As part of her 2010 Urban Grace Church poet laureateship, local writer Tammy Robacker will be fulfilling her duties as representative of poetry for the city of Tacoma by holding workshops on the subject of poetry throughout the year. Her first in the series will be taking place July 18 from 2-4:30 p.m. at Urban Grace Church, and will include a few special guests and additional writers joining Robacker for the informative and helpful event. Tacoma Weekly staff writer Dawn Quinn asked Robacker a few questions about the premiere workshop and what people should expect from it.

Dawn Quinn: What is the purpose of holding writing workshops as part of your poet laureateship?

Tammy Robacker: I’m very excited to host the poet laureate workshops because it gives me the opportunity to share my own poetry writing, publishing, teaching and mentoring skills with the Tacoma community. Because it is an open, public writer’s workshop in our city offered at a sliding scale fee, ($10 suggested donation but no one will be turned away), it gives a large base of local people the chance to take poetry writing classes whereas they may not have the time, money or confidence to attend, say, a college or university class…I want to present this opportunity to those writers who may have the drive and desire to write but maybe they do not have the resources they need to grow and nurture their craft.

DQ: Which aspects of writing do you plan to cover in this workshop?

TR: Guest teacher, writer, playwright and actress Kisha X. Palmer will lead discussions with me on how to read poetry aloud, combat nervousness, impromptu reading, stage presence and confidence building. Attendees are encouraged to bring two or three of their own poems for classroom activities and stand-up exercises.

DQ: Could you give us a little more information on Kisha X. Palmer and why she was chosen as one of the main instructors of the event?

TR: Kisha is a personal friend, actress, poet, playwright and performer from Seattle whom I met a decade ago when we both lived in California for a brief stint after college. We both discovered we were from Washington state, loved writing and Starbucks coffee then became fast friends! I have had the great honor to see her act on stage at a number of events and I worked with her on a Sylvia Plath performance poetry project I wrote and presented in Santa Barbara, Calif. a number of years ago.

DQ: Could you give me some insight as to why you chose special guests Josh Rizeburg and Q Dot? What do you think will they bring to the table?

TR: Both of these local spoken word poets personify confidence, stage presence, audience appeal and hot Tacoma talent. I want to showcase their amazing work to students to see a spoken word element of poetry as well as some traditional poetry reading formats! At the workshop both Josh and Quincy will perform a piece and then we can have an informal, fun Q&A with them to literally get tips and advice and encouragement from a couple of pros!

DQ: Who are ideal candidates for this type of workshop?

TR: The workshop is open to the public and I welcome poets of all skill levels and ages. Everyone needs help speaking in front of a crowd, building confidence and sharing poetry aloud in a public forum. No two venues are ever the same!

DQ: What would be the best outcome for this first workshop, in your mind?

TR: I just want to help students to have fun, get inspired and grow their confidence when sharing their personal poetry with the world. If people make a few new writing friends in the class too, that would be magnificent.

Robacker affirmed that the workshop still has some open slots for RSVPs as Urban Grace Church has graciously opened up a classroom that will accommodate up to 25 people, so be sure to come the day of if not already signed up.

Her next workshop is titled “Indie Lit Chicks on Self-Publishing.” It will feature three self-published women writers and editors who will share helpful, encouraging information, creative ideas and inspiration to write and market your book. It will be held on Aug. 1 from 2-4:30 p.m. at Urban Grace Church, located at 902 Market St. for a suggested donation of $10.

For more information about Robacker, her poet laureateship and programs she will be putting on as part of it, visit her website at www.tammyrobacker.com.