BryonySeries

Friday, October 11, 2019

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Oct. 6 through Oct. 11

It's been a busy few weeks, almost non-stop really, since I returned from Raleigh at the end of August.

So here's a quick update on projects. On Monday, I'll tell you where to find me (and my books) this fall.

Progress on the werewolf story is slow and wobbly but it IS progress.

The focus of my fiction time right now is on getting Cornell Dyer and the Flu done by November since it does have a Christmas Carol parody in parts of it. Hope to seriously dig into that one this weekend (looking good so far, but hey! It's still early in the day).

The Limbo trilogy (the series after Before the Blood and before the "drop of blood" young adult trilogy) is taking slow shape in outline form.

The memoir of the Joliet woman (which, sadly, won't be available to the public) is coming into the home stretch. I'm meeting with Phyllis on Sunday for the last few bits of information and then (hopefully) onto the formatting.

I've also begun editing a novel for a WriteOn Joliet member.

And that's that!

Have a great weekend readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans!

Now, here's where to find information:

Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down. Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time):

Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Check out the progress he has made so far. Each square is hand-built. And be sure to "hover" your hand over the first square. Note: this only works (so far) with the desktop version.

But he's also made A LOT of changes to the website. So be sure to roam around a bit.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.com. Again, Timothy is in the process of updating the website, so all titles may not appear. If you have any questions, email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Building strong community at Dirksen Junior High School in Joliet

A trip to Ron Clark Academy led this assistant principal to overhaul the way students and teachers interact.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/04/a338b9ff3e54431fb48af75ceb285130/index.xml

An Extraordinary Life: Lemont man captured the artistry
Exhibit showcases his photographs through Oct. 27

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/06/a6f7e8c643754576b9b5d539f5f8b89d/index.xml

Silver Cross employee, breast cancer survivor thankful her tumor was caught early

If she had continued on her previous path, she might not have been so fortunate. Read on to see why.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/04/9b0f74792021479aae80544f21582548/index.xml?page=1

Exercise for breast cancer patients

Experts explain why cancer patients should exercise and provide guidelines for best outcomes.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/01/exercise-for-breast-cancer-patients/atz5h7n/

Joliet Junior College students serve up great food in downtown

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/08/fc8c6491697c49fcb97b284855bbc8cb/index.xml

VIDEO: Future chefs at work in Joliet

JJC chef/instructor Eric Bell guides the students as they prepare and serve.

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/f2f25cb9-d20c-4c33-8ec0-8cfbe6ca2130.html

'Ya can’t put a price on money'
James Finn Garner to share his writing experiences on Oct. 17 in Joliet

Best-selling humorist James Finn Garner will share his writing experiences on Oct. 17 at the Black Road Branch of the Joliet Public Library.

According to Garner's website, Garner’s first book, "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories," has sold more than 2.5 million copies in the U.S. and has been translated into 20 languages. It spent 65 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

Garner was also a contributing editor with Chicago Magazine, for which he wrote the monthly column “The Garner Report.”

His fiction and satire have also appeared in Playboy, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TV Guide, The Chicago Tribune Magazine, Utne Reader, and other publications.

Moreover, Garner's commentaries have been broadcast on National Public Radio and his stories on the British Broadcasting Corporation.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/01/8d1e5d22468344f19390e6c8d3c0a2b3/index.xml

Artworks: Documentary featuring Joliet man wins Emmy

Take 30 minutes and watch this powerful documentary. You won't be sorry.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/08/artworks-documentary-featuring-joliet-man-wins-emmy/anlx9os/

LocalLit spotlight: Kathy Whitgrove of Joliet

Sign up for the free newsletter and read this Facebook-photo inspired story on Tuesday.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/locallit-spotlight-kathy-whitgrove-of-joliet/aj4bw0t/

Thursday, October 10, 2019

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: My very first blog post, Aug. 1, 2010

Back in 2008, while writing my first novel Bryony, think I was "one and done" author, I did a lot of self-educating about the writing world beyond newspapers and read that authors must have blogs.

I had no interest in writing a blog. Zero.

But "all authors must have them," I read over and over again.

So I ran the idea past my daughter Sarah Stegall, who was researching social media and creating all my pages. She, in turn, thought a blog was a great idea, asked on social media for the best blogging site, and decided, for lots of reasons, on blogger.

And then, because I insisted all social media sites either had to reflect the series or me as a person and writer, and because I didn't want the blog to sound like a narcissistic journal, but to add value to the person taking the time to read it, Sarah gave me some ideas of topics readers might like.

The goal was to blog every day and, with few exceptions, I've been pretty consistent over the last nine years. Below is the very first blog. It feels good to know I hit those goals.

The only change is the link to my feature stories. Those can be found at theherald-news.com.

For the few who've read me from the very beginning: Thank you for sharing this writing adventure with me as I learn and grow.

For those who have recently found me: you have over nine years of catching up to do! (just kidding; but do browse through keywords and past blogs, lots of material).

For those who pop in now and again: May you always be happy you did.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Welcome to the Bryony Series Blog by Denise M. Baran-Unland

I love stories, and my entire life has revolved around that love.

An asthmatic childhood provided long, happy hours curled up with either a book or a pen and notebook. Doll play with my sister (and we had many dolls) consisted of layered characters and complicated storylines that occupied us for days. I composed when riding my bike. I mentally added "he said" or "she said" when people spoke to me. My fifth and sixth grade English teacher created themed, people-centered bulletin boards from magazine clippings, and I wrote short stories from those clippings. I write for a living. I write for fun.

The BryonySeries blog reflects that fun.

Whether you are curious about the Bryony book(s) or simply enjoy reading and/or writing, you will find the genesis of and the research behind the story, publication updates, writing ramblings, information on the Bryony fundraising cookbook, writing and publication experiences of other authors, bits of inspiration and links to my favorite stories.

You will also meet the real Ed Calkins, aka, the Steward of Tara. He is one of Bryony's minor characters and Ireland's first official vampire. This blog will also feature variety of guest experts, authors, readers and, perhaps, a surprise or two.

Google my byline to read published feature stories or visit www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Community News: Oct. 9, 2019

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

James Finn Garner and Paul Erikson at C2E2 2019

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Community News Oct. 8, 2019

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him at artworkbytopher.com.

"Eat a Bug"

The following event brought back a memory that made me grin.

https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/event-calendar/october-2019/eat-a-bug/eat-a-bug-october-12

Years ago, when Ron and I ran The Higher Ark youth ministry on our property for our church, we had a back porch full of kids eating bugs.

Live crickets, to be exact.

For a celebration of the feast day of St. John the Baptist.

It started off with one man in his early 20s, who brought his younger siblings to the group. He approached me and asked if I thought if the kids would like to see him eat a live cricket dipped in honey. Knowing kids, I told him they would.

So he stopped at pet supply store on the way to my house to buy a bag full of live crickets. He poured honey on a plate, dipped a live cricket, and to a chorus of Ewwwws!" ate it in front of a dozen kids.

The kids all thought it was gross until a 17-year-old, who had been running late due to babysitting, showed up and said, "Game on!"

From that point forward, the kids outdid each other as to who could eat more of them. One teen girl got a feeler stuck in her tooth and simply pulled it out.

One teen boy polished off the last three with a large spoonful of honey and turned a bit green. But he only said, "The honey is too sweet."

I was fearing latent cricket allergies and irate parents.

Neither happened.

But it turned out to be a great lesson in peer pressure for the kids.

This is nothing against the Forest Preserve District of Will County's event (many of the world's population do eat bugs, enough that the Old Testament has rules of the ones the Israelites may eat), which is a good way to teach cultural awareness.

But it does show how easily kids, maybe even adults, can be swayed, in either direction, if the right person sways them.

They went from "ick" to practically tripping over themselves to try the same activity once one of their own thought it was cool.

Something to ponder.

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony."

Monday, October 7, 2019

Community News: Oct. 5 and Oct. 7, 2019

Check out upcoming events and the awesome things people are doing.

If you live within the Herald-News' coverage area (most of Will and Grundy counties in Illinois), and you'd like to share your organization's news or upcoming events, email the information to new@theherald-news.com.

Pets of the Week: Oct. 6

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/02/21cf7f9781a34b238f3f8f73a98f8f5a/index.xml

Celebrating culture and its food
Plainfield church seeking presenters from the community for next event

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/12/celebrating-culture-and-its-food/algkwsx/

Around Town: Joliet Area Historical Museum

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/07/around-town-joliet-area-historical-museum/aov4y9u/

Around Town: Arrowhead Ales in New Lenox

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/around-town-arrowhead-ales-in-new-lenox/a28t87l/

Channahon author Jennifer Lynn Abbott to sign books at Crest Hill’s Book Market

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/05/channahon-author-jennifer-lynn-abbott-to-sign-books-at-crest-hills-book-market/anr2az7/

Ines Kutlesa receives ATHENA award
Joliet Chamber and The Council for Working Women announce recipient

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/04/ines-kutlesa-receives-athena-award/a13er5p/

UPCOMING EVENTS

Project Acclaim to hold banquet
Joliet Slammers, Greater Joliet Area YMCA and Old Joliet Prison Preservation Coalition will be honored

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/04/project-acclaim-to-hold-banquet/a1yi1k4/

Joliet Area Historical Museum to host 'A Night Behind Bars'

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/07/joliet-area-historical-museum-to-host-a-night-behind-bars/a6f8ftu/

Gotta Do It: Oct. 7 through Oct. 14

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/gotta-do-it-oct-7-through-oct-14/a54z9d0/

Local pets events: Oct. 7 through Oct. 14

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/local-pets-events-oct-7-through-oct-14/a5zk033/

Local arts and entertainment: Oct. 7 through Oct. 14

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/local-arts-and-entertainment-oct-7-through-oct-14/aksdi81/

Local food events: Oct. 7 through Oct. 14

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/local-food-events-oct-7-through-oct-14/aqn0nob/

Local faith events: Oct. 7 through Oct. 14

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/10/02/local-faith-events-oct-7-through-oct-14/atacn1w/

Roundup of Joliet-area craft fairs for fall 2019

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/13/roundup-of-joliet-area-craft-fairs-for-fall-2019/aekkxa2/

NEWSLETTERS

Sign up for the Will County Go Guide

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

For Anyone Who Is Trying to Build a Brand

If you're an artist or entrepreneur or a nonprofit or anyone who is trying to build a foundation and following, this post is for you.

If you're reading this post, you may be long past believing in "if you build it, he will come."

More than likely, you have already put time and effort and heart into a project you know will impact the world, even in a small way, and then, when it's time to harvest some of that hard work, no one comes.

Unfortunately, I don't have any surefire tips or techniques to guarantee success or speed up the growth.

But I do have words to encourage you.

First of all, you are not alone. I'm sure you knew that.

And before I get to the real encouragement, here are some hard truths.

1) It takes more marketing than you can probably imagine right now to build a reliable, trustworthy brand.

You may know people who can SELL better than you. But to build a following for your product into one where customers seek you out is really, really hard to do, and even major brands (think Walt Disney and soda) had lean years where they lost money and still struggled to complete.

In 2012, when I did a book signing in Darien, the manager told me it was getting harder and harder to get people through the door for events.

Once upon a time, he said, he only needed to buy a small print ad in the local newspaper and hang up a flyer. That was seven years ago, and it's only become more challenging.

But the Darien store is still there. And thriving.

The methods must change with time. But being amazing should not.

Here's one small business that stuck it out during the building years (the first ten) and is now enjoying what the owner feels is success.

One book publisher even showed the pre-marketing efforts to create buzz for a book in this Goodreads case study.

2) It takes more time than you think.

In 2015, Time magazine reported on research that said the average business, no matter what the business, had a life expectancy of ten years.

In the same year, the Washington Post said more businesses die than are born.

Speaking of time, people today have more access to more information and more targeted information, along with less time to consume it.

You have a lot of competition for people's time. What are you doing to rise to the top?

3) Overnight success is a myth.

A few years ago, I read a lengthy post by Amanda Hocking (which I can't find now), which detailed all the marketing she put into her Kindle books at a time when Kindle was new, and books were easier to find.

In the post Hocking mentioned how a relative had provided the money for her to give away A LOT of free books (hundreds of dollars, perhaps $1,000, if memory serves me right), to people who might potentially review them.

Just so know.

Now for some encouragement:

1) Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may appear.

But don't stop there. Analyze it to see what worked and build from there.

Here's a recent and personal example.

Last week WriteOn Joliet held a pre-National Novel Writing Month at the request of a local library.

In addition to social media marketing, we sent out a news release (which the local Patch ran) and bought two print ads in The Herald-News.

We had ten authors prepare handouts to share tips for writing in particular genres to attendees.

We had four attendees who left very happy and satisfied. We had a few book sales.

Some people might call it a flop.

But one of the library's managers personally greeted every author present and shared some of the struggles of marketing events, even for the library, which has more resources than we do.

Sometimes, even the library has little to no attendance at an extremely well-publicized event. And to be fair, we were up against a major event at the Rialto Square Theatre, which gobbled up the limited parking in the downtown area, where we held the event.

One author that night shared how she, even though sales are often small at the events she attends, is finally seeing brand recognition. Potential customers now know her name and what she is selling. That is a huge accomplishment.

BTW, her name is Holly Coop. You can find her books here.

2) Play the long game.

This past year, WriteOn Joliet has held an Author of the Month program at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

We put some marketing behind the effort. Each author received a customer flyer, a local media blast complete with a customized news release, and some ideas for additional targeted marketing.

Every author sold (and some sold extremely well) and one author had The Bugle come out to write a story about him.

Since that link appears to be broken, here is Dale Hansen's Amazon author page.

The owner at The Book Market is very happy with us (partly because we are providing free monthly marketing on a small, but consistent, scale).

For example, the owner, Janet Staley (a very nice woman who believes in books and and reading), recently had an author call her saying, "I hear you do book signings. Can I do one, too?"

If our writers desire it, we may offer the program again in 2020.

A few related "by the ways:"

Our release party for our third anthology is from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at The Book Market. Stop out, grab a bite of chef-created refreshments, meet the authors, and flip through some books.

WriteOn Joliet also has a new partnership to help with marketing its authors. More on this later.

WriteOn Joliet is hosting James Finn Garner at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Black Road Branch of the Joliet Public Library.

The event is free and open to the public

The overall message to this point is that most people give up way too soon. Don't be one of them.

3) Be confident in your goal.

It really isn't you. It's them. Most people have not heard of you or your brand.

Seriously. As much time and effort as you have put into marketing that brand, most people really have not heard of you. Or if they have, they don't remember you.

This isn't a call to be spammy.

It's a call to be persistent.

Grow in knowledge and truth.

Leave people feeling happy they met you. Let them feel the time they spent with you added value to their day. That feeling will stick with them more than hounding them to buy products.

In fact...

Be like Edison.

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Steward Setback Saturday: An Ed Calkins Spinoff? Apparently, Yes.

Saturday, June 29, 2019

An Ed Calkins Spinoff? Apparently, Yes.

A couple weeks ago, a BryonySeries fan suggested I write a prequel to the Ed Calkins Steward of Tara, Irish vampire character.

I felt only Ed himself should write it and told her so. Then I suggested the idea to Ed, who said he'd "think about it."

A few says ago, while checking personal email during my walk home from work, I received this "telegram" from the Steward himself.

Dear Momi,

I've started something I could finish but I don't want to go any further if I'm on the wrong track. This is a rough draft. At this point I only what to know if this is the first chapter, would you read the second.

Attached was the first chapter, which I read.

Then I went onto the second telegram:

Another rough draft maybe chapter two.

My question here is; do you care about Trudy and would you read chapter three?

I read chapter two and then replied, "Definitely!"

Here's what makes this remarkable, even if you're a first-time reader of this blog and have no idea (or even care) who Ed Calkins is.

Ed's been writing stories for over five decades and making up stories about himself for probably just as long. He's dyslexic and scatterbrained (his own admission). His computers have crashed and taken his stories with him.

All of which I incorporated into my books, using Ed's own words.

“Have you stopped to consider what’s fair to me? Do you know what it’s like to have stories bursting inside of you, only to hand-deliver, since I was a lad, newspapers full of other people’s stories, and not be able to put the right words down on paper? I’m so dyslexic and scatterbrained, even spell-check doesn’t recognize my words.”

“I don’t care,” John-Peter began, but Ed continued as if he hadn’t spoken.

“So, I wind up changing the word to get past spell check, but when I keep writing that way, I kill the story. I keep trying, because I can’t stop writing, yet, on the other hand, I can’t finish anything. My life is full of half-begun novels. I couldn’t even finish one about Hannibal, my hero, foe of Rome! So, in high school, I switched to poetry, but it never sounded like any of the poetry I ever read.”

When I fictionalized him for the BryonySeries, I gave Ed space on my blog, starting back in 2010 when I started the blog. He's written nonsensical Irish humor based on my books ever since.

This includes my "Irish genealogy."

BTW, I am not Irish.

Two years ago, I took that collection of genealogical blogs and published a book for a Calkins Day celebration (there's a whole back story to this, too much for this post) at the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet.

I didn't tell Ed. He was extremely touched. I didn't know his lifelong dream was to see something he'd written published.

I ordered 40 books. We sold all about 11 at that event. I cut him a royalty check and sent him on his way with the rest of the books.

For Calkins Day 2019, we held a limerick slam at the cafe. The following day when I talked to the cafe's owner, she suggested partnering with me to host Calkins Day 2020.

And she had some very particular ideas about the event.

Ed's work-in-progress, which is very well-written for a first draft, will fit very nicely with her plans.

Which means he needs to get it written, so I can edit it, publish it, and order copies before the end of January.

It is no small thing to help make someone's dream come true. That's the point of this post.

I'm humbled to be part of it. I'm grateful to the BryonySeries fan for suggesting it.

Most people don't have other people investing in their dreams. Their dreams live and die with them.

But how wonderful if we could change that!

Friday, October 4, 2019

Community News: Oct. 4, 2019

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him at artworkbytopher.com.

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, Sept 29 through Oct. 4

Busy, busy Friday today, so I'll just leave you with three good thoughts and great stories.

1) “Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” —Walt Whitman

2) “The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” —Bertrand Russell

3) “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” —Maya Angelou

Have a great weekend readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans!

Now, here's where to find information:

Non-bylined features:

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time):

Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Books and Such

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Looking backward and forward over four decades

Providence High School Class of '79 celebrates 40th reunion this weekend; where has the time gone?

People attend reunions for many reasons and, I think, some of those reasons have changed over time.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/looking-backward-and-forward-over-four-decades/aokgmiu/

An Extraordinary Life: Looking back on extraordinary lives lived

I've been writing the "Extraordinary Life" feature for almost two decades and the stories never fail to inspire me.

Here's a look back at excerpts of some of the extraordinary people featured in The Herald-News.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/09/24/6cb7e2aa725d427095cf9bec31855190/index.xml?page=1

VIDEO: Jitters in Joliet celebrates 15 years

Jitters coffeehouse in downtown Joliet is celebrating its anniversary this week with specials for the community. Amber Duffy, daughter of Gina Duffy, Jitters' owner, shares the what to expect.

https://www.theherald-news.com/video/id/8bef90d6-83c0-4ecb-94d1-c101224c7c8b.html

Coffeehouse in Joliet celebrates 15 happy years

'Our goal is to be accepted and loved buy our community'

Owner Gina Duffy said, "We really care about making you happy."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/01/b89440f212d749f3ae506facf908e54c/index.xml

Haunts, trunk-n-treat, contests and more Plenty of harvest and Halloween-themed events in the Joliet-area

October means different themes to different people.

For kids, it's a time to dress up and collect treats. Families enjoy pumpkin farms and harvest-type events. Some folks prefer haunted houses and other sites, the scarier the better.

The Joliet area is offering plenty of events to match all preferences. Some of them are listed here.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/26/haunts-trunk-n-treat-contests-and-more/a7v0nyx/

Joliet native believes in her voice

Dare to be audacious, to say whatever everyone else is not saying. This is why we are artists. It is our responsibility to speak on the things other people are maybe afraid to say, and we can do it with such poise and grace that people actually listen. Believe in your voice. It is the most powerful tool you have.”

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/10/01/ad248560af554c83aac377f6d42fcc58/index.xml

LocalLit spotlight: Alyssa Gomez
Joliet student recently won the DAR Good Citizen essay contest

Gomez said: "My essay delves into how American society has taught us to divide ourselves and one another and how we must find the humanity in each other again through the celebration of diversity."

Read the essay Tuesday in the free LocalLit newsletter. Click on the link for deails.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/30/locallit-spotlight-alyssa-gomez/ab9tbld/

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Community News: Oct. 2, 2019

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: Croquet's Outrageous History

At Simons Mansion’s garden party, Melissa is relieved to learn croquet is one of the planned amusements, since she had previously played it with her family at a picnic.

Of course, the annoying presence of Henry Matthews considerably diminishes her fun, especially after he sarcastically compares her playing style to Mrs. Joad, winner of the first women’s croquet

championship, held in 1869 in England.

However, despite the Victorian fondness for croquet (which Boston banned in 1890 for moral reasons because young people might disappear into shrubbery together to look for balls), the game has a long, interesting, and somewhat amusing history. It has been utilized as medicinal exercise, deemed character-building and a substitute for warfare, banned for threatening civilization, and been the

catalyst for full-dress balls.

Thank you Maui Croquet Club (http://www.mauicroquetclub.org/) for sharing the croquet facts on the game’s early years.

BC: Romans play Paganica where they walked across fields and hit a small, leather ball with a curved stick and aimed to strike certain trees. The winner was the person who hit all the trees in the fewest possible strokes.

1300s: Peasants in Languedoc (southern France) played a game where they hit balls with shepherd crooks through bent willow branches.

1830: A French doctor developed a new version of the sport, named it croquet (French for “crooked stick”), and used it as a form of outdoor exercise for his patients.

1851: John Jacques II, famous toy and game manufacturer, introduces croquet at the Great Exhibition in England. The game quickly becomes the vogue throughout Europe and the entire British Empire.

1859: First record of a croquet court in the USA, at Nahant, MA.

1863: Captain Thomas Mayne Reid wrote, Croquet: A Treatise and a Commentary, in which he argued that croquet was a character building alternative to actual warfare.

1864: John Jacques brought the rights to the rules of croquet and printed 25,000 copies of Croquet: Its Laws and Regulations. Mysteriously, the first edition of this work is described as “thoroughly revised.” That same year, the Park Place Croquet Club of Brooklyn organizes with 25 members with the quote, “Croquet is probably the first game played by both men and women in America.”

1867: French dictionary, for the first time, defines croquet as a game.

1870: The city father of Boston banned croquet as a dangerous occupation conducive to moral corruption, if not a threat, to the very structure of civilization. A councilor commented, “The lady, placing her foot upon one of two closely juxtaposed balls and administering a sharp thwack with her mallet, gives a thinly disguised symbol of female aggression against male society. Where will it all end?”

1871: The National Croquet Club held an extravagant tournament, in which 17,000 troups paraded around the courts, spectators were packed five deep, and there was a full-dress ball.

1872: Lewis Carroll invented Arithmetical Croquet.

1878: President Rutherford B. Hayes spent $6 of American taxpayer money on a set of fancy, boxwood, croquet balls.

1891: McLoughlin Brothers copyrighted the rules for Tiddledy Wink Croquet, and E.I. Horsman came out with Lo Lo the New Parlor Game Croquet where colored discs represent the (croquet) balls, and the “mallet discs” are used to snap them in positions or through the arches.

1894: Frederick Douglass builds a croquet court at his Anacosta, Virginia, USA, home named Cedar Hill, overlooking the capital of the United States. An article in The Washington Post on 18 September 2005 entitled Restoration Will Let Visitors See How Frederick Douglass Lived said, "As if completing the image of the proper Victorian-era gentleman that Douglass sought to project, a croquet court spread across his expansive lawn just outside his library window, near the grape arbor and the peach trees. The former slave loved croquet. If there's some dissonance in that fact, well, that's Douglass."

1899: A new set of rules was standardized (perhaps in Norwich, Connecticut, USA) for the American version, which was given a new name: roque, formed by clipping the first and last letters from croquet. It was played on a court of hard-packed dirt, with hard rubber balls, very narrow wickets, and short mallets. The court was enclosed by a wooden barricade to keep the lively balls on the field of play.

1901: Lily Gower wins the English gold metal, beating England's best male players, including G.H. Woolston. The game was only slightly marred by a dispute concerning a tactical manoeuvre called double tapping about which Woolston complained. Ladies, and even men, had been known to double tap before and, anyway, it was felt that Mr. Woolston was not a gentleman for mentioning it.

1902: Judge Barlaine Deane in the London Divorce Court adjudicated a case of cruelty brought by the wife of the Reverend Fearnley-Whittingstall. He heard the lady explain that during a game of croquet her husband became so infuriated because she claimed that his ball had not properly passed through the hoop that he refused to speak to her for a week. "I do not think," said Judge Deane, "that there is a game so liable to put one out of humour as croquet."

1907: Lily Gower wins the Men's Open! The rules had been very loosely drafted by the Hurlingham Club, and Lily had taken advantage of a tactical loophole which enabled her to enter. The rules were immediately tightened up.

1934: [The Draw and Process tournament format] was given a trial in [Australia] at the Camberley Heath tournament, but it was not popular with the players nor the managers whom it was intended to assist, the latter complaining "You never get rid of anyone." [History of Croquet by David Prichard]

1940's: Hollywood stars Harpo Marx, Louis Jordan, Darryl Zanuck, Tyrone Power, George Sanders, Gig Young, Prince Romanoff, and Samuel Goldwyn popularized nine-wicket croquet on the West coast of America. Bets of $10,000 were made. The level of play was high: at the start of a game, Louis Jourdan would light a cigarette, take a deep puff, and place it on the stake; then he would do an all-round run in time to pickup his cigarette for one last puff.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Write On Joliet's Open Mic Night: Denise Unland 2

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Community News: Oct. 1, 2019

Check out the awesome things people are doing.

If you live within the Herald-News' coverage area (most of Will and Grundy counties in Illinois), and you'd like to share your organization's news or upcoming events, email the information to new@theherald-news.com.

New Lenox man returns to active lifestyle after robotic knee replacement surgery

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/new-lenox-man-returns-to-active-lifestyle-after-robotic-knee-replacement-surgery/actykuu/

Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation seeking applications for community grants
Will County organizations that improve children’s oral health may apply by Oct. 4

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/delta-dental-of-illinois-foundation-seeking-applications-for-community-grants/a74tss6/

Lockport woman is on the move again after back surgery and rehab

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/lockport-woman-is-on-the-move-again-after-back-surgery-and-rehab/aqh737m/

Illinois Medicaid department announces 40 new dementia care sites throughout state
Supportive Living Program to offer needed services and safety to almost 1600 Medicaid members

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/illinois-medicaid-department-announces-40-new-dementia-care-sites-throughout-state/aiogfdz/

Joliet woman feels like she has a new set of legs following PAD treatment

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/joliet-woman-feels-like-she-has-a-new-set-of-legs-following-pad-treatment/ahcq0q2/

Troy students learn about sports disability awareness in PE Takeover Day

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/troy-students-learn-about-sports-disability-awareness-in-pe-takeover-day/acbp3lh/

Lemont man has lifesaving heart surgery at Silver Cross

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/lemont-man-has-lifesaving-heart-surgery-at-silver-cross/ap3qqmk/

Illinois State Cancer Registry nationally recognized as a Registry of Excellence

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/illinois-state-cancer-registry-nationally-recognized-as-a-registry-of-excellence/as0op78/

Silver Cross team Saves Frankfort man with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/silver-cross-team-saves-frankfort-man-with-ruptured-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm/apwem32/

Illinois takes action to make vaccines more easily available for low-income children
Vaccines to be provided for Children’s Health Insurance Plan and Vaccines For Children

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/illinois-takes-action-to-make-vaccines-more-easily-available-for-low-income-children/atcglm8/

Mental health medication more accessible under new law by Hastings

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/09/29/mental-health-medication-more-accessible-under-new-law-by-hastings/aum3ewx/

NEWSLETTERS

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http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/will-county-go-guide/#//

Sign up for the LocalLit Short Story Newsletter

http://www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit/

Sign up for The Munsonville Times

https://www.bryonyseries.com/munsonville-times

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage."

Readers and Writers: Here's an Event for You

Drop-in this Thursday (Oct. 3) from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the downtown branch of the Joliet Public Library (150 N. Ottawa St.)

Eleven members of WriteOn Joliet will be available to discuss plot, structure, and character development, and provide useful tips for writing in specific genres, just in time for National Novel Writing Month.

NaNoWriMo is an annual, Internet-based creative writing project in November in which participants try to write a 50,000-word manuscript in a month.

Not a novelist? Poets and writers of creative nonfiction will also be available for discussion.

Not a writer? Come out anyway!

We'll have books for sale, along with copies of our first two anthologies, our special "cheetah" anthology, and information on upcoming events, including the release party for WriteOn Joliet's third anthology and a special meeting of WriteOn Joliet on Dec. 7.

WriteOn members expected to participate include:

· Jennifer Abbot (Christian, children’s)

· Denise M. Baran-Unland (Gothic, historical, young adult, children, literary fiction)

· Holly Coop (mystery, poetry)

· Robert Hafey (technical, how-to, memoir)

· Tom Hernandez (poetry, essays)

· Todd Hogan (literary fiction)

· R. Michael Markley (Christian fiction)

· Sue Mydliak (paranormal, historical fiction)

· James Pressler (contemporary and philosophical fiction)

· Allison Rios (paranormal romance, romance)

· Colleen H. Robbins (fantasy, science fiction, horror, young adult)

About WriteOn Joliet

WriteOn Joliet is a welcoming, diverse group of writers of varied skills, interests and experience. The group includes professional journalists, fiction novelists, bloggers, screenwriters, musicians and poets.

We promise a safe, comfortable and supportive atmosphere to share your work, and constructive feedback so that everyone can benefit from our shared knowledge. First meeting is free.

For more information, visit writeonjoliet.com.