State poet laureate Derek Sheffield to host walk and talk in nature; plus, local prof on short list for international poetry prize
Washington state poet laureate Derek Sheffield has some advice: “More sky time instead of screen time.”
As a naturalist and poet, Sheffield constantly explores relationship to nature through his work, and he invites others to do the same in an upcoming event in partnership with the Dishman Hills Conservancy.
On Thursday starting at 10 a.m., Sheffield will lead a members-only hike through the Dishman Hills Conservancy.
The Dishman Hills Conservancy is a land trust that was founded in 1966 to protect vital ecosystems in the Spokane Valley area and is home to some of the most popular nearby hiking spots, including the Stevens Creek Trailhead and the Rocks of Sharon.
“What we’re gonna do is really just gather together and be outside and take a walk, and when we encounter some of our fellow beings that we share this beautiful Cascadia with, we’ll stop and notice them and talk about them. I might read an entry, or a poem, or may share some art from ‘Cascadia Field Guide.’ And this is one of the ways that when we were working on that book we envisioned it could be used. It’s like a tour book,” Sheffield said.
“Cascadia Field Guide” was the winner of the 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Award and was a 2024 Washington State Book Award Finalist in Poetry.
The book was edited by Sheffield alongside Elizabeth Bradfield and CMarie Fuhrman with the shared mission to create a bridge between art and the scientific, sensory and cultural experiences of the natural world, highlighting key areas, communities, and plant and animal life of the Cascadia bioregion.
Those interested in joining can visit dishmanhills.org to become a member and register for the event. Membership is $50 annually, and includes priority invitations and complimentary admission to the majority of Dishman Hills Conservancy events, which includes guided hikes and nature walks. Members also receive a regular newsletter and information about volunteer opportunities.
The walk and talk will be about two hours in length, and will provide interactive opportunities for discussion and questions.
“I’ll want to hear from others and invite others to share their experiences with wilderness and, you know, with that place where wilderness and wildness and words intersect.”
Following the walk and talk, Sheffield will host a poetry reading and signing at Spokane Valley Library. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event begins at 6:30 p.m., ending at 7:30 p.m.
As spring firmly settles into the Northwest region, our romance with nature regenerates, making it a poignant season of reflection and expression. Sheffield conveyed this feeling by quoting poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, whose work is part of the manuscript collections in the Foley Library at Gonzaga University.
“He has a poem called ‘Spring’ which goes, ‘Nothing is so beautiful as Spring. When weeds, in wheels shoot long and lovely and lush,’ and then he goes on later and he says, ‘What is all this juice and all this joy? A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning.’”
Sheffield will also host a poetry workshop and reading at the Chewelah Arts Guild from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, followed by a reading and signing at the Kettle Falls Library at 1 p.m. Saturday.
In other poetry news
Gonzaga University associate professor of modern languages and literature, Alec Schumacher, has been shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize for his collaboration with fellow translator Daniel Borzuzky and Chilean poet Elvira Hernández to translate Hernández’s anthology, “Bodies Found in Various Places.”
The Griffin Poetry Prize hosts its award ceremony in Toronto, Canada, and the winner of the international prize is awarded $130,000 Canadian dollars. Other shortlisted poets receive $10,000 Canadian.
“I’ve always been drawn to political literature and political poetry, and so (Hernández’s) poetry is really powerful and really speaks to that time in Chile during the dictatorship and also about the post dictatorship and transition to democracy in Chile,” Schumacher said. “I think when we read, and especially when we read poetry, we’re letting a voice come into our minds, and that voice is, for a time, occupying our thoughts. And so, I believe it creates a sort of empathy to be able to relate to someone else’s experience.”
To learn more about Washington state poet laureate events, visit arts.wa.gov/washington-state-poet-laureate.