At the end of every February since 1998, Astoria welcomes fisher poets, story tellers, and song writers en masse to a variety of venues around town for The Fisher Poets Gathering.
The Gentleman and I finally went this year. It was amazing. The Gentleman used to fish commercially, and I spent my fair share of time on the river on cruise ships. We spent four hours tucked among the barrels of Fort George’s aging beer listening to a wide variety of poets. 
There is a story The Gentleman once told me, and this poet told the same story here. The Gentleman and the poet had fished in the same fleet, many years ago, and an old-new connection was made.
We attended final event Sunday morning. You can never tell where art will be created or where mutual experience can be found. I love Astoria because it is a working town where people raised families, and that was a main reason why I chose to live here. It is also a beautiful place where nature constantly reminds us how insignificant we are. It is a place steeped in history and craft. This gathering of artists is an absolute reminder of how that combination is a breeding ground for inspiration. I’m sorry this is the first time we’d attended, but I am so glad that we can permanently put this on our February calendar and never miss again. 
River + Fir 