An Evening with Dario Cvencek
Meet Dario Cvencek, a Bosnian refugee turned Seattle poet whose debut collections excavate the stubborn presence of love amid displacement and trauma. Drawing on a childhood shaped by the 1990s Bosnian War, his work reflects a journey of healing and reclaimed identity. Uncover the hidden stories behind his experiences as a refugee and immigrant in a conversation with Seattle Pushcart Prizeānominated author, educator, and critic Shaun Anthony McMichael.
Shaun Anthony McMichael
Shaun Anthony McMichael is the author of the novel WHISTLE PUNK FALLS (Alternative Book Press, 2025), THE WILD FAMILIAR short stories (CJ Press, 2024) and the poetry collection JACK OF ALLā¦(New Meridian Arts, 2024). Since 2007, he has taught writing to students from around the world, in classrooms, juvenile detention halls, mental health treatment centers, and homeless youth drop-ins throughout the Puget Sound region. Over 120 of his poems, short stories, and reviews have appeared in literary magazines, online, and in print. He lives with his wife and son in Seattle where he attends church most Sundays. In addition to teaching English to immigrants and refugees at a public high school, he hosts an annual literary arts reading series, Shadow Work Writers. Visit him at his website shaunanthonymcmichael.com.
Dario Cvencek
Dario Cvencek is an immigrant poet from the Balkans and a research scientist at the University of Washington. By day he studies how children construct identity. By nightāor by whatever hour the poem arrivesāhe writes about war, trauma, displacement, and the slow, stubborn work of rebuilding a self in a new language. His words have appeared in Rattle, Zone 3, Hobart, and numerous other independent literary magazines and presses. His debut full-length collection āPTSD Martiniā was published by Carbonation Press in 2025, with his follow-up collection āMirror Made of Wordsā being released in 2026. He started writing poetry as a teenager during the Bosnian War. He has not stopped. Connect with Dario on IG @dario_poetry.
