WSU alumna named Washington state poet laureate

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Kathleen Flenniken has been appointed as the 2012-2014 Washington state poet laureate. Flenniken is the state’s second poet laureate. Her appointment is sponsored by Humanities Washington and the Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC), with the support of Gov. Chris Gregoire.

 

“We are thrilled to appoint Kathleen to this very important position, and I am very excited about her potential to inspire the public statewide to deepen their appreciation and enjoyment of poetry,” said WSAC Executive Director Kris Tucker.

 

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Beginning in February, Flenniken will serve a two-year term as the primary spokesperson, supporter and promoter of poetry in the state. She will receive a stipend of $10,000 per year, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities Washington. The stipend will help fund poetry programs and activities statewide.

 

“This is a dream job — speaking in support of the arts and humanities, and of poetry in particular, getting the chance to organize poetry events around the state, visit schools, reach kids and teachers and remote communities,” said Flenniken.

 

Flenniken was raised in Richland, Wash., and lives in Seattle. She holds engineering degrees from Washington State University and the University of Washington, as well as a master of fine arts from Pacific Lutheran University. She is president of Floating Bridge Press, a nonprofit organization dedicated to publishing Washington poets, and teaches poetry writing to students with the support of arts organizations including WSAC, Seattle Arts and Lecture’s Writers in the Schools program and Jack Straw Productions.

 

Flenniken’s first book, “Famous,” won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry and was a finalist for a Washington State Book Award. Her second collection, “Plume,” was recently chosen for the Pacific Northwest Poetry Series.

 

“Kathleen’s background and talent make her the perfect person to generate conversation about poetry throughout our state,” said Julie Ziegler, executive director for Humanities Washington. “She is a wonderful poet, excellent teacher and understands the power of poetry as a shared public pursuit.”

 

The Washington State Poet Laureate was established by the 2007 Legislature as a cooperative program of the WSAC and Humanities Washington. Samuel Green was named Washington’s first poet laureate, serving a two-year term from 2007 to 2009. The program was suspended in 2009, at the governor’s request, due to budget constraints.

 

In 2011, the governor agreed to resume the program, provided that no state funds would be used. WSAC and Humanities Washington resumed their partnership and the program is moving forward with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and private contributions.