The next WordFest gathering on Tuesday, July 1, will offer poetry, a short story, an essay, and a selection from an autobiography.

Local poet Lorraine Merrin will be reading from her forthcoming chapbook, “Ancient Voices.” Her poetry, which reflects a Native American experience, has appeared in The Salal Review, Quercus Review, RATTLE, Tar Wolf, and will be appearing in Moon Journal and The Great American Poetry Show.

Retired librarian Tedine Roos will be reading a piece entitled, “Worldly Goods,” the beginning of a saga about a family’s move from Oregon to Montana. The moving van delivers another family’s furniture and possessions, and the story explores what material things mean to us and the memories they carry. She will invite the WordFest participants in helping to develop the story from this premise.

Lyle Sentman will be reading from his autobiography, “The Quest,” and Bruce Mahan will be reading an essay on time.

 Following the scheduled presenters, there will be an open mic time for people to read.

PLEASE NOTE: WordFest will take a break in August and re-convene on Tuesday, September 2.

At the next WordFest gathering on June 3, popular storyteller Leslie Slape will be presenting a play she co-wrote with Lower Columbia College drama instructor Don Correll, titled “The Time Traveler’s Story Guide to Planet Earth.”

The play, comprising folklore and myths about Earth, was first produced at LCC in 1998, and is being revised for a new production in 2009.

Leslie has been involved in local theater since 1975 as a stage manager, director, actor, singer, dancer, and light designer. She has served as a judge of the annual high school one-act play festival and has reviewed plays for The Daily News. She is also a crime reporter for the local newspaper.

Joining Leslie at WordFest will be fellow writer, Elaine Crabb, who will read a playful parody of her friend, “The Story of Leslie Slape.” A lifelong resident of Longview, Elaine will also read a short story for children, “Where the Sturgeon Swim Free,” about memories of fishing at Willow Grove.

Chuck Taylor returns to read a short story, “The Conversation.” Chuck has been an engineer, navigator, artist, singer, computer analyst and programmer. He has led a varied life of much travel–he estimates he attended 65 grammar schools–and has met a number of famous persons along the way: as a child he played with President Hoover’s dogs on the White House lawn while his father was visiting the president, flew with Lindberg (although not across the Atlantic), and played golf with the hotel tycoon, Conrad Hilton.

Tim Shay of Kalama will be reading from his novel, “The Ragged Edge,” offering an insider’s view of skydiving. Tim has had over twenty years of parachuting experience, first in the military, then as a civilian.

An open mic session will follow the presenters.

 Presenters are now being sought for the July WordFest. If you would like to share your writing with others, please contact Alan from this website or call at 360-425-3430 ext 280.

At the next WordFest, on Tuesday, May 6, a new magazine will be launched.

Northwest Coast is a 64-page, full color quarterly celebrating the people, culture, and landscape of the greater Columbia-Pacific region.

Editor and Publisher Bryan Penttila will discuss his vision and goal for the magazine, and will have complimentary copies of the first issue available at the WordFest gathering (regular cover price is $4.95.)

Several local writers are featured in the first issue, including Irene Martin of Skamokawa, Jim LeMonds of Castle Rock, and Joe Green from Lower Columbia College.

Bryan is from an old-line logging family from Naselle and the author of Columbia River: A Pictorial History of Life on the Columbia River Estuary (Frank Amato Publications, 2003.)

Also at WordFest, Mary Lyons will read from her completed version of “It’s A Fearful Thing.” Mary brings a respectful, heartfelt and sometimes humorous voice to her experiences of being a home hospice volunteer.

 Regular contributor Ned Piper will be reading an essay, entitled “On Writing,” which distills his experience of writing for much of his adult life. Ned has written five novels, and over 50 short stories and 300 poems. He is now seeking a literary agent, with the hope of publishing his latest novel, Dead Pigeons.

 

Next Tuesday, April 1, WordFest will offer a variety of works by local writers.

 

Jim LeMonds will be reading a short story, “Days of Future Past,” about logging, and also a short, non-fiction piece on getting a tattoo, entitled, “Inscription on a Human Canvas.” Jim was a teacher in the Longview School District for thirty years and is the author of two books about the Pacific Northwest, “Deadfall” and “South of Seattle.” He now works as a freelance writer, editor and marketer.

Local poet Linda Eddleston will be reading from her book, “Poems A through Z,” which was a gift for her daughter, and includes some of her daughter’s poems as well. Linda is a substitute teacher in elementary and special education classes for the Longview and Kelso school districts. 

Joan Lemieux will be reading a personal essay from her collection of essays, “The Second ‘Coming of Age,’” entitled “Cleaning House”—which is more about aging than housekeeping. Joan is a retired Cowlitz County commissioner and was a teacher for many years. 

There will also be an Open Mic time for people to share their writings. 

WordFest is a monthly celebration of the magic and power of words. It meets on the first Tuesday of each month in the community room in the Columbia Bank building, located at

1338 Commerce Avenue, Longview

.

 

The program goes from 6:00-8:00 PM. The second hour offers a time for refreshments, social networking, and an open mic, when the public can read their own works.

 

The event is free and open to the public. Food and beverages are available for purchase from Frank’s European Cellar, next to the community room.

Literary Swapmeet?

 A new idea for a new year: During the holidays I was going through my bookshelves and drawers and found books on writing and old copies of writing magazines that I hadn’t looked at in years, and I thought–“Why not share them with others who could enjoy them, too?”

And then I thought: WordFest could be a place where people bring books and periodicals to share with others–like a literary swapmeet! Except you don’t need to bring anything in order to take something that interests you. You can bring the book or magazine back when you’re done with it for someone else to use.

 Well, every good idea deserves a chance. Let’s start at the February WordFest, Tuesday, February 5th.

 And here is the line-up of presenters for that night:

 Longtime editor Ruth Thompson will read what she calls “a most unusual love story” (although I tend to think that any love story is unusual) entitled, “Souvenirs d’Anjou” by Glen Ethier, whose work Ruth has edited in the past.

Tedine Roos, a retired librarian originally from Maine, will read a piece she wrote while living there, about gardening when a woodchuck moves in, called, “Woodchuck Away!”

LCC Instructor Deborah Brink, returning after a year of travel and study in Latin America, is moving beyond her regular genre of poetry to read a short story she wrote while away, entitled “When No One is Watching.”

And local poet Peggy Williams will read a selection of her poems.

 There will be an Open Mic time at the end of the evening for those who want to try out a reading that takes ten minutes or less.