2019 Oregon Book Award winner Apricot Irving visited Chemeketa Community College on Nov. 6 to read from her book The Gospel of Trees. Her book is a memoir about her childhood as a missionary’s daughter in Haiti.

After the reading, she held a Q&A with the audience where she opened up about her writing process. “I still write by hand,” she said.

Irving tries to write something everyday. She is currently in the research phase of her next book and is considering writing a fiction novel.

Irving also held a memoir writing workshop at Chemeketa, sponsored by Chemeketa Writes. Her advice to aspiring writers is to start writing. “Notice something, and find the right words to describe it,” she said.

Visit www.apricotirving.com for more information about the author and her work.