Meet Eric Braman- Fishtrap’s 2025 Writer in Residence

Fishtrap’s 2025 Writer-in-Residence is Eric Braman; a poet, playwright, educator, and performer based in Springfield, Oregon. Fishtrap welcomed Eric to spend six weeks in Wallowa County this year to teach in local schools, direct a student playwriting festival, and have time to write in the inspiring setting of the Wallowa Mountains. Fishtrap opens its doors on Wednesday, June 11 for a casual hour to meet and visit with Eric. Enjoy light snacks, learn about Fishtrap’s Writer in Residence program, and delight in an energetic performance from Eric Braman. This event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.

More about Eric Braman

Eric (they/them) is a poet, playwright, theatre maker, educator, and performer based in Springfield, Oregon. They were raised in Michigan, where a tenacity for niceties and a love of nature was born. Since coming out, their queer identity has pushed their art to explore themes of masculinity, mental health, ancestry, and queer possibility. They are inspired by the dualities of themself and the communities they have called home.

Braman released their premier poetry collection Bury Me in Cherry Blossoms (Cirque Press) in 2024, was a 2022 Oregon Fringe Festival honorarium recipient for their solo show To You/To Myself, and was the featured poet at the 2024 Oregon Poetry Out Loud Final. Braman also collaborated on the album “By Your Side” with musician Cullen Vance. Their work has been published by High Shelf Press, Qu Literary Magazine, Moon Tide Press, The Coachella Review, Tethered Literary, and more. Their poetry and plays have been produced on stages across the United States including Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Chicago’s Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, Madison’s CapitalQ Theatre Festival, Queer Theatre Kalamazoo, Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam, Oregon Country Fair, and more. Braman’s poetry and visual art has also been featured in a number of gallery and public installations, including With Words at the Eugene Broadway Commerce Center, “Biology Rising” in the City of Eugene Cultural Currents, “To a Raindrop” in the ArtCity Rain Play Project, and more.

Braman earned their BA in Theatre Performance and Creative Writing from Western Michigan University and MNM in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon. In addition to writing, they are also a co-founder of Bring Consulting, working with artists, makers, and those who want to feel invigorated in their work, to use creativity as a force for change. They love snow, the oceanside, escaping into the mountains, and sipping on a rich Oregon Pinot Noir. You can often find them wandering into the nearest woods to hike and write.