Yes, we’re having a limerick contest – send ‘em in

I’ve received letters, e-mails and phone calls asking about the 2006 Spokesman-Review Limericks Contest.

So, yes, we are holding it for the eighth straight year.

Here are the essentials:

The theme this year is Northwest history, which can be defined anyway you want: historical occurrences, historical figures, historical dates, historical locations, historical myths and so on.

All entries must be original and must conform (within reason) to traditional limericks style, an example of which is (according to David Finley of Simon Fraser University, who added the emphases on the syllables – w signifying weak, s signifying strong):

There was a young lady from Kent (w S w w S w w S)

Who said that she knew what it meant (w S w w S w w S)

When men asked her to dine, (w w S w w S)

Gave her cocktails and wine. (w w S w w S)

She knew what it meant but she went. (w S w w S w w S)

The deadline is March 6 (noon for online entries, postmark for mail entries).

E-mail entries should go to limerick@spokesman.com. Mail entries should be sent to: S-R Limericks Contest, 999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201.

The top three winners will receive, respectively, $100, $50 and $25 gift certificates to Auntie’s Bookstore. All those whose work is chosen for publication will be invited to read their work at Auntie’s on March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day – at 7:30 p.m.

Good luck.

En dos lenguas

Author readings are fairly common, even here in the Inland Northwest.

Readings by foreign authors in their native languages? Now that’s something else entirely.

Luis A. Aguilar-Monsalve, an Ecuadorian author who is author-in-residence and visiting professor of modern languages at Wabash College in Indiana, will read from his novel “Dejen pasar al viento” – in both English and Spanish – at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Whitworth College’s Science Center Auditorium.

Aguilar-Monsalve, who holds graduate degrees from UCLA, The Claremont Graduate School and California Coastal College, is the author of stories, essays and poetry. For more information, go online at www.wabash.edu/dept/lang/ spanish/ecuador/lit_aguilar. html.

For information on his Whitworth reading, call 777-4484.

Calling all writers

If you’re interested in joining a start-up writing group for beginners that describes itself as “friendly and casual,” and which plans on meeting monthly on select weekdays, then call Cheryl at 466-5958 or Maggie at 443-6861.

The first meeting is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. at an as-yet undetermined location.

More at Mootsy’s

Another of the open-mike “Out Loud” poetry gatherings is set for 6 tonight at Mootsy’s tavern, 406. W. Sprague Ave. Those who want to read should show up early to sign up (838-1570).

Craft your writing

Sandpoint-based Lost Horse Press is holding a three-day “Midsummer’s Writers’ Workshop” with Gary Gildner July 28 through 30 at Oden Hall, 143 Sunnyside Road, Sandpoint.

Gildner is the author of poetry (“Blue Like the Heavens: New & Selected Poems”), fiction (“Somewhere Geese Are Flying: New & Selected Stories”), a novel (“The Second Bridge”), memoirs (“The Warsaw Sparks”) and numerous magazine articles.

Registration for the three-day workshop is $150. For more information, go online at www.losthorsepress.org/ events.html. For further information on Gildner, see http://weberstudies.weber.edu.

Book talk

•Poetry Reading Group (230-0950), 3 p.m. today, Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington (838-0206).

•Auntie’s Book Group (“The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho), 7 p.m. Tuesday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

The reader board

•Roger Libby (“The Naked Truth About Sex: A Guide to Intelligent Sexual Choices for Teenagers and Twentysomethings”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

•Luis A. Aguilar-Monsalve (“Dejen pasar al viento”), reading, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Science Center Auditorium, Whitworth College (777-3729).

•Laurie Lamon (“The Fork Without Hunger”), Lillias Bevers (“Bellini in Istanbul”), poetry readings, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Auntie’s Bookstore.