2020 FisherPoets Gathering
February 28 - March 1
February 28 - March 1
Thanks, fisherpoets from near and far, friends and fans likewise, who joined us in Astoria for another fine FisherPoets Gathering. We're putting the gear away until next season. Good luck, safe travels until then.
The Coast Guard's Trevor Lilburn won Saturday night's Umpteenth Annual On-Site Poetry Contest at the Liberty Theatre.
This year's regs were: The poem must begin with "It seemed a good idea...", end with "...a good idea," include a geopgraphical place name of commercial fishing significance and performed in under 30 seconds.
It seemd a good idea at the time
to sign upon the dotted line.
Now I serve the Guard
and patrol the Native Coast.
I pledge my life in exchange for yours
and I hold myself to task.
Five years it's been and some change,
time served before the mast.
The Graveyard of the Pacific
denied a dozen souls,
rescued by mine own hand.
But of all the nameless,
faceless ghosts
who shake me to wake at night,
the ones you should remember most
are the ones who did not think
that a life jacket
was a good idea.
- Trevor Lilburn
This year's regs were: The poem must begin with "It seemed a good idea...", end with "...a good idea," include a geopgraphical place name of commercial fishing significance and performed in under 30 seconds.
It seemd a good idea at the time
to sign upon the dotted line.
Now I serve the Guard
and patrol the Native Coast.
I pledge my life in exchange for yours
and I hold myself to task.
Five years it's been and some change,
time served before the mast.
The Graveyard of the Pacific
denied a dozen souls,
rescued by mine own hand.
But of all the nameless,
faceless ghosts
who shake me to wake at night,
the ones you should remember most
are the ones who did not think
that a life jacket
was a good idea.
- Trevor Lilburn
We were deckloaded again. Here's a list of those who joined us this year in Astoria. Fisherpoets new to the Gathering in green, of course.
Tele Aadsen, Bellingham, WA
Michelle Abramson, Corbett, OR
Mike Allen, Hood River, OR
Harlan Bailey, Martinez, CA
Rich Bard, Vashon, WA
David Bean, Portland, OR
Lou Beaudry, McCall, ID
The Beerman Creek String Band, Astoria, OR
Duncan Berry, Otis, OR
Moe Bowstern, Portland, OR
Joel Brady-Power, Bellingham, WA
Jon Branshaw, Westport, WA
Loretta Brockhoff, Tokeland, WA
Jon Broderick, Cannon Beach, OR
Melanie Brown, Juneau, AK
The Brownsmead Flats, Astoria, OR
Abigail Calkin, Gustavus, AK
Jon Campbell, Narragansett, RI
Nahja Chimenti, Nordland, WA
Wayne Chimenti, Port Townsend, WA
Erica Clark, Astoria, OR
Nancy Cook, Astoria, OR
John Copp, Portland, OR
Doreen Dahl, Roseburg, OR
Dave Densmore, Astoria, OR
Margaret Doyle, Indianola, WA
Marilynn Dreher, Port Townsend, WA
Karen Ducey, Seattle, WA
Ed Edmo, Portland, OR
George Esveldt, Port Townsend, WA
Mary Garvey, Seaview, WA
Conrad Gowell, Oregon City, OR
Pete Granger, Bellingham, WA
Balika Haakanson, Seattle, WA
Georgie Heaverley, Anchorage, AK
Meezie Hermansen, Kasilof, AK
Tom Hilton, Astoria, OR
Will Hornyak, Portland, OR
Annie Howell-Adams, Friday Harbor, WA
Holly Hughes, Indianola, WA
Mary Jacobs, Ophir, OR
Amanda Jesse, Keizer, OR
Cary Jones, Eugene, OR
Jeffrey Kahrs, Seattle, WA
Larry Kaplan, Essex, CT
James Kasner, Newport, OR
Gary Keister, Port Hadlock, WA
Danny Keyser, Chinook, WA
Rich King, Kilauea, HI
RJ Kopchak, Cordova, AK
Hobe Kytr, Astoria. OR
Elena Lansing, Boise, ID
Phil Lansing, Boise, ID
Jon Lee, Portland, OR
Geno Leech, Chinook, WA
Butch Leman, Ninilchik AK
Peter Lindsey, Cannon Beach, OR
Nancy Lord, Homer, AK
Traesti Luther, Bellingham, WA
Ryan and Kyle Lutz, Berkeley, CA
Mark Alan Lovewell, Martha's Vineyard, MA
Karl Marlantes, Seattle WA
Irene Martin, Skamokawa, WA
Scott McAllister, Juneau, AK
Marty McCallum, Bellingham, WA
Dermot McCann, Victoria BC
Ron McDaniel, Sulphur Springs, AR
Alec McMurren, Petersburg, AK
John Mellor, San Francisco, CA
Buck Meloy, Bellingham, WA
Lara Messersmith-Glavin, Portland, OR
Joel Miller, Portland, OR
Lloyd Montgomery, Cordova, AK
Harry Moore, Palmer, AK
Peter Munro, Kenmore, WA
Kathleen Murphy, Port Townsend, WA
John Palmes, Juneau, AK
Philip Randolph Patten, Seattle, WA
Mike Phillips, Astoria, OR
Jen Pickett, Brussels, Belgium
Don Pugh, Snohomish, WA
Doug Rhodes, Craig, AK
Cherry Rice, Ketchikan, AK
RK Rice, Ketchikan, AK
Ray Roberson, St. Maries, ID
Steve Schoonmaker, Kasilof, AK
Michael Scott, Port Townsend, WA
Kevin Scribner, Portland, OR
Rob Seitz, Astoria, OR
Shanghaied on the Willamette, Portland, OR
Ken Smith, Corbett, OR
Jay Speakman, Gearhart, OR
Rachel Speakman, Chicago, IL
Kathy Stack, Saltspring Island, BC
Fred Stager, Kodiak AK
Clem Starck, Dallas, OR
Jeff Stonehill, Seattle, WA
Victoria Stoppiello, Nehalem, OR
Toby Sullivan, Kodiak, AK
Chuck Thompson, Gardiner, WA
Larry Thormahlen, Astoria, OR
Jim Toteff, Kalama, WA
Brad Warren, Seattle, WA
Mariah Warren, Ketchikan, AK
Alexander Todd Waterfield, Netarts, OR
George Wilson, Portland, OR
Wilfred Wilson, Delta, BC
