PORT TOWNSEND — The author of “Piano Tide” will be in town today and Thursday for events that wrap up the 14th annual Community Read.
Kathleen Dean Moore, an environmental philosopher and activist as well as an author, will be accompanied by classical pianist Rachelle McCabe, a professor of music at Oregon State University.
“The response has been great” to this year’s Community Read, Melody Sky Eisler, Port Townsend Public Library director, said Tuesday.
The library had 350 copies of “Piano Tide” available this month for the program.
Some come back every day, but they immediately go back into the community when someone sees it’s available, Library Eisler said
“This is the most books we’ve ever purchased [through the Port Townsend Public Library Foundation], and they were gone like that,” she said.
The duo of Moore and McCabe from Corvallis, Ore., will put on “A Call to Life” musical performance at 7 tonight at Trinity United Methodist Church, 609 Taylor St., in uptown Port Townsend.
A meet-the-author event with Moore is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Port Townsend High School auditorium, 1500 Van Ness St. McCabe will accompany Moore on piano. A question-and-answer session will follow.
Both events this week are free. A book signing will take place Thursday, and copies will be for sale through Imprint Books of Port Townsend.
“Piano Tide” is about a fictional town in Alaska and touches on many environmental themes.
Eisler said many Jefferson County readers have drawn comparisons to Port Townsend.
“These are very difficult subjects, but fiction is a great doorway for us to have those discussions,” she said.
A writers’ workshop focused on “activist writing” will take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Charles Pink House, 1256 Lawrence St.
It’s free to participate, but Eisler said spaces need to be reserved in advance by calling 360-385-3181. The theme is “A Work of a Writer in a World of Wounds.”
Eisler said more than 600 people have attended events related to the Community Reads program this month. The program ties together similar concepts as the Global Earth Repair conference, which is scheduled to be held in May at Ford Worden State Park.
“This is about how people can get involved and learn how to better our environment,” Eisler said.
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56052, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
