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Recognitions

Joan McNulty Pulver

Welcome to Recognitions, a column dedicated to proclaim the writing successes of Writers' Village University members!

Blaise Kilgallen, known to her Writers’ Village University peers as Foxy, wrote Wild Knights, an erotic romance novel set in present time. It hit the cyber waves on September 1, 2003 at Liquid Silver Books. Her story is about Carla, a sex-starved thirty-seven year old widow who develops an obsession for a brawny, black-haired young Turk named Evan. As it turns out, Evan likes older women and asks her out on a date. One thing leads to another and they become lovers.

Foxy, a WVU lifetime member, practices her abundant writing skills in the Hole in the Wall study group. Born in New Jersey, she now lives in a semi-rural county in the Garden State with three four-footed companions: a retired thoroughbred mare, a half-Siamese cat and a large Rottweiler.

She earned her BS in Fine Art Education with the intention of teaching but found she would rather "do" than teach. Blaise worked for a number of years in a series of New York advertising agencies. Later, she developed direct mail and catalogs for several manufacturers and was involved in the public relations field. She now writes romantic fiction, paints and markets her watercolors.

Kathy Kubik’s two poems, Canine Cancer and Quiet Time, appeared in the October issue of SaucyVox(Dot)Com. “When I found out they had accepted my poems I was pleasantly surprised, since I just sent out these two poems on a whim. Their October issue dealt with death. I thought my poems would have something to add and am looking forward to the October issue.”

Kathy, a lifetime member, joined WVU two years ago. Involved in P123 Senior Poets Workshop, she is also a member of the Persist & Publish fiction study group. “I have not found a community such as provided by WVU elsewhere. It is remarkable how even though we are all busy with our own writing projects, jobs, and family, everyone comes together to help each other's writing grow and be the best it can be. I have grown so much as a writer and have stretched myself so much farther than I would have on my own. I have learned more at WVU than at any traditional writing school. I view each member as a member of my own family and we are all there to support each other—both in writing endeavors and in life. I recently had some deaths in my family and many members sent me a condolence card, or sent me an email to see how I was doing. I am so thankful for finding WVU.”

Working on her first novel, Kathy said, “Poetry is my home, but I am starting to write more fiction. It is my hope that the poetry and fiction mixed together will compliment each other and add to the craft of storytelling.”

Faye Whyte submitted the poem Death, Good? to The Bark Magazine over a year before she found out it would be published in the fall 2003 issue—on newsstands now. “When I learned it was to be published, I was pleased. This poem was written as an exercise in the introductory poetry class given by Harry and Glennis [Hobbs]—I can't thank them enough for their kind advice and the suggestion that I polish and submit this piece.”

The poem, written from personal experience, exemplified Faye's work as a veterinarian. Shortly after it was published, Faye received a message from a celebrity in California, complimenting her work and telling Faye how it had touched her. “The moment it took out of the her life to contact me really had an impact. I saw how important it is to appreciate the work of others and to give praise where you feel it is due.”

Faye took F2K and then joined WVU in 2000. A member of the Freestylers study group, she said, “Belonging to a group of writers has been pivotal for my development as a writer. My writing friends have helped me further my craft and supported me through the victories and the agonies.”

Congratulations, Foxy, Kathy and Faye. We wish you continued success in all your writing endeavors.

We look forward to reading about your writing accomplishments in this column. If you or someone you know received recognition for writing, please send the information to recognitions@wvu.org. Let us know!