The creative writing class at West Windsor’s Senior Center recently celebrated the publication of its own literary magazine, “Mosaic.” Liz Madden-Zibman is the group’s writing instructor and mentor. The staff for the magazine include Ginger Meredith, chief publications editor; and Justin Kodner, layout and graphics editor. ##M:[more]##
“Mosaic” features “creative writing by people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, mostly retired from demanding professions, from engineering and nursing to parenting,” writes Madden-Zibman in the book’s introduction. “Many continue to pursue life-long hobbies, such as ballroom dancing, gardening, and music. As writers, though, they come together at weekly meetings to explore the cerebral and creative endeavor, putting self-expression and recollection into words on paper.”
Madden-Zibman, the creative writing mentor at the senior center, is a free lance writer specializing in retail and architectural design copy. A graduate of San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, she will soon receive a master’s degree in creative writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A founding member of the West Windsor Arts Council, she chaired the Summer Solstice Poetry event for three years. Madden-Zibman recently completed the first draft of a novel, “Meet Me for Martinis,” and is working on a second novel, “Nine Lives.” Her thesis novel, “is literary fiction, quite poetic, quite grounded in 50-something lifestyle and contemporary medicine and culture as well as deeply insightful and ultimately at the end, quite hopeful,” she says.
Contributors to the literary magazine include the following:
Jane Turner Cox, a retired English teacher, specializing in English as a second language, has taught in the WW-P School District, St. Paul’s School, and Mercer County Special Services. A graduate of the College of New Jersey, she received her master’s degree in reading and language arts from Rider University. Her works include “Snow!,” “Snow Day,” and “Haiku.”
Lucia Spera Dipolvere, a retired educator, has received numerous awards for her essays, reports, and stories. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Trenton State College, now the College of New Jersey. Her works include “The Other White Milk,” “Zodiac Dinner Party,” and “Haiku.”
Victor Opalski, a frequent writer to “WW-P News,” ran his own ice cream business for more than 40 years, and was a sanitary health inspector for Hamilton Township for 20 years. He served in the Navy during World War II. A longtime cookie baker, he has created a booklet of recipes in conjunction with his memoirs. His works include “The Milkman” and “Wash and Shine.”
Milton Forman, a retired salesman, was in the insurance business for more than 35 years. He lived in Rockland County, New York, until his retirement in 2000, when he moved to Village Grande. A music lover, he sings in amateur venues in the area. His works include “What’s In a Name?” “A Falling Star,” Late Autumn, Late Afternoon,” and “Abigail’s Lullaby.”
Bev Jeffers has been writing, painting, and enjoying theater since childhood. Her paintings have been exhibited in England and America. She founded the Play Reading Group at the WW Senior Center. Her works include “Jill’s Laughter,” “Shivering Tree,” and “Your Voice.”
Justin Kodner, a retired computer software designer, has written a memoir of family stories, many of them about his grandparent’s farm and hotel in upstate New York. He also writes the Princeton Folk Music Society’s monthly newsletter. His works include “Terwilliger’s Old Horse,” “The Hobo,” and “The Gift.”
Alice E. Payne, who has always had an interest in fine arts, began her own small crafting business in the 1980s. She enjoys writing about everyday life around the home and garden. Her works include “The Haucks,” “A Mist,” “Kitten Dreaming,” “When a Sweet Kitten Came to Visit,” and “Seasonal Thoughts.”
Jackie Wouwenberg, a graduate of New York University’s Bellevue Hospital nursing program, was in the Air Force. She added dancing, watercolor painting, and creative writing to her resume of nursing, and has received several awards for her artwork. Her works include “My Dog,” “Musings,” and “Mrs. Dutcher, You Should be Ashamed.”
Kit Wong, a graduate of Lehigh University with a degree in metallurgical engineering, worked for the U.S. Department of the Army and has been a pollution abatement consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense. He was employed at International Laboratories as a metallurgical engineer. His works include “Faces of Love” and “Why is My Shadow So Thin?”
“The writers have come together for a variety of reasons — to fulfill the urgings of their writing natures, experiment with an alternative artistic genre, discover something new, and often simply to connect and share their work,” says Madden-Zibman.
Creative writing classes are held at the West Windsor Senior Center each Wednesday, 10 a.m. to noon. Seniors at all writing levels are encouraged to participate in the classes. Call 609-799-9068 for information.
