Remembering William Stafford at the Oregon State Library, April 1

Oregon residents are invited to participate in Oregon Reads 2014 at the Oregon State Library on the capitol mall in Salem. Oregon Reads is a statewide celebration of the literary life of William Stafford, our most celebrated poet.  Visit a new exhibit entitled “Remembering William Stafford,” honoring the centennial of the birth of the former Oregon Poet Laureate (1975-1990). The exhibit features photographs of the poet loaned by Mike Markee and Vince Wixon, hand-printed broadsides of Stafford’s poems, and a selection of poetry books authored by Stafford. This exhibit will be on display all year in the 2nd floor lobby of the State Library, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Read poetry by and books about William Stafford from the Oregon Poetry Collection (OPC). The OPC, a joint project of the Oregon State Library and Oregon Poetry Association, is a growing collection of books by poets who lived, worked, were educated, or born in Oregon. The collection currently has more than 1600 titles, including more than 50 titles by William Stafford. All Oregon residents may check out these and other books from the reference room on the 2nd floor of the State Library.  Attend a lecture about William Stafford presented by his son, Kim Stafford, on April 16, 2014 at noon in room 102/103 at the State Library. Kim, a writing professor at Lewis & Clark College and founder of the Northwest Writing Institute, will weave in his own poetry and writing as he talks about his father’s life and work.