“Poetry gives you another way of seeing the world,” says Lopez writer John Sangster.

For a man who’s one of the most well-known poets on the island, it’s hard to believe that he’s just released his first chapbook (a small book of poems). But after publishing his work in a broad spectrum of literary magazines, online publications, and winning the Jack Straw award, Sangster has published a new book of poetry, “Island Year.”

In honor of the book, Sangster is hosting a poetry night at the Lopez Library on Thursday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m. In addition to selling and signing copies of his chapbook, he’ll read some of his poetry and present several local poets who will read as well. Alie Smaalders, Molly Swan Sheeran, and Colleen Smith Armstrong are all on the line-up. Sangster believes that “more is less” when it comes to poetry readings, so the evening won’t go too late.

“Island Year” is being published by Pudding House in Columbus, Ohio, and consists of 12 prose poems, one for each month of the year. “A prose poem looks like a block of prose,” says Sangster. “I call it a box of words. It looks like prose, but reads like poetry. It has the rhythm of poetry and other poetic devices. It’s an old form that goes way, way back, 300 to 400 years. It’s controversial, and some poets feel it’s not a form at all.” Sangster writes in the traditional form as well, but says that prose poetry is “more freeing and allows me to use my imagination more. Often I write a poem and then try it both ways.”

Although Sangster participated in creative writing classes in college, his writing took a backseat to a career in business. After he retired in 1990, he picked up the pen again. “At that point I’d been writing essays, and I’d done some freelance journalism with a music magazine. I’m also a guitar player, so I was combining two loves. And I got to reading Raymond Carver’s short stories, and I loved them. Then I read a book of his poems, published by his wife after his death. I just loved the poems. It was straightforward and accessible. And I thought if he could do it, I could give it a try.”

Sangster then attended night school at the University of Washington for three quarters. “The teachers were great, and it was a great group of poets that took those classes. I’m still in touch with them. I wrote personal essays for some time, but the last few years it’s been all poetry.”

Sangster recently participated in a poetry night with Tom Odegard at the San Juan Library, and he is organizing a book-signing and poetry read on Orcas soon. His chapbook of poems is available at Islehaven Books on Lopez, at Darvill’s Bookstore in Eastsound, and Harbor Bookstore and Griffin Bay Bookstore in Friday Harbor.