Toledo sees strong turnout for Poet Laureate reading

Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen (far left) speaks to an audience of around 20 individuals during a poetry reading at the Toledo Community Library on Saturday. The reading had been the first public event held at the library since it opened Aug. 13, and will be followed by an open house this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. sponsored by the Timberland Regional Library District.

Around 20 community members were present for a special presentation from Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen and author Terry Martin at the Toledo Community Library on Saturday night.

The first public event since the library opened on Aug. 13, Austen shared how it is her imperative as an appointed spokesperson of area poets to act as their representative and share their work and their spirit with communities all across the state.

"My job is really to be an ambassador for poetry," she said, stating it is often her custom to open a reading with the works of other writers.

For Saturday's presentation, Austen chose to begin with The Layers, a poem by late author Stanley Kunitz, who was twice appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, as well as At Value Village by Washington writer Nance Van Winckel, who lives in Spokane.

Austen said it is often her pleasure to share the works of poets from eastern Washington when visiting with residents in the western part of the state, and vice versa, to help share works otherwise separated by geographical divides.

She also took time read from her own work, choosing Every Dress a Decision specifically for Toledo, given its recent history of significant fires and the poem's opening of a woman searching for perishing possessions in the midst of a household blaze.

"There are times in all of our lives when we need the language of poetry," she said, stating some perspectives and emotions end up being so strong or beyond ourselves we must turn to the lyrical rather than the direct to say what we mean.

It was this impact of poetry that led Martin to take up her pen and begin writing, describing how, after the loss of her mother, she felt utterly broken and could not help but write to express her grief.

Martin shared selections from her new book, The Light You Find, which dealt with expressions of loss, as well as themes of awkwardness and during adolescence, stating many of her works have been inspired by her background as an educator.

Martin also read some of her favorite poems celebrating libraries, stating, along with Austen, she felt is was a considerable accomplishment for Toledo to have taken the initiative and begun their own library program.

Added Austen: "I say bravo, brava to all of you for making that happen."

After the presentation, Austen and Martin were able to take questions from the audience and share some of their insights and history as poets. Austen also offered donations to the library of the books she read from that night, as well as an audio CD of her reading poetry from the book Skin Prayers.

The next event at the Toledo Community Library will be an open house sponsored by the Timberland Regional Library District this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Other public events are expected to be scheduled as library services expand. For more information, call the library at (360) 864-6757.

Author Terry Martin (background) reads from her new book The Light You Find, a collection of poems dealing with such topics as grief, loss and the awkwardness of adolescence, which have been common themes of Martin's works.