Stream Line Series to Celebrate Indiana's Bicentennial on March 9th

by

Janine Harrison

 

How is Indiana developed as a place in writing—physically, socially, politically, and culturally?  What is its regional dialect?  How is Northwest Indiana, in particular, portrayed?  Who are “Region Rats”?  What is its history, and in such changing times, where is the state—the Region—going?  What can be said about its literary community, past, present, and future?  In celebration of Indiana’s 200^th anniversary, Stream Line Literary Reading Series will be exploring these questions and more.

Please join us for an Indiana-themed poetry and prose open mic and roundtable discussion on Wednesday, March 9^th, from 7 to 9 PM, at Paul Henry’s Art Gallery.  During the first part of the evening, interested open mic participants will have an opportunity to read poetry and either short prose or long prose excerpts in which Indiana is featured.  After a potluck intermission, readers and listeners will settle into a roundtable discussion, rooted in the open mic readings, about Indiana, and specifically the complex character that is Northwest Indiana, heroic yet flawed.  The evening will also include Indiana trivia and more.

The eclectic and inspired space, Paul Henry’s Art Gallery, is located at 416 Sibley Street in Hammond, Indiana.  Admission is $5.00 or $3.00 with a potluck contribution at the door. 

Stream Line Series is entering into its second year.  In 2015, the program, hosted by the Indiana Writers’ Consortium and sponsored by Purdue University Calumet’s Department of English and Philosophy, held events ranging from poetry readings and a slam; to children, YA, and speculative genres; to drama and an oral storytelling slam.  Stream Line will host 2016 events on the second Wednesdays of March, April, May, August, September, and October, always at Paul Henry’s Art Gallery, beginning at 7 PM.  If you are interested in presenting, making a theme suggestion, or simply have a question, please email streamlineseries@gmail.com.

Hope to see you on March 9^th for this bicentennial literary bash! 



Gene Stratton-Porter

by

Kathryn Page Camp

 

www.kathrynpagecamp.com

 

This year celebrates Indiana’s bicentennial. During January, the Indiana Writers’ Consortium blog will highlight several well-known Indiana writers, starting with Gene Stratton-Porter.

When I was in high school, I discovered The Girl of the Limberlost among the books that my mother had saved from her own high school years. I was always hungry for something new to read, and it didn’t take me long to devour this one.

On the surface, I had little in common with the protagonist, Elnora. She had a dead father and a cold mother. I had two living parents and knew that they loved me. Elnora fought her mother to attend high school, and my parents fought for a good education for each of their children. Elnora lived on the edge of a swamp in Indiana, and I lived in the middle of a small town in Michigan.

And yet, Gene Stratton-Porter found the commonality in our shared emotions and desires. Elnora wanted to fit in, and so did I. Elnora loved reading and music, and so did I. But mostly, Elnora wanted her mother’s love. Although I had that, I could imagine what life would be like without it, and I ached for her. I also rejoiced at those times when there was a glimmer of hope, such as when her mother packed a sumptuous lunch and Elnora exclaimed, “Sure as you’re born she loves me; only she hasn’t found it out yet!”

I won’t give away any more of the story because I would rather you read it yourself. Instead, I’ll tell you something about the author.

Gene Stratton-Porter was born on August 17, 1863 in Wabash County, Indiana. She did not finish high school, but she loved to read and was an ardent naturalist. Although she is best known for her novels, she wrote many books about nature and was also a wildlife photographer.

Gene married Charles Porter, a pharmacist, in 1886, and they had a daughter a year later. Charles owned pharmacies in Geneva and Fort Wayne, Indiana, so they built a home in Geneva near the Limberlost Swamp. When developers ruined the swamp, the family moved north and purchased the land to create their own wildlife refuge on Sylvan Lake in Noble County, Indiana. It is now the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site and is open to the public. I visited it many years ago with my daughter and husband when my son was attending Camp Lutherhaven near Fort Wayne.

Unfortunately for all of us, Gene Stratton-Porter moved to California for her health and to found her own movie studio. She had only been there a few years when she was in an automobile accident that took her life. She died on December 6, 1924 at the age of 61.

Even though she spent the last few years of her life in California, Gene Stratton-Porter was a quintessential Indiana author. If you haven’t read her yet, you should. To paraphrase Elnora, “Sure as you’re born you’ll love her; only you haven’t found it out yet!”

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The picture of Gene Stratton-Porter at the head of this post is in the public domain because of its age.

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Kathryn Page Camp is a licensed attorney and full-time writer. Writers in Wonderland: Keeping Your Words Legal was a Kirkus’ Indie Books of the Month Selection for April 2014. The second edition of Kathryn’s first book, In God We Trust: How the Supreme Court’s First Amendment Decisions Affect Organized Religion, was released on September 30, 2015. You can learn more about Kathryn at www.kathrynpagecamp.com.