PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Seven local poets will touch hearts and challenge the intellect from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. at the Sun Valley Museum of Art’s historic Hailey House,

This home was built in1884 by Homer Pound, the father of the acclaimed poet Ezra Pound who was born there in 1885. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The late Roberta Horne McKercher, beloved local scribe, lived there until 1996 and welcomed many writers and poets, including Allen Ginsburg, who made pilgrimages to the poet’s birthplace. In 1998 the Ezra Pound Association purchased the house and in 2005 gifted it to the Sun Valley Center for the Arts (now SVMoA).

“Thanks to the generosity of SVMoA, this is the second time that our group of local poets will read their poetry at the house,” said Florence Blanchard, Bellevue writer and poet.

Blanchard founded the Free Range Poetry Society to remind the Wood River Valley community of the power and importance of poetry.

“Talented poets live here in the valley and this is an opportunity to read their work,” she said.

Besides Blanchard, readers include Mark Spencer, Sue Bailey, Tony Evans, Marshall Ralph,  Susan Fierman and John Fox, popular “poet by disposition.” Their backgrounds range from university educated to school bus driver, and bike mechanic, but all are seasoned writers whose poetry has been evolving over many years.