Event buttons are available for a $5 per day or $10 for the weekend at the ticket booth of the Columbian Theater, 11th Street and Marine Drive. There is no further charge for FPG events. All donations to Fisher Poets Gathering for buttons, T-shirts and CDs go to support the sound systems for the event, and a small travel stipend for out-of-town readers and musicians. Participants are volunteers. Clatsop Community College is the main sponsor of this event. For updated event information, go online to www.clat sopcc.edu/fisherpoets

Friday, Feb. 211 p.m.: Astoria Marine Trading Co., foot of 12th Street, will host a book signing with Rex Ziak, author of “In Full View.” The theme in conjunction with the Fisher Poets Gathering is “Lewis and Clark were fishermen, too.” Refreshments will be served.

2 to 4:30 p.m.: Columbia River Maritime Museum (FPG button not required for this presentation) Jim Bergeron of Svensen and Larry Johnson of Portland show and discuss their video on salmon trolling “Coming Home Was Easy.” Marilyn George of Petersburg, Alaska, retired troller and author of “Following the Alaskan Dream,” gives a reading and talk from her memoir “From an Iowa Farm Girl to an Alaskan Troller,” and book signing. Host is Hobe Kytr of Astoria.

Readings

The Wet Dog Cafe, Foot of 11th Street5:30 p.m.: Gathering and announcements, emcee Jon Broderick.

6 p.m.: Jon Broderick of Cannon Beach reads opening poem; Dave Densmore of Astoria reads opening poem; Shanghaied On The Willamette with Gordy Euler and Jonathan Lay of Portland performs opening song; John Chandler of Portland reads; Christy Phillips Matlock of Svensen reads.

7 p.m.: Jeff Engels of Seattle, Wash., reads; John van Amerongen of Vashon, Wash., reads; Toby Sullivan of Kodiak, Alaska reads.

8 p.m.: Wesley “Geno” Leech of Chinook, Wash., reads; Marilyn George of Petersburg, Alaska, reads; Dennis Sperl of Petersburg, Alaska, reads.

9 p.m.: Kathy Stack of Saltspring Island, British Columbia, reads; Jay Speakman of Gearhart reads; Holly Hughes of Indianola, Wash., reads.

10 p.m.: Tom Casey of Woodinville, Wash., reads; Rich King of Kauai, Hawaii, reads; Shanghaied On The Willamette of Portland performs.

The Voodoo Room & Columbian Theater, 11th Street and Marine Drive 5:30 p.m.: Gathering and announcements, emcee John Kulm of Chinook, Wash.

6 p.m.: Peter “Spud” Siegel and David “Crabbo” Crabtree of Astoria perform opening music; Wesley “Geno” Leech reads opening poem; Erin Fristad of Port Townsend, Wash., performs opening poem; Victoria Stoppiello of Ilwaco, Wash., reads; Joanna Reichhold of Cordova, Alaska, reads.

7 p.m.: Mike Koepf of Elk, Calif., reads; Karol Rawlings of Clatskanie reads; Dennis Beam of Richland reads.

8 p.m.: Lorrie Haight of Long Beach, Wash., reads; Harrison “Smitty” Smith of Long Beach, Wash., reads; Christy Phillips Matlock of Svensen reads.

9 p.m.: Shanghaied On The Williamette of Portland performs; Erin Fristad of Port Townsend, Wash., reads; Pat Dixon of Olympia, Wash., reads.

10 p.m.: Dennis Sperl reads; Rachel Moore of Arcata, Calif., reads; Wesley “Geno” Leech reads.

11 p.m.: Peter “Spud” Siegel and David “Crabbo” Crabtree and pickup band perform.

Saturday, Feb. 229:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Workshops – FPG button is required and available for purchase onsite.

Location: Workshops will be at Duncan Law (OSU) Seafood Conusmer Center, 2021 Marine Drive (U.S. Highway 30) in Astoria. There is no preregistration.

Presenters: Experienced industrial fishers and regular presenters of poetry or prose at the Astoria Fisher Poets Gathering, including this 6th Gathering, Feb. 21 to 23

Workshop outline, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. John van Amerongen of Vashon, Wash., will lead “Writing Ballads.” Editor in chief of the Alaska Fisherman’s Journal, van Amerongen regularly performs his ballads at the gathering. His workshop helps novices shape their own from scratch. No previous writing needed.

Pat Dixon of Olympia, Wash., presents the “Cook Inlet Fishery Video.” This video production by a professional photographer features a famous fishing area and discusses the making of the video.

10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Moe Bowstern of Portland will present “Make a ‘Zine.” ‘Zines are shorter, quicker and cheaper than a chapbook. Participants should bring a poem, mini-story or image. Bowstern, publisher of a Portland ‘zine, has been nominated for an Utne award. He is a lecturer, poet and active fisher. This workshop takes participants from principles to layout.

John Chandler of Portland presents “Decorative & Functional Marlinspikesmanship.” Weaving rope doormats is the subject of this workshop. A poet, fisher and popular workshop presenter, Chandler again brings rope for a new project.

Frank Caldwell of Port Angeles, Wash., presents “Big Works In Progress.” The workshop focuses on researching and “gluing” facts, handling the manuscript and finding a publisher for a prose book. This well-known prose author of several books including “Pacific Troller and At Sea” gives his tips.

Noon to 1:30 p.m. College creative writing teacher Holly Hughes of Indianola, Wash., presents “Poetry Critique.” Participants should bring a dozen copies of one or two poems, for group input or may just join the group, led by this fisher and college writing teacher. She is a regular poetry workshop presenter.

Jon Broderick of Cannon Beach presents “Writing Workshop.” Beginning writers create narratives or poetry from their working experiences. Bring writing tools. Broderick is the founder of the Fisher Poets’ Gathering. He is a fisher and high school language arts teacher.

Lorrie Haight of Long Beach, Wash., presents “Extreme Self-Publishing.” The workshop is a demonstration of making books individually by hand. Workshop mistress for the gathering, Haight makes books of her husband Smitty’s poems, and is author of a new book on her Alaska fishing days.

4 to 5:30 p.m.: Open mike for all writers, 4 p.m. emcee is Nancy Hoffman of Astoria.

Readings

The Wet Dog Cafe, Foot of 11th Street; Emcee: Pat Dixon6 p.m.: Harrison “Smitty” Smith reads; Jon Broderick reads; Rachel Moore reads.

7 p.m.: Hobe Kytr reads; Chris White of Sand Point, Idaho, reads; Buck Meloy reads.

8 p.m.: Moe Bowstern of Portland reads; Pat Dixon reads; Joe Jablonski of Portland reads.

9 p.m.: Lee Makovich of Gig Harbor, Wash., reads; Erin Fristad reads; David Densmore reads.

The Voodoo Room & Columbian Theater, 11th Street and Marine Drive; Emcee: John van Amerongen6 p.m.: John vanAmerongen reads; John Michael Saunders of Haines, Alaska, reads; Heather Marks of Edmonds, Wash., reads.

7 p.m.: Frank and Donna Caldwell of Port Angeles, Wash. read; Kathy Stack of Saltspring Island, British Columbia, reads; Amy Zidulka of Victoria, British Columbia, reads.

8 p.m.: Jon Broderick reads; Holly Hughes reads; Hobe Kytr reads.

9 p.m.: Katie Johnson of Anchorage, Alaska, reads; David Campiche of Seaview, Wash., reads; Moe Bowstern reads.

10 p.m.: Toby Sullivan reads.

10:30 p.m.: Onsite poem contest at the Columbian Theater.

11 p.m.: Late night open mike with John Kulm; Late night pickup band with emcees Jon Broderick and John van Amerongen.

Sunday, Feb. 23