Centrum is thrilled to announce that Gary Copeland Lilley will be the 2022 Artistic Curator for the Port Townsend Writers Conference. Gary has a long tenure with Centrum, having first come to the Writers Conference in 2008 and returning to reside here in Port Townsend shortly thereafter. He is also a regular contributor to Centrum’s Acoustic Blues Festival.
Sam Ligon, Artistic Director of the Port Townsend Writers Conference from 2015-2021, had this to say of his successor, “I’ve known Gary for about 15 years — since we first met at the conference. I liked him right away because of his warmth and humor, his wit, intelligence, and his fantastic writing and readings, and for all he brought to his teaching. I came to respect him more and more as the years went by and we often taught together at Centrum, my respect for him as a teacher, a writer, and a colleague becoming deeper as the years went by. Gary is one of the best poets I know, one of my favorites, bringing music and clarity and control of language and image to his work. He’s [also] one of the best teachers I know, bringing deep knowledge, sensitivity, compassion, and tremendous respect for his students to the classroom.”
George Marie, Program Manager for Writing, added, “This year, we opened the nominations process to our entire community and no one received more support than Gary. His literary colleagues and his students alike spoke of their high regard for him as a poet, as a teacher, and for the many ways he has served as a mentor. He brings a strong vision for the future of the conference, an understanding of the writing community we serve, and a focused determination that we both share: to de-privilege the work of writing, to serve the craft and all those who wish to learn it no matter their background or experience. It is an honor to work beside him.”
Further announcements for the 2022 Port Townsend Writers Conference, including faculty line-up and tuition fees, will be offered in the coming weeks. Registration for the 2022 Port Townsend Writers Conference will open in February, 2022.