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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2019)
Thursday, april 18, 2019 // 9 submitted photo ‘Wild Honey, Tough Salt,’ the latest book by Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford, will be unveiled in Astoria on Tuesday, April 23. It will be on sale at the event and on amazon.com. ‘WILD HONEY, TOUGH SALT,’ ON THE MENU AT KALA The Earth day events over two days conclude with a book launch of Kim stafford’s poetry called “Wild honey, Tough salt.” The free event is open to the public. it will be begin 7 p.m. Tuesday, april 23, at Kala, 1017 Marine drive, astoria. Even when speaking by telephone, his excitement is palpable. his father, William stafford, also Oregon poet laureate, died in 1993. he had named his son as literary executor, a job the younger stafford embraced. “he has published 15 books since he died!” Kim stafford said. “My own work has languished a bit ...” Four sections in his new work address buoyant liv- ing, war and peace, the Earth and family reflections in poems penned in the last 20 years. “Tough salt” in the title references what he calls “heavy- duty” reactions to torture and child soldiers. Works in a lighter section savor the way poetry is celebrated on scottish 5-pound and Mexican 100-peso banknotes. award-winning poet pattiann rogers describes the col- lection as “poems of quest, reconciliation and joy, offer- ing the reader enlightening variations on the essence of heart and self in communion.” another poet, Naomi shihab Nye, notes his words “shimmer with breathtaking leaps and humble wisdom.” stafford says today’s best writers counter what he labels “false advertising” and “fake journalism.” “The poets are trying to talk back to it,” he said. “That’s what i am encouraging and i instill in my students. poetry is trying to understand the meaning, the story behind the story, the other half of the balance sheet.” he seeks national healing during what he calls “this con- founding epoch” through post-election stanzas with titles like “practicing the Complex yes” and “Champion the Enemy’s Need.” rather than dwelling on what caused the 2016 presi- dential choice and what has followed, stafford chooses to look forward with a “sliver of hope.” “let’s find common ground, heal our divisions and work together, not add to the polarization,” he said. One verse reads: “We have not done enough to spare our country this avalanche of foolishness — not by word or heroic act, sufficient witness at the fulcrum to raise our state of union that lies in the gutter.” Dorband, a writer and photog- rapher, is known for chronicling the Rogue River; McClure is a librarian and musician; and Ban- yas is a writer and choreographer. A “Forest Visions” contem- porary art exhibit is on display at the Royal Nebeker Art Gallery, 1799 Lexington Ave. through Thursday, May 9. It features images by Astoria photographer Robert Adams, art by painters Kim Osgood, Laura Ross-Paul, Michael Brophy and Rita Robill- ard and sculptor Lee Imonen. It is supported by donations from foundations and the Clat- sop County Cultural Coalition, which distributes money from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Its mis- sion is to examine issues like forest management and climate change, plus regional and histori- cal themes “grounded by art, sci- ence and storytelling.” Banyas moved to Astoria from Portland four years ago. Her activism was ignited by the treatment of Native Americans protesting a pipeline at Stand- ing Rock in North Dakota, and threats to water rights in the West. “There is a groundswell about this, because it’s not just climate change,” she said. “It is global economics. It’s people wanting to reclaim their territory from the corporations that abuse the land- scape and the people.” She lamented divisive argu- ment. “People put it as ‘Them vs. Us.’ The environmentalist vs. the logger ... It’s a big and broader story — we need to get that back, remember who we are as a peo- ple, and adopt a protectionist spirit.” reaches back through the difficult end to grasp the beautiful begin- ning, like pulling a venomous ser- pent inside out.” It was named as one of The Oregonian’s top 10 Northwest books of 2012. ‘Sing in your own voice’ daN KViTKa ‘Blue Alpine Stump,’ an oil on canvas by Portland artist Kim Osgood, features in the ‘Forest Visions’ exhibit at Clatsop Community College. Other examples of Osgood’s work include two acrylics on panels, ‘Endless Possibilities’ and ‘Belonging Here.’ ‘FOREST VISIONS’ SCHEDULE Events begin with an 8:30 a.m. opening ceremony at Clatsop Community College on Monday, april 22, featuring ceramicist richard rowland and poet Nancy Cook. Members of the Chinook Nation are expected to participate. stafford will lead opportunities for Clat- sop students to learn and demonstrate creative practices between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. he and the thoughts of photographer robert adams will be featured in a “Talk poetry, Talk Forests” conversation at the gallery 6 p.m. Monday, april 22; roger dorband and susan Banyas will lead. Tuesday’s schedule will see stafford shift to the astoria library from 10 a.m. to noon for a creative writing session open to anyone. a similar event assisted by members of the Writer’s Guild of astoria will be held for students at astoria high school during the afternoon. The two days culminate in a book release 7 p.m. at Kala in downtown astoria where stafford will unveil his new poetry collection, “Wild honey, Tough salt,” and read excerpts. (see related story.) The Staffords The environment has been a cornerstone of Stafford’s career. Now 69, he has taught at Lewis and Clark College in Portland since 1979. He helped found the Fishtrap Writers Gathering in the Wallowa Mountains and has led private workshops in Italy, Scot- land and the landlocked Asian nation of Bhutan. His father published 65 books and took his four children through stints in Oregon, Iowa, Indiana, California and Alaska. He was named poetry consultant to the Library of Congress in 1970, a position now known as the U.S. poet laureate, and served as Ore- gon’s chief poet from 1975 to 1990. He instilled in his son the habit of daily writing — even writing a verse the day he died. Kim Stafford, appointed Ore- gon laureate last year, has more than a dozen books to his credit, including a reminiscence of his father. His first was a 1976 poetry collection called “A Gypsy’s His- tory of the World” — just 100 copies printed on a letterpress he fixed. ABOUT THE WRITER’S GUILD Guild members call themselves, “a group of writers in astoria committed to strengthening the larger community through the power of the written word.” While encouraging adult writers, it seeks to enhance literacy in North Coast schools and the Tongue point Job Corps Center, as well as at-risk youth. The nonprofit group is led by found- er-president, Marianne Monson, author of 11 books for children and adults with an emphasis on women’s history. its calendar of events include open-mic sessions for writers to read their work aloud, a writing lab and open writing “lounge” sessions. it also stages a literary costume ball in November. For details, log on to www.thewriters- guild.org or email info@thewriters- guild.org. His 313-page thesis on a 14th-Century English work, “The Pearl” earned him a doctorate from the University of Oregon in 1979, though his advisor report- edly labeled it “turgid prose.” Stafford laughs when reminded of the critique. “Maybe poetry is my penance? It’s short, clean and clear!” In 1992, after collecting mate- rial during an oral history project in Florence, he published “Wind on the Waves,” 52 stories cele- brating life on the Oregon Coast, including a character who sets off from Astoria. A critic called his account of his brother’s 1988 suicide, “100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do,” as a narrative where “the writer Marianne Monson leads the Writers Guild in Astoria whose members are helping with work- shops. She labeled the Staffords “pillars of the Oregon literary tradition.” “We’re thrilled to be able to offer this experience to young writers, as well as local authors who will have the opportunity to listen to Kim read his work and share insights on the craft,” she said. In a 2011 interview with High Country News, the West- ern states’ environmental and cul- tural newspaper, Stafford offered a deeper glimpse into the therapy of writing. “Writing is a way to go beyond what you know in the direction of what you need.” His website kim-stafford.com offers a plea to “listen eloquently” to seek common ground. “If communication is the fun- damental alternative to violence and injustice, what is the work of each voice among us?” it states. He noted, “The problems of our time are political, ecological, economic — but the solutions are cultural. “I focus on things that we do agree on, In Astoria, I want to save the forest, but I like loggers, too.” He quotes far-left Afri- can-American philosopher Cornel West, whose recipe for social jus- tice is, “the courage to be impa- tient with evil and patient with people.” Stafford urges students to find their voice — through place. “It’s about being local about what you write,” he said. “Rather than parodying a literary voice, strengthen your own. Learn to sing in your own voice. “It is part of authenticity. We have a vote and we have a voice. The vote is finite, the voice can grow and reach others.” That approach dovetails with the Writers Guild, whose philos- ophy statement concludes: “We believe a literate community is a thriving community.” CW