One doesn’t usually think of the phrase “I couldn’t put it down!” in conjunction with poetry. Usually that exclamation is applied to thriller fiction, but that’s how I felt when I read Essinger’s “Dark Flower” poems, haunting, entrancing monologues that are based loosely on three murders in the Troy area.
At noon and 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 Edison Community College in Piqua will produce “Dark Flower” as a reader’s theater production, incorporating Edison faculty and students as cast members, says Vivian Blevins, an Edison professor of literature, communications and humanities.
Blevins brought in a local choreographer to work with the cast. Local ensemble Mystic Winds will perform a musical prelude of darker pieces to set the mood for the play.
Essinger retired this past May from her position as an English professor at Edison Community College. She attended Bowling Green State University for her B.A. and Wright State University for her M.A. in English and found her creative writing roots at the Antioch Writers’ Workshop in the 1990s.
Blevins says, “I’m excited about the potential of working with all of these local folks to present a dark, philosophical piece by one of our own.”
Essinger says she first tried story and novel writing, but found that it was a challenge to focus on longer pieces while rearing two sons and teaching. So she tried poetry and found her literary voice.
Her first book of poetry, “A Desk in the Elephant House,” was published by Texas Tech University Press in 1997. Her subsequent collections were published by Main Street Rag Press: “My Dog Does Not Read Plato” (2004) and “What I Know About Innocence” (2009).
Essinger says, “The 16 poems that comprise ‘Dark Flower’ are very different for me. They collectively tell a story — the memory of murder occurring in a small town — and have a Midwestern voice, but they are definitely darker.”
Essinger says that she didn’t want to “poke around in people’s memories too much,” so she blended the stories of several murders she heard about in the area over the years; the first was already a 25-year-old murder when she first moved to Troy with her husband 30 years ago. “But people still talked about it,” she says, “because the murderer hadn’t been found.”
Later, a portion of the body of Peggy Casey, brutally murdered in 1994, was found under a bridge over which Essinger frequently walked or rode her bike. “That haunted me,” she said. “And I knew I’d have to deal with it in my writing at some point.”
Following the Oct. 15 evening performance at Edison, Essinger will respond to questions from the audience regarding the writing process. Joe Mahan, who helped investigate some of these murders as a chief deputy in Troy for 30 years and who is now the commander of the Peace Officers Academy at Edison, will join her to respond to questions about the police investigations of these murders.
Essinger is an active member of the Greenville Poets; learn more about her at www.greenvillepoets.org.
Free to Breathe
This essay contest, held in conjunction with the fifth annual Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5K Run/1K Walk on Nov. 3 at the National Composite Center in Kettering, is for Ohio teens in grades 6-12, who have been touched with cancer either personally or through a friend or family member. Visit www.freetobreathe.org/dayton for more information about the event and contest details.
Learning for writers
Opportunities abound in October for learning about the creative writing craft:
Oct. 14, 2-3:30 p.m.: Antioch Writers’ Workshop’s “Free Writers’ Mini-Workhsop” is presented by creative writer Greg Belliveau, at Books & Co. at The Greene (Beavercreek) on the topic of “What You Need to Know Before Juggling Chainsaws or Making the Most of NaNoWrMo: Techniques for Tackling a Novel.” NaNoWrMo is National Novel Writing Month (November).
Oct. 15, 6:30-8 p.m.: Dayton Metro Library’s “Writing Other Worlds,” focusing on the secrets of writing and publishing fantasy, horror and science fiction, presented at the Kettering Wilmington-Stroop branch by Tim Waggoner, a popular author of more than 25 published novels and Sinclair Community College creative writing instructor. Free.
Oct. 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Springboro Library (125 Park Lane Ave.) workshop for writers of all levels led by historical mystery author Carrie Bebris (Mr. and Mrs. Darcy series); call 937-748-3200 to register.
Oct. 27, 2-4 p.m. or Oct. 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Word’s Worth Writing Connections presents a course in preparing for NaNoWrMo led by author Katrina Kittle to help writers create roadmaps for their novels. Held in conference room of the Oakwood Starbucks (2424 Far Hills Ave.); cost is $35 for one session; for more information or to register, visit www.wordsworthdayton.com.
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