Griffin Bay Bookstore will host an evening of poetry, featuring two distinct Pacific Northwest female poets, Dec. 6, beginning at 7 p.m.

Washington state Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen, and poet Susan Rich are renown for brining the magic of poetry alive in their readings.

In her debut poetry collection, “Every Dress a Decision,” Austen tests the boundaries between the known and the unknowable. The aftermath of a brother’s mysterious death forms a subtle narrative spine, around which other pressing questions revolve.

Both lyrical and wry, Austen’s poems engage headlong in the contradictions of 21st century social expectations, desires and identity. She produces poetry programming for NPR-affliate KUOW 94.9, earned a Masters in Fine Arts at Antioch University, and teaches at Richard Hugo House, a non-profit community writing center in Seattle.

Susan Rich is the author of four collections of poetry. She is a human rights activist and recipient of awards from the Times Literary Supplement, Peace Corps Writers, and the Fulbright Foundation for both her writing and activism.

Educated at the University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, and the University of Oregon, Rich lives in Seattle and teaches at Highline Community College, where she runs the reading series, Highline Listens: Writers Read Their Work.

The Bookstore event is free and open to the public. For more information, 378-5511 or visit www.griffinbaybook.com