Redmond's Poet Laureate

Programs

Meet the Poet Laureate

Welcoming Week: Reading the Landscape of a Poem

This resource is designed to help readers think about poetry and encourage readers who might not feel sure about how to read a poem. There are no right or wrong answers to these prompts, and the reader can pick and choose at will, either responding to each prompt or selecting those that seem most interesting.

DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHEET HERE

Need a poem to use with the worksheet? State Poet Laureate, Rena Priest, gave us permission to use The Forest for the Trees for the workshop: The Forest for the Trees

Picture of the Sammamish River with white text that reads "Lyrical Currents"

Lyrical Currents: A Poetic Map of Redmond and the Sammamish River

Use this poetic map to consider the places that shape you on a day-to-day basis. Start small with your neighborhood, your commute, the rooms in your living space, the path of your daily walk, etc. How do the places you visit in your daily life impact your emotions, memories, traumas, and ambitions?

Use your writing to notice the way place, emotion, community, and self intertwine.

Self-Guided Walk and Creative Writing Exercise

Pick up a map at City Hall or the Redmond Library or find your own place in nature and use the writing prompts in the ONLINE GUIDE

2022 Poet Laureate Poetry Walk

Redmond Poetry: Planting Seeds and Inviting Possibilities with Laura Da'

In honor of National Poetry Month, the City of Redmond’s 2022 Poet Laureate Laura Da’ has created an interactive poetry (side)walk called Planting Seeds and Inviting Possibilities that debuted on April 24th at Farrel-McWhirter Park.  

Participant could engage with this unique, free, and family-friendly creative writing experience in any of the ways described below and then share their writing with us on social media by posting a photo and tagging us with #RedmondParks and #RedmondPoetry

Ways to participate in Planting Seeds and Inviting Possibilities:

  1. Before September 2nd participants could show up at Farrel-McWhirter Park and find the trail from the parking lot to the flag pole. Follow the prompts provided by Da’ in the park to guide your own creative writing inspired by the nature that surrounds you.
  2. Find your own spot in nature to write about - your backyard or one of Redmond's parks or trails. Respond to the prompts written here.

No matter how you choose to participate, we would love to see what you create! Share all or some of your writing with us on Facebook and tag us @RedmondParks #RedmondPoetry

  1. About Laura Da'
  2. Bird's Eye View by Laura Da'

Laura Da HeadshotLaura Da’ is a poet and teacher. A lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ studied creative writing at the University of Washington and the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is Eastern Shawnee. Her first book, Tributaries, was published by the University of Arizona Press and won a 2016 American Book Award. Da’ has held residencies at the Richard Hugo House, Tin House, and Jack Straw. Her newest book, Instruments of the True Measure, is the winner of the Washington State Book Award. Da’ lives near Seattle with her husband and son. Learn more: http://laurada.com/