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Sol Magazine © 1999
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Twice a month, Sol Magazine sponsors poetry contests, and from the results, produces an electronic poetry magazine, published on the last day of each month.  The winners are posted to our website at:
http://pages.prodigy.com/sol_magazine

Our topics are on a variety of subjects about nature and the nature of humanity.  Our purpose: to foster the reading and writing of short poetry, and the education of poets.
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WELCOME:  Michelle Angelini, Coke Brown Jr., Leo Castiglioni, Diane M. Davis, Jennifer Doyle, Janelle Gregory, Sarah Herrington, Jan Hilton, Lynne Remick, Brenda Roberts, Cliff Roberts, Karla Sullivan, Jane Swanson, Leila Ryland Swain, and Bill Truax.

WELCOME BACK: S.J. Carr.

GOOD NEWS:  Shelley Crabtree was elected president of Enid Writer's Club.

THANKS:  Bill Truax, of Cedar Hill, TX, for placing a blurb about Sol Magazine in another electronic journal.  It brought us several new poets, for which we are grateful.

SAD NEWS:  From a staff member -

Mary,

I am grieving the loss of a dear friend, a 37-yr-old pastor who died suddenly of a blood clot.

See http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln27074.html to see what a beloved man he was.  He was my best man at my wedding... his last e-mail is still sitting in my in-basket, jovial and innocent as ever.  How quickly life can be taken from any of us!   Enjoy every day...

Craig Tigerman.

Craig:  Our thoughts and good wishes are with you.  Mary and Leo, Betty Ann, Jean, and Paula.
 

A "Blues Poetry" Letter from Dale Ernst.
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About Blues Poetry:  Most of the time it is simply an observation of the human condition, and a very clear one--"it does not always have a resolution."  Most of the time it expresses loss, pain,or sadness with a certain bittersweetness in very simple clear language--in its deepest form.

by Sherley Anne Williams-- "Any Woman's Blues"

        Soft lamp Shinin
                and me alone in the night.

by Etheridge Knight-- "Con/tin/u/way/shun Blues"

They say the blues is just a slave song
But I say that's just a lie
Cause even when we be free, baby
Lord knows we still have to die
        lovers will still lie
        babies still cry

I am aware that there are a wide variety of feelings expressed in "Blues songs or Blues Poetry", joy, humor, sadness...but (they are) usually just about the living of life, and all the different things that can, and do happen to one along the way.  Again there is not necessarily any kind of resolution in the form.

Blues by Dale Ernst

Old man on street,
standing, guitar in
hand.

Rain dripping off
old worn felt hat.

The way,
making bread
singing the blues.

Summer Job

Every morning, get my squirt-gun and rag
This janitorial habit sure is a drag
Pardon me, spiders, I gots window-washing blues
There's sunburn on my eyeballs, and cobwebs in my shoes.

Craig Tigerman, Moline, IL

Ain't Nothing Coming Down

We waste the night
When we ain't got a dime
And when we's lots 'o money
We ain't got the time.

Betty Ann Whitney, Wesley Chapel, FL

Corn

Hot, the sun so sunk in humid air you can stare right at it,
the field yields damply underfoot,
bare feet assessing hidden stones or glass,=
know how to walk imperviously
on earth clumped still in clods tilled in spring
sprouting grasses like an old lady's chin in need of plucking
underneath the sturdy stalks with burnt out trails of silk
to show where ears are tucked for plucking now
on this hot day, the cauldron on the boil to blanch them
instants from their nurture for the freezer.

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA

Glowing

Floating fireflies fete
A moment I'll never forget:
Your glowing eyes in moonlight,
On that sacred sultry night.

Craig Tigerman, Moline, IL

Natural Light

Blinking bottomed fireflies
Lighting the air at night
Flying into Mason jars
Capturing them mid-flight.

Michelle Angelini, Altadena, CA

Birthday Lights

Booming rockets light the sky
To oohs and ahhs below.
Celebrating another year --
Happy Birthday, America!

Michelle Angelini, Altadena, CA

Fireworks My Boy

It's first in his eyes, as he searches the skies
then in my hand, his holding hard and stands
spreading the blanket, his focus never waivers, a frozen smile, then
the first lighted stream and boom makes it all worth while.

S.J. Carr, Houston, TX

After Dark DJC

Crowds gather in great numbers
To watch the fireworks spark
But I prefer the silent show
Of fireflies flickering after dark.

Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX

Refraction

Sizzling sea swallows
Bursting rocket flares
Mingle with starlight
Spawning kaleidoscopic foam

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX

Evening Jewels

Desiring the transference of glory,
we pinched off fireflies' glowing gold bellies,
adorned pudgy arms with bracelets of light,
dirty fingers with phosphorescent rings.

SuzAnne C. Cole

The Torch

Catch a jar of fireflies
Hold it high aloft
Dare the dark backyard
Illuminate its mysteries

SuzAnne C. Cole

Patriotic

The band strikes up and plays real loud
Star Spangled Banner draws the crowd
Each hat comes off, hands on each chest
As fireworks now light up the West!

Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK  Enid Writer's Club

Colorific

The skies, now darkened, shed no light-
Ooh! Pretty! Colors splash the night-
A salute to you, dear Uncle Sam,
American! That's what I am!

Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK  Enid Writer's Club

Blanketed

To the sound of bombs I thrill
Fireworks give me a chill!
Shamelessly, and with no guilt
I hide beneath my trusty quilt!

Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK  Enid Writer's Club

Missed

All the activity
The fire, the festivity
Found me in bed;
I slept through the fourth of July

Nico Crisafulli, Seattle, WA

Vanity

Yours is the most proud of all species--
Who could be more vain
Than call attention to yourself so shamelessly?
Miss Firefly, you astound me.

Nico Crisafulli, Seattle, WA

Tribute

Beyond the hot dogs and potato salad
The fireworks shows, the oohs and aahs
We must celebrate what gets lost in the explosion's fallout:
Our American identity; the freedom derived by our forefathers

Nico Crisafulli, Seattle, WA

Summer Show

Fireflies gliding from forest floor
Scatter lovesick messages across the sky
Rising with urgent, sparkling, exploding passion
Nature's salute to the Fourth of July

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA

Thoughts

Thoughts come and go so quickly
Like fireflies in the night
But we can't put them in the jars
To laugh and enjoy the light

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX

Announce

Anticipation builds as the nightsky becomes ripe
Blue, black curtain gives way. . .
white, green, blue, red streamers announce
through a rushed Monet we now stand free.

J C Holland, Fort Worth, TX

Firetalk

Twinkling stars and screaming colors
paint a sky, much like heroism painted me.
I don't know loss, for freedom has always. . .
Mind, body could live no other way.

J C Holland, Fort Worth, TX

Deja  Vu

Explosions... thunder rings my mind
Colors paint a sky
while flashers paint distance
Freedom, cause we paid the price.

J C Holland, Fort Worth, TX

A Confession

I'm a little firefly
Glowing in the night
Sending out the message
That everything's all light!

James W. Lay,  Calhoun, Georgia

Twilight query

Is it like a spark of fire,
though coolly uninflammatory,
this silent streak of luminescence
glimpsed, like insight, on the fly?

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA

Lesson of the Firefly

To be alert, even when the day is fading,
ready for small wonders, tiny illuminations
pointing one's gaze just THERE
where only darkness was.

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA

Love Lites

Like beacons in the nightly fog,
He ignites his love light,
Attracting his lifelong mate,
To become fireflies of love.

Nina NightRaine, St. Louis, MO

Progress?

How long it's been since we have seen
Those twilight lanterns we had known.
Our cities' sprawl has come to mean
Firefly is fireflown.

John Rice, Houston, TX

NAM '68

A rose-red rocket in an asphalt sky,
The mortar's crump, the scream, the blast.
Yeah, he's okay -- but each July
Those fireworks re-light the past.

John Rice, Houston, TX

Whistler's Nocturne

Fiery flakes of green and gold
Fall in shimmering showers,
Rushing, reflected in the river's dark, glassy glimmer,
To redemption's embrace -- expiring in soft, sibilant sighs.

John Rice, Houston, TX

Fireworks Impression

Fireworks splatter across the sky
red, yellow, white and blue
Vibrant, loud, spectacular
Raining down as fireworks do.

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY

Ode to a Firefly

Oh, Firefly you're a memorable part
of those childhood summers
buzzing around with your flashing friends
like mystical, magical mummers.

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY

Fireworks and Passion Bright

A waterfall of colors
cascades gracefully from the sky
fireworks and passion
burn bright on Fourth of July.

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY

Fireflies

The skies are filled with fireflies
They lightly flutter above my head
Slowly and gently the silent firefly
glows and with a flicker disappears.

Margaret Stearns, Wilmette, IL

Meeting

Meet him in the flourish of spring
Meet him in the smallest thing
Meet him in a poet's lines
Meet him as the firefly shines

Ulf Sundblad, Tumba, Sweden

Twilight Gold

Twilight hurries slowly, then look! fire flies!
Elusive drunken bugs glow wink hide and reappear,
the child leaps pauses reaches turns and cries.
He tries to bottle light against night's dark fear.

Leila Ryland Swain, Washington, D. C.

Thirst for Color

Drought conditions;
Lawns straw yellow,
Leaves and flowers curled against the unrelenting heat.
Tonight, it rains streaks of colored fire.

Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI

Star-Spangled Skies

Funny how we wage war
And celebrate in similar fashion.
War rains fire from darkened skies-death and destruction the goal,
Or independence celebrated in colored lights to inspire awe.

Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI

Night Light

Small child scurries with hands gently waving
Firefly flits on summer's eve, first left then right
Firefly captured,  in her jar for short time saving
Firefly released, child turns out her night light

Bill Truax, Cedar Hill, TX

Rockets in the Night Sky

Tails of fire send rockets high
Shooting up into summer sky
Exploding in a shower bright
Fireworks close the fourth of July

Bill Truax, Cedar Hill, TX

Messenger

Bringer of light
Cast your warm glow upon my face
Illuminate my eyes
And offer the hope of summer nights.

Jade Walker, Lake Worth, FL

Summer Love

That was the summer she kissed me.
We threw mudpies, ate cookies and ran.
The warmed grass of the field tickled our feet,
And we kissed under the light of cheering fireflies.

Jade Walker, Lake Worth, FL

Poets choose word tools to create a multidimensional kind of language.  One of these tools may be the repetition or echoing of sounds, or Alliteration.

As defined in 'The Handbook of Poetic Forms' (edited by Ron Padget):
"Alliteration is like rhyme, but where rhyme's repeated sound consists of at least one syllable, alliteration requires only the repetition of a "unit" of sound, the sound of a single letter."

Alliteration combines same or similar consonants and vowel sounds to strike the ear with more force.  In the following illustration, notice the use of a repetition of individual sounds to echo one another for special effect:

        Dovecoat - by Betty Ann Whitney

        There's a certain influence inside the dovecoat,
        its dim-lit structure, the gentle cooing sounds,
        the fluttering fashion of wings landing these familiar places,
        and the solemn quality existing in the bow.

For more information on alliteration, look for "The Handbook of Poetic Forms" at your favorite bookstore.

Company Say

They say don't be 50, don't be old
Ya know they'll never be, they got the gold
They got and need more
Hey this year I'm 54
Just livin, I'm happy, just don't know it
Laughin out loud at who's gotta show it.

S.J.Carr, Houston, TX

Southern Dining

In the red-hot summer months
This scene is sad but true
Tuxedo-clad waiters serving
Ladies in strapless dresses
So cold they're turning blue

Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX

Analgesia

Mother hushed the agonizing
Table talk of depression woes
By braving the summer white heat
Red chiggers and brier scratches
To gather plump berries for baking
Cobblers oozing blue juice

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX

Senior Pride

Granny's eyes are getting weak
Her hearing's fading too
She shows us she's still perky
By turning her white hair blue

Lois Castiglioni, Galveston, TX

My Neighborhood

I hear the 'copters a-circlin'
Tonight and every night
Over my house, just watchin'
Fightin' their perpetual fight
But this is home and I won't crack
Cause I got faith in the street tonight

Nico Crisafulli, Seattle, WA

Centerville Blues

I remember I was standing
outside my door, full of anger and depressed
watching neighbors waste their lives
on promises of dreams they couldn't catch,
wishing someday would come faster, knowing everything
will make a soul stronger in the end.

Diane M. Davis, Chelmsford, MA

Housewife's Lament

It's been a long day, nothing's going my way
It's Monday and raining, the children are complaining
Red crayons mark the wall up and down the hall
Whitie's letting out a wail, baby pulled his tail
Feet ache in worn-out shoes, I have the housewife's blues
But I won't fret or moan, soon my Honey will be home.

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA

Chopping Cotton

Sun boring through my old straw hat
One more row to hoe
Sweat trickling down my weary back
Quitting time we search for shade
I'll rock on the porch sipping icy lemonade

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA

Slow Train Out of Chicago

That old, slow, lonesome train makes its
way on down the tracks, taking my thoughts
along with it, wandering through the past.
In my heart you are still here,
even when I reach for you in the night, only to
find an empty space where you once lay.

Dale Ernst, Mountain View, MO

Raining in St. Louis

Remembering the past.
Those rainy mornings--you and I intertwined in love.
St. Louis is hot in the summer, but since you been
gone baby, these rainy mornings leave me chilled
to the bone.

Dale Ernst, Mountain View, MO

Hiding

We bundle ourselves against the world outside
Yet we play all the games
And feel all the pains
We must learn to be open and let others inside
Sometimes they'll make us sad
But often make us glad

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX  77550

Blues Under Orange Sun

The summer sun ignites me
I'm serenaded by the hum of the sea
Upon a backdrop of silken sand
There's no one here but me
Without a love to call me own,
I'll find my passion in this poem.

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY

Suburban Blues

We sit in our houses
in neat little blocks
two cars in the garage
and neighborhood parks
Oh, yes its serene and oh so pretty
but it doesn't compare to life in the city.

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY

Hustlin' Blues

Y'all think tennis just a young man's game.
My knees're bad, I'm almost lame.
Backhand, forehand not so good.
No Kevlar racket, mine's made'a wood.
But when money's down, I know my place:
I win it all with my first serve ace!

John E. Rice, Houston, TX

Back to Basics Blues

They took my house, they took my car.
Took all my money from the cookie jar.
They took my shoes and took my clothes,
Took my specs right off my nose --
'Til nothing's left. And now I'm free.
They took it all but they can't take me!

John E. Rice, Houston, TX

Summer

Do not ignore the old toys
forgotten in the yard
see the bright colors
that witness of
childhood
and new life

Ulf Sundblad, Tumba, SWEDEN

ATLANTIC UNBOUND
http://www.theatlantic.com/poetry/poetry.htm

The Atlantic Monthly magazine's web site, "Atlantic Unbound," is as tastefully done as the venerable hardcopy magazine itself (first published in 1857).  Carrying on its proud tradition of serious evaluation and discussion of the literary arts, the web site includes a fine poetry section.

One is sure to find something of interest among the many selections.  There are in-depth reviews of notable books and articles, poems by featured writers, a "Post and Riposte" reader forum for bulletin board-style discussions on a variety of topics, an impressive list of links to other poetry web sites, and even audible poetry readings.

There were so many enticing options, I found it hard to choose where to begin.  As I browsed through various features, I found myself impressed with the quality of the material.  Here is an online haven for intellectual give-and-take, with names like Yeats, Dickinson, Whitman and Pinsky liberally scattered throughout.  I took as a positive challenge the fact that often times I found myself having difficulty relating to the sophisticated nature of an analysis.  It's too easy to dismiss as "hi-brow" and write off as stuffy intellectualism what is actually a vital crucible of human artistic endeavor.  This web site is a treasure.

Rich in content, "Atlantic Unbound" provides easy access to archived poetry and articles.  "Web-only" features are so noted, underscoring the wealth of knowledge and opinion collected and readily available here.  I am happy to have bookmarked this site, for I intend to revisit it often.

Shaped poems are difficult to keep in their original shapes due to the differences between systems.  Because of this, we have placed all of the shaped poems to our web pages:  http://pages.prodigy.com/sol_magazine/shaped7.htm
Below we post the comments from the judge.
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FIRST PLACE - $25.00 Book gift certificate from Barnes & Noble
Independence

Ron Blanton, Salt Lake City, Utah
Judge's Comments:  This poet used the technique of dramatic monologue, ending with a strongly worded question to move the reader to his point of view.  Excellent content, good use of vivid language.  Great dramatic form in the tepee shape.
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Muscle Man

Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX
Judge's Comments:  Nice bar-bell form.
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Sweet Dreams

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX
Judge's Comments:  Successful hourglass form.  Witty content, with a title that reflects the deeper message of the poem.
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SECOND PLACE
Winding W

Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, Ok.
Enid Writer's Club
Judge's Comments:  The exceptionally eye-catching form of this poem is reinforced by the use of total alliteration throughout, including in the title.  Reading the lines up and down also brings a strong movement to the piece, as suggested in the title.  A difficult piece to successfully bring together, but all the elements work very well.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Her Face

Nico Crisafulli, Seattle, WA
Judge's Comments:  Clearly considering our instructions to use NO punctuation whatsoever in this poem, the poet eliminated even the apostrophes in "I'll" adding to the visual impact of this well-crafted poem.  Lyrical language, arresting form.  The poet did not title this piece, but the title is implicit in the first and last lines of the poem. Ah, yes, "Her face."  Memorable
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HONORABLE MENTION
A Summer Storm

Diane M. Davis,  Chelmsford, MA
Judge's Comments:  The form of this is reminiscent of how drops of rain fall into puddles and sometimes settle into dome-shaped bubbles on the water before they burst.  Refreshing.
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Stargazing

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA
Judge's Comments:  Nicely worded sentiment.  Almost achieves a six-pointed star shape.
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Speed

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX
Judge's Comments:  Wise words, with heavier and heavier thoughts spreading out to the last line.  The form clearly adds to the poem.
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THIRD PLACE - TIE
There is a Season

Jean McAllister, Bellevue, WA
Judge's Comments:  Excellent hourglass form emphasizes not only the "slipping sands" of time, but the change from one state of being to another, and the chance of "renewal."  Well-written.
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Troubled Mind

Nina NightRaine, St. Louis, MO
Judge's Comments:  Jumbled thoughts reflect in this uneven form, forcing the eye to follow the chaotic shape as it reads the words.
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HONORABLE MENTION
The Salt Of Sacrifice

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY
Judge's Comments:  The lyrical quality of this piece sings from the page. The form reminds me of waves at the beach as they flow in and out.
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THIRD PLACE - TIE
Over Easy

John E. Rice, Houston, TX
Judge's Comments:  What could be more delicious in the morn than reading about breakfast?  We not only picture the scene through this imagery, but also see the main topic in the ovid shape of the poem.
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Ice Cream

Margaret Stearns, Wilmette, IL
Judge's Comments:  A sweet scoop of ice cream, with two big bites taken out of it.  Cute poem.
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Blazing Frontiers

Bill Truax, Cedar Hill, TX
Judge's Comments:  Simple form that somehow reflects  the silhouette of the shuttle as it prepares, in a cloud of fire and gas, to lift off for space.

What makes a poem stick in your head?  When you find yourself tapping a toe to a jingle that's still tingling your brain cells three days after you've heard it?  It's the catchiness, the rhythm!  What many musicians term the beat, the rhythm of a piece can often be confused with cadence or meter. The three are highly different.

Rhythm comes from the word "rhein," which means to flow and that's what rhythm does.  It enters each line, each word, and makes a poem flow fast and clear to the mind of the reader.  These elements are in the nonvocal/vocal elements of a piece.  The pauses and the speaking.  The silence and the inflection.

Cadence is a word derived from the Latin "cadere," meaning to fall.  This ties in with rhythm by pacing a piece out with the rise and fall of the voice, implied in the lines and punctuations. Cadence is where your voice picks up the emotion and charts the spikes and valleys of the poem's language.

Finally, meter is from the Latin "metrum," which means "to measure." Basically, meter measures out the spaces in a line of poetry to allow for rhythm and cadence to do their work.  Without meter, you wouldn't know when you were supposed to breathe, what words should be stressed, and so on. Perhaps the best known form of meter is iambic pentameter, made popular by Shakespeare, which stressed/unstressed (repeated 5 times each line) five feet to form the pentameter.

Meter forms the boundaries within which rhythm can charge a piece along and cadence can help keep it from becoming outrageously out of control by pacing it within reason.  All three work together.  So what are you waiting for?  Make it move!

sow lying in grass --
frantic piglets gobble up
manna from mama.

Coke Brown Jr., Ft. Worth, TX

chef boar's specialty
vegetarian platters
meals without squeals

Don Castiglioni, Austin, TX

arteriosclerosis
porky pig's
revenge

Leo Castiglioni, Galveston, TX

minnows of sunlight
swim across
slumbering sows

Lois Lay Castiglioni, Galveston, TX

pet pig deeply loved
until she bit me-then
I loved pork chops more

SuzAnne C. Cole, Houston, TX

Porcine porker pigs
Rooting endlessly in mud
Truffle hunting kings

Shelley L. Crabtree, Enid, OK
Enid Writer's Club

priggish actor
wallowing in self-importance
pure ham

Kay Lay Earnest, Smyrna, GA

piglets abjure the swill
pork belly futures
flop

Milton Earnest, Smyrna, GA 30082

We think pigs are fat
But how can anyone know
A pig thinks it so

Sharon Goodwin, Galveston, TX

Laying in oak shade
twitching her snout in dreams
living pig heaven.

Janelle Gregory, Wattsburg, PA

mama pigs litter Piggly Wigglys
with free samples
of Morning Star Sausage

James W. Lay, Calhoun, GA

snowfall on the farm,
suddenly I'm quite hungry--
pigs in a blanket

Cliff Roberts, College Sherman, TX

Sunshine bakes brown mud
perspiring piglets wallow
Oh, what a stink!

Lynne Remick, Nesconset, NY

porcine perfume puts
pigs to dancing romancing
nights in hog heaven

John E. Rice, Houston, TX

Pigs are my favorite
They squirm and squeak
roll in mud, but smell

Margaret Stearns, Willmette, IL

grey rumbling
herds of pig plump clouds
waddle over

Patricia A Tabella, Providence, RI

apple in her mouth
pig lies upon veggie mound
tasty sacrifice

Bill Truax, Cedar Hill, TX

Don't blame kids, gangs or drugs for the disintegration of community and family, and don't fool yourself into believing you can control it - TV has become our drug of choice.

Everyone says they don't watch that much, but at the end of the day, the typical person is tired from work and wants to relax.  Drives home, parks the car, waves "hi" to the neighbors parking their car, and goes inside. Never to be seen again because they turned on the TV to get their view of the world.

TV seems to help -- it gives news, weather reports and is entertaining. PBS and the discovery channel, boy, are they great.  However, look at what TV takes away:  time with others, creating a false sense of comfort.

Talking is not as easy or comfortable as turning on the TV and frankly conversation is becoming a lost art.  If TV did not exist, people would seek comfort in their community, friends and family, and communication would start anew.  Even TV stations say just turn it off or change the channel.

No one says get rid of TV, so I will.  Do yourself and family a favor and sell it to an addict-watcher in denial.  TV: America's drug of choice.

Pat Tabella wins a copy of "Texas Poetry Calendar 2000" edited by Lianne Mercer and Betty Davis, published by Flying Cow Productions.
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Punctuating Summer

The kids
On the next street over
Shoot off fireworks all morning.
The sound, like dozens of empty, metal, shopping carts
Careening down the road,
Alerts the neighborhood dogs,
Who join in the fray.
Firecrackers, barking dogs,
And the shouts of excited children,
Herald the days of July.

Pat Tabella, Providence, RI

HOUSTON CHAPTER Poetry Society of Texas announces its 29th annual Winter Poetry Festival, with 24 contests.  For more information, write to:

June Chalon
5221 Locust
Bellaire, TX  77401-3322

Or call her at (713) 667-1403.  Deadline for entry:  October 20, 1999.

NOTE:  Contest #4, "Talk the Blues" is sponsored by and will be judged by Mary Margaret Carlisle in honor of Leo F. Waltz.
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The Houston Council of Writers, as part of its Saturday Seminar Series, presents:   "How To Become An Organized Writer"

Contact Raul Herrera at either  rherrera@insync.net  or (713) 527-6367 for more information.  The Seminar will be held at Anderson Hall, University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX on Saturday, September 11, 1999.

Early registration is $25.00 by September 1, 1999.  After that, the fee increases to $35.00.  Please send the registration fee, including your full name and postal address, to:

Houston Council of Writers
P.O. Box 441381
Houston, Texas 77244-1381
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Houston Writers League Announces the First Annual "We'll Publish Your Book" Poetry Contest.  Contact David Crump for more information.  dcrump@uh.edu
http://www.swammi.com/writers

Sponsors in 1999:  Don Castiglioni, Emily Katherine Earnest, Kay and Milton Earnest, Sharon Goodwin, Jim Lay, Brad and Mary Millar, Naomi Stroud Simmons, Leo Waltz.

Book donors in 1999:  Joe Blanda, Jim Casey, Lois Lay Castiglioni, Guy Le Charles Gonzalez, Sharon Goodwin, Carlyn Luke Reding, Naomi Stroud Simmons, Rita Smithuysen, Craig Tigerman.
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New sponsors and angels always welcomed.  Thanks for your support.
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Our friend Joan Reeves has some new Romantic Comedy novels coming out this year and next.  "Still the One", 9/99; "Love Will Find a Way", Christmas '99; "A Tale of Beauty and the Geek," Valentine's Day, 2000.
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Sol Magazine © 1999