HOPE, THE IMMIGRANT’S STORY
S
tephen Pitters is a longtime Spokane poet who has been
prolific as a writer and as a helper, organizer, and friend to
other poets. Here are edited excerpts of an interview about
his life and writing in Spokane.
(an excerpt of a ten page poem)
Stephen Pitters
I came as a youth,
mystified to the American shore
and eagerly traipsed on its brick floor,
How did you get started with poetry? What
activities are you involved in? trembling with great anticipation,
I have always liked poetry ever since high school. I followed
it through college where I was editor of the literary magazine
and newspaper magazine editor in graduate school. My
good friend Zan Deery challenged me to try publishing my
own works. She introduced me to Iris and Tom Gribble of
Gribble Press and they have been my publishers since 2009. This turning point in life would acknowledge
Many have assisted me in extending poetry, prose and
music opportunities to others. I returned to the open mic
scene at Barnes and Noble (Northside) in 2016. Some have
collaborated with me to take these opportunities to senior
citizen centers — Ellen Welcker, Brown’s Mountain Boys,
Jenny Edgren, Joyce Wilkens, Karrie O’Neill and Steve
Schennum — the list is quite long. We are now doing Poetry
Rising on the Northside at the Shadle Library. I am doing
some workshops at schools and with Spark Central. Dreams and fears were the conductors
I started doing open mic with Stuart Polzin and Nancy
Maloy in 1985-1986. We formed the Spokane Open Poetry
Association which was located at 123 Arts at 123 Madison.
There weren’t many open mics at that time. Poets such as
Tom Davis, David Brookbank, Sara Woodbury, Randall
Brock, Michael Kiefel, Paige Kenny, Aisha Stanley, Elaine
Imus, Brenda St. Peter, Michael Gurian, Jeremy Anderson,
Eleanor Limmer and many others came to read there.
We moved to Auntie’s Bookstore when it was located
on Riverside, and after it moved to West Main. We also
published a few poetry anthologies of the readers. My gaze expanding,
of what lay in-store.
so much more,
than where I lived before, Panama.
From those harsh roots, I was released.
Parts of Central America’s face back then
was covered with a rash of poverty.
who jointly challenged us to retaliate, to bolt.
I saw myself through my father’s eyes
as intrepid pieces of luggage,
marked with the sticker of uncertainty.
Arriving after three years of waiting and hoping,
the initial view of the New York City skyline,
drops the jaw wide open.
and took in more concrete jungle
than it had ever seen or imagined.
At the tip, on the base of my feet
my toes curled inward, overwhelmed.
My eyes strained and didn’t retain unlimited tears.
From above the clouds, the plane
on the final approach, began its decent.
Where I sat, in row 24 and gripped my seat’s plastic armrest.
I see the greenish iron iconic woman
standing majestically upon the water
A friend brought KYRS (Thin Air Radio, 88.1 and 92.3) to
my attention and I applied for a poetry program in 2004.
I have had pre-teens, teens, Gonzaga Prep high school
students, St. George’s students, local college students, adults,
and older citizens read their works along with musicians and
prose writers. What are your publications and projects?
My goal was and is to develop a forum where different
types of poets can share their works. This developed from
my introduction to open mic in Missouri. I was given the
opportunity to read my own works through my good friend
and professor Michael Castro, who was a St. Louis poet
laureate. My recent publications include Conversations on Altered
Roadways (2017), Prerecorded (2018) and this year, The Eye
of the Spirit. These are the first three of a seven-part series.
These books follow specific timelines from age 17 to 35, 35
to 45, and 45 to 55. Each manuscript reveals emotions and
events that occurred within those decades.
like a Roman deity.
I needed no reason to resist
nor defy the beat of my imagination.
May | June 2019
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