“Celebration of Life for Martha and Jerry Gatchell”Sunday, June 22, 4-6 PM:
Tsunami Books
2585 Willamette St. Eugene, OR, 97405
On Sunday, June 22 at 4 p.m. we’ll celebrate the lives of Martha and Jerry Gatchell at Tsunami Books. For decades Martha and Jerry were pillars of the Eugene and the whole statewide Oregon poetry community, from the 1980s onward until their deaths in 2017 (Jerry) and Martha (2025). They were “near founders” of the Lane Literary Guild (now the Emerald Literary Guild), and were reliable caterers of delicious food and wine at reading events. Both were retired from the Oregon Department of Forestry and spent most of their lives on Upper Smith River. Jerry wandered in the woods, gardened, read extensively, thought a lot about a lot of things, and wrote when the inspiration struck. Martha served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of William Stafford and helped organize an annual Stafford birthday celebration and reading. Martha’s poems have appeared in Fireweed, Portland Review, Callapooya Collage, and other literary journals.
There will be an open mic for stories and readings, a slide show, and snacks (of course!)