News

The winners of OPA's Fall Poetry Contest are posted under contests.

Please use our contact form to submit information / questions concerning Unit Meetings around the state.

Eugene-Springfield Chapter

On October 25, 2011,  the Eugene-Springfield Chapter and the Springfield Library welcomed Crystal Williams, Rick McMonagle, and Ce Rosenow to the Library's popular Author and Music Series.    This biannual series coordinated and hosted by Nancy Carol Moody and Sharon Lask Munson has featured more than 40 poets and is a key activity for the E-S Chapter. The next reading will be Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at the Springfield Library.    
 Contact for OPA business:  HallettQ@hotmail.com

Marys Peak Poets

Marys Peak Poets has supported local poetry events by judging and performing.  Linda Varsell Smith  organized the event.  Judges for the youth performers were Be Davison Herrera, Judith Fisher, Dinaz Rogers, Jessica Varin and Joanna Rosinska.

JUdges for the adults were the same except Judith Fisher performed and Linda Varsell Smith took her place.  The MC for the event was Jimbo Ivy.  Despite the rain over 60 came to support the poets at the outdoor stage.

Marys Peak Poets also judged the Fall Festival Youth Poetry Contest coordinated by Linda Varsell Smith.  Judges were Natalie Daley, Linda Gelbrich, Be Davison Herrera, Louise Johnson, Sandy Lizut, Deanna Lungren, Victoria Martinez, Betty McCauley, Tim Pfau, Dinaz Rogers, Roberta Sperling, Ann Staley, Karen Stevens, Mary Van Denend, Shyla Warnock and Jane White.  This year there was also an award for art judged by Susan Johnson.  Be Davison Herrera suggested we dedicate the adult open mic to the worldwide readings for peace and justice.  The youth readers read first.  Adult poets reading were Rick Kleinosky, Tim Pfau, Roger Weaver, Sand Rokoff-Lizut, Karen Stevens, Victoria Martinez, Brigitte Goetz,  Linda Gelbrich, Be Davison Herrera, Joanna Rosinska, Mary Van Denend and MC LInda Varsell Smith.

Members are sending poetry books to the Oregon State Poetry Collection and several will be helping Linda Gelbrich for the William Stafford celebration in Corvallis on the 21st of January at noon at the Corvallis Library.  Ann Ataley will be giving a workshop.

Because of the holidays Marys Peak Poets will meet November 20th and December 18th.  We will resume last Sundays at 7 in January.  We meet at Linda Varsell Smith's .  For information e-mail varsell4@comcast.net or call 541-753-3335.

Linda Varsell Smith

Mid-valley Poetry Society

(that's any and all in the Salem area who care about poetry) will be held at 1 p.m. next Saturday, June 11, in room 102 of the Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE. (We haven't confirmed the room yet, but will let you know if there's a change.)

As usual, we'll read and talk about poems (our own or by others), and share news of poetry events and activities in which we're involved.

Portland Unit News

We would both like to send our heartfelt wishes to Christine Delea and thank her for her hard-working and inspiring service to OPA. We will miss her humor and energy at future events. Also, we want to express our support for the board as it incorporates new faces into the organization and together, faces the changes over the coming years both within and without the OPA.

 We continue our reading series on the third Tuesday of every month but have changed venues to In Other Words feminist bookstore and community center. It is a great venue and we are very happy with our new home for the series. On June 21st, we have Cindy Williams-Gutierrez and Maggie Chula along with Kendra Carpenter who will accompany the poems by playing the cello. On July 19th, we have Carter McKenzie and Jessica Lamb. All of our events start at 7 p.m. and have an open mic., writing prompts and of course, cookies for Marv.  More info at www.figuresofspeechpdx.wordpress.com.

We have been teaching creative writing in an assisted living center for almost a year now. We’ve stumbled here and there, learned from our mistakes and now feel confident we have a good model for expanding the program to other centers.  We have 12 sessions of class descriptions written (1 per month) and a process that the residents, and administrators both enjoy and appreciate. If you’d like more information about this project, send us a line at slw1057@hotmail.com and we’ll talk.

We are committed to poetry and make as many events as possible. We encourage you to be the audience in your community. What poetry needs is all of us to be there and listen.

Steve Williams and Constance Hall slw1057@hotmail.com

The Rogue Valley unit   We are offering a free workshop on the second Saturday of each month. In September, Laura LeHew came to the Medford Library to talk about the in's and out's of submitting for publication. October brought Sally Ehrman and her cut-and-paste poems. (Selecting printed words and pictures that resonate enables writing out of a freerer place.)

On November 12 we were honored to meet with local artists Charu Colorado and Carol Saturensky-Young, who gave a hands-on demonstration of their unique bookmaking skills. We each made a small hand-bound book suitable for stuffing with poems and other personal items.

In January we will hold an open mic at the library for anyone who has ever written a poem. Everyone is welcome to come and share with a most appreciative and generous audience.

We were very sorry to hear of the death of one of our early Critique Group members, Robert Hoeft. Robert's poems and essays were collected in a volume printed by Pudding House Press, "Greatest Hits 1960-2000." He continued to contribute to our group while he was ill and unable to participate, and following his death we received a final donation on his behalf.

Our chapter meets at the Medford Library on the second Saturday of each month (except December, when we party at 1010 S. Oakdale Avenue in Medford). We also have a crit group that meets on the third Saturday. (Participation in this group group is currently limited to the present ten members.)

Chair: Carol Brockfeld carol.bfield@gmail.com