A Poets Laureate Discussion with Rena Priest & Derek Sheffield

"Priest writes with lyrical curiosity, sharp resistance, and immense tenderness." —Jane Wong

Rena Priest is the author of four books and editor of two anthologies. In a historic appointment, Priest was named Washington State’s sixth Poet Laureate, becoming the first Indigenous person to hold the position. In this role, she championed poetry as a vital art form throughout the state.

"Here is a true voice in our Western landscape." —Gary Soto

Derek Sheffield is the eighth poet laureate of Washington State (2025-2027). His books include Not for Luck, selected by Mark Doty for the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize, Through the Second Skin, Dear America, and Cascadia Field Guide. His awards include the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, the Foreword Reviews Indies Book of the Year in Nature Writing, and the James Hearst Poetry Prize judged by Li-Young Lee. Derek lives on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Central Washington and is the poetry editor of Terrain.org.

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