April 2009

When Mike Hickey was elected, we challenged him to come up with a project to distinguish his year in office.  He immediately suggested getting the local citizenry to write more poetry.  Inspired by the Seattle Public library program Seattle Reads–a brainchild of Nancy Pearl and Chris Higashi–Mike’s program Seattle Writes helps everyone in King County write, pubish, and share poetry this April and beyond.

Over the past month, Mike, along with our web designer extraordinaire Shaun Swick, and the erstwhile Poet Populist home office, have developed the program and interface.  Check it out and submit your own poem!

On January 25, at the downtown branch of the Public Library, we held the Inauguration for newly-elected Poet Populist Mike Hickey.  Mike read, as did outgoing Poet Populist Cody Walker, and special guests Jack Hirschman (San Francisco Poet Laureate), Ruth Yarrow, A.K. Mimi Allin (and a troupe of 7), Judith Roche, and (pictured) Chelsey Richardson.