Events & Opportunities

June 17, 2025

Poetry Reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston

Join Rogue River Library for a poetry reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston. There will be time at the end of the program for a brief Q&A.  Ellen Waterston began her term as the eleventh Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024.  The Oregon Poet Laureate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon.

1:00 p.m., Medford Library, Medford

June 17, 2025

Poetry Reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston

Join Rogue River Library for a poetry reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston. There will be time at the end of the program for a brief Q&A.  Ellen Waterston began her term as the eleventh Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024.  The Oregon Poet Laureate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon.

3:30 p.m., Rogue River Library, Rogue River

June 18, 2025

Poetry Reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston

Join Rogue River Library for a poetry reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston. There will be time at the end of the program for a brief Q&A.  Ellen Waterston began her term as the eleventh Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024.  The Oregon Poet Laureate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon.

5:30 p.m., Ashland Public Library, Ashland

June 18, 2025

Poetry Reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston

Join Rogue River Library for a poetry reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston. There will be time at the end of the program for a brief Q&A.  Ellen Waterston began her term as the eleventh Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024.  The Oregon Poet Laureate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon.

1:00 p.m., Jacksonville Branch Library, Jacksonville

August 9, 2025

Conversation Project: Talking About Values Across Political Divides

“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?

2:00 p.m., Jacksonville Branch Library, Jacksonville

August 9, 2025

Conversation Project: Talking About Values Across Political Divides

“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?

2:00 p.m., Jacksonville Branch Library, Jacksonville