Port Townsend Writers Conference invites WSU Campus Civic Poet to attend

Hope Dela Cruz, Washington State University's Campus Civic Poet for the 2025-26 academic year, will attend the Port Townsend Writers Conference this summer thanks to a new fellowship supported by the nonprofit arts organization Centrum. The conference is a renowned retreat for literary creatives since 1974.

"The WSU-Centrum Campus Civic Poet Fellowship will give our annual poet a glimpse into the larger literary scene," said Bryan Fry, a scholarly associate professor in the WSU Department of English and the creative coordinator for the Port Townsend Writers Conference. "It will help these students visualize a creative path beyond the classroom."

Majoring in English with a creative writing emphasis, Dela Cruz said that the new fellowship is an incredible culmination in her role.

"During my time as Campus Civic Poet, I've been able to talk about my experiences and be really confrontational in my art about how I feel about things," said Dela Cruz. "I've been able to really talk to the WSU community in ways I haven't before, talking about the importance of poetry, the importance of sharing your culture and perspective."

Established in 2017, the WSU Campus Civic Poet Award is a collaboration between the Department of English and the Martin Luther King Jr. Program that recognizes a student committed to poetry and civic engagement. Each year, the selected poet serves as an ambassador for poetry on campus, promoting community dialogue through readings, outreach, and public events, including a capstone presentation at the annual Writers Give Voice Reading and Open Mic.

Campus Civic Poets serve as ambassadors for poetry on campus, promoting community dialogue through readings, outreach, and public events.

"What's unique about the WSU Campus Civic Poet Award is that it is not strictly limited to students in the English department," said Linda Russo, director of creative writing at WSU. "It's an award designed to create a bridge to students for whom poetry plays an important role, but who may not be pursuing a degree within the English curriculum."

Dela Cruz, who was raised in Wahiawa on Oahu, evokes the Hawaiian culture throughout her poetry, giving voice to her experiences and upbringing. Yet she also recognizes influences on her work from beyond the islands.

"I hope that when people look at my poetry, they will remember that I'm a Tumblr kid", she said, referring to the microblogging site popular in the 2010s. "I was raised on bad internet poetry. And I hope to make it less of an elitist space, to get more young people into poetry without them having to take a class or course, because a lot of people think poetry is a posh people thing."

Russo notes that many of the former Campus Civic Poets still participate in the annual Writers Give Voice reading, creating a tradition of camaraderie among those who have held the role.

"I feel truly honored that the students feel the connection to WSU, that former Campus Civic Poets take time to come back each year to share new poems through Writers Give Voice," said Russo. "We're continuing that tradition of looking for students for whom poetry is an important way to connect with the public and whatever contemporary issues are influencing their lives."

The WSU Campus Civic Poet Award is currently accepting 2026-27 applications from undergraduate and graduate students in any discipline on the WSU Pullman campus. To apply, students will submit 3-5 poems of original work and a 200-wordstatement. The deadline to apply is March 23 at 11:59 p.m.