Remember that once again I'll have my five minutes
of fame between 3:00-4:00 p.m. at Woodland Pattern's Poetry Marathon in Milwaukee on January 29, 2005, where I'll be reading from my work to help raise money at the Book Center's annual fund-raiser. Last year the troopers in my circle of friends pledged more than $300 for my time slot, enough to keep me in first place in terms of funds raised until the very end, when last minute contributions came in for someone else and pushed me into second place. Dang!
This year I'd like to do better. I am sending a letter out to all those who contributed last year, asking them to assist again. In addition, I'd like to ask readers at The Middlewesterner to contribute as well. It is a worthy cause. Here's a portion of my letter going out to those who pledged last year:
January is once again approaching and at the end of January Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee holds its annual Poetry Marathon Fund-Raiser. This is Woodland Pattern's biggest fund-raiser of the year and raises money to support its literary, artistic, and musical programs all year long. Last year the Poetry Marathon raised a total of about $11,000. (And last year, too, in May, Woodland Pattern had me teach seminars in "Keeping a Writer's Journal," "Writing Creative Nonfiction," and "Writing Memoir.")
This year I am asking you to contribute to this good cause once again. I've never been very good at asking my friends for money, but I am eager to request your support for Woodland Pattern and its various programs. For more than a generation, Woodland Pattern has been doing what needs to be done to support new writing. It is a one-of-a-kind Book Center and contemporary literature would be much poorer without it. You can find more info about Woodland Pattern at: http://www.woodlandpattern.org/ .
So please help. Send your contributions to Tom Montag, PO Box 8, Fairwater, WI 53931, but make your checks payable to "Woodland Pattern." It's for a good cause.
CURRENT TOTAL: $305.
Comments