Arlene Campbell Bowen of Clarendon, has seen a dream fulfilled with the recent publishing of her first book of poetry. When she was three years old, her family moved to western New York from Ogdensburg, New York, and in 1943, moved to the Housel Homestead Farm in Clarendon where the Campbells raised dairy cows and cash crops. One of nine children, she had a close family that worked hard and enjoyed a good life. As Campbell wrote in one of her poems, "The best things in life are free, the sun shining on your family; helping a kitten down from a tree; writing a poem or singing a song; or just helping someone along." She attributes her creative writing ability to her family up-bringing. "As a teenager I loved to draw and write stories and poems, but I never saved them," she said. Married in 1953, Arlene and Lewis Bowen raised their three children in Clarendon and at age 44, Arlene again, took time to write poetry for family and friends. "A few years ago, I started putting my poems in the Clarendon Gazette and I received so many compliments, that I decided to keep them all in a book." Encouragement from the Clarendon town clerk sent her to the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council in Batavia for grant funding to publish her book of 100 poems. With sponsorship from the Holley Community Library, she was awarded a partial grant toward the publishing of her book, Reflections of Rural America. The Clarendon Historical Society will host a book signing and reception for Campbell's new book on October 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Museum Barn at the corner of Church Street and Fourth Section Road in Clarendon. The Holley Community Library will host a signing on Friday, October 20 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Books will be available at both events for $10 each. September 10, 2006 |
