2100 Paradigm Shift

Poet Laureate supports and promotes Poetry throughout the State

The Washington State Poet Laureate serves to build awareness and appreciation of poetry — including

the state’s legacy of poetry — through public readings, workshops, lectures and presentations in

communities, schools, colleges, universities and other public settings in geographically diverse areas of

the state. The appointed poet laureate serves a two-year term.

In April 2007, the Washington State Legislature passed a bill that recognized the value of poetry to the

culture and heritage of the state by establishing the Washington State Poet Laureate. Washington joined

several other states in appointing an official state poet laureate position.

The poet laureate is sponsored by Humanities Washington and ArtsWA, with the support of Gov. Jay

Inslee. The position is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities Washington. Poets

can self-nominate every two years through an application process.

 

Washington State Poet Laureate 2014-16

 

The current poet laureate is Elizabeth Austen, who assumed the role Feb. 1, 2014.

(Press release: 71   KB PDF | Image: 936  KB JPG ).

Austen is the author of a collection, Every Dress a Decision (Blue Begonia Press, 2011), and two

chapbooks, The Girl Who Goes Alone (Floating Bridge Press, 2010) and Where Currents Meet (Toadlily

Press, 2010). She produces literary programming for KUOW radio, a Seattle NPR affiliate, and is a

communications specialist and educator at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Austen moved to Washington in 1989, at the time a stage actor, avid hiker and occasional writer of

poetry. After a transformative trip to the Andes region in her early 30s, Austen focused her efforts on

poetry. Her work trends towards the personal, touching on issues such as women’s societal roles,

courage and searching for spirituality.

Austen maintains a website of her work. To get in touch with Austen or book her for a workshop or

presentation, email poet@humanities.org.

Past Poets Laureate

For more about the first Washington State Poet Laureate, visit out Past Poets Laureate page.

Public School Lunch | Lincoln Nebraska

The Lincoln public school system has gone above and beyond the legal requirements dishing out a daily vegetables smorgasbord. On top of veggie burgers and black-bean chili, the school system serves up local yellow watermelons, black and green peppers, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, ripe plums, and fresh cantaloupe. It was enough to earn the district a "Golden Carrot Award" from the Physicians Committee, a nonprofit medical organization of 12,000 doctors

Mind Body Green

Human Brain Reminiscing

New research led by Cornell University neuroscientist Nathan Spreng shows for the first time that engaging brain areas linked to so-called “off-task” mental activities (such as mind-wandering and reminiscing) can actually boost performance on some challenging mental tasks. The results advance our understanding of how externally and internally focused neural networks interact to facilitate complex thought, the authors say.

“The prevailing view is that activating brain regions referred to as the default network impairs performance on attention-demanding tasks because this network is associated with behaviors such as mind-wandering,” said Spreng. “Our study is the first to demonstrate the opposite – that engaging the default network can also improve performance.”

Echo Photo Acoustic Imaging

Combining the two technologies in one device enables images of the body to be produced that contain far more information. The scientists have made the combination possible by integrating pulsing diode lasers in the ultrasound transducer, resulting in a compact and relatively inexpensive system. The measuring technique works best on relatively superficial parts of the body, down to a depth of fifteen millimeters.

40 Years of Washington Stories

Whatcom Museum By   Samuel Dunnington   | Humanities Washington intern | 10.02.14

A symbolic ship is christened at the opening of the Whatcom Museum’s World of the Shipwright exhibit in 2007. The exhibit included oral histories from community members. Photo courtesy of the Whatcom Museum

Humanities Washington is celebrating our 40th anniversary with 40 Years of Washington Stories. Each week on Spark, we are offering a snapshot from our past, through stories that reflect the humanities in Washington State.

These exhibits exemplify the Whatcom Museum’s ongoing commitment to develop and maintain strong ties with the community that it serves. Information about the museum’s latest art, nature and northwest history exhibits can be found here.

Category: 40 Years of Washington Stories | Tags: Art, Bellingham, Dance, heritage, History,Suffragist Movement, Whatcom County

Hillol.Sarkar@ago-inc.com