It’s official: another Wordstock has come and gone. As all of us here at Wordstock HQ nurse our body aches and try to recover from the lack of sleep these last two weeks, we hope you’re thinking the same things that we’re thinking as we reflect on the 2009 festival.

Phenomenal lineup of writers.

Outstanding publicity.

The best corps of volunteers ever.

An army of literary exhibitors.

Incredible community support and partnerships.

Yep — we think we knocked this one out of the park, people. From our point of view, the 2009 festival was the best Wordstock yet.

But let us know what YOU think. Leave a comment and tell us what you liked (and didn’t — we need to know that, too). Please!

The Photo Contest is done and the winners are below. Thanks to everyone who found one of our Red Chairs and took some photos of themselves in it. We got some creative entries. Next year we will give all you creative types a little more time to get around and take some fun shots in the Red Chair. 

Winner Numero Uno: Flavia Arsenault

The Red Chair Standout!

Winner Nombre Deux: Gailmarie West

Sail Away with a good Book!

Congratulations Flavia and Gailmarie! You have won a Night at the Benson this weekend and free admission to both days of the festival. Have a fun Wordstock filled weekend! We’ll see you there.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett, author of Picking Bones from Ash, appears at Wordstock on Saturday, October 10, at 11 a.m. on the Powell’s Books Stage; she will also participate in the panel discussion “My First Book,” on Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m. on the Columbia Sportswear Stage.

In the opening chapter of my novel, young Satomi recounts the story of the Moon Princess, who was discovered inside a bamboo shoot. The Moon Princess, or Kaguyahime, is a classic Japanese fairy tale that most school children learn. It’s so popular, even Hello Kitty has done her time posing inside a bamboo stalk.

I’ve always loved this story–it’s beautiful, haunting and like all Japanese fairy tales, a little bit sad at the very end. It’s difficult for me to go to Japan and look at a bamboo forest and not see it as a potential hiding space for an adventure or a story. Look, for example, at this photo of a bamboo forest that I snapped one fall. To me, this looked like the entryway to a secret world.

Now imagine that you grew up in a little town like this, nestled in a small valley. The dark patches of green are pine, the lighter patches bamboo. If you were an adventurous, imaginative kid, well . . . aren’t all kids? It’d be hard not to explore your surroundings.

You may read Marie’s full post on her own blog by clicking on this link.

Doug Whippo from 2nd Story on Vimeo.

Tomorrow night, we plan to do just that, with the help of an amazing live storytelling company from Chicago, 2nd Story. With its roots in the Chicago theater community, 2nd Story combines high-energy performance storytelling with live music and delicious wine. Sound good so far?

2nd Story also manages to do something more. They bring an intimacy to their performances that makes you feel like you are sitting at the back table of your favorite corner bar, with a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. As you listen, you find yourself leaning forward. Read more »

Well, after a week-and-a-half-long process, we have the winners for the Wordstock Haiku Twitter Contest. That’s right, the ten best Haikus have garnered votes and they can claim their tickets. Now, before we get into the list of winners and the winning Haikus, I’d like to take a minute to let the winners know what to do to claim their Free Day Admission Tickets.

If your Twitter handle and Haiku are listed below, please contact me, Spencer, your social media chatter bug with your Full Name and Email Address at Spencer@wordstockfestival.com.  I will put you on the Admission List and when you arrive at the Oregon Convention Center to attend the wondrous event we like to call Wordstock simply proceed to the Wordstock Booth outside of the main hall and give them your full name. They will stamp your hand and you are off to the races. Or at least the books…

Winners!:

1^st – @amybaskin – “Coffee or a brew/ A book and a red chair, too./ Portland in autumn. (Winnings: Two One-Day Tickets)

2^nd – @MBHern – “Put your stock in words./ An investment sure to pay./ It’s Wordstock weekend!” (Two One-Day Tickets)

3^rd -@mightytoycannon – “Bookapalooza./ A bibliophile’s wet dream./ Wordstock, I Love You.” (One One-Day Ticket)

4^th – @trishamead – “The lush feel of pulp/ The crackle of prose on paper/ The scent of wordstock.” (One One-Day Ticket)

5^th – @caraholman – “Twas the week before/ Wordstock, excitement ran high/ All those books waiting.” (One One-Day Ticket)

6^th – @sarahgilbert – “sunflowers graying/ tomatoes give last red shout/ tidings of wordstock.” (One One-Day Ticket)

7^th – @dijeratic – “There’s words aplenty/ and more than words after that/ Wordstock will find you.” (One One-Day Ticket)

8^th – @sarahgilbert – “Read through the weather/ in rain or @portlandfog/ wordstock warms my brain.” (One One-Day Ticket – Yes you won twice!)

9^th – @Aprovecho – “Expand Open Mind/ Literary Omnivores/ Cross-Polination.” (One One-Day Ticket)

10^th – @Tortoogal – “ ‘Frog ‘n’ her throat’ hangs/ Green-Towel Frog ‘round my neck:/ ‘Figures of Speech” ball” (One One-Day Ticket)

Congratulations! – Winners please email me with your full name and email address at Spencer@wordstockfestival.com