Prolific poet and former Poet Laureate of Oregon William Stafford holds a major influence on many writers in the Rogue Valley.

Stafford, who died at age 79 in 1983, will be honored once again by the Friends of the Hannon Library during the 29th annual William Stafford Celebration, featuring multiple notable poets in Southern Oregon.

“Stafford is an influence in a lot of ways … As a poet, he’s readable and has an observational, moral voice, seeing what’s going on in world,” said Edwin Battistella, vice president of the Friends of the Hannon Library and longtime event attendee.

The poetry celebration is set from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, in the Meese Room in the library at Southern Oregon University, and will also be available for viewing virtually via Zoom.

The Hannon Library is located at 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland.

The William Stafford Celebration is free to attend and will feature special guest poet Joan Peterson, along with poets Barret O’Brien, Steve Dieffenbacher, Alma Rosa Alvarez, and Dave Moodie.

In-person attendees are invited to read a favorite Stafford poem during the event; further details can be found at events.sou.edu/event/annual_william_stafford_poetry_celebration?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=Southern+Oregon+University.

The event will include light refreshments and complimentary parking at lots 21 and 22, with metered parking available at parking lots 1, 12, 29, 36, 37 and 41.

To access the celebration via zoom, see hanlib.sou.edu/friends/lectureseries.html.

Emcee Amy Miller will present the poetry celebration.

“It’s a wonderful thing we have right here in the Rogue Valley that celebrates William Stanford, who was the quintessential Oregon poet,” Miller said. “He published more than 65 books during his life and wrote an estimated 20,000 poems.”

Beyond his role as Oregon Poet Laureate from 1975 to 1990, Stafford was named Consultant in Poetry to the U.S. Library of Congress, an honor known today as the U.S. Poet Laureate. Stafford also earned the Western States Book Award for lifetime achievement in poetry.

“I think it’s a wonderful art form and human thing we demonstrate with poetry, and it’s weathered the ages for thousands of years, cultures and languages,” Miller said of poetry as a whole.

The Friends of the Hannon Library was established in 1974 by a group of Southern Oregon University librarians, faculty members and community members to raise money and enrich the library’s literary collections.

The funds raised contribute to Friends of Hannon Library-sponsored lecture series each year, bringing speakers to the SOU campus for talks on a range of literary topics.

“William Stafford, former poet laureate of Oregon, harnessed the essence of the Pacific Northwest in his verses,” said Carrie Forbes, university librarian at SOU. “Libraries symbolize access to knowledge and the democratization of information. In a similar vein, Stafford’s poetry often serves as a conduit for understanding, offering insights and perspectives that are accessible to all.”

For prospective attendees who need disability accommodations to participate in the celebration, contact SOU’s Disability Resources office at 541-552-6213.

For more information on the event, contact Hannon Library staff at 541-552-6816 or libraryevents@sou.edu.