Stephen Dunn

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and Murphy Writing Seminars have partnered to present the 19th Annual Winter Poetry and Prose Getaway, to take place January 13-16 at Seaview Resort in Galloway.

The special guest at the event is Stockton’s own Pulitzer Prize winner, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing, Stephen Dunn.

“For a writer’s getaway, it doesn’t get much better than Stephen Dunn at Seaview,” says Peter E. Murphy, founder and director of Murphy Writing Seminars.

Murphy said Dunn will participate in an advance poetry workshop, will have a featured reading and take part in a special reception.

The Winter Poetry and Prose Getaway offers a supportive and challenging atmosphere for writers, generous as well as helpful instruction from award-winning faculty.

“Those taking part have the opportunity to select from 12 workshops in poetry, prose and song writing,” Murphy says. “Attendees at our conference energize their creativity and writing, with a focus on generating new material.” For more information go here.

Taking a break from rock stars and other various casino shows, I traveled to the wilds of Pomona Saturday night, Oct. 22, to see seven-time Emmy winner Ed Asner in the one-man show FDR.

In an interview about the show, Asner admitted that one of the toughest parts about playing the character was that he didn’t look like or sound like FDR. However, performing for an audience featuring people old enough to remember FDR, a standing ovation at the finish suggested that the crowd was delighted by this inside look at one of the most famous presidents in U.S. history.

FDR, crippled by polio, led the United Stated out of the Great Depression, the end of Prohibition and was at the helm when Germany and Japan were looking to conquer the planet.

The play touches on all the major historical events of FDR’s presidency, but also gives us insight into some intimate moments. For example he called his wife, Eleanor, “Babs,” and noted that “When you are in pain all the time you understand a lot about how other people feel.” FDR also berets Congress for “A constant attack of the vapors,” and vents his own frustration about Appeasement, the unfortunately tactic that England and the rest of Europe used when they allowed Hilter to take over Austria and part of Czechoslovakia, hoping it meant he would not attack the rest of Europe. We all know how that turned out.

Asner is fabulous in the role. Long past the standard age of retirement, the 82-year-old actor makes it clear that he still has something to offer audiences. Go here for my interview with Asner.

Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie, show or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or what’s happening in the region. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly.

I was so young in 1971, a very unworldly 18-year-old who went forth to experience college life for the first time at a musty old hotel on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the Mayflower. I’m proud to be one of the original students at Stockton College of New Jersey, celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year.

Stockton was conceived in the mindset of the tumultuous 1960s when the hippie culture dominated college campuses and protests were as much are part of college life as textbooks. I loved my college education from Stockton even if I did choose the school because it was one of the few colleges that wanted me (I was a classic “needs to work harder” B-student), and because I could afford to go there. At the time that I attended the school in those groundbreaking early days, it was cheaper than going to Holy Spirit High School.

We started that first semester on the Atlantic City boardwalk because the campus was not quite finished in the fall of 1971. One day when I finished a class I heard they were filming a movie a few blocks down the boardwalk and I rushed down there hoping they were looking for “college types” as extras. Instead, I was treated to just how tedious making a movie can be as I watched Ellen Burstyn, Bruce Dern and Jack Nicholson film a scene involving a rolling chair over and over and over again.

The trio — with Bob Rafelson behind the camera — were making The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), a film that vividly captured the decay of Atlantic City in the years just before yet another revival would come via passage of the gaming referendum.

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