Published poet and retired LCC English instructor Carolyn Norred will be the Guest Reviewer at the next WordFest gathering on Tuesday, March 3.

Carolyn will provide feedback to three presenters that evening:

Lorna Moon will be reading from her historical novel, Jacob’s Pillow, a medieval tale set in 13th century Scotland. Moon has recently returned from Scotland, where she lived for the past eight years, and is a member of the Society of Authors in Scotland.

Jane Still, a regular contributor to The Columbia River Reader, will be reading a humorous short story, Out to Lunch,” from her book, Mother Daze, No Dignity. Jane also wrote for The Second Half magazine in The Daily News.

Chuck Taylor will read an excerpt from his young adult fantasy, The Hidden Path, the adventures of three teenagers in the “Sky Realms.”

As Guest Reviewer, Carolyn will be identifying the strengths in each piece, and also ways the writers can improve their material.

 Following the presenters, there will be an open mic time where the public can read.

 The Brits owner Alice Dietz opens at 5:30 p.m. and offers a select menu for those who wish to enjoy a light dinner.

Something new for the new year.

Beginning at the February WordFest on Tuesday, February 3, guest reviewers will be giving feedback to the evening’s presenters, identifying strong points in their writing, as well suggesting how they can improve their writing.

 The guest reviewers will be professional or otherwise established writers who have years of experience and expertise to share.

The first two reviewers will be Cathy Zimmerman, features editor for The Daily News, and Ned Piper, Cowlitz PUD Commissioner and monthly columnist for The Columbia River Reader.

The three presenters at the February WordFest will represent a variety of writing genres and styles:

Rita Fontaine, an English instructor at Lower Columbia College, will be reading her nonfiction article on sailing, entitled “The Good Mariner.”

Laura Baird will be reading from her romance mystery novel, Gem Opportunities.

 And Rick Jaspers will read the first chapter from a novel he is working on for young people, entitled The Magical Photo Booth.

By adding guest reviewers to our monthly gatherings, WordFest presenters and participants will be able to benefit from the feedback of experienced writers.

There will also be the usual open mic time, when people have 10 minutes to read their material to the audience (Note: the guest reviewers will not be critiquing these shorter presentations.)

Brits owner Alice Dietz will open the doors at 5:30 for those who wish to order a meal from her select menu.