Group is a mecca for writers of all ages

BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

METUCHEN - Donna Rubens' soulmate was a friend she met in school.

"When we were together, we would laugh so hard," she said.

Rubens, a retired New York City school teacher and a former community newspaper editor, shared her story at one of the Writers of Metuchen meetings.

"I don't talk to her anymore," said Rubens. "I've seen her once, but that was it."

The club's theme that week was soulmates.

"Every meeting, someone picks a theme," said Mickey Waring, who picked the theme soulmates. "We take 15 minutes to write on the theme and then we present what we wrote to each other."

The group of nine writers meets every two weeks.

The group includes Marcia Holtzman, Maddie Hunter, Jennifer Jolly, Jan Margolis, Donna Rubens, Jacalyn Schwartz, Julie Walton Shaver, Mickey Waring and Donna Wilshire.

In March, the group published their third book titled "Metuchen Musings Volume 3." The book contains each member's writings or illustrations, featured writers, and a featured young writer that the group selects.

This year's young writer is Metuchen High School senior Courtney Downing, who plans to double major in journalism and international relations at Boston University this fall.

"I admire and respect the group's work," said Downing. "To be chosen at 17, now 18, it shows that my work is progressing and going somewhere."

The book was edited and designed by Shaver, who works as the night manager of news graphics at The New York Times.

Waring, who is a teacher and artistic director at the Westerhoff School of Music and Art in Metuchen, co-founded the non-profit organization Writers of Metuchen with Schwartz in 2003. Both were writing coaches at the Edgar Middle School Writers' Room program.

The all-volunteer Writers' room program at Edgar was founded and directed by Holtzman in 2001.

"The program supports writing instruction in language arts classrooms," said Holtzman, who was a central office administrator for 28 years in Metuchen. In 2001, she retired as assistant superintendent.

The group critiques each other's work at the meetings.

"If I know a group meeting is coming up, it prompts me to work harder," said Waring.

For some members, the group is a welcome interruption from everyday stress.

"This meeting is a stress reducer for me," said Hunter. "This is a time where we can create."

"This is the only time in my week where I'm interrupted and I love it," said Holtzman.

The goals of the Writers of Metuchen include encouraging promising young writers and advancing the careers of local writers and artists.

Member Jan Margolis' daughter Jamie Zwiebel, who was the young featured writer of the 2004 edition of Metuchen Musings, founded the Grinnell College Literary Hooligans at Grinnell College in Iowa. The 15-member writers' group is modeled after the Writers of Metuchen. Zwiebel is currently a sophomore at the college.

Metuchen Musings Volume 3 also features work by Dan Capriotti, Kaptain Karl, Dale Leffler, Joni Scanlon, June Wilshire, Jamie Zwiebel and Courtney Downing.

The book is currently available at The Raconteur, 431 Main St., Metuchen.

For more information, the Writers of Metuchen Web site at www.treegrowersdiary.com/writersofmetuchen/