I’m a teacher and a poet, living in Olympia Washington. I am interested in poetry and that invites us into restorative practices for ourselves and for the natural world. Poetry, for me, is a kind of sense-making when the world feels absurd. It also falls outside of the realm of sense, not unlike the realm of dreams or the myths and symbols that connect us to the collective unconscious.

My poetics inform my teaching and my teaching informs my poetics. I believe we all have an innate poetics. We know that language is more than a literal or analytical tool. Poetry is a way for us to understand our experiences, our inner landscape, and to feel a deep resonance for life and beauty. Poetry is like a crystalized window through which we can see ourselves and the world with new connections and different perspectives. I also believe that poetry helps us celebrate life and alleviate suffering.

I am currently working on poems about the Ohop Valley for The Nisqually Land Turst as a poet for the Writing the Land Project, Last year, I published poems for The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Anthology On Resilience: Stories of Climate Resilience Across Washington Landscapes.

I teach writing at SPSCC and served as the fourth poet laureate of Olympia, 2023-2025.

My first collection of poems, Last Resort, was published by Last Word Press. You can purchase a copy at Last Word Books or Browser’s bookshop in Olympia.

Send me an email if you’re interested in learning more about my work, workshop offerings, or if you’re interested in a collaborative project. I’d love to hear from you.