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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1992)
NEWS/FEATURE April 29,1992 Page 3 THE CLACKAMAS PRINT Averill, Williams express memories, views through poetry by Melissa Freels Co-Editor-in-Chief Teaching, Earth Day and censorship were among the numerous themes expressed at the Diane Averill and Sandra Williams poetry reading, which took place on April 22 in CCC’s McLoughlin Theater. Averill, an English instructor at Clackamas, and Williams, an English instructor at Mt. Hood Community College, both read poems that were filled with experiences and memories. “Memories come floating detoured, “suddenly riding gravel with my grandma at the wheel.” Following Williams’ reading of “Detours,” Averill recited “Colors,” another poem from Branches Doubled Over with Fruit. “I’ve read this several times before,” she told the audience, “and every time that I read it I think that it’s not going to affect me as much, but each time it does. It brings me right back to that situation where I was sitting out on the back porch and there were these teenagers-abused teenagers- "When I first began writing poems seriously, I was about 11 years old and I loved doing it. .. I was also writing short stories at the time. " -Diane Averill to me out of nowhere,” said Williams. Sometimes, for no particular reason, Williams told the audience, “suddenly I’m transported back into an experience.” Williams’ first poem during the hour-long reading was “Sausage.” The poem is written from Williams’ experiences as an English teacher and actually contains four sentences from a student’s writing assignment. Averill continued the theme of teaching as she read “Steps in Composition: Four -in my backyard.” Averill explained that she has helped many teenagers who were abused and had no family to turn to. “Colors,’’isaboutJulieand her brother Jim, who had been abused by their father. When Julie and Jim were kicked out of their house, they turned to Averill for help. This experience prompted Averill to write “Colas.” “Julie couldn’t have her school picture taken-her father stained her cheek a blue-yellow Students,” which is published in her book Branches Doubled Over with Fruit. “One thing that has always bothered me a bit as an English teacher is the necessity to correct punctuation, grammar and sentence structure . . .,” Averill bruise,” Averill wrote. Averill followed “Colors” by reciting “The Mother,” which expresses the experience of separating with all of the girls she helped. Appropriately, Averill and Williams recognized Earth Day during their April 22 reading. explained. Averill’s poem includes four student voices and the “traditional English teacher voice.” During last Wednesday’s reading, Williams also read “Detours,” which deals with “the phenomena of memory,” she said. “It seems that, as we grow older, sometimes the memories seem to come drifting back at us with increasing frequency,” Williams said. In “Detours,” Williams wrote about driving on the freeway when unexpectedly she was “When I first started teaching at Mt. Hood Community College, one of the reasons I accepted the contract was that I thought it would be lovely each day to drive from the urban environment of Portland—the city- -into the rural landscape,and go to school and teach in a community college where there were fields and orchards and farmland ... Since I started teaching there, almost all of that is gone. It’s rare that one sees much that looks rural, mostly it’s fast-food restaurants,” said Williams. She wrote “The Error in Creation” after seeing the rare experience of a pheasant flying across the road while she was going to class one day. “This is a sight we won’t see much again out here ... “ Williams wrote of the sighting. Rapid development in rural areas, where “lights twitch messages all day,” and where a new shopping center is “a miracle in seven days,” are all images that Williams wrote about in “The Error in Creation.” In honor of Earth Day, Averill read “Notes Fran Oaks Bottom Trail.” Averill, who has spent much time in Sellwood at Oaks Bottom Trail, wrote “Notes. . .” from the perspective of a mother, trying to understand her son’s fears. “I always find the natural world beautiful in itself, but also as photo by Vivian Johnaon Diane Averill, an English instructor at CCC, read some of her poems from "Branches Doubled Over with Fruit" at a poetry Averill reading on April 22 in the McLoughlin Theater. a source for renewal,” explained. Averill closed Wednesday’s reading by reciting, “Paint By Number.” The poem stresses Averill’s belief that “artists need free minds in order to create.” Speaking against censorship in the arts, Averill wrote, “Well-endowed art is ‘safe art.’” In “Paint By Number,” Averill wrote against painting to please, and against guidelines for art. Censorship, Averill wrote can be like “ocean drift nets.” .Following the poetry reading, Averill and Williams answered questions from the ‘“You must stop this creative writing nonsense, and get into journalism where you can make sone money,”’ Averill took journalism courses in junior high and high school. This “effectively killed my desire to write, because at that particular time, journalism... was taught ‘formulatively,’” she said. Journalism was not the creative outlet that Averill wanted. In her 20s, Averill began writing poetry again. In 1991, she published Branches Doubled Over with Fruit, which is a 7 guess I had more of a romantic image (at the age of 12) that rd die and somebody would find all of these wonderful poems that id written... sort of a la Emily Dickinson." -Sandra Williams audience. The questions focused on subjects ranging from imagery to careers. “When I first began writing poems seriously, I was about 11 years old and I loved doing it... I also was writing short stories at the time,” Averill explained. After pressure from her parents and teachers, who told her, collection of her poems. Like Averill, Williams also started writing poetry when she wasyoung. “I guess I had more of a romantic image (at the age of 12) that I’d die and somebody would find all of these wonderful poems that I’d written... sot of a la Emily Dickinson,” Williams said. “I received a lot of praise from teachers all the way through high school... but I never got any constructive criticism,” Williams explained. After she began teaching at MHCC, a friend in California convinced her to submit some poetry to a literary contest. “I submitted my very first poem and got accepted for publication and thought, ‘Hey it is this easy...’ Then (I) took the next step and then got the ‘Whap!’” Williams said. Criticism like, “‘Wok, change it, I don’t like it, it’S .na good enough, if you make these changes...’’’made Williams think, “My God, this person’s telling me to make changes in my poem, my heart, my soul.” “I actually came to the whole idea of publication, and the suffering that’s attached to it, quite late. I was already 22 before I realized that this was going to be tougher than I thought,” Williams said. Williams has had her work published in numerous magazines. She will have poetry published in two forthcoming anthologies, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She recently received a fellowship and hopes to publish a book of poetry soon. Print photographer awarded VanKtwn photoeditor of The Clackamw now) I can see att rrf the elements they ” were locking fa. Thephoto Print, Oregon ' Publishers Assocatm(0£0*A) AwatdofMeritfOraphotothid was pubhshed m the Oct. 9, sftßkait at Clackamas and \has' siudred jdxjto^aphy for mrrssueorwiwnt mght yms, He & conmderiag which Ms taken at the scene of pursuing ::a career.. rè the a car àcadent oi,rèeCCC campus, won the award nt the Spot NewaFiotography category. Tire winnersof t& aon»ai'"à-HPÀ^ £ópegiate Çô&est wöe announced on April 3, 1992 at an éditas’ conference held ' at tiré SweetbuerlrnimTuaMön. . - ' - ;Min ft g really expecting- gr USA Today recognizes CCC honor student by Ginger Land Staff Writer Kathleen Mayer, a full- time CCC student, was recently mentioned in USA Today when she was presented with a nationwide scholarship worth $2,500. The Academic All- American First Team Scholarship was awarded to her in Phoenix, AZ. CCC Administrators Dian Connett, John Keyser, Vince Fitzgerald and Bernie Nolan were present for the ceremony. There were 400 applicants and only 20 winners, with only aie applicant submitted per college. Kathleen’s 4.0 GJ*. A. was a big factor in the application she submitted. She is the only student west of the Rockies to be awarded and the first ever in Oregon. The award was sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, USA Today, and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges. Kathleen has received three scholarships altogether and is planning on going to Lewis and Clark College next fall. She is an English wants major to get and Education Degree. Being a mother of five, Kathleen’s scholarships, along with financial aid, will help her reach her goals. “I recommend that more people apply for scholarships.” Kathleen stated. "There is money out there; you just have to have the initiative to apply and follow through.” eventually her Secondary "There is money out there; you just have to have the initiative to apply and follow through." -Kathleen Mayer Quit smoking. American Heart ^^Association Oregon Affiliate, Inc.
