The Sand Hill Review http://www.sandhillreview.org 2005
WAVERLEY
WRITERS
Five
local poets and their friends founded Waverley
Writers in 1981. Within a few years, the group set the basic practices
that still prevail:
·
The
group meets once a month except for July and August, on the first Friday of the
month, at 7:30 p.m. For many years the location has been the Friends’ Meeting
House on
·
Anyone
who cares to read their own work can sign up and have the opportunity to read,
time permitting.
·
Each
reader in turn walks to the front of the room and "owns" their poem
by delivering it without a disclaimer.
·
Any
form or style or school of poem-making is fine, but each reader is expected to
be brief, usually taking no more than two minutes.
·
Audience
members respond by applauding briskly or softly, not by making comments of any
sort.
·
Several
times each year, the first half of the evening is devoted to one or more
featured readers. Otherwise, the readings are open.
As an
organization, Waverley Writers keeps things simple. No dues, no bylaws, no
mission statement. A steering committee is responsible for basic meeting
logistics; for an economically produced publication, Fresh Hot Bread,
which appears five times a year; for featured readers; and for an annual
picnic.
In short, the
real genius and staying power of Waverley Writers lies in the poets who attend
and breathe life into each gathering through their words. This issue of Sand
Hill Review is a tribute to this long-lasting group and offers just a
sampling of the talent that resides there.