<div>Mr. Biespiel's column in the Oregonian announcing this list, featured a poem by my wife, Kathleen Halme. (I'm a proud librarian!) Her most recent book was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Here's the article:</div>
<div><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2009/09/poetry_150_poetry_books_honor.html" target="_blank">http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2009/09/poetry_150_poetry_books_honor.html</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>On Oregonlive, it's attributed to someone else at the Oregonian, but Biespiel wrote it. And here's Kathleen's site: <a href="http://kathleenhalme.com/" target="_blank">http://kathleenhalme.com/</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thanks!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 9:12 AM, Katie Anderson <<a href="mailto:anderson_katie@oslmac.osl.state.or.us" target="_blank">anderson_katie@oslmac.osl.state.or.us</a>> wrote:</div>
<div>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Contact:</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Katie Andersen Caitlin</div>
<div>> Dwyer Sandra Williams </div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Oregon State Library Poetry Northwest </div>
<div>> Mountain Writers Series</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> <a href="mailto:katie.anderson@state.or.us" target="_blank">katie.anderson@state.or.us</a> <a href="mailto:Caitlin@poetrynw.org" target="_blank">Caitlin@poetrynw.org</a> </div>
<div>> <a href="mailto:pdxmws@aol.com" target="_blank">pdxmws@aol.com</a></div>
<div>></div>
<div>> </div>
<div>></div>
<div>> FROM WAGONS TO WORDSTOCK:</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> 150 YEARS OF OREGON POETRY</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> </div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Portland, Oregon – September 2009: In celebration of Oregon’s</div>
<div>> Sesquicentennial Anniversary, esteemed literary journal Poetry Northwest and</div>
<div>> the Oregon State Library have released a list of 150 outstanding poetry</div>
<div>> books – one for each year of our statehood. These books range in style and</div>
<div>> subject matter, and poets both well-beloved and newly emerging are</div>
<div>> represented, from William Stafford to Michael McGriff. Each nominee has a</div>
<div>> connection to Oregon, whether the poet grew up in Madras or writes about the</div>
<div>> rain. The list will be published online as a service to libraries, schools,</div>
<div>> and citizens. Oregonians can access it online at Poetry Northwest</div>
<div>> (<a href="http://www.poetrynw.org/" target="_blank">www.poetrynw.org</a>).</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Poets from the list will honor the Sesquicentennial with readings at the</div>
<div>> 2009 Wordstock, the annual literary festival in Portland, on October 10 and</div>
<div>> 11, 2009, on the Mountain Writers Stage. The Mountain Writers Series</div>
<div>> sponsors readings, workshops, and seminars with local as well as national</div>
<div>> and international writers, and serves as a hub in the Oregon poetry</div>
<div>> community. Among the Wordstock readers will be Lex Runciman, Donna</div>
<div>> Henderson, Carlos Reyes, Mary Szybist, Matthew Dickman, Jessica Lamb, and</div>
<div>> Maxine Scates. A full schedule of Wordstock readings, including the Poetry</div>
<div>> 150 List, can be found at <a href="http://www.wordstockfestival.com/" target="_blank">www.wordstockfestival.com</a>.</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> To create the list, Jim Scheppke, State Librarian, and David Biespiel,</div>
<div>> editor of Poetry Northwest, solicited nominations from Oregon authors, as</div>
<div>> well as from the general public. The response was overwhelming. Oregonians</div>
<div>> wrote in large numbers with lists of their favorite books, and their</div>
<div>> nominations created a diverse list of Oregon’s best poetry. The State</div>
<div>> Library had previously released the Oregon 150 Booklist, which included</div>
<div>> works in children’s literature, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as poetry. </div>
<div>> Mr. Biespiel recognized that poetry had a strong community in Oregon and</div>
<div>> merited its own list, and so Poetry Northwest spearheaded the collaborative</div>
<div>> effort.</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> While the list cannot possibly include every poetry book</div>
<div>> published in or about our state, it provides a foundation for reading and a</div>
<div>> valuable resource for Oregonians. Because citizens and readers made the</div>
<div>> nominations, the list is unique from scholarly anthologies. Its creators</div>
<div>> believe that public engagement has shown the importance of poetry in the</div>
<div>> lives of citizens. According to Mr. Biespiel, the community has come</div>
<div>> together in support of the state and of literature. The result, he says, is</div>
<div>> “a spectacular civic achievement.”</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> </div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Poetry Northwest: 4232 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland 97215. 503-236-0615</div>
<div>> <a href="http://poetrynw.org/" target="_blank">poetrynw.org</a></div>
<div>></div>
<div>> The Oregon State Library: 250 Winter St. NE, Salem 97301-3950. 503-378-4243</div>
<div>> <a href="http://oregon.gov/OSL" target="_blank">oregon.gov/OSL</a></div>
<div>></div>
<div>> Mountain Writers Series: 2804 SE 27th Avenue, #2, Portland 97202.</div>
<div>> 503.232.4517 <a href="http://mountainwriters.org/" target="_blank">mountainwriters.org</a></div>
<div>></div>
<div>> # # #</div>
<div>></div>
<div>> </div>
<div>> _______________________________________________</div>
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