2022 Winter Garden Poetry Series

Lydia K. Valentine is a playwright & poet, director & dramaturg, editor & educator. Her proudest accomplishment is being mom to two inspiring individuals. Through her work, Lydia seeks to amplify the voices of those who are often stifled, ignored, & marginalized in what’s been the accepted narrative of the United States. Lydia’s poetry collection, Brief Black Candles, came out in 2020 (Not a Pipe Publishing). Her poetry appears in We Need A Reckoning, an anthology featuring work by women & non-binary People of Color (Blue Cactus Press). Lydia’s writing has appeared in various publications, including the social justice literary arts magazine Speak. Lydia was honored to be named the 2021-2023 City of Tacoma Poet Laureate. She’s the resident dramaturg for empathos company & Toy Boat Theatre. She co-adapted & co-directed Ibsen’s A Doll’s House for Tacoma Little Theatre’s 100th Season & will be directing The Luck of the Irish by Kirsten Greenidge at TLT in June 2022.