Poetry Postcard Fest 2027
Registration IS OPEN
The Poetry Postcard Fest is an annual 56-day experiment in spontaneity and community building. This literarary event is a self-guided workshop in spontaneous composition where people sign up & must send 31 original poems on postcards to folks on a participation list before the end of August. The fest was initiated in 2007 by poets Paul E. Nelson and Lana Ayers, and has grown to include poets participating worldwide. Registration opens annually on September 1.
Poetry as Neuro-Resilience
Explore practices that help keep consciousness attuned to the realities of the world - and discover how poetry can emerge from that depth. In this five-week workshop, Paul E. Nelson guides participants through readings, interviews, journaling, and writing exercise rooted in the Cascadia bioregion. All levels are welcome; openness and a commitment to the practice are all that's required.
Learn more about Poetry as Neuro-Resilience →
Suggested donation: $130–$275
Saturday Cohort
Saturdays 9-11 AM Pacific Time
November 21, 2026 – December 19, 2026
Sunday Cohort
Sundays 3-5 PM Pacific Time
November 22, 2026 – December 20, 2026
How it Works
The fest is a self-guided 56 day workshop in spontaneous composition and community. Click to learn more about How it Works.
Poetry Postcard Fest News
489. Bandera de la Mariposa
489. Bandera de la Mariposa is a reference to an exhibit at Museo Amparo in Puebla, Mexico that was running during the recent Subud World Congress. A beautiful museum in a restored colonial...
488. Hold the Thorns
487. Sin Carne
This poetry postcard was written August 11, 2014, also at the 14th Subud World Congress. The Bhakti referenced is Subud Portland Co-Chair Bhakti Watts whose name means "devoted one."
486. Tormenta Gigante
My recent trip to Mexico was quite an experience. My real first visit since I was a little boy (I did see the airport in Cancun in 2005) my parents told me that back then all I wanted in Mexico was...
Levertov, Postcards & Language of Birds
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I used epigraphs by Denise Levertov for all my postcard poems in 2014, and deepened my appreciation for her gesture. I can see why she ended up in Cascadia,...
Cracker Climate Refugees Coming to Cascadia
Was going over last year's journal entry for this date and came across John Olson's wonderful birthday poem for me, as well as some of his comments regarding my essay Organic In Cascadia: A Sequence...
Linda Crosfield, 15 Year PPF Veteran
Linda Crosfield and I met in George Bowering's 2005 week-long class at the (now defunct) Victoria School of Writing Summer School where we learned, among other things, the importance of putting...
Lost & Found Postcards, di Prima Goodbyes
Our good friends at Lost & Found are at it again with subjects near and dear to our heart. From their e-newsletter, which went out this morning, find postcards, literary history and news of one...
Eileen Agar Collages
Postcarder Sally Hedges-Blanquez points us to the Paris Review and some AMAZING collages by the late artist Eileen Agar. From the article: In an undated note bequeathed to the Tate Archive in 1992,...
The Poetry Postcard Fest, initiated by poets Paul Nelson and Lana Ayers in 2007, invites participants to create and send 31 original poems on postcards throughout August. The fest emphasizes spontaneity, with poems written in one take directly onto postcards for recipients worldwide. Registration opens annually on September 1, and participants receive a list of fellow poets to exchange cards with. A $15 contribution supports the Cascadia Poetics LAB, and scholarships are available. For more details and resources on postcard poetry, visit How it Works or check out related essays and wrap-ups from past participants.
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
The Poetry Postcard Fest, initiated by poets Paul Nelson and Lana Ayers in 2007, invites participants to create and send 31 original poems on postcards throughout August. The fest emphasizes spontaneity, with poems written in one take directly onto postcards for recipients worldwide. Registration opens annually on September 1, and participants receive a list of fellow poets to exchange cards with. A $15 contribution supports the Cascadia Poetics LAB, and scholarships are available. For more details and resources on postcard poetry, visit How it Works or check out related essays and wrap-ups from past participants.
Abhaya Thomas Postcard