Groundwaters

What’s Been Happenin’?

November 23, 2008 on 6:01 pm | In This 'n That | No Comments

Submission deadline for the January issue is past, so I’m beginning the labor-intensive layout process before the holiday busy-iness gets too intense. We have a full issue – and another good one. There is lots of poetry this time, but also some great prose entries, as well. I think that one of the things that has made Groundwaters so popular is the broad expanse of subject matter and the variety of writing styles that we’re able to share with our readers. It’s so exciting to welcome back some of Judy’s original contributors (i.e. Carolyn Carney, Vallee Rose, Greg Williams) and introduce you to some new ones, too (i.e. Ellen Marmon, Ken Wickstrom, Jane Capron, Patty Byers.) Vallee Rose and Ken Wickstrom both live in California; Jane is sharing her considerable talent with us as a professional mystery fiction writer in the form of a “refresh” poem to fit the January theme. Patty, Jen Chamber’s grandmother, is providing us with a stunning winter scene cover as well as a bit of family history. We have a couple of profiles so that you can get better acquainted with some of our local people and writers and of course, some of our very special regular contributors are sharing with us some more of their wonderful stories and poems.

The Groundwaters team spent both Friday and Saturday, November 21 and 22, at tables at the Fern Ridge Holiday Bazaar event. We met a lot of new people as well as some who came by to say “hi,” and we handed out a lot of issues to those who were not familiar with what we are doing. It was fun seeing everyone, but I still have a lot of cookies and popcorn balls to dispose of that didn’t sell – of course, I’m sure that my grandkids will be able to help with that chore! There were a lot of people out and about, but like us, few “merchants” were making many sales. The depressed economy was very much in evidence.

Jen and I will be at the Author and Artists Fair at the Lane County Fairgrounds on Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the Atrium section of the Convention Center. Stop by and see us if you get the chance. Sorry, though – no cookies this time!