On Tuesday. July 9, WordFest will meet for the last time at The Brits, 1427 Commerce Avenue In Longview.

The Brits owners closed the restaurant at the end of June, but will open that evening at 5:00 pm for WordFest. In place of a menu, they will be offering a buffet for $10 per person, including water, iced tea and coffee. Hot tea, beer, wine, and sodas will be 50% off.

Cynthia Moyer, a former newspaper reporter new to WordFest, will be reading from two of her published novels, Stolen Spring, an adult mystery, and The Misfortune of the Emerald Thief, a middle grade fantasy, as well as from her new novel, Drowning Summer, coming out this month.

Three other presenters are WordFest regulars who will be reading short stories: Kelley Jacquez and Ron Schauer both contributed pieces to last year’s anthology, That Holiday Feeling. Ned Piper, PUD Commissioner and co-owner of The Columbia River Reader, was one of the original founders of WordFest.

WordFest is a monthly gathering of readers and writers who usually meet the first Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm, but the July gathering was moved to the second Tuesday due to the Fourth of July holiday.

The events are free and open to the public. There is an open mic period following the presentations.

 

On Tuesday, June 4, several local writers will be reading from their works.

Fred Hudgin will be reading his poem, “Breath,” and a nonfiction story titled “The Last Salute.” After serving in the army, including a tour in Viet Nam, Fred earned a BS degree in Computer Science from Rutgers University and has had a career as a computer programmer.

“Technology plays a large part in my books.  I try to find creative ways to use it in the story line,” he said. His short stories and poems have been published in Biker Magazine, Poetry.Com, The Salal Review, and in That Holiday Feeling, a collection of Christmas short stories.  He has written two novels available on Amazon’s Kindle site: Sulphur Springs and Green Grass.

Elaine Cockrell, retired administrator and teacher from the Kelso School District, will be discussing her historical fiction novel about World War II and the internment of Japanese Americans working on the farms in Eastern Oregon.  Using one chapter from her book, she will discuss the sources, the historical setting, and the insights from her writers group in helping to bring her story to life.

Rhoda Karr will be presenting her story, “The Lottery”, which she notes “is not to be confused with ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson, and more along the lines of ‘The Lady or the Tiger?’ by Frank Stockton.” Rhoda has spent her life on the West Coast, from Baja to the Bering Sea, and writes fictional stories from her experiences.

WordFest is a monthly gathering of readers and writers who meet the first Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm., at The Brits, 1427 Commerce Avenue, in Longview, 6:00-8:00 PM.

The events are free and open to the public. There is an open mic period following the presentations.

The Brits offers a full dinner menu as well as selection of wines and beers for those who wish to enjoy a meal and beverage with the readings.

 

 

On Tuesday. May 7, Jeremy Snyder will be reading from his play, “Bird of L.A.” The 13-year old Mt Solo Middle School student is one of six finalists in the Oregon Children’s Theater playwriting competition. The theme for the competition was bullying, and Jeremy took his idea for the play from the bullying behavior he has observed among seagulls at the beach.

Read more about Jeremy and the OCT Competition at:  http://tdn.com/news/local/junior-playwright-melds-his-two-passions-wildlife-and-theater/article_650313ec-935c-11e2-9fe6-001a4bcf887a.html

Jeremy has performed on stage, most recently in the local production of “Peter Pan.”

Beverlee Ruhland will read from her work, titled, Seeker, the first in a planned series called The Winds of Change, about a boy who discovers an artifact, a shining medallion and chain, amid the ruins of something that is not natural, and he begins a journey to learn the truth about himself and what it will mean to become a man in his world.

After years of technical and scientific writing, Beverlee began writing stories about her family. One of the stories was published in The Salal Review, and then she began writing fiction, publishing Eye of the Dreamerin 2010.

Janet Lynn Rubert will read from her work, ‘Til Summer’s End, described as “a sensually vivid women’s fiction novel, dotted with humor, romantic twists, deep character analysis, vivid imagery and musical metaphors.”

Janet, a fifth generation Longview native, has had poems published, and has written for several newspapers, and most recently for the Cowlitz County Historical Quarterly.

WordFest is a monthly gathering of readers and writers who meet the first Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm., at The Brits, 1427 Commerce Avenue, in Longview, 6:00-8:00 PM.

The events are free and open to the public. There is an open mic period following the presentations.

 

 

 

Next Tuesday, April 2, Pat Nelson will read a short nonfiction story titled “Lost and Found,” about her extreme shyness when she was in junior high, and, standing before her class to read a report, was unable to utter a sound. In the years since, she has learned that a podium can help overcome her shyness, so she is donating one for the WordFest gatherings.

“I’m sure there are others who turn back into a scared junior high kid when they think about standing in front of a group to read their stories,” said Pat. “I’ve found that a podium provides a great deal of security!”

Pat, writer and editor, is co-creator of Publishing Syndicate’s humorous and sometimes edgy anthology Not Your Mother’s Book . . . On Parenting, scheduled for a May, 2013 release. She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and her stories appear on www.LewisRiver.com. She lives in Woodland and has written columns on Woodland for The Daily News. She blogs at www.storystorm.me.

Attorney and former Daily News city editor Dave Rorden will share some things he learned writing his first draft of his legal novel, “Super Lawyer.” He titles his presentation “Things I Learned From My *@&#* First Draft.”

Author of Path to Peril, H.D. Duman, will give a presentation on the new book he is writing, titled Rollo. The story is the first in the planned Wolf Moon Chronicles, about a wolf and his doppleganger. Dale, an engineer and computer scientist, is also working on his sequel to Path to Peril in his contemporary fiction series about the government and cyber terrorism.

 

 

 

Next Tuesday, March 5, MaryEllen Stone will be reading her short story, “Foreign Feelings,” from the anthology, I Choose You, which is listed as “The best-of-the-best romance short-story contest winners from across the globe.”

Her fiction and non-fiction stories have appeared in The Salal Review, Rambunctious Review, Mature Living, Evangel, and Seek, and her book Run in the Path of Peace-the Secret of Being Content No Matter What is available in both paperback and as an e-book from Amazon.com.

Linda Eddleston, substitute teacher for the Longview School District, will be sharing an excerpt from the book she is currently writing, titled, My Three Friends, a memoir of childhood playmates who retain a close friendship through their teen years and into their adult lives.

Steve Anderson will be reading a selection of his poems. He is the author of Jeremiah’s Wink, a novel featuring a modern-day cloistered monk who is a master illuminator of ancient texts and works to solve the mystery of a long-hidden medieval Book of Hours, while experiencing for the first time contemporary American society outside his monastery walls. After a career in long term health care, Steve retired and relocated from Tucson in 2011 to join friends in Longview.

WordFest is a monthly gathering of readers and writers who meet the first Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm., at The Brits, 1427 Commerce Avenue, in Longview, 6:00-8:00 PM.

The events are free and open to the public. There is an open mic period following the presentations.

The Brits offers a full dinner menu as well as selection of wines and beers for those who wish to enjoy a meal and beverage with the readings.