Washington State has a new poet laureate: Rena Priest

Above: Bellingham poet Rena Priest is Washinton State's newly appointed poet laureate. (Photo: Hillary Cagey/Crosscut)

And so Washington State has a new poet laureate.

Rena Priest, a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, has been appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to be the state’s sixth poet laureate, Humanities Washington and ArtsWA/The Washington State Arts Commission announced.

Priest, who lives in Bellingham, will be the first indigenous person to serve as poet laureate. She will take over the duties from current poet laureate, Claudia Castro Luna, on April 14. Priest’s term will run through March 31, 2023.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Priest has taught at Western Washington University, Fairhaven College and Northwest Indian College. Among her many honors, which include a 2018 American Book Award, Priest is the author of two poetry collections: “Subliminal Subliminal” and “Patriarchy Blues.”

“In Priest’s collection, she brings an unapologetic acumen to some of our most ingrained cultural situations,” wrote reviewer Jenni Herrick of “Patriarchy Blues.” “Her poems, which are not always comfortable, are set against a lyrical, accessible backdrop, and the result is a provocative contemporary critique that will reframe perceptions and the way we see the world.”

Besides Castro Luna, past Washington State Poet Laureates include Sam Green (2007-’09), Kathleen Flenniken (2012-’14), Elizabeth Austen (2014-’16) and Spokane’s own Tod Marshall (2016-’18).