Writers Network reconnects Wednesday

The Albany Writers Network meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday on the ground floor of the Armory Building, 104 Fourth Ave. S.W., in downtown Albany.

All aspiring authors and poets are welcome. Bring a sample of work to read aloud.

Native American speaker at OSU

Oregon State University, as part of the Native American philosophies class and lectures, will host Wilma Mankiller, the first woman principal chief of the Cherokee nation.

The event is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Gilfillan Auditorium.

The lecture is free. It is not designed for children. For more information, call 737-2955.

LBCC Writers Series

kicks off this week

The Linn-Benton Community College Valley Writers Series kicks off with a poetry reading and workshop by Paulann Petersen at noon Friday in the Fireside Room of the College Center at LBCC at 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany.

Petersen will give a reading from her recent book of poetry from noon to 12:50 p.m., with a workshop following from 1 to 1:50 p.m.

The workshop will focus on the use of William Stafford poems as springboards to generate writing. Handouts will be provided so that workshop participants can adapt the springboards for the classroom, for writing groups or for their own individual work as writers.

Petersen’s book of poetry “A Bride of Narrow Escape” was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. She serves on the board of Friends of William Stafford.

The LBCC Valley Writers Series is free. For more information, contact Lucette Wood at 917-4620. For disability accommodations, call 917-4789 or TDD 800-735-2900.

Local author speaks

at Philomath school

Children’s author Gret-chen Olson comes to the Philomath Middle School Library, 2021 Chapel Drive, at 8:20 a.m., 10:10 a.m. and

1 p.m. Monday.

From Amity, she has written two books. The first is one that the PMS students have been reading, “Joyride,” the story of a high school boy who is made to face the consequences of his joyride through a farmer’s field by working side by side with migrant workers for the summer. He gains a new understanding and appreciation for a different culture.

The second book, “Call Me Hope,” is about an 11-year-old girl experiencing verbal abuse and how she deals with it.

It was just released for publication at the beginning of this month.

Olson will be selling and autographing the books. For information, call 929-3167.

Jewish Nobel laureates celebrated at Beit Am

The Beit Am Adult Education Committee presents “Jewish Nobel Laureates in Literature” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Beit Am, 625 N.W. 36th St., Corvallis.

It’s the 12th annual staged reading, lecture and performance, this year written by Mike Aronson and Anne Hartheimer.

A mix of 27 veteran and first-time readers are signed up to perform dramatizations of selected works by Joseph Brodsky, Paul Heyse, Imre Kertesz, Nelly Sachs, Nadine Gordimer, Boris Pasternak, Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

The audience will also learn how the Nobel Prize came to be (and how it almost didn’t come to be) and what it takes to win a Nobel Prize.

The readers this year are Mike Aronson, Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, Regina Berman, Molly Bloomfield, Ken Bronstein, Amy Buccola, Steve Buccola, Adam Burlock, Jed Clinger, Anne Hartheimer, Rachel Peck, Larry Plotkin, Shelley Dubkin Lee, Bob Lee, David Rabinowitz, Iris Rilov, Shir Rilov, Devin Rosegold, Richard Sapon White, Sarah Sapon White, Marcia Shaw, Marilyn Syverson, Melissa Weintraub, Aaron Wolf, Ariella Wolf, Eitan Wolf and Yardena Wolf.

Reading Friday

at Grass Roots

Ashna Graves, the author of the mystery “Death Pans Out,” will read at Grass Roots Books & Music, 227 S.W. Second St., at 7 p.m. Friday.

For more information, call 754-7668.

‘PoeTea’ on April 29

at prayer center

MOUNT ANGEL — A poetry and tea event take place from 2 to 4 p.m. April 29 at the Shalom Prayer Center at Queen of Angels Monastery, 840 S. Main St.

The “PoeTea” is an afternoon of poetry, tea and refreshments. Sponsored by the Shalom Prayer Center board of directors, this event will feature six local poets reading from their work. “PoeTea” is part of the year long celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Benedictine Sisters of Queen of Angels Monastery.

The poets who are participating in the event are: Sr. Alicia Kleiman, Pat Love, Efrain Diaz-Horna, Ginger Fennimore Shull, Sr. Miriam Hendrikson and Steve Slemenda.

The poetry readings will begin at 2:30 p.m. The event is free. Tea attire and hats are welcome.

For more information on “PoeTea,” call Shalom Prayer Center at 503-845-6773, or e-mail shalom@open.org.

Staff reports