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By Anthony R. Ashley
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 12, 1996
Are you one who can be easily brought into submission? No, this is not an in-depth story about the latest in adult leather wear.
The submission is, instead, a poetic one. If you can write poetry and would like for your work to go toward a good cause, you may be in luck.
Gloria McMillan, Pima Community College writing teacher and first-time editor, has started accepting poems on the theme, "A Child in the Arizona Sun," for a book to be published with the proceeds benefiting Tucson's homeless population.
The book, sponsored by McMillan herself, was conceived after her fellow Internet colleagues gave her the idea by "always talking about their 'chat books,'" she said.
Chat books are books written by McMillan's colleagues, she said.
McMillan said she wanted to do a book instead of a benefit dinner, because she is a writing teacher and decided to put "one together to see if it could help" the cause of homelessness.
McMillan said she is accepting "enough (entries) to fill the book," and she "wouldn't turn one away."
Currently McMillan has received about 17 to 18 poems that are "uneven in quality" from Tucson, as well as others from as far as Montreal.
She is expecting at least 40 or more poems, along with 20 to 30 accompanying drawings, before the deadline of Oct. 30.
The theme came to McMillan in July, after she heard a news report on the radio about families living in cars, she said.
McMillan said these families, with a fear of separation from state agencies, would not go to a shelter. Instead of being taken away from each other, they would rather be in a car all day.
McMillan thought of what it would be like to be the child in this situation, and that's when the theme came to mind, she said.
Proceeds from the book may be split between the Primavera Foundation and Casa Maria if the books sell a significant amount, McMillan said.
If the books sells a small amount, the proceeds "may go to one" instead, she said.
McMillan is expecting a "mixture of stuff" to come in, as far as styles of writing.
She said the poems do not have to be a certain length, and anyone can submit a poem, from long forms to haiku.
So far, McMillan has received many submissions from the older members of Tucson's community, but thinks it would "be nice to have the younger people" send in writings.
McMillan is trying to get many people from Tucson involved with her book, including Otis Bronsan, head of the Writing Department at PCC, and the University of Arizona art and photography departments and its students for the book's art.
She said with expected costs, the book should be out by the end of the year. If the costs exceed those currently projected, a benefit concert will be held, pushing the release date to the spring of 1997.
The book will be sold exclusively in the Tucson area at local bookstores, like Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave., and The Book Mark, 5001 E. Speedway Blvd., McMillan said.
If you would like to submit a poem to McMillan's book, or have any other questions, call 623-8905 for more information.
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