The waves of the Salish tell ancient stories to our islands. Woven through madrona and cedar, the salt mist and bioluminescence enkindle each syllable every islander speaks. We islanders have a unique knack for spinning a good yarn. At Island Verse, we believe those stories deserve to be heard. They shape our lives with sound and song, holding us in the knowledge that we belong to the land and to our community.
Founded in 2024, Island Verse is a nonprofit dedicated to honoring and amplifying the island voices of the Pacific Northwest. We bring poetry, storytelling and performance into schools and community centers, and we keep a microphone open to the public every Sunday evening.
If you wander up First Street in town, you might notice a new sign swinging. This is Island Verse HQ, a gathering place of collective wisdom and word. A place where blossoming writers can take the stage for the first time. A place where elders can share wisdom shaped by decades of tide and thyme. A place where visiting artists meet local legends and leave metamorphosed by this numinous island community.