Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2017)
4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Books, gardening, hiking, hobbies, recreation, personalities, travel & more Fourth-generation fi sher’s secret is revealed Ilwaco teen captures sights, sounds and smells of life afl oat sixth sense,” said Taylor. “When you are sitting inside the boat, the wind Taylor Young’s family had no idea will start to whistle through a crack in he had a secret. something. The wind will be blowing, All was revealed at a parents’ con- the seas are being rough. I look at my ference at Ilwaco High School. surroundings and will write it down … John and Johanna Taylor were Sometimes, I look at a picture then put shocked — but delighted — to learn two and two together.” their 17-year-old son was a poet. And Teacher Glinert serves as his dili- a good one, according to his language gent editor; she appreciates Taylor’s arts teacher, Jill Glinert. trust in her critical feedback about the The teenager’s work will be show- hand-written words that describe dan- cased at the 2017 FisherPoets Gather- gers faced by the “fi shermen brother- ing in Astoria. hood” in poems called “Mayday” and Organizers like Jon Broderick are “Deep Blue Sea.” pleased, too. His initial writing skills developed “He’s probably the youngest guy on from class projects; both acknowledge the schedule this year,” he said. “We’ve the words fl ow more smoothly now it’s had high-school-age fi sherpoets in the a choice not a chore. “It was fantastic past, but Taylor is the fi rst scheduled to see the transformation,” Glinert participant who wasn’t even born when recalled. “He went fi shing and came the FisherPosts Gathering back with books fi lled with began. I thought it might be poems. He would say, ‘What fi tting to celebrate our 20th ‘YOU CAN did I think of this?’ You annual with a new fi sherpoet ALMOST can almost feel the motion about that age himself.” the boat and the sea and FEEL THE of Taylor Young, an IHS smell the salt air. I started to MOTION realize his poetry was able senior, started dabbling in OF THE poetry to help a friend who to carry me off to visualize BOAT was having dating issues. the ocean.” That morphed into writing His parents sparkle with AND THE about what he knows best: comparable enthusiasm SEA AND fi shing. when they gather around SMELL THE the dining room table The Youngs are a at SALT AIR.’ their Ilwaco home to chat. multi-generational com- mercial fi shing family. John “We are very proud of — Jill Glinert, Taylor grew up in Pelican, him,” said John Taylor, Ilwaco teacher Alaska, learning from his 45, during a break from talking about own father and grandfa- crabbing out of Westport, Taylor Young’s ther. That makes Taylor a Washington. “We had no poetry fourth-generation fi sher. idea,” he said, thinking He’s even named Taylor back to that IHS parent Bay for an Alaska locale. conference. “We went to His brother Joshua, 7, is about the age the school, and the teacher was raving Taylor was when he started fi shing. about his writing skills.” Taylor has accompanied his father to His mom, Johanna, feels similarly Alaska on the Falcon, a 59-foot vessel about the way they found out. It was they sail north from Seattle most sum- at the end of his junior year. “He had mers. The sights, sounds and smells of not shared anything with me. I am long-lining for black cod and halibut in awe — it’s amazing,” she said. “It inspire him to put pencil to paper. makes me emotional, not knowing “Sometimes they come to me and that he did this. I was, like, ‘Wow! I’m can be triggered by suggestions, or amazed.’” something can set it off. It’’s like a After his poetry appearance this By PATRICK WEBB T MAYDAY Blistering winds, Freezing sprays, The sound of an engine. Sounds of men yelling, Seeing their tears Tears of sorrow, Realizing they have one more trip. The sound of Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. The dropping of lines and pots For a moment of peace, Praying they are found Praying they come home in one piece. Sailors putting their jobs on hold To save the crew of sinking vessels. The word Mayday will haunt fi shermen forever That’s the one word they fear: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. month, Taylor is looking forward to playing centerfi eld during his fi nal IHS baseball season and graduating in June. He likely will work toward an associate’s degree at Clatsop Commu- nity College before he applies for a marine biology program, possibly at the University of Alaska-Juneau, then a career outdoors. “I could not work behind a desk,” he said. He can expect a good crowd cheer- ing him on when he shares his work at the FisherPoets Gathering. “I have told everybody about it,” said his dad. PHOTO BY PATRICK WEBB At 17, Taylor Young of Ilwaco, Washington, will be the youngest fi sherman performing his work at the FisherPoets Gathering in Astoria. The Ilwaco High School student was encouraged by his teacher. Now he fi lls notebooks with hand-written poetry. YOUNG FAMILY PHOTO Ilwaco teenager Taylor Young is pictured in the hold of a crab- bing vessel, learning his craft.
