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The Oregon literary has community lost a friend. Oregon Poet Laureate and Fishtrap Advisor Peter Sears died in his Corvallis home on July 20, 2017.

During the past week several of Peter’s colleagues have reached out to us to share their memories of some of the many contributions he made as an advocate for Oregon writers — and for the creation of Fishtrap. Fishtrap co-founder Kim Stafford recalled that he heard Peter “quote extensively, and in detail, from writers he had heard at Fishtrap while giving a talk on poetry in Portland. He was a courier traveling among different poetry communities, and an advocate for them all.”

From his work with the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Literary Commission, to his effort to help save OSU Press, to the countless students he mentored and inspired, Peter left a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

Special thanks to Tom Booth, Adam Davis, Jim Scheppke, Kim Stafford, and Rich Wandschneider for taking the time to share some of their memories of Peter with Fishtrap.

Here’s a little something in Peter’s own words from our Summer Fishtrap archives: 

Summer Fishtrap 2003: 3 Poems

by Peter Sears