Review: 2025

As I review my writing life this past year, I am the most proud of two poems published in Issue 28 of Salish Magazine: “Red Huckleberry” and “Mahonia.” You can find them in Poetry section A. Unlike a lot of my previous work bordering on surreal, I like the specificity of nature poetry; I plan to mine this vein more in 2026.

In addition to poetry, this year I’ve contributed four lifestyle articles to the Seattle Times for inclusion in the newspaper’s Sunday supplement: “At Home in the Pacific Northwest.” You have to be quick to catch a glimpse of these things in print but with a subscription you can spot them online if you search my name for my author page. I plan to contribute more photo-illustrated articles in the new year.

Professionally, I have completed five years with RRD as a copywriter (nearly six, if you count the original engagement as a contract content editor) working on digital and print marketing. As I routinely champion automation processes, AI adoption, and standardization resources, my view is that I worked my way out of a job to join the laid-off masses.

This year I built, maintained and contributed to all efforts that made copy tight and messaging engaging across multiple platforms. I believe that to execute perfect brand voice, you should have access to recent past projects, so naturally I advocate for sustainable archives, templates, and specifications. (You know, the stuff we feed AI these days.)

My primary goal for the new year is new employment. I hope to find something that fully utilizes my experience and skills.