The Poetry of William Stafford: Comments

I will be attending a Deep Dive Poetry Workshop on the poet William Stafford (1914-1993) conducted by John Sibley Williams. This Zoom workshop will be held online on April 30, 2026.

I will be attending The Stafford Challenge 2026 Conference in Portland from June 18, 2026 until June 21, 2026. This conference will be held at the Lewis and Clark College campus. The conference has many noted teachers, poets, and scholars in attendance. Our local Vancouver, WA, poet laurate, art’s leader, editor, and teacher, Christopher Luna, will be one of the teachers.

In 2026, I have been reading a lot of the poetry written by William Stafford (1914-1993). He was a professor of English at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.  He is one of the best known poets from Oregon.

My preliminary observations about William Stafford’s poetry:

1.   Probably 70% of his poems fit on one page in a printed book. There are typically under 30 lines per page. A number of these poems are more in sonnet length to 20 lines per page. Each poem is titled. He tends to avoid longer lines with lots of syllables. Since I favor brief poems, his style of poetry appeals to me. His style is direct, plain, and succinct!

2.      He uses the Quintain form more often than any other poet I have ever read. I research quintains, pentastichs, tankas, cinquains, quintets, gogyohkas, wakas, commonplaces, and onions.

3.      He enjoyed the outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. He talked about camping, hiking, traveling, people, locales, plants, remote places, and enjoying life outdoors with family and friends. Since I also share many similar interests and write poetry about our Pacific Bio-Region, his concise, plain, and soft spoken words resonated with me.

4.      His anti-war views and socio-political progressive views were appealing. He was a conscientious objector and worked in a federal camp. His philosophy was aligned with my own views on Virtue Ethics.

5.      Many of his poems reflect Native American viewpoints, storytelling, myths, and ways of speaking and writing. I have also studied and appreciate the literature of Native Americans. Staccatos, repeats, chants, two world consciousness, temporal anomalies, bumpy logic, departures into animal/plant minds., mythical nexus, earthiness, insects, etc.

6.      William Stafford’s style of writing benefits from the lack of obscure allusions, name dropping, radical metaphors and convoluted vocabulary, free verse rambling, Paris cliches and Big City shenanigans, and strange surrealistic oulipos Avant-guard sophisticated wordiness.

 These stylistic typographical constraints can challenge any poet to be more concise, to get to the point faster, to use an economy towards words, to be more precise, to be a tighter editor, to be a careful and slashing reviser, to come to a conclusion in a clever terse manner, to make humorous meaningful riddles, to turn over river stones for a closer quick look.

Here are the poetry books by William Stafford that I have read:

Stafford, William. The Way It Is: New and Selected Poems. Graywolf, 1977, 1998, 268 pages. Paperback, VSCPL (My home poetry research library.)

William Stafford. The Darkness Around Us is Deep. 1994, 160 pages. Selected Poems of William Stafford – An Award-Winning Poet's Works Chosen by Bestselling Author Robert Bly. VSCPL.

Cantos of the Hands
By .m.p.g.

William Stafford. Allegiances. New Poems by William Stafford. Harper and Row, 1970, 82 pages. FVRL. (Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries)

William Stafford. Even in Small Places. Conference Press, 1996, 120 pages. FVRL.

William Stafford. The World Instead: The Early Poems of William Stafford 1937-1947. Edited with an introduction by Fred Merchant. Graywold Press, 2008, 149 pages. FVRL.

 

I have also read books of poetry by William Stafford’s son,
Kim Stafford, as follows:

Stafford, Kim (Date). As the Sky Begins to Change. By Kim Stafford. Red H2024, 135 pages. FVRL.

Kim Stafford. A Thousand Friends of Rain: New and Selected Poems 1976-1998. By Kim Stafford. Carnegie Mellon Press, 2005, 120 pages. FVRL.

Kim Stafford. Wild Honey, Tough Salt. By Kim Stafford. Red Hen Press, 2019, 111 pages. FVRL.

As for my own poetry research, and poetry writing in April of 2026:

Bundled Up: Quintains, Volume 7

Tick-Tock Tractatus Speaking of Time: The Poetic Investigations, Part 1.

Pulling Onions Speaking of Time, The Poetic Investigations, Part 2

Another Crop of Gardening Thoughts on Time, Part 2.1, TTT 12.6

Lyric Logic: How Modern American Poetry Reasons. By Johanna Winant. Columbia University Press, 2026, 261 pages, index, bibliography, notes. VSCPL. Reading in April, 2026.

Tulips Time

The Willamette Valley of Oregon features numerous flower farms. 

At this time of year, the Tulips come into full bloom in late March into April. 

We have enjoyed a visit to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival before.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Photos Taken from the Internet:

Mr. Hood, Oregon

Stratovolcano, 11,240 Feet (3,425 M)

East of Portland, Vancouver, Gresham, Troutdale, Sandy OR

Cascades Mountain Range, Northwestern Oregon

Mt. Hood, Oregon - Wikipedia

Cascade Volcanic Arc

We can view Mt. Hood from many locations in Vancouver and Portland, Washington.

Karen and I have traveled all around this dramatic mountain many times since 2001.  

                                            

                            

Cascade Volcanic Arc

Portland City Dining: Fogo de Chão

We celebrated April's 41st Birthday by seven of us going to downtown Portland to the Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse.  Our quality table was adjacent to the huge barbeque kitchen.  It was a dramatic and dynamic scene.  

Dozens of specialized grilled meats were brought to our table.  I enjoyed one cut of lamb and top sirloin the most.  The buffet offered some enticing items, some new to me.  Vegetarians could find plenty of delicious foods to eat.  The many drink and pastry choices were excellent.  

The many lovely ladies, including our own, with such nice clothes were a beautiful sight to behold.  Some young lovies wore scanty revealing clothing.  A few folks were in costumes.  

Every table was filled, and even people with reservations were waiting over a half hour to be seated.  It was drizzling and quite cold outside and people were crammed inside the bar and waiting area.  I could not hear well amid all the cross-conversations.  

Figure on $85-$100 a person for this extravagant, unique, and meat-lovers dining experience.  

There are many tall buildings surrounding this restaurant.  Sheer glass faces, 20 stories high, in all directions.  

Dramatic Downtown Portland!!!  May this delight go on for centuries more!

Happy Birthday, April

Traveled to Pacific City

Karen and I drove to Pacific City on Thursday, July 2.  We drove on I 5 south to Albany, then OSU-Corvalis, then west on Route 20 to Newport, then north on Route 101 to Lincoln City.

We ate crepes for breakfast at Elmers, lunch in Newport, and dinner in Pacific City.   We wore our masks, and kept social distancing.

The coastal mountains have lush vegetation.  We stayed at a large house in Pacific City, with a forest in our backyard.  Alicia, Sean, Katelyn, and Makenna shared the weekend with us.  Lots of cars, people, and fireworks noise over a busy July 4th weekend.

We returned to Portland on July 5. We drove along the Wilson River from Tillamook, Route 6 to Freeway Route 26 into Portland. 

Watched His Excellent Basketball Work

Like millions of Los Angeles Laker NBA basketball fans, Karen and I were shocked and saddened yesterday to learn that Kobe Bryant, star player of the Lakers for 20 years, and his 13 year old daughter died in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California.  Nine people on the way to a girl's basketball game were killed in the accident.  Our heartfelt condolences to all affected by this tragic accident.

Kobe, the Mamba, the Black Mamba, #8 and #24.  He played for the Lakers for 20 years.  He helped lead a Laker's team to the NBA Finals 7 times, and won 5.  He helped lead a Laker's team into the NBA Playoff series for 15 seasons.  What Lakers fan could ask for more?  His basketball skills on offense and defense were among the best I have ever been fortunate to have watched.

Kobe was an interesting, intelligent, multi-lingual, and creative man.  Reports portray him as a good father.  After his retirement in 2016, we have seen other sides of Kobe as a man and businessman.  His International connections, his Chinese popularity, his wealth and fame, his fluent Spanish language skills, his Academy Award, and his entrepenurian ventures all pointed toward success in the future.

Unfortunately, sadly, a helicopter mountain crash ended it all for him, his daughter, seven others, and for millions of us basketball fans.

Kobe Bryant, 1978-2020.   Among All Our Laker Memories    Thanks Kobe!  You helped make us proud as a City.







I have enjoyed watching and playing the game of basketball since I was a child of 8.  I was a tall and skinny boy, and 2nd team sub on my Cantwell high school basketball teams.  I enjoyed light-duty casual pick up basketball games with guys untill I was 40 years old.  It was always fun to play and to watch good players show their game.

I lived in Los Angeles for 52 years.  I started listening to the Los Angeles Lakers NBA Basketball Team on AM radio with Chic Hearn in 1962.  I also followed UCLA Bruin championship basketball back then.  I watched Laker away games for decades with Chick Hearn on KTLA television.  After 1998, I watched on national TV or on NBA League Pass televison on DISH or XFinity.  I have been to games at the old Forum in Inglewood.  My father-in-law was a Lakers fan.  My co-workers in Los Angeles were Laker's fans.  So, I have been an LA Lakers fan for 58 years.  Here is blog post of mine in 2009 when our team won another NBA Championship, and I was living in Red Bluff, California.

We are very hopeful that in 2020 the Laker's team (James, Davis, Green, Pope, Cuzma, Magee, Howard, et. all) will be the top seed in the upcoming playoffs.

[Naturally, I watched most of the Oakland Golden State Warrior games on NBA League Pass from 2014-2019.  They were the best in the Western Conference, went to 5 NBA Finals appearances in a row, and the Lakers did not make the playoffs.  I also now watch more Portland Trail Blazers on NBA League Pass since I now live about 20 miles north of Moda Center.  Basically, I root for college or professional teams on the Pacific Coast.  The PAC12 is the Conference of Champions!!]

I have watched on television, or listened to, or read about, or talked about, or cheered for, or lamented (2014-2019) about 58 Laker Teams during 58 NBA seasons.  I have watched and cherred for, or all hung our heads in dignified defeat, the Laker 1st Team Greats: Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neil, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy.  Add in guys like Pau Gasol, Gail Goodrich, Michael Cooper, Wilt Chamberlin, Jamal Wilkes, A C Green, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Luke Walton, Michael Thompson, Horace Grant, ... the list goes on and on ... 2nd Team, 3rd Team, rookies, veterans, Kobe at 18!  Add in this exciting mix are key people like Jerry Buss, Jack Kent Cooke, Jeanie Buss, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Jerry West, Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz, trainers, media people, writers, and celebrities galore.  The LA Lakers were and now are "Showtime."

Players come and go, decades pass.  Who is the greatest of the All?  Who is the Lakers GOAT.

The NBA Finals is the Super Bowl or World Series of professional basketball.

The Lakers have been to the NBA Finals 31 times, the most of any professional sports team.

Laker's Teams are the GOAT!

Bridges Over the Columbia: I 5 and I 205

The mighty Columbia River separates Portland, Oregon, from Vancouver, Washington.  Two bridges connect the two cities.  The Interstate 5 Bridge was built in 1917, and enlarged in 1958.  The Interstate 205 Bridge (Glen L. Jackson Bridge) was built in 1977.

Since we live in the Orchards area of northeast Vancouver, Washington, we have travelled both of these bridges hundreds of times.

I 5 Bridge, Looking South to Portland

I 205, Glen Jackson Bridge, Looking North to Vancouver

Columbia River, near Portland, Oregon, Looking West

I 205 Bridge and Mt. Hood, Oregon, Looking to the Southeast

Lewis and Clark History

We went to Powell's Bookstore on Monday of this week.  I purchased books on travel in the Columbia River Gorge, northwest coast, and Lewis and Clark.

When Federal employees are back to work, very soon I hope, we plan to visit Fort Clatsop, where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806, near the current city of Astoria, Oregon.

Shame on Democrats, Republicans and the President in 2019 for "shutting down" our federal government services.  Compromise, give in, move on, stop arguing.

I am now reading two books about United States history during the period from 1800-1810.  Jefferson was President.  The Louisana Purchase was finalized in 1803.  Captain Lewis Meriwether and Captain William Clark led the Corps of Discovery expedition from Washington to the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River, and back, from 1803 to 1806.  They where the first American expedition to explore uncharted territory up the Missouri River from St. Louis and all the way to the Pacific Ocean.  

A few decades after 1805, people were moving into the area of the Willamette Valley and to take advantage of the Columbia River commerce opportunities.  The town of Astoria, Oregon, was founded in 1811; Portland, Oregon, emerged as a city from 1843 to 1851; and Vancouver, Washington, a suburb north of Portland, where I live now, grew from a fur trading post in 1825 to an incorporated city in 1857.  

In 1870, the population of Vancouver was 1,722; Portland, 8,293; and Astoria, 639.  In 1890, Vancouver had a population of 3,545, Portland, 45,385; and Astoria, 6,184.  In 2019, the population of Portland is about 647,000; Vancouver is 175,000; and Astoria, 9,862.  

The Portland (Vancouver and Hillsboro) Metropolitan StatisticalArea (MSA), the 23rd largest in the United States, has a population of 2,226,009 (2010 Census). Of them, 1,789,580 live in Oregon (46.7% of the state's population) while the remaining 436,429 live in Washington (6.7% of state's population).

California became a U.S. State in 1850; Oregon in 1859; Washington in 1889; and Idaho in 1890.    


Undaunted Courage:  Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West.  By Stephen E. Ambrose.  Simon and Schuster, Touchstone, 1996.  521 pages.  Paperbound book.


The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery.  The Abridgment of the Definitive Nebraska Edition.  Edited with an introduction by Gary E. Moulton.  Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press, 2003.  EBook.

I need to investigate using the Clark County Library System ebook options.

Travel in the Northwest
Bibliography, Notes, Links, Information, History, Nature
Washington, Oregon, Northern California, British Columbia
Prepared by Michael P. Garofalo

Powell's Bookstore Trip

Today, my daughter took me to Powell's Bookstore in downtown Portland.  She drove us in her Honda Pilot SUV.  We also enjoyed lunch together at Chiotle's in Vancouver on 78th and Highway 99W.  

We lived for 18 years in Red Bluff, California, at Kilkenny Lane and 99W.  Now, we live in the Orchards area of northeast Vancouver (98662).  We live about 5 miles east of Interstate 5 and Highway 99W.  Highway 99 goes from San Diego to Canada, through many cities, and was built way back in the 1920's.  In the 1950's and 1960's, Interstate 5 was constructed basically using the Highway 99 route through the mountain passes and hilly areas for north-south travel.  Highway 99 W (West) or Highway 99 E (East) are now two or four lane business routes between cities on either side of Interstate 5. Karen and I have travelled Interstate 5 and Highway 99 many times.  

We went in a group to Powell's Bookstore.  Alicia, Karen, Katelyn, Makenna, Casey, and I. 

Everyone purchased some book or other object at Powell's Bookstore.  They also have a cafe there.  

I purchased books on travel in the Gorge, and a Lewis and Clark history book. 

"Powell’s City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books. Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, the City of Books has nine color-coded rooms and over 3,500 different sections, offering something for every interest, including an incredible selection of out-of-print and hard-to-find titles. Dozens of acclaimed writers, artists, and thinkers visit each month to read in the Basil Hallward Gallery (located upstairs in the Pearl Room), and a one-of-a-kind Rare Book Room draws bibliophiles from near and far to browse an impressive collection of autographed first editions and other collectible volumes."

Powell's Bookstore Visit

We went to Powell's "City of Books" Bookstore in downtown Portland today.  Along for the trip were the adults: Alicia, Karen, Sean, and I.  We took the children: Katelyn and Makenna (my granddaughters) and their two cousins, Casey and Ryan.  

Everyone enjoyed the bookstore visit.  Powell's is the largest bookstore in the Pacific Northwest.  

Returning to Our Home

Today, Karen and I drove by Interstate 5 from Vancouver, Washington, to Red Bluff, California.  Around 11 hours for 500 miles. 

We enjoyed visiting with family in their new homes.  Beautiful cool and drizzly days in Vancouver. They both live about 20 miles north of the Columbia River at Portland.  

We had intended to tent camp starting last Friday, but inclement weather kept us in town.  Rainshowers and fog, and mountain driving, all together did not seem safe or likely to allow us to see very much from the road.  

Our next trip will be to a cabin at Cape Blanco, Oregon.  

Our 2003 Ford Explorer drove very nicely for both of us.  $115.00 round trip for gasoline.  It was packed full!

Time, for now, to unpack and reconnect with our Red Bluff home, gardens, and projects.  

Home Base Restablished

Today, Karen, Katelyn, and I, drove south from Vancouver, Washington, 485 miles of driving, to Red Bluff, California.  We all arrived in good humor, safe and sound.  Steady, fast, and safe Interstate 5 travel.  

I am now at my main desktop workstation.  Surprisingly, it is relatively cool indoors with two small fans running in the house.  

From, June 8th to June 18th, we stayed at our family home in Vancouver, Washington.  

It was satisfying and a pleasure to see everyone- chat, sight see, dine, and shop with family and friends.    

I really enjoyed sitting on a balcony with views over trees of the complex cloud movements flowing overhead every day.  Cool weather!  Clean air.  Some rain! Sipping hot beverages and looking.  Lovely weather the entire vacation in Vancouver/Portland.  

Karen and I visited many cities in southwestern Washington.  We traveled on Washington State Road 4 and State Road 6.  The entire north side of the Cloumbia River Valley from Vancouver to Illaco is spectacular; and Wilapa Bay will be revisited by me in the near future.  

We helped our son and his wife move out of their rented home in Portland.  Their lease was up on June 15th, and the owner wants to sell.  

A delightful vacation for Karen and I.  

Unfortunately, for me, 0n 6/18, I fell down the last two steps of a stairway and fell hard on my left knee.  I will see my internal medicine physician on Monday morning 7/20, for my 4 month blood test results; however, my major concern now is getting Lassen Medical Center to promptly help me to begin healing my injured left knee.  I can walk.  But I sense that that the injury is more serious. This is a bad turn of events for my body.  A bad fall on 3/13 injuring my right knee and right hip; and, now, a second fall on 6/18 injuring my left knee.  I just can't believe this.  Double Darn Bad Shit ... I hope not.  We shall see.  

Travels to Oregon

We stayed with our son and his wife for four nights.  They live in Portland, Oregon.

We stayed with our daughter, her husband, and their two young daughters for four nights.  They live in Portland, Oregon.  We were there for Christmas activities. 

We stayed one night with our T'ai Chi friends at their home about 31 miles from Conyonville, Oregon.  Their large home was up the hill on the north side of the South Umpgua River. The river was swollen and moving fast. This was our first drive east along the the lovely Tiller Highway. 

Our travels started on December 19th.  We returned home to Red Bluff on Sunday, December 28, 2014.

We enjoyed visiting with everyone. 

Returning to Red Bluff from Portland

A beautiful cloudy day, some rain showers, little sunshine until California.

We enjoyed a six day trip to Portland, Oregon.  Left on Friday 4/18 to drive to Portland, and returned to Red Bluff on Wednesday 4/23.

Lots of hills, valleys, and mountains.

Everything rich in Springtime Green.

Returning to Red Bluff

Karen and I visited with our children and their families in Portland from Saturday, December 21st until Friday, December 27th.  A time for Christmas celebrations together.  Karen and I really enjoyed visiting with everyone, and it was emotionally hard for us to leave this time. 

Back in Red Bluff today.  It is still very dry, so we have to water all our plants today.  I started on many home chores, and the pond clean up and dead trees removal project by the west pond.

I am enjoying reading the book Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom  By John O'Donohue (1956-2008).  New York, Harper Collins, 1997.  Recommended reading, 234 pages.  ISBN: 006092943X.  VSCL. I purchased this book at Powell's Bookstore in Portland.  

Portland Trip

We enjoyed our trip up to Portland, Oregon.  We went from 11/23/2013 until 11/29/2013.  We visited with our daughter and son and their families.  We celebrated Thanksgiving together.