Coos Bay Public Library, 525 Anderson Ave., Coos Bay, OR - Rewilding Words: Writing Workshop with Ellen Waterston, Thursday, April 9 in the Myrtlewood Room, 4:00pm – 5:30pm. Oregon's Poet Laureate! For decades, Ellen Waterston has dedicated herself to writing and advocating for the literary arts in the high desert region of Oregon, all the while continuing to write poetry and nonfiction works that have evolved into essential reading about Oregon and the West. As an award-winning high desert author and poet Waterston has published five poetry and four literary nonfiction titles, including, most recently, As Far as I Can Anthem, Poems (2026), We Could Die Doing This (2024), and Walking the High Desert (2020). Her awards include the Soapstone Bread and Roses Award, the Stewart H Holbrook Award, an honorary PhD in the Humane Letters from Oregon State University Cascades, and individual artist fellowships from Diderot, Fishtrap and the Oregon Arts Commission. Join us for a free writing workshop with Ellen Waterston! Supplemented with handouts and using a variety of in-class approaches, this workshop will return writers of poetry and prose to the page with renewed commitment and inspiration. Age Bracket: Teens & Adults; The Poetry Express: Presentation & Reading with Ellen Waterston; Thursday, April 9 in the Myrtlewood Room, 6:00pm – 7:00pm; Oregon's Poet Laureate! In 2024, Waterston was named to a two-year term as the eleventh Poet Laureate of Oregon. Having so far visited twenty-two out of thirty-six counties across Oregon’s 96,000 square miles, Ellen Waterston will reflect on her first term and the Poetry in Public Places initiative she has underway statewide. Her presentation will also include readings of her work and others, including poems by students she has met during her travels. The Poetry Express! In 2024, Waterston was named to a two-year term as the eleventh Poet Laureate of Oregon. Having so far visited twenty-two out of thirty-six counties across Oregon’s 96,000 square miles, Ellen Waterston will reflect on her first term and the Poetry in Public Places initiative she has underway statewide. Her presentation will also include readings of her work and others, including poems by students she has met during her travels. Age Bracket: Teens & Adults.

Ellen Waterston (2 Events): Writing Workshop & Reading with Oregon’s Poet Laureate

CBPL release - Coos Bay Public Library, in partnership with Oregon Humanities, will co-host two events with Oregon’s Poet Laureate, Ellen Waterston of Bend, Oregon. Both events will be held on Thursday, April 9. Waterston will hold a writing workshop, Rewilding Words, from 4:00pm-5:30pm and a reading presentation, The Poetry Express, at 6:00pm. 4:00pm Workshop will return writers of poetry and prose to the page with renewed commitment and inspiration. Then, at 6:00pm, Waterston will reflect on her first term and the Poetry in Public Places initiative she has underway statewide. Her presentation will also include readings of her work and others, including poems by students she has met during her travels. Both programs will be held in the Myrtlewood Room at the Coos Bay Public Library. Events are FREE and open to everyone! Join us!

One Coast, One Book

CBPL release - The Coos Bay Public Library is proud to be part of the inaugural session of the largest book club on the West Coast. The One Coast, One Book book club has gathered people from the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California in joining together to read a single book. For this first ever event, George Takei’s book, They Called Us Enemy has been selected. This graphic memoir recounts George Takei’s childhood experience of incarceration alongside more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were U.S. citizens, following Executive Order 9066 in 1942. As part of this special event this book is available in unlimited quantities to our patrons through the Libby app. We hope you will join us in reading this powerful book and attend the activities that we will be hosting that will help broaden our understanding of this dark time in American history such as a screening of Allegiance, a recording of the Broadway musical based on George Takei’s experience in the prison camps, a discussion meeting where we will discuss the book while enjoying snacks, and a live viewing party of the George Takei with the LA County Library Director, Dr. Skye Patrick, and the Long Beach Public Library Director, Cathy de Leon. Please check the coos bay library calendar for these events in May!