On May 30, Washington state Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen will visit the Valley for a “Hike and Write” event during the day and a reading in the evening at the Black Dog Cafe in Snoqualmie.
Austen’s “Hike and Write” program consists of a short, meditative hike and a brief, guided writing session in response to the walk, starting at 12:30 a.m. at the Iron Horse Trail near North Bend. She will conduct a similar event July 18 in the Olympic National Park near Port Angeles.
“Hike and Writes are about sharing the practice of walking attentively, and letting that attention lead to writing,” said Austen.
The program debuted in 2014.
Austen will begin the local event at the Iron Horse Trail. The Hike and Write is free and open to the public. No previous experience with hiking or writing is needed. Austen will begin the hikes with several example poems, then guide participants in letting their sensory experience lead to writing.
Writing poetry in the natural world has a deep resonance for Austen. A six-month solo trip to the Andes region of South America in her early 30s inspired her to spend her life focusing on poetry.
She says her goal with Hike and Write events is for people to leave with a first draft of a new poem and the desire to keep experimenting with writing and poetry.
“Spending time surrounded by natural beauty—even the severe beauty of a rocky or desert landscape — calms the chatter in my mind, lets me drop into a more receptive, associative state of mind,” said Austen. “My hope is that people who are curious about either hiking or poetry will give this a try, that it will be a safe and welcoming way to do something new—or to do something familiar in a new way.”
The event is scheduled for 12:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants will meet at 12:30 p.m. at the Rattlesnake Lake parking lot (exit 32 from I-90). Look for the “Hike & Write with the Poet Laureate” sign. Bring writing materials, water, snacks, warm layers and if you choose, something to sit on. The hike will be four or five miles in total length.
No pre-registration is required. In case of rain, the writing will take place in the Cedar River Watershed Educational Center adjacent to the Rattlesnake Lake parking lot.
This Hike and Write is co-sponsored by Humanities Washington, ArtsWA, and The Black Dog Arts Coalition.
Austen is the author of a collection, Every Dress a Decision, and two chapbooks, The Girl Who Goes Alone and Where Currents Meet. She produces literary programming for KUOW radio, a Seattle NPR affiliate, and is a communications specialist and educator at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
The Washington State Poet Laureate position was established in April 2007 when the state legislature passed a bill that recognized the value of poetry to the culture and heritage of the state. Washington joined several other states in appointing an official state poet laureate position. The poet laureate is sponsored by Humanities Washington and ArtsWA, with the support of Gov. Jay Inslee. The position is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities Washington.
