Poems

Music has a magical ability to transport listeners to another time and place. That's according to Maryland Symphony Orchestra Music Director Elizabeth Schulze. The destination for this weekend's MSO concerts is England. The musical tour, dubbed "British Serenade," will begin with Edward Elgar's "Cockaigne" Overture, a work Schulze listened to "over and over as a child. " Cockaigne is a nickname for Londoners - "think Cockneys," Schulze advised, adding the message of the popular piece was uplifting and humorous.

For a moment, award-winning writer William Heath thought he was going to be the next Bob Cousy, the Boston Celtic's "Houdini of the Hardwood. " Two novels and more than one hundred poems later, Heath, 65, has just finished his third novel. His life experiences - basketball included - now provide ample material for his work. "My ambition has been to be a man of letters," said Heath, from his home in Frederick, Md. "I like the idea of being able to write in various forms. " An essayist, novelist and poet, Heath will join two other writers Sunday during a poetry and music program at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, the last set of readings in "A Change of Pace: Poetry & Music," a series that began in October 2007.

chrisc@herald-mail.com Daily life for ordinary people living in small towns or the countryside might not seem like interesting subject material for art or poetry. But there is a long tradition in American art, literature and music of portraying ordinary life and examining larger themes of the human condition. Americans have celebrated the work of painter Gramma Moses' primitive-style paintings; folk music such as the bluegrass and gospel featured in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

MERCERSBURG, Pa. - Mercersburg Academy on Monday welcomed a Nobel Prize-winning poet and playwright who told students that too many times literature is destroyed whenh writers believe they are "selling out" and not being honest to the art. "The temptation of being not true to your craft is a perpetual one," Derek Walcott said. Walcott explained that artists can add intricacies into their work that not only profoundly affect audiences, but also establish it as truly their own. "There are different tricks you can do to ... soften (people)

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Shepherd University professor Ethan Fischer arrived at The Mecklenburg Inn - or the Meck, as he likes to call it - on time for a poetry rehearsal Monday evening. Wisps of salt-and-pepper gray peeked from the sides of his beige cap. A brown scarf draped from his neck. A brown corduroy blazer covered a blue sweater, which in turn covered his collared, cream shirt. His most recent book of poems, "Beached in the Hourglass" (The Bunny and The Crocodile Press, 2004)

Plan attacks jobs, rights, environment To the editor: Like most Americans, I still worry about protecting my family and our country. I'm also getting tired of having my worries preyed upon by some of our national leaders who are using "national security" to sell Americans public policies that we normally wouldn't buy. The Rumsfeld Plan is a good example. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has asked Congress to quickly pass legislation that would give the Department of Defense (DOD)

bonnieb@herald-mail.com GREENCASTLE, Pa. - A dozen area residents gathered around for the love of poetry on a recent Friday evening. They listened to and discussed works by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mary Oliver, as well as their own poetry, while sipping hot drinks at Cup O' Joe, a warm, homey coffee shop in Greencastle. With its sofa, ice cream parlor-style tables and chairs, hardwood floor and the aroma of specialty coffee, Cup O' Joe seems an ideal setting for the every-other-month gatherings.

shappell@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - Michael Glaser said he often is the first person to remind others that just because he is Maryland's current poet laureate that does not mean he is the best poet in the state. One could hardly come to that conclusion on Monday as a group of about 40 people at Hagerstown Community College hung on his every utterance and, aside from the occasional chuckle, made nearly none of their own. Glaser, who spoke at Kepler Theater, was chosen for the 17th Annual Kreykenbohm Lecture, a series dedicated to Helen Kreykenbohm, who began her long stint at the college as a teacher in 1946, said Terrie Angle, chair of the college's English and humanities department.

Washington County Free Library and Antietam Review - a literary and photography magazine published by the Washington County Arts Council announces the winners of their eighth annual Washington County Poetry Contest. Two winning entries and an honorable mention were selected from each of five age categories from second grade through adult. More than 185 poems were submitted for this year's contest. Original poems could be on any topic, in any style and be no more than one page in length.

andrear@herald-mail.com SMITHSBURG - Brothers Rob and Steven Wolfe of Smithsburg say they hope to "spread the word about God" through their Christian writings and activities. Rob, 12, writes a monthly newsletter called "The Christian Voice" and distributes it to fellow students by request at Smithsburg Middle School. Steven, 11, has planned a summer Christian fellowship gathering and Bible study called "The Christian Club. " Rob and Steven, the sons of Sue and Bob Wolfe, said these endeavors are ways for them to witness for their faith.