Our Poets
Clara Finch
I like quiet places with big skies. Most of the time you’ll find me outside — on the water if I can be. There’s something about drifting alone in a canoe that opens up the kind of thoughts I can’t find anywhere else. I keep a small notebook in my pack, and if the light’s right, I’ll write until it’s too dark to see the page.
Favorite color: Sea glass green.
Who has inspired you the most: Mary Oliver.
Describe your perfect day: Paddling at dawn, writing until the sun drops.
Matti J. Carlson
I’ve always done my best thinking after most people have gone home. There’s something about the late hours — the way conversations get slower, the way the air feels different. I used to spend those nights in crowded places; now I keep them quieter. I still like the glow of a streetlight, the hum of a diner, and the kind of talk you can only have when the clock’s forgotten to matter.
Favorite color: Burnt orange.
Who has inspired you the most: My grandfather.
Describe your perfect day: A slow morning, a late start, and good company that stretches past midnight.
Linnea Nilsen
The house is rarely quiet, and I’ve learned to write with noise in the background. My kids are growing faster than I can keep up with, which makes me want to hold on to the small things — the sound of their feet on the stairs, the way they ask for one more story at night. I write to remember, but also to understand what’s happening while it’s still here.
Favorite color: The yellow of butter softening on a counter.
Who has inspired you the most: My grandmother.
Describe your perfect day: Coffee before the kids wake up, bread rising in the kitchen, and a full table by evening.
Roy Anderson
I don’t talk much, but I listen. Most of what I write starts as a line I hear in passing — something I tuck away until I know what to do with it. I like leaving space around my words so someone else can step into them. Sometimes the silence says more than I can.
Favorite color: The blue just before night.
Who has inspired you the most: People who leave without announcing they’re going.
Describe your perfect day: One good cup of coffee and nothing on the calendar.