The Skagit River Poetry Foundation has announced the winner of the Phyllis L. Ennes Poetry Contest, open to all Pacific Northwest poets, from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia, Canada. The contest winner is Patrick Lane, an award-winning Canadian poet who brings a gritty background and an endless appreciation of beauty to his captivating verse. Recently named to the Order of Canada, he is a master of many literary forms, including essays, short stories, and novels. Lane will read his award-winning poems at this year’s Skagit River Poetry Festival, May 15-18, 2014, in La Conner, WA.
Runners-up in the contest are Tina Schumann and Jeannine Hall Gailey, who will also present at the festival. Judge for the contest was the esteemed poet Ellen Bass.
The contest honors the powerful Northwest arts advocate Ennes, who died earlier this year.
Who was Phyllis L. Ennes? Students at the Heart
Phyllis Luvera Ennes, longtime Anacortes resident, died on January 7. She was born to Paul and Mary Luvera of Anacortes in 1928. Ennes believed the arts are essential for a complete education, and she began and directed the Anacortes School District Cultural Education Program from 1974-1992. Additionally, she