Two Second Sundays Series Poetry Events in Stayton in June

Two Second Sundays Series Poetry Events in Stayton in June

This June, Stayton’s Second Sundays Series of Poetry Readings will bring
poets to the community for two events, a reading and book signing on
Sunday, June 14, and a workshop on Saturday, June 27.

*The reading on June 14* will feature two young poets—Shaindel Beers of
Pendleton and Scot Siegel of Lake Oswego—and will take place from 3 to 5
p.m. in the studio of artist Paul Toews at 349 N. Third Ave., where it
shares space with the Stayton Friends of the Library Used Bookstore.
Both poets will read from their first books of poetry. Beers’ /A Brief
History of Time/ was issued earlier this year by Salt Publishing;
Siegel’s /Some Weather/ was published last year by Plain View Press.
Their books will be for sale at the reading, and they will sign copies.
Admission will be free; donations are appreciated. Audience members are
invited to bring one or two short poems of their own or by others to
share during an open part of the reading.

*The workshop on June 27* will be led by Eugene poet, teacher, and
editor John Witte. Titled “Reading the Rain: 150 Years of Oregon
Poetry,” it will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the meeting room
of the Stayton Public Library, 515 N. First Ave. This workshop will
highlight the books by contemporary Oregon poets that the Second Sundays
Series has donated to the library over the past three years, and help
readers to place their work in the context of earlier Oregon poetry.
Admission will be free and open to all library patrons and Stayton area
residents.

*Shaindel Beers*, one of the two poets reading on June 14, teaches in
the English Department at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton.
Her poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction have appeared in numerous
journals and anthologies. She is currently working on a second
collection of poetry and also serving as Poetry Editor of the online
journal /Contrary/, <www.contrarymagazine.com
<http://www.contrarymagazine.com>>.

*Scot Siegel*, the other poet featured in the June 14th reading, works
as a land use planner in Lake Oswego, where he lives with his wife,
Debbie, and two daughters. He also serves on the board of the Friends of
William Stafford. His poetry appears in /Open Spaces, Windfall, Acorn,
The Oregonian, The Externalist, The New Verse News, Essence /(UK),/ High
Desert Journal,/ and other print and online journals. A chapbook,
/Untitled Country/, is due out this year from Pudding House Publications.

*John Witte*, who will lead the workshop at the Stayton Public Library
on June 27th, is the author of three books of poetry, most recently,
/Second Nature/, published last year by the University of Washington
Press. Witte’s poetry has also been widely published in distinguished
magazines, among them, /American Poetry Review/, /Kenyon Review/, /New
England Review/, /The New Yorker/, /The Paris Review/, and /Southern
Review/, and is included in /The Norton Introduction to Literature/ and
other anthologies. He has received two fellowships from the National
Endowment for the Arts, among other grants and awards. He is a senior
instructor in the English Department at the University of Oregon,
teaching literature and literary editing, and he has recently retired
from many years as editor of /Northwest Review/.

Now in its eighth year, Stayton’s Second Sundays Series of Poetry
Readings is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Marion Cultural
Development Corporation. For more information about upcoming readings,
contact series coordinator Eleanor Berry at 503-859-3045 or
<eberry@wvi.com>.

*_Directions to Stayton, Paul Toews’ Studio, and the Stayton Public
Library:_*

*Stayton* is about 12 miles east of Salem, off Hwy. 22 (North Santiam
Hwy.). Coming from either north or south on I-5, take the Hwy. 22 exit
at Salem; go east about 12 miles on Hwy. 22, to the Stayton/Sublimity
exit. Turn right at the end of the ramp, onto what will become First Ave.

*To reach Paul Toews’ studio*: At the third light, turn left onto
Washington St. Go two blocks, and turn right onto Third Ave. Go four
blocks. When you pass Marion St., look for the Star Cinema on the left
in the middle of the block ahead; Toews’ studio is across from it, at
349 N. Third Ave.

*To reach the* *Stayton Public Library*: Continue on First Ave. about
two blocks past Washington St. The library is at 515 N. First Ave., on
the right side of the street. There is a parking lot in front. The door
to the meeting room is at the far right end of the building.