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Staff writer

You never know what to expect in a cozy gathering of writers in Coon Rapids.

But one thing is for sure. There’s plenty of laughter and love to go around with enough creative energy, probably, to spark Mary Bysshe Shelley’s literary character Frankenstein to life.

Every Monday afternoon an eclectic group of seniors from all walks of life come together as part of the senior center’s Creative Writers’ Connection group.

“I see this as cathartic,” said writer Ron Taube. “You show yourself and no one judges you. It’s like you’re naked in a way. It’s better than church in some ways.”

Some of the writers read their own poems, others tell their stories or review books or whatever moves them. One reads with the verve of a Shakespearean actor, while another holds up a book with pictures and passes it around, reminiscent of the long-standing show-and-tell.

A popular class

Camaraderie is key, here. No critiquing. No talk of aches and pains. Just golden, original prose and poetry is spoken – a release and sharing of the muse for classmates to enjoy. A class so popular, it has endured for nearly 20 years.

Some are seasoned writers and have been published, while others write for enjoyment.

They are former teachers, bank workers, hostesses and more. One member earned her GED degree at age 70.

They share their opinions, increase vocabulary and learn writing skills and about life in general.

At a recent class, one member sat and quietly crocheted, while another listened with head cocked, but all in rapt attention at whomever was reciting at the moment. A coffee pot percolated its own poetic beat in the background.

All are leaders

There is no leader in this class. Everyone gets a turn to sit in front of the room and facilitate. The leader selects the topics, which have ranged from numbers to serendipity to memories of an early childhood home and more.

The leader chooses who reads first and is in charge of a brass bell he or she jingles just in case someone speaks too long or to announce snack time. (The leader brings the snacks.)

Warren Woods, a member of the group for five years, was leader for the day recently. His topic? Nicknames.

In his writing, Woods recalled his first nickname. He and his dad would visit a store in Fridley when he was about five years old. The people would say “There’s Jim Woods and Little Sliver,” he said. Laughter.

But his nicknames didn’t end there. When he attended college, he never drank at parties. So his friends dubbed him “Judge,” as in sober as a judge.

To enhance his story, Woods held up his old fraternity paddle with the name “Judge” on it and an old orange Nesbitt bottle he acquired from back in the ‘50s when he was a kid.

“It’s a stimulant,” Woods said of the class. “You spend two hours with a bunch of people who are very creative. Most people don’t like Mondays. This makes me look forward to Mondays.”

Joan (pronounced Jo-wan) Jordahl got so tired of people mispronouncing her name, she shortened it to Jo. But her favorite nickname of all is what her grandchildren call her: Gramhoney or Nee Nee for short, she said in her reading.

Marion Maurstad wrote about a most curious nickname. Mrs. Jones. That’s what her father used to call the outhouse.

She wondered what her guests from church thought one day when her dad excused himself, came back a few minutes later and announced he “always feels better after seeing Mrs. Jones.” More laughter.

‘A multitude’ of names

Virginia Jorgenson had a few names, some good, another not as desirable. At around age 10 she was nicknamed The Queen because everybody did what she wanted, she said.

In high school, though, she became Gin Bin, a name she is thankful didn’t stick. Her husband called her his Little Flower.

“We go through life with a multitude of nicknames, and hopefully, they are all nice,” she said

Mary Henderson took the topic in a different direction, but kept the theme going.

She read a review she penned on a book written by pilot Chelsey Sullenberger otherwise known as “Sully,” who last year successfully ditched a plane in the Hudson Bay.

The plane had run into a flock of birds and disabled the engines. Sully saved the lives of 155 people that day. Sullenberger’s flying experience dated back to when he was a teen and he first learned to fly from a crop duster at $6 an hour, Henderson wrote in her review. You never know what you might learn in a Creative Writers’ session.

And there’s group member Keitha Wise called Kip who married her husband named Skip because he skipped school so much. But that pales to her other nickname – Sunshine. “Maybe that’s because of my up disposition,” she said.

Other topics

If you don’t want to write about nicknames, no problem. Some wrote about snow. Patty Mortenson wrote about her kitten, Mittens, an orphan who happened upon her house one day and worked his way not only into the family home but into their hearts.

She sterilized milk and fed the kitten with a small dropper and she provided him a heating pad for a bed with a clock to sound like the heartbeat of the mother cat. She passed photos around for all to see.

The group doesn’t dwell on politics or religion, nor does anyone talk about age, Grace Hawkins wrote in a piece called “Something Different.”

“It never stops amazing me as to how 15 or 16 people can take an assigned title and the result is an amazing collection of ideas, opinions, observations and experiences and creativity,” she wrote.

The writers put out a quarterly newsletter, which is distributed to nursing homes and libraries.

But the class reaches beyond writing. They are supportive of each other when a member undergoes surgery, a crisis or a death in the family. That’s community. That’s the Creative Writers.

Creative Writers’ Community, sponsored in part by Coon Rapids Super Seniors, meets Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Coon Rapids Senior Center at 11155 Robinson Drive. Free. For more information, call Kris at 763-767-6489.



Elyse Kaner is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it