In the last years of the millennium through the first years of the current century, Corvallis saw a 'golden age' of local poetry. It was a time when readings, slams and themed literary gatherings filled the calendar; when poetry groups and workshops, poetry outreach and poets-in-the-schools programs, publications and venues flourished; when listening to poetry was like hearing the heartbeat of Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Voices of the Valley: An Anthology of Corvallis Poets contains the work of 32 local poets, as impressive a group as any the Pacific Northwest has produced, who significantly impacted the local, the regional and even the national literary community as writers, teachers, editors, publishers and poetry ambassadors. Here was the hub of the poetry scene in the Willamette Valley, a literary oasis that fed a steady stream of events, publications and collaboration.
The range of outstanding venues, organizations and publications that formed a home for Corvallis's formidable poets matched the variety of voices, complementing them well while showcasing their poems before an enthusiastic public--packed houses almost any night of the week. Popular reading series as well as large-draw single events became celebrations of local life. Literary publications attracted national and international audiences. Weekly literary groups flourished: some of the best poetry of the time was inspired here, some of the sessions legendary. For all the public fanfare, Corvallis was at heart an incredibly close and nurturing literary community. With this collection, these 32 eclectic voices shine enduring light on that exciting time.
The poets featured in the anthology include honored teachers, editors and prize-winning poets, including Oregon Book Award winners and an Oregon Poet Laureate. Included are Chris Anderson, Sara Backer, Barbara Baldwin, Rachel Barton, David Biespiel, Dorothy Black Crow, Richard Dankleff, Greg Darling, Be Davison Herrera, Eric Wayne Dickey, George Estreich, Linda Gelbrich, Charles Goodrich, Donna Henderson, Karen Holmberg, Steve Jones, Michael Malan, Jennifer Richter, Lex Runciman, Peter Sears, Matthew Shenoda, Steven Sher, Susan Spady, Michael Spring, Ann Staley, Clem Starck, Doug Stone, Anita Sullivan, Peggy Taylor, Linda Varsell Smith, Roger Weaver and Dale Willey.
