Poets in the Park 2019
Celebrating the Land
Saturday, 20 July 2019, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm — FREE!
Our 2021 festival, with a theme of travel, will be online via Zoom, scheduled for June 5 (readings and performances) and June 6 (workshops), with Natalie Goldberg as featured guest. All events will be free and will request prior registration. More details to be announced.
Our 2020 festival, with a theme of travel, which had been scheduled for July 25 (performances) and July 26 (workshops), is unfortunately CANCELLED for 2020, because of the coronavirus situation. Please see the City of Redmond press release for more information about the cancellation of all of its summer events.
Anderson Park | 7802 168th Ave NE | Redmond, Washington
Environmental theme this year—see schedule below- Teachings of the First People: Native American Story and Myth
with Roger Fernandes, Lower Elwah S’Klallam Tribal Storyteller
- Music by Band of Poets
- Environment-themed poetry workshops
by Christianne Balk, Tara Hardy, Jeffrey Morgan, and Carolyne Wright - Washington Poetic Routes reading,
coordinated by Claudia Castro Luna, Washington state poet laureate - Poetry readings by more than a dozen organizations
- At least 68 featured poets
- New book showcase readings
- Open-mic readings
- Art installations by Centro Cultural Mexicano / Los Pajaros Gallery
and Crystal Edwards / VALA Arts, plus craft activities - Chalk art, poetry on sticks, and other surprises, plus free ice cream!
Poets in the Park in 2019 will once again feature groups and organizations, with 25-minute reading slots, this year mostly with an environmental theme. We also have 55-minute workshops, our book fair, vendors, open-mic readings, installations, ice cream, and more—and it’s all free! Scroll down to see the schedule. If you have questions, please contact Michael Dylan Welch.
- Teachings of the First People: Native American Story and Myth
with Roger Fernandes, Lower Elwah S’Klallam Tribal Storyteller - Music by Band of Poets
- Environment-themed poetry workshops
by Christianne Balk, Tara Hardy, Jeffrey Morgan, and Carolyne Wright - Washington Poetic Routes reading,
coordinated by Claudia Castro Luna, Washington state poet laureate - Poetry readings by more than a dozen organizations
- At least 68 featured poets
- New book showcase readings
- Open-mic readings
- Art installations by Centro Cultural Mexicano / Los Pajaros Gallery
and Crystal Edwards / VALA Arts, plus craft activities - Chalk art, poetry on sticks, and other surprises, plus free ice cream!
Enjoy poetry readings and performances on our Café and Picnic Shelter stages, workshops in our workshop cabin, and activities, installations, and vendors throughout the park, plus our poetry book fair (coordinated by Brick and Mortar Books, with no commission taken)—all FREE! Bring your own lunch to enjoy on the lawn or in our café area. Chalk poetry, hula hoops, Haiku on Sticks, art/craft activities for kids and adults (sponsored by VALA Arts), RASP poetry anthology poems on sticks, and more! And great summer weather too!
See the Facebook event. Tweet to #poetsinthepark.
Sponsored by the Redmond Arts & Culture Commission, the Redmond Association of Spokenword, and 4Culture, directed by Michael Dylan Welch. This event is supported in part by Poets & Writers. Additional thanks to all our volunteers.
Location/Parking
Book Fair
Our gratitude to Dan Ullom and Nicole Craswell of Redmond’s Brick and Mortar Books for facilitating our no-commission book fair, in the Adair cabin. Just bring your poetry-related publications to sell at the book fair, fill out the book fair inventory form (view or download PDF file—please do this before Saturday if you can), and enjoy the festival! Put a price list next to your publications, or mark each one with a price. Check in at the end of the day to pick up unsold books. You can purchase publications with cash, check, or credit card.
2019 Schedule
Don’t miss a moment of our many readings and performances at our Café and Picnic stages, and workshops in the Fullard Cabin. Come early to catch it all! Bring your own lunch. All sessions end five minutes before the next session. All events and activities are free. To support poets reading at all times of the day, please commit to attending for the entire day if you can. Thank you.
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Time |
Café Main Stage |
Picnic Shelter Stage |
Fullard Workshop Cabin |
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11:00 |
Welcome: Michael Dylan Welch, RASP President |
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11:10 |
Washington Poetic Routes: Claudia Castro Luna, Washington State Poet Laureate |
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12:00 |
Band of Poets: John Burgess, Anna Jenkins, Ted McMahon, Jed Myers, and Rosanne Olson |
Open-Mic Reading: |
Carolyne Wright: |
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12:40 |
Haiku Northwest Zigzag Bridge anthology: Terran Campbell, David Berger, Ida Freilinger, Dianne Garcia, Connie Hutchison, Roy Kindelberger, Curtis Manley, Tanya McDonald (MC), Michelle Schaefer, Angela Terry, Kathleen Tice, Richard Tice, and Michael Dylan Welch |
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1:00 |
Teachings of the First
People: Native American Story and Myth: |
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2:00 |
For Love of Orcas anthology: Allen Braden, Sarah DeWeerdt, Jill McCabe Johnson (MC), Jenne Knight, Jed Myers, Rena Priest, Tina Schumann, Martha Silano, Michael Dylan Welch, and Carolyne Wright |
Greenwood Poets: Lyn Coffin (MC), Sharon Cumberland, Mary Ellen Talley, and Carolyne Wright |
Christianne Balk: |
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2:30 |
Footbridge Above the Falls—Rose Alley Press anthology of Northwest poets: David Horowitz (MC), Ken Osborne, Douglas Schuder, and Kara Simon |
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3:00 |
New Book Showcase: Ed Harkness, Christopher Luna, Jeffrey Morgan, Jed Myers, Tina Schumann, Martha Silano, Holly L. Thomas, and Sandra Yannone, with Michael Dylan Welch (MC) |
Fire and Water—Black Heron Press: Jerry Gold (MC), Sibyl James, and Marilyn Stablein |
Tara Hardy: |
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3:30 |
Puget Sound Poetry Connection: Allen Braden, Carl Palmer, Bob Toohey, and Connie Walle (MC) |
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4:00 |
Garden of Poems: Poems from Where the Horse Takes Wing (Two Sylvias Press, 2019) by the late Madeline DeFrees, read by Christianne Balk, Anne McDuffie (MC), Natasha Moni, and Ann Teplick |
Printed Matter Vancouver: Tiffany Burba, Matthew Eiford-Schroeder, Toni Lumbrazo Luna, Christopher Luna (MC), and Jenney Pauer |
Jeffrey Morgan: |
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4:30 |
Jack Straw Writers: Dianne Aprile, Christianne Balk, and Sylvia Byrne Pollack |
Raven Chronicles Poets: Anna Bálint, Phoebe Bosché (MC), C. W. Buckley, Ann Batchelor Hursey, and Jeanne Morel |
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5:00 |
Floating Bridge Press 25th Anniversary Reading: Jory Mickelson, Natasha Moni, Rena Priest, and Michael Schmeltzer (MC) |
Open-Mic Reading: |
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5:30 |
Grand Finale Reading: Anis Gisele and Tara Hardy |
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6:00 |
Closing Words: Chris Weber, Redmond Cultural Arts Administrator Thank you for attending Poets in the Park! |
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6:30 |
No-Host Dinner and After Party: Sam’s Tavern, 15740 Redmond Way, Redmond, near SoulFood Coffee House (we have reservations for the back room and private patio, and please note that we will be charged a 20 percent gratuity; possible open-mic opportunities too) |
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Activities/Installations
Haiku on Sticks (view poems by Haiku Northwest members)
Poetry on Sticks (view poems from the RASP poetry anthology, Here, There, and Everywhere)
Chalk Art (by Pamela Denchfield)
Handmade Art (craft activity sponsored by VALA Arts)
Art Installation (sponsored by Centro Cultural Mexicano and its Los Pajaros Gallery)
Art Installation (by Crystal Edwards, sponsored by VALA Arts)
Groups, Organizations, Vendors, and Sponsors
Band of PoetsBrick and Mortar Books (Nicole Craswell)
Redmond Arts & Culture Commission
Redmond Association of Spokenword
Rose Alley Press
VALA Arts
Dianne Aprile Anna Bálint Christianne Balk David Berger Phoebe Bosché Allen Braden C. W. Buckley Tiffany Burba John Burgess Terran Campbell Lyn Coffin Sharon Cumberland Sarah DeWeerdt Matthew Eiford-Schroeder Roger Fernandes Ida Freilinger Dianne Garcia Anis Gisele Jerry Gold Tara Hardy Ed Harkness David Horowitz Ann Batchelor Hursey | Connie Hutchison Sibyl James Anna Jenkins Jill McCabe Johnson Roy Kindelberger Jenne Knight Claudia Castro Luna Christopher Luna Toni Lumbrazo Luna Curtis Manley Tanya McDonald Anne McDuffie Ted McMahon Jory Mickelson Natasha Moni Jeanne Morel Jeffrey Morgan Jed Myers Rosanne Olson Ken Osborne Carl Palmer Jenney Pauer | Sylvia Byrne Pollack Rose Ramm Michelle Schaefer Michael Schmeltzer Douglas Schuder Tina Schumann Martha Silano Kara Simon Marilyn Stablein Kari Tai Mary Ellen Talley Ann Teplick Angela Terry Holly L. Thomas Kathleen Tice Richard Tice Bob Toohey Connie Walle Michael Dylan Welch Carolyne Wright Sandra Yannone |