Amazing! At last Wednesday's William Stafford event, 98.8% of the people who get the e-mail blast did NOT show up! Tim Hogan, Marion Tincknell, and I didn't mind though. Tim and I were there a little before seven and secured our location in the bookstore along with a few folding chairs. Marion joined us, and we talked until the store closed at 10 p.m. We would have stayed later if the store was open longer. Mary Oliver and Linda Pastan came up in our discussion of Stafford's poems. And I was able to share with them that Helen Ruggieri studied with Stafford in Florida in 1985. This is the year Marion is going to get her book of poems published. And Tim is writing more poems.

"It is our goal to appreciate and improve our talents, to share our own work and to communicate the joys of poetry with others. Everyone's poetry is valued." River Junction Poets Mission Statement