splab archive blog

When I said that what’s good for general society is also good for poets, I’m talking about a series of cultural opportunities where a much wider stretch of people are allowed to take the opportunity to become writers. I came back from a conference last week where I presented some research on the demographic aspects of the New American poets. The poets that were born and came to maturity in the early to mid-20th century were beneficiaries of broad national scale longevity gains. This [includes] things like pushbacks against tuberculosis, against polio, against poor nutrition and infant mortality. These are gains that were made by the medical and scientific institutions, but also by general prosperity, by making more food available to more people and making that food shelf stable for longer. So, when you talk about what might make it possible for poor people to do more creative work, you could start by saying well we should just give people more money, but the fact of the matter is that plenty of people already have the wealth they need, they just don’t actually have any time.

Audio from February 4 2025 Winter in America (Again at Seattle U with Jason Wirth, Paul E Nelson, Catalina Cantú, Stacey Jones, Zach Charles, Terran Campbell, Deborah Bacharach, Matt Trease, Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs.

In the call, we stated: “We are looking for words that come from thoughtful reflection and compassion for the loss we feel for ourselves and this country. (Please no screeds.)” Still, we got many poems that were filled with righteous anger, on which we passed. The book features many poems that offer suggestions, pathways and even self-care tips for the new Winter in America. That very phrase “Winter in America” comes from Gil Scott-Heron, and was used by the editors as a sort-of invocation to Gil’s spirit and legacy. I

Harold Rhenisch interviewed by Paul E Nelson about The Salmon Shanties: A Cascadian Song Cycle.

Jane Falk and Mary Paniccia Carden are co-editors of the anthology Joanne Kyger: A Poet in Place and Time, a new book of essays examining the work of the longtime Bolinas, California resident poet. Conducted October 5, 2024.

Bonus for non-USA Poetry Postcard Fest participants in 2024 for the 18th iteration of the event which starts July 4, 2024.

Bob met me at the retro Atomic Motel and we talked for over an hour about his new book, the poems in it, his childhood, bioregionalism, his trip to Cuba, Vladimir Nabokov’s notion via biographer Brian Boyd of “attending to the individuating detail” of one’s life (an upgrade from the same notion I’ve gotten from Blake and Pound) and his general “thing” “close attention to the natural world.” It’s the June 2024 Cascadian Prophets podcast:

Some photos and notes from the April 27 2024 Blessing of Mapes Creek facilitated by the Cascadia Poetics Lab in Rainier Beach.

Paul E Nelson interviews Bill Porter on the film “Dancing With the Dead: Red Pine and the Art of Translation as it screens Sunday, April 21 at SIFF Cinema Egyptian.