The first WordFest event of the year will offer a literary smorgasbord on Tuesday, January 14, 6:00-8:00 pm, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1428 22nd Avenue in Longview.
Nine local writers present an evening with Open Mic readings of 5-10 minutes each:
Alan Rose captures the humor and heartbreak of first love and its loss from his novel, Tales of Tokyo. Craig Allen Heath reads from his new Eden Ridge mystery series, Killing Buddhas. Cathlamet poet Dayle Olson will share poems about savoring life’s contentment and grappling with its inevitable heartaches.
Debz Briske reads the opening of the horror novel she’s writing called The Shape of Fear. Retired judge Ed Putka recounts a northwest fishing trip he took with a quirky friend. Elaine Cockrell describes what happened when a character in her novel A Shrug of the Shoulders ran off with the planned story.
Hans Schaufus shares a humorous post-Christmas reflection. Lori Steed from Paperbacks Galore relates a true story about how listening to one’s intuition saved her life. And Mary Lyons rounds out the evening with a piece from her “Hoosier memoir.”
The monthly gathering of readers and writers meets the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 PM, in the fellowship hall of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The events are free and open to the public.