Just in time for holiday giving, the American Association of University Women, Vero Beach Branch, has published a collection of award-winning creative writing from its past 30 years. Tide Lines contains the work of 42 writers, 244 pages of stories, poetry, essays, memories and sketches for both adults and children.
Tide Lines is priced at $15 and is available at the Vero Beach Book Center. The book is a fundraising project to help support AAUW scholarship funds.
Thirty years ago, a new AAUW creative writing group began publishing a small literary journal called Tide Lines, with selections made from the best of the writings of group members. Later Florida State AAUW began conducting statewide creative writing competitions, so Tide Lines was discontinued. From then on, year after year, Vero Beach members won consistently at the state level.
This past summer, a book project team put the book together using winning writings and art work from the past three decades, and using the historical title of Tide Lines. The team, led by Marlowe Arnold and Joyce Levi with Ellen Rantz as art editor, included Diane Chazotte, Olive Detering, Janice DuMars, Joan Foster, Edith Kalish, Betty Saunders and Ann Streeter. Art work featured sketches from 1980-2009 by Marlowe Arnold, Marion Ball, Charlotte Brown, Beatrice Gheorghiu, Edith Kalish and Ann Streeter.
Tide Lines can be a perfect choice for holidays and birthdays, for friendship and hostess gifts. It is a book to keep on a desk, coffee table, bedside table, bathroom hamper or in a picnic basket bound for the beach. It´s easily portable for browsing, for picking up at odd moments to enjoy a quick foray into well-written stories and poems.
Each year, in addition to informative monthly meetings, AAUW´s nearly 200-member Vero Beach Branch provides community services such as annual five Book Review Breakfasts, a Book-Author Luncheon, a luncheon for the Performance Based Diploma Program at Vero Beach High School, four local college scholarships for women, and library book donations. AAUW members also serve as mentors to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and to other students in the Indian River County Schools. Political forums are held for the community during election years.
Study and social groups within the local branch include an artists circle, a creative writing group, an international relations study group, six reading groups, three gourmet dinner groups, a stock study group, a Mah Jongg group, and six bridge groups. Trips to cultural events in other counties are planned each year.
The Vero Beach Branch has been recognized repeatedly by Florida State AAUW as one of “Florida’s Finest.” Co-presidents for 2009-2010 are Martha Kucinsky and Carole Strauss.
Membership in the American Association of University Women is open to all with an associate, RN, baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or University. For more information, please call membership chairs Gail Dailey (563-0821) or Gail Helgeson (231-9172), or write to AAUW Vero Beach Branch, Box 2143, Vero Beach, FL 32961.