SEQUIM — Writer, teacher and traveler Sarah Zale of Port Townsend will offer her poetry this week in the return of the Fourth Friday Reading Series, a gathering at Rainshadow Coffee, 157 W. Cedar St.

Zale will step up to read at 6:30 p.m.; there’s no charge for admission, though she will have her books available for purchase.

Zale is author of Sometimes You Do Things, a new poetry collection inspired by the city of Detroit: its history and effort to transform itself.

John Jeffire, author of Motown Burning, said of Zale’s poetry: “Ultimately, Zale graces us with the battered but never defeated lives captured in her words.”

Zale has also written The Art of Folding, a book of poetry that came after she traveled to Israel and Palestine with the Compassionate Listening Project.

The poet is founder and director of the Listening Tree Project, a program promoting equality and justice on the Shoreline Community College campus where she teaches. On Friday night, Zale will share her belief in the power of poetry and other art to transform the world.

The Fourth Friday Readings also have an open-mic section after the featured writer.

Those interested in reading their poetry or prose are invited to come around 6 p.m. on Friday evening, put their names in the hat and plan on sharing up to five minutes of material.

For guidelines and more details, email Fourth Friday Reading Series organizer Ruth Marcus at Rmarcus@olypen.com.