The next evening of “Readings at the Meeting House” is set to feature a pair of Bellingham poets addressing a Port Townsend audience.

Kami Westhoff is the author of the story collection, “The Criteria,” and the recent winner of the Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Contest for “Sacral.”

“She offers a unique perspective, rooted in her lifelong connection to Whatcom County,” said Carl Youngmann, who helps coordinate the series of author readings at the Meeting House. “Growing up on her family’s small farm in Ferndale, Westhoff’s writing is deeply influenced by the landscape and experiences of her upbringing.”

Westhoff has been published in journals including Booth, Carve, Fugue and West Branch. Youngmann praised her work for delving “into the nuances of human connection, and the power of place.”

A BA and MA graduate of Western Washington University, she earned an MFA at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She currently teaches creative writing at WWU and serves as the faculty advisor for WWU’s undergraduate magazine, Jeopardy.

Joining Westhoff will be Elizabeth Vignali, a poet, writer and community organizer with her own family roots in Whatcom County, tracing back to the 1880s.

“Elizabeth’s writing explores the complex relationship between people and place,” said Youngmann, who lauded her poetry collection, “House of the Silverfish,” for examining “the tension of belonging.” Her Floating Bridge chapbook, “Endangered [Animal],” in his opinion, “expands the focus to our planet’s shared vulnerabilities.”

Youngmann added that Vignali is “a vital force in the Pacific Northwest poetry scene,” for directing the Bellingham Kitchen Sessions reading series, as well as chairing the Salish Sea Poetry Festival.

Vignali also serves on the board of the Whatcom Poetry Series, and acts as a poetry editor for “Sweet Tree Review.”

When she’s not writing or organizing, Vignali works as an optician and engages in textile art while caring for her family and animals. She is also  working on both a novel and a poetry collection centered on minor female characters.

What to know

The next readings start at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, at the Port Townsend Friends Meeting House, at 1841 Sheridan St.

Readings at the Meeting House are open to the public and free of charge, with parking available both at the meeting house and on Sheridan Street.