Club gives writers critical eyes

By Becky Bosshart

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 | 3 p.m.

Although they live in a 55-plus community, the Sun City Anthem Authors are not sedate stereotypes.

Richard Wine, club president, said provocative topics such as sex and politics often find their way into the group's weekly meetings. Some walk out after a politically charged poem. But everyone tries to remain polite.

Wine said the group can provide camaraderie and critical support to aspiring writers. And it also organizes for change. Every year, members pen hundreds of short stories that are read aloud in front of the group.

Anthem Authors is made up of people from diverse backgrounds, a microcosm of Anthem. It has four published authors and another nine who are submitting memoirs and novels for self publishing. Four members hold doctorates. Two are former police officers who write crime stories.

The camaraderie is seen in the stories.

Member Beth Williams, a retired health care worker, was surprised to find herself in one of Wine's stories. She was Boom Boom Williams, a stripper in one of Wine's detective stories. Williams, who has no scandalous background, said it's all in good fun.

"We enjoy writing and we're trying to improve our techniques," she said. "Even when we don't write, we enjoy going and being with a great group of friends."

They also critique one another's work.

Elaine Stubbs, a retired nurse and health care administrator, said she has questioned the use of "untypical" in a story. It should be atypical. And what's the male word for nymphomaniac?

"I've never heard of that before," she said. "But wouldn't it be satyromaniac?"

She is correct. A satyromaniac is a man who has an excessive desire for sex.

Even in a retirement community, sex still translates into art.

In the new year, the group is hoping to partner with the performing arts club to do theatrical projects. Not necessarily the sexy ones.

It also hopes to be successful in its petition to the Sun City Anthem Home Owners Association to get an amplification system for this and other community groups.

About half-a-dozen of the group's 40 members are hearing impaired, club leaders say. They want them to hear all the stories loud and clear.

"Many people don't socialize and they withdraw because they can't hear," Williams said. "If we can get this (amplification) system going, it will be a help for everybody."

Becky Bosshart can be reached at 990-7748 or [email protected].