Rena Priest- Dancing to the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock

Join us and the North Cascades Institute for local poetry powerhouse Rena Priest as she discusses her brand new collection! Introducing Dancing to the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock by Rena Priest– a poetry collection for our precarious times that plays love, hope, and optimism against the harsh realities of the climate crisis, extinction, and histories of oppression. With dark humor and deftly executed tangents, readers embark on a poignant journey, oscillating between moments of joy and sorrow. Rena Priest is a citizen of the Lhaq’temish [Lummi] Nation. Priest served as Washington State’s sixth Poet Laureate (2021-2023), and was the first Indigenous person to hold the position. She is an Academy of American Poets Fellow, an Indigenous Nations Poets Fellow, and winner of a Washington State Book Award for poetry. Her new essay collection, Positively Uncivilized, was published as the inaugural winner of the 2025 Keepers of the Fire Award from Raven Chronicles Press. The collection has also been recognized with a Silver Nautilus Award and was selected as one of two titles to represent the State of Washington at the National Book Festival in 2026. Dancing to the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock is her third collection of poetry. North Cascades Institute is an education nonprofit, inspiring environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Since 1986, the Institute has offered dozens of ways to explore the North Cascades Ecosystem, with hands-on learning adventures from the Cascades Crest to the shores of the Salish Sea. Diverse educational programs invite students of all ages to learn about the natural and cultural history of the region’s mountains and watersheds, explore interconnections between human and ecological communities, and work together to foster healthy Northwest ecosystems where all species thrive. Feel free to reach out to Village Books and Paper Dreams for further assistance at 360-671-2626!