Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..
Tonight
Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 34F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
One of the 14 panels displayed along the first-ever Poetry Walk to be installed April 1 on the Indian Creek Trail in Hood River, by Earle Thompson (1950-2006), a Native American poet who grew up on the Yakama Reservation.
One of the 14 panels displayed along the first-ever Poetry Walk to be installed April 1 on the Indian Creek Trail in Hood River, by Earle Thompson (1950-2006), a Native American poet who grew up on the Yakama Reservation.
HOOD RIVER — Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and the Hood River County Library District have teamed up on a project that will combine the popular Indian Creek Trail with 14 nature-themed poems. The signs will be installed on April 1 and remain on the trail throughout the summer.
It’s the handiwork of a seven-member volunteer Poetry Walk committee, all of whom have roots in the Gorge (see sidebar). Most are published writers themselves.
Paul Woolery, one of its members, said they all nominated five poems. “The criteria were that the poems be nature-themed and that they reflect the cultural land and ethnic history of the Hood River Valley,” he said. Members then voted for their favorites.
The poems are displayed over images provided by local photographers Brian Chambers, Cate Hotchkiss, Linda Steider, Paloma Ayala, and Peter Marbach.
The featured works come from a variety of poets — such as William Stafford (1914-1993), Poet Laureate Emeritus of Oregon; Antonio Machado (1875-1993), Spanish poet and playwright; Joy Harjo, American playwright, poet, musician and author; Vic Xochitl Chavez, a queer and disabled Mexican American poet; and David Wagoner (1926-2021), a poet, novelist, educator and conservationist.
Panel by Shizue Iwatsuki (1896-1984), a Japanese immigrant who settled in Hood River.
Image courtesy Poetry Walk committee
Also included are Hood River poets Shizue Iwatsuki (1896-1984), Japanese immigrant and self-taught poet who wrote in the tanka style; and Tina Castañares, writer and physician.
To launch the Poetry Walk, an open mic poetry event will be held on Wednesday, April 2 from 6-8 p.m. in the Hood River Library’s reading room. All are invited to attend, and to share an original work or just listen.
Additional information about the walk, poets, photographers, and the open mic event can be found at hoodriverlibrary.org/poetry-walk.
“We anticipate [the Poetry Walk to be] an annual event, which will grow in size and scope, featuring new poems each year,” Woolery said.
The committee will begin planning its 2026 installation soon. Those interested in joining can contact Woolery via the library’s Poetry Walk webpage or speak with him at the April 2 launch event.
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