Twenty five years ago writers and editors
Christopher Howell and
Christine Holbert (along with colleague and poet Scott Poole) had an idea. They wanted to create a “literary vortex” in our region, starting with a day of readings called Get Lit!, as a way to live the bookish lives of their dreams without moving to a more traditional literary publishing hub like New York. Twenty five years later, with their help, Spokane truly has become a literary city—one that boasts best-selling authors, small presses, decades-long poetry open-mics—and an enduring literary festival that in its 25th year is managing such feats as bringing the Poet Laureate of the United States to Spokane. There’s that vortex!
In addition to founding the Get Lit! Festival, Howell and Holbert have contributed in countless ways to the local literary landscape with their independent literary presses Lynx House Press and Lost Horse Press respectively, along with their work with the EWU Press, now Willow Springs Books, and of course Howell’s many years teaching poetry in the MFA program at EWU. At this event, we will learn more about how these two literary giants helped to make their dreams a reality. Holbert will read an excerpt from a favorite piece that she published, Howell will read from his latest collection of poetry, and Dan Butterworth, poet and professor at Gonzaga University, the new home of Howell’s Lynx House Press, will lead their conversation.
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