Rena Priest

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Lummi Nation Member

Rena Priest is a member of the Lummi Nation. She served as the 6th Washington State Poet Laureate (2021-2023), and is a Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow. She is also the recipient of fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Nations Poets, and Nia Tero. Her literary debut, Patriarchy Blues, was published in 2017, and received the American Book Award. Her most recent book, Northwest Know-How: Beaches, is a love letter to 29 of her favorite beaches in Washington and Oregon. You can find her nonfiction in High Country News, Nautilus Magazine, YES! Magazine, Seattle Met, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Learn more at renapriest.com.