Firsthursdays

22/08/2026

Help me launch my new book, In Praise of Golden Skies!

12/07/2026

Check out the new website for info about FIRSTHURSDAYS and publishing news.

a place for Skagit poetry New chapbook soon to be released: In Praise of Golden Skies by Morgan Randall

03/07/2026

Lovely, loving evening at i.e.gallery in Edison for FIRSTHURSDAYS open poetry mic's 12th, produced by Dog Dreams Press. Two dozen folks and a dozen readers shared beneath the glow of Heidi Epstein's gorgeous work on the walls. See you again Edison on the first Thursday in November!

28/06/2026

08/05/2026

Fun with friends, poetry and a book launch. Yesterday evening in Downtown MV, the FIRSTHURSDAYS reboot featured Robert Hasselblad reading from his latest chapbook. Congrats, R! Find his Ordinary Visions at Seaport Books in La Conner.

04/05/2026

FIRSTHURSDAYS is back at a new venue. Join us for some deep listening and deep literacy.

16/04/2026

Hiatus of OVER!

05/04/2026

From Bertolt Brecht's essay "Five Difficulties in Writing the Truth" (1934):

1. The courage to write the truth — Truth is often suppressed by those in power, so writing it requires bravery. Many writers avoid uncomfortable truths out of cowardice or self-interest.
2. The intelligence to recognize the truth — It's not enough to want to tell the truth; one must be shrewd enough to identify it. Obvious, surface-level observations are often false, and the real truth may be hidden or counterintuitive.
3. The skill to manipulate the truth as a weapon — Truth must be made effective and usable. A writer must know how to shape and deploy it so that it can actually influence people and situations, not merely exist as an abstract statement.
4. The judgment to select those in whose hands the truth will be effective — The truth must reach the right audience. A writer must think strategically about who needs to hear the truth and who is capable of acting on it.
5. The cunning to spread the truth among the many — Under conditions of censorship and oppression, truth must be disseminated cleverly and carefully. Writers must find ways to get their message out despite obstacles, sometimes disguising it or using indirect means.

Together, these five points reflect Brecht's deeply political view of writing — that literature is not a passive art but an active intervention in the world, and that the writer bears a responsibility to be both honest and strategically effective.

09/03/2026

Just met with Isaac Huffman, director of the Mount Vernon Library about forming a library-sponsored committee to create a MVPoet Laureate program for adults. Message me or contact Isaac at 360/336-0632 for more info!