Peninsula College hosts an afternoon of poetry with Tess Gallagher and Maya Jewell-Zeller from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, in the Little Theater, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.

A book signing at the Bookaneer Bookstore follows the event.

This event is free and open to the public, offering a unique opportunity for students, faculty, and community members to engage with the works of these distinguished authors.

Jewell-Zeller will present works from her latest acclaimed collection, “out takes/ glove box,” selected by Eduardo Corral for the New American Poetry Prize and published by New American Press. Zeller’s extensive literary career includes various poetry collections, interdisciplinary collaborations, and editorial roles.

Contributions to literature by Gallagher — a renowned Irish-American poet and short story writer with strong ties to the Peninsula College community — have been recognized internationally, including receiving the prestigious Fondazione Roma – Ritratti di poesia Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Poetry. Her 11th volume of poetry, “Is, Is Not,” garnered the Pacific Northwest’s 2020 Book of the Year Award.

Gallagher previously served as Writer-in-Residence at Peninsula College. Her ongoing commitment to literary arts in the region, event organizers note, is further exemplified by her acceptance of the position as the inaugural writer-in-residence for the Field Arts and Events Hall in Port Angeles.

Peninsula College will host the first Raymond Carver & Tess Gallagher Creative Writing Festival in spring 2024, a program of film screenings, panels, special events, writing workshops and more, including appearances by Gallagher.

Photo by Dean Davis / Maya Jewell-Zeller joins fellow poet Tess Gallagher for an afternoon of poetry readings on Thursday, Nov. 16, in the school’s Little Theater.