PORT TOWNSEND — Wilderbee Farm will host poets Tess Gallagher, Alice Derry and Kathryn Hunt, among others, for the launch of the free Poetry on the Salish Sea series on Sunday.
Wilderbee Farm, which is just outside Port Townsend at 223 Cook Ave., will host monthly poetry readings by poets from around the Salish Sea and beyond for Poetry on the Salish Sea, with the first reading set for 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Wilderbee’s meadery garden.
”Poetry on the Salish Sea will connect the literary arts to the land, as caretakers, farmers, and lovers of the Earth, and celebrate the natural abundance and strong literary arts community in the region,” according to organizers in a press release.
Poets scheduled
Also among the poets are Arianne True, Washington State Poet Laureate; Laura Da’; Lisbeth White; Rick Barot; Sati Mookherjee; Shin Yu Pai; Kathleen Flenniken, Washington State Poet Laureate 2012-2014; and Gary Copeland Lilley.
The inaugural poetry reading Sunday will feature Gallagher, an internationally acclaimed poet and Port Angeles resident, joined by Derry, the author of six books of poetry who taught at Peninsula College for 30 years; and Hunt, the author of four poetry collections and the artistic curator of Poetry on the Salish Sea.
Gallagher is the author of 10 books. Her most recent collection is “Is, Is Not,” from her longtime publisher Graywolf Press.
She has recently been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Fondazione Roma in Rome, Italy, the first American to receive the award. She will accept her award in person at the annual Ritratti di Poesia or Portraits of Poetry festival, in April.
Moon Path Press released Derry’s “Asking” in 2022. The late Raymond Carver chose Derry’s first book, “Stages of Twilight,” for the King County Arts Prize.
Hunt’s most recent collections are “Seed Wheel” from Lost Horse Press and a chapbook, “She Who Walks the Earth,” from Hautaughduh Press.
All three poets have taught at the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference.
The poetry series is sponsored by Wilderbee Farm and The Production Alliance.
Check wilderbeefarm.com for upcoming dates, time, and guest poets. Poetry books will be on sale.
