Quoting author Claire Krulikowski, Angela Decker wrote a nice article about this past weekend’s ashland author book fair, which was published in Monday’s Ashland Daily Tidings.
Here’s an excerpt:
The sixth annual Southern Oregon Book Fair drew a crowd of book lovers to the Ashland Springs Hotel on Saturday. The free event offered a rare chance for readers to meet regional writers in person, and for authors to promote their work and network with one another.
Sarah Brown, a fair attendee and Ashland writer, said she found the event inspirational.
“I like this,” she said. “It proves that you can actually complete something. That’s why I’m here. I just think it is cool to be around all these people who have completed something.”
The fair also highlighted the rich body of local writers.
“This is a very creative community,” said Claire Krulikowski, the co-founder and organizer of the event.
The authors represented a variety of both fiction and nonfiction genres, including romance, mystery, business, poetry, spirituality and history.
More than 50 authors were showcased.
Liz Robinson, a poet from Talent, was selling her poetry collection at the fair.
“This is an amazing place,” she said. “What a fantastic mix of people and talent. We are so fortunate to live in this community.”
I agree with Liz. Ashland has a fantastic mix of people and talent. I appreciate all that local writers like Claire Krulikowski and the good folks who wrote SOWW, do for our small city.
Angela Decker’s article continues:
Organizers said they were pleased that the move from the fair’s previous location at Southern Oregon University to the Ashland Springs Hotel had led to more foot traffic and greater participation from visitors to the downtown area.
“SOU was wonderful, but the hotel is a great location for the fair. Downtown is just more accessible and easy for visitors to find,” Krulikowski said.
Patrick Farrell, a visitor from Mountain View, Calif., had no trouble finding the book fair.
“This is such a friendly event — the authors, the people, this whole town. I’m just charmed,” he said.
The first Southern Oregon Book Fair was held in connection with Medford’s Art in the Alley fair, and has since moved to Ashland. While book signings are fairly common in the area, there was no forum for a large group of authors and readers to gather together at one time until Krulikowski and author Jura Sherwood co-founded the book fair in 2003. It has been a favorite for local writers and book fans ever since.
For more on the more recent local author book fair in Ashland, click here.
7 other fabulous authors (besides Claire Krulikowski) who live in Southern Oregon:
- Edwin Battistella
- Valerie Coulman
- Kim Griswell
- Victor Lodato
- Michael McRae
- Virginia Morell
- Midge Raymond
We also have many accomplished poets who live in our town. For example, Angela Decker, who freelances for the Ashland Daily Tidings, is herself an accomplished poet. Other beloved poets include Jonah Bornstein, Amy Miller, Liz Robinson, and Richard Lehnert.
Published: November 19, 2008
Last update: February 4, 2020
Leave a Reply