Linda Russo’s work engages and explores the forces that shape understandings of land and biotic community. Poetry and other kinds of making are her primary means of connecting with others. She is the author or several books of poetry and other writings, and has taught for the English Department at Washington State University for over a decade, currently serving as the Director of Creative Writing. Visit her faculty profile here. Russo founded EcoArts on the Palouse in 2017 and is honored to work with the students who take an interest in helping to shape and grow this endeavor.

Aidan Barger, Fall 2020 intern, is a Creative Writing Major and a Political Science minor. His hometown is East Wenatchee, Washington. He loves writing poems, especially ones which try to evoke a strong sense of place. He’s currently working on a project with EcoArts to travel to five different Palouse “wild edge” spaces, listen to the insect voices he finds there, and write poems—particularly haiku and haibun—about these experiences. “EcoArts fascinates me because it shines a light on bioregional aspects of the Palouse which are easily overlooked but tremendously important. I want to learn more about this unique space and the organisms (specifically insects!) which inhabit it.”  

Contributing Writer Darcy Greenwood loves playing with the Palouse. After living in the brick wilds of Chicago, she feels more passionate than ever about the vast, quiet beauty of her homeland, as well as the gifted creators within it. Darcy is a writer and editor for Brilliant Star, an award-winning children’s magazine, and enjoys writing everything under the literary sun. She graduated cum laude from Washington State University with a BA in Creative Writing, a minor in Digital Technology and Culture, and an Editing and Publishing Certificate. “To me, the wild edge spaces of the Palouse are sacred places of beauty, reflection, and creativity. I hope everyone will fall in love with them as deeply as I have.” 

Contributing Writer Rachel Clark writes about the interconnection between humans and the planet that sustains or diminishes all Life. She is the author of The Blackfish Prophecy, and her work has appeared in Nature News Online, Psychology Today, The Revelator, Harper’s Bazaar, The Joint Fire Science Program, Salon, Mental Floss, Farmer’s Almanac, Earth & Sky Radio, Mom.me, The Dodo and more. You can connect with Rachel's work at rachelclarkauthor.com.

Alexander Jensen, Summer '20 Intern, has been communing with nature in the Palouse ever since the Palouse River near Reaney Park claimed the life of his Nokia in a fitting poetic moment. He is a Honors undergraduate at Washington State University, majoring in Psychology and English, and minoring in Queer Studies and Women’s Studies. In these interconnected fields, the natural world serves as a point of intersectionality that Alexander enjoys exploring. “It is important to back and stand behind resources and information that is quite literally grounded in our world, and to me, that is what the mission of EcoArts reflects.”

Allyson Pang, Summer '20 Intern, is a double-major in Creative Writing and Multimedia Journalism. Her hometown is Honolulu, Hawaii. She loves creating, whether it’s video editing or writing a new slam poem. At Washington State University, she is the editor-in-chief of the literary arts journal, LandEscapes, and co-president of the Palouse Poetry Society. Allyson is very excited to be in collaboration with Hannah Levy on her choreographed piece, "In the Pause" (which she edited), through EcoArts.   

Lindsey Shannon, Fall '19-Spring '20 Intern, graduated from Washington State University with a major in English Teaching and an Editing and Publishing Certificate. In addition to her role as Communications Director, Lindsey undertook fieldwork and learned about the urban-wild river ecology of Missouri Flat Creek. "I was drawn to EcoArts and the exploration of Palouse edge spaces because it was something I knew very little about, and I wanted to challenge myself to be part of something outside of my literary comfort zone."

Caitlyn Smith, Spring '20 Intern, graduated from the English Department (majoring in Creative Writing) at Washington State University where she also pursued an Editing and Publishing Certificate. She worked on website design, and her fieldwork took her to local cemeteries to search for lichen. “I was drawn to EcoArts because I knew pretty much nothing about it and needed to know more. I think that it is super interesting to focus on both local art and the environment. I think it’s important to stop and look at the life that surrounds us.”