Poetry Postcard Fest
An annual 56 day self-guided workshop in spontaneous composition and community-building.
A five week online (Zoom) workshop for first-time and continuing participants in the online workshops facilitated by Cascadia Poetics Lab and Poetry Postcard Fest Co-Founder Paul E Nelson. Participate in reading and discussion of foundational essays, interviews, listening and other assignments, as well as spontaneous poetry composition exercises, in the first of three, five week courses to happen before next postcard season. Click to learn more.
Thursdays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
January 9 – February 6, 2025
Poetics As Cosmology Workshop
Poetics As Cosmology Workshop
A five week online (Zoom) workshop for first-time and continuing participants in the online workshops facilitated by Cascadia Poetics Lab and Poetry Postcard Fest Co-Founder Paul E Nelson. Participate in reading and discussion of foundational essays, interviews, listening and other assignments, as well as spontaneous poetry composition exercises, in the first of three, five week courses to happen before next postcard season. Click to learn more.
Thursdays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
January 9 – February 6, 2025
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem Workshop
A five week online (Zoom) workshop for first-time and continuing participants in the online workshops facilitated by Cascadia Poetics Lab and Poetry Postcard Fest Co-Founder Paul E Nelson. Participate in reading and discussion of foundational essays, interviews, listening and other assignments, as well as spontaneous poetry composition exercises, in the first of three, five week courses to happen before next postcard season. Click to learn more.
Sundays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
January 5 – February 2, 2025
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem Workshop
A five week online (Zoom) workshop for first-time and continuing participants in the online workshops facilitated by Cascadia Poetics Lab and Poetry Postcard Fest Co-Founder Paul E Nelson. Participate in reading and discussion of foundational essays, interviews, listening and other assignments, as well as spontaneous poetry composition exercises, in the first of three, five week courses to happen before next postcard season. Click to learn more.
Sundays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
January 5 – February 2, 2025
Poet, translator, editor, Zen Buddhist, co-founder of Copper Canyon Press, and activist for Poets Against (the)War, Sam Hamill devoted his whole life to the practice of writing poetry. The following topics are foundational for this generative workshop: how ancient poetic traditions still define quality poetry, the Beat poets, the long poetic sequence, poetry as political, and the role of reflection and emotion. Facilitator Katie Sarah Zale is writing a biography on Hamill’s life and legacy.
Saturdays 2-4:00 PM Pacific Time
February 8 – March 8, 2025
Sam Hamill’s Narrow Road to the Interior
Poet, translator, editor, Zen Buddhist, co-founder of Copper Canyon Press, and activist for Poets Against (the)War, Sam Hamill devoted his whole life to the practice of writing poetry. The following topics are foundational for this generative workshop: how ancient poetic traditions still define quality poetry, the Beat poets, the long poetic sequence, poetry as political, and the role of reflection and emotion. Facilitator Katie Sarah Zale is writing a biography on Hamill’s life and legacy.
Saturdays 2-4:00 PM Pacific Time
February 8 – March 8, 2025
Our current media landscape seems hooked on a doom loop, an apocalyptic dream of human self-annihilation from collapsing nation states and anarchy to climate change to AI terminators, to genocidal warmongering. In order to avoid going down with that ship, we, as humans, are going to need to flip the script, to learn to think differently.
This lab will focus on writing strategies, applicable for poetry or prose, for breaking the spell that objectifies and cuts us off from the earth and from place and all the living beings that we (often) obliviously live in relationship with. We’ll do that by intentionally widening the socially-imposed conventions of “normal” perception via some minor alterations to our daily writing practices.
Sundays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
February 23 – March 23, 2025
Thinkingwith: writing strategies for reconnecting to earth
Our current media landscape seems hooked on a doom loop, an apocalyptic dream of human self-annihilation from collapsing nation states and anarchy to climate change to AI terminators, to genocidal warmongering. In order to avoid going down with that ship, we, as humans, are going to need to flip the script, to learn to think differently.
This lab will focus on writing strategies, applicable for poetry or prose, for breaking the spell that objectifies and cuts us off from the earth and from place and all the living beings that we (often) obliviously live in relationship with. We’ll do that by intentionally widening the socially-imposed conventions of “normal” perception via some minor alterations to our daily writing practices.
Sundays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
February 23 – March 23, 2025
Poetry Postcard Fest News
A PPF Fall Letter from Ina
From PPF committee member Ina Roy-Faderman: At the start of every autumn, I process my summer’s poetry postcard infusion. This year’s Fest was really weird for me. I was living in a tiny apartment...
Share your PPF poems!
Share your PPF postcard poems! Thank you so much for another incredible, record-breaking Poetry Postcard Fest! We'd like to give you the opportunity to share your 2024 postcard poetry with the...
Sherri Olson’s Postcard Books
How Sherri Olson organizes her postcards From PPF participant Sherri Olson: Nan’s cute binder made me think I should share my solution. Years ago at a library conference, an artist, who worked as a...
REGISTER NOW FOR PPF 2025!
Early bird registration for PPF 2025 is open now! We sincerely hope every postcard poet had an enjoyable 2024 Poetry Postcard Fest. Early bird registration for the 2025 Poetry Postcard Fest is open...
A Poetry Postcard Fest Reflection from Sally
From PPF Committee member Sally Hedges-Blanquez: It's not September, but it feels like Fall. The cooler air, the shorter days. My cards have been sent, but each day I find myself rereading cards...
Nan’s Poetry Postcard Fest Binder
From PPF participant Nan Jackson: After sending my 31st postcard (32 counting the extra one to Peggy Miller's new address), I put together this binder. It's been fun, and I have this memento to look...
A PPF Fall Letter from Ina
From PPF committee member Ina Roy-Faderman: At the start of every autumn, I process my summer’s poetry postcard infusion. This year’s Fest was really weird for me. I was living in a tiny apartment...
Share your PPF poems!
Share your PPF postcard poems! Thank you so much for another incredible, record-breaking Poetry Postcard Fest! We'd like to give you the opportunity to share your 2024 postcard poetry with the...
Sherri Olson’s Postcard Books
How Sherri Olson organizes her postcards From PPF participant Sherri Olson: Nan’s cute binder made me think I should share my solution. Years ago at a library conference, an artist, who worked as a...
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard