NOTE: Because the first Tuesday of January was New Year’s Day, WordFest this month has been moved to the second Tuesday, January 8^th.

At the January WordFest, Richard Robinson will be reading from his recently published book, “The Sixteenth Horseman.” His first novel, the story spans fifty years, from Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939 to the collapse of theSoviet Union in 1989. Rich, who lives in Kalama, is a former college dean, with degrees in history and political science. His book provides a historical context for the major events stretching between those dates, including theKorean War, theVietnam conflict, the rise of modern jihadism, and the Soviet invasion ofAfghanistan, all told through the viewpoint of his main protagonist, Joe Gaultworth.

Also reading that evening will be Mary Lyons. As the survivor of a sudden cardiac arrest in 1987, Mary has discovered both, “an intentional voice of gratitude and a first-hand-fearlessness” when writing about life and death.  She will be reading a story from the collection she has been writing, called, “It’s a Fearful Thing…”, based on her experience as a home hospice volunteer.

The third presenter will be Douglas Gilbert, who will be reading from his recently published book, “Art and Soul.” Douglas has been a practicing artist for over 40 years. With graduate degrees in both Art Therapy and Fine Art, he has been able to bridge those two fields in his work helping groups and individuals heal through contact with their deepest creativity. He will be reading a chapter from his book, entitled, “Sacred Fire”, about the essential purpose of art making.

Both Rich and Douglas will have copies of their books available to purchase and to autograph.

Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007   6:00-8:00 PM

 The December WordFest gathering will be celebrating the holidays in verse and prose.

A number of local writers will be sharing their thoughts, memories, and reflections on this season:

 Cathy Zimmerman and John Knudsen will be reading personal essays.

Charolette Conklin and Elizabeth Schartz will be reading short stories.

Jane Still will share a poem that she wrote for her grandchildren who were afraid of Santa Claus.

Other poets reading that night will be Lillian Bushnell, Peggy Williams, Roger Belton, and Rene Cathcart.

 It promises to be a very full evening, rich with the spirit of the season.

NOVEMBER WORDFEST: NOVELS IN PROGRESS

Tuesday, November 6th, 6:00-8:00 PM

In November, we will be looking at several novels-in-progress by local writers:

 Mary Stone will read from her novel, “Grayce in the Midst of It.”

When Christian psychologist Hannah Grayce integrates traditional therapy with spiritual warfare, she finds herself caught in the middle of a battle between angels and demons, and faces losing all that is dear to her. Abandoned as a toddler, Hannah grew up with her own demons. Now, she helps clients wrestle with theirs. Unaware that Satan has targeted her as a threat to the Kingdom of Hell, she becomes caught in the crosshairs of his sights. Ensnared in the battle against evil, Hannah Grayce is tested beyond anything she could have imagined.

Mary has been a counselor at Lower Columbia College for twenty-six years. She is a frequent speaker at women’s retreats and conferences. Her website is http://maryellenstone.com/

Patrick Kubin will be reading from his novel, “A Time of Trial.”

This courtroom thriller is set against the backdrop of a young man charged with murder in the first degree. The story is told from the perspective of his attorney, Carson Vance, a small town lawyer in the fictional county of Chinook in southwest Washington. Carson musters his experience and trial skills to match wits with the skilled prosecutor and crafty detective investigating the crime. His intelligence and perseverance leads him to a conclusion that does not fit the prosecution’s version of the crime and will turn the case on its head.

Patrick is a local attorney who has practiced law for more than 20 years. His experiences in felony criminal defense gave him many ideas for his writing. In addition to this novel, he has written another courtroom thriller, “Where Paths Cross,” a historical novel, “The Treasure of Chatty Hayes,” set in the early 1800s, and numerous short stories. He is married to Jill Johanson and has four children.

Chuck Taylor will be reading from his Young Adult novel, “Merlin’s Wall.”

By accident, three young people, a sister and her two brothers, discover a group known as the Followers of Merlin who have been waging an endless battle against evil. The locus of the fight is at a magical wall which Merlin had constructed to keep those forces from returning to the world after he had banished them over the sea. The story is about the young people’s entry into this eternal battle.

Chuck began writing poetry in the 1940s. He stopped for many years while involved in everything from engineering and computer analysis to singing and acting, and began writing again in various genres after retirement. “Somebody once told me, ‘You’re never too old,’ probably somebody who didn’t know any better.”

Rick Jaspers will read from his novel for young readers, “The Enchanted Photo Booth.”

With a scream, Tommy awakens from another nightmare. His father tries to calm him with a story, about two characters, Trebor and Liza, who find an antique photo booth. This leads Trebor on an adventure where he most confront his own fears, which are strikingly similar to Tommy’s. When Tommy finds the actual photo booth, he learns the truth about Trebor and Liza, and his own life is intertwined with theirs.

Rick has always enjoyed being creative with visual media. Over the last four years, he has explored several writing projects “in order to quench my creative thirst.”  Though as yet unpublished, he has completed two children’s novels, and is working on several other works of fiction.