EDITORIAL: A virtual FisherPoets Gathering
Feb. 25—When fishermen encounter bad weather they wait out the blow, anchored in the cove or tied up at the harbor. They are survivors — they don't take chances when Mother Nature becomes rough.
In a similar vein, there's news about the FisherPoets Gathering, one of the most sparkling events on the North Coast's calendar.
The good news is that despite the pandemic it is going ahead with a 2021 program of poetry and musical entertainment.
The not-so-good news is it will be held virtually — with the audiencetuning in online to capture the poets in action.
Before Christmas, Jon Broderick and fellow organizers had been watching for any possible signs of the pandemic safety restrictions easing. They made the correct decision to host the annual event — but revamp its format to keep everyone safe.
The gathering will begin Thursday and run Friday and Saturday with three 90-minute shows featuring about 15 poets each. There will be a 30-minute break for viewers to fix a snack in between.
There are other activities planned, all listed in Coast Weekend, or available as updates on the FisherPoets' website.
Years ago, the annual gathering was a delightful addition to the calendar of cultural and artistic events that signal how the North Coast is so vibrant and varied. With the Fort George Festival of Dark Arts, which has been canceled because of COVID risks, it added some needed sparkle to relieve the February blahs.
The FisherPoets Gathering celebrates a core part of our heritage. Although salmon runs have dwindled, and the once-bustling canneries are long gone, we're still a fishing hub. Crab pots still clutter our docksides, while nets and lines are as important now as they have been during our history. And salmon run predictions, a crab season delay or changes in gillnetting regulations are still news stories.
Broderick promises that several dozen poets will be at the live shows on Zoom and other platforms, performing "from their kitchens and their galleys, their patios and — parked outside the public library — their front seats."
The slate includes stalwarts of poetry and song. The Brownsmead Flats will be among those providing their singular brand of music.
And the 2021 pandemic version of the gathering will introduce some newcomers performing their work, including Bob Allen, Jan Bono, Meghan Gervais, Tony Mirosevich, Katrina Peavy and Charles Tekula. All will offer themed poetry, prose and song, which icon Dave Densmore once told a reporter is intended to "reinforce for the men and women of the industry a sense of pride in what we do and who we are."
We have waxed eloquently on the authenticity of the festival every year since it started in 1998. It has grown in scale and scope to enjoy an international audience and participation, while intentionally holding tight to its small-town flavor.
Unlike the larger Elko, Nevada, cowboy poetry event, which features professional entertainers, these performers are all genuine participants in their industry. FisherPoets inhabit their folklore. Their hands, scarred from fishing line cuts, and their cheeks, reddened by gales, attest to that.
The story is told — and it may well be apocryphal — of a first-time visitor asking a seasoned audience member whether the poets were real fishermen. The long-time attendee reportedly just grinned and pointed to a performer's boots, which showed traces of fish guts that hadn't been washed off.
We'll miss that this year. People who like to "hang out in bars and listen to wild sea stories" (as event organizers tease) will be a tad disappointed that the creative fun is not in person. But this year, it must be.
