Yes, you can create a static, semi-static, or anything in between
http://wphacks.com/how-to-use-wordpress-as-a-static-site/
google search results, for further reference
http://www.google.it/search?q=wordpress+static+site
Thank you. I’m going to look at your links, but in the meantime do you happen to know which themes work best for websites vis a vis blogs?
I would think that almost any theme (except for the magazine style ones) would work well. You can have a static front page, several other static pages, and a blog page with your posts. It’s mostly a matter of preference for the layout.
Take a look at the theme directory, and click on the “Preview” button for each theme, to see a live demo.
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/
