For the first time, the festival is devoting an entire day, Sunday, May 20, to writing workshops with our renowned poets and storytellers. These three-hour sessions, $60 each, will fill up fast, so if you’re interested, sign up now.
— Jericho Brown: “Jump-Start Your Engines”
— Tony Hoagland: “Layering”
— Will Hornyak: “Telling Stories, Changing Lives”
— Mark Schafer: “Recycling Poetry”
— Elizabeth Austen: “Poems From Poems”
— Ellen Bass: “Discovery”
— Lorraine Ferra: “Writing a Love Poem”
Also on May 20 is a special “Poetry and Culture of Fishtown Event” with poet Tim McNulty and artist Bo Miller leading a voyage down the Skagit River in a 36-foot Salish-style canoe owned by North Cascades Institute. The day includes six hours of storytelling, poetry readings, writing exercises, paddling, and discussion. Cost is $175, which includes a closing-night barbecue. Information and registration at www.ncascades.org.
The festival will close May 20 with a 5-9 p.m. barbecue at Pioneer Park that includes a panel discussion on the poetry, culture, and art of Fishtown and the Lower Skagit River. Cost is $30 (it’s included in the ticket price of t