Chuck Shandry as Tim from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” at an Otakon staff retreat

I met Chuck about 30 years ago, when I was an officer and newsletter editor for the Penn State Monty Python Society. He occasionally attended meetings, not performing in skits like the rest of us hams, but laughing in the audience and cheering us on. Nearly 20 years older than us, a Navy veteran, he genially turned down our offers to join us for a run to the College Diner after the meetings. Likewise, he seldom showed up for our weekend activities, such as the annual Upperclassman Twit-of-the-Year Run, or the spring Mall Climb. 

Since I was the newsletter editor, I tended to know most of the MPS members. After the meetings, Chuck would come up front to talk to us officers, and he soon discovered my love of music. He lent me some of his Bonzo Dog Doodah Band albums, my introduction to a band I would come to love so much that I randomly quote lines from the Bonzos to my family on a regular basis.

Through the MPS and the expanded interlocking circles of friends, however, Chuck found his true family.

Mutual friends of my MPS compatriots, four individuals forever known as the Four Fathers, founded Otakon, and Chuck, who shared a love of anime with them, enthusiastically volunteered from the earliest days of the convention. He worked Registration for most of his time there, and I spent a couple years on that staff working with him. Chuck could always be relied upon to show up on time and to stay as late as needed, usually wearing such iconic costume elements as a pair of wolf ears or a pith helmet.

Chuck Shandry at Otakon 2005

When a friend and I began Wild Violet in 2001, Chuck became one of our earliest supporters. He conducted several interviews for us of voice actors whom he met through Otakon, along with highly-entertaining and informative footnotes. 

Tiffany Grant (Frozen Karma, January 31, 2002)

Tristan MacAvery (Rising Sun, May 3, 2002)

George Manley (Vol. III Issue 2, Gourmet Snowflake)

Matt Greenfield (Vol. IV Issue I, Dream Zone)

Joe Grisaffi (Vol. IV Issue 3/4, Waking World) 

Since 2020 will forever be known as the year when the conventions didn’t happen, I can safely say that the last time I saw Chuck in person was at Otakon 2019. While these days I’m busy running the Press Relations Department, I chatted with him briefly in the hallway, as he headed to his usual assignment in Registration. In recent years, I’d often see him at the staff continental breakfast in one of the D.C. hotels, holding court at a table, where he cheerfully welcomed anyone who wanted to sit down and talk about the latest anime series, or reflect on Otakon lore.

To say he’ll be missed seems inadequate. For many, Chuck symbolized the heart of Otakon. That level of enthusiasm, coupled with pure joy for the art form, lies at the heart of everything that’s best about Otakon. And for me, personally, it’s sad and sobering to realize that Chuck, who participated in the parts of my life that became so important to me—from MPS to Wild Violet to Otakon—will no longer be there to share in the activities that brought us both so much happiness.

Chuck’s executor is raising the funds needed to cover funeral expenses. Please consider contributing.

Because of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the current civil unrest in Philadelphia, for the time being, please use the following updated address instead of the post office box we have previously used for correspondence.

Submissions and correspondence can be sent to:

Alyce Wilson, editor

Wild Violet Magazine

1925 Lawrence Rd., Apt. D-3

Havertown, PA 19083

E-mail: wildvioletmagazine@yahoo.com

Inquire via e-mail before sending books or CDs for review.

“Boynton Canyon End of Trail Sign, Sedona, Arizona by Alan English (https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/)

At long last, it is Day 30, the final day of the NaPoWriMo challenge. We began the month by writing an “ars poetica,” a poem about our philosophy of poetry, a type of poem which often begins poetry collections. Now let’s end with the sort of poem that might end a poetry collection. Today, write either an epilogue or a poetic biography.

An epilogue is defined as “a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened.” For a great example, look at Robert Lowell’s “Epilogue,” which reflects on his own body of work, or read Ezra Pound’s “Epilogue,” which is a shorter poem along similar lines. In your epilogue poem, you might provide insight into events that have happened, reflect on meaning or look forward to the future.

A poetic biography (or bio poem) can be approached in a number of ways. One way would be to do a free writing exercise, where you write down details of your life. Then circle or highlight the most interesting words and phrases and use them as the backbone for your poem. Another approach might be to start from your existing biographical statement, which you use professionally or on social media sites, and add less common details, such as information about your dreams, your childhood, your fears, and perhaps your secrets. Whittle the poem down to just the most interesting tidbits about you.

Another approach would be to use the Bio Poem handout provided by Scholastic for young poets. Simply fill in the proper information.

Your name
Child of…
Who loves…
Who hates…
Who wants to go to…
Who wishes he/she could’ve met…
Who is scared of…
Who dreams of…
Who is determined to…
Who values…
Who is proud of…
Who graduated from…
Who lives…
Your name again

Whatever you choose to write, feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments. We hope you got something worthwhile out of our prompts for the NaPoWriMo challenge.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. For more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“Sun Kisses Mountain” by 8#X (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mc5/)

On Day 29, our NaPoWriMo prompt is: “Z” is for “Zenith.” Referring once more to Lewis Turco’s The New Book of Forms: A Handbook of Poetics (University Press of New England, 1986), the term “zenith” also means high point or climax. In his discussion of constructional schemas (or “the ways in which words, phrases, clauses, and larger units are grammatically balanced”), he defines auxesis, which is “the building up, in parallel structures, of a catalog or series that ultimately closes at the zenith (high point) of the set (the climax).” As an example, he provides the following series: “I love your eyes, hair, breasts; I love the way you walk and speak; I love you” (p. 63).

Don’t let the grammatical terms confuse you. Today, simply write a poem that incorporates a list that builds to a high point or a climax.

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. For more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“Pond” by mrhayata (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrhayata/)

Ready for a challenge? Don’t worry: This form is fun. Today, “Y” is for “Yadu.” The Yadu is a Burmese poetry form. Here is the definition from Wikipedia:

[The Yadu] consists of up to three stanzas of five lines. The first four lines of a stanza have four syllables each, but the fifth line can have 5, 7, 9, or 11 syllables. A yadu should contain a reference to a season.

The form uses climbing rhyme. The rhyme is required on the fourth, third, and second syllables of both the first three lines and the last three lines.

e.g.:

—A

–A-

-A-B

–B-

-B—

Here is an example I wrote for this year’s NaPoWriMo challenge. I altered the form slightly and used four syllables in every line:

A Landscape Grows in My Mind’s Eye
by Alyce Wilson

Climbing green fronds
wave like wands at
the pond’s edge, where
Spring’s gold air grows,
a prayer to day.

Blooms sink in mud,
flower flood of
leaf bud and sprout;
Winter’s drought now
breaks out in pink.

Green pollen blurs,
a cloud whirs by
and stirs the drink.
Water’s brink forms
a link to warmth.

If you prefer, keep it simple and write just one stand-alone stanza. From experience, I would recommend using short rhyming words with plenty of possible rhymes. You can find rhymes (and near rhymes) at RhymeZone.

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. For more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“X” by Eole Wind (https://www.flickr.com/photos/eole/)

On day 27 of the NaPoWriMo challenge, “X” is for… well, “X.” Today, take inspiration from the various meanings and uses of the letter “X.” According to Wikipedia:

• As a result of its use in algebra, X is often used to represent unknowns in other circumstances (e.g. Person X, Place X, etc.)
• X has been used as a namesake for a generation of humans: Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X. It is the generation born after the baby boom ended, ranging from 1961 to 1981.
• An X-shaped mark has traditionally been used by the illiterate in lieu of a signature, and is also used to indicate a signature line on forms.
• The common custom of placing Xs on envelopes, notes and at the bottom of letters to mean kisses dates back to the Middle Ages, when a Christian cross was drawn on documents or letters to mean sincerity, faith, and honesty.
• In cartoons, a dead character’s eyes are often drawn as Xs.
• Maps leading to hidden treasure often denote the treasure with an X. The expression “X marks the spot” is related to these treasure maps.

Use one or more of these meanings of “X” to inspire a poem.

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. For more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“Words / Palabras” by Catalina Olavarria (https://www.flickr.com/photos/catikaoe/)

As we near the end of the NaPoWriMo challenge, we are also nearly done with the alphabet. Today, “W” is for “Word.” Write a poem built around a specific word, or words. For this poem, you could select a random word from a dictionary and then write a poetic definition of that word, focusing on associations, images, and other intuitive forms of interpretation. Another method would be that, instead of coming up with your own definition, you begin with the dictionary definition of a word and highlight specific phrases or words that can springboard you into your own poem. Or, lastly, you could ask your friends or family members to generate a list of 5 to 10 words for you and then challenge yourself to incorporate as many as you can into a poem. Have fun!

Over the years, Wild Violet has published several definition poems, including “Roman Numerals” by Deborah H. Doolittle, which reflects on the impressions from various Roman numbers; “Reading Elephant” by Suellen Wedmore, recalling her childhood impressions upon first encountering the word; “Pit and Pit” by Ken Haas, comparing the meanings of two similar words; along with a series of “word definition” poems by David Kowalczyk: “Simpatico,” “Ursine,” “Venal” and “Wormwood.”

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. For more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“Service Dog” by Found Animals Foundation (https://www.flickr.com/photos/foundanimalsfoundation/)

We are nearing the end of the NaPoWriMo challenge. How are you doing? Today, “V” is for “Viewpoint.” The nature of a poem can change dramatically based on who narrates it. Sometimes the best way to elevate a poem is by changing the point of view.

For example, while I was in grad school, I watched a woman with her guide dog on campus, marveling at how well they communicated non-verbally. When I attempted to write a poem from the woman’s point of view, I felt it was flat and uninteresting, but by inhabiting the dog’s point-of-view, I brought the poem to life.

Song of the Seeing Eye Dog
by Alyce Wilson
(from Picturebook of the Martyrs)

I nose the curbed air.  My woman
bends to touch me.  I have licked that salty
trust.  Her scent of orchid and mushroom
I know.  And her feet by their rusty fall.
She wraps her fingers in my hair,
could find me in a brood of howls.

When the steel and plastic hushes
I uncrouch to tell her
Sister    and we go.

Today, write a poem from an unexpected point-of-view. You might revisit a poem you wrote earlier this month, telling it from a different viewpoint. Or you could venture outside, drawing inspiration from the people, things, and animals you encounter.

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. For more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“Any Questions?” by Matthias Ripp (https://www.flickr.com/photos/56218409@N03/)

We are nearing the end of the NaPoWriMo challenge, and in case you’re still behind, today’s prompt might give you a break. “U” is for “Utterance.” According to Lewis Turco in The New Book of Forms: A Handbook of Poetics (University Press of New England, 1986), an utterance is a spontaneous word or phrase. He describes the Japanese form the mondo, which consists of a question and its spontaneous, intuitive answer. As an example, he provides the short poem:

  Why does the brook run?
The banks of the stream are green.

Further, he describes the katauta form, which consists of three lines with 5-7-7 syllables, unrhymed. Again, this poem consists of a question and the intuitive (not logical) answer:

  Why does the stream run?
The banks of the brook bloom
with roe and cup-moss, with rue.

Today, ask and answer a question in a poem, either using the katauta form or perhaps writing a longer poem.

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. To find out more, visit the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.

“Woman Painting Cherry Blossoms” by Adam Brill (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adametrnal/)

On day 23 of the NaPoWriMo challenge, “T” is for “Transcendentalism.” This was a poetic movement of the mid-19th Century, outlined by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his 1836 manifesto “Nature.” According to the Poetry Foundation’s page on the movement, Emerson explained “that the natural and material world exists to reveal universal meaning to the individual soul via one’s subjective experiences. He promoted the poet’s role as seer, a ‘transparent eyeball’ that received insight intuitively through his or her perception of nature.”

So today, draw inspiration from nature. Start with immediate, concrete imagery, using as many of the five senses as possible, but expand the poem into deeper insights about yourself, or human experience, or even the universe.

Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.

The NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days during the month of April. Find out more at the official site, NaPoWriMo.net.