December 15, 2022

Laura Da’ studied creative writing at the University of Washington and the Institute of American Indian Arts. A lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ is the recipient of fellowships from the Native Arts and Culture Foundation, Richard Hugo House, and the Jack Straw Writers Program and has been a writer in residence for Richard Hugo House and is the current poet laureate for Redmond, Washington. She is the author of Tributaries, winner of the American Book Award, and Instruments of the True Measure, winner of the Washington State Book Award. Da’ is Eastern Shawnee. She lives near Renton with her husband and son. http://laurada.com/

Clare Johnson is a dyke-identified writer + visual artist, with honors including fellowships from Jack Straw and Hugo House; residencies at Mineral School, Surel’s Place, and Crosstown Arts; and publications including Poetry Northwest, Raven Chronicles, and Shake the Tree. For 15 years Clare has also drawn/written on a post-it every night to hold onto something from each ending day, making over 5,000 pieces so far, excerpted for years in a monthly Seattle Review of Books lyric essay column. http://clarejohnson.com/