Lead Like a Poet:
An Interview with Paul E. Nelson By Sara McNally
Cascadia Poetics LAB
Founding Director, Seattle, Washington
Paul E. Nelson is the Founding Director of Cascadia Poetics LAB, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to empower people to practice poetry and build community in ways that deepen connection to place, self, and the present moment. As a broadcaster for twenty-six years, Nelson interviewed poets like Allen Ginsberg, poet and founding member of the Beat Generation (Nelson, 2018, p. iii). Since Nelson began writing poetry in the 1990s, he has published eight books and co-edited six anthologies.
Nelson’s non-profit journey started with a goal to produce/syndicate public affairs radio programs. In 1993, he founded CPL under a different name and established a board. By 2009, known as “SPLAB” (Spokenword Lab), the organization rented space in Columbia City from 2010–2012 where they hosted readings, workshops, and critique circles. They hosted the first Cascadia Poetry Festival in 2012. Paul’s deep connection to bioregionalism led the group to broaden their focus and change their name to Cascadia Poetics LAB (CPL) in 2021.
CPL’s strategy for weathering COVID shows their connection to the wider poetry community. They chose to expand a core program, Poetry Postcard Fest, from a summer event to a full six months. Adjusting this successful program to serve participants’ needs for deeper connection led to growth for the whole organization. Supporters and funding sources saw this pivot as proof CPL could step up during a difficult time, and their giving set the organization up for future growth: 204% from 2020–2024.
Nelson is a poet leading a board composed of all poets. When asked how one “leads like a poet,” he shared three principles. First, his ideal is an organization with no hierarchies. “Everybody has a role, and everybody who does that role well is suited to that role, and therefore are a necessary part of the whole organism.” (P.E. Nelson, interview, 10.29.26)
Second, he strives to trust his gut on decision making, with an ethos inspired by Ginsberg: “‘First thought, best thought’…the first raw flash on your mind that’s usually visual, before you mediate it and edit it and editorialize on it…and censor it.” (Nelson, 2018, p 107) But Nelson’s intuition is not one of impulse, it is practiced consideration. As an interviewer, Nelson did extensive research on his subjects. As a poet, he conducts intensive planning before sitting down to write.
Third in Nelson’s “lead like a poet” line up is to seek humility. That ideal surfaces in his writing: “A whole-system…view of reality…does not consider any element of a system irrelevant.” (Nelson, 2011) It also shows up when you review CPL’s financials, with Nelson’s compensation listed at only
$40,757 (Candid, Cascadia Poetics LAB).
Nelson’s main responsibility is vision casting: planning, decision making, board leadership, and financial management. He relies heavily on his skills in relationship management to stay connected with poets, teaching artists, funding sources, and other organizations. When asked how many hours per week he works, he shared that he is basically always on the clock, but that it doesn’t feel like work because of the great love he has for the organization and its mission.
The CPL leadership team consists of board members, project committees, a governance committee, and two advisors. CPL’s board is an impressive 50% Latinx–King County is 11.7%–and 50% female. Nelson’s expectation is for the board to represent CPL well by: being on time, attending meetings, showing a willingness to work, displaying integrity, having an affinity for poetry, and understanding the organization’s goals. Nelson noted: “There’s always part of the psychic bandwidth that’s going to envision the board of the near future and the long future.” (P.E. Nelson, interview, 10.29.26)
Making cohesive financial decisions as a board has been a challenge for CPL in 2026, with the board advocating to keep their Administrative Assistant on staff despite having a dearth of funds to cover her salary. CPL went into debt to keep her on for three more months. This is one of the few regrets Nelson shared about his time at the helm of CPL. In retrospect, he wishes he’d taken a stronger stance on the issue and ensured CPL stayed out of debt. Nelson also stated an ongoing concern that the board does not actively participate in bringing in funds, but that members show an expectation he will carry the burden on his own.
Visibility is where CPL has room to grow. Though they celebrate 33 years in 2027, it’s an “if you know, you know” situation. They have an excellent reputation within the poetry community for encouraging poets to go deep in their work and seek excellence, not marketability. But this ethos has drawbacks. They have not historically set a wide marketing net for their programs, citing budget restraints. Even within Rainier Beach, awareness of CPL and their programming amongst the everyday person is minimal.
Looking to the future, Nelson plans to be fully retired in five years. CPL plans to hire a Chief Operations Officer to own contributor relations, management software, accounting, and marketing/social media. But in the meantime,
Nelson is investing in training the next generation of poet leaders: a committee called Cascadia 2050. Nelson has deputized these 20-50 year old leaders to begin orchestrating CPL events. In 3-5 years, Nelson hopes Cascadia 2050 members will entirely run CPL’s annual festivals. Nelson reflects on the mistakes he’s made as a leader and works to set up the next generation for success by creating effective, sustainable systems. I would love to see CPL invest in Cascadia 2050 programming, with events like open mic nights for emerging poets and one-on-one coaching sessions with their wealth of seasoned poets.
In my opinion, the next step is to present Rainier Beach, site of CPL headquarters and host neighborhood for their annual festival, as the home of poetry for all of Seattle. In early 2027, CPL will be applying for a Congressional Appropriation to build Cascadia Poets House, a social housing project with 10-12 units for income-qualifying artists. The building would house CPL offices, community gathering space, and ground floor retail. This new project builds on the lessons learned during CPL’s Columbia City years and the 50+ programs they were able to offer per year. The visibility afforded CPL by having a physical location and a third place for community gathering will ensure greater community buy-in. This becomes especially powerful if Cascadia 2050 is able to build real relationships with Rainier Beach youth and their families. In my humble opinion, the future is bright for Cascadia Poetics LAB.
0 Comments