A fl ood of fi sherpoetry Th e 18th annual FisherPoets Gathering hauls in a catch of great entertainment this weekend in downtown Astoria with 90 fi sherpoets, musicians, workshops, fi lms and more Story by CATE GABLE Photos by ALEX PAJUNAS 7KRVH ¿VKHUPHQ DQG ZRPHQ DUH GR LQJLWDJDLQKDXOLQ¶LQDQRWKHUERXQW\RI SRHWV ² QRUWK IURP $ODVND DQG %ULWLVK &ROXPELD ZHVW IURP .DXDL VRXWK IURP &DOLIRUQLD DQG GRZQHDVW IURP 0DLQH 7KH1RUWK&RDVWLVJRLQJWRJHWKLWZLWK DYLUWXDOVWRUPRI¿VKHUSRHWV)HE DQG0DUFK$VWKH\VD\RQWKHLUZHEVLWH ZZZ¿VKHUSRHWVRUJ ³7KH )LVKHU 3RHWV *DWKHULQJ LV VWHDPLQJ WRZDUG $VWRULD D ERQHLQKHUWHHWKDQGORRNLQJJRRG´ 7KH )3* VHHPV WR EURDGHQ LWV KRUL ]RQVHYHU\\HDU$VIRXQGHUDQGRUJDQL]HU VLQFHLWVLQFHSWLRQLQ-RQ%URGHULFN VD\V ³:H¶YH JRW ¿VKHUSRHWV IURP D GR]HQVWDWHVDQGWKUHHFRXQWULHV6L[WHHQ QHZFRPHUVIURP0DUEOHKHDG0DVVDFKX VHWWVWR3DOPHU$ODVND2XUWUXVW\YHQXHV WKDWFDQKDYHLQYLWHGXVEDFN²WKH:HW 'RJ&DIpWKH9RRGRR5RRPWKH&ROXP ELDQ 7KHDWHU WKH $VWRULD (YHQW &HQWHU .$/$ )RUW *HRUJH %UHZHU\¶V /RYHOO 6KRZURRPWKH&ROXPELD5LYHU0DULWLPH 0XVHXP DQG WKLV \HDU ZH¶YH D QHZ RQH3LHU ³$QG ZLWK VR PDQ\ SRHWV ZH¶UH QRW JRLQJ WR VLQN WKRXJK ZH PD\ WRXFK ERWWRP´ KH FRQWLQXHV ³<RX NQRZ , ORRNHG DURXQG WKH ODVW FRXSOH \HDUV DQG QRWLFHG D ORW RI WKH VDPH IDFHV , GLGQ¶W ZDQW RXU JDWKHULQJ WR IHHO OLNH D FOLTXH 6R , WKRXJKW µ:H¶YH JRW WR HQJDJH VRPH \RXQJHUIRONV¶$QGZH¶YHGRQHWKDWWKLV \HDU²RQHLQVL[SRHWVLVQHZWKLV\HDU ‘I thought, ‘We’ve got to engage some younger folks.’ And we’ve done that this year — one in six poets is new this year. I’m excited about that.’ 10 | February 26, 2015 | coastweekend.com Rob Seitz, of Morro Bay, California, performs during the 2013 FisherPoets Gathering at the Voodoo Room. Che c offi c k out th ia e this year l guide t o Gath ’s Fish e erin rPoe g s t on p artin ts age g 13 QLHGKHU 7KLV \HDU %URGHULFN KHDUG IURP¿VKHUSRHW-HQ3LFNHWW³)LUVW VKH VDLG µ,¶G OLNH WR FRPH EXW , FDQ¶W PDNH LW ,¶P LQ )LQODQG GRLQJ JUDGXDWH ZRUN LQ SV\FKRORJ\¶´ %URGHU LFNUHFDOOV³%XWVKHVWDUWHGORRNLQJLQWR DLUIDUHV DQG ZLWKLQ D GD\ RU WZR FDOOHG EDFNWRVD\VKHLVÀ\LQJLQIRUWKHZHHN Fisherwomen $WODVW\HDU¶VJDWKHULQJ.DWULQD3RUWH HQGIURP-\YlVN\Ol)LQODQG6KH¶OOVHWD RXVZDVGXEEHGWKHIDUWKHVWÀXQJSDUWLF GLVWDQFHUHFRUGWKLV\HDUWKDW¶OOEHKDUGWR LSDQWFRPLQJDOOWKHZD\IURP1RUWKXP EHDW´ 2YHUWKH\HDUVWKHUHKDYHEHHQQRWRQO\ EHUODQGLQWKH8QLWHG.LQJGRP+HUYLVLW ZDVVSRQVRUHGE\%%&5DGLRDQGGRF PRUH JHRJUDSKLFDO UHSUHVHQWDWLYHV EXW XPHQWDU\MRXUQDOLVW-XOLDQ1D\DFFRPSD DOVRDODUJHUSURSRUWLRQRIZRPHQDWWKH ,¶P H[FLWHG DERXW WKDW 6RPH RI WKHP , KDYHQ¶WHYHQPHW²ZH¶YHMXVWWDONHGRU H[FKDQJHGHPDLO² DQG VRPH RI WKHP, SUREDEO\ZRQ¶WJHWWRPHHW7KHHYHQWLV VRELJDQGKDSSHQVVRIDVW7KHZHHNDIWHU LW,¶OOKHDUWKDQN\RXVIURP¿VKHUSRHWV, QHYHUGLGPHHW´ SRGLXP $ WKLUGRIWKLV \HDU¶V ¿VKHU SRHWVDUHZRP HQ ,W¶V DOZD\V JUHDW WR VHH WKH OLQHXS RIUHPDUNDEOH¿VKHUZRPHQVHWLQDPRQJ DOOWKHIHOODV )RU LQVWDQFH 0DU\ *DUYH\ IURP 6HDYLHZ :DVKLQJWRQ UHWXUQV ZLWK KHU DQJHOLF YRLFH DQG FODVVLF PDULWLPH EDO ODGV0DULD)LQQLVKHDGLQJXSWKHFRDVW IURP 6DXVDOLWR &DOLIRUQLD 0DUVKD .LQJ LV YHQWXULQJ IRUWK IURP .DXDL +DZDLL /RUULH +DLJKW ZLOO SDUWLFLSDWH DQG ZH