The last meeting of the Writers' Haven took place on Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Saunders' residence. Present were June Saunders, Kerry Pobanz, Donna Ferrantello, and Bob Beebe. Bob began the meeting with a reading on the importance of passion in writing. Successful writers are not those who write catering to market forces but those who feel passionate about their writing and love their work. They have something to say and throw the essence of themselves into it. For them, writing is a joyous activity.
Following this, Donna presented a PowerPoint on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick as a test run for a presentation she is giving this weekend in Hartford, CT, at the Northeastern Regional Women Educator's Conference. The presentation is based on her book "Moby-Dick and Peace" in which she explores Melville's search for inner peace through the characters and plot of his famous novel. Donna spoke about Melville's experiences on ships as well influences upon him by transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. Quoting often from Moby-Dick, she demonstrated how the quest for peace lies at the center of the novel in counterpoint to Captain Ahab's conflicted and obsessive desire for revenge against the great white whale that eventually leads to his self-destruction. Ahab's actions are a metaphor for man's fruitless rebellion against God and its predictable end.
Our next meeting is scheduled for this Sunday, Nov. 14, 3:00-5:00 pm, at the Panzer home. June Saunders will be presenting one of the final chapters of her Civil War era novel, Into the Breach. I hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be another stimulating discussion.
God bless you!
