WOWO Thursday, 30 January 2025, 7-9pm GMT

As usual, the last Thursday of the month is reserved for our Mug of the Month Competition. This week we’ll hear ten entries containing the key words COURT and SETTLE. The multiple meanings of these words should lead to a wide variety of inspired interpretations!

Last week’s discussion of Postscript by Seamus Heaney is being continued. We hope to learn from the poet’s masterly use of imagery, rhythm and association.

Mind Movies by Frances Dermody presents the intriguing evolution of an inhibited middle-aged man who begins to escape the grasp of his domineering mother and his own inner dreams, and instead to enter the real world.

Sunday Visit by Mary Hodson is a delightful memoir of pleasant childhood visits to the farm of loved relatives. The story captures the resonance between the innocent child and the caring grandfather in an environment of nature, family and tradition.

In Souls by James Conway, the nature of Dublin Bay becomes alive as spirits return to their earthly shores. Vivid descriptions of nature and spectral imagery serve to explore mortality, memory and the quiet collision between the spiritual and modern worlds.

Two Weeks in Japan by Joyce Butcher takes us on a whirlwind tour of a land both exotic and modern. Descriptions of the beauties of nature, the sobering history of Hiroshima, and quixotic public signs form a text full of interest, reflection and humour.

A State of Primal Therapy by Póilín Brennan explores the raw, unfiltered emotions of anger and pain passed through generations. With vivid imagery, this poem delves into buried trauma, unresolved chaos, and the eventual release of long-held injustices.

Resurrection by Anne McManus presents a humorous account of life after death. Resurrected to appease mourning sisters, the narrator questions the fairness and purpose of divine intervention even after death.

In Chapter 3 of A Normal Couple 2 by Olga Peters, Fra is adjusting to her new reality as a widow in wartime Berlin. While struggling with the economics of pensions and ration cards, recurring dreams of her husband offer both solace and unsettling questions.

With such a full programme, some items might be postoned for presentation next week. We wish all participants a thoroughly enjoyable evening!

Programme

MOTM Competition +++ 10 Entries +++ All Members

Discussion Postscript by Seamus Heaney All Members

Short Story Mind Movies Frances Dermody

Short Story Sunday Visit Mary Hodson

Short Story Souls James Conway

Short Story Two Weeks in Japan Joyce Butcher

Poem A State of Primal Therapy Póilín Brennan

Poem Resurrection Anne McManus

Novel Extract A Normal Couple 2, Ch. 3 Olga Peters

Story A New Story Mary Hawkshaw