FisherPoets Gathering 2016 February 26 -28
Community Poem
At the Saturday Poetry writing workshop led by Erin Fristad and Pat Dixon, the participants each generated their own poem, then combined them into "table poems" in groups of five. Those collaborative pieces were then assembled by Erin and Pat into the first "FisherPoets' Community Poem." It was read before the onsite poetry contest Saturday night. We offer it here:
Where We’re From
We’re from the Sears catalogue
with only three choices,
from frosted flakes and Icy Straits.
We’re the coast plains, the Delaware River,
train whistles, and fog horns in the night.
We’re from the smokehouse out at Chenega,
tidepools, salmon berries and glistening sweat, a live net
of flotsam and jetsam. We’re from Québécois,
meatballs, ice cold glasses of coca cola,
white elephants and gnarled-up hands. We’re from
traders and travelers, standing up straight,
thrifty and sensible ones, the good group
that puts down roots. We’re: hold your horses,
clean your plate, trust no one, and help your sister.
We’re from Lutheran potlucks, holy water
washing hands clean, the people who turned left,
and prayed about it. We’re from
tide-water Virginia, spaghetti, sour dough
French bread, sugar plums and pickled herring.
From Friday nights in Buffalo, the dance where our parents met,
we’re sin, and soiled women, and the cold swim Dad took.
We’re from men who don’t cry in public,
from Edna Bay where photos and dusty books still sit.
We’re scrapbooks with black pages,
our origins long forgotten,
the last of our kin and kind.
Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all the participants who contributed!
- Pat & Erin
Where We’re From
We’re from the Sears catalogue
with only three choices,
from frosted flakes and Icy Straits.
We’re the coast plains, the Delaware River,
train whistles, and fog horns in the night.
We’re from the smokehouse out at Chenega,
tidepools, salmon berries and glistening sweat, a live net
of flotsam and jetsam. We’re from Québécois,
meatballs, ice cold glasses of coca cola,
white elephants and gnarled-up hands. We’re from
traders and travelers, standing up straight,
thrifty and sensible ones, the good group
that puts down roots. We’re: hold your horses,
clean your plate, trust no one, and help your sister.
We’re from Lutheran potlucks, holy water
washing hands clean, the people who turned left,
and prayed about it. We’re from
tide-water Virginia, spaghetti, sour dough
French bread, sugar plums and pickled herring.
From Friday nights in Buffalo, the dance where our parents met,
we’re sin, and soiled women, and the cold swim Dad took.
We’re from men who don’t cry in public,
from Edna Bay where photos and dusty books still sit.
We’re scrapbooks with black pages,
our origins long forgotten,
the last of our kin and kind.
Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all the participants who contributed!
- Pat & Erin
Joel Brady-Power is our 2016 Onsite Poetry champion
The Onsite Poetry contest theme this year was to write a poem that had rhymes with four boat parts. Of his winning effort, Joel says, "I took Toby Sullivan's writing workshop on Friday. It was a fantastic workshop, very informative and enlightening, but he began the workshop with a quote from Cheech Marin on what makes great art. Cheech said art should do four things: 'it should make you laugh, it should make you cry, it should scare you and it should give you a hard-on.' When I woke up Saturday I threw out the first three and wrote this poem."
Diesel to Burn
Baby, you got lines like an old wood boat
and I've got diesel to burn.
I've got one hand on the throttle
with my eyes on your stern
I wanna be the tender to your sweet little double ender
so free those fenders and I'll raise a pole
'cause i need help bleeding
these hynautic controls.
Come on aboard, babe
and listen to my jimmy purrrrr
'cause you got lines like an old wood boat
and I've got diesel to burn.
Diesel to Burn
Baby, you got lines like an old wood boat
and I've got diesel to burn.
I've got one hand on the throttle
with my eyes on your stern
I wanna be the tender to your sweet little double ender
so free those fenders and I'll raise a pole
'cause i need help bleeding
these hynautic controls.
Come on aboard, babe
and listen to my jimmy purrrrr
'cause you got lines like an old wood boat
and I've got diesel to burn.
Photos of the 2016 Gathering
Here's our performer's list for 2016, another record. Ninety-eight fisherpoets joined us this year from ten states and our favorite Pacific coast Canadian province. This year we welcomed twenty-five fisherpoets joining us for the first time. FPG greenhorns of a sort. It was a blast.
The 2016 Evening Reading Schedule and Special Events Schedule are available.
Abigail Calkin, Gustavus AK
Alana Kansaku-Sarmiento, Portland OR
Alan Lovewell, Monterey CA
Anjuli Grantham, Kodiak AK
Austin Tomlinson, Seaside OR
BellyMeat, Sitka AK
Brad Warren, Seattle WA
Brendan Jones, Sitka AK
Brian Robertson, Powell River BC
Brittany Retherford, Craig AK
The Brownsmead Flats, Astoria OR
Buck Meloy, Bellingham WA
Caleb Billmeyer, Seldovia AK
Cary Jones, Eugene OR
Clem Starck, Dallas, OR
Corey Arnold, Portland OR
Dano Quinn, Seattle WA
Dave Densmore, Astoria OR
David Beveridge, Chico CA
Don Pepper, Alert Bay BC
Doreen Dahl, Roseburg OR
Doug Rhodes, Craig AK
Duncan Berry, Otis OR
Ed Edmo, Portland OR
Emilie Springer, Homer AK
Erin Fristad, Port Townsend WA
Fred Bailey, Gabriola Island BC
Gary Keister, Port Townsend WA
Geno Leech, Chinook WA
Harlan Bailey, Martinez CA
Heather Talbot, Portland OR
Henry Hughes, Monmouth OR
Hobe Kytr, Astoria OR
Irene Martin, Skamokawa WA
Jack Merrill, Southwest Harbor ME
Jay Speakman, Gearhart OR
Jeff Stonehill, Seattle WA
Jim Kyle, Bellingham WA
Jim Reiter, Vancouver WA
Jim Toteff, Kalama WA
Joel Brady-Power, Bellingham WA
Joel Miller, Porrtland OR
John Elliott, Saltspring Island BC
John Hagerty, Seaside OR
John Palmes, Juneau AK
John vanAmerongen, Vashon WA
Jon Branshaw, Westport WA
Jon Broderick, Cannon Beach OR
Karen Ducey, Seattle WA
Kathy Stack, Saltspring Island BC
Kelley Watson, Port Townsend WA
Larry Kaplan, Essex CT
Lara Messersmith-Glavin, Portland OR
Libby Ferrara, Girdwood AK
Lloyd Montgomery, Wasilla AK
Lorrie Haight, Long Beach WA
Lou Beaudry, McCall ID
Louie Flora, Juneau AK
Margaret Doyle, Eastsound WA
Maria Finn, Sausalito CA
Mariah Warren, Sitka AK
Mark Alan Lovewell, Martha's Vineyard MA
Mary Garvey, Long Beach WA
Mary Jacobs, Ophir OR
Matt Williams, Redmond OR
Max Broderick, Cannon Beach OR
Meezie Hermansen, Kasilof AK
Michelle Abramson, Corbett WA
Moe Bowstern, Portland OR
Nancy Cook, Astoria OR
Niel Pfundt, Bellingham WA
Pat Dixon, Olympia WA
Patty Hardin, Long Beach WA
Peter Munro, Kenmore WA
Rich Bard, Vashon WA
Rob Seitz, Los Osos CA
Robert Pyle, Grays River WA
Ron McDaniel, Sulphur Springs AR
Ryan and Kyle Lutz, Portland OR
Sarah Jane Braund, Homer AK
Sarah Treadwell, South Wellfleet MA
Scott McAlister, Juneau AK
Sean Talbot, Portland OR
Shanghaied on the Willamette, Portland OR
Sophie Elan, Port Townsend WA
Steve Schoonmaker, Kasilof AK
Steve Willard, Marblehead MA
Tele Aadsen, Bellingham WA
Tim Sproul, Newport OR
Toby Sullivan, Kodiak AK
Todd Overby, Gig Harbor WA
Tom Hilton, Portland OR
Victoria Stoppiello, Nehalem OR
Wayne Chimenti, Port Townsend WA
Will Hornyak, Portland OR
The 2016 Evening Reading Schedule and Special Events Schedule are available.
Abigail Calkin, Gustavus AK
Alana Kansaku-Sarmiento, Portland OR
Alan Lovewell, Monterey CA
Anjuli Grantham, Kodiak AK
Austin Tomlinson, Seaside OR
BellyMeat, Sitka AK
Brad Warren, Seattle WA
Brendan Jones, Sitka AK
Brian Robertson, Powell River BC
Brittany Retherford, Craig AK
The Brownsmead Flats, Astoria OR
Buck Meloy, Bellingham WA
Caleb Billmeyer, Seldovia AK
Cary Jones, Eugene OR
Clem Starck, Dallas, OR
Corey Arnold, Portland OR
Dano Quinn, Seattle WA
Dave Densmore, Astoria OR
David Beveridge, Chico CA
Don Pepper, Alert Bay BC
Doreen Dahl, Roseburg OR
Doug Rhodes, Craig AK
Duncan Berry, Otis OR
Ed Edmo, Portland OR
Emilie Springer, Homer AK
Erin Fristad, Port Townsend WA
Fred Bailey, Gabriola Island BC
Gary Keister, Port Townsend WA
Geno Leech, Chinook WA
Harlan Bailey, Martinez CA
Heather Talbot, Portland OR
Henry Hughes, Monmouth OR
Hobe Kytr, Astoria OR
Irene Martin, Skamokawa WA
Jack Merrill, Southwest Harbor ME
Jay Speakman, Gearhart OR
Jeff Stonehill, Seattle WA
Jim Kyle, Bellingham WA
Jim Reiter, Vancouver WA
Jim Toteff, Kalama WA
Joel Brady-Power, Bellingham WA
Joel Miller, Porrtland OR
John Elliott, Saltspring Island BC
John Hagerty, Seaside OR
John Palmes, Juneau AK
John vanAmerongen, Vashon WA
Jon Branshaw, Westport WA
Jon Broderick, Cannon Beach OR
Karen Ducey, Seattle WA
Kathy Stack, Saltspring Island BC
Kelley Watson, Port Townsend WA
Larry Kaplan, Essex CT
Lara Messersmith-Glavin, Portland OR
Libby Ferrara, Girdwood AK
Lloyd Montgomery, Wasilla AK
Lorrie Haight, Long Beach WA
Lou Beaudry, McCall ID
Louie Flora, Juneau AK
Margaret Doyle, Eastsound WA
Maria Finn, Sausalito CA
Mariah Warren, Sitka AK
Mark Alan Lovewell, Martha's Vineyard MA
Mary Garvey, Long Beach WA
Mary Jacobs, Ophir OR
Matt Williams, Redmond OR
Max Broderick, Cannon Beach OR
Meezie Hermansen, Kasilof AK
Michelle Abramson, Corbett WA
Moe Bowstern, Portland OR
Nancy Cook, Astoria OR
Niel Pfundt, Bellingham WA
Pat Dixon, Olympia WA
Patty Hardin, Long Beach WA
Peter Munro, Kenmore WA
Rich Bard, Vashon WA
Rob Seitz, Los Osos CA
Robert Pyle, Grays River WA
Ron McDaniel, Sulphur Springs AR
Ryan and Kyle Lutz, Portland OR
Sarah Jane Braund, Homer AK
Sarah Treadwell, South Wellfleet MA
Scott McAlister, Juneau AK
Sean Talbot, Portland OR
Shanghaied on the Willamette, Portland OR
Sophie Elan, Port Townsend WA
Steve Schoonmaker, Kasilof AK
Steve Willard, Marblehead MA
Tele Aadsen, Bellingham WA
Tim Sproul, Newport OR
Toby Sullivan, Kodiak AK
Todd Overby, Gig Harbor WA
Tom Hilton, Portland OR
Victoria Stoppiello, Nehalem OR
Wayne Chimenti, Port Townsend WA
Will Hornyak, Portland OR
