The ''Fisher Poets Gathering'' is an annual event held on the last weekend of February in

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corne ...

, where men and women somehow tied to the fishing industry get together to share their

poems Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in a ...

, tales, and songs in celebration of the lifestyle and its people. Begun in 1998 with a small gathering of far-flung friends meeting in a

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

and sharing their poetry, the FPG has greatly expanded and now attracts around 70 artists and hundreds of audience members. The 2014 Fisher Poets Gathering marked the first time a poet from outside the United States participated, as Katrina Porteous from the Northumbrian fishing village of

Beadnell Beadnell is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is situated about south-east of Bamburgh, on the North Sea coast, and has a population of 528(2001), increasing to 545 at the 2011 Census. It takes its name from the Anglo Sa ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

shared her poetry about the community. It has been featured on the

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

, in

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' maga ...

, and is the subject of a

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

by Jen Winston called "Fisher Poets." This gathering went virtual in 2021.

Notes

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External links

FPG's official homepage
Culture of Astoria, Oregon Festivals in Oregon Tourist attractions in Clatsop County, Oregon 1998 establishments in Oregon Annual events in Oregon