Follow Contest Rules Or We May Ignore Your Entry

Our second limerick contest is going well. Limerick writers from as far away as Sandpoint and Kennewick, Priest River, Idaho, and Hartline, Wash., are responding by e-mail, fax and regular post.

I need to say, however, that - like last year - a number of the entries don’t conform to the rules.

Some submissions aren’t even remotely done in limerick form, which boasts a specific rhyme scheme and meter. Others don’t follow the contest theme, which requires entrants to write about “news events and newsmakers of the Inland Northwest.”

So be warned: If your entry doesn’t boast a five-line format, with lines one, two and five rhyming, and lines three and four rhyming, and all of it done more or less in anapestic rhythm (dah-dah-DUM, dah-dah-DUM, dah-dah-DUM), we’re probably going to ignore it.

If it’s just a general observation about life or some event, and not specific to the Inland Northwest, we’re probably going to ignore it.

And those of you who keep rhyming Gonzaga with words such as saga… well, unless you’re trying to be ironic, we’re probably going to ignore it.

Your deadline is March 29.

Send entries by regular mail to: Limerick Contest, c/o Dan Webster, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail entries go to danw@spokesman.com. Fax entries should be sent to (509) 459-5098.

Make sure to include your address and a contact phone number with each entry.

Still life with Oscar

The Shadle Hastings, 1704 W. Wellesley, is holding its own Academy Awards party today. The show, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will be broadcast in the store live, and contests will be held for “best nominee look-alikes” and for those who can pick the most winners. For further information, call 327-6008.

Just for kids

Speaking of Hastings, the chain’s community representative, Jeff Lovejoy, reports that the South Hill store, 2805 E. 29th, is now holding children’s storytimes at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays as well as 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. For further information, call 535-4029.

What’s that in dog years?

Speaking of children’s storytimes, the downtown Spokane B. Dalton Booksellers outlet, Main and Wall, is sponsoring a promotional appearance of Clifford the Big Red Dog from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. During the event, any purchase will be discounted 15 percent if you buy a Clifford book, too. For further information, including on parking validation, call 455-8259.

In appreciation

If you ever read the Book Club feature that runs every week on this page, you may notice that we run photos of the books that each group reviews. Those books, I should note, are provided by Auntie’s Bookstore.

What’s your signing?

Myrna Temte, author of “Wrangler,” will sign copies of her book beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnes & Noble, located just east of the Spokane Valley Mall (take the Sullivan exit of I-90). For further information, call 922-4104.

R.J. Cohn, author of “Baker’s Gold,” will sign copies of his novel beginning at 5 p.m. Friday at the North Spokane Hastings, 7706 N. Division. For further information, call 483-2154.

Niki Anderson, author of “What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life,” will sign copies of her book beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Valley Hastings, 15312 E. Sprague. For further information, call 924-0667.

David Winchester, author of “The Innocent Corpse,” will sign copies of his book from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Book & Game Co. in Lewiston, 1804 E. 19th. For further information, call (208) 746-4322.

The reader board

S.E. Fleming, author of “Gate Breakers,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Auntie’s Bookstore. Fleming is a pastor from Priest River, Idaho. For further information, call 838-0206.

Musician Daniel Gore will celebrate the life and work of Horace Kephart, author of “Our Southern Highlanders,” in a multimedia presentation at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.