Treat yourself to Washington-grown poems this National Poetry Month
Each week during National Poetry Month, we're featuring works by Pacific Northwest poets, curated by KUOW's Elizabeth Austen. Most are drawn from the new anthology "WA 129."
"Holy and Black"
By Seattle poet Quenton Baker, from his 2016 collection "This Glittering Republic."
"Maple Grove"
By Spokane-area poet Laurie Klein, from "WA 129." Audio courtesy of Laurie Klein.
“Coroner’s Report”
By Spokane high school student Ben Read, from “WA 129.” Audio courtesy of KPBX in Spokane.
“Pioneer Square Pile Driver”
By poet and Seattle Arts and Lectures associate director Rebecca Hoogs, from “WA 129.”
“Mount Rainer”
By Bellevue artist and author Vikram Madan, from “WA 129.”
“WA 129,” edited by Washington state poet laureate Tod Marshall and published by Sage Hill Press, features poems by professional writers as well as amateur poets and includes work by nationally acclaimed Washington writers Sherman Alexie, Tom Robbins and Tess Gallagher.
The collection includes 129 poems — one for each year of statehood.
"'WA 129' celebrates the ways Washington state inspires us — all of us," Marshall said. "We include work from first-time poets and professional writers, from young students and retirees, and from big and small towns from the Pacific to the Palouse. I'm hoping this book captures the voice of our state at this moment in our history."
The Washington State Poet Laureate is a program of Humanities Washington and the Washington State Arts Commission.
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Elizabeth Austen
Producer
Former Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen has been interviewing poets and producing poetry segments for KUOW since 2001. She began as an intern while in graduate school for an MFA in creative writing (poetry) at Antioch University, Los Angeles. Once she discovered the joy of blending her early background as an actor and director (Book–It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Festival) with her passion for poetry as a spoken art form, she was hooked. She's been producing poetry for radio audiences ever since. Her collection, "Every Dress a Decision" (Blue Begonia Press, 2011), was a finalist for the 2012 Washington State Book Award in poetry. She is also the author of two poetry chapbooks, "The Girl Who Goes Alone" (Floating Bridge Press, 2010) and "Where Currents Meet," winner of the Toadlily Press Chapbook Award and part of the quartet "Sightline," published in 2010. Elizabeth's poems have been featured on Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac and online at Verse Daily, the Bellingham Review and DMQ Review. You'll find Elizabeth's poems in anthologies including "What to Read in the Rain" and "Poets Against the War" and in literary journals. She's performed at venues including Poets House in New York City, The Loft in Minneapolis, the Austin ArtSpark Festival, and locally at the Richard Hugo House Literary Series, Bumbershoot, and the Seattle and Skagit River Poetry Festivals. An audio CD, "skin prayers," featuring 26 original poems recorded with a live audience in the KUOW studios, is available on her website, www.elizabethausten.org. Elizabeth was the 2007 Roadshow poet, bringing poetry to underserved rural communities in Washington state under the auspices of the Washington State Arts Commission, Humanities Washington, and the Washington Poets Association. She is committed to fostering a broader understanding and appreciation of the literary arts in general and poetry in particular. She teaches frequently at Richard Hugo House, a literary arts center in Seattle, and she has been a visiting artist for western Washington school districts and colleges.
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