The power
of language
Locals have a chance to perform
with award-winning poet
BY NANCY McCARTHY
W
hen Astoria author Marianne
Monson heard Pulitzer Prize
winner Jericho Brown read
his poetry in Portland two years ago,
she was so caught up in his words
that she wanted to hear him again.
“I was so impressed with his
reading,” Monson said. “I was
struck by the artistry of his language
but also the authenticity and sincer-
ity of his delivery.”
She also wanted to share her
experience.
Getting Brown to Astoria
Monson embarked on a mis-
sion to raise money to get the poet
to the Liberty Theatre stage in Asto-
ria. She created a GoFundMe page
that raised more than $500 in dona-
tions, and the Oregon Cultural Trust
and the Clatsop County Cultural
Coalition gave the Writer’s Guild of
Astoria grants for Brown’s appear-
ance. He is scheduled to perform
Nov. 5.
But Brown won’t be alone on
stage in Astoria this fall. Monson,
president of the writer’s guild , is
also including poets from Clatsop,
Tillamook, Pacifi c and Wahkiakum
counties in the event.
The contest
Brian Cornelius
Pulitzer Prize winner Jericho Brown will perform at the Liberty Theatre in Astoria Nov. 5.
The guild is sponsoring a poetry
contest; winners in the middle
school, high school, college and
community categories will win
$100 gift certifi cates to Lucy’s
Books and will read their works
onstage with Brown.
Brown is a professor and the
director of the creative writing pro-
gram at Emory University. He will
conduct creative writing workshops
BURTON FILMS
Marianne Monson organized
a fundraiser to bring Jericho
Brown to Astoria.
How to enter the
poetry contest
Up to three entries per person
can be mailed to info@thewrit-
ersguild.org.
The following information
should appear in the header
of each entry: poet’s name,
competition category, home ad-
dress, email address, and phone
number. (Entries without all the
information will be disqualifi ed.)
The deadline is Oct. 1.
at Clatsop Community College and
a local high school during his time
in Astoria. Monson said the college
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