Lake Oswego Reads is honoring one of its own this year by giving away over 800 free copies of Ask Me, a collection of one hundred of William Stafford’s poems in celebration of his centennial, this Tuesday, January 6 at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to national fame, winning several awards including the National Book Award in 1963 for Traveling Through the Dark and serving as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1970 (an honor now known as Poet Laureate), Stafford was a local celebrity who taught at Lewis and Clark College and lived in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Kickoff festivities include music by fiddler Kathryn Claire and Stafford’s favorite carrot cake. These are just to whet your literary appetite for all the events the LO Reads program has lined up in honor of William Stafford for February.

Here are some highlights:

●Stafford Discussion Groups held on February 3 at 3:00 p.m. at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street; February 14 at 1:00 p.m. at the Adult Community Center, 505 G Avenue;  February 21 at 1:00 p.m at the Lake Oswego Municipal Golf Course Restaurant, 17525 Stafford Rd; and February 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

●A free two day Stafford symposium at Lewis and Clark College, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd., Miller Hall. Registration requested.

●Centennial celebration filled with nationally recognized authors and poets at the Newmark Theatre, Friday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m., 1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR. Tickets: $19-$57.

●Children’s puppet show at the Lake Oswego Library based on Stafford’s picture book, Everyone Out Here Knows: A Big Foot Tale. Saturday, February 8 at 11:00 a.m. , 706 Fourth Street.

●Complimentary dessert buffet and  presentation by Stafford’s son, Kim Stafford, Thursday, February 13. Dessert at 6:00 p.m. in Lake Oswego High School Cafeteria; presentation at 7:00 p.m. in auditorium. 2501 Country Club Road. Tickets are free but only two per library card and issued on Saturday, February 1, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

●High School Poetry Slam, Thursday, February 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Lake Oswego High School Black Box Theater, 2501 Country Club Rd.

Check the library for a complete listing of events.