Sure, there are lots of good ideas; then there are good ideas that translate into great successes. One of the great successes for the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities and the Arts Council of Moore County is the Vision and Voice program which earlier this year brought together eight visual artists and eight writers.

Programs that couple the visual arts with language have probably been around since Cro-Magnon man scrawled his first drawings on a cave wall, though it’s unlikely the audience wore tuxedoes and evening dresses. Still, the theory is the same. Paint a picture, tell a story.

Lois Wistrand, President of the Weymouth Board of Directors, developed her concept for Vision and Voices from "The Store of Joys," a book assembled by the North Carolina Museum of Art from the work of writers who were invited to write an essay or a poem about a piece of art.

"I was thinking of some way to partnership with the Arts Council of Moore County," says Wistrand, "and since they have a monthly reception, I thought we could draw on the writers-in-residence at Weymouth and the participants in the poetry day that Sam Ragan started years ago."

One problem: the Weymouth Center didn’t have a stipend with which to pay the writers. Undeterred, Wistrand sent out letters inviting writers to participate in the program.

"It was on a first-come first-serve basis," says Wistrand. "What we could offer them was a two-week residency at the Weymouth Center. Immediately we had our eight writers."

The writer and the artist got together a month or two prior to the reception so that the writer could view the piece of art. The writer then produced a poem or poems to be read at the Campbell House reception. Each of the eight programs drew a standing-room-only crowd.

Vision and Voice was so successful that Weymouth and Arts Council have agreed to continue the program for another year.

"The committee has sent out 17 letters to writers for the coming year, and we’ve already confirmed five writers," Wistrand says. "We started out thinking that there would be one piece of art and one poem, but as it turned out, most of the poets wrote more than one poem, so we’re prepared to frame and present a number of poems in next year’s program.

"We’ve also extended invitations to a number of poets from out of state who have an association with the NC Poetry Society or the Weymouth Center."

Margaret Baddour, Susan Myers, Joseph Bathanti, and Tony Abbott have already confirmed, and the writers committee is expected to approve the remaining four writers within the next couple of weeks.

In addition to linking the writers and artists, the program has linked the two arts organizations in Moore County, and Brenda Bouser of the Weymouth Center has worked closely with Katherine MacRae of the Arts Council to coordinate the programs.

"This year we’re going to allow the writers and artists to make their own connections, says Wistrand, "and in a few cases we’ll have the poet submit a poem and have the artist create a work of art from the writer’s words."

The final program in this year’s series featured the paintings of Betty Chaplin of Whispering Pines and the poetry of Tom Hawkins of Raleigh.

A Wall, A Walk

after a painting by Betty Chaplin

Is it that the window mirrors the

gate,

letting the world in and out?

Or that the blue walk recedes

faster than it should,

and if so, toward what?

Or that the gate opens or closes

slowly in the wind, or that

the house washed by the flowers

and the slender trees moves slowly

but defiantly toward the wall?

Say it’s morning light,

all cool and white

barely raising shadow,

or afternoon, a glint

of insistent discontent.

Even the corner of the gate

slips from view….

Nail your heart to that place

and stretch it for a string

on which to pluck a tone

that is not hear to fade.

Betty Chaplin’s paintings and a complete copy of Tom Hawkin’s poem are currently on display at the Campbell House gallery.

All right, I confess I’m no golfer. I play a little bad tennis, but I’ve never once teed up a golf ball. Still, it’s been difficult not to get caught up in this U.S. Open hubbub, so I’ve been plowing through golf books for the last few months. Here’s the bookish truth, as I see it, from the blue, blue sky. They’re rated from one to five stars.

*****P.G. Wodehouse’s "Golf Without Tears" (Breakaway Books. 330 pages. $12.95 paper) gets my vote for the best golf book ever. I fell in love with Wodehouse’s writings while in high school, and I’ve never been able to shake the addiction. A master stylist blessed with the slyest sense of humor, Wodehouse will charm you endlessly. These stories are very much about love and about golf and how the two intertwine. (A word of caution: if you read "Golf Without Tears," you’ll be reading Wodehouse books for the next 10 years. Plan ahead.)

****John Feinstein’s "The Majors: In Pursuit of Golf’s Holy Grail" ( Little Brown & Compay. 472 pages. $25) is the perfect book for the U.S. Open, since it is in part about the tournament. A touch of history, a tale or two, and the scene is set for some great golfing drama. Feinstein brings to his subject a comprehensive knowledge of the game, a journalist’s attention to detail, and a novelist’s knack for storytelling. Just the read to supplement a day at the Open.

*****James Dodson’s "Final Round: A Father, a Son, the Golf Journey of a Lifetime" (Bantam Books. 272 pages. $12.95 paper) was recommended by a golfing friend, and he was right on the money. Hilarious and heartbreaking, "Final Round" is the lyrical memoir of a father and son who celebrate their love for golf — and for each other. The Dodsons set out to play the Scottish links where the elder Dodson first played during World War II. Before departing, however, the father is told that his recurrent cancer is terminal, and the story which unfolds will take the reader on a journey of discovery.

**** Yeah, we all know Bill Murray from Saturday Night Live and "Ghostbusters." Now we know him as a writer, and for better or worse, it’s the same old Bill Murray. "Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf" (Doubleday. 224 pages. $19.95) is the story of Murray’s life and his adventures as a golfer. Digressive and anecdotal, Murray is nevertheless hilarious, and if you liked him in "Caddyshack," you’ll love him here. If you find Murray’s humor a touch too smart-alecky, you’ll want to avoid this book.

*****Steven Pressfield’s "The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life" (Avon Books. 252 pages. $12.50 paperback) is a gem. Set in 1931, this is the story of a 36-hole match between Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. Accompanying these greats is a troubled war hero and his caddie Bagger Vance who holds the secret to the Authentic Swing. You’ll want to read this classic novel again and again.

***Ruben Bolling’s "All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned from My Golf-Playing Cats: Tom the Dancing Bug" (NBM Publishing. 80 pages. $7.95 paperback) is a touch of necessary satire that has nothing to do with golf or cats or bugs. But it does poke fun at O.J. Simpson and almost everything else you can think of. "Dennis the Menace II Society," "Sam Roland: the Detective Who Dies," "Harvey Richards, Lawyer for Children," etc. — after a day on the links, kickback and enjoy these cartoons.

*"And Then Arnie Told Chi Chi...: More Than 200 of the Best True Golf Stories" Don Wade, Editor (NTC/Contemporary Publishing. $11.95) is one of many insider golf anecdote collections, and you’re going to have to be a golf fanatic to appreciate these slight yarns. I found myself flipping from story to story until I set the books aside. Maybe "And Then Jack Said to Arnie...," "And Then Chi Chi Told Fuzzy..." and "And Then Freddie Told Tiger..." are funnier. Or maybe not…

***Susan E. Cayleff "Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias (Women in American History)" (University of Illinois Press. 327 pages. $29.95) is not so much about golf as it is about the role of women in sports. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was an exceptional athlete. She won two gold medals in the 1932 Olympics and enjoyed a successful professional golf career. But she nurtured a public persona in order to hide lesbianism. If you’re feeling a trifle introspective, "Babe…" is a good read. My best guess is you’ll find few attitudes have changed in the world of golf.

**Steve Webber’s "Bogey Blue" (Gray Eagle Publishing. 112 pages. $10.95) is funny most of the time. Humor is in the temperament of the beholder and this book is not genteel. With chapter titles such as "To Be or Not to Be (the world’s greatest golf tip)," "Bad Lies (the truth about the golf conspiracy)," and "‘You Da Man’ (how to be cool on the links)" this little volume is for golfers only.

***In Lee Tyler’s "The Case of the Missing Links: A Golf Mystery (Daniel & Daniel Publishers. 192 pages. $10.95 paperback) someone has stolen the plans for a new golf course and a couple of detectives set out to find the thief. This is a sweet read graced with a slight plot and excellent writing. You won’t find much resonance here, but there are humor and stupefaction aplenty — just what you need after a hard day on the links.

Stephen Smith is a professor at Sandhills Community College who writes two weekly columns for The Pilot.