
My title is from Richard Hugo’s great book about writing, The Triggering Town. Born in White Center, WA, Hugo reminds poets of the importance of identifying the “where” of a poem (whether actual or imagined) and how rooting creativity to place can allow the imagination to grow in unexpected ways. As I prepare to explore our state and its poetry, I thought that it might be a good idea to visit a wonderful resource about the literature of Washington. Dan Lamberton and The Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest have created a solid online resource for Washington writers, and I highly recommend Reading the Region, a starting place for understanding the literature–and, of course, the poetry–of our part of the world.
The Triggering Town (available at Auntie’s and other independent bookstores in our state).