A city as you imagine it, quiet at night or bustling, with holiday lights or antique lanterns.
A city you can go home to, or see for the first time. A city that shines with hope.
Hello, everyone! I've just read a medieval Italian poem about December, and I was enchanted by the first stanza:
"And for December I give you a city in the plain, ground-floor rooms and huge fires, woven carpets, chess boards and games and lighted torches; and let there be always gifts in your hands;"
I come bearing a gift of poetry and friendship, with invitations to join us for our upcoming workshop and reading with Bo Bryan, the poet laureate of Myrtle Beach, as well as our annual holiday party. For each of these, we will gather in the city of Columbia.
Please note the change from the main auditorium to the 2nd floor theater.
Our own Lawrence Rhu will be the opening reader for this event. More details below in the Every Corner, Every County section.
And the following Saturday, we will celebrate in a holiday mood at an important place called One Columbia, a non-profit organization for art and culture in an artistic city!
Now, let's have a look back at November.
A while back, one of our members sent me a packet of his poems, shared that he was about to turn 80, and he'd like for others to be able to experience his work. It occurred to me that The Poetry Society could stage a reading for him where he lives (Murrell's Inlet), and tie it in to a Poetry Trails event. Tina Baumis agreed to help pull this off, and we did it. What a joy to see Paul Grimsley surrounded by friends and family ... even one friend he has had since first grade! Before they arrived, we walked along the marsh, and Paul told us stories of his life. He also recited several poems of his own and others by memory. We also heard stories of a lesser-populated city of Myrtle Beach and the adventures Paul and his friends shared when they were young.
November 16, The Marsh Walk
On November 9, several poets and guests gathered at an art gallery to celebrate an exhibit of work that included Janet Kozachek's ocarinas (musical instruments that she created, with a turtle theme). Al Black organized this event and reading with the gallery owner, and the theme for our poems was "turtles." We had a wonderful time admiring all the artists' work and listening to the poems together. Janet also did us the honor of playing some of her ocarinas.
And on November 2, The Poetry Society hosted Quitman Marshall for our second of the Midlands Region events for the Every Corner, Every County Series. Loli Molina Munoz was our opening reader. The Richland County Library (Main) is such a wonderful venue, and we appreciated the support of Lee Snelgrove and everyone else there for creating a warm space for poets. Loli read about her experiences as an immigrant (a truly meaningful listen, and I hope many people will read her work). Quitman shared not only his beautiful poetry but excerpts from his new book about the Congaree Swamp. I appreciated seeing some of our Society members in attendance. We had a small group, but of course we are in a transition stage and hoping to grow our regional attendance.
At the workshop, held two hours before the reading, several of our guests shared their own "place" poems.
Every Corner, Every County Reading Series
We would like to thank the folks at SC Humanities for funding our reading series in 2024-2025. We couldn't do what we do without the support of our sponsors!
Bo Bryan is the first poet laureate chosen to represent Myrtle Beach. As a literary craftsman, he is primarily self-taught, autodidactic through lifelong habit and innate love for the sounds of words. He was dyslexic as a child, moderately afflicted, however his impairment was never diagnosed. He had much difficulty learning to read, and was consequently considered of below average intelligence. The sounds of words equally fascinated and baffled him. The mysteries of language and the impact of words on human action and emotion—structuring phonetic patterns for maximum accuracy and clarity of intent—became an obsession. Until recently he had never called himself a poet, nor published a poem. “As I grew up in a carnival town, the only socially acceptable motive for a young man writing a poem was to mesmerize a pretty girl.” Otherwise mere passing contact with poetry was considered outside the manly purview. Reading poetry, let alone writing verse for pleasure, was anathema to a beach boy’s need for constant display of stud-like character. Even in later adulthood, it seemed necessary to hide to be a poet, even if he didn’t call himself one. Being chosen the first Poet Laureate of Myrtle Beach was tantamount to adopting a new identity. Being invited to speak to The South Carolina Poetry Society is a validation of himself Bo Bryan would be thrilled to defend at dawn tomorrow.
Workshop Topic: The Pride and Pleasure of Poetry
Zoom link for the Workshop only! See below for the Reading Zoom link.
Topic: Workshop with Bo Bryan
Time: Dec 7, 2024 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 829 3227 1856
Passcode: 028208
Zoom link for the 3 p.m. reading:
Topic: Reading with Bo Bryan
Time: Dec 7, 2024 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 886 0892 0827
Passcode: 131383
Opening Reader: Larry Rhu
Lawrence Rhu is the Todd Professor of the Italian Renaissance, emeritus, at the University of South Carolina. He has published books and essays about the American and European Renaissances and edited Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. His poems have appeared in Poetry, North Dakota Quarterly, One, and other journals. They have won awards from the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society of New Orleans and the Poetry Societies of both North and South Carolina. His collection of poems, Pre-owned Odyssey & Rented Rooms was published by Main Street Rag in 2024. It records a pilgrimage by Prius, plane, bicycle, streetcar, and minivan – most of them used, pre-owned, or secondhand.
The Oliver Bowman Memorial Prize
When Oliver Bowman passed away at the age of 92 on July 25, 2023, the Poetry Society of South Carolina suffered the loss of one of our finest, most beloved central figures. Generations of PSSC members have experienced his friendship and graciousness, from his first appearance before the group in 1963 right up to the time of his unexpected death. To honor Oliver, we are raising funds for the Oliver Bowman Memorial Prize that will begin this coming calendar year and continue for at least 10 years, if we can raise sufficient funds. If you would like to contribute to this collective, "The Friends of Oliver Bowman," send a check for any amount you're comfortable with to PSSC, P.O. Box 1090, Charleston, SC 29402. Make check payable to "PSSC." Please indicate that your donation is for the "Oliver Bowman Memorial Prize." Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law and will be acknowledged with an official letter for tax purposes.
Another Way to Support the Society
In addition to our brand new, lovely Christmas ornament, we have a collection of Society shirts, hats, bags, and mugs.
You can look sporty and support the important work of the Poetry Society with each purchase. Click here to visit the website.
The Poetry Prompt Contest
The Poetry Prompt Contest is a monthly contest where we encourage you to submit a piece inspired by the new prompt found below. The winning poem or flash fiction is published in the following month's newsletter. We also offer the winner the opportunity to record a video of him or herself reading the poem to be posted to the Poetry Society's YouTube channel. There is no obligation to record the video, it is only there as an offer if the winner feels comfortable doing so.
The prompt for December is "city." An alternative is "gift" or you could write about December itself.
Please send your poem to everycornereverycounty@gmail.com, and let me know which county you are in. Thank you!
The November winner is Paula Appling from Pickens County. The poem cleverly re-imagines a moment in history and the day-after feeling of retreat.
Closed Until Petrichor
November 6, 2024
Like a turtle,
I peer through
blackout curtains
and snap them shut
at the first whiff
of danger.
Congratulations, Paula!
Members in the News
Len Lawson has shared a letter for the Society's consideration:
Terri McCord's work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in NOVUS Literary and Arts Journal, Rockvale Review, Querencia - We Were Seeds, Westchester Review, Chiron Review, Gargoyle Magazine, The Orchards Poetry Journal, Slippery Elm Review, Dulcet Literary Magazine, Black Lily, and McCord received a "Best of the Net" nomination from Same Faces Collective for "As We Become AI."
Chris Blackmon invites you to an event (tonight!) in Lancaster.
The Poetry Society is pleased to announce our first nomination for the Pushcart Prize: Cassie Premo Steele's "Finding Laura and L.D." The nomination is for the 2024 Pushcart year and the winners will be announced in 2025. “Finding Laura and L.D.,” won the Society Prize for the 2023-2024 calendar year ($500). The poem appears in the PSSC's 2024 Yearbook.
Janet Kozachek has shared the following event, which includes some of our members.
I appreciate every one of you out there in the cities, towns, and backwoods, wherever you are writing, reading, or listening to poetic voices.
Blessings for the holidays,
Tamara