The WSU Visiting Writers Series is holding its first event of the spring semester, a literary reading at 6 p.m. Jan. 27 on YouTube. Guest Ryka Aoki is a poet, author and performer. Her newest book, “Life From Uncommon Stars,” will be released this fall, said Chelsea Ratzlaff, event sponsor and English instructor for WSU Vancouver. Aoki also wrote a novel called “He Mele A Hilo,” which is written in Hawaiian Pidgin English, Ratzlaff said. “It’s just a really beautiful novel that’s funny and really emotionally complex,” she said. Ratzlaff said the series welcomes noted poets and writers of fiction and nonfiction. Events include creative readings, class visits, workshops and collaborative discussions across various intellectual and artistic disciplines.