GO Arts » Tammy Robacker

Poet Laureate wins writer’s residency on Whidbey Island

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:03:12 +0000

Tacoma’s current Poet Laureate Tammy Robacker has just been awarded a writer’s residency for 2011 at Hedgebrook on Whidbey Island, selected as one of 38 recipients out of 795 applicants across the country and beyond.

Founded in 1988 by Seattle philanthropist Nancy Nordhoff, Hedgebrook supports women writers by offering free residencies and programs in cottages on the island. Residencies last from two to six weeks.

Robacker, who published her first book of poetry “The Vicissitudes” last year, was awarded the 2010-11 Tacoma Urban Grace Poet Laureateship, and has led a number of local workshops and reading. The Hedgebrook …

Critic’s Picks: Click Flick, Persian Poetry, Russian music at Lakewold Gardens and Poet Laureate reads at the library

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:09:20 +0000

Click Flick: “Free Willy”

The Click Family Flick at the Grand this month is the heart-wrenching orca tale, “Free Willy.” June 19, doors open 10 a.m., screening 10:30 a.m. Free, first 100 people only. The Grand Cinema, 608 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. 253-572-6062, www.grandcinema.com

Persian poetry on the summer solstice

Celebrate the longest day of the year (if not the warmest) with an evening of Persian poetry, food, wine and music. A fundraiser for United for Peace Pierce County, the evening is set in a North-end rose garden, and features Rick Steves’ cinematographer Abdi Sami. 6-9 p.m. June 21. $30. …

Tammy Robacker is Tacoma’s new Poet Laureate

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:36:05 +0000

Urban Grace Church, local poetry sponsor, has announced that Tacoma poet Tammy Robacker has won the 2010 Soul of the City poetry competition and is the city’s Poet Laureate through April 2011.

The five judges that chose Robacker as Laureate include current Laureate Antonio Edwards, past Laureate William Kupinse, poets Emily Noelle-Ignacio and Grace Livingston and artist Holly Senn. Robacker, who published her first book “The Vicissitudes” in 2009 under her own company Pearle Publications and who has co-edited the anthology “In Tahoma’s Shadow,” received her BA in writing from Evergreen College and is an active poet around …

Tammy Robacker reads poems from “The Vicissitudes” at Vinum

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:06:43 +0000

Tammy Robacker‘s poems speak of friendship, cancer, memory, walking in Wright Park. But they also speak of women – suffering mothers, wayward daughters, strong grandmothers – and so it’s appropriate that the Tacoma poet will be reading from her latest book “The Vicissitudes” at Vinum this Friday night in honor of National Women’s History Month.

The reading is part of the Speak Your Soul series of poetry readings and open mic sessions. Robacker’s book (self-published by Pearle Publications) came out last year, and its 40 poems deal with obviously autobiographical topics: a mother with cancer, a controlling father, …