59 Comments
User's avatar
lyz's avatar

People subscribe because we want to know about you, your events, and success. And also I think you need at least a "I'm a fucking poet laureate" cake or something!

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Cake! Yes!

Expand full comment
Kathleen's avatar

If you ever come through Central Washington on I-90 I'll bake a cake for you. I even have a porch we can sit on to regard the landscape as we eat.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Careful, I may take you up on that. 🍰

Expand full comment
Kathleen's avatar

It would be my honor!

Expand full comment
Jenovia 🕸️'s avatar

I second the cake!!!

Expand full comment
Tamara Fox's avatar

So jealous that you have a chair that once belonged to the amazing James Welch! Clearly, it is where it now belongs. Congratulations on being poet laureate.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

It's really comfy too. 😀

Expand full comment
Sandy Didner's avatar

Congratulations. James Welch is a poet I taught to my college American Literature college students. Now I will add your work to my curriculum. It is a revelation to read your blog . You deserve the honor of the laureate.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

💚

Expand full comment
Pamela Barclay's avatar

I’m so thrilled for all the good stuff coming your way. You inspire me everyday to appreciate nature and to speak truth when I can. ❤️

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Thank you, Pamela.

Expand full comment
Kara Norman's avatar

I LOVE that picture. Thank you for the behind-the-scenes. The gym medicine shines through and items from a beloved mentor are the jam. Also! Regarding the temptation to “downplay this looming experience as poet laureate…” just a friendly reminder that your win is a win for all of us, and your victories make the rest of us stronger. Happiness is contagious and your success in this endeavor makes those who love you proud. Go on and shine - you are doing it for us all ✨🦗☀️

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Kara, I love this. Thank you! 💚

Expand full comment
WanderFinder's avatar

So grateful for both your loudmouthery and your poetry. I’m imagining your big chair growing to immense sizes and you pulling it up to tables, taking up space, then floating downstream on it, now it’s a ship, students and parrots and eagles and nighthawks can clamber aboard for a while and then swim away leaving you alone for a spell, able to manage the rapids perfectly on your big quiet inflatable chair. I’m so happy for you & I hope it’s a little like that.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Grateful for you, Hannah!

Expand full comment
Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

I'm just overall impressed -- always have been. And given that I live in southern California, reading you -- the settings you describe, etc. -- well, it's like I get to visit another planet!

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

❤️

Expand full comment
Amanda Wald Rachie's avatar

This is all heartening, especially your presence at the Métis Memorial Unveiling on September 1. Grateful for all you've written and the photographs you've shared over the year and a half I've been reading here. Moved by the photo of you in James Welch's chair, now your chair.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Miigwech! 💚

Expand full comment
Jim Anderson's avatar

JW's chair. Its whereabouts now, it pleases me to say, is pretty much where I think is a damn good place to be! Yes.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Thanks, Jim!

Expand full comment
Tammy Evans's avatar

You are indeed a great poet and teacher! Glad to have studied with you!

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Tammy! 💚

Expand full comment
Chris Correia's avatar

Very cool! I suppose I might have to order a book or two so I can understand what all the fuss is about. 😁

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

So much fuss.... 🤯

Expand full comment
Julie Gabrielli's avatar

How wonderful that you’ve been honored in this way. The people of Montana are lucky to celebrate poetry with you.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Miigwech, Juilie!

Expand full comment
Melissa Kelly's avatar

I’ve been sharing your good news with everyone I know in Flathead Count, Chris…we’re excited to see you here at our writers conference early October.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

I'm looking forward to getting up there!

Expand full comment
Frank Solle's avatar

So, being named Poet Laureate, getting the nice story/photo (yeah, it's not bad at all) in the Missoulian, and all the associated acknowledgment, yada, yada, yada, it's a well and good enough. But sitting in James Welch's chair? In your office? Whenever you want? Now that's really something. (it could only be better with cake!). But, seriously, again, well deserved recognition.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

It really is something, Frank! I appreciate you seeing the forest for the trees, my brother! 😂

Expand full comment
Jude's avatar

Congratulations Chris! Doesn't Gianforte know poetry is a subversive activity?!

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

He probably thinks it's poe tree and wants it logged.

Expand full comment
Jude's avatar

hahaha

Expand full comment
Natasha Clarke's avatar

Congrats and yes. Every now and then it’s good to celebrate a loud mouth poet even tho visibility is such a sticky subject for us creatives, being wrapped up in that even more sticky place marketing. I was reminded of the roots of that term when talking about how to become more visible, in how we are offering up our pieces of hard worn beauty at the marketplace and hoping to be visible to folks we are interested in. It helped as I often struggle with understanding the point of marketing or visibility even while it pays the occasional bill.

As for square space I hear you. I recently switched my “landing page” of a website to google sites which not only hosts sites for free without advertising but is incredible easy to use and edit. I went from $$ a month to a $12 a year domain name charge. Well worth it.

Expand full comment
Chris La Tray's avatar

Natasha, miigwech!

Expand full comment