Blog post by Brett VandenHeuvel, Riverkeeper’s Executive Director—
February 24, 2013. I love the Fisher Poets Gathering in Astoria, and it was an honor for Riverkeeper to present a workshop called “Caring for the Columbia” at the Gathering this year. As the New York Times reported a few years ago, “first held in 1998 with a few people standing on a stage in a bar, the event now fills a weekend with verse, song, and storytelling across four sites.” Riverkeeper was invited not to share poems (thank goodness) but to talk about threats to the Columbia River and opportunities for restoration. Miles Johnson, Riverkeeper's Clean Water Attorney, and I presented to over 100 people at a standing-room-only venue at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Special thanks to musician Alexa Wiley and Fisher Poet Pat Dixon for adding art and beauty to our workshop.
Poems and stories at the Fisher Poets Gathering range from emotional and reflective to rollicking and bawdy – sometimes all at once. I love to see populist art brought directly to public spaces, all while enjoying cold beverages.
Fisher Poets is a great chance for me to connect with the commercial fishers and learn from people who spend their lives on the water. In addition, I enjoyed catching up with friends and community activists Saturday morning at the wonderful Blue Scorcher Café.
The Daily Astorian covered our Fisher Poets presentation, highlighting current issues affecting the Columbia and our river communities. Read the article here.
