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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 18, 2006 Medford writer Lawson Inada, a professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University, is the new poet laureate of Oregon. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Inada states case for poetry Longtime educator and writer says new role will help ‘put poetry more on the map in Oregon’ By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Medford poet Lawson Inada, a third-generation Japanese-American and professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University, is the new poet laureate of Oregon. Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced the appointment Friday, making Inada the fifth poet laureate in Oregon. The last poet laureate was William Stafford, who died in 1983. "This will give me the opportunity to work in some sort of creative way with the people of this state," said 67- year-old Inada, who was helping students at Ashland High School on Friday when the governor made his announcement. Inada plans to tour Oregon, working with schools, libraries and other institutions to form writers’ workshops. The state will provide him with a stipend to cover traveling expenses. "I hope to put poetry more on the map in Oregon," he said. "There’s a lot of people who write poetry. It’s a chance to share and express." Advertisement Inada, who lived in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, won the American Book Award in 1994 for his collection of poetry, "Legends from Camp." In 1991, he was named Oregon Poet of the Year. He studied writing at the University of Iowa, then moved to Oregon. Inada began teaching at Southern Oregon University in 1966. While living in Oregon, Inada said much of his poetry reflects the nature around him. "I’ve been living in Oregon so long," he said. "I’ve written a lot of nature poems — a lot of human nature and nature." He said that as a teacher he tries to get the creative juices going in his students. He likens poetry to music — one of his passions — and much of his poetry has a musical quality to it. "Poetry is the kind of thing, I tell my students, that just comes to you," he said. Inada said he wants students and writers to realize there is no one type of poetry. "You could do formal poetry or modern spontaneous poetry," he said. "Some poetry is intended to be read on the page, some of it is intended to be heard." Inada, who likes to recite his poems, was one of the co-editors of the landmark anthology, "Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian American Writers." Kulongoski, in a prepared statement, said "Inada has a long record of involvement in community projects in the arts and humanities, and he has done distinguished work in reclaiming the cultural heritage of Asian-Americans. He is a wonderful poet and a great communicator." In the same statement, Christopher Zinn, representing cultural agencies in Oregon, likened Inada to an "orchestra conductor," who conducts community-oriented projects that help people connect with poetry and with their community." Inada was born in Fresno, Calif. His grandparents came from Japan. Inada lives outside of Medford with his wife, Janet. He has two sons, Miles, an art professor at SOU, and Lowell, who is pursuing his graduate work and lives in Medford. Putting Back the Rain Because it was raining, and I wanted to be dry and outside, I decided to put back the rain from where it came, and went about the yard gathering raindrops, one by one by one, and throwing them, one by one by one, back up into the air where they stuck, one by one by one, above my head, and before I knew it I had a fine rain-roof, a roof of rain that was shining like a stream and wouldn’t let the wet rain through. — From "Drawing the Line," by Lawson Inada Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Inada states case for poetry ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement