Olympia Poet Laureate to hold reading group

Olympia's Poet Laureate Kathleen Byrd will host an eco-poetry reading group on Ada Limon's The Hurting Kind at Browsers Bookshop, 107 Capitol Way N, on Saturday, November 8, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

According to the city's page on its Poet Laureate, Byrd will hold a seasonal reading group discussing poems by selected authors, chosen for their ecological themes.

The readings will be on the following schedules:

• November 8: Ada Limon's The Hurting Kind
• February 7, 2024: Camille Dungy’s Trophic Cascade
• April 10, 2024: I Sing the Salmon Home Edited by Rena Priest
• July 3, 2024: Living Nations, Living Words Edited by Joy Harjo 

The city recommended that attendees bring the books noted, and have some familiarity with the work. Byrd will be bringing additional readings to enhance the discussion.

"This series is focused on poetry reading, rather than writing, but you might bring a notebook to jot down inspiring thoughts," Olympia noted.

Interested community members may also attend the reading group online.

SPSCC lauds Byrd's appointment

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) extended its congratulations to Byrd, who is an English professor  at the school.

The school noted that the city focused on seeking a poet laureate who would spotlight environmental concerns and climate change.

According to SPSCC' press release, Byrd has been teaching bioregional, sustainability, and climate change themes in her English courses for years.

"I hope to engage with poetry and literary arts to create connections and build bridges between elders and youth," Byrd shared. "Intergenerational connections feel really important to me during this time of climate change, climate justice, climate anxiety and fears. I think that intergenerational dialogue is one avenue toward building hope and fostering understanding for grassroots change, especially at a local level."

Melissa Meade, SPSCC's Dean of Humanities and Communication, lauded the professor’s appointment who has taught at SPSCC for 25 years.

"Professor Kathleen Byrd is a talented educator and poet, and at SPSCC we all benefit from her longstanding commitments to community and creativity. Kathleen will bring an ethics of care to the work of the poet laureate, as her work reflects deep commitments to our relationships with each other, the natural world, and the environment," Meade said.

Byrd holds an MFA from Western Washington University in creative writing, poetry, and a MEd from the University of Washington, Tacoma, with an emphasis on adult learning theory. She has taught at SPSCC for 25 years.

Her published work includes poetry collection "Hold the Babies" and the study and corresponding journal article "Defining College Readiness from the Inside Out."