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Recognitions

Joan McNulty Pulver

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

Lori Romero wrote a chapbook of poetry titled, Wall to Wall, published by Finishing Line Press. "Feast of the Seven Fishes" won 2nd prize from Confluence and "Sunflowers, Wheelbarrows and Rhubarb" won 1st prize from Quercus Review. Most of the other poems in the book have been published in various journals.

“I was not expecting this chapbook to be selected, so I was stunned—but very happy. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when your work reaches another person. A lot of the poems are based on my family but like everything, there's a bit of poetic license. I didn't start out writing a chapbook about my family, but slowly the poems seemed to settle around this theme. I grew up in a very traditional family (three girls raised on Dr. Spock's baby book), but found a rich vein in my writing from my Italian ancestry on my mother's side.”

Lori joined WVU about three years ago and became a member of the study group Persist and Publish (novel writing) as well as the Senior Poets Workshop. “WVU has been extremely beneficial to my writing career—there is an incredible support group of talented writers here. The courses and focus groups keep me disciplined, keep me writing.”

Currently in the process of writing a chapbook about her exploits as a storm chaser, this multi-talented writer puts pen to paper, not only in the field of poetry but also with plays and short stories. Several of her plays, produced by various theater groups, won awards. Her short stories, published in an assortment of print magazines and e-zines, can be found at her website.

Stephen J Fernbach writes poetry, lyrics and haiku. A collection of his work entitled, A Man of Verse for Better or Worse, will be released within a year by Publish America. Several of his poems can be read at We Love Writers.

“When I was contacted by the publisher, I was very happy. My mother had a feeling of guarded optimism in light of all the publishers who had asked for money upfront that I had dealt with in the past. Publish America did not charge me any fees for the privilege of being published.”

Stephen’s favorite poets include Longfellow, Yeats, Maya Angelou and Allen Ginsberg. He also likes the lyrics of Hal David, Bernie Taupin, Sheila Davis and Jason Blume. “The latter two lyricists were my instructors. Of course, the songs of the Beatles and their solo works were a big influence on me. Also, Bob Dylan was the first poet/lyricist and singer who caught my attention.”

Stephen said that ever since he was a child, he wanted to write a book. He likes writing songs and hanging out at Barnes and Nobles where he browses the bookshelves and finds his leads. “WVU is helpful by allowing me to browse through the courses when my schedule permits.

“My advice to people who work in civil or public service is don't be afraid to write and speak your mind. I am also influenced and inspired by Thomas Jefferson who also was a big bookstore browser and collector as well as a legendary statesman.”

Congratulations, Lori and Stephen. We wish you continued success in all of your writing endeavors and thank you for sharing your information with us.

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!

About the Author
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Joan McNulty Pulver moved to Florida about 30 years ago and decided to stay. She has five children (two girls and three boys) and five grandchildren (four boys and one girl). An Administrative Secretary for the State of Florida, she plans to retire in about seven years and then start her real career, writing. Joan hopes to have at least one novel finished and published by that time. She does a little volunteer work here at WVU and enjoys this community of writers. "I have learned so much here and like helping others learn along with me."