PORT ANGELES — You could call it an outlandish dream. But it just might turn real.
John Pritchard III, a Peninsula College student and a member of the Makah tribe who grew up in Neah Bay, dreamed this: studying world history, art, literature and language in Florence, Italy.
Pritchard is a slam poet, a 23-year-old who writes about his tribe, his culture and about love and hope.
Earlier this winter, with his professors’ encouragement, he applied for and was accepted to the Washington State Community College Consortium for Study Abroad program in Florence, the city of Dante and Michelangelo.
To begin raising the money for plane fare, tuition and other costs, Pritchard won a grant from the Bill Hennessey Native Bridges Fund, which provided seed money to publish a slim poetry collection: WOLF: We Only Love Freedom.
He’ll give one last reading from the book this Tuesday night on the main Peninsula College campus at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd. in an acoustically crystalline venue: Maier Performance Hall.
The 6:30 p.m. event, titled the “Wing and a Prayer Poetry Reading,” comes as Pritchard reaches the halfway mark toward the price of studying abroad.
That cost is about $10,000, for which the payment deadline is next Thursday, Feb. 5, three days after the reading.
Books available
Pritchard’s books will be available at the reading for $10 — but he’ll need larger contributions if he’s to board a plane to Italy.
Donations beyond the price of the book will go into the Hennessey fund, which was established by the family of the late Dr. Bill Hennessey, a Port Angeles physician who believed in the power of art to build understanding among people.
If Pritchard doesn’t make it to his goal, the donations will remain in the fund and be used to support education and cultural exchange for local Native American students.
In late December, Pritchard gave his first fundraising reading of WOLF at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center in Port Angeles.
Since then, anonymous donors have come forward to make substantial contributions. Smaller gifts have come in, too, said Kate Reavey, a Peninsula College English professor and admirer of Pritchard’s work.
“He is one of the most inspired poets and brightest thinkers I have met in my 20 years of teaching,” said Reavey.
As for the poet, this process has been beyond his expectations. Most of all, Pritchard said, he feels humbled.
He asked Reavey and Alice Derry, another mentor and writer, to read a couple of their poems at the beginning of Tuesday’s event.
‘Inspires me’
In Neah Bay and Port Angeles, people have come forward, emailing, buying his books, donating and otherwise urging him on.
This “just inspires me to be the best person I can be,” he said.
“It makes me believe in the opportunities in life that I never expected to see, regardless if I make it or not.”
Val Conroy, coordinator of Peninsula College’s study abroad program, said Pritchard is the only tribal member she has seen apply for it. She added that not many students here have the kind of money it takes.
“It’s overwhelming to think about. But I’m confident,” said Pritchard, whose poetic performance style is a mix of fierce and understated.
“If I make it to Italy, I wouldn’t sleep much,” he said. He’d study architecture, the great artists and writers, history and Italian.
“I’d hike all over” and share his own culture with fellow students.
There were times, said Pritchard, when actually going to abroad felt impossible. The time leading to the deadline has gone fast.
“But each day, someone reached out or told me they’re proud of me. So that keeps me going.”
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
