07 Jun 2011

Writing Workshop and Readings Offered by Artist-in-Residence Gaynell Gavin on Saturday, June 18

By Adam Prato

WEST BRANCH, IOWA– Artist-in-Residence Gaynell Gavin will read from her writings and present a writing workshop at the visitor center of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site on Saturday, June 18 at 9:30 a.m. The workshop will last about two hours. Dr. Gavin will discuss how writers find an attachment to place and use it to inspire writing. If you are interested in attending, please call (319) 643-2541 before June 18. Writing paper and pens are all you will need to bring.

Gaynell Gavin's prose and poetry has been published in many literary journals and anthologies, including Fourth Genre, North Dakota Quarterly, The Best of the Bellevue Literary Review (Bellevue Literary Press), Nebraska Presence (Backwaters Press), and Best New Poets 2006 (Samovar Press). Her poetry chapbook, Intersections, was published by Main Street Rag Publishing. Her essay, "What We Have," published in Prairie Schooner, was included among "Notable Essays " in The Best American Essays 2009. This essay, like much of her work, is grounded in the Midwest. She is originally from Illinois and is a faculty member at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. 

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space. For more information go to www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541. 

13 May 2011

Herbert Hoover NHS: Artists Selected for 2011 Residency Program

By Adam Prato
WEST BRANCH, IOWA– This year two writers, M.S. Coe and Gaynell Gavin, will be Artists-in-Residence at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.  During their residencies Ms. Coe and Dr. Gavin will be available to interact with park visitors as they write in the park. Each will also present a public program. The Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site promotes creative means of communicating the park's national significance and its relevance to visitors.

Gaynell Gavin's prose and poetry has been published in many literary journals and anthologies. Her poetry chapbook, Intersections, was published by Main Street Rag Publishing. Her essay, "What We Have," published in Prairie Schooner, was included among "Notable Essays" in The Best American Essays 2009. This essay, like much of her work, is grounded in the Midwest. She is originally from Illinois and is a faculty member at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Dr. Gavin will be the Artist-in-Residence from May 28 through June 20.

M.S. Coe grew up in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. She worked at the University of Arizona Poetry Center and as a reader for Sonora Review and is currently an assistant editor of Epoch literary magazine. She teaches English and creative writing at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she will receive her MFA degree. Her fiction often explores the disassociation characters feel when placed into strange environments and how they reconcile with their surroundings. Ms. Coe will be the Artist-in-Residence from July 2 through July 20.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go online at www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541. They are supported in part by the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association. The Hoover Association's annual dinner is May 20. Those attending will have an opportunity to meet five of Herbert Hoover's secretaries. To make reservations by May 16, call (319) 643-5327 or 1-800-828-0475.


Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
110 Parkside Drive
PO Box 607
West Branch, Iowa  52358
21 Mar 2011

Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage Will Close for a Week of Maintenance

By Adam Prato
WEST BRANCH, IOWA– Herbert Hoover National Historic Site will temporarily close the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage starting March 28 for routine maintenance. The Birthplace Cottage will remain closed through April 1. The grounds of the National Historic Site, Blacksmith Shop, Schoolhouse, Friends Meetinghouse, and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will remain open for their usual hours.

This spring's maintenance work will include replacing the rag rug carpet, fixing a rotted post on the back porch, caulking windows, and touching up interior and exterior paint. "It is our hope to complete the necessary work prior to the busier spring and summer months," said park superintendent Pete Swisher, "We want to maintain Herbert Hoover's birthplace cottage in the best condition possible for those that visit the park."

Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States, was born in the small, two-room cottage on August 10, 1874. He and his wife, Lou Henry Hoover, purchased the cottage for restoration in 1938. The cottage, along with other historic buildings and the gravesite of President and Mrs. Hoover make up the 187-acre Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, one of Iowa's two national parks. Along with the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum the park commemorates Herbert Hoover's humble beginnings and his rise to international prominence as a businessman, humanitarian, and statesman.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space. For more information go to www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
110 Parkside Drive
PO Box 607
West Branch, Iowa  52358

319 643-2541 phone
319 643-7864 fax
www.nps.gov/heho
14 Mar 2011

Volunteers Help Reconstruct Prairie During National Park Week

By Adam Prato

WEST BRANCH, IOWA? Herbert Hoover National Historic Site invites people to celebrate National Park Week by helping with a spring reconstruction project in the 81-acre tallgrass prairie. Volunteers are needed on Saturday, April 23 to cut and haul shrubs and invasive weeds from the grassland. Anyone interested in helping may contact Adam Prato at (319) 643-7855 before the project date. Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. for an orientation and to get signed up. Work in the prairie will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable work clothes. Water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are recommended. Long pants and closed-toe footwear are required.

National Park Week (April 16-24, 2011) is the annual presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of your National Parks. National parks are living examples of the best this nation has to offer?our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge. This year take a moment, an hour, or a day to visit the national parks near you.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space. For more information go to www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
110 Parkside Drive
PO Box 607
West Branch, Iowa  52358

319 643-2541 phone
319 643-7864 fax
www.nps.gov/heho

Pages

Subscribe & Listen to Reader Podcasts

On Stands Now

 

Tagged Content

Two Ways to Subscribe

1. Subscribe to free weekly e-mail content updates.

You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Real Astrology and RCR Crossword every week?) 

Subscribe!

* indicates required

2. Get 12 monthly issues mailed first class for $48

Get 12 issues mailed monthly for $48 per year.

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Subscribe now.