PORT ANGELES — Clallam County’s first poet laureate will be inaugurated on Tuesday.
Jaiden Dokken will begin a two-year tenure as they is inaugurated from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Port Angeles Library at 2210 S. Peabody St.
Dokken will read a selection of their poems after opening remarks by Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias and Norht Olympic Library System (NOLS) librarian Clair Dunlap. The event also will be livestreamed on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87528990749?pwd=ZjNXQjR4UG1tTmFMMG9UNU8wZGZaUT09#success.
Dokken, who uses the pronouns they/them, is a local writer, printmaker, ceramicist and cidermaker. Dokken’s work has been published in Fiction International, Algorithm, Muses and Vices, SpeakEasy, Superfroot Magazine, and Pile Press. Dokken is an editor and reader for Perennial Press.
As a poet laureate, Dokken — who grew up in Sequim and returned to live there as an adult — plans to bring poetry to residents across Clallam County by participating in events, leading workshops, and championing the community power of the written and spoken word.
“This is the place I learned how to read and write, and where I found my voice through poetry,” Dokken said.
A major goal of the Clallam County Poet Laureate program is to use poetry to bring a variety of voices and perspectives to culturally diverse audiences throughout the county, and to bring communities together through poetry.
“I’m most eager to draw in the people who are absolutely convinced they do not like poetry,” Dokken said. “I know many folks that haven’t ever been exposed to a branch of poetry that resonates with them.
“But just like other art forms such as painting, pottery, or playing the guitar, poetry is not bound by a singular style. So if sonnets aren’t your thing, no worries! And for those of you who are already in love or at least in-like with poetry, I truly look forward to growing this community together.”
A committee of community arts leaders, practitioners, and enthusiasts from across the county selected Dokken from a pool of poets who submitted applications last fall. The inaugural position is a two-year term from April 2023 through March 2025, and comes with an annual stipend of $5,000 funded by Clallam County.
For more information about this program, visit nols.org/poet, email Poet Laureate@nols.org, or call 360.417.8500.
