Goodtimes to talk about Mushrooms

 NATURITA ... Art Goodtimes of Norwood, steward and poet-in-residence of the Telluride Mushroom Festival, will be the featured guest for Stories & Poems at the Naturita Community Library at 11 a.m. as part of the library’s Sunday Social.

 He will be performing mushroom poems and discussing local fungi. Bring your questions.

 “As a member of the San Francisco Mycological Society, I first learned about fungi,” explained Goodtimes. “And for the past 44 years I’ve continued to expand my understanding of this biotic community that -- as mycologist Paul Stamets has said in his book, Mycelium Running – can help save the world. Plus, wild mushrooms are great eating.”

 Stories & Poems follows a simple format. The morning begins with a performance of a featured storyteller or poet, followed by a question & answer session and then a passing of the gourd. At that point, everyone present will be invited to tell a personal story, perform a poem (an original or a favorite written by someone else), read a short section of prose or simply pass the gourd on to the next person. The theme for March’s gourd circle stories will be Mushrooms.

 A collaboration of the Naturita Community Library and the Telluride Institute’s Talking Gourds poetry program, Stories & Poems is free and open to all ages, thanks to the generosity of the library, private donors and Talking Gourds’ Fischer and Cantor poetry contests.

 The Naturita Community Library is located at 107 W. 1st Ave. in Naturita and can be contacted at 907-787-2270.

 For more information, text 970-729-0220 or email Goodtimes at <art@tellurideinstitute.org>. Or visit our website: <www.tellurideinstitute.org/talking-gourds