Paulann Petersen, Oregon’s sixth Poet Laureate, recently said that “we write to create ourselves, to discover, to define—moment to moment to moment—who we are, who we are becoming. This happens as we write.” Petersen will be creating, discovering, defining and writing at two library programs in May. She will lead a writer’s workshop at the Redmond Public Library on May 11 and will be the Second Sunday guest reader on May 12 at the Downtown Public Library. Registration is required for the writer’s workshop.

May 11, 2013 • 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Writing Workshop
Redmond Public Library

May 12, 2013 • 2:00 p.m.
Second Sunday
Downtown Bend Public Library

Petersen is a former high school teacher and author of five poetry collections and four chapbooks. Her most recent publication is Shimmer and Drone, a chapbook of poems about India. A sixth collection, Understory, is forthcoming from Lost Horse Press. She has led workshops and given readings in hundreds of places—from Powell's in Portland to Omsania University in India—and in nearly every nook and cranny of Oregon. She was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and the recipient of the 2006 Holbrook Award from Oregon Literary Arts. A Portland native, she is a member of Friends of William Stafford and organizes the annual Stafford birthday readings.

Edwin Markham was named Oregon’s first poet laureate 90 years ago. The legislature made the post official in 1989. First appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski in 2010, Petersen was reappointed by Governor John Kitzhaber to a second term in 2012. Oregon’s Poet Laureate program is a collaborative project of the state’s five cultural partners, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Humanities, and State Historic Preservation Office, with funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust.

For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Liz at 312-1032.