March 17, 2022

Ann Spiers is Vashon Island’s inaugural poet laureate. Two of her poetry books appeared in 2021: Back Cut (Black Heron) and Rain Violent (Empty Bowl). In 2022, her chapbook Harpoon (Ravenna) is being launched in the press’s Triple Series. Her poems, including haiku, are widely published in journals and online. She earned an MA in English literature and creative writing with a focus on plays and poems from the University of Washington. Visit her website.

Sharon Hashimoto’s first book of poetry, The Crane Wife, was cowinner of the 2003 Nicholas Roerich Prize and reprinted by Red Hen Press in 2021. Her second collection of poetry, More American, won the 2021 Off the Grid Poetry Prize. Her short stories have appeared in Louisiana Literature, North American Review, Permafrost, and Moss. She is currently at work on a novel.