I hope that you can all come to the Student Union
to meet Mr. Stafford following tonight's reading.
We'll be in the Terrace lounge with our punch and cookies.
We have a printed newsletter which
has general information and some news about the creative writing
department faculty and students, some news about contest you
might enter, magazines that solicit submissions
from students.
And we'll have a stack of them over at the reception
if you'd like to have one.
There also will be copies of the Mr. Stafford's latest
book, Braided Apart, for sale.
Copies of Grilled Flowers Magazine for sale.
We had hoped to have the newest issue of the Blue Moon News,
but the printers were not able to get it for the publishers
today.
I don't need to tell you about William Stafford.
You know.
And you've been telling me for the last three months
that you couldn't wait for him to get here.
His most recent book is Braided Apart.
A collection of poems of his and his son's, Kim.
Mr. Stafford is still at Lewis and Clark College
where he's been since 1956.
His publication's list is far too long for me to read to you.
I would like to tell you about some of his honors.
He's received a Shelley Memorial Award, the National Endowment
for the Arts Grant, Guggenheim Fellowship, Yaddo Foundation
Fellowship, National Book Award, served as consultant in poetry
for the Library of Congress.
He was a lecturer in Egypt Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal,
and Bangladesh for the United States Information Agency.
And I don't want to take any more of his time.
I'm very happy to introduce to you Will Stafford.
[APPLAUSE]