Summer Fishtrap schedule released

Published 11:30 am Tuesday, June 25, 2019

By Mike Midlo
For Wallowa County Chieftain

: Novelist Molly Gloss is the author of “The Jump-Off Creek,” the selection in 2023’s “Fishtrap Reads” series.

The public is invited to the 32nd Summer Fishtrap Weekend Gathering, July 12-14 at Wallowa Lake Lodge

Every year since 1988, curious people have gathered together at Wallowa Lake for three days of inspiration and connection at the Summer Fishtrap Weekend Gathering. Experience it for yourself July 12-14 at the Wallowa Lake Lodge. Award-winning author Molly Gloss gives the keynote address Friday, July 12, to launch what is sure to be a memorable weekend.

“Summer Fishtrap is truly a community event. It’s a chance for locals and visitors to come together and share a love of writing, reading, and Wallowa County,” says Fishtrap Executive Director Shannon McNerney. “From the free evening readings to the Weekend Gathering, there’s a Summer Fishtrap experience to fit any budget.”

The unique community of writers and thinkers that make up Summer Fishtrap will stir your ideas about our place in the West. The weekend schedule is filled with readings, the popular youth showcase, craft talks, and exploring art outdoors right on the shores of Wallowa Lake. Registration for the Weekend Gathering is $300 and includes meals at Wallowa Lake Lodge Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast. See the full schedule at Fishtrap.org.

Ticketed Events

Can’t attend the whole weekend? Reserve your seat under the big tent on the beautiful lawn at Wallowa Lake Lodge as we round the corner on the 32nd Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers with two very special events. Friday, July 12, Jamie Ford kicks off the evening with reading followed by the Summer Fishtrap Keynote address given by Molly Gloss. Saturday night, we celebrate Ursula K. Le Guin with a screening of the award-winning documentary Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin followed by a conversation with Luis Alberto Urrea, Molly Gloss, and Scott Russell Sanders about their memories of Ursula and the impact of her literary legacy on writers everywhere. Both events start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per night or $40 for both events. Get your tickets at Fishtrap.org, or buy them at The Bookloft, Joseph Hardware, and Dollar Stretcher.

Free Events

Everyone is invited to come up to the lake and attend free faculty readings each evening Monday, July 8, through Thursday, July 11. Readers include Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford, World Slam Poetry Champion Anis Mojgani, Gary Ferguson, Beth Piatote, Perrin Kerns, MOsley WOtta, and Laura Pritchett. All events start at 7:30 p.m.