Poetry readings at The Foundry and The Royal Block in June

WALLA WALLA—Two world-class poets are coming to southeastern Washington for readings in June. Dennis Held of Spokane, Wash., and Stephen Thomas from Stuttgart, Germany, will read at venues in Walla Walla on June 16 and Waitsburg on June 17. Both readings will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Dennis Held is the author of three acclaimed books of poetry, most recently “Not Me, Exactly” from Charles Potts’ Hand to Mouth Press. In 2022, terrain.org awarded the poet a Pushcart Prize for his essay “What I’ll Miss.” A former editor of literary journals, including “CutBank” and the “Talking River Review.” Betting on the Night is an earlier book from Lost Horse Press. Held has also edited over 100 book-length manuscripts as an editor, from which he recently retired.

Stephen Thomas has published work in various magazines, newspapers, and broadsheets, including “Exquisite Corpse,” “Poetry Northwest, “The Temple,” “Malahat Review,” “Windfall,” “The Seattle Times,” “The Seattle Weekly,” “Malpais Review,” and “West Branch.”

Books by Thomas include “Poems” (1981), “Venom” (1991), “Journeyman” (1997), and “What Is Between Us” (2023), published by Hand to Mouth Press.

He has contributed to the anthologies “Jack Straw Writers,” “Confluence,” and “Portland Lights,”– the last two co-edited with Steve Nemirow and Barbara LaMorticella. He has taught writing and literature at Cornell University, the University of Washington, Cornish College, University Prep, and the International School of Stuttgart.

Dennis Held and Stephen Thomas have new books from Hand to Mouth Press, which is sponsoring the readings. Books will be available at the events for purchase. They were both published in Walla Walla poetry quarterly “The Temple” and anthologized in “Pacific Northwestern Spiritual Poetry.”

The Foundry Vineyards,1111 Abadie Street, Walla Walla, Wash., is hosting the reading on Friday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. Held and Thomas will read at The Royal Block, 222 Main Street, Waitsburg, Wash., on Saturday, June 17. Both venues are well-known wine establishments, so plan to come early for congenial evenings of wine and poetry. For additional information, call (509) 240-2941.