Voices of the valley

Poets Will Nixon of Woodstock and Matthew J. Spireng of Lomontville (an old friend and former co-worker of mine) will read from their work inspired by the region at 4 p.m., Saturday at the Olive Free Library on 4033 Route 28A in West Shokan. Their books will be available at the reading to buy (and have signed), with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to the Olive Free Library.

Here is more info:

Will Nixon, who grew up in the Connecticut suburbs and lived in Hoboken and Manhattan, moved to a Catskills log cabin and now lives in Woodstock. He is a widely published award-winning poet, journalist and essayist. His books of poems are My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse (2008), the award-winning The Fish Are Laughing (2001), and When I Had It Made (2001).

Matthew J. Spireng still lives in the house in Lomontville in which he was raised as a child. He is a widely published award-winning poet and journalist. His books of poems are Young Farmer (2007), Out of Body (2006) winner of the Bluestem Poetry Award from Emporia State University, Encounters (2005), Just This (2003) and the award-winning Inspiration Point (2002).