Record of meeting 11 April 2012

Present: David R, Jo, Terry, Leonie, Geoff, Garry, Mary, Wendy G, Trish, Helene, Wendy W, David C and welcome back to Cath after a break. 

News: Mary has been staying at Tumut near the Gubraganda River which recently peaked at 6 metres. Cath’s grandson got married recently and she looked good on Facebook. Garry had a nice quiet Easter. Geoff has taken over as treasurer for the Youth Orchestra. Leonie has been busy since the last meeting and found an amazing freeway to Sydney Airport. Terry has been working for two years through the council and the Geographic Name Board has been successful in having the Palm Beach reserve renamed the Ray Brook’s reserve. Jo showed a picture of her new great grandson Tyler. David C is putting a bay window in his house but needs help. David R swam with two dolphins this morning. Helene went to Canberra at the weekend. Trish was expecting 9 people for Easter but they did not arrive – what a shame. Wendy G celebrated her 54 th wedding anniversary and cut down a big tree with family teamwork.

Word of the day: Mary – machinate = to plot or scheme. Cath – chicanery = deceit. Garry - irk = irritating, wearisome, annoy. Geoff – dissolute = loose or amoral. Leonie – idolum = mental image, an idea, fallacy. Terry – expiate = to make amends to atone for. Jo – heterograft = living graft from one species to another. David C – metaphor = a figure of speech. David R - querulous = complaining in a petulant manner.  Wendy W – stoic = impassive to pleasure or pain. Helene – veto = official power to cancel a proposal. Trish – cathartis = adjective to purge feelings. Wendy G - surreptitiously = done secretly or stealthily.

Quick write from words of the day

 We wrote stories of a sisterly conspiracy, the cattle dog, the gorilla and the old man, the prostitute and power, the boyfriend and the shark, bird brained revenge, the wrong picture, hetrografted heart, Roger the mean politician, transplanting a mouse, dog man, by the back door and monkey images of nit picking.

Reading of homework

The group expressed thanks to Jo for the homework which encouraged many to rewrite opening paragraphs and consider a variety of titles. There were many examples of great opening lines, great descriptions and wonderful memories.

Reading

Trish read two poems about indigenous people and a child's lament.

Geoff recommended “The bone people” by Kerri Hulme about a NZ woman and child abuse. He read an excerpt from the novel he is writing “Showa 46”.

Terry read a short story ‘the grand old lady’ a description of the Carrington in the Blue Mountains.

Exercise

We took 13 minutes to each write a few lines with each word starting with the same letter - Writers wrote worrying works with worthy, wise, worldly wisdom.

Competition

Elizabeth Jolley short story prize $5,000, second prize $1,000. Entries to ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, PO Box 2320, Richmond South, VIC 3121, entries close 31 May 2012. See the Shoalhaven Arts site for more information.

Homework – Wrote a poem or story about the Titanic.