imagination.  This collection will have more pages than "Surrounded:  Living With Islands," thanks to all the wonderful submissions.  The deadline is October 18, so if you have been thinking about it, stop thinking and get writing/revising/polishing.

In other news, I had a fabulous reading with my friend and fellow poet Linda Beeman on September 25 at Anchor Books & Coffee in Clinton.  We had a wonderful turnout, seeing many well-known faces and encountering some new ones.  The audience was attentive and all were good listeners.  Linda read from her chapbook "Wallace, Idaho" and I read from "Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone."  Whoever claims that poetry is dead in America is just plain wrong.

What a wonderful buzz of energy to have a roomful of people devoted to listening to poetry, reading poetry, writing poetry, even buying poetry books (what a concept!).  The evening was pure delight from start to finish.  Many thanks to Bruce and Trish Didier and to Debbie at the Clinton Library for co-hosting this event.

Stay tuned for news of the status of "Through A Distant Lens," and keep those poems coming!

Multiple Readings in September!

Musing on the death of the wonderful Seamus Heaney, taken away from us too soon:  I recently was feeling a bit frantic at the thought of giving three readings in September, but since Seamus died, it seems appropriate to be out there putting poetry forth into the world.  Here's what I'm doing:

1)  12:30 workshop and reading with members of JANE'S STORIES PRESS FOUNDATION at In Other Words bookshop in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, September 7, 2013.  There will be readings from JSPF's new anthology, "Bridges and Borders."

2)  11 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturday, September 14:  reading at the new festival in beautiful Coupeville, on Whidbey Island, Washington, "The Art of the Boat."  My poems will be about, what else, kayaks.  This festival will hopefully turn into a yearly event celebrating boats, art and writing about boats, and the people who sail around in them.

3)  6 PM on Wednesday, September 25 at Anchor Books & Coffee in Clinton.  I'll be reading from my recently-published chapbook, "Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone."  Also reading from her chapbook "Wallace, Idaho" will be local poet Linda Beeman.  Co-sponsored by Sno-Isle Regional Library and the Clinton Library.

Meanwhile, poems from all over the country, and from Australia too, are arriving for the new anthology "Through a Distant Lens:  Travel Poems."  Keep 'em coming!  The quality of poems so far is high.  This new project should result in a fatter (more pages) anthology than last year's "Surrounded:  Living With Islands."  Postmark deadline for submitting your poems:  October 18.

NEW ANTHOLOGY: Call for Submissions

Through a Distant Lens:  Travel Poems

Call for Submissions

            Following the successful 2012 publication of the anthology “Surrounded:  Living With Islands,” the editor/publisher of Write Wing Publishing invites submissions of poems about travel.

            In a long-ago tavern, Sheryl was told she could tell someone to go to hell in a handbasket in such a way they would enjoy the trip.  She would like to hear from all you poets out there who can weave a tale of travel.  Maybe you had an out-of-body experience walking from your porch to the mailbox; maybe you lived in Morocco after college; maybe you do all your traveling while reading in your recliner.

            Submit 1-3 original unpublished poems in Times New Roman 12-point font, single-spaced.  Please include SASE, cover sheet with contact info, poem titles and brief author bio (~50 words), and $5.00 reading fee to help cover printing costs.  (Poems should not show writer’s name.)  Mail to:  Write Wing Publishing, 3795 Hubble Court, Clinton WA  98236.  Postmark deadline:  October 18, 2013.

            A prize of $50.00 will be awarded, at the editor’s sole discretion, for best overall poem.  Each poet selected for publication will receive one free copy of the book.  All rights revert to the authors after publication.

            About the editor:  Sheryl Clough earned her MFA at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Sheryl is a Founders Circle member of Soundings Review and 2010 winner of the William Stafford award from Washington Poets Association.  Sheryl’s book Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone won the 2013 San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival chapbook prize.  She is annoyed that "reading fees" over the past few years have risen to great heights -- as much as $30!  The $5.00 reading fee for this new anthology is a form of protest (also, however, an attempt to recoup the costs of publishing a book).

Blue Lyra Review New Issue

Greetings on a gorgeous July day!  Now that the fireworks frenzy is dying down, maybe we can all turn our attention back (it may never have wandered) to some good reading and writing.  I have a new nonfiction essay just published in Blue Lyra Review, titled "Under Sand and Shadow."  See: www.bluelyrareview.com

The essay deals with the wanderings of a fallen-away Catholic, formerly "good" girl -- that was me! -- as she attempts to make sense of some of the world's spiritual beliefs by hiking in the Arizona desert.  Give it a read and let me know what you think.

Copies of my award-winning chapbook, "Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone" are still available, signed by the author and mailed postage included anywhere in the U.S., for $10.  If you would like one, please send me a note at <Scatchetpoet@gmail.com>.

The older I get, the faster summertime flies by.  My husband once tried to explain the whole faster-passage-of-time thing to me.  Alas, I never took high school physics and it was too much to wrap my brain around.  Wherever you are, get out into that sunshine, take a hike, dig some clams, play with your dog, pick berries -- the charms of summer are numberless and fade fast.  Happy July, everyone.

Re-establishing Connections

On May 23, 2013, the Skagit River bridge collapsed, plunging several vehicles and their occupants into the glacially-fed river.  Thankfully, no one was injured.  This event has caused commercial disruption to an amazing degree.  Although I've lived in Western Washington most of my life, until this catastrophe, I did not appreciate or comprehend the amount of traffic using that bridge to get back and forth.

Pondering the speed with which our lives can change, I decided to organize a gathering with my daughter (a busy adult and I don't see her enough), my best friend from ages ago (lives in Monroe, an expensive ferry ride away), and an old pal who lives even farther away and who I haven't seen since last summer.  Plus two dogs:  Snickers and Lucy.  We planned a hike to Wallace Falls, a high waterfall lying within a State Park.  There are several viewpoints along the route, and one does not have to gain the highest point in order to have lovely views of the forest, mosses, the falls, and the singing Wallace River.

The weather was perfect, the company exquisite, and in addition to reconnecting with my hiking family, I felt a reconnection to the landscape in which I grew up:  the Skykomish River Valley.  I hadn't been back that way in many years, and was startled to see a roundabout (!) in the middle of Highway 2, plus a new McDonald's and Subway.

Four miles was as much as my arthritic joints could manage, and we retreated to a shaded picnic table to feast on smoked oysters, blueberries, four kinds of cheese, fresh veggies, and a cooler full of exotic beverages.

My bridge back to my hiking family was in fine shape, although the Skagit River at Mount Vernon still has no functional bridge.  The governor promises quick action; we shall see.  In the meantime, let us heed the exhortation of Wordsworth, posted on the old railroad grade trail:

Earth Day 2013

After several days of heavy downpour, frightening those of us who have watched large hunks of Whidbey Island slough itself into the sea, Earth Day burned glorious with sun.  I celebrated by taking my recyclables to the Bayview Recycle Park, and then taking Snickers for a walk in the woods.

As Snickers took off like a rocket through the underbrush, I strolled the still-muddy wooded path, observing the dappled spots of sun taking their shapes from the leaves and branches above.  Tree trunks lying on the ground, thrown down by winter storms, nursed communities of mosses and ferns.  Overhead, birds swooped and clouds scooted in the wind.  Earth Day, I thought;  how can there be only one day per year to celebrate all this?

We need an ongoing Earth Year, continuous, never-ending, to remind us every minute of every day to honor and respect the overwhelming beauty and complexity of our planet, our home, our Earth.  Maybe it should be called "Earth Age," the era when all humans band together to take back our planetary health.  I hope your Earth Day was as beautiful as mine.  Peace ...

Rainy Day Workshop

On Thursday, April 4, 2013, I facilitated a poetry workshop sponsored by Friends of the Clinton Library.  My friend and fellow poet Pat Kelley Brunjes (Poems from the Desert Floor) presented a short course on how to give an effective reading.  Although our attendance was smaller than anticipated, the participants were enthusiastic and creative.  Here is a photo of two workshoppers in the process of creating ekphrastic poems based on sculpture:

We also created imagination-based poems, recalling looking out windows from our childhoods and what we saw out there.  Finally, we created poems by freewriting using a list of 15 randomly-generated words.  All the poems were interesting and vivid, and some were read in the evening at our 7 PM reading.

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!  Host your own event to celebrate poems.  This can be as simple as a group of friends sharing a bottle of wine in your kitchen and taking turns reading poems important to them.  Our workshop was fueled by homemade chocolate chip cookies -- always a good idea for stimulating imaginations.  Read some poems, write some poems, talk about poems, give books of poems as gifts.  My best chum from childhood has requested my new book (Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone and yes this is a shameless plug -- buy it on Amazon!) as her birthday present.

Poetry will set you free!

APRIL 4, 2013: Discover Your Inner Poet

Cookies!  Creativity!  Community!

Come one, come all to a free poetry workshop (afternoon) and reading (evening) at the Clinton Community Hall.  I'll be co-leading a workshop with my friend Pat Brunjes, author of the just-released "Poems from the Desert Floor."  I will work with poets to generate new work, and Pat will present ideas on how to give an effective reading.  We'll meet at the Hall at 3 PM, work until 5, and take a break for revision, dinner, hanging out, etc.  In the evening, all participants will read a poem of their choosing to an enthralled audience of friends, family and fellow poets.

Sponsored by the Clinton Library.  For further information, call Debbie Colfer, Branch Manager at the Clinton Library, 360-341-4280.

Hope to see you there!  Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 3 PM.

Back from SAN GABRIEL VALLEY LITFEST ***

Hi Everyone -- those folks in the San Gabriel Valley and at San Antonio College are a bunch of poetry-loving machines!  My sister and I attended the 3- day litfest, held at West Covina, California's civic center over the long weekend, February 15/16/17.  82 degrees, a gentle Santa Ana breeze, flowers in bloom and palm trees overhead:  what's not to love?  There were four stages going, from noon until 9 PM each day.  When a poet or fiction writer was not reading, s/he was giving a knockout introduction to a fellow reader.  There was music, jewelry, painting, and feng shui advice; there was a special area on the grass for children's literature presentations.  Audiences were unfailingly receptive and generous.

And of course there was fabulous FOOD, from trucks that drove up every afternoon with everything from wild Alaskan cod tacos to churros and waffles.

My reading was at 1 PM on Saturday.  A special surprise was attendance by my 91-year-old mom and her sister, my Aunt Frances, who drove 9 hours from Green Valley, Arizona to attend the reading.

I felt fortunate that my book won the chapbook competition, even more so after hearing work of the other chapbook finalists, especially Terry Lucas -- check out Terry's vivid poems in "Diesel," the anthology of the San Gabriel Valley litfest; here is a link to the bookstore, where my book is also available:  http://sgvlitfest.com/?page_id=630

Here is Terry reading:

A million thanks to John and Ann Brantingham for organizing the festival, and to Michaelsun Knapp for judging the chapbook competition.  (That's Michaelsun and me in the photo below.)  This festival may become an annual event for Sandra and me.

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged and supported my poetry over the years.

***LitFest SCHEDULE***

Here is the link for the schedule at the three-day San Gabriel Literary Festival.  Although my name is not on it (yet), I'm in the group 'Winners of the Chapbook Contest' shown for the Library Stage on Saturday at 1 PM.  I'll have 15 minutes for my reading.  (Remember that saying about everyone having 15 minutes of fame?  I guess this is it.)  Enjoy:

http://sgvlitfest.com/?page_id=870

Stephanie Hammer, although she lives in L.A., is a student in our Whidbey Island MFA Program.  I hope to catch her reading on Saturday at noon, and also Diane Glancy's reading on Friday.  There will be so much poetry going on, it will be impossible to hear every poet.

I'll be posting tales of this experience on this blog after returning to Whidbey February 17.  Stay tuned.

Sheryl's Book Wins a chapbook competition

I'm absolutely THRILLED that my book, "Ring of Fire, Sea of Stone" has been chosen as the winner of the San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival chapbook competition.  I've been invited to do a featured reading at the Festival:  Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 1 PM.  The SGV litfest runs February 15 through 17 at the West Covina, CA civic center.  There will be four (!) stages going, with readings, music, graphic arts; something to interest everybody.  My sister Sandra is going with me and we will do a joint reading of one of the poems from the book.

My book is now available on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Ring-Fire-Stone-Sheryl-Clough/dp/0615755518/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

If you would like to order a signed copy directly from me, I will have copies available upon my return (2/17).  Please send an email to:  <Scatchetpoet@gmail.com> or leave a reply to this post, and I'll be sure to save a copy for you.

Back to work!  I hope to finish a new manuscript of poetry this year, and make significant progress on a novel for which only one chapter is written.