Cindy M Hutchings, poet and author of Tree Talk

Cindy Hutchings wrote her first poetry chapbook, Tree Talk, to the tall Cedar that lives across the street from her. Each day for a month, she arrived home after work, sat down in the old family rocker, looked out her front window, and wrote poems in the form of letters to the tree. MoonPath Press published them in Tree Talk as they were written day by day. Tree Talk is dedicated to her father, who first listened to the poems as she read them to him. The book was released on his birthday.

Cindy was born in Seattle, grew up in the Shoreline area, and now lives in Auburn, WA. She graduated from Green River Community College with an AA degree and High Honors, and University of Washington with a BA degree in English and Women Studies, and was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa Society.

She is a member of both Northwest Renaissance and Striped Water Poets, and helps organize poetry events in her community. She writes passionately about current events, and local and world-wide social causes. She finds inspiration in the outdoors.

Auburn's Poet Laureate Marjorie Rommel (2015 -2017)
 

Marjorie was appointed as Auburn's Poet Laureate in January 2015, and in this honorary role she represents the poetic heart of our community. She has deep connections with Auburn and is an active participant in many literary groups and non-profit organizations. She supports and mentors local poets and reaches out to student groups.

Marjorie co-founded The Northwest Renaissance coalition of poets in 1975, which is dedicated to promoting the writing and performance of poetry and encouraging an audience for poetry. She is currently the NWR President, and actively guides and encourages new members in the art of organizing community poetry events.

Marjorie is a graduate from Pacific Lutheran University (2007) with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing/Poetry, and she has taught at the college and university level. Her work has appeared in more than a hundred commercial and literary publications.

Selected poems of Marjorie’s are on the City of Auburn Poet Laureate page, at this link: http://www.auburnwa.gov/things_to_do/arts_entertainment/poet_laureate.htm