Perfect Weather, Perfect Readings

How perfect was Monday night? The weather was the best of the year-- simply beautiful. The readings? Equally delightful.

Another large crowd was treated to four fine Readings. Paula Camacho led off with a touching tribute, then poetry with crowd-pleasing twists;

Sonya Russell, accompanied by Rob Gambel on alto sax, gave a unique reading-- powerful and entertaining;

Bruce Grossberg treated us to a poem which simply has to be illustrated and turned into a children's book;

and Teri Coyne, reading excerpts from her novel, had the crowd on the edge of their seat.

(Check out more photos below).

This week we turn our event over to the Long Island Writer's Guild. They have selected 7 of their members to read for us--altering our usual 10 minute-per-reader pattern to fit their members within our 40 minute format. It promises to be an eclectic, and electric, evening!

This Monday, the Long Island Writer's Guild provides us with:

Shawn Patrick Cooke

Shawn Patrick Cooke wrote his first book, in crayon, at the age of three. although thirteen out of sixteen pages were left blank, the remaining three did feature illustrations by the author. since then, Shawn has found more success with typing his stories. He has read at the Library of Congress, and has frequently placed in the Writers' Weekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest. He lives in Bohemia, NY which isn't nearly as iconoclastic as it sounds.

Marilyn Goldsmith

Marilyn Goldsmith, who now lives in Syossett, NY with her husband, formerly taught English at C.W.Post College. She is a member of the Long Island Writers' Guild and the Taproot Workshop where she finds inspiration and encouragement from fellow writers. her poems have been published in an anthology,"Songs of Seasoned Women". Performance Poets Association, Mobius, The Farmingdale Poetry Group, Kaleidoscope Magazine, and the Taproot Journal, which in addition to her poetry, has published her prose pieces.

Greg Lane

Greg Lane:retired from Untied Airlines in 2003 with 27 years of service. presently operates small custom furniture business and writes. He holds a BA from Washington College, Chestertown, MD, lives in Massapequa with his wife, Barbara and twin daughters, Jackie and Lauren who graduated American University, 2008. His writing began with what he refers to as "a primitive novel that should have prompted a prison sentence." Greg recently finished his fifth, which is currently being edited for possible publication. Greg has been a member of the LIWG for the last five years, along with a number of private workshops.

Ellen Lawrence

Ellen Lawrence was born in Switzerland to immigrant parents. She came to New York at an early age and now lives in Nassau County. A longtime animal welfare worker and a retired business owner, she wrote her first poem at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. She is a member of the Long Island Writers' Guild, and has written monthly poetry columns for local newsletters. Her work has appeared in many recent Taproot Journals and in the anthology"For Loving Precious Beasts". Many of her poems focus on her family and her pets. She has written short stories and children's picture books, and often writes about one of her favorite places, the beach. She is currently working on her memoirs.

Ann Kenna

Ann Kenna is a constant student, wife, and mother. She meditates and strives to live in the moment. She has worked for many years in Special Education. She conducts poetry workshops with fourth and fifth grade students and ends each school year by publishing a chapbook of their work and hosting a student poetry reading. Her work has appeared in on-line publications, the Long Island Sounds Anthology 2007 and 2008, Primal Sanities, Oberon Poetry Journal and the Meadowlark. She has been a featured reader for Performance Poets Association, Poets in Nassau, and the Asbestos Arts Group. She is a member of the North Sea Poetry Scene, The Long Island Writers' Guild, Long Island Poetry Collective, and the Farmingdale Poetry Group. She spends huge amounts of time trying to tame an unruly Golden Retriever named Charlie.

Ursula Nouza

Ursula Nouza was born and raised in Columbia, South America, where children are exposed to poetry at a young age in the home and at school. Her love for language began in early childhood and as a result she came to the U.S. in her sophomore year of high school to learn English, followed by four years of Interpreter School in Switzerland. After working as an interpreter and translator, she returned to college to embrace her first love:teaching. Ursula has taught Spanish in elementary, middle, and high schools, and currently at the college level. For the last five years, inspired by the LI Writers Guild, she has been writing poetry of her own, and two books.

Ron Scott

Ron Scott is a native of Brooklyn, NY who migrated to Long Island, via Queens, and a tour in the United States Army. He admits to alumni status from Syracuse University and New York Institute of Technology; both of which served as his foundation for a career in accounting. Ron is an avid sportsman,dedicated to the preservation of outdoor life in all capacities. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he credits his military experience for his introduction to the trials and rewards of the writer's life. Collectively, his work is meant to arouse the pensive and celebrate a sense of humor. Ron takes particular pride in offering material readers can identify with from their own experiences.

Upcoming Readers:

August 18 Yolanda Coulaz- The Reverend Mofo Doris Bush Florence Gatto Joan Marg
August 25 Barbara Hoffman Barbara Reiher-Meyers Barbara Southard Karen Swenson

Readings start at 7pm at Schoolhouse Green, located on Foxhurst Road, just east of Long Beach Road, Oceanside NY.

The Readings start at 7pm at Schoolhouse Green, located on Foxhurst Road, just east of Long Beach Road.

The Summer Gazebo Readings are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Oceanside, in support of the Oceanside Education Foundation. The Gazebo Readings will be held each Monday evening in June, July and August, and will feature 4 readers each evening. Scheduled readers include some of Long Island's most prestigious poets, published authors, comedians, fiction and non-fiction writers, and local community members sharing some of their favorite literature. The Summer Gazebo Readings will be held outdoors; seating is limited, so bring a lawn chair, a blanket, a picnic table. The grounds are open, and the public is encouraged to come early and have a quiet summer's picnic on the grounds.

Admission is free.

Sponsors include:
Home & Hearth Realty
Gunderson Family
Tower's Funeral Home
Oceanville Mason Supply
Westron's Light Bulb Warehouse
NY Municipal Credit Union
Childs Murphy Kuehn & Cesiro, Inc. Insurance
Dr. Aaron Rappaport, DDS & Dr. David Rappaport, DMD
Marsh Hawk Press
LI Pulse Magazine
Councilman Anthony J. Santino
M. Schamroth & Sons
E. Fine
C. Scarlata & Family
Kaufman Family
Doc's Mechanical Piping & Heating Corp.
Bondi & Iovino, Attorneys at Law

For more information:

Tony Iovino
68 Yorktown Street
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
H 516 763-1667
C 516 459-3262
W 516 741-8585
www.schoolhousegreen.org
http://summergazeboreadings.blogspot.com/