National Denise Lajimodiere is named North Dakota's first Native American poet laureate A citizen of the Turtle Mountain band of Chippewa Indians, Lajimodiere has written several award-winning books of poetry and is an expert on the history of Native American boarding schools. The Associated Press
Arts & Life Poet Luther Hughes remembers Dwone Anderson-Young and Ahmed Said Poet Luther Hughes writes about the Black experience in the context of trauma and national violence. Remembering the lives of two gay Black men who were murdered on Capitol Hill in 2014, Hughes' poem "In Seattle" places a local tragedy in the context of its impact on the poet's lived experience. Shin Yu Pai
Arts & Life Gazing into the mysteries of the galaxy with poet Sharon Hashimoto Sharon Hashimoto's poem "Theodor Jackson Observatory" shines the light on a beloved local observatory that keeps track of astronomical time and educates the general public on astronomy. Shin Yu Pai
Arts & Life Rhythmic shoes and prose: J.W. Marshall captures the ennui of Harborview Drawn from his book Meaning a Cloud, "The Nightshift Nurse Brought Her Shoes to Work in a Paper Bag" is part of a larger poetic sequence shaped around J.W. Marshall's experiences of surviving and recovering from a life-changing injury. Shin Yu Pai
Arts & Life An ode to the city skyline from West Seattle by poet E.J. Koh Poet E.J. Koh chose West Seattle as her home, where she could live near Alki Beach and see the Seattle skyline rising in the distance across the water. As a place, Alki has appeared in much of her work, from her poetry to her nonfiction writing. Shin Yu Pai
Arts & Life Clam-digging for 'Soft Edible Bodies': Poet Carol Levin on a quintessential Pacific Northwest experience Carol Levin's poem "Soft Edible Bodies on April Fools Day" depicts the quintessential Pacific Northwest experience of razor clamming and speaks to the ways in which the unique region where we live can shape our experiences and memories of place. Shin Yu Pai
Arts & Life Poetry, book arts, and painting highlight our weekly arts picks As we do each week, we're getting picks for arts & culture events to check out in the Puget Sound region. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm got these recommendations from writer Shin Yu Pai, who just this week was named Seattle's Civic Poet. She also hosts the KUOW podcast "The Blue Suit." Kim Malcolm Andy Hurst Play AudioListen 6 mins
Arts & Life From the Pacific to the Palouse, writers take on the Northwest's gloomy landscape Evergreen trees shrouded in a light mist, a cloudy morning with an 8 a.m. sunrise, the churning sea, the rolling hills of the Palouse: landscape takes a central role in the anthology "Evergreen: Grim Tales and Verses from the Gloomy Northwest." Mike Davis Hans Anderson Play AudioListen 15 mins
Arts & Life 'So many overlapping connections here.' Anastacia-Reneé reflects on her time in Seattle Writer, interdisciplinary artist, and former Seattle Civic Poet Anastacia-Reneé talked to Soundside about her life in Seattle, working to open doors for other artists of color, and how there is still so much more to be done. Libby Denkmann Hans Anderson Play AudioListen 14 mins
Arts & Life 'Sacrificing everything for hope.' NW poet gives voice to migration stories In some families, the stories of why and how our ancestors immigrated to the United States are passed from generation to generation like lore. But in others...those stories are packed away and locked shut. Those unspoken conversations around migration inspired poet Ricardo Ruiz to travel back home to eastern Washington, and interview family and friends about their experiences emigrating from Mexico to Washington farming communities. Noel Gasca Play AudioListen 22 mins
