The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

WordFest resumes in-person events on Tuesday, March 8, with a farewell and appreciation for Chris Skaugset, outgoing director of the Longview Public Library. The event will be held from 5-6 p.m. at the Broadway Barrel Room, 1333 Broadway Avenue in Longview.

The public is welcome to participate in the informal event. There will be a formal presentation at 6 p.m.

“It’s an opportunity for people to express their appreciation to Chris for the many roles he has played over the years in supporting the literary community here,” said Alan Rose, who coordinates the WordFest gatherings.

Skaugset worked at Longview Public Library for the past 19 years. As director, he was a strong advocate for the important functions public libraries continue to perform in communities across the nation, and he has been an active collaborator with other community organizations, such as Project Read, and the Northwest Voices series.

The regular evening’s presentation of readings will follow after a brief break at 6:15 with two of WordFest’s most popular presenters.

Jan Bono will read from her recently concluded Sylvia Avery mystery series, set on the Long Beach peninsula, and will share her post-Sylvia writing plans. Copies of her six books in the series will be available for autographing. Bono has also written five collections of humorous short stories, two poetry chapbooks, and nine one-act plays. She has been published in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul and Woman’s World.

Retired judge and storyteller Ed Putka will be reading a short story in the second hour. A WordFest favorite, Putka has been compared to Garrison Keillor for his humorous Cleveland stories set in the Polish neighborhood of his youth. His latest story, “Turtle Soup,” is an account of his uncle’s adventures trying to find a recipe for turtle soup. Putka currently serves on the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Legal Aid Board.

There will be an open mic period following the presentations.

WordFest is an informal gathering of writers and readers who meet the second Tuesday of each month, 6-8 p.m., at Broadway Barrel Room. The events are free and open to the public.

More information and the WordFest newsletter are available at http://www.alan-rose.com.