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Northwest Passages: Fisher Poets
For twelve years now, fishermen have gathered in Astoria in Astoria to tell stories of their lives in poetry. The annual event is coming up at the end of February. Earlier this year the literary group Writers on the Edge organized a similar event, aiming to broaden the connections among various marine communities.
Here on Thursday, you'll meet Dave Densmore and Moe Bowstern, just two of the Northwest's many fine fisherpoets.
They began in different places, and bring different stories from the sea. But they both love the combination life of catching fish and finding the right way to tell their tales.
If you fish and write about it, what inspires you? If you've been to the Fisherpoet's Gathering, what memories do you harbor?
Tagged as: books · coast · fishing · northwest passages
Photo credit: Jeff Wallen/Fisher Poets Gathering
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I can think of a very distinct contrast between working on a fishing boat and working in an office:
When you go to the office, you don't usually punch in thinking that "today might be my last day on God's Beautiful Earth," but when working on a fishing boat, whether fishing salmon or cod, or working the crabbing grounds off the Oregon coast or pursuing Opelio and King crab in the Bering Sea, every crewmember has to keep in the back of their mind the possibility that one wrong step might send them to Davy Jones' Locker.
A moment of silence for the memory of Capt. Phil Harris, of the Cornelia Marie.
(My partner and I watched him and the Hansens and all the rest on Deadliest Catch.)
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hey maxisnow, it's moe. I think you must have misunderstood me. I was trying to convey how hard i think people in offices work, and it is work I could never be good at. I did not in any way mean to imply that people in offices don't work hard, my apologies if you heard that. I think everyone finds their own work and their own freedoms, and it just so happens that dave and i were on the show thursday talking about ours. we are no better than anyone else.
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A challenge for the hour: what topic would you like to hear Moe Bowstern try to weave into a fishing story?
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draft dodging in 1968
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Your idea coincides with mine.and I think it's better.
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I wrote poems about my years fishing in Bristol Bay and Southeast - I often found the weather - the storms and the surf the biggest challenge
MO: how about a poem on misreading a reef
Dave: that story about survival after the fire ought to make for on of the most thrilling novels of all time - you must still be writing it.
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for the poem
a woman who started on the dock at 16 unloading boats waithing for her chance to get on a on some day. fell in love with the waves wind and water. in the narows...... in a small cabin a Halibut soul cam to me and instiled in me the samnes of spirit.. I couldn't fish after that and now find that part of mylifes expresion involves being a vegitarian. she feels like she has made the choice to leave her love becasue of her love
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Moe: I LOVE your work and the way you express yourself! I saw you both at the Fisher poets on the Edge in Newport recently. The aquarium was a cool venue for fisher poets, but a little crowded. I don't think they realized how many people would show up to see you!
Dave: Your work is profoundly moving.
Moe: As a topic to weave a yarn around, how about: "Fish Eyes and Blue Skies."
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Awesome TOL. Best in a long time, just riveting radio without the need for the usual controversial topic. Great guests. Nice work Emily and team.
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The Fisher Poets gathering is seminal Great Northwest.................
Attend if you get the chance, if you can handle the salt.
Learn about a Christmas Tree of Alligator Dogs,
... about the big drain in Seymour Narrows and such.
Don't be as empty as a water haul. Fill your ears
with poetry out of the blood.
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How about a valentines poem for the fisherman in my life?
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The words shared this morning so far have been really inspiring. I was actually quite rivetted by the imagery in these poems. I was a little taken aback though when I heard Moe equate office work with "keeping your shirt clean". I work in an office, work hard in an office, to feed people too. While I realize being a deck hand on a boat may be difficult, can you really even weigh it out against other jobs? I can understand the romance of fishing, being a deckhand in Alaska for a season myself, but it's really pretty ignorant to reduce all other occupations to a life of ease. Moe may take her poetic license on this, to prove some sort of point about the passionate soul of a fisherman, but it's really off-putting for those of us who find freedom in other places.