Come enjoy a glass of wine or beer with the LWC and award-winning local author and poet Henry Hughes as we celebrate ​river poems and river restoration!

Date: Saturday, December 3
Time: 4:00 - 6:00pm
Place: The Valkyrie Wine Tavern (301 S. Main St., Independence)

No RSVP required!

Join the Luckiamute Watershed Council and award-winning local author Henry Hughes to celebrate our connections to rivers, which inspired the poetry in Hughes' brand new anthology, River Poems. Several poets will be reading their contributions to this anthology, and 100% of all donations, plus the proceeds of the first 20 books sold, will go to support the LWC's watershed restoration efforts!​

You are invited to drop in at any time between 4 and 6pm to meet Henry Hughes, some of the featured River Poems poets and LWC staff, plus enjoy some of Valkyrie's amazing selection of wine and beer at the no-host bar! Non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks will also be available. Come early for an opportunity to enjoy a free glass of wine*, to hear opening remarks by Henry Hughes, and to learn more about the Luckiamute Watershed Council and restoration efforts that are happening all around the watershed.

*Note that there will be a limited supply of free wine available, on a first come first serve basis!

Artwork Auction!

Because our connection to rivers can be manifested in artwork as well as writing, Henry Hughes is also going to auction off a wonderful river painting during this event! This watercolor painting, entitled "Pringle Creek," was painted by Ruth DeLong, who was an established artist at River Gallery in Independence. The highest bidder will go home with this beautiful piece, and the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Luckiamute Watershed Council.

"Pringle Creek," (20" x 18" watercolor) by Ruth DeLong (1950-2010)

About Henry Hughes

Henry Hughes is the author of four collections of poetry, including Men Holding Eggs (2004 Oregon Book Award), Moist Meridian (2011 Finalist for the Oregon Book Award), Shutter Lines (2012, with photos by Paul Gentry) and Bunch of Animals (2016). His poems and essays have appeared in Antioch Review, Carolina Quarterly, Sewanee Review, Shenandoah, Seattle Review, and Harvard Review where his book reviews regularly appear. His fishing memoir, Back Seat with Fish: A Man’s Adventures in Angling and Romance, was published in 2016 by Skyhorse. He is the editor of the Everyman’s Library anthologies, The Art of Angling: Poems about Fishing and Fishing Stories, and his poems and essays related to fishing appear in Gray’s Sporting Journal, Anglers Journal, and The Flyfishing & Tying Journal, where he serves as deputy editor. Hughes is a professor of literature and writing at Western Oregon University.