Burning Word 2006
The Festival of Poetic Fire!
The Washington Poets Association commemorated its 35th anniversary Saturday April 29th by presenting
Burning Word 2006, a dynamic, all-day celebration of poetry, music, performance, and workshops, featuring
more than 45 talented poets and musicians, ranging from renowned award-winning poets to hot new talents.
Burning Word at Greenbank Farm
The 2006 Main Stage featured the non-stop excitement of more than 40 accomplished poet/performers. Festival headliners
this year were internationally acclaimed poets Carolyn Kizer and Tess Gallagher. Also featured were Madeline
DeFrees, Tara Hardy, Ilya Kaminsky, and Amalio Madueno.
The other outstanding Main Stage talent included: Caleb Barber, Bart Baxter, Jim Bodeen, Gloria Burgess,
John Burgess, Lyn Coffin, Sharon Cumberland, j.d. crosato, J.Glenn Evans, Thomas Hubbard, Holly Hughes,
Christopher J. Jarmick, Don Kentop, Claudia Mauro, Terry Martin, Jack McCarthy, Tiffany Midge, Kevin Miller,
Jean Musser, Jed Myers, John Olson, Peter Pereira, Eve Preus, Martha Silano, Joni Takanikos, Kary Wayson, the
Weathered Pages Poets, Brian Whittingham, Jane Winslow, and Pieter Zilinsky.
Musical guests included guitarist songwriter Beverly Graham, jazz saxophone legend Danny Ward and the gypsy
funk of Sister Monk Harem.
Beginning at 9 AM The Educational Workshop Tent provided the third festival venue which hosted seven 70 minute
poetry workshops presented by noted poets and teachers beginning at 9 AM. Workshop presenters included Paul Hunter,
Ilya Kaminsky. Amalio Madueno, Peter Pereira, Chuck and Rebecca Pirtle, Susan Rich and Carolyne Wright.
Ilya Kaminsky
was born in the former USSR, arrived in the USA when
his family received asylum. Author of the award
winning Dancing in Odesa, he read as a featured poet
at Burning Word 2006 and conducted a 70 minute
workshop and a special all day workshop on Friday.
John Burgess
grew up in Upstate New York, is the author of PUNK
POEMS from Ravenna Press, Burning Word Festival
co-chair,WPA Board Member and is a Seattle Poet
Populist Nominee for 2006/2007.
Jim Bodeen
is a poet from Yakima and and runs Blue
Begonia Press. He put up a cedar post in the front
yard at Blue Begonia Press and it became the poetry
pole as thousands of poets over the last four years
have push pinned poems to the post. The best of these
poems have been collected in anthology called
Weathered Pages.
Carolyn Kizer
feature poet, reads to standing room only crown at Burning Word 2006
Brian Whittingham
who born in Glasgow, Scotland, where he currently lives,
is a poet, playwright, fiction writer and
teacher whose collection of poety is DRINK THE GREEN FAIRY.
He was a featured performer at Burning Word 2006.
Karen Bonaudi
former Washington Board Member
presents the 2006 Lifetime Achievement
Award to Carolyn Kizer at the WPA's Burning Word Festival
in a front of a standing room only crowd.
Danny Ward
Sax man from Bremmerton gives the Burning
Word crowd a memorable musical interlude. He has played
with such musical greats as B.B. King, Lou Rawls and others.
Whidbey locals, writers, poets, sponsors, friends and
volunteers attended a special pre Burning Word dinner
and reading on Friday April 28th, 2006.
Writer, poet and critic Christopher J. Jarmick relaxes here with
Carolyn Kizer (left) and Tess Gallagher (right). Gallagher won WPA's
2004 Lifetime Achievement Award and Kizer is this year's winner.
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