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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Art On The Green Offers Literary Workshops

When you think of Art on the Green, Coeur d’Alene’s annual arts fair, three things typically come to mind: arts and crafts, music and food. OK, so maybe that’s four things.

Here’s a fifth: literature. It’s an art, too, and this summer’s version of Art on the Green is offering workshops in that area, as well.

McCall, Idaho, novelist Clay Morgan (“Santiago and the Drinking Party”) will teach a couple of fiction workshops in four three-hour sessions, July 28-31. The morning session is already filled, but a 1-4 p.m. session is still open.

Gloria Vando Hickock will teach a poetry workshop, also in four three-hour sessions from 1-4 p.m., July 28-31, and a one-evening publishing workshop on July 30, 7-9 p.m.

For further information concerning registration, fees and college credit, call the Citizens Council for the Arts at (208) 667-3393.

By the way, Morgan, Hickock and their students will read from their respective works from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, in Todd Hall at North Idaho College. The event is free and open to the public.

A readable history

If your view of history is based on what you learned in 7th grade, then you’re not likely to be interested in attending a lecture on the origins of Spokane.

But just as not all 7th-grade history classes are boring, neither are all historical talks. And that’s particularly true when the talk is given by Eastern Washington University history professor Bill Youngs.

Youngs is author of “The Fair and the Falls: Spokane’s Expo ‘74, Transforming an American Environment.” Youngs’ book is a thoughtful study of what made early settlers such as James Glover stay in Spokane, what made those who followed him make the decision that nearly destroyed the site’s natural beauty and how planners of Expo ‘74 rediscovered the magic of the falls that attracted people to begin with.

Youngs’ book is a fascinating read. The public talk he plans to give on Tuesday should be equally interesting.

It will be held at 7 p.m. in room 1A of the downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library, 906 W. Main; call 626-5312.

Inventive poetry

One measure of an interesting literary collection is the range of its subject matter. In the case of Kimera, a Spokane-based literary journal, that range is immense.

The journal’s first edition, which was published last fall, boasts poems that are mostly imagery and wordplay, such as those written by Tom Hunley - “these baby skunks/ that nest in my chest.” There also are the passionate musings of adolescent yearning: “All night parked cars rocked and moaned/ around the Stone Angel. That was sex,” wrote Beth Simon.

And there are the Vietnam-themed poems of Jon Forrest Glade, Thomas A. Gribble and H. Palmer Hall.

This is from Hall’s poem “From the Periphery”:

This, then is what war must be: a walk

in the night, heart held in the hands of those

who walk beside you, breath held in each

other’s mouths, smell shared in such a way

that all scents are one, touch only

a light pressure, hand on shoulder,

eyes searching for movement in the dark.

And that’s just for starters. Kimera features the works of 21 poets/writers in all.

According to editor/publisher Jan Strever, submissions are being accepted for the next issue, “either through e-mail or snail mail.” Addresses are: kimera@onramp.ior.com or 1316 N. Hollis, Spokane, WA 99201.

Copies of Kimera are on sale at Auntie’s for $10. If you love accessible, thoughtful, inventive poetry - plus the occasional short fiction - you should pick one up.

Writing for kids

If you’ve ever wanted to break into the children’s book field, consider attending the upcoming fifth-annual children’s writer’s conference in Big Sky, Mont.

The conference, which is sponsored by the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators, will be held Sept. 19-21 at the 320 Guest Ranch. In addition to writing workshops, conference participants will have a chance to meet with an editor and agent.

The $300 fee includes two nights lodging and six meals at the lodge. The conference is limited to just 21 writers. For registration information, call Nora Martin at (406) 763-4390.

The reader board

Sol Landau, author of “Turning Points: Self-Renewal in Midlife,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington.

Gary Ferguson, author of “The Sylvan Path: A Journey Through America’s Forests,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Ira Byock, author of “Dying Well: The Prospect for Growth at the End of Life,” will read from his book at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Auntie’s Bookstore.

, DataTimes