Mark Anderson

Mark L. Anderson is Spokane’s third Poet Laureate. He grew up ten miles outside of Spokane Valley in the small unincorporated township of Mica, Washington where he started making stories and poems before he could even write, convincing his parents to write the words for him. In 2007, while studying psychology at Eastern Washington University, he happened upon a small poetry open mic night at the Empyrean Coffee House. He came back week after week and soon enough he was helping to organize the poetry event. Soon after in 2009, he co-founded the popular Broken Mic reading series. Since then he has gone on to tour nationally as a performance poet, applauded for his imaginative, expansive work.

Mark received 2018 GAP Award funding for a series of 15 class visits as Poet Laureate of Spokane, Washington. His goal over the next year is to reach as many students as possible, teaching some basic tools of poetry and inviting them to celebrate their own inner lives.

Artist Trust thanks the Amazon Literary Partnership for underwriting this award through Artist Trust’s Corporate Partnership program. For information about supporting Washington State artists, visit here.