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
Postcard Fest Open Mic Saturday, Sept 10 9am PDT
Did your card get there? Could anyone read your handwriting? Do you want to try to match a postcard poet's face with their handwriting and poetry? Maybe that all could happen at the Postcard Fest...
2023 Postcard Fest Registration is Open
The 2022 Poetry Postcard Fest is over & ends with the largest participation in 16 years. 17 total groups tie the 2020 expanded pandemic fest. Doing the math and assuming all participants will...
2022 Postcard Fest Stats
The stats are now final for the 2022 Poetry Postcard Fest. Participants: 544 The highest fest participation in 16 years, matching the pandemic year, 2020. Countries, 12: Australia, Canada, France,...
2022 Poetry Postcard Fest Launch
(This post has been updated with video of the launch for those who could not attend. See below.) I've been getting some questions as the draft lists go out, so figured it would be good to do a...
Postcard Fest Orientation
The 16th Poetry Postcard Fest begins July 4, 2022! Have you REGISTERED yet? At the Epic Post-Fest Prompt workshop there were some folks looking for a basic orientation. We did one in 2021 which is...
Postcard Fest F.A.Q. + More Festimonials
Registration for the 2022 Poetry Postcard Fest Ends July 4!!! In 2015 we wrote a Poetry Postcard Fest FAQ which started like this: 1. Can I start now or do I have to wait until August? By all means...
Share your favorite Postcard Poems!
Show us your favorite postcard poems! The Poetry Postcard Fest team has established a NEW Instagram account for all things PPF, and we need your help to spread the love for PPF! We are asking past...
Tell us why you LOVE PPF!
Share your love for PPF! The Poetry Postcard Fest team has established a NEW Instagram account for all things PPF, and we need your help to spread the love for PPF! We are asking past Poetry...
Alice Glover Interview
Alice died today, December 23, 2023 so we are re-posting this interview as Alice heads to postcard heaven. Goodbye dear poet. The 2022 fest is winding down and registration for 2023 begins on...
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard