by Ryukan | Aug 25, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
This poem continues from the last postcard poem and Levertov’s notion of the acts that serve as counterstrokes to the ills of the world. She would have been writing about WWII, a war in which she served as nurse so saw the atrocities first hand. She would also...
by Ryukan | Aug 24, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
As with all 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest poems, this one uses Levertov again as the source of its epigraph and the poem continues the theme of that quote and it weaves through familiar territory, including the time spent in the community garden (p-patch), the...
by Ryukan | Aug 24, 2014 | Blog
NANAIMO, BC – The Cascadia Poetry Festival is coming to Nanaimo. The third in an annual festival series that originated in 2012 in Seattle, CPF3-2015 is expected to bring more than four-hundred visitors to eat, sleep and soak up some great poetry in this...
by Ryukan | Aug 23, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
The fourth poem from the 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest, this one continues in the theme of the notion of The Practice of Outside. That an ancestor of Levertov was said to be able to understand the language of birds would make her more likely to understand the...
by Ryukan | Aug 23, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
Here is the 3rd postcard poem from this year’s fest and my 473rd overall since the postcard fest started in 2007. I love the Levertov quote to begin this poem. How many times do we hear poems that long for something? Put down the pen and DO IT you want to scream...
by Ryukan | Aug 22, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
My second poem from the 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest was inspired by a dream and by my ongoing investigation into how my body responds to certain negative thought patterns. The card is a photo of a Clyfford Still painting and Mer, Ella and I were fortunate enough...
by Ryukan | Aug 22, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
This is the first poem I wrote for the 2014 August Poetry Postcard Fest. It was inspired by a renewed plunge into Carla Bley’s landmark album Escalator Over The Hill. (Audio. Pdf.) If you listen to the record, you’ll have more context. Gato in this poem...
by Ryukan | Aug 20, 2014 | Blog
Thanks to the heroic efforts of cameraman and videographer Tom Prince, video of the Marion Kimes Memorial, Sunday July 27, at the Spring Street Center is now online. Thank you Tom and to Phoebe Bosche, Scott Martin and all those who helped make this event possible....
by Ryukan | Jul 25, 2014 | Blog
From Cascadia Now: Welcome! We’d like to invite you, your group or organization to our first ever Cascadia Rainingman festival, happening in the foothills of the Cascade mountains near Concrete, WA August 29th – September 1st. **Please share with anyone...
by Ryukan | Jul 23, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
Signup for the 2014 fest is over. Website Countdown Clock Countdown Widgets The original call is here and is required reading for anyone participating. To participate, send your name, mailing address & email to splabman@gmail.com. Use the word “postcard” in the...
by Ryukan | Jul 20, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
I’ve jumped the gun on the August 2013 Poetry Postcard Fest and I encourage you to do the same. Yes, there’s already a primer on how to write the postcard poem (see this) but I have taken this to be my process over the last couple of years and wanted to...
by Ryukan | Jul 18, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
I am planning the third Poems for Peace event on September 21 at 7PM at Spring Street Center. Last year this was the post. This was how I connected the poetry postcard fest with the Poems for Peace event and with peace-making in general. Here is the audio from last...
by Ryukan | Jul 16, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
OK poets! At this point we are one over the record 302 poets we set last year, but I am sure we’ll get much past that. I have sent a list via email and am posting the instructions here as well for easy reference. North American states and provinces included in...
by Ryukan | Jul 4, 2014 | Poetry Postcard Fest
It is almost August once again and this means POSTCARDS! The August Poetry Postcard Project is an exercise in responding to other poets. You write a poem a day for the month of August, write it directly onto a postcard and send it to the next name on your list. When...
by Ryukan | Jun 30, 2014 | Blog
Jun. 29, 2014 Dear Enpipeliners and Friends, As many of you know, on Jun. 17, the Canadian government approved Enbridge’s Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline. Some of us may experience grief. Although the approval is a step backwards, we also know that Enbridge does...
