Congratulations to all of the writers whose work was accepted into The Petigru Review this year. Below is a list of the Greenville Chapter members who made the cut. Please refer to the SCWW Website for a complete list of statewide winners.

Bob Strother's short story "Sunday Morning Conclusion" has been accepted for publication in the experimental literary magazine, Metal Scratches. Based in Forest Lake, Minnesota, the magazine has been publishing since 2000 and likes to explore the "darker side of humanity." The magazine is published semi-annually, however, the date of the publication for the story is yet to be determined.

With over three hundred attendees registered as of last Friday, this year's conference promises to be a special event. Don't miss it! It's not too late to register. Everyone who registers by October 5th can still get a critique — you just have to submit your materials immediately upon registration. Folks who register after October 5th will get faculty appointments, but there won't be time to send in material for pre-reading. We will take registrations right up until the conference (unless we sell out.)

With ten agents, eleven editors, over twenty authors, five poets and over seventy workshops and classes for all levels, this is a great opportunity for each of us to grow as writers.

We hope to see each and every one of you there!

Susan and Sarah

If you've been considering getting more involved with SCWW on a statewide level, now's your chance. Elections for the SCWW Board of Directors will be held in November for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2008. This is a great way to give back to our writing community and set goals for the future.

This year, there are as many as seven positions to fill, including several board members whose terms are up and who will have to be reelected to remain on the board.

Anyone interested should send Steve Heckman (steveheckman@charter.net) a short bio and their qualifications prior to October 30, 2007.

I've been a member of this chapter a long time, and I've seen many new writers join our group. It is so much fun to note the improvement in their work as they attend meetings and choose to benefit from peer critiquing. Such is the case with David Burnsworth and his mystery, Palmetto Heat. David doesn't know it, but before he arrived at Chili's for post-meeting food, drinks and conversation, John and I were discussing his evolution. John said David's writing had improved so much since his first night, and I agreed. David really seems to have listened to our collective suggestions and has incorporated much of it in his work.

Palmetto Heat is set in Charleston in 1987. It progressed in fits and starts as various novice-writer problems were pointed out. David completely scrapped his earliest efforts, and we have a new protagonist, Brack Pelton. Brack certainly has gone through a lot in the first 25 pages, but he's got our interest. How's this for a set-up to keep us turning pages: Brack's best friend is killed, Brack is his sole heir, and Brack is the cops' number one suspect in the murder.

Mystery is a genre not often attempted (and finished even less) by members of our group. I hope David keeps at it and finishes Palmetto Heat. If he continues to improve like he has so far, it should be a terrific novel.

Kevin Coyle's tale, The Saga of Snorri the Priest, took a new turn this time: his characters engaged in actual Norse dialog. The effect is good, though critics agree that the Norse should be introduced more gradually. Even though the Norse is a little startling because we haven't seen it before, it lends an air of authenticity, without bogging down the story.

As a matter of fact, the action may even have moved too quickly at one point. In this episode, Snorri and his men are investigating woods fires that turn out to have been set by Skraelings burning underbrush from their hunting lands. Suddenly, bad Skraelings appear in curraughs to taunt the men on the beach. The story would be better if the reader were prepared for their emergence.

All in all, Snorri continues to be an engaging tale, and very well written.

Phil Arnold's elvisblog article entertained us again with great Elvis history of which none of the other writers present had any awareness. His writing was clean and logically sequenced. Not only did we learn of the fans' ruckus of protest for the ill-conceived outdoor concert, but that Elvis's immense popularity, like no one before, was the origin of stadium concerts.

During our discussion we learned that the Vancouver concert was actually the second stadium concert and that the first was an Elvis concert held the night before with a much smaller crowd in Seattle. The Seattle concert came off without incidence while the much larger Vancouver concert taught organizers many valuable lessons — most particularly the need for professionally-trained security.

Just a couple of spelling oops were pointed out but all-in-all we loved it.

John Migacz read a continuation of his science fiction series, The Dieya Chronicles. In this segment, Gamor, described as an "Omega-rated astronomer," which to me means a top dog, shares scenes with two very different females. The first is a bureaucratic tight-wad named Cialya who tries and fails to control him. In what can be described as office politics, he outplays her before the game begins.

The group had a few comments on this section. If the setting was in another part of outer space, as it apparently was, earth expressions like "called him out on the carpet" shouldn't be used. Also, Cialya performed her work by blinking since her brain was linked to a central database. The group felt this made her appear secretarial instead of Gamor's boss and section chief. And, a clerical error of not putting an "s" at the end of corps consistently was noted.

The second scene begins with Gamor in the mess hall. He people-watches after he eats and comments on how they segregate themselves by the arm flashes they wear. The arm flashes denote which branch they belong to. Then, an un-named woman enters the room and asks if she can sit with him. Gamor is smitten and they engage in not-so-light conversation about their duties and dreams.

The group felt the paragraph describing the mess hall scene might have been boring and long with not enough senses involved. The point about like arm flashes flocking together was interesting, however. John's description of the woman's entrance, "like a proud schooner, the sea of green parted," caught some as odd. Can a sea of green part a proud schooner? Lastly, gods are mentioned. The question arose as to whether aliens believed in them.

In all honesty, a genre I'm not familiar with. But, I'm glad the exposure I've received has been in the form of John's solid work.

Editor's note: It's an Omega-rated Dieya — a planetary warden who is so uninvolved with his or her planet's development that his or her continual presence cannot affect the planet's evolution. Non-Omegas must leave their planet after six months to live in a space ship (called "Limbo") travelling almost the speed of light, so that when they return to the planet it is two to ten years later and their influence is minimized.

Steve Stewart brought in the next section from his novel, Unto the Least of These, set in Charleston during the 1880's. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Taylor are giving a ball to welcome their daughter and her husband, Caroline and Walter Middleton, home from their year-long honeymoon. Walter announces that Caroline is pregnant, and Mr. Taylor suggests publicly that Stephen ought to propose to his date, Mary, which sparks an argument between the couple.

Steve's work was well-written and well-received. Most of the group's comments had to do with historical accuracy and anachronisms. It was pointed out that proper women didn't wear masquara, or any other kind of makeup, back then. When addressing people, "Mom and Dad" would have been "Mother and Father," Mrs. Taylor would have referred to her husband as "Mr. Taylor" in public, and Stephen would never have referred to him as "my old man." Some thought that Caroline and her mother would never have gone to the cookhouse to supervise the servants, but Steve stuck to his guns on that one.

As far as actual writing technique, criticisms were few. Establishing a clear point of view earlier than page 3 would probably strengthen the section. And the announcement about being pregnant was too confusing, so Steve might make it a more formal (and more clear) announcement.

Steve's work continues to improve with each meeting. The finished product promises to be impressive!

Marjorie Garrett read the beginning of a possible novel-length story tentatively titled "Finders Keepers." The protagonist, herself a product of the "Lamplight Orphanage" finds a discarded newborn baby. She tries to turn the baby over to a fireman but contemplates the life ahead for the infant and decides to keep the foundling. Realizing that everyone will know it isn't hers, she packs a bag and boards a bus traveling as far "as her scant cash will take" her.

The table, though intrigued by the story, found more questions than answers in the tale. Some thought the narrative unbelievable due to the lack of soul searching and conflict by the protagonist before accepting the child as her own. Some stumbled over the logistical problems of caring for a newborn and the protagonist's leaving the child under some leaves while she shops. Most felt that the reader needs to be more entrenched with the protagonist's emotions before suspending disbelief and jumping on the bus with the protagonist and her newborn.

The lively discussion at the table shows that Marjorie has peaked readers' interest — now she must pluck at their heartstrings.

Once again, Bob Strother kicked off the meeting with a section from his novel, Burning Time. Louise turns twelve on January 12, 1911. Since Fannie is uncomfortable going to her in-laws' house with Will and his new wife there, arrangements are made to transport William and his wheelchair to Louise's house for her party. Louise is surprised at how much older and more fragile her grandfather looks than a few short weeks ago. Mary Alice tells Fannie that Will has been attentive to William and is even helping Lawrence at the market. But in the kitchen, Lawrence tells Jesse, "Shit, woman. I ain't got no help. He thinks he's the new boss man. Don't do nothing but read the newspaper, mabe wait on a customer if I'm out on a delivery. He leaves for Rosie's at eleven, comes back stinking of beer at about two o'clock, and nods off all afternoon." Later, Louise gives See Boy The Call of the Wild. "It! 's about surviving. In the wilderness. In Alaska." See Boy tells her, "We all got to survive somewhere."

Russ Haddad brought in the next installment of his novel, Parnassius. Serena attends a meeting of her U.S. Marshal SOG Team in Denver Federal Center. She brings her dog, Duke, who is an integral member of the team. Her boss, Carl Wingate, runs the meeting. The team has been shadowing two groups, which may or may not be working together. Each SOG team member reports on their findings, including Serena with her photographic surveillance. Carl sums it up: "So what we have here, folks, are two suspect splinter groups of disenchanted Americans, each with their own personal gripes and dislike of the government.... These folks can be dangerous or even brutal if they think they're being intimidated or threatened. I don't want any of you hurt."

Palmetto Heat, by David Burnsworth, picked up after Brack learned that he is the sole heir of Reggie's estate. Brack receives a call from his wife, Mary, telling him "I just got a call from some nasty man. He said if you want to see tomorrow, you'll burn what you bought on Folly yesterday." Brack manages to trace the call back to Vickory's Bar and Grill. He goes there and comes away with the name and address of a bus boy who is very likely the one who made the call. The man lives close to the mission in the projects that Brack has been investigating. Exhausted at the end of the day, Brack goes to Reggie's bungalow, is overcome by grief, and ends up sleeping the whole night on Reggie's floor. Pastor Stephen finds him there in the morning. Brack complains to the pastor that "I ain't who I was two days ago...Every step I take now, I'm not sure there's something going to be underneath my foot when I s! et it down. But I'm takin' them anyway." Next Brack goes to the accounting office of a friend, Sheldon Phillips, on King Street, where they catch up and hoist a couple of cream sodas in memory of Reggie.

Jim McFarlane continued with his novel Long Island. Katrina and Penolope are in the kitchen cleaning a large number of pigeons. Katrina asks, "Do I learn to read the Bible today?" Penelope says it takes longer than that but she can tell Katrina some parables while they work. Katrina says, "What's a parable?" then, "What are Jerusalem and Jericho?" After a very long discussion along the same lines, Katrina finally understands that "a Good Samaritan helps someone she doesn't have to help." She asks, "And that's how you get into Heaven?" "No. You must accept Jesus as the way to Heaven and be saved by the grace of God." "I accept Jesus." "And prove to the committee that you are worthy." "How do I prove that I'm worthy?" "By studying the Bible for the next year and searching for Jesus in your heart." "Freedom isn't easy.! 4; "No, it's not."

Kevin Coyle's The Saga of Snorri the Priest resumed in Snorri's crowded hearth room. While they wait for the meat that the Skraelings brought to cook, Thorfinn and Kormak pass out silver drinking bowls to the Icelanders and Skraelings and fill the bowls with a thick, creamy-while liquid. Snorri says, "Wine is Father Odin's preferred beverage... But for now, skyr will have to do." The Skraelings are hesitant, but eventually drink down the skyr plus several refills. During the pickled codfish course, Wawwunnes complains of stomach pains. "I feel as though a porcupine has made its home inside my entrails." Soon all of the Nanhigganeuck warriors run out of the turfhouse and into the woods.

Steve Stewart read the next installment of his novel Unto The Least Of These. At the ball being held at Stephen's sister's new home in Charleston, Stephen sees that Ann Agnew, still grieving the loss of her fiancé at sea, is helping with food preparation in the kitchen. Stephen's date has left the dance early, and it's about time for the special Middleton and Taylor families' waltz to start. Stephen runs to the kitchen and tells Ann, "Your help is needed in the ballroom. Take off your apron and come with me." Ann is shocked when she realizes he means to dance with her, but he "twirls her onto the dance floor," where she proves to be a "graceful and fluid" dancer. When he thanks her afterward, she says, "I more than owed you a favor in-kind for your concern for me with the news of John's fate at sea...You'll never know how much that meant to me."

John Migacz closed the meeting with an excerpt from his third Dieya Chronicles novel, Earth. Field Dieya Gamor arrives at the conference room where he is to attend a Coterie Assessment that he requested over the objections of his Section Chief. He is joined by two Department Deltas, and soon Director Atmak joins them. Gamor explains that his ward planet, Signo II, has sustained a Class two-five B encroachment , which means that there has been an incursion into their space by unknowns. The Director agrees that Gamor was right to call for the Assessment, and asks, "What are we going to do about it?"

The next meetings of the Greenville Chapter of SCWW are as follows:

• Thursday, October 4 - First Thursday Meeting, 6:00 p.m. at The Open Book
• Tuesday, October 16 - Third Tuesday Meeting, 6:00 p.m. at The Open Book

All genres welcome at both meetings. Suggested limit for reading selections is five double-spaced, typed pages, although longer selections may be possible if time permits.

Due to time constraints, only the first ten people will be allowed to read.

The Open Book, 110 S Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC

Printed Matters is the newsletter of the Greenville Chapter of South Carolina Writers Workshop.

Thanks to our contributing writers and news reporters:
Phil Arnold, Marjorie Garret, Steve Stewart, David Burnsworth, Marcia Migacz, and John Migacz

Copyright 2007 by Marcia Migacz, Editor. Contributing writers retain all rights to their work.

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