In October 1998, Richard Hugo House, an urban writer's retreat, officially opens in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The center for writers is named for Pacific Northwest poet Richard Hugo (1923-1982), who grew up in White Center, a poor area just south of Seattle, to become one of the foremost American poets of his generation. Richard Hugo House was founded by in 1996 by three writers, Linda (Jaech) Breneman, Andrea Lewis, and Frances McCue.
The writers' center opened with a three-day symposium on "The Power of Place: A Celebration of Richard Hugo." This event drew more than a thousand people to various readings and discussions.
Richard Hugo House hosts writing classes, readings, book discussion groups, and writing practice groups. The center provides a library, a writer's cafe, and many services for writers of all ages and levels of experience. A writer-in-residence, newly appointed each year, provides consultation and hosts an annual reading series.
Richard Hugo House is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle at 1634 11th Avenue, just east of Broadway and the campus of Seattle Central Community College.
