"Communication and community derive from a common root that means sharing. This anthology grew from the conviction that poetry builds connections among individuals and that connected individuals are better able to shape their shared destiny."
—from the "Introduction" by William Kupinse and Tammy Robacker, as found in In Tahoma's Shadow: Poems from the City of Destiny edited by William Kupinse and Tammy Robacker
I picked up a copy of In Tahoma's Shadow at King's Books on Saturday. It contains one or two poems from 77 Tacoma area poets, fifteen of whom will read their poems at King's Books on Thursday 21 May 2009.
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From the King's Books website:
"Poets reading at the event include: Leah Coakley, Beverly Conner, Terry Conner, Sonya Hunt, Michelle Jones, Brendan McBreen, Kay Mullen, Hans Ostrom, Carl Palmer, Morgan Perry, Beth Richardson, Erin Sanchez, Tim Sherry, Brittany E. Short, and Jessica Uhler."
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Having read work from both William Kupinse and Tammy Robacker, as well as having heard both of them read their poetry aloud at Showcase Tacoma 2008, I was excited to see the poets and poems they selected for this first book from new press Exquisite Disarray Publishing. I was also excited to see that each of them had a poem included that highlighted a particular Tacoma locale (Kupinse's "Point Defiance" and Robacker's "Once Around Wright Park").
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The collection is varied, for which I am grateful. Many voices are represented. There are short poems and longer poems. Rhymed verse and prose poems. Poems that are as tight as a drum and poems that threaten to spiral out due to their own centrifugal force.
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Within these pages are words and phrases waiting to be heard, savored, relished:
*knarred—page 121, "Everyone Has a Poem about the Sea" by Brittany E. Short
*seersucker—page 135, "The Agronomist" by Josie Emmons Turner
*precocious—page 65, "April's Blue Doors" by Lynn Martin
*bandito-narrated—page 33, "Postcard to Miller from Ashland" by Casey Fuller
*Marlboro—page 33, from the same
*baton of wrath—page 11, "Blood in the River" by David Blackwell
*honeybee fervor—page 71, "Soup" by Camella McMillin
...and hundreds more...
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The News Tribune did a story on Tacoma's poetry scene on Sunday 10 May 2009. Entitled "Poetry: The art of words is alive in fair Tacoma," the story covers the release of In Tahoma's Shadow, new Tacoma poet laureate Antonio Edwards (2009-2010), readings by Puget Sound Poetry Connection, and the literary arts entertainment of Puyallup's A River & Sound Review. It was excellent coverage and exposure of the lively and varied poetry scene of Tacoma and the rest of South Puget Sound.
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The poets of Tacoma have sculpted words to be seen and heard. Now you need to look and listen.
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