Columbia River at Kettle Falls
Last week I concluded the fourth stop along the Columbia River for my project, One River, Many voices. I visited Mattawa middle and high schools and led a workshop at the library located in the Cultural Center of the Yakama Nation in Toppenish. Two weeks prior I had been in Wenatchee where I held several events at Wenatchee Valley College, and at the wonderful CAFE (Community for the Advancement of Family Education) While in the area I was also part of a wonderful reading alongside Derek Sheffield at the Leavenworth Public Library organized with the bookstore, A Book for All Seasons.
In Kettle Falls, my first stop, much of my work revolved around the Kettle Falls library. Thanks to the head librarian I held a wonderful Friday evening reading with Lynn Rigney Schott. On Saturday I co-led a spirited workshop. Later I learned that some of the participants had driven up to two hours to attend. Libraries have been central to all the work I’ve done as laureate.
Come to think of it, libraries and the Columbia are both sites of confluences. The Columbia is mighty in part because it absorbs many waters, gentle and truculent, the length of its entire course as it seeks release into ocean. I’ve said many times that libraries are much more than places where books are borrowed. They are community hubs through which many currents run: knowledge, ideas, neighborhood news, homework centers, places of quite respite. In some towns I’ve visited the library bulletin board is the place to learn of upcoming events and learn of relevant news.
At the moment I am in the middle of a campaign produce and distribute an new book-length poem about the Columbia to all 67 Library districts and 27 tribal libraries across the state. The idea is to share poetry, raise awareness of the Columbia and contribute new material to library collections across our state. Please take a look at the video in the link below, and please, pass the word around to all who might be interested.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/svc/one-river-a-thousand-voices
Claudia,
Love all that you’re doing to promote poetry in our state. I will graduate from the MFA at EWU in June in poetry and I’m excited about all that’s going on in our state and in Spokane. I met you in Spokane. Hope to see you again.
Teresa Vanairsdale
Thank you for your dedication and love of the work you do. Travel safe.
On Mon, Nov 18, 2019 at 10:27 PM Washington State Poet Laureate wrote:
> claudiacastroluna posted: ” Columbia River > at Kettle Falls Last week I concluded the fourth stop along the Columbia > River for my project, One River, Many voices. I visited Mattawa middle and > high schools and led a workshop at the library located in th” >