{"id":2329,"date":"2014-01-28T11:03:46","date_gmt":"2014-01-28T19:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/?p=2329"},"modified":"2014-01-28T17:20:20","modified_gmt":"2014-01-29T01:20:20","slug":"elizabeth-austen-is-our-new-washington-state-poet-laureate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/?p=2329","title":{"rendered":"Elizabeth Austen is our new Washington State Poet Laureate!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Official Word is out!<\/p>\n

ELIZABETH AUSTEN NAMED 2014-16 WASHINGTON STATE POET LAUREATE
\nSEATTLE-BASED POET, COMMENTATOR AND EDUCATOR TO ASSUME THE POST ON FEB.1<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nOLYMPIA \u2014Elizabeth Austen has been appointed the 2014-16 Washington State Poet Laureate, effective Feb. 1. Austen, a Seattle resident, will be the state\u2019s third poet laureate. Her appointment is sponsored by Humanities Washington and the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), with the support of Gov. Jay Inslee.
\nAusten will give her first reading as poet laureate with the 2012-14 Washington State Poet Laureate, Kathleen Flenniken, at Open Books in Seattle Feb. 16. (See below for details.)<\/p>\n

As the poet laureate, Austen will build awareness and appreciation of poetry \u2014 including the state\u2019s legacy of poetry \u2014 through public readings, workshops, lectures and presentations in communities, schools, colleges, universities and other public settings in geographically diverse areas of the state. Austen succeeds the 2012-2014 Washington State Poet Laureate, Kathleen Flenniken.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled with Elizabeth’s appointment as our next Washington State Poet Laureate. She will be an outstanding ambassador for poetry in our state and inspires a deep appreciation for the art in Washingtonians of all ages,\u201d said ArtsWA Executive Director Kris Tucker.<\/p>\n

In this role, Austen will serve a two-year term as the primary spokesperson, supporter and promoter of poetry in Washington. She will receive a stipend of $10,000 per year to help cover the cost of providing poetry programs and activities statewide.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy aim is always to provide a frame that helps the listener \u2018step into\u2019 a poem,\u201d said Austen. \u201cI hope to reach people \u2013 even people who think they don\u2019t like poetry \u2013 by sharing works that are both vivid and relatable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Austen is the author of a collection, Every Dress a Decision<\/em> (Blue Begonia Press, 2011), and two chapbooks, The Girl Who Goes Alone<\/em> (Floating Bridge Press, 2010) and Where Currents Meet<\/em> (Toadlily Press, 2010). She produces literary programming for KUOW radio, a Seattle NPR affiliate, and is a communications specialist and educator at Seattle Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s societal roles, courage and searching for spirituality.<\/p>\n

\u201cElizabeth\u2019s talent and her experience curating the works of local poets will enable her to step immediately into the role of Washington\u2019s poetry ambassador to the general public.\u201d said Julie Ziegler, Humanities Washington\u2019s executive director. \u201cShe is a natural teacher, a skilled poet and is committed to sharing the power of poetry.\u201d<\/p>\n

EVENT DETAILS
\nWhat: The Passing of the Laurel: A Reading with Elizabeth Austen & Kathleen Flenniken
\nWhen: Feb. 16, 2014 at 3 p.m.
\nWhere: Open Books: A Poem Emporium, 2414 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
\nCost: Free<\/p>\n

On the Web: Humanities Washington\u2019s events calendar [Details] or http:\/\/bit.ly\/1lk5xyF
\nQuestions? Contact Abby Rhinehart at abby@humanities.org or (206) 682-1770 x108<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON STATE POET LAUREATE
\nThe Washington State Poet Laureate program is sponsored by Humanities Washington and ArtsWA and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In April 2007, the Washington State Legislature passed a bill that established the Washington State Poet Laureate position and recognized the value of poetry to the culture and heritage of the state. Kathleen Flenniken served as the Washington State Poet Laureate for a two-year term beginning January 2012; Sam Green served as the first Washington State Poet Laureate from 2008-10. More about the activities of the Washington State Poet Laureate can be found on the Humanities Washington website.<\/p>\n

ABOUT ARTSWA
\nEstablished in 1961, ArtsWA collaborates with artists and arts organizations statewide to conserve, promote and develop artistic resources. For more about ArtsWA, visit arts.wa.gov.<\/p>\n

ABOUT HUMANITIES WASHINGTON
\nCelebrating its 40th anniversary of serving the state this year, Humanities Washington sparks conversation and critical thinking using story as a catalyst, nurturing thoughtful and engaged communities across our state. Through a wide network of partner organizations, Humanities Washington serves more than 500,000 Washingtonians each year with speakers, reading and discussion programs, traveling exhibits, grant support and more. For more about Humanities Washington, including a calendar of upcoming events, visit humanities.org<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And a little personal word: \u00a0I am delighted that Elizabeth Austen<\/a> is taking over this role, which has been the most exciting and gratifying of my working life. \u00a0She is so beautifully equipped to take the job in new directions to an ever-growing state-wide audience. Elizabeth is a wonderfully accomplished poet. For years she has demonstrated her gift for building an audience for poets and poetry. It’s only fitting that she should carry on her excellent work in this very visible and official capacity.<\/p>\n

Congratulations, Elizabeth! You’re going to be amazing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Official Word is out! ELIZABETH AUSTEN NAMED 2014-16 WASHINGTON STATE POET LAUREATE SEATTLE-BASED POET, COMMENTATOR AND EDUCATOR TO ASSUME THE POST ON FEB.1 OLYMPIA \u2014Elizabeth Austen has been appointed the 2014-16 Washington State Poet Laureate, effective Feb. 1. Austen, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[822,15,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2329"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2334,"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329\/revisions\/2334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kathleenflenniken.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}