When Spirits Call -- 10/31 Reading in Jim Thorpe

Maybe it's the falling leaves or the first hint of chimney smoke, but late October in the Poconos is always lovely and mysterious. Each year, during the Days of the Dead, we hold a reading in Jim Thorpe to recognize the ethereal presence and absence of those who've passed on. Join us next Sunday, 10/31/10, 2 PM, at the Strange Brew Coffee House for "When Spirits Call", a mix of poetry, song, fact, and fiction. If you bring along some object or photo, we'll add it to our community ofrenda.

Anyone who would like to read or perform, should contact Pennyl Pointe at this site or by phone -- (570) 722-1680 -- to be added to the readers list for the afternoon. Past events have been solemn, profane, beautiful and funny. Don't miss this one.

Howling Wind + Halloween + Mystery!

Howling wind + Halloween = mystery! Choosing the right point of view can amplify the power of any crime yarn. P.D. James, author of 20 books, likes to write as "a detached recorder" which allows her to move into the minds of various characters, "seeing with their eyes." This shifting viewpoint shows "how differently we can all perceive the same event." She's 90 years old now. No murderer could fool her.

One of her works served as the basis for the film "Children of Men". Although it is more of a science fiction story than a mystery, it explores the dark side of social engineering and the plight of those who've been tossed from earth's life boat. If you've only seen the film, it's worth the effort to read the story and compare both versions. Her use of the shifting perspective allows both doom sayers and optimists to come away from the story feeling satisfied.

Workshop for Writers in Jim Thorpe, PA: Writing The Anthracite Experience

Pennsyl Pointe Writers Retreat is kicking off a workshop series for writers working on stories from Pennsylvania's coal country. Coal towns once epitomized the fulfillment of American dreams. Today, tales from anthracite communities are even more relevant because they illustrate many of the conflicts still shaping America's national character.

The workshop will be held in the Albright Mansion, at 66 Broadway in Jim Thorpe, PA. The session begins at 9 AM in the Rose Room with coffee and introductions. A $95 dollar workshop fee covers instruction, reading materials, and a tasty lunch provided by the host restaurant. The last exercise will end by 5 PM. An early bird discount reduces the price to $90 for those who register by July 10th. Contact tenpagesaday@msn.com or call (570)722-1680 for more details.

The workshop will be facilitated by Colleen Davis, whose work runs the gamut from technical writing and travel pieces, to fiction and speeches. She has a BA and MS from the University of Pennsylvania and has written for clients as diverse as Vineyard Stars and the Washington Post. Her ancestors arrived in anthracite country before the civil war and she was raised in Frackville, PA.

Writing, Art and the Search for Beauty

For most of the Pocono calendar year, beauty is just shouting at you non-stop. Fall is a wall of color, the winter snows dazzle. Spring and summer....well, we all know what show-offs they can be. Right now, however, autumn has ended and the only thing jumping out of the landscape to catch your eye is the random sculpture made by some bear eating last week's trash.

This time of year you've got to look carefully for signs of natural artistry. Yesterday I was carrying my camera around because I want to take a photo of the single white duck that's taken up residence on a neighbor's pond. Although I walked over there a few times, she never glided near enough for a good close-up. The leafless trees looked forlorn and the grass was already brown in spots. Then just before 5 PM, I happened to go out again when the setting sun had transformed the sky into the work of art pictured above. Yes, it's here. Beauty has not abandoned us.

Writers Read in Jim Thorpe: Echoes of Souls

You can't turn around these days without running into a ghost walk or a haunted house. While ghouls are obviously big business (especially during a recession), the presence of departed souls is very real to me, especially at this time of year. It's not just the mist that rises along the river, or the way the wood smoke haunts the cool fall air. There is a mysterious energy that seeps into the shadowed places around us; it soothes more than it scares.

To celebrate this time when the spirits feel so close, Pennsyl Pointe is sponsoring "Echoes of Souls" a reading on Sunday, November 1st, at 2 PM at Artefino Gallery, 16 W. Broadway in Jim Thorpe. Five Pennsylvania writers will read work that explores the ways the dear departed continue to dance among the living. Works will include original fiction and poetry by writers from Pennsyl Pointe and the Liberties Scribblers group in Philadelphia.

To make the event a little more special we will also be making a community "ofrenda". This is a collaborative artwork that looks like an altar but is actually made up of objects that commemorate the lives of loved ones who've passed on. If you would like to have an object included for someone you've lost, please drop it off at Sellers Books and Fine Arts (101 Broadway) or Artefino Gallery and we will place it in the ofrenda. You can pick up your object after the reading.

Fall Foliage in Jim Thorpe; Writing in Penn's Woods

Well, it's happened. The trees decided to throw a party. Of course they had to put on their wildest colors before the rest of the guests arrived. In Albrightsville, where I live, the leaves are really stunning. Yesterday I stopped at a nearby lake to snap a few photos. The picture at the right sums up the season's beauty. It's a great time to write. I hope some of these trees are still dressed when we have our Journal Writing Workshop on October 27th-28th. (See www.poconowriters.com). People will delight in the experience of writing in the woods regardless of what happens to the foliage. But if the trees keep this up, no one will leave the workshop feeling uninspired.

This is also the first of the Fall Foliage weekends in Jim Thorpe. Although the leaves there really haven't changed colors yet, the town's full of free music, good food, and autumn revelry. Last night I finally went on the Ghost Walk to hear more stories about the spookier aspects of the town. I recommend it for the first-time visitor. Part of what makes the town so attractive is the strong sense that it has never been abandoned by the spirits of the past.

Journal Workshop in the Poconos

The trees can't come to an agreement. Some of them still think summer has a little life left in it. Today the weather is on their side. The sky is bluer than Paul Newman's eyes and the Rose of Sharon is still heavy with flowers. Opposing these optimistic plants, we have the elms which are shedding their red leaves at a dramatic pace. Although it's clear that fall is gaining the upper hand, the brave flowers above continue blooming. By the way, the color in that photo has not been enhanced.

All this variety makes autumn a great season for writing. The Pocono Mountains boast incredible beauty at this time of year. I'm hoping we'll still have some foliage and sunny days during our upcoming Journal Making Workshop at Graystones Preserve. We will be working with participants to help them make personalized journals they can use for their own creative projects. I'll be teaching with Randall Sellers and Debra Dick, two accomplished colleagues who have been making exceptional art for a long time. The dates of the workshop are October 27th and 28th. You can check our new website at www.poconowriters.com to get more information on the workshop and Graystones Preserve. Graystones is a spectacular 3800 acre nature preserve just outside Hickory Run State Park.