June 2, 2026: Priscilla Long
Priscilla Long’s eighth book and third book of poems is Cartographies of Home (MoonPath Press, 2026). Forthcoming in 2026 is On Spaces and Colors and the third edition of The Writer’s Portable Mentor (University of New Mexico Press, 2026). Her awards include a National Magazine Award and ten of her essays have been honored as "notable" in various years of Best American Essays. She has an MFA from the University of Washington and grew up on a dairy farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. (Photo from Anne Herman)
Emcee: Pamela Denchfield July 7, 2026: Mark Childs
M.C. Childs’ poems have been published in multiple venues from Analog to Typehouse, and have won awards from the Speculative Fiction Poetry Association. Prof. Childs is also an architect, urbanist, and the author of award-winning design books including Foresight and Design, The Zeon Files: Historic Route 66 Signs with Ellen Babcock, Urban Composition, and Squares. Mark serves on the Pike Place Market Historical Commission.
Emcee: Jeremy Robkin Aug. 4, 2026: Alan Weltzien
O. Alan Weltzien, a Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Montana Western, retired in 2020 after 40 years of full-time teaching. Weltzien grew up in Bellevue and Camano Island, WA. He attended Whitman College as an undergraduate (B.A.) and the University of Virginia for graduate school (M.A., PhD). He taught 11 years at Ferrum College in Ferrum, VA, and the remaining 29 years at UMW in Dillon, MT. Early in his career, Weltzien received two Fulbright Fellowships (Poland, 1989-90, and Bulgaria, 1997-98). He also received two University of Montana International Faculty Awards (Australia, 2003, and France, 2010).
Weltzien has published eleven books and five chapbooks. These include studies or collections of writers Rick Bass, John McPhee, and Norman Maclean. Additionally, he published the biography of Montana novelist, Thomas Savage (2020), whose best novel, “The Power of Of the Dog," was made into an award-winning film of the same name by internationally acclaimed director, Jane Campion (2021). Weltzien has published a memoir, “A Father and an Island” (Lewis-Clark Press, 2008) and three full-length poetry collections, most recently “On The Beach: Poems 2016 - 2021” (Cirque Press, 2022). More recent work includes a prose chapbook, “The Taylor Triptych” (The Sea Letter journal, no. 12, winter 2024), and a poetry chapbook, “Into The Khumbu” (Cirque Press, 2025). Emcee: Mary Crane Sept. 1, 2026: Iz White
Iz White is a proud Snoqualmie tribal member. His tribe is located in King County. He grew up homeless in Seattle, writing poetry on napkins on the back of buses. He disguised his poetry as rap in middle school so the other kids would stop making fun of him. He got his start on stage through Red Eagle Soaring, a Native youth theater group, and he now hones his craft at Hugo House’s monthly open mic. Hugo House’s inclusive environment has helped him represent Indigenous culture while finding his voice. He is honored to share his work.
Emcee: Pamela Denchfield |
Oct. 6, 2026: Michael Schein
Michael Schein was awarded the FIFA Prize in Psychedelics for his experiments with knocking two or sometimes six rocks together while reciting the Bhagavad Gita. He is the author of the Magna Carta and the parts of the Bible where God tries to drown all of humanity. He ran LiTFUSE and formerly hosted Duvall Poetry until they ran him out of town, so he moved to Portland, took up the drums, and wrote a play. He’s delighted to be coming back but warns old friends that due to special relativity, irrelevance, irreverence, and general Portland weirdness, he may have aged more than the rest of you. Michaelschein.com.
Emcee: Ivey Nov. 3, 2026: Benjamin Schmitt
Benjamin Schmitt is the Elgin Award-nominated author of five books, most recently Satan’s School for Girls and Other Works (forthcoming Goldfish Press, 2026). His writing has appeared in Sojourners, Antioch Review, The MacGuffin, Sensitive Skin, Hobart, Columbia Review, The Seattle Times, and elsewhere. A co-founder of Pacifica Writers’ Workshop, he lives in Seattle with his children.
Emcee: Mary Crane Dec. 1, 2026: Tara Campbell
(Photo credit: Hillary Deane) Tara Campbell (www.taracampbell.com) is a writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, and fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse. She teaches flash and speculative fiction, and is the author of two novels, two hybrid collections, two short story collections, and a chapbook of sestinas. Additional publication credits include Masters Review, Wigleaf, Electric Literature, CRAFT Literary, Uncharted Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, and Escape Pod/Artemis Rising. Emcee: Ivey 2027 - TBA |
