Robert Francis Flor
Poet and playwright in Seattle, writing about the city's Filipino community and its relationship with American society. Before that, twenty five years of planning how this county moves, at King County Metro Transit.
Seattle, Washington
About the pictures. Every picture of Robert Flor on this page is an AI-generated illustration, produced with his approval from a reference photograph. They are not photographs of real events.
About
A working life in two parts, and both of them in Seattle.
Robert Francis Flor is a Seattle native, raised in the Central District and the Rainier Valley. He spent more than twenty five years at King County Metro Transit as a senior transportation planner and writer, and he now writes plays and poetry. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oregon.
Transportation planning
Senior transportation planner and writer at King County Metro Transit from 1971 to 1997. Before Metro, a legislative assistant to the Seattle City Council, and before that a teacher in schools around Seattle.
Plays and poetry
Short plays, full length plays, radio plays and a poetry chapbook. The work is largely concerned with Seattle's Filipino community and its relationship with American society.
Community arts
Co-chair of Kultura Arts, a Filipino arts organization. Member of the Seattle Playwrights Circle, the Dramatists Guild, Rain City Writers, Theatre Puget Sound and the YMCA Poetry Workshop.
King County Metro Transit
Twenty five years of working out how a county gets to work.
He joined King County Metro Transit in 1971 and stayed until 1997, as a senior transportation planner and writer. In the late 1990s, as welfare reform changed who needed to travel and when, he developed the Jobs Access Transportation Program.
The program set out transportation services linking inner city neighborhoods to suburban job centers, aimed at the barriers facing single parents looking for work and childcare. It drew attention at state level, led to a conference organized with the Federal Transit Administration that brought several states together on funding, and he secured federal, state and local money to launch it.
- 1971 to 1997Senior transportation planner and writer, King County Metro Transit
- Late 1990sDeveloped the Jobs Access Transportation Program
- Before MetroLegislative assistant, Seattle City Council
- EarlierTeacher in schools around Seattle
The writing
His plays largely concern Seattle's Filipino community and its relationship with American society.
Full length play, 2017
Mabuhay Majesty
A full length play, produced at the Rainier Arts Center in Seattle in 2017.
New Play Exchange
Radio plays, 2023
Filipino Mythologic Radio Plays
Selected for the Jack Straw Cultural Center Artist Support Program in 2023. A King County 4Culture grant supported the recordings. The radio plays include The Christmas Snow Globe and A Christmas in the Cordilleras.
Jack Straw
Poetry chapbook
Alaskero Memories
A poetry chapbook, published with a 2017 Artist Trust GAP grant.
Artist TrustSelected works
Plays, radio plays and poetry.
- The InjuryTen minute play2013
- Pinoy HillTen minute play2014
- PinakbetTen minute play2015
- Mabuhay MajestyFull length play, produced at the Rainier Arts Center2017
- Alaskero MemoriesPoetry chapbook, published with an Artist Trust GAP grant2017
- Salamangka's Barber ShopShort play2018
- The Eagle's CurseShort play2021
- Salamangka ReturnsSelected by the Bechtel Group and the Playwrights Center San Francisco
- The Christmas Snow GlobeRadio play
- A Christmas in the CordillerasRadio play
Recognition
Awards for the transit work, and the training behind the writing.
Awards
- Humanitarian AwardKing County Martin Luther King Group
- President's AwardCommunity Transportation Association of America, 2008
- Workplace AwardKing County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2004
- Access to Work AwardAmerican Transit Association, 1998
- Silver Spokes AwardNorthwest Bicycle Association, 1995
Education and training
- PhD, higher education administration and public policyUniversity of Oregon, Eugene
- Master's and bachelor's degreesSeattle University
- EDGE Writers Development Program, 2010Artist Trust
- Playwriting studyFreehold, ACT and Seattle Rep
- CoursesDramatists Guild, Hugo House and Smithsonian Associates
Contact
Get in touch about the work.
For readings, productions, workshops or questions about any of the plays and poems on this page.