Collection number: UA 17/29
Size: 1.5 boxes
(53 cu.ft.)
About the Senior Writers Action Group (SWAG)
The Active Retirement Association (ARA) in Durham, New Hampshire was founded by the University of New Hampshire’s Division of Continuing Education in 1982. Its goal was to provide educational and cultural programming for people of retirement age in the Seacoast area. Within a few years, the ARA was operating independently from the University as a non-profit, volunteer corporation, but still relied heavily on the willingness and availability of UNH faculty to lead many of their programs.
One such program was a class on creative writing taught by Rebecca Rule and Virginia Stewart, both from the UNH English Department. The participants had so much fun writing and reading each others work, they formed the Senior Writers’ Action Group (SWAG). Members of the group ranged in age from about 60 to over 80. Loss of leadership caused the group to become inactive in Nov. 2001.
About the Senior Writers Action Group Publications
In 1987, the Senior Writers’ Action Group (SWAG) self-published a volume of their writings titled ABYSS, which is an acronym for: Ancient Bones – Youthful, Soaring Spirits! Frank Heald, who was then editor of the UNH Alumnus Magazine, served as the first editor of ABYSS. The group continued to publish quarterly (more or less) for the next fourteen years. Each issue containes essays, fiction, humor, ideas, lessons from life, memories, poetry and more. In 1991, the group changed the name of the publication to the SWAG Review and in 1996 the name was changed to Senior Perspectives.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Senior Writer's Action Group (SWAG) Publications, 1987-2001, UA 17/29, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Donated by Rose T. Manes, Dec. 2, 2002.
Collection Contents
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | 1987 | ABYSS, Issue 1 |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | 1988 | ABYSS, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | 1989 | ABYSS, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | 1990 | ABYSS, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | 1991 | SWAG Review, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | 1992 | SWAG Review, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | 1993 | SWAG Review, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | 1994 | SWAG Review, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | 1995 | SWAG Review, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | 1995 | SWAG Review, Issues 1-2 |
| Box 2 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | 1996 | Senior Perspectives, Issues 3-4 |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | 1997 | Senior Perspectives, Issues 1-4 |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | 1998 | Senior Perspectives, Issues 1-3 |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | 1999 | Senior Perspectives, Issues 1-3 |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | 2000 | Senior Perspectives, Issues 1-2 |
| Box 2, Folder 6 | 2001 | Senior Perspectives, Issue 1 |
