Book notes: Beacon Hill series brings Rognes, Matson, Cartwright together for reading

The Beacon Hill Reading Series is sticking close to home for Wednesday’s installment.

Three Spokane writers will read from their work in the event at the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities at Spokane Community College.

Brooke Matson, program director for the Spark Center and Ink Artspace, published her first full-length poetry collection, “The Moons,” in 2012. She’s had work featured in Floating Bridge Review, CALYX and RiverLit, where she was poet in residence in 2014.

Ben Cartwright, a Spokane native who returned to his hometown after 13 years in Kansas and China, won the Ana Damjanov Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets in 2012. His work has been featured in Stinging Fly, Seneca Review, Sentence, and other journals. He teaches for the Community Colleges of Spokane.

Liz Rognes is a musician and writer from Spokane. She released an album, “Topographies,” in 2012, helped found the Girls Rock Lab at Ink Artspace, and has performed her blend of indie folk rock all over the region. She teaches at Eastern Washington University.

Wednesday’s program is free and runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Hagan Center is located in the Learning Resources Center (aka the library).

Valentine’s Day … with words

This year, Feb. 14 will be a day to take in literature. That evening, the second Lilac City Fairy Tales will bring 11 women writers from the Inland Northwest to the stage at the Bing Crosby theater for a readings of short works inspired by the prompt “Marry a Monster.” That fun begins at 7 p.m., and tickets are $13 (available through www.bingcrosbytheater.com).

Earlier in the day, a host of local writers will gather at the Spokane Valley Barnes and Noble store for a signing event. The idea? The authors will be on hand to personalize copies of their books, just in time for Valentine’s Day gift giving.

The event begins at 11 a.m. and will include Danielle Annett, Brooklyn Ann, Åsa Maria Bradley, Sarah Brady, Kris Dinnison, S. M. Hulse, Cindy Hval, Stephanie Oakes, Kerry Schafer, Sharma Shields, Rachel Toor, Augustina Van Hoven, Mary J. Williams and Maya Jewell Zeller.

The store is at 15310 E. Indiana Ave.