Alice James Books                                Matt Nienow, from 5 to 7 tonight, will give a reading from his new book, “House of Water,” seen here, a collection of poetry, at the Finnriver Cider Garden, 124 Center Road, Chimacum.

Alice James Books Matt Nienow, from 5 to 7 tonight, will give a reading from his new book, “House of Water,” seen here, a collection of poetry, at the Finnriver Cider Garden, 124 Center Road, Chimacum.

Riding a poetry wave: PT author to read tonight in Chimacum

CHIMACUM — Whether riding waves or penning poetry, author Matt Nienow of Port Townsend enjoys exploring the world around him physically and then setting his thoughts to paper.

Nienow, from 5 to 7 tonight, will give a reading from his new book, “House of Water,” a collection of poetry, at the Finnriver Cider Garden, 124 Center Road, Chimacum.

“This book belongs entirely to my life here in Port Townsend. From my first days at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, to building a home out on South Discovery, these poems integrate and work to capture one version of life on the Peninsula.”

The Finnriver Cider Garden is located in the Finnriver Orchard, a historic former dairy farm that has been renovated to establish an organic farm and apple orchard, a working farm collaborative, a public tasting room and a farm-based community gathering place for people of all ages, according to www.finnriver.com.

Cider will be available for purchase during the reading, with a 20 percent discount on bottles given to patrons who own a copy of “House of Water” and happy hour pricing on cider pours, according to a news release.

Books will be available for purchase.

“House of Water” — published by Alice James Books of Farmington, Maine — marks Nienow’s debut on the poetry scene.

It highlights fatherhood at its peak as it juggles the uncertainty and deeper meaning of everyday life, according to www.matthew nienow.com.

Nienow lives in Port Townsend with his wife and two sons, and designs and builds high-end wooden paddle boards at his shop, Good Story Paddle Boards, 151 Otto St.

Each board features an excerpt from a poem or story, “helping to offer inspiration out on the water,” Nienow said.

He has featured lines from Walt Whitman, E.E. Cummings and Barbara Kingsolver, as well as work from up-and-coming contemporary writers.

Nienow said his new poetry collection explores boat building as much as it works over fatherhood and what it means “to be a man, with no money, suddenly concerned only with money.”

Nienow said he isn’t afraid to tackle the dark subjects of loneliness and failure, but he doesn’t linger there without working to find redemption, seeing his sons as “two bright chances at my side, burning blonde in the sun.”

Nienow’s work has appeared in such publications as Poetry Northwest, New England Review and Poetry magazine, the latter of which awarded him a 2013 Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship.

The $15,000 scholarship was intended to encourage further study and writing of poetry.

Nienow also was recognized with a 2011 Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a 2012 Fellowship from Artist Trust of Washington State.

He received a master of fine arts degree from the University of Washington and a degree in Traditional Small Craft from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

Throughout the past several years, Nienow has read his poems all over the country, including readings in Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles.

He officially launched his new book at Elliott Bay Book Co. in Seattle on Nov. 16.

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 16, Nienow will offer a book-signing at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St. During the signing, one of Nienow’s paddle boards will be on display.

________

Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at cmcdaniel@ peninsuladailynews.com.

More in Entertainment

Cellist performance to highlight weekend events

A Port Angeles Symphony performance, other music shows and a repair event… Continue reading

Principal cellist Traci Winters Tyson will be the featured soloist Saturday with the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra. (Sara Wilson/Port Angeles Symphony)
‘Spectacular’ symphony, featured cellist set for Saturday

Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony highlight of show

Cellist Sky Gelder, pictured in summer 2023, is an Olympic Strings Workshop alumnus. (Dewi Sprague)
Music camp at Lake Crescent opens applications

These are summer days of magic, says violinist Erin Hennessey: making music,… Continue reading

First Friday Art Walk set today in Sequim

A reception for a new art exhibit, the First Friday Art Walk… Continue reading

Jane Smith uses gourds as her canvas. She uses a wide variety of techniques and embellishments in her designs, and the trinkets she uses to enhance her work come from her lifetime of collecting.
First Friday Art Walk this weekend in Sequim

First Friday Art Walk will celebrate with a red-themed walk… Continue reading

New exhibit to open during Second Saturday Art Walk

Andrea Woods will open a new exhibit, “Vietnam: People,… Continue reading

Wilson to speak at Studium Generale East

Scott Wilson will address Studium Generale East at 6… Continue reading

Neo-folk musician to play at Palindrome

Neo-folk musician Mariee Siou will perform at 7:30 p.m.… Continue reading

Billy Frank Jr. statue to be unveiled in Neah Bay

The Makah Cultural and Research Center will unveil the… Continue reading

DeCou to host lecture at Studium Generale

Rob DeCou will present “Fulbright Exchange to India” at… Continue reading

Sequim cellist, Port Angeles violist take top prizes

Thirteen-year-old cellist Travis Baros was shocked when he found… Continue reading