Judith Barrington

Our first writer this evening is such a literary icon in the Northwest and Portland in particular, it should come as no surprise that she is also well recognized internationally. One of her recent triumphs was taking Third at the 2003 Bridport Prize in her native Britain for the poem "After D-Day," in competition with over 5000 entries in what has been called one of the toughest open writing competitions in the English language. Only the best of 26 poems and short stories from that contest are anthologized in the Bridport Prize 2003.

Recipient of numerous awards and honors, Judith Barrington has taught writing classes at various universities and workshops including the Port Townsend Writer's Conference, Haystack, Fishtrap, Ashland Writing Conference, Flight of the Mind, which she founded, and the Hassayampa Writers' Conference in Prescott, Arizona.

In addition to having work published in several anthologies she has published three collections of poetry, Trying to Be an Honest Woman (1985), History and Geography (1989), and Horses and the Human Soul (2004). Lifesaving, A Memoir (2000), won the Lambda Literary Award. Her textbook Writing the Memoir, from Truth to Art , is widely used in writing classes and workshops.

As the titles of her poetry books suggest, her work is both introspective and accessible, characterized by a bald simplicity and relentless intent.

Please welcome Judith Barrington...