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Burl E.

Battersby

Welcome to Be! Eugene Be! Creative 

Life long artist & author of poetry collections, including Wild Rose: & Other Poems Sung by the Window.

For my entire life I have known that I was an artist and a writer; I could never deny the truth to myself or to others, but I lived a dual life.  It took many years for my passion & my skill to be brought together -  for me to decide that I had to follow my dream no matter what & no matter where it would lead me. 

The breakthrough in my life started with sobriety. Although I had been involved in the literary arts scene since first moving here, it was during the pandemic when I began thinking of ways that I could help nurture the already vibrant community of writers in Tacoma.

Thus began the journey which eventually led to the Voices of Tacoma: A Gathering of Poets.

Burl Battersby at Lakewold Gardens reading his poetry

Photo by Jackie Casella

Upcoming Events

Voices of Tacoma: A Gathering of Poets hosts community events supporting literary arts. See the calendar or click the button to see more.

A stylized image of a Chinese lamp taken in Tacoma's International District
  • Thu, Oct 05
    Star Center
    Oct 05, 6:30 PM – Oct 06, 9:00 PM
    Star Center, 3873 S 66th St, Tacoma, WA 98409, USA
    Oct 05, 6:30 PM – Oct 06, 9:00 PM
    Star Center, 3873 S 66th St, Tacoma, WA 98409, USA
    See you at Tacoma's Art Month Opening Event at the Star Center!
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  • Multiple Dates
    Wed, Oct 11
    Moore Library
    Oct 11, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
    Moore Library, 215 S 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98408, USA
    Oct 11, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
    Moore Library, 215 S 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98408, USA
    Voices of Tacoma: Generating - with Celeste Schueler
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  • Sat, Oct 14
    Mad Hat Tea Co
    Oct 14, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Mad Hat Tea Co, 301 A Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, WA 98421, USA
    Oct 14, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Mad Hat Tea Co, 301 A Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, WA 98421, USA
    Join us at Mad Hat Tea Co for the Poet's Studio Tour!
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  • Multiple Dates
    Tue, Oct 17
    Wheelock Library
    Oct 17, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
    Wheelock Library, 3722 N 26th St, Tacoma, WA 98407, USA
    Oct 17, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
    Wheelock Library, 3722 N 26th St, Tacoma, WA 98407, USA
    Come read a poem or two, or just come listen to the #VoicesOfTacoma
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  • Multiple Dates
    Sat, Nov 11
    Arts @ the Armory
    Nov 11, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Arts @ the Armory, 1001 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405, USA
    Nov 11, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    Arts @ the Armory, 1001 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405, USA
    Come to the arts event of the season and visit the Poet's Corner to learn more about #VoicesOfTacoma
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Christina Vega, Poet | Publisher

“Wild Rose is truly a lovely ode - beautifully done. I really like how B. Eugene B. let himself create multiple iterations of the poem, focusing on different aspects of his mother's life and memory.”  
Mt. Rainier, photo taken from Sounder Train, between Sumner and Puyallup

Land acknowledgment

ʔuk’ʷədiitəb ʔuhigʷətəb čəɫ txʷəl tiiɫ ʔa čəɫ ʔal tə swatxʷixʷtxʷəd ʔə tiiɫ puyaləpabš dxʷəsɫaɫlils gʷəl ʔutxʷəlšucidəbs həlgʷəʔ.
 

We gratefully acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Puyallup People where they make their home and speak the Lushootseed language.

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