RAYMOND CARVER WRITING FESTIVAL
Poetry and Pie at Clatskanie Library Launches Writing Festival
Poetry and Pie at the Clatskanie Library will launch the 2023 Raymond Carver Writing Festival (RCWF) Poetry Contest on Tuesday, April 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. Pie was known to be Carver’s favorite dessert.
The poetry contest is open to to youth living within the Clatskanie School District boundaries and adults from throughout the Lower Columbia region will be judged in the following categories: Youth (ages 8-10, 11-12, 13-15, 16-18); Adults: Published and Non-Published, and Haiku: Open to both youth and adults. Entries are limited to two poems per poet. Cash prizes will be awarded.
The April 4th kick-off event at the Clatskanie Library, 11 Lillich Street, will include the reading of Carver’s poem, Happiness, which contains this year’s contest theme: “Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really, any morning talk about it.”
Some of the work of Oregon’s Poet Laureate, Anis Mojgani, who will be the special guest at the RCWF’s culmination on May 19-20, will also be read.
Stations with poetry games: Hakubes, Poetry Injustice, Paint Chip Poetry, and Poetry for Neanderthals, plus a magnetic poetry board, will be featured at the April 4th Poetry and Pie event, as well as homemade pie. There is no charge.
Entry forms for this year’s poetry contest will be available.
For more information about the poetry contest, and the May 19-20 RCWF events visit https://www.clatskanielibrary.org/raymond-carver-writing-festival-2023
The Raymond Carver Writing Festival is sponsored by the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Humanities, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Historical Society, State Historical Preservation Office, Columbia County Cultural Coalition, Oregon Cultural Trust, Clatskanie Foundation, Clatskanie Library, Wauna Credit Union, Writer’s Guild of Astoria, C.C. Stern Type Foundry, Clatskanie Arts Commission, and Jerome White.