Remembering the intellectual clarity of the late Beth Bentley's poetry

Each day during the month of April, KUOW is highlighting the work of Seattle-based poets for National Poetry Month. In this series curated by Seattle Civic Poet and Ten Thousand Things host Shin Yu Pai, you'll find a selection of poems for the mind, heart, senses, and soul.

The following contains short recordings of Beth Bentley's poetry being read by family, former students, and fellow poets.

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eth Bentley was a teacher and poet who, along with her husband — poet Nelson Bentley — left an indelible mark on Seattle's literary scene. When she died in 2021, she and her son Sean Bentley were working on her final poetry collection, titled "Missing Addresses," which is set to publish this month.

Pai spoke with Sean Bentley about his mother's influence and legacy.

"I would say it was an unusual childhood by any measure," he said. "We had faculty parties where the entire house would be filled with writers, poets, whether they were students or faculty. I remember various folks who were rolling into town on reading tours and such."