2018 NPM

Promotional image for National Poetry Month 2018

Tuesday April 10

1:30 P.M. - 3 P.M.

Library, 4th Floor

  • Student Winners & Favorite Poem Contest
  • Poetry Reception
  • Book Arts Exhibit: Distilled Words for Disturbing Times by Myrna Kelher
  • Reading and Refreshments

Thursday April 12

11 A.M. - 3 P.M.

Building 16, Room 115

  • Poetic Visions: Artwork Inspired by Poetry
  • Student Gallery
  • Opening Reception

Thursday April 12

11 A.M. - 1 P.M.

Building 2

Lena Khalaf Tuffaha 

Reading Followed by poetry writing workshop "The Self (Re)Imagined"

Lena Khalaf Tuffaha writes poetry, essays, and translations. She has lived the experiences of first-generation American, immigrant, and expatriate. Her heritage is Palestinian, Jordanian, and Syrian and she is fluent in Arabic and English. She is the author of two books; the most recent one, Water and Salt. She is the winner of the 2016 Two Sylvias Prize for her chapbook, Arab in Newsland.


Wednesday April 18

11 A.M. - 1 P.M.

Building 2

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Reading followed by poetry writing workshop "The World Is Full of Paper: Writing the Letter Poem"

Aimee Nezhukumatahil is the author of four books of poetry: Oceanic; Lucky Fish, winner of the Hoffer Grand Prize for Prose and Independent Books; At the Drive-In Volcano; and Miracle Fruit. She is the poetry editor of Orion magazine. Awards for her writing include an NEA Fellowship in poetry and the Pushcart Prize. She is professor of English and creative writing in the MFA program of the University of Mississippi


Friday April 20

11 A.M. - 12 P.M.

Building 7

Nikkita Oliver

Nikkita Oliver is a leader for the People's Party, a formal Seattle Mayoral candidate, an attorney, a teacher, and a community organizer in Seattle's No Youth Jail and Black Lives Matter movements. She is also locally and regionally recognized for her spoken word poetry and the 2014 Seattle Poetry Slam (SPS) Grand Slam Champion


Wednesday April 25

11 A.M. - 1 P.M.

Building 2

Claudia Castro Luna: Reading followed by poetry writing workshop "Of Dreams and Fables We Tell Ourselves"

Claudia Castro Luna is the 2019-2020 Washington State Poet Laureate and served as Seattle's Civic Poet from 2015-2017. She is the author of Killing Marias and This City. Borh in El Salvador, she came to the United States in 1981. Claudia writes and teaches in Seattle, where she gardens and keeps chickens with her husband and their three children.


Friday April 27

11 A.M. - 1 P.M.

Building 2

  • Writing Center Workshop
  • Highline Student Workshop
  • Poetry Across Cultures

Photos of 2018 Visiting Poets

10 Students Earn Cash, Kudos in Poetry Contest

NPM 2018 Poetry Contest

First Place: Accent by Yasmine Leland

Second Place: Tonight by Carlynn Newhouse

Third Place: Reimagined Self by Brandon Cramer