Sedona AZ (September 18, 2014) – On Friday August 26th, from 5 to 6:30 pm, The Pumphouse Poetry and Prose Project will feature Flagstaff author Stephen W. Hirst. The Pumphouse shows are held outdoors on the southern end of the Creekside Plaza parking lot on the steps of the old pumphouse and underneath the shade of the giant sycamore trees. Mr. Hirst is the author of the award winning non fiction book I Am The Grand Canyon as well as this year’s One Book AZ winner Lauren Greasewater’s War and the Pumphouse Poetry and Prose Project is thrilled to host him.
Steve and his wife Lois served with the first contingent of Peace Corps volunteers to Liberia, West Africa. Following Liberia, they worked a series of jobs in international relations which took then to Europe, the Soviet Union, and Washington DC. Then Steve decided to leave the fast lane to begin a lifelong relationship with the Havasupai people of the Grand Canyon. During the eleven years Steve and his wife lived in the canyon, their daughter Alexa was born and the Havasupai asked the Hirsts to research and document the case for winning back ancestral lands. Steve’s non fiction book I Am The Grand Canyon which won Arizona Book and Southwest Book of 2007 was one result of this project as was his novel Lauren Greasewater’s War which won the 2014 OneBookAZ Award. The Havasupai reservation also underwent a historic enlargement as a result of this project.
The show on Friday, September 26th will be the last outdoor show of the Pumphouse Poetry and Prose Project 3rd season. The show will be held on the southern end of the Creekside Plaza Parking Lot on the steps of the old historic pumphouse beneath the shade of the giant sycamore trees. All shows include an open mic but potential readers are asked to keep their total stage time down to three minutes. Sponsors of The Pumphouse Poetry and Prose Project include Cocopah North and Anne Fabricant, Trailhead Tea, Mother Saachi’s Books and Gifts, Elizabeth Oakes, and host Gary Every award winning author of books such as Shadow of the OhshaD and Mariachi Skull.