[Heritage] Stafford birth centennial declared a statewide celebration

[Heritage Info]

The 2014 centennial of the birth of one of Oregon’s greatest poets has
been declared a statewide celebration by the Oregon Heritage Commission.
The poet, William Stafford, served as poet laureate of Oregon for 14
years and published more than 60 collections of poetry and prose.
 
“Stafford’s poetry remains alive across the country today more than two
decades after his death,” said commission coordinator Kyle Jansson. “New
books of his work are being published and numerous events will take
place next year as the public absorbs the words and thoughts of one of
the most prolific and admired American writers of the 20th century.”
 
Stafford moved to Oregon from his native Kansas in 1948 and settled
with his family in Lake Oswego. He taught for more than 30 years at
Lewis and Clark College which now houses his archives. Stafford won many
prestigious literary awards, including the National Book Award. He was
Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress (a post now called the US
Poet Laureate) in 1970.
 
“Stafford’s plain-spoken poems – quiet yet tough-minded – gained a wide
following, even among readers who did not think they liked poetry,” the
commission’s declaration states.
 
The Oregon Library Association has selected Stafford as its featured
author for the Oregon Reads program in 2014. Nearly 100 libraries have
already joined the effort. They will select one or more Stafford-related
books, ask everyone in their community to read them and sponsor programs
that celebrate them. The Oregon Reads website is
http://oregonreads2014.com  
 
State law authorizes the Heritage Commission, whose members are
appointed by the governor, to declare celebrations of statewide
significance. Prior to the Stafford declaration, the most recent
celebration was the 2012 centennial of woman’s suffrage in Oregon.
 
For more information about William Stafford visit the Friends of
William Stafford website at www.williamstafford.org 
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