AAP Staff
SAN FRANCISCO (Dec. 12, 2020) — The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently announced its new officers whose terms will begin in 2021.
Lao American poet Bryan Thao Worra has been elected to a second term as the president of the 42-year-old international association. Among his distinctions, he holds a fellowship in literature from National Endowment for the Arts, represented the nation of Laos during the London 2012 Summer Olympics and holds a 2019 Joyce Award.
Thao Worra has presented widely, including the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Poets House, San Diego Comic-Con, CONvergence, the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, the League of Minnesota Poets, and numerous colleges across the U.S. His newest book is “Before We Remember We Dream,” from Sahtu Press, marking 45 years of the Southeast Asian diaspora.
Canadian poet Colleen Anderson has been elected as SDPA Vice-President of the SFPA. She has a BFA in writing and her poems have been published in such venues as Mirror Dance, Polu Texni, The Future Fire, HWA Poetry Showcase and many others.
Anderson is a Canada Council and BC Arts Council grant recipient for writing and has performed her work before audiences in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Nominated for the Rhysling, Dwarf Stars and Aurora Award for poetry, Colleen’s collection, “I Dreamed a World” will be published in late 2020-early 2021 by Cycatrix Press.
Anderson has served on numerous HWA and British Fantasy Society juries, was the 2020 Elgin Awards chair, and was on the SF Canada executive for a number of years.
Brian U. Garrison of Portland, Oregon, was elected SFPA Secretary. He has been a member since 2012, when he launched Parody Poetry Journal. His involvement in the SFPA has included mailing Star*Line (2013–2017), editing the Robots issue of Eye to the Telescope (Jan. 2017), minor web assistance, and recently launching the small-group poetry critiques.
Garrison released a chapbook, “New Yesterdays, New Tomorrows,” in 2017, and has focused on children’s literature in recent years.
As secretary, Garrison will establish a calendar with systematic task tracking for smooth behind-the-scenes operations, and will continue to find ways to build meaningful connections among members, increase his outreach efforts to expand membership, and ensure that he supports a diverse community of poets.
California poet Richard Magahiz will continue to serve as the SFPA Treasurer.
The poetry association thanked F.J. Bergmann and Renee Ya for their recent services as Vice-President and Secretary respectively.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association was established in 1978 by Suzette Haden-Elgin and has an international membership representing over 19 nations including the United States, Italy, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Romania, Poland, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Israel, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association publishes two journals: Star*Line and Eye to the Telescope. It oversees several literary awards for poetry including the Rhyslings, the Dwarf Stars, and the Elgin Awards. They also conduct an annual science fiction poetry contest and other special events and gatherings. The association also provides resources for emerging and established poets seeking professional publication and networking opportunities.
