PENDLETON — Rachel Barton welcomes readers to her poetry with an approachable air: “This is where you might find dogs, bicycles, family, flowers, the sweetness of jam, the lightness of a well-earned fatigue–where whatever you put your hands on, wherever your eyes lead you, becomes more by virtue of your attention–this is the poetry of everything.”

On Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., Barton will read from her new collection of poems as part of the Pendleton Center for the Arts’ First Draft Writers’ Series. First Draft is a Zoom-based event, and the link is available at PendletonArts.org.

Barton is a poet, writing coach and founding editor of Willawaw Journal. She also serves as an associate editor for Cloudbank Books.

Her collection, “This is the Lightness,” was published by The Poetry Box in 2022. Her newest collection, “Jacob’s Ladder,” was published by Main Street Rag 2024. Barton’s recent publications include SALT, SLEET, Cirque and the Oregon English Journal.

Poetry reviewer Dale Champlin recently wrote, “The poetry in Rachel Barton’s latest book, ‘Jacob’s Ladder,’ takes the reader, rung-by-rung, up into a not-so-everyday world of wonder. It’s as if the poet views even the most mundane as an opportunity for reverence and pleasure. With incandescent phrases, many of these often prose poems — lead to home. Barton explores her surroundings with equal attention to nature as to human relationships. Cascade mountains embrace, corn silk whispers, jeweled mounds of pomegranates stain sticky fingers, and hummingbirds emit a heavy low hum.”

PCA Executive Director Roberta Lavadour said that Barton describes her own work as ”98% accessible.”

“We’re always trying to grow the audience for First Draft, and poetry can be a hard sell,” Lavadour said. “Someone like Rachel is the perfect gateway for those who love books and reading but haven’t quite caught the poetry bug yet — and the Zoom format makes it easy to dip your toe in.”

First Draft Writers’ Series is every third Thursday and is free for everyone.

More information is available at PendletonArts.org or by calling 541-278-9201.