MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING

 20 June 2019 at St Mary’s church Hall, Horsell

Present: Tricia, Amanda, Greg, Simon, Sarah DD, Alan, Carla, Hilary, Peter G.

Apologies: Catherine, Liz, Peter DPM, Heather.

We are back to meeting on the third Thursday and do not plan to change this in the foreseeable future.

This was a super meeting; we seem to be consistently sharing interesting writing of a high standard and good variety.  We heard essay, play, poetry and prose philosophical, nostalgic, humorous, dramatic, some hard-edged and tense, some light and whimsical, one lightly polemic.

Readings

The theme set last month by Simon was ‘Song Lyrics’.

Tricia offered two pieces. One, a playlet based on Bob Dylan’s Duquesne Whistle.  The song has many thoughtful layers and Tricia may have added some of her own.  We were there on that train enjoying the rhythm – and blues. Tricia’s second was a collage of misheard lyrics, some familiar to some members, all entertaining. Is music more effective than words?  The jury is still out.

Simon is a straight-looking chap with a bluesy soul.  His misspent youth life invested in valuable experience has equipped him to be able to see life with some of its flaws and many of its riches.  His essay showed us folks in their third age, content to be entertained on a budget in Formica and Dralon clubs.  The musicians strive to stir and reach parts no longer accessible; the audience just hoping for fellowship and remembering a past warmer and more complete than it ever was.  We all enjoyed this essay masterclass. And we thought it should be published.  It would enrich a magazine like The Oldie.

Peter brought a gentle report about an old bloke transported to another age by a vintage motorcycle.  The group thought it was atmospheric with sufficient humour.  The motorcyclist gets out a bit but probably spends time in one of Simon’s clubs?

Hilary read another scene from her progressing novel.  This, again, was beautifully crafted, and drew us inexorably into the manor house and the emotions of the characters.  Perhaps only the audience can see the underlying conflicts in Samantha’s troubled mind.  It’s bound to end badly?

Carla treated us to a new poem that she wrote at a workshop, based on an old family photo.  A poem can convey a lot in ten lines.  Carla’s form was the specular – or mirror- poem in which the lines in the first half are used in reverse in the second part.  Carla’s grandparents and their baby are the subject but the story hints at history and informs us in Italy, as in England, about the divide in language and culture between north and south.  Carla asked for critical feedback and there was discussion about her ‘cheating’ the form slightly with a last line not exactly the same as its obverse.

Sarah reverted to a theme of a couple of meetings ago and brought a ‘found’ poem.  It was thoughtful and subtle, the sort of poem you could re-read a few times and keep discovering meaning.  We were impressed with Tricia who correctly identified the inspiration as Virginia Woolf.

Greg’s verse showed his twin pedigrees of journalist and poet with a ‘report’ of an Art Garfunkel performance at Hampton Court.  It was a sad portrait of a pop star past his best and still unable to accept that even his apogee had been in the shadow of a greater lyricist.

Alan reminded us how many song lyrics draw on rain as a metaphor.  An enchanting piece, honouring Joan Baez, Johnny Cash and the Beatles, with a neat finish that drew a gasp from the audience.

Amanda treated us to the light polemic of the corporatised world of education in independent schools, usurped by post-its, programmes, strategy and interchangeable acronyms.  Immensely enjoyable – but worrying.

Next month: 

Theme: Born to be Wild

Chair: Hilary

Minutes: Greg

Milk and biscuits: Alan

Wine: Tricia