Sherman Alexie’s Spiral Poem

Spokane Public Library’s Overlook Park is a platform overlooking Spokane Falls, across the street from the library and at the south end of the Monroe Street Bridge. Former Spokane resident Sherman Alexie was inspired by the location to write his poem, “That Place Where Ghosts of Salmon Jump,” which is written on a granite spiral at the spot. According to the Spokane Historical Society, Alexie did not initially care for the spiral design, but changed his mind after seeing a couple reading the poem. “Their movement was a dance. The design forces people to dance. The true power of it is in watching people reading the poem in that way,” he said, according to the society.