Group fosters budding authors, poets

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — A small group of flourishing writers in the Southern Aroostook area have been honing their English language skills thanks to efforts by the SACAP /Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project.
    The group’s goal is to support the literary arts in the local community by providing a productive and nurturing venue for writers, or those who simply want to learn how to write creatively, can gather with their peers and receive feedback.
    “We started this project well over a year ago,” said Bob Cowperthwaite, a member of SACAP. “Barbara Sutton and Marc Arndt were keys in getting the group up and running. I think that first night we had about 12 people show up.”
    The group meets every other Wednesday evening at Visions’ gallery on Main Street in Houlton from 6-8 p.m. Writers have come from Houlton, Smyrna, Amity and Haynesville regularly attend the workshops.
    “We sit around and write and then read what we have written for the others in the group,” Cowperthwaite said. “What has evolved over time has been the creation of a writing prompt, which gives us a theme to write short pieces.”
    About 40 authors, ranging in age from 11 to those in their 80s, participate on a semi-regular basis. A former university professor — Judy Metcalf — also attends the sessions and offers her critiques and suggestions for improvement.
    “Some of the pieces have been absolutely phenomenal,” Cowperthwaite said. “For me, I was not a writer, but I have become more confident and willing to share my work with others, and I have this group to thank for that.”
    Part of the mission of SACAP is to flourish the arts in the community and literacy and literature is part of the arts. The group has been successful and is always looking for more writers.
    “We are trying to get the word out that this group is gathering and we are encouraging others to attend,” Cowperthwaite said. “There is no charge for people to attend.”
    He added another reason that SACAP has pursued the creation of a writing group is to broaden the horizons of cultural arts in the area.
    “We are not just a group with paintings on the wall,” he said. “We cover the arts in all mediums.”
    The goal of the group is to grow and nurture the potential poet or novelist in the local community. For  more information about the group, call 532-9119.