College hosts state poet laureate

Published 4:39 pm Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Peninsula College Foothills Writers Series and Studium Generale host two events with Washington State Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen.

Austen also will be holding a poetry workshop at the Port Angeles Library (see following story).

The first reading is with the writing group Poetic Blood Quantum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Elwha Heritage Center, 401 E. First St., Port Angeles.

The second reading is part of the “Poets in Conversation” program and is from 12:30-1:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, in the Little Theater at Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.

At the Heritage Center, featured readers will be Native writers John Pritchard III, Cindy Claplanhoo, Brenda Francis Thomas, Chris Thomas, Juanita McCarty and Brandan McCarty.

Joining them will be Austen, Alice Derry and Kate Reavey.

The Jan. 29 event will feature Austen and Derry, Peninsula College Faculty Emerita.

Austen is the Washington State Poet Laureate for 2014-2016. Her collection, “Every Dress a Decision” (Blue Begonia Press, 2011), was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award.

Laureate presents workshop

Austen will present a free poetry workshop at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.

Participants will engage in a close reading of a few poems with Austen, use one or two as models for writing a first draft of their own and have the opportunity to share their work and receive feedback.

Writers do not need to have any previous experience writing poetry.

Workshop space is limited and pre-registration is recommended.

Austen’s goal as Washington’s Poet Laureate is to foster awareness, appreciation and engagement with poetry throughout the state. She is the author of “Every Dress a Decision,” “The Girl Who Goes Alone” and “Where Currents Meet.”

She also produces literary programming for KUOW radio, a Seattle NPR affiliate, and is a communications specialist and educator at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

To register for this event, visit www.nols.org and click on “Events” and “Port Angeles.”

For more information, call 417-8500 or send an e-mail to Cheryl Martin at cmartin@nols.org.

This program is supported by the Port Angeles Friends of the Library.