The 2011 WordFest series starts on Tuesday, January 4, with three writers who will be presenting their works..

Lorraine Merrin will be reading from her collection of poetry, entitled “Holding Tight to Gravity’s Tail,” which she calls “poetry about real people living and surviving in a real world that often seems as cruel as it is beautiful.”

Lorraine’s work has appeared in The Salal Review, Rattle, Thema, Tar Wolf, and other journals, as well as in the anthology, “The Great American Poetry Show,” Vol. II.

Her book will be available at WordFest for $15.  The book is usually $19.95 (plus $3 shipping/handling) from Lorraine and can also be ordered at Amazon.com.

Chuck Ramsdell will be reading from his children’s book, “Quack.” A boat builder who has lived on the Columbia River for over thirty eight years, Chuck wrote the stories for his grandson. The book will be available for $10.

Ellysa Champ will read a short story called “Haunted,” about a young Japanese girl with a strange gift. An outcast, she has only one friend, who no one else can see.

Ellysa is an avid fan of the paranormal and Japanese culture, which she has blended into her short story.

An open mic time follows the the presentations.

The Brits opens at 5:30 pm.

 Leslie Slape, local storyteller, playwright and crime reporter for The Daily News, will host the next WordFest gathering on December 7, 6:00-8:00 pm, at The Brits in Longview.

 

Leslie will introduce the three presenters for the evening and facilitate feedback of their readings.

 

Kelley Jacquez, a former newspaper journalist, will read from her collection of interrelated short stories, “Holding Woman and Other Stories of Acceptable Madness,” that take place in the hamlet of El Nido, New Mexico. Four of the stories from this collection have been published in anthologies or literary magazines.

 

 

Ed Putka will be reading his short story, “Kolenda,” a warm, humorous tale about the blessing of the houses in his old Polish neighborhood in Cleveland. Ed, a local judge, says that he was fortunate to have grown up in a culture rich with stories.

 

Joe Evelyn Schwab will be reading from his book, “Outlaws on the Big River,” about his experiences as a Wildlife Enforcement Officer on the Columbia River. Joe will have copies of his book available for sale and to autograph.

 

An open mic session follows the three presenters, where people can read their own material.

 

WordFest is a gathering of readers and writers who meet on the first Tuesday of each month at The Brits, 1427 Commerce Avenue.

 

The events are free and open to the public.

 

The Brits owner Alice Dietz offers a select menu for those who wish to enjoy a meal with the readings. The Brits opens at 5:30 pm.

 

Robert Michael Pyle will be launching his newest book, Mariposa Road, at the next WordFest gathering on Tuesday, November 2, at 6:00 pm at The Brits.

Bob is a Yale-trained naturalist and the author of fourteen books, including Chasing Monarchs, Where Bigfoot Walks, and Wintergreen (These books are all available at The Brits’ bookshop.)

He will be discussing and reading from Mariposa Road, which relates his travels in 2008, when he set out to see as many North American butterflies as he could in one year. He relates stories of the people, experiences, as well as the butterflies he encountered along the way. Copies of his book will be available for sale and to be autographed.

During the second hour, poets Carolyn Norred and Karen Bonaudi will host a “Poetry Night” where local poets will read and receive feedback on their poems.

Carolyn, a WordFest favorite, is a retired instructor of language and literature, and brings years of experience of helping poets find their voices.

Karen is a former president of the Washington Poets Association. Her poetry has been published in a number of journals, and she has received awards from the Washington Poets Association and the Washington Community College Humanities Association. Her chapbook of poems, Editing a Vapor Trail, was published in August by Pudding House Press.

The restaurant opens at 5:30 and a select menu is available for those who wish to enjoy a meal, and Capstone Cellars offers a variety of wines.

At the next WordFest gathering on Tuesday, October 5, Alan Rose will discuss and read from his new novel, Tales of Tokyo.

Alan is the author of The Legacy of Emily Hargraves, a “modern ghost story,” translating paranormal phenomena into psychological concepts of altered states of consciousness, multiple personality disorder, and the lasting effects of trauma on the human psyche.

Very different, Tales of Tokyo is a quest novel about four young people who go to Japan to teach. Each is on a personal quest–Chris is looking for love; Sally is searching for an identity (preferably someone else’s); Jason is seeking a God in whom he doesn’t believe; and Delia is out to reform the world–this year it will be Japan. Over the course of a year, their different quests will merge on a shared journey of personal discoveries and awakenings.

Alan organizes the monthly WordFest gatherings, is host of the KLTV program, “Book Chat”, and reviews books for The Columbia River Reader.

During the second hour, in recognition of Hallowe’en, there will be an open mic for participants to read stories and poems celebrating the scary, the creepy and what Edith Wharton called “the fun of the shudder.”

The Brits owner Alice Dietz offers a select menu for those who wish to eat a meal with the readings, and Capstone Cellars will have wines available.

The Brits opens at 5:30 pm.

WordFest begins its fourth year on Tuesday, September 7, 6:00-8:00 PM, at The Brits Tea Shoppe, 1427 Commerce Avenue, in Longview.

Kicking off the season will be three presenters reading their short stories.

Ron Naff, a pastor for more than 30 years, and just finishing a fifteen year pastorate at the First Christian Church in Longview, will read, “Hattie’s World,” a humorous account of what happens when the pastor of a church in a small town is asked to conduct the funeral service for a parishioner he absolutely could not stand.  “It’s a situation that many pastors can probably identify with but don’t want to admit,”  says Ron.

Joan Delgado will read “Another Dance”, a story by her husband, Ed Delgado, based on his experiences during World War II as an aerial gunner in the South Pacific. Ed worked for Boeing in quality control for many years before he retired. He has been writing short stories since he was 10.

Ned Piper, a WordFest regular, will read, “First Born”, about a newly married man whose younger brother, returning from Viet Nam, moves in with the newlyweds, causing unpleasant results. Ned, a Cowlitz PUD Commissioner, started writing plays, poetry, short stories and novels during his college days at Lower Columbia College and the University of Washington.

In upcoming months, Alan Rose will be reading from his newest novel, Tales of Tokyo, at the October WordFest; and in November, naturalist Robert Michael Pyle will be reading from his new book, “Mariposa Road”; also at the November WordFest, poets Judith Irwin and Carolyn Norred will be leading a “Poet’s Night,” where they will be providing feedback to presenters on their poems.

The Brits offers a select menu for those who wish to have a meal with the readings, and wine is available from Capstone Cellars.

The Brits opens at 5:30 pm.