Cascadia Poetics LAB

Postcards at Olympic Sculpture Park
2026-07-12 | Olympic Sculpture Park, 2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA, 98121, United States
Gathering and workshop for postcard collages at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle.
July 12, 2026
Time TBA

I Want to Write a Poem But Don't Know How (Workshop)
2026-06-28 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom, Online, Your Town
In my experience, in conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances, I have often been asked what seems to me a very simple question. “Well, how do I write a poem?” The snarky answer is, “Well, you get a pen and a paper and start writing.” While true, the sarcasm there is not helpful to get anyone actually writing, and what I want people to understand is that writing a poem really is not as mysterious and difficult as it’s cracked up to be. Writing a deeply energetic poem that gets remembered in history textbooks is, I would argue, a little more difficult, but really it is the result of practice and luck more than anything. So, in order to demystify this process, and, as the CPL and Cascadia 2050 missions say, “empower people to practice poetry…” we are hosting this workshop that will get into the first steps that can get any person writing poems they can be proud of. Brenda Hillman says that, “to be a poet you only need 3 readers, and one of them can be a tree.” And that is the energy we will be trying to capture and share at this workshop, which will hopefully be the first of many. READ MORE by Zach Charles
Register here

I Want to Write a Poem (But Don't Know How)
2026-06-27 15:00 - 17:00 | WA
Ever wanted to write a poem, but were intimidated to get started? Or maybe you had an idea you thought would make for an interesting poem, but when you went to put the pen to the page, you weren’t sure how to take your idea and transform it into something real? Perhaps you took another workshop, but had a hard time understanding the information. If so, this is the workshop for you. For 2 hours we will pull up the guard rails, read a little about writing poetry, read some poems, discuss, and actually write (and maybe even share) our own poems! This workshop is free with suggested donation of $25, or whatever you are comfortable with.
REGISTER HERE.

CPL @ ScribFest
2026-06-20 10:00 - 23:00 | Town Hall, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The Cascadia Poetics Lab is delighted to participate in ScribFest, June 20 & 21, 2026, at Town Hall. From the ScribLab website: “ScribFest brings PNW performance writers together for a weekend of professional development, artistic sharing, community building, and networking. Started in 2024 as a playwriting conference, this annual event has quickly become THE landmark event of the year for our community. In 2026, we’re expanding to two days, adding a festival element, and proudly serving all performance writers!”
One question the conference asks is “What is a performance writer?” It’s a fair question for poets who read their work aloud in public to an audience. CPL is presenting a panel “Poetry as Performance Art” with three poets and a playwright.

CPL Board Meetings
2026-06-09 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-05-12 18:00 - 19:30, 2026-04-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Online (Zoom)
Cascadia Poetics Lab monthly board meetings
Every second Tuesday of the month at 6 PM
More info on CPL’s board available HERE

Pritchard Reserve Workshop
2026-06-06 11:00 - 13:00 | Pritchard Reserve, 8400 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
Poetry workshop in collaboration with Rainier Beach Action Coalition.
June 6, 2026
11 AM-1 PM

Cascadia Day Celebration
2026-05-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Vermillion, 1508 11th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98122, United States
May 18 is Cascadia Day, because it is the anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.Bioregional journalist Andrew Engelson invited me to read at Vermillion, 1508 11th Avenue, May 18 at 7pm. Matt Trease, Rhea Melina and Nadine Maestas will be the other featured poets and the occasion is a benefit for Superfamilia KC and CascadiaDemocratic.org Andrew’s Bluesky feed is chock full of excellent bioregional information: https://bsky.app/profile/andyengelson.bsky.social

Somos Ajolotes Launch @ Seattle U May 18
2026-05-18 12:00 - 14:00 | Seattlle University Casey Commons, Su Campus Walk, Seattle, WA, 98122, United States

Rainier Beach Arts & Culture Roundtable #2
2026-05-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Outside former home of Paul Horiuchi, 9773 Arrowsmith, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
To network as neighborhood creatives, support arts and culture, improve the visibility of arts & culture in Rainier Beach and make the neighborhood a destination for arts & culture, we’re presenting the 2nd in a series of arts & culture roundtable events outside the former home of the late artist Paul Horiuchi. Horiuchi was an acclaimed artist who was vastly underrated in his lifetime (1906-1999). His work is now on display at Seattle Art Museum in their Beyond Mysticism exhibit until August 2, 2026. https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/whats-on/exhibitions/beyond-mysticism-the-modern-northwest and see also this article: https://nwasianweekly.com/2026/03/new-sam-exhibition-demonstrates-that-early-to-mid-20th-century-asian-american-artists-were-not-unusual-they-were-of-their-time/
Professor Jason Wirth, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Seattle University, will give a talk about Horiuchi, his work, and his time in the neighborhood and we’ll convene after at Rosette down the hill on 57th to continue the discussion.
May 15, 6pm, 9773 Waters Alley S,, in Upper Rainier Beach. Organized by the Cascadia Poetics Lab in association with the Rainier Beach Action Coalition.
Horuichi’s work is also part of an exhibition at the Woodside-Braseth Gallery, 1201 Western Avenue, Seattle, WA, which is in dialogue with the Beyond Mysticism exhibit, entitled: Masters of the Modern Northwest. The reception is 5-8pm, Thursday, May 7. Details: https://woodsidebrasethgallery.com/exhibitions/

Theodore Roethke and the Birth of Cascadian Poetry (Zoom Talk)
2026-05-12 16:00 - 18:00 | WA
I’m honored to be giving a talk/reading on the subject of: Theodore Roethke and the Birth of Cascadian Poetry on May 12, 2026. I have been invited by The Friends of Roethke organization. https://www.friendsofroethke.org/events/2026nelson
The Friends of Theodore Roethke Present the 2026 Virtual Scholar Series

Every May, the Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation (FOTR) presents an online series of speakers discussing the life and work of American poet Theodore Roethke. Each event this year takes place on a Tuesday night at 7 p.m. EST. Preregistration is required.

My talk will be given Tuesday, May 12 at 4pm PDT.

I am just finishing two workshops on the history of Cascadia poetry and we started with Theodore Roethke’s North American Sequence, which is where I think it starts. The visit by William Carlos Williams to the University of Washington in 1948, was organized by Roethke and it establishes this bioregion as a place where the concept of composition by field was present at the beginning of significant literary activity here. Roethke saw the development of 20th Century USAmerican poetry in a manner described by legendary BC poet George Bowering like so: “¡Cuba sí, Eliot, no!”

My talk to the Friends of Theodore Roethke will note that and also go into a “cover” of Roethke’s work that I managed to create during my most recent daysong, Imbolc 2026. I hope you’ll join us May 12.

— Paul E Nelson

Fundraising Committee Meeting
2026-05-09 09:00 - 10:00 | Online (Zoom)
Meeting with the Cascadia Poetics Lab Fundraising Committee, every first Saturday of the month.
Learn more about the CPL Fundraising Committee HERE

Dead Horse Canyon Workshop
2026-05-02 11:00 - 13:00 | Dead Horse CaNyoN
Poetry workshop at Dead Horse Canyon in collaboration with Rainier Beach Action Coalition
May 2, 2026
11 AM-1 PM

Finance Committee Meeting
2026-05-02 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-04-04 09:00 - 10:00 | Online (Zoom)
Meeting with the Cascadia Poetics Lab Finance Committee, every first Saturday of the month.
Learn more about the CPL Finance Committee HERE

Poetics as Cosmology
2026-04-30 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-23 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-09 15:00 - 17:00 | Paul E Nelson Zoom Room, Cyberspace, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
Poetics as Cosmology Workshop on the history of Innovative Cascadia Poetry, from Theodore Roethke to Cedar Sigo. Online, facilitated by Paul E Nelson
$125REGISTER HERE

Life as Rehearsal for the Poem
2026-04-26 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-19 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-12 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-05 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Online (Zoom)
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem workshop on the history of innovative Cascadian Poetry, from Theodore Roethke to Cedar Sigo. Online, facilitated by Paul E Nelson.
Sundays 3-5 PM PDT
March 29, April 5, 12, 19 & 26.
$125
REGISTER HERE

Mapes Creek Blessing
2026-04-25 11:00 - 13:00 | Mapes Creek, 8650 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
Multi-cultural and multi-spiritual blessing of Mapes Creek at Be’er Sheva Park in Rainier Beach.
April 25, 2026
11 AM-1 PM

Kubota Garden Postcard Workshop
2026-04-18 11:00 - 14:00 | Kubota Garden, 9817 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
Poetry postcard workshop in cooperation with Rainier Beach Action Coalition and Kubota Garden Foundation. Join us to make poetry postcard collages, construct a Personal Universe Deck for the garden, write some postcard poetry and be in the natural splendor of Kubota Garden. A guided tour will be the first part of this event. FREE
April 18, 2026Time: 11a-2pPlace: Kubota Garden, 9817 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118Cost: FREE

Rainier Beach Arts Roundtable
2026-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | RBAC, 9049 MLK Jr. Way S., Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
In partnership with the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, the Cascadia Poetics Lab is initiating a neighborhood arts roundtable to increase the visibility of arts & culture in Rainier Beach, to allow creatives to network, to make Rainier Beach a destination for arts & culture and to support working artists in the neighborhood.
We plan monthly meetings, some on Zoom and some in person. The first is coming up Friday, April 17, 2026, from 6 to 7:30pm at the headquarters of the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, 9049 MLK Jr. Way S. There will be some snacks, and soft drinks, but feel free to bring something to share. Our guest speaker on April 17 will be Cheryl Delostrinos, Community Relations Manager with the City of Seattle with the Office of the Mayor.
RBAC has created two neighborhood roundtables, one focused on Economic Development and one onTransportation.

Fundraising Committee Meeting
2026-04-11 09:00 - 10:00 | Online (Zoom)
Meeting with the Cascadia Poetics Lab Finance Committee, every second Saturday of the month.
Learn more about the CPL Fundraising Committee HERE

Poetics as Cosmology
2026-04-02 15:00 - 17:00 | Paul’s Zoom, WA, 98118, United States

yəhaw̓ Postcard Activation Event
2026-04-01 18:00 - 20:00 | yəhaw̓, 9674 51st Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98118, United States
Poetry postcard workshop in cooperation with yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective. Join us to make poetry postcard collages and write postcard poetry.
April 1, 2026
Time: 6p-8p
Place: 9674 51st Ave S, Seattle
Cost: FREE
