Monday, September 30, 2013

Thursday October 3, 2013 at 6 p.m. at the GoggleWorks with Montgomery County's 2013 Poet Laureate Glenn McLaughlin and with Patrick and Marilyn Klimcho

First Thursday with Glenn McGlaughlin, Patrick Klimcho and Marilyn Klimcho:

GLENN MCLAUGHLIN
 
Glenn McLaughlin studied chemistry, education, running and dishwashing, but not writing or poetry, at Bucknell University. Eight years ago, after nearly thirty years of laboring in the chemical and plastics industries, he was fortunate to lose his job and begin a journey that has led him, finally, to where he should have been all along, a high school chemistry classroom. He is currently a long-term substitute in chemistry at Methacton High School. While not formally trained in poetry or writing, he has published two collections of poems, Something Catches (2006) and Forms of Lectio (2008), the latter a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award in Poetry in 2009. Several of his poems have been published in the Schuylkill Valley Journal, The Mad Poets Review, Forward and Big Bridge. A volume of poems and essays, The Land I Am Given / Oops., was published in 2011. Additional honors include a Spring-Ford High School Senior Impact Award (a student nominated award for teachers who students believe make a difference) and election to the Bucknell Athletic Hall of Fame. He lives in Pottstown with his wife, Susan, and is an easy drive away from his two daughters and two granddaughters.




Patrick Klimcho enjoys writing humorous poem parodies, which he equates to solving crossword puzzles. Besides writing humor, Patrick likes to write political rants and what he refers to as 'sappy grandfather poems.' Patrick's work has been published in the Schuylkill Valley Journal and in Up and Under: the QND Review.

Marilyn Klimcho, Treasurer of Berks Bards, has been writing short stories and poems intensively for the past eight years as well as editing the work of several local authors, one of whom recently published. (Check out Lessons from the Hog House by Elizabeth Clark, American History Press.) Marilyn has had a short story published in the Schuylkill Valley Journal, for which she received a nomination for a Pushcart Prize.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

For your pleasure, three poems written on the spot by children at the Berks Bards & Fightin Phils Baseball Poetry Contest Reading on August 22, 2013

On Thursday, August 22, 2013, Berks Bards hosted a mini-poetry contest for children thirteen years old or younger. Below is a sampling of some of the best entries written the evening of the baseball game and submitted in the hopes of winning a drawing for a baseball.


Way up high in the apple tree
Two little apples smiled down at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
Down came the two little apples
MMM they were good.

by Cassie L.



Baseball is fun,
Baseball is great.
I love the feeling
Of sliding into home plate
So many happy times,
Out in the sun.
The fun doesn't end
Until the game is won.

by Alex B.



The Philies
Are awesome.
So are the fans.
I like to go and shake their hands.

by Drew S.