The Lit Net Monthly News

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[FONT="Book Antiqua"]March 2009[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]Welcome to a special Edition of The Literature Networks online newspaper. Every month, we will keep you updated with information regarding threads, contests, Book Club and lots more!

This month’s Lit Net News is dedicated to the memory of Litnets very own CdnReader who sadly passed away in February. The Personal Poetry section is dedicated to her poems.

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Forum Book Club[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]
This month, for the March War Novel Reading, the Book Club will be reading Catch22 by Joseph Heller [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42325"]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42325[/URL]
Also, don’t forget to vote in the April Novel of Manners [url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41485&page=3[/url]
You can now also nominate for the May Detective Novel [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=680284#post680284"]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=680284#post680284[/URL]
The Shakespeare Discussion Group are currently reading Richard II [url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=5895[/url]

The Forum Book Club is always happy to have new participants. If you are interested, you can find it in the Reading section of the Forum Index page.

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Official Forum Contest[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]

The February elimination round of the Short Story Competition 2009 is over!
This round we have a tie between [I]The Adventures of Johnny Kickstool[/I] and [I]The Button War[/I].

[I][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]Unofficial Poetry Contests[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/I]

The Personal Poetry forum is one of Litnets’ most active forums and comes complete with a sub-forum dedicated to poetry games and contests. We have two very popular poetry contests located in the sub-forum; The Picture [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23675&page=42"]Poetry Contest (continued…) [/URL] and [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23444&page=34"]The Form Poetry Contest [/URL]for anyone who would like to join in.
Also one of our resident poets Pendragon has set up a new contest [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38056&page=4"]The Subject Poetry Contest[/URL]. Why not pop in and give it a go. You might just win!
The current winners are;
Form: qimisung
Picture: no winner yet
Subject: Lucid
Congratulations to you all!

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Featured Personal Poetry[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]
This month’s featured Personal Poetry is a collection of poems by CdnReader, chosen by her fellow poet TheFifthElement. Donna’s expressions of emotions are beautifully written and her poems touched my heart. She was a wonderful poet, and both she and her poems will be sadly missed.

[B]Late to the Party[/B]

I'm late to the party, but now that I'm here
Let's dance to the music and throw back the beer
I know the floor's sticky, we like it that way....
it keeps our feet planted, while we dip and sway.

The peanut shells are scattered wherever they drop
The music is blaring... and the bass beat don't stop.
We'll boogie till morning, without tiring at all
We boogied through winter, and we'll keep on till fall.

There's nowhere to hide, in this smoky back room
and the whiskey's so smooth and the beer's gone too soon.
Pour me three fingers, and don't hold the ice,
Pound 'em straight back, don't make me ask twice.

My feet can't keep still when you turn on the blues
I'm hittin' the dance floor, and kickin' off my shoes.
Are you comin' to swing me around this sticky floor?
The music's deep inside me, and my body's ready for more.

Play me some Ella, some Legend, some Frank,
The blues feed my soul, and my mind goes blank.
There's nothin' here but you, me, and the tunes,
There's nowhere and no one 'cept what's in this room.

Don't let this song end.... I want it to last all night.
I'm watching your eyes sparkle, your hands feel just right
as they follow the curve of my spine to my waist,
your touch brings me home, I belong in this place.

[B]bliss[/B]

caught between
flights of rainbows
and spirit's sighs

chasing handfuls of life
pulled whole from the blush of dawn,
twirling in a fragrant rose-hued breeze,
drowning in the innocence
of bliss

delicate moss yields, softly,
giving gracefully beneath my touch,
and the cool morning dew
settles on my skin,
gleaming

[B]Excess[/B]

Shall only time be so excessive?

I embody excessiveness...
an excess of enthusiasm,
an excess of determination,
an excess of stubbornness,
an excess, perhaps, of life itself.

My purpose lies, it seems,
in demanding excess...
of myself, of others,
of the universe itself.

I tug on threads of reality,
tying them tightly to wrists and ankles,
pulling all of it with me through the fires.
For there is no reality,
but in the pain.

Those who would change the world
are seen as lives extinguished in our times,
blinking briefly, suffusing into flame,
then, without warning,
lost to sight.

[B]When We Are Old[/B]

When we are old,
we will walk in the garden,
amongst the climbing roses with petals reaching.
Together we will sow seeds in narrow furrows,
carefully nurturing the delicate sprouts,
and scatter wildflowers
everywhere.

When we are old,
we will walk by the stream,
your arm around my waist,
my head tilted to your shoulder.
Together we will splash barefoot through the shallows,
then, laughing, collapse onto the porch swing,
and, enveloped in the beauty of stillness,
let the sun's warmth dry us
in silence.

When we are old,
so too will the world slow.
Together we will relinquish this space
and be lifted away upon the north wind,
hand in hand.

And in our next life
I shall love you again.

[B]Cinquain’s[/B]

with time
counting away
the seconds of our lives,
how can we not grasp every bit
with glee?

I do,
and I feel, and
I move, and I think, and
I despair, and I exult, and
I am.

[B]Haiku’s[/B]

smile and keep smiling
through stormy times and through calm,
bring your best self here

sun, and blue the sky
white the clouds that drift so high,
soaring above life.

I am sure PrinceMyshkin will not mind me mentioning this here, but is any one is interested in reading more of CdnReader’s poems, PrinceMyshkin has collected all her poems together and will email to anyone who is interested.

[I][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]Forum Advertisement[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/I]
Do you want to let off that steam and vent your anger? Then why not visit [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25259&page=27"]Get it off your Chest![/URL]
Or if you are looking for advice, but want to remain unknown then why not contact Scheherazade and have your problem posted in [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36313&page=5&highlight=personal+anonymous"]Personal and Anonymous[/URL]. Your fellow Litnetters will pass on their own words of wisdom.

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Featured Members Profile[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]

Each month we will be sifting through Litnets member profile pages and selecting one as our Featured Profile of the Month. So get personalizing, decorating and designing your profile.
This months Profile of the Month is Virgil for his Leonardo DaVinci theme
[url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/member.php?u=9515[/url]

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Blog of the Month[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]

Each month we will be selecting a blog and awarding it the title of Blog of the Month right here in Lit Net Monthly News.
This Months blog or the Month is Silas Thorne’s blog for his poetry.
[url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?u=55211[/url]

[I][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]Featured Threads of the Month[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/I]

Every month we will feature different threads and games. This month’s Thread of the Month and Game of the Month are:
Thread of the Month is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23702[/url]
Game of the Month is Shalots Goth Poems. Why not give it a go! [url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42073[/url]

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Lit Net Book Reviews[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]

This month’s book review was randomly selected from the Write a book Review sub-forum in general Literature.

The Three Musketeers by Dumas

For just about as long as I could remember I have loved the Three Musketeers, and have seen just about every movie made about the story. Sword fighting adventure, how could I resist, right along with Zorro, Robin Hood, King Arthur.

But I had never read the book before up until recently and when I was younger I did not even know that it was originally from a book, so of course I had to read the novel as soon as I as able to do so, but I did not know quite what to expect. I knew it would not be the same as the movies, because they never are, and being that I had started with the movies, and always enjoyed them, I wondered just how I would respond to the book.

But the first chapter immediately erased all doubts...it is an absolutely marvellous book. It is now officially ranked among my favourites. It has just about everything you can ask for. It is very witty with a touch of humour, some drama, lots of action, sword fighting fun, dashing and sometimes comical heroes. There was never a dull or slow moment, and I was left just waiting to see what was going to happen next with every turn of the page. It was one of those rare books that once I picked it up I did not want to have to put it down.

The writing was so vivid and skilful and the characters really jumped alive upon the page. You know how often if you see a movie and than read a book, all you can picture in your mind is what was in the movie, well in this case, though I had seen numerous movies, while reading it, it was really the words upon the page I visualized more than anything I had ever seen on the screen.

One of the amusing things, is that usually in the movies D'Artagnan is always my favourite, he is young, rebellious, skilled swordsmen, always getting into trouble, but in the book I really leaned more toward Athos. And I just loved all of their servants. That was one of the really interesting things about the book that you do not get in the movies.

So I highly recommend this book.
- Dark Muse

[I][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]Forum Advertisement[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/I]
Wondering what Litnets top 100 books are? Why not pop on over to Dark Muses Lit Nets Top 100 Books Official List and see for yourself! [url]http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40711&page=7[/url]

[I][CENTER][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]March Birthdays[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/I]

Here are this months Litnet birthdays! Also, don’t forget that many of these members will be sent an interview, so look out for the [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36273&page=4"]Getting to Know You thread[/URL].

Happy Birthday!
Livelaughlove, Idril, Bongitybongbong, Arania, greyfoxdown, Admin, Amundsen,
Schokokeks, smilingtearz, Koa, Vheissu, Mockingbird_Z, imthefoolonthehill, Shannanigan, bluebiird, kevintheditz, BlueSkyGB, RoCKiTcZa,

[I][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]Letters to the Editor[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/I]
The Poetry bookclub has a discussion of Boris Pasternak's early poetry if anyone is interested in joining in. And also special congratulations to SleepyWitch who got engaged- Virgil

If anyone has a poem they want to post, but are embarrassed to post it under their own name, PM me and I’ll put it in Anonymous Poets- Nightshade

Big Happy Birthday to Admin! From all the Team.

[I][SIZE="4"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][CENTER]Special Thanks[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/I]

I would like to thank everyone who helped contribute to this edition, especially a big thank you to TheFifthElement who took time out to read CdnReader’s poems, Cinquin’s and Haiku’s, and select what were some of her favourite. Also, thank you for informing us all of the loss of a beloved poet and friend.
Death is something we all must face sometime in the future. When someone we know dies, a black shroud settles above us while we mourn, while we remember why they were important to us, and all the good and bad that happened while we knew them. As long as we live, they will be remembered.
Donna, you will be sadly missed by all of those who knew you well, those that did not know you well enough, and those that wish they had known you even a little.
Goodbye Donna. May you sit amongst the poets in the stars.
Yours truly
The Litnetter