Claudia Castro Luna
Selection Committee Member
Claudia Castro Luna—former Washington State Poet Laureate, Seattle Civic Poet, and author of Killing Marías (Two Sylvias Press)—is a strong voice for immigrants and creative voices alike in the Pacific Northwest. Her acclaimed Seattle Poetic Grid, completed during her tenure as Civic Poet, is an online interactive map of showcasing poems by community members about different locations around the city. She was the winner of the 2019 Prowda Award, along with Hugo House.
Of her work, committee member Jennie Shortridge said, “When [Castro Luna] shares her story of emigrating from El Salvador during its civil war, she connects us to the immigrant experience in ways that help our community move forward, and helps us help each other. In addition to writing her own stunning and important work, she generously advocates for other poets, other writers, and all readers in Washington State.”