August 24, 2022, 5:00 pm

Laureates in Lacey featuring Washington State Poet Laureat Rena Priest

Host:
Olympia Poetry Network

Where:
Saint Martin’s University
5000 Abbey Way SE Lacey, WA 98503 United States

This special Olympia Poetry Network event features three poets laureate: Rena Priest, the current Washington State Poet Laureate, Ashly Mcbunch, Olympia‘s poet laureate, and Lacey‘s poet laureate, Cynthia Pratt. The reading, co-sponsored by Humanities Washington, the Washington State Arts Commission, and Saint Martin‘s University, will take place in Harned Hall, Room 110. This live-only event will begin at 5:00 p.m. and end at 7:00 p.m.

*An interactive map of Saint Martin‘s campus can be found at https://stmartin.university-tour.com/map.php.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

August 21, 2022, 3:00 pm

Community Land Trust of Waldron Island Annual Meeting featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Community Land Trust of Waldron Island

Where:
The Commons
No street addresses on Waldron Waldron, WA 98297 United States

After a brief business meeting of the Community Land Trust of Waldron Island, Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest will speak and read her poetry. The mission of the Community Land Trust of Waldron Island is to be a resource for and provide access to affordable homes and land for low-income Waldron residents while cultivating economic sustainability and nurturing land stewardship, thus enriching the entire community.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

July 20, 2022, 5:00 pm

Poetry’s Possible Powers: A Reading and Conversation

Host:
Hugo House

Where:
Hugo House
1634 11th Ave Seattle, WA 98122 United States

For the West Coast debut of her memoir Poetry’s Possible Worlds, Lesley Wheeler leads a reading and discussion about what reading and writing poetry can do for individuals and communities. According to cognitive scientists, the experience of “literary transportation”—getting lost in a book—can change a person, starting with small physical alterations in heartrate and respiration, but sometimes extending to transforming attitudes. The artistic experience of “flow” has parallel effects; a regular practice of expressive writing can calm and sometimes even heal. Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest along with Jeannine Hall Gailey, Mita Mahato, Martha Silano, and Lesley Wheeler will share their own poems and poems by others, reflecting on how reading and writing help them cope with challenges including health crisis, environmental emergency, and personal and historical trauma.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

July 7, 2022, 5:00 pm

Everett Poetry Night: Featuring Washington State Poet Laureate

Host:
Everett Poetry Night

Where:
The Sisters Restaurant
2804 Grand Ave Everett, WA 98201 United States

Join Everett Poetry Night for a reading by Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest. Everett Poetry Night has been Everett’s premier poetic outlet since 2006. Gathering every Thursday to share poetry and song. We welcome everyone from the page poet to the slam poet, from the rapper to spoken word artist and singer-songwriter.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

June 12, 2022, 10:30 am

Event with the Washington State Poet Laureate

Host:
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
Online Poet Laureate Event

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest as she builds awareness and appreciation of poetry, including the state’s legacy of poetry, through public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations across the state.

Priest, a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal. She has also received the Allied Arts Foundation 2020 Professional Poets Award, and residency fellowships from Hawthornden Castle, Hedgebrook, and Mineral School. She is a National Geographic Explorer and a 2019 Jack Straw Writer. Priest’s work can be found in Poetry Northwest, Pontoon Poetry, Verse Daily, Poem-a-Day at Poets.org, and elsewhere. She has taught at Western Washington University and Northwest Indian College. Priest holds a BA in English from Western Washington University and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in Bellingham, Washington.

The poet laureate is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the poet laureate here.

Poet laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

June 11, 2022, 11:00 am

ONLINE: STEP in with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
STEP - Sharing Time with Elders Project
Online Poet Laureate Event

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a reading to students and elders of both the US and Canada. STEP (Sharing Time With Elders) Project is a volunteer program inspiring people to bridge the generations through powerful conversations.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

June 9, 2022, 12:00 pm

ONLINE: Reading with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Seattle Central College Library
Online Poet Laureate Event

Join the Seattle Central College community for a visit and reading by Washington State Poet Laureate, Rena Priest. Priest will read new work from an unpublished collection, as well as poems from her first two books.

“She brings an unapologetic acumen to some of our most ingrained cultural situations. Her poems, which are not always comfortable, are set against a lyrical, accessible backdrop, and the result is a provocative contemporary critique that will reframe perceptions and the way we see the world.” –Jenni Herrick

Time for Q+A will follow the reading.

Rena Priest is a poet and an enrolled member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She has been appointed to serve as the Washington State Poet Laureate for the term of April 2021-2023. She is the 2022 Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow, a Vadon Foundation Fellow, and recipient of an Allied Arts Foundation Professional Poets Award. Her debut collection, Patriarchy Blues, was published by MoonPath Press and received an American Book Award. Her second collection, Sublime Subliminal, was published as the finalist for the Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Award. She is a National Geographic Explorer (2018-2020) and a Jack Straw Writer (2019). Priest holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

June 3, 2022, 7:00 pm

IN PERSON: Laureate Duet Featuring Claudia Castro Luna & Rena Priest (& Friends)

Host:
Floating Bridge Press

Where:
Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery
9414 Delridge Way SW Seattle, WA 98106 United States

Join a reading and Q+A featuring former Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna, current Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest, and others in honor of Claudia Castro Luna’s new book Cipota Under the Moon.

This is a free and public event, but space and seating are limited. If you plan to attend, first RSVP to editor@floatingbridgepress.org.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

June 2, 2022, 12:00 pm

IN PERSON: Reading and Reception with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
University of Washington / CAIIS

Where:
UW Bothell
18115 Campus Way NE Bothell, WA 98011 United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a reading and reception sponsored by the University of Washington Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Special thanks to the Puyallup Tribe for their generous support of this event.

This event is held at William Phillip Hall at UW Bothell.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

June 2, 2022, 12:00 pm

IN PERSON: Reading and Reception with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
University of Washington / CAIIS

Where:
UW Tacoma
1900 Commerce St Tacoma, WA 98402 United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a reading and reception sponsored by the University of Washington Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Special thanks to the Puyallup Tribe for their generous support of this event.

This event is held at William Phillip Hall at UW Tacoma.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

May 17, 2022, 6:30 pm

ONLINE: Biophilia in Poetry, Featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Lummi Island Heritage Trust
Online Poet Laureate Event

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for “Biophilia in Poetry,” a talk presented as part of the The Stories We Tell about Nature/The Stories Nature Tells about Us speaker series, sponsored by Lummi Island Heritage Trust.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

May 10, 2022, 6:00 pm

IN PERSON: Sacred Breath: Indigenous Writing and Storytelling Series featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
University of Washington - Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies

Where:
wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House
4249 Whitman Ct Seattle, WA 98195 United States

The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington hosts an annual literary and storytelling series. Sacred Breath features Indigenous writers and storytellers sharing their craft at the beautiful wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House on the UW Seattle campus. Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature.

To attend this in-person event, you must first register here.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

May 4, 2022, 11:30 am

ONLINE: Evergreen Arts Lecture Series featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
The Evergreen State College
Online Poet Laureate Event

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a reading presented as part of The Evergreen State College’s Art Lecture Series. The Art Lecture Series presents a broad range of interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary art issues by artists, writers, activists, and scholars. The ongoing aim is to bring an array of practices from a variety of fields, areas of inquiry and creative production that are active in the world beyond the campus. The series provides a lively forum for the exchange of ideas between the speakers, students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Please note that this online event does not have a registration portal. Click the link to launch the Zoom meeting at 11:30 am to join the event.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

April 20, 2022, 4:00 pm

A Live Reading Celebrating National Poetry Month with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest (Lummi Nation)

Host:
Associated Students of Wenatchee Valley College Omak

Where:
Wenatchee Valley College Omak
107 Apple Ave W Omak, WA 98841 United States

In recognition of National Poetry Month (April), the Associated Students of Wenatchee Valley College at Omak (ASWVCO) Red Road Association is hosting an in-person event with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest. The event is Wednesday, April 20th from 4-5pm in room 401/402 of Hazel Allen Burnett Hall on the Wenatchee Valley College Omak campus. The address is West 107 Apple Avenue, Omak, Washington.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

April 18, 2022, 7:00 pm

An Evening with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Walla Walla University

Where:
Walla Walla Public Library
238 E Alder St Walla Walla, WA 99362 United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for an evening of poetry. There is no need to RSVP, but seating is limited.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

April 10, 2022, 3:00 pm

Reading with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
The Black Dog Arts Cafe

Where:
The Black Dog Arts Cafe
8062 Railroad Ave Snoqualmie, WA 98065 United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a reading at The Black Dog Arts Cafe. Books will be on hand to purchase and for signing.

Priest, a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal. She has also received the Allied Arts Foundation 2020 Professional Poets Award, and residency fellowships from Hawthornden Castle, Hedgebrook, and Mineral School. She is a National Geographic Explorer and a 2019 Jack Straw Writer. Priest’s work can be found in Poetry Northwest, Pontoon Poetry, Verse Daily, Poem-a-Day at Poets.org, and elsewhere. She has taught at Western Washington University and Northwest Indian College. Priest holds a BA in English from Western Washington University and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in Bellingham, Washington.

The poet laureate is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the poet laureate here.

Poet laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

April 10, 2022, 12:00 pm

Hike and Write 2022 with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
The Black Dog Arts Cafe

Where:
Palouse to Cascade Trail at Rattlesnake Lake in North Bend
North Bend, WA United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a meditative hike and writing session in the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley along the Palouse to Cascade Trail at Rattlesnake Lake in North Bend. Rena will offer reading and poetry writing prompts in response to nature and the Indigenous history of the Pacific Northwest. Discover Pass required.

Priest, a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal. She has also received the Allied Arts Foundation 2020 Professional Poets Award, and residency fellowships from Hawthornden Castle, Hedgebrook, and Mineral School. She is a National Geographic Explorer and a 2019 Jack Straw Writer. Priest’s work can be found in Poetry Northwest, Pontoon Poetry, Verse Daily, Poem-a-Day at Poets.org, and elsewhere. She has taught at Western Washington University and Northwest Indian College. Priest holds a BA in English from Western Washington University and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in Bellingham, Washington.

The poet laureate is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the poet laureate here.

Poet laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

April 5, 2022, 7:00 pm

Celebrating our Native Trees with Poetry

Host:
Washington Native Plant Society
Online Poet Laureate Event

Celebrate the native trees of Washington State with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest. This reading is organized by the Washington Native Plant Society as part of Native Plant Appreciation Month. WNPS’s mission is promote the appreciation and conservation of Washington’s native plants and their habitats through study, education, and advocacy.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

April 2, 2022, 12:30 pm

IN PERSON / ONLINE: Poetry and Civic Life

Host:
City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Humanities Washington, ArtsWA (Washington State Arts Commission), Hugo Seattle, and Seattle Arts and Lectures

Where:
Hugo House
1634 11th Ave Seattle, WA 98122 United States

On April 2, prominent poets from across the state will gather for a free public event in celebration of National Poetry Month. “ Poetry and Civic Life” is a reading and conversation event that will feature Rena Priest, Washington State Poet Laureate; Tod Marshall, Spokane poet and Washington State Poet Laureate (2016-2018); Jourdan Imani Keith, Seattle Civic Poet; and Zinnia Hansen, Seattle Youth Poet Laureate. The event will be emceed by Marcie Sillman, co-host of the doubleXposure podcast and former KUOW arts reporter.

The event is free and open to the public, and will take place in-person at Hugo House in Seattle. To attend the event, you must first register here.

The event is also being livestreamed here.

During the event, poets will respond to written questions from the audience that address the intersection of poetry and politics. The event will be recorded for broadcast by Seattle Channel, and available to livestream through ArtsWA.

This event is a co-presentation of City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Humanities Washington, ArtsWA (Washington State Arts Commission), Hugo Seattle, and Seattle Arts and Lectures.

Registration for this event is closed

March 29, 2022, 7:30 pm

An Evening With Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Gonzaga University Visiting Writers Series

Where:
Gonzaga University
502 E Boone Ave Spokane, WA 99202 United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for an evening of poetry, brought to you by Gonzaga University’s 2021-2022 Visiting Writers Series. The Gonzaga University Visiting Writers Series brings distinguished authors to campus to engage both the Gonzaga audience and the wider Spokane community. The series fosters artistic collaboration across disciplines, encourages intellectual curiosity, and seeks to share the wonder and challenges of living a creative life.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

February 23, 2022, 12:45 pm

ONLINE: Whatcom Marine Research Symposium, Featuring Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Whatcom Watersheds Information Network
Online Poet Laureate Event

Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest will be reading as part of a day-long Marine Research Symposium hosted by The Whatcom Watersheds Information Network. The event aims to better understand the state of Whatcom County’s marine and nearshore ecosystems. Priest will be reading from 12:45 – 1:05 PM. The event and the reading are open to the public.

Please contact whatcomwatersheds@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

February 5, 2022, 3:00 pm

Restless Pursuits in Art & Literature: A Writing Workshop with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Henry Art Gallery

Where:
Henry Art Gallery
15th Ave NE & NE 41st St Seattle, WA 98195 United States

This in-person event is currently at capacity. Please email contact-programs@henryart.org to add your name to the waitlist.Please note that the Henry requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result for visitors 12 and older. Mask and social distancing requirements remain in place. Read the complete visitor guidelines here.

In conjunction with their exhibit Diana Al-Hadid: Archive of Longings, the Henry Art Gallery presents a series of writing workshops with three Pacific Northwest writers who will lead sessions inspired by Al-Hadid’s work, as well as give participants opportunities to consider “archives” that live close to home and heart. Fed by multiple literary, artistic, and other cultural sources, Diana Al-Hadid’s sculptures meditate on the conflicts and ruptures exposed when these stories are brought together. In this, the second workshop of the series, Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest asks, what is this impulse to write and create art? Is it a wish to document, preserve, and archive the poignant moments of our lives? Is it a wish to respond to the beautiful things we encounter? To explain the questions and desires within us?

Participation is free but registration is limited. Register here.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

February 3, 2022, 7:00 pm

ONLINE: Reading with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest

Host:
Whatcom County Library System
Online Poet Laureate Event

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a poetry reading focused on the themes in this year’s Whatcom READS book selection, Greenwood. Whatcom READS is a county-wide program that encourages everyone to read and discuss the same book.

Set in the Pacific Northwest, Michael Christie’s Greenwood opens in the near future in one of the last surviving old growth forests. The novel spans generations to tell the story of a family living and dying in the shadows cast by its own secrets.

For more information about Whatcom READS and this year’s selection, please visit: https://www.whatcomreads.org.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

February 2, 2022, 7:00 pm

IN PERSON: East Point West Press Anthology Reading (Plus Open Mic)

Host:
Duvall Poetry

Where:
Rustic Cabin Coffee
15715 Main St NE, Unit 105 Duvall, WA 98019 United States

Join Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for a public reading celebrating the release of “Poetic Impressions,” a new chapbook featuring fourteen Pacific Northwest poets: Mary Eliza Crane, David Horowitz, Raul Sanchez, Lyn Coffin, Clark Crouch, Terry Busch, Peggy Barnett, Christopher J. Jarmick, Art Gomez, Sharon Cumberland, Griffith H. Williams, David Post, Eugene Marckx, and Rena Priest. Poetic Impressions was produced on an antique Chandler & Price letterpress from 1911, and looks and feels as if it comes from the middle of the last century. Yet these brand new poems speak for today with a clarity of vision, and a command of poetic techniques, that is sure to impress. The book is published by East Point West Press.

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed

January 18, 2022, 3:30 pm

ONLINE: Rena Priest: A Poem is a Possibility

Host:
UW - Riverways
Online Poet Laureate Event

Please note that the time of this event has been corrected. The event begins at 3:30 pm.

Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest will be conducting a workshop and presentation for a group of 25 UW undergraduate students around the theme of writing poetry with children (2nd – 5th graders). This workshop will be open to anyone who wants to observe it.

The students are part of a UW/Riverways project that connects them with elementary students in rural and tribal communities around Washington state. The UW students will be writing poetry with these children during the week of March 21-25 as part of their Alternative Spring Break.

For more information about the UW Riverways Educational Project and the Literacy Arts Alternative Spring Break program, contact Christine Stickler (castick@uw.edu) and visit https://vimeo.com/65770081

Rena Priest is the current Washington State Poet Laureate. A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, she is the author of Patriarchy Blues, which was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and the recent Sublime Subliminal.

The Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and The Washington State Arts Commission/ArtsWA, with the support of Governor Jay Inslee. See the full website of the Poet Laureate here.

Poet Laureate events are produced by the hosting organization.

Registration for this event is closed