BIOGRAPHY

James T. Washburn (he/him) is a gay, trans, and disabled Storyteller-Activist based in Seattle. His work is deeply inspired by his community and experiences at the
intersection of marginalized identities.

Washburn is a multi-hyphenate artist, with works spanning from the immersive epistolary novella Sealed with Honey to Achilles + Patroclus, a chamber opera commissioned by the Seattle Opera. He takes inspiration from folklore, mythology, and queer history; his work focuses on discovering queerness in traditional stories and reimagining familiar tropes and archetypes through a queer lens.

Washburn is the Founding Artistic Director of Magpie Artists’ Ensemble, an artistic collective focused on innovative cross-disciplinary storytelling. His work at Magpie allows him to collaborate with other artists in new ways, pushing genre boundaries and experimenting with how form and story serve each other. He is also currently a Hugo House Fellow, where he is writing an experimental script/poetry chapbook/academic analysis exploring historical interpretations and retellings of the Persephone myth.
 

Upcoming projects include the world premier of queer fairytale musical Briar/Rose, (Magpie and Theatre Off Jackson); a graphic novel adaptation of Achilles + Patroclus
(ill. Chess Albaneze); a production of Achilles + Patroclus (Lowbrow Opera Collective); and readings from Persephonai (Hugo House). His work is currently streaming on the
Seattle Opera and Magpie Artists’ Ensemble websites.