I Sing the Salmon Home: Poems from Washington State

by Rena Priest (Editor), Julene Tripp Weaver (Contributor)

This anthology sings of salmon--lamented and praised, hooked, and netted, spawned out and dammed from home; of their magnificence and generosity, of how the fish continue to give and of what they gave. For this unique collection celebrating salmon, Washington State Poet Laureate and Lummi tribal member Rena Priest gathered poems from more than 150 Washington poets ranging from first graders to tribal elders, all inspired by the Northwest's beloved, iconic salmon. A diverse chorus of voices, they join together in poems that praise salmon's heroic journey, beauty, courage, and generosity and witness the threats salmon face from pollution, dams and warming oceans. As Priest writes in her "It is my hope that the poems in this collection will carry into the hearts of readers a wish to preserve and protect the gifts of salmon bestowed by a beautiful living earth; that they will provide the spark of life to carry us into a new cycle. May their good work continue to sing the salmon home." "At long last salmon--the soul of the Pacific Northwest--have been given words to match the ongoing miracle of their existence. With this anthology, some of the better poets from our corner of the world show us dimensions of life, legacy, and culture that we might otherwise overlook in our rushed tumble through the years. It's a book to grow old with--and a book to share with those just learning the power of verse to change hearts and minds."--Timothy Egan, author of The Good Rain "It is difficult to explain the sacredness of salmon. Salmon center our lifeways, our sovereignty, and our ceremonies. Our salmon ancestors have always shared their stories with us, and this beautiful collection, with its diverse voices and layered experiences, gives us visions and glimpses of this profound, and yet very practical fish."--Danica Sterud Miller (Puyallup), Associate Professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington-Tacoma Poetry. Poetry Anthology. Native American Studies. Environmental Studies.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2023

About the author

RENA PRIEST is a Lummi Tribal Member and a writer. Her debut book, Patriarchy Blues, garnered a 2018 American Book Award. She has been a Sustainable Arts Fellow at Mineral School Artist's Residency, and a nominee for a 2017 Pushcart Prize. Her new collection, Sublime Subliminal, will be released on Floating Bridge Press in the Fall of 2018. She has taught Comparative Cultural Studies, Native-American Studies and Special Topics in the Humanities, at Western Washington University and Fairhaven College. She holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College.

Reviews

[Julene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book edited by Rena Priest, who was the Washington Poet Laureate from 2021-2023. I'm proud to have a poem in this book.

The Bushwick Book Club did an evening based on I Sing the Salmon Home and to my surprise musician Shaun Crawford selected my poem to create a song in response! My poem is titled, "Salmon: Our Northwest Pride," and his song is titled "Acknowledgment." Here is the link to the wonderful event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMAof...

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I SING THE SALMON HOME

Having a poem in this anthology does not disqualify me from calling the book beautiful, describing it as good reading, perceiving its breadth of variety. I am lucky to be part of it. There are dozens and dozens of poets represented here from all over Washington state, and with as many takes on the meaning of salmon in their lives. Rena Priest, of the Lummi Nation, edited this collection. It includes poems about culture, loss, history, science, hope, fear, food, fishing, tradition, transcendence, and more. Some poems educate, some amuse, some sadden. I came away with a fuller sense of the importance of this fish and how it connects all of us who live in this state. The cover art is gorgeous. The salmon egg design at each section break is too.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read much poetry these days (my bad), but this book - recommended by my favorite librarian - is absolutely magical. A collection of poems by a wide variety of authors, all centered on salmon of Washington state: their remarkable lives, journeys through the rivers to and from the ocean, return to spawn and die, their central role in the health of the river ecosystems, and their dramatic decline due to the actions of humans - all captured in the beautiful words and ruminations of the people who have interacted with the salmon throughout the ages. Highly recommended for anyone who cares about the natural world of the salmon, and the fight to save the species and their ecosystems.

[Matteo]

A passionate, inspired cry that celebrates the past and summons a better future.

[Alexandra Mariani · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A moth, anchored to the web of a spider, speaks:

'There is no hope.'

A spawned-out salmon, drifting across her redd, speaks:

'There is only hope.'"

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the poems made me cry

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the poems were interesting to pretty good. Another good read.