Skagit River Poetry Foundation Launches 2026 Poetry Festival

The festival will run through Saturday, featuring around 30 poets who will conduct workshops and readings across seven venues in La Conner. The event began with the announcement of Molly McNulty's upcoming retirement from her position as executive director of the Skagit River Poetry Foundation. McNulty has been a board member since 2003 and served as director since 2007; she plans to remain in her role until the end of the year. "It’s just magic that we get to do this every two years, and you all just keep coming," McNulty remarked from the podium.

Over the course of two hours, the four poets, referred to as the "Counsel of Women," shared excerpts from their recent works. The audience, primarily composed of older adults with some high school students, engaged with both laughter and appreciation for the readings. Among the highlighted works were Gallagher’s award-winning "Is, Is Not," Laméris’s latest release "Blade by Blade," Shihab Nye’s 2019 publication "The Tiny Journalist," and Priest’s newly released "Dancing To the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock."

A subsequent Q&A session allowed the audience to inquire about the poets’ experiences. Topics included their favorite feedback from younger audiences and the challenges they face in their writing lives. All four poets agreed that while no subject is off-limits, some poems remain unpublished. "I write a lot in my notebooks that does not see the light of day," Shihab Nye noted.

One attendee questioned how they address anger in their writing, to which Gallagher responded, "Don’t be afraid of the anger. It’s hot stuff, and it’s gonna cook something." The evening concluded with each poet sharing a final short piece.

Tickets are available for purchase at Maple Hall until 7:30 p.m. on Friday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. For the complete schedule of the festival events, visit https://skagitriverpoetry.org/festival-schedule-2026/.