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News + Events

Join Derek Sheffield at an upcoming event.

Current News + Forthcoming Events

October 1, 2021
Shenandoah nominates “Monsters” for the 2021 Best of the Net anthology.

October 28, 2021, Visiting Writer
Western Colorado University, MFA Program in Nature Writing

March 23-26, 2022, AWP Conference, Philadelphia, PA
1. Socializing the Nature Poem: The Non-Human World and Identity: A Panel Reading with Elizabeth Bradfield, Chaun Ballard, Elizabeth Aoki, and Michael Wasson.

2. Urgent Wonder: The Practice and Paradox of Teaching Environmental Writing: A Panel Presentation with Ana Maria Spagna, CMarie Fuhrman, Laura Pritchett, and Nicole Walker.

Previous News + Events

September 21, 2021, 7 PM (Alaska Time), Zoom, Live. Register here.
Alaska World Arts Festival
“New Work, New World.” Rich Chiappone will host Kazim Ali, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Chaun Ballard, Nicole Stellon O’Donnell, and me for a live reading. The festival with also feature Elizabeth Bradfield and Sean Hill.

September 7th, 2021, 11:00 AM (Pacific), Podcast, Coming from Left Field
Poets Kevin Miller, Janice O’Mahony, and I will be joining hosts Pat Cummings and Greg Godels for a round of light verse!

September 2, 2021, 6:30 PM (Pacific). Ski Hill Lodge, Leavenworh, WA. Live and in person!
A Book for All Seasons is hosting Jack Johnson, Holly Thorpe, Zach Eddy, and me for a live, outdoor reading in the spectacular setting of Ski Hill. Plenty of microbrews will be on tap.

August 23, 2021, 5 PM (Pacific) Terrain.org Reading Series. Zoom. Register here.
I will be hosting three amazing writers–Alison Hawthorne Deming, Suzanne S. Rancourt, and Anne Haven McDonnell. Alison’s new book, A Woven World: On Fashion, Fishermen, and the Sardine Dress, is just out from Counterpoint!

June 14 – 17, 2021, Story Catcher: Summer Writing Workshop and Festival. Live. In-person. Register here.
Chadron State Park, Nebraska
In the company of my co-presenters–Alyson Hagy, Carson Vaughan, and Laura Pritchett–I will be giving a craft talk and reading and leading a workshop.

June 5, 2021, 10 AM to 10:50 AM PT. Poets in the Park. Zoom. Register here.
Redmond, Washington
I will be reading with Terrain.org editors Allen Braden and Elizabeth Jacobson and Terrain.org Editor’s Prize winner Chaun Ballard.

May 6, 2021, 6 PM – 7 PM (Pacific Time), Zoom, Live. Registration.
Oregon Poetry Association.
I will be giving a short workshop called “Tracking the Ecopoem in the Anthropocene.”

May 4, 2021, Visiting Writer
Eastern Washington University, MFA Program

April 26, 2021, 5 PM Pacific, Zoom, Live. Register here. (free)
Terrain.org monthly reading series.
In honor of Earth and Poetry Month, a reading and talk with Jane Hirshfield, Derek Sheffield, Alison Hawthorne Deming, and J. Drew Lanham.

April 22, 2021, 1 PM Pacific, Zoom, Live. Register here. (free)
Wenatchee Valley College.
In honor of Earth Day, Derek Sheffield hosts Ross Gay and Scott Russell Sanders for a reading and conversation on the art of joy, connection, and resilience as we work together to address the interconnected challenges of social and environmental degradation.

April 12 – 18, 2021, Zoom, Live. (must register for GetLit!)
Spokane’s legendary lit. fest, GetLit!
Ecopoetry and cocktails with Derek Sheffield, Ellen Bass, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Jess Walter.

March 22, 2021, 5 PM Pacific, Zoom, Live. Register here. (free)
Terrain.org monthly reading series.
With Derek Sheffield, Arthur Sze, Susan Cohen, Cameron Walker, and Kristina Moriconi.

March 2, 2021, Visiting Writer
Orion Magazine Poetry Workshop
With Liz Bradfield.

February 26, 2021, 12 PM Pacific
Michigan State University Press.
Podcast with Derek Sheffield and Noah Davis.

February 23, 2021, 6 PM Pacific, Skype/Facebook, Live. Register here. Or here.
Rattle Magazine.
Rattlecast with Tim Green, Editor of Rattle Magazine. A livestreaming poetry reading and podcast.

February 18, 2021, 1 PM Pacific, Zoom, Live
Wenatchee Valley College.
In honor of Black History Month and with the Climate Crisis looming, Derek Sheffield hosts J. Drew Lanham for a reading and talk on the intersections of race and the environment.

January 30, 2021, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM Pacific, Zoom, Live
Winter Fishtrap: Resilience
Join a group of poets including Derek Sheffield, Todd Davis, Jane Hirshfield, and James Crews as they discuss and read from two anthology projects, Dear America and Healing the Divide, devoted to bringing us together and building community resilience through verse. In the afternoon, hear from prose writers and place-based activists about what resilience means in their lives and local communities.

January 10, 2021, 5 PM Pacific
Writing for Peace: Reading and Interview with Juniper Moon.

January 4, 2021, 6 PM Pacific
Elliott Bay Books, Zoom.
An Evening of Ecopoetry with Ellen Bass and Derek Sheffield. Join poets Ellen Bass and Derek Sheffield as they read from their new collections, Indigo and Not for Luck, and discuss the nature of ecopoetry in today’s world. Hosted by Elliott Bay Books. Preorder copies of Not for Luck here. Order copies of Indigo here.

Not for Luck named a must-read poetry collection in The Millions. Jan. 4, 2021.

Reading with Dennis Held. Blacksmith House Poetry Series. Cambridge, MA. December 14, 2020.

Broadsided Press nominates “Timid As Any Herd Thing” for a Pushcart Prize. November 29, 2020.

Presenter. Virtual Town Hall: After the Election, Readings and Conversations sparked by Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance, and Democracy. Featuring Dear America co-editors Derek Sheffield, Elizabeth Dodd, and Simmons Buntin, with special guests Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, poet and essayist Alison Hawthorne Deming, and poet and essayist Cherene Sherrard. Hosted by Elliott Bay Books, Seattle, WA. November 10, 2020

Presenter. Writing the More-Than-Human World. Workshop and fundraiser co-sponsored by Write on the River, Terrain.org, and Wenatchee River Institute. Co-presented with Elizabeth Dodd. For more information, visit writeontheriver.org or wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. November 7, 2020.

Presenter. Virtual Town Hall: Readings and Conversations sparked by Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance, and Democracy, featuring works from Sherwin Bitsui, Fenton Johnson, Elizabeth Dodd, Debra Marquart, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil; moderated by Terrain.org’s Simmons Buntin. October 21, 2020.

Moderator. Virtual Town Hall: Readings and Conversations Sparked by Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance, and Democracy, featuring Victoria Chang, Chris Dombrowski, Jeffrey Foucault, David Gessner, and Ana Maria Spagna speaking and singing to the theme Geography of Hope: Writing Toward a Better Tomorrow. September 15, 2020.

Moderator. Virtual Town Hall: Readings and Conversations Sparked by Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance, and Democracy, featuring J. Drew Lanham, Jane Hirshfield, Blas Falconer, and Kurt Caswell speaking to the theme Against Hatred: Writing that Builds Community. June 24, 2020.

Awarded a grant from the Allied Arts Foundation. Seattle, WA, July, 2020.

Commencement Speaker. Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, WA, June 19, 2020.

Mark Doty selects Not for Luck for the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize. February 2020.

Presenter and workshop leader. “One River, Many Voices / Un Rio, Muchas Voces.” With WA State Poet Laureate, Claudia Castro Luna. Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, WA, October 2019.

Presenter and workshop leader. “Walking the Wild Side.” With Ana Maria Spagna and Heather Murphy. Wenatchee River Institute and Write on the River, Leavenworth, WA, October 2019.

Presenter. “Fire in Paradise: A Poetry Reading Roundtable.” With Todd Davis, Cecily Parks, Rose McLarney, and Noah Davis. ASLE, Davis, CA, June 2019.

Chairperson and presenter. “How Animals Die: Renewing Human Empathy in a Human-centric Age.” With Kurt Caswell, J. Drew Lanham, Simmons Buntin, and John Lane. ASLE, Davis, CA, June 2019.

Chairperson. “Dear America: A Terrain.org Reading in Response to a Changing Landscape.” With Victoria Chang, Joe Wilkins, Alison Hawthorne Deming, and Blas Falconer. AWP, Portland, OR, March 2019.

“The Wren and the Jet at a Research Forest near Fort Knox…” selected by Vijay Seshadri as the finalist for the 2018 Crazyhorse Prize in Poetry.

Alcoa Excellence in Teaching Award. Wenatchee Valley College. Spring 2018.

Reader. “Dear America: The Terrain.org 20^th Anniversary Reading.” With Joy Castro, Sean Hill, Rose McLarney, Taylor Brorby, Juan, Morales, and Alison Hawthorne Deming. AWP, Tampa, FL, March 2018.

Presenter and workshop leader. Wrote and presented a literary introduction of Arthur Sze. Gave a reading with Arthur Sze and Mark Irwin. Led students through an ecopoetry workshop in Zion National Park. Ecopoetry Gathering. Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT, October 2017.

Presenter. Presented, gave a reading and talk with Paisley Rekdal, led a workshop, and taught classes on the villanelle form and the use of humor in poetry. LitFuse. Tieton, WA, Sept. 2017.

Linda Schultz Herzog Faculty Member of the Year Award. Wenatchee Valley College. June 2016.

“A True Account of Wood-Getting from up the Chumstick,” published in the Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, receives a Special Mention in the 2016 Pushcart Prize Anthology. Nov. 2, 2015.

Visiting poet. Visited a class of poetry students who had studied my book, participated in a panel on ecopoetics, gave a reading. Gonzaga University. Spokane, WA. Oct. 2015.

Presenter. Presented, gave a reading with Ellen Bass, led a workshop, and taught a class on publishing. LitFuse. Tieton, WA, Sept. 2015.

Reader. “Resistance Movement: Readings from Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments.” Panel reading with Keetje Kuipers, Nathanial Perry, Catherine Quayle, and Chris Dombrowski. Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment. Moscow, ID, June 2015.

Visiting poet. Worked with Kevin Goodan’s students in publication arts, gave a reading. Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID, April 2015.

Washington State Book Award in Poetry. Finalist. Fall 2014.

Alcoa Excellence in Teaching Award. Wenatchee Valley College. Spring 2014.

Presenter and reader. With Blas Falconer, Oliver de la Paz, presented on the topic of “Family Matters: Ties & Legacies.” Gave a reading with Sherman Alexie and led a workshop. Skagit River Poetry Festival. LaConner, WA, May 2014.

Reader and panelist. With Renee Sarojini Saklikar and Gordon Miller. “Geopoetics: Regional Ecology and Poetry.” Cascadia Poetry Festival, Seattle University, Seattle, WA, May 4^th, 2014.

Presenter. “Talking Back: A Tribute to and Celebration of David Wagoner.” Panel presentation with Suzanne Matson, Christopher Merrill, Martha Silano, and Dan Lamberton. Associated Writing Programs, Seattle, WA, Feb. 2014.

Visiting poet. Lion Rock Visiting Writer Series. Visited a class of poetry students and gave a reading. Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, Feb. 11, 2014.

Reader. “The Poetry of Earth is Never Dead.” Pacific Northwest reading tour with poet Chris Dombrowski and singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault. Wenatchee Valley College, Elliott Bay Books, Gig Harbor Library, Nov. 2013.

Alcoa Excellence in Teaching Award. Wenatchee Valley College. Spring 2013.

Reader. “Wild Lives/Raucous Pens: Readings from Ecotone, Hawk & Handsaw, and Terrain.org.” Reading with David Gessner, Sheryl St. Germain, Cynthia Huntington, Joe Wilkins, Lauren Eggert-Crowe, Hannah Kreitzer, and Bill Roorbach. Associated Writing Programs, Boston, MA, March 2013.

Visiting poet. Worked with Richard Kenney’s class, English 285: Writers on Writing. Gave a reading and answered questions to a class of about 60 students. University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Feb. 2013.

Awarded a Sustainable Arts grant. Sustainable Arts Foundation. Fall 2012.

Awarded a fellowship by Artist Trust. Fall 2012.

Emily Dickinson First Book Award. Runner-up. Poetry Foundation. Graywolf Press. May 2012.

“On Turning One” wins the Summer Solstice Broadside Contest judged by Juniper White and Jill McCabe Johnson. Artsmith and Dwell Press. June 2012.

Presenter. “Ice on the Stove: How Poetry Responds to the Northern Imagination.” Panel presentation with Holly Hughes and Allen Braden. Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment, UAS, Juneau, AK, June 2012.

Reader. “A Sense of Place: The Washington Geospatial Poetry Celebration.” Provided individual feedback to students, gave a reading with other poets in celebration of the Geospatial Anthology. Central Washington University. May 2012.

Presenter. “The State of Sustainability at Wenatchee Valley College.” Curriculum for the Bioregion. Washington Center at Evergreen State College. Tierra Learning Center, Leavenworth, WA, Nov. 2011.

Presenter. “Volcanic Muse: Research and Creativity at Mount St. Helens: A Panel Presentation and Discussion.” With Dr. John Bishop, Dr. Jolie Kaytes, and Dr. Brittany Brand. Mount St. Helens Institute, Portland, OR, Jan. 2011.

Presenter. “After the Ashes: Writing from Mount St. Helens Field Residencies.” With Simmons Buntin and Dr. Elizabeth Dodd. Western Literature Association, Prescott, AZ, Oct. 2010.

Presenter. “Smoke and Mirrors: The Magic of Duality in Poetry.” With Allen Braden. Washington Community College Humanities Association, Lower Columbia College, Oct. 2009.

Presenter. “Not a Gated Community: On the Work of Making Poems.” With poet Kevin Miller. Write on the River, Wenatchee, WA, May 2009.

“Aubade” wins the inaugural Sparrow Prize in Poetry judged by Nick Neely. The LBJ: Avian Life, Literary Arts. 2008.

A Revised Account of the West wins the inaugural Hazel Lipa Environmental Chapbook Award judged by Debra Marquart. 2008.

Walt Whitman Award. Finalist. Academy of American Poets. 2008.

Presenter. “Salmon and Sage: A Panel Reading and Talk by Northwest Writers.” With David Long, Kevin Miller, and Allen Braden. Western Literature Association, Tacoma, WA, Oct. 2007.

Alcoa Excellence in Teaching Award, Wenatchee Valley College. Spring 2007.

Presenter. “Science as Muse: How to Yoke the Language and Ideas of Science in Poetry.” Write in the Woods, Shelton, WA, May 2007.

Presenter and reader. “Science as Muse: How to Yoke the Language and Ideas of Science in Poetry.” Gave a reading with Naomi Shihab Nye. Burning Word, Washington Poets Association, Whidbey Is., WA, April 2007.

Presenter. Led a generative workshop focused on using memory in poetry. Olympia Poetry Network, Paul Gillie Memorial Workshop, Olympia, WA, Feb. 2007.

Presenter. “Science as Muse: How to Yoke the Language and Ideas of Science in Poetry.” Write on the Sound, Edmonds, WA, Oct. 2006.

Best Poem of Issue Award. Crosscurrents Magazine. WCTHA. Fall 2006.

Alcoa Excellence in Teaching Award, Wenatchee Valley College. Spring 2005.

Commencement Speaker, Wenatchee Valley College. June 2005.

Awarded GAP grant from Artist Trust. Spring, 2004.

“Ornithology 101” selected by Li-Young Lee for the James Hearst Poetry Prize. North American Review. March 2003.