PRINTAn annual anthology
Well Versed amplifies writers' voices
Lesley Freeman
The Columbia chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild (CCMWG) publishes Well Versed, a collection of poetry and prose from regional writers, annually. Submissions for the 2010 anthology are being accepted until Oct. 31.
October 8, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Since the time of quill and ink, writers have banded together to share their work. The Columbia chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild (CCMWG) continues this tradition with its annual publication of Well Versed, a collection of poetry and prose from regional writers. Submissions for the 2010 anthology are being accepted until Oct. 31.
About 65 works out of more than 100 submissions were published in the 2009 edition. Writers included students and retired faculty members, preachers’ wives and a parole officer. Some authors have been widely published, for others it’s the first time they see their name in print.
Nick Straatmann had a poem published in 2009. He says he had no idea who the judges were until after he submitted. When he found out one of the judges was Missouri Poet Laureate Walter Bargen, he was thrilled that someone of such influence looked at his work. The judges change annually and are not yet determined for the 2010 edition.
Straatmann is the youngest poet among the 50 or so members in the CCMWG. This year, he plans to submit a work of fiction about a couple on vacation to Florida and is excited for the group’s critiquing sessions.
“I can’t wait to get some feedback,” he says.
It’s not about fame, profit or fundraising for this group. In fact, it lost money with the 2007 edition, broke even on the 2008 edition and is earning just enough from the 2009 edition to pay for the initial print of the 2010 Well Versed.
What drives the CCMWG is passion for writing. “Not many people (submitting) earn their living as writers,” says Carolyn Mulford, the managing editor of the 2009 edition. “Most of them are in other professions. Often it’s people who are frustrated by the lack of opportunities for publication because it’s often difficult for people to find markets.”
The oldest copy of Well Versed passed down to Mulford from preceding editors was from 1997. Well Versed began as a photocopied pamphlet and is now about 180 pages and can be purchased at Amazon.com for $10. This year, the group has printed about 300 copies and hosted its first book signing and reading.
Proofreading and formatting the book is a time-consuming task. The managing editor usually changes annually. With that, there can be a slight setback. Judy Stock, a retired office manager, helped with the 2009 edition and is grabbing the reins as managing editor for 2010.
“I could do the computer work sitting at home in my PJs,” Stock says. “That’s my kind of thing. I’d have a strawberry margarita in one hand and have at it.” She doesn’t anticipate any great problems for this year’s publication.
Mulford has passed down her notes, and Stock has learned from her. “Carolyn is an extremely hard act to follow,” she says. “I hope I am adequate to the situation.”
Well Versed, an anthology of local writers’ work, is published annually by the Columbia chapter of the Missouri Writer’s Guild. Experienced regional authors and novice wordsmiths can submit drafts for the 2010 edition until Oct. 31. Every year there is an anonymous judging for each category. Judges for the 2010 Well Versed have not yet been announced. In 2009 the first Missouri Poet Laureate, Walter Bargen, judged poetry. Tina Parke-Sutherland, a professor of English and Creative Writing at Stephens College, and her husband Bill Sutherland, a professional writer, judged the fiction category. Kristine Somerville, professional writer, assistant professor of English and Creative Writing at Stephens College, and marketing director of the Missouri Review, judged nonfiction.
On writing:
“Write,” says Carolyn Mulford, 2009 Well Versed managing editor. “Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite.”
“Follow Robert Frost’s advice: ‘No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader’,” says Bargen.
On getting published:
“We were looking for pieces that left the reader with a sense of completed satisfaction the way a good story does,” says Parke-Sutherland. “Pieces that developed characters, that had interesting uses of language and that something happened in. You feel like you know something more about the human condition than you did before you read it, even if it’s just a tiny bit.”
On growing as a writer:
“Your loved ones are likely to say how wonderful your work is, and that doesn’t help you grow as a writer,” Mulford says. “You need knowledgeable and objective critiques.”
“If you write everyday, you develop a level of trust in the process of writing, and you can’t help but get better,” Bargen says.
Submission guidelines can be found online at columbiawrites.coin.org.
--Mallory Gnaegy
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