Civic Poet 2023-24: Shin Yu Pai

Shin Yu Pai wearing a beanie and flannel. posing in front of a concrete wall.
Photo by James McDaniel

About Shin Yu Pai

Shin Yu Pai is a Seattle-based poet and the author of 11 books, including most recently No Neutral (Empty Bowl, 2023). She is the recipient of awards from the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture, 4Culture, and The Awesome Foundation. She is a 2022 Artist Trust Fellow and was shortlisted in 2014 for a Stranger Genius Award in Literature. From 2015 to 2017, Shin Yu served as Poet Laureate for The City of Redmond. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Atlas Obscura, Tricycle Magazine, YES! Magazine, NYTimes, Zocalo Public Square, Seattle Met, ParentMap, Seattle’s Child, International Examiner, and South Seattle Emerald. Her work has appeared in publications throughout the U.S., Japan, China, Taiwan, the UK, and Canada. 

Shin Yu Pai is creator and host of an award-winning, chart-topping podcast Ten Thousand Things (formerly The Blue Suit) for KUOW, Seattle’s NPR affiliate station.

Academy of American Poets

Public Poetry Campaign

Map of installation locations in the bullet points below

On View for National Poetry Month 2024

April 1, 2024 - April 30, 2024

In 2023, Seattle Civic Poet, Shin Yu Pai invited public input on identifying and prioritizing the theme of a public poetry campaign. What emerged was a call for short poems on Seattle places relating to sustainability. She received 51 submissions from poets and selected five individuals for inclusion in the project.

Launching in April 2024 for National Poetry Month, the campaign features Seattle poets Kathya Alexander, Bryna Antonia (Á Thanh) Cortes, Cindy Luong, Joe Nasta, and Bryan Wilson in these locations across the city:

  • Seattle Public Library, downtown and South Park
  • Wa Na Wari
  • Friends of Little Saigon
  • Seattle Municipal Tower
  • Slide Gallery, Belltown
  • Bureau of Fearless Ideas

The campaign was designed by Jayme Yen, graphic designer and design teacher. Visual elements across sites vary and include postcards, posters, window clings, vinyl banners, cut-paper installation and a map of the featured sites.

This public poetry program is made possible by the Academy of American Poets with funds from the Mellon Foundation. This project was also supported by The Windrose Fund.

Postcard and Poster Gallery

"The Visit"
"Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn"
"The Seattle Public Libraries"
"Urban Bees, Blue Hour"
"Atmospheric River"
"The Visit"
"Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn"
"The Seattle Public Libraries"
"Urban Bees, Blue Hour"
"Atmospheric River"
"The Visit"

Kathya Alexander

"The Visit"
"Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn"

Bryna Antonia (Á Thanh) Cortes

"Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn"
"The Seattle Public Libraries"

Cindy Luong

"The Seattle Public Libraries"
"Urban Bees, Blue Hour"

Joe Nasta

"Urban Bees, Blue Hour"
"Atmospheric River"

Bryan Wilson

"Atmospheric River"
"The Visit"

Kathya Alexander

"The Visit"
"Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn"

Bryna Antonia (Á Thanh) Cortes

"Seattle’s Little Sài Gòn"
"The Seattle Public Libraries"

Cindy Luong

"The Seattle Public Libraries"
"Urban Bees, Blue Hour"

Joe Nasta

"Urban Bees, Blue Hour"
"Atmospheric River"

Bryan Wilson

"Atmospheric River"

Download Postcards and Posters

Postcards are 6 x 9" and posters are 11 x 17":

Arts & Culture

Gülgün Kayim, Director
Address: 303 S. Jackson Street, Top Floor, Seattle, WA , 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94748, Seattle, WA , 98124-4748
Phone: (206) 684-7171
Fax: (206) 684-7172
arts.culture@seattle.gov

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The Office of Arts & Culture promotes the value of arts and culture in, and of, communities throughout Seattle. It strives to ensure that a wide range of high-quality artistic experiences are available to everyone, encourage artist-friendly arts and cultural policy.