Jim Mitsui - Bio
A Nisei, Born in Skykomish, Washington, Jim spent nearly two years in the Tule Lake Relocation Camp in Northern California. He grew up in Eastern Washington and received his first B.A. ( French-Education) at Eastern Washington University where he was named the outstanding senior graduate in ROTC. He also played varsity baseball and football.
Jim was a 1st Lieutenant in the 5th Infantry Division for two years before becoming a high school English teacher in 1966. Subsequently he taught for 34 years before retiring in 1999.
Jim also earned B.A. & M.A. degrees in English (Creative Writing) at the University of Washington. While at Washington his graduate advisor was David Wagoner, and he had the opportunity to take writing workshops from Richard Hugo and Poet Laureate, William Stafford.
Jim currently teaches Creative Writing and Poetry Workshops for ASU West and Southern New Hampshire University Online. He was also on the 2007 staff of The Piper Center for Creative Writing at ASU. A member of ASU's Emeritus College, Jim also has worked for the Phoenix Arts Commission and the Shemer Art Institute.
He has published in over 120 magazines, anthologies and textbooks. The latest of his four books is From a Three-Cornered World, the University of Washington Press, 1997. Jim has also served as a poetry consultant for Scott-Foresman and HarperCollins Publishers. He has given numerous poetry readings at places like Stanford, the University of Washington, Washington State, the Evergreen State College, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, the Tempe Public Library, Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival with Ken Kesey, and Arizona State University’s Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference.
Jim is an avid Seattle Mariner fan, and his favorite poets are William Carlos Williams, James Wright and Pablo Neruda. Jim and his wife, Lilly, moved to Sun City Grand in Surprise, Arizona, from Seattle in 2003.
Jim was a 1st Lieutenant in the 5th Infantry Division for two years before becoming a high school English teacher in 1966. Subsequently he taught for 34 years before retiring in 1999.
Jim also earned B.A. & M.A. degrees in English (Creative Writing) at the University of Washington. While at Washington his graduate advisor was David Wagoner, and he had the opportunity to take writing workshops from Richard Hugo and Poet Laureate, William Stafford.
Jim currently teaches Creative Writing and Poetry Workshops for ASU West and Southern New Hampshire University Online. He was also on the 2007 staff of The Piper Center for Creative Writing at ASU. A member of ASU's Emeritus College, Jim also has worked for the Phoenix Arts Commission and the Shemer Art Institute.
He has published in over 120 magazines, anthologies and textbooks. The latest of his four books is From a Three-Cornered World, the University of Washington Press, 1997. Jim has also served as a poetry consultant for Scott-Foresman and HarperCollins Publishers. He has given numerous poetry readings at places like Stanford, the University of Washington, Washington State, the Evergreen State College, Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, the Tempe Public Library, Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival with Ken Kesey, and Arizona State University’s Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference.
Jim is an avid Seattle Mariner fan, and his favorite poets are William Carlos Williams, James Wright and Pablo Neruda. Jim and his wife, Lilly, moved to Sun City Grand in Surprise, Arizona, from Seattle in 2003.
