Ann Spiers
Vashon Island Inaugural Poet Laureate
Writer, Naturalist
Readings 2025
April 27, 2025, Sunday, 4-5:30, Ann Spiers’ Launch for Wild Cucumber, New and Selected Works, $18, from Empty Bowl Press at Vashon Land Trust Bldg., 10014 SW Bank Rd, Vashon Island WA.
June 1, 2025, Sunday, 4-5:30 Ann Spiers with Kate Reavey (Curve, Empty Bowl Press, $16 and Ann Spiers’Wild Cucumber, New and Selected Works from Empty Bowl Press.
To pre-order books, see https://www.emptybowl.org/store
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Recent Publications
Rain Violent, poetry from Empty Bowl Press.
Poet: Ann Spiers and Calligrapher: Bolinas Frank.
Ann Spiers’ full-length book of poems, Rain Violent, views the earth and its creatures in climate crisis’ smaller gestures. Each page holds a four-line poem paired with an International Weather Symbol. The symbols inject the poems with a counterpoint, a link to specific climate phenomena. These weather symbols are used globally by citizen scientists and weather professionals to visually record local weather conditions.
For Rain Violent, artist Bolinas Frank drew the International Weather Symbols with a brush, then digitally forged a font to use in printing the book.
Order from Empty Bowl Press http://www.emptybowl.org or your local bookshop
78 pp. paperback, ISBN 978-1-7341873-9-7, $16 See annspiers.com or linktr.ee/Bolinas
Click banner for more on Rain Violent: Reviews and pages with Weather Symbols and Quatrains.
Back Cut, Sept. 6, 2021, poetry from Black Heron Press a full-length cycle of poems.
In falling a tree, the initial deep undercut is wedge shaped. This cut determines the direction of fall. Opposite and higher than the initial cut is the back cut, the first of the felling cuts. The labor varies with tree, axe or saw, and with the crew’s strength and smarts.
These poems detail the ocean edge of Washington State immediately after WWII and after the forest’s big cut and last commercial razor clam digs when folks eked out a living on the dwindling supply of these natural resources.
Husband and wife present monologues detailing the stress and joy of living on the edge of their own comfort, of their community’s interaction, of their bonding, and of the large ocean and woods.
This is a love story.
News! Harpoon, chapbook, Ravenna Press’s Triple Series No. 16, 2022
Other encounters Other. Words lost in translation. Figs and tongue and Cheetos eaten. Hunted are Grey Whales in Scammon’s Lagoon; butterflies in the mangrove; big-horn sheep on Tres Virgenes volcano.
In Baja I learn to fan my money on the counter, and with the left hand, hold a handful of coins. Take what I owe you. Take what you need...
I respond Sí to all he says. I find repeating Sí. Yes, Sí. is the quickest ticket for an exit...
I sit in a plastic chair in the Salt Pier Ruins.
My skirt is orange. My shoes are orange.
Reviews
News! Mondays at Three/Portage celebrates Vashon’s haiku group.
Colophon: These haiku are selected from 17 years of monthly meetings on Vashon Island, Puget Sound. This chapbook is our second collection. The first, Mondays at Three, Paradise Cove was printed in 2003, the haiku chosen from our first five years of meetings. To date, we have shared our haiku for 22 years. This year in March 2020, the pandemic arrived. We abide by Governor Inslee’s mantra: Wash your hands; Wear a mask; Stay at home. We meet virtually on Zoom, each of us to our own square on-screen. Creating and sharing our haiku sustain us. As did our 2003 collection, this chapbook uses the design created by Mike Feinstein. This year, we chose vivid red for the cover and glacial white for the paper. The font is again Sabon. We didn’t meet to fold the covers and stitch the binding as we did in 2003. Sequestered, each at home, we accomplished those exacting and meditative tasks.
This is number __1___ of __52__
Past Readings
** Poetry Reading with editors Paul Nelson, Jason Wirth, and Adelia MacWilliam as well as Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, Terran Campbell, Ann Spiers, Alicia Hokanson & John Brehm, , Jan. 19, 2023, 7 p.m., Arundel Books, 322 1st Ave, Pioneer Square, Seattle.
**Solstice Reading at Voice of Vashon, VOV Radio, Thurs., Dec. 21, Time TBA. with Catherine Johnson, Hunter Davis, Mark Yoell, Sandra Noel, Jessica Satori, Claudia Lucas, Monica Schley, Lynn Carrigan, Susan Lynch. Hosted by VAshon Poet Laureate Margaret Roncone and VOV Host Susan McCabe.
Reading: Earth Day, April 2021
Northwind Gallery, Port Townsend Reading and Discussion with Rob Lewis, Ann, and others.
Rob Lewis: “Our notion of wilderness is marked by the absence of fences.” Ann Spiers: “In your hands, bird bones again learn flight.”
Reading: It’s About Time Series
Artist: Bolinas Frank
6 to 7:45 p.m., Thursday March 12, 2020, Ballard Public Library, Seattle. Featured readers+ Ann) + Open Mic
Reading:
7 p.m., Sat. March 14, Tsuga Fine Art and Frame, 10101 Main St., Bothell
Featured readers Griffith H. Williams + Ann Spiers + Open Mic
Reading: Vashon Poets
Reading: Phoenix Tea Shop
7 p.m. Fri. April 3, 2020. 447 SW 152nd, Burien.
Featured Readers: Oliver Amatist + Ann + Open Mic
Rescheduled for July 2021
Vashon Poets Take the Stage Poets in the Park, Redmond “Vashon: Island of 1000 Poets”
Past Events
Book Launch: Anthology
Heart of Vashon: Sharing our Stories in Pictures and Words
6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, Vashon Book Shop
From Ann’s poem
Next to you, the soft forms are ghosts
hunched over, digging with sticks,
filling baskets with clams.
Radio Reading
Poetry reading on Vintage J&B, Radio VOV at KVSH 101.9FM, Tues. May 27, 2019, 1:45-2:15 p.m.
Mr. Capone’s Iris Ink
Two Readings for Vashon LitCon
A 4-day celebration of Literary Arts at Vashon Center for the Arts and other Vashon Island venues. April 11-14. 19600 Vashon Hwy SW.
Lit Crawl, Friday, April 12, 2019, 2-5 p.m Venues in Vashon Town
Reading, Saturday, April 13, 5:30-6:15, Kay White Hall, Poems for the Planet: Elegy and Witness Featured Reading, Ann joins Holly Hughes.
On Exhibit
March 2019 Volcano Blue, Artist Book, May Day Press
Design/Letterpress: Catherine Michaelis, Linoleum cuts: Kim Newall, Poems: Ann Spiers.
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) Free
Poetry Reading & Open Mic
What is it Then Between Us?: Poetry & Democracy
March 27, 6 p.m. Vashon Book Shop
Academy of American Poets celebrates Walt Whitman’s 200th Birthday by inviting communities to host readings with Whitman’s line “What is it then between us?” as inspiration. Ann joins Jessika Satori, Linera Lucas, Yvonne Leach, Sandra Noel, Hunter Davis, Lynn Carrigan with Myrna Hecht, Vashon Poet Laureate emceeing.
Poetry + Photography/ Reading + Art Opening and Reading
Lexicon of Light
Opening: Friday, April 5, 2019, 6 p.m. Photographers and Poets.
Reading: Thursday, April 25, 2019, 7-8 p.m. Photographers with comments and Poets with poems that inspired the photographers.
Vashon Center for the Arts, 19600 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon Island.
19600 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon Island.
Conference etc. Meet-ups
To meet-up at conferences, email Ann at spiers@centurytel.net
Whiteley Center, Friday Harbor Labs, San Juan Island Feb. 24-March 6, 2020
Seattle, Suzan Cascadia, Seattle University, Feb. 13-14, 2020
Seattle, Judith Roach Memorial, Hugo House, Feb. 23, 2020.
Portland, AGU, May 14, 15, 2019
Portland AWP, March 27-30, 2019