Friday, October 2 – 7:00pm
107 W. Main St. – Enterprise
Free Admission
Fishtrap Fireside launches its 14th season of readings from local writers on Friday, October 2 featuring Hillary Behrman whose new book is inspired by the Wallowas, author Pam Royes, known for her memoir Temperance Creek, and Evelyn Swart joins us on the eve of her 90th birthday. There WILL be cake.
Fishtrap Fireside is a monthly reading series designed to celebrate diverse voices from local writers and storytellers. Each month offers a fresh look at what people who live in Northeast Oregon are thinking about and writing down. Since the program launched in 2013, more than 170 local writers have stepped up to the podium to share something they’ve written. With each Fishtrap Fireside event, the audience gets to enjoy a variety of stories from their friends and neighbors including history, fiction, poetry, humor, memoir, sci-fi fantasy, essay, travelog, and much more.
Fishtrap Fireside takes place at Fishtrap’s event space on Main Street in Enterprise. For those who can’t make it in-person, anyone anywhere can take in Fireside online at Fishtrap.org and on Fishtrap’s YouTube Channel. Admission is free although donations are always welcome. Light snacks are provided and drinks are available for purchase. An open mic takes place after the featured readings. Five spots are available for sign up when the doors open at 6:30pm. Writers of all ages and experience are encouraged to come.
October’s Fishtrap Fireside is sponsored by the fine folks at The Bookloft.
More on October’s featured readers:
Hillary Behrman
Hillary Behrman’s story collection, Lake Effect (Sarabande Books 2026) was chosen by Lauren Groff as the winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize for Short Fiction. Groff praised Lake Effect as a book of “great moral power and heart” by “an author of extraordinary grace.” Hillary wrote her first published story while attending a Summer Fishtrap. She came to Wallowa County thirty-five years ago with her partner Steve whose family has a Century Ranch in the lower valley. When she’s not wandering up a hiking trail in the Wallowas, Hillary lives in Seattle where she raised two kids and worked as a children’s civil rights lawyer and public defender.
Pamela Royes
Pamela Royes lives on a farm with her husband Skip and an undetermined number of (from big to small) cows, horses, mules, dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, and honeybees. But no pigs. Pam loves planting things, baking sourdough bread, playing her ukulele, and writing. She is currently writing a novel for young adults, and working on a book of essays about people, food, and landscape.
Evelyn Swart
Evelyn Swart enjoys writing about her experiences of which she has had many. She grew up in Idaho and graduated from the University of Idaho and the University of Oregon. Her vocational experiences included everything from first grade teacher to superintendent with a stint at university teaching. She is mother of three children and grandmother of four. For sixteen years she has had the good fortune to be married to Don Swart. Even though she enjoys living in Joseph, she is mindful of people around the world who do not have such luck.