Reading to Remember Poet William Stafford

Local college professors, publishers and fans will remember poet William Stafford at a public gathering Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. in the Los Padres National Forest. The second annual Remembering William Stafford: A Community Reading will be held at the First Crossing Day Use Area on Paradise Road off of Highway 154 and across the road from the Los Prietos Boys Camp at 3900 Paradise Road.

The event is free and no day use fees are necessary to attend the reading.

“Last year’s gathering included a wonderful cross-section of the community,” says Paul Willis, Westmont professor of English, who is hosting the event. “We are very pleased that the forest service has installed a small permanent exhibit on Stafford at their Los Prietos Visitor Center.”

David Starkey, director of the creative writing program at Santa Barbara City College, and Glenna Luschei, publisher of Solo Press are featured readers. Half the program is set aside for the public to read their favorite Stafford poems.

The event is sponsored by The Friends of William Stafford, Westmont College and Santa Barbara City College.

“Stafford was a uniquely humble man, a reconciling presence, a mentor and encourager to many of the present generation of American poets,” Willis says.

Stafford won the National Book Award in Poetry in 1963 for his book “Traveling Through the Dark.” He also served as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress and as poet laureate of Oregon. During World War II, he worked for the U. S. Forest Service as a conscientious objector at the Los Prietos Civilian Public Service Camp. This camp, now torn down and converted to a picnic area, is where the reading will take place.

In case of rain, the reading will be moved indoors to the Los Prietos Ranger Station at 3505 Paradise Road. For more information, please contact Westmont professor Paul Willis at (805) 565-7174 or willis@westmont.edu.