Poetry Postcard Fest 2026
Early Bird Registration
The Poetry Postcard Fest is an annual 56-day experiment in spontaneity and community building. This literary event is a self-guided workshop in spontaneous composition where people sign up to 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.
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
More Amazing Festimonials!
When we asked for testimonials from Poetry Postcard Fest participants, we never expected to be inundated. Check this: Elizabeth Maxey: This will be my 11th year with the fest, and I can’t imagine a...
The Fest Starts in 14 Days
The 16th Poetry Postcard Fest begins July 4. Those who have registered and have 32 in their group will get their lists that day and those who have registered more recently will get a list by the...
Fest Registration Closes July 4!
The 16th Poetry Postcard Fest begins July 4 and registration will end on that day! REGISTER NOW and await your postcard mirth! What do people say about the fest? Jessica Gershon: (The Poetry...
The Fest Starts in 22 Days
Thanks to the folks who came to our Inside the Day Song workshop last Saturday. More news about that project will be forthcoming. Now is the time for the last-minute postcard fest registrants to...
Earlybird Registration Ends June 4!
Hard to believe it is one month until the start of the 2022 Poetry Postcard Fest. Registration is OPEN NOW and earlybird registration ends June 4. On Saturday, June 11 at 9am PDT, join fest...
The Poetry Postcard Fest: Black Mountain Style
A year ago postcard poet Margaret Lee and I collaborated on an essay about the Poetry Postcard Fest and how it's origins are indebted to the Black Mountain School of poetry. It was published by the...
Ina’s Fest Preparation
The Poetry Postcard Fest is beginning soon! Finalized lists of the people we’re trading postcard poems with will be distributed starting this week. And each of us are preparing in our own way: those...
Judy Kleinberg on Captain Who?
Captain who??? As you may have noticed, there’s a new term in the Poetry Postcard Fest glossary for 2024: List Captain. Like many grassroots organizations that grow organically, the annual Fest...
Postcards From Here
Postcards From Here Cascadia Poetics Lab will be celebrating the Poetry Postcard Fest with its first in-person postcard event on July 14, 2024 at 11 A.M. PDT at the Olympic Sculpture Park in...
Learn about different techniques and perspectives in writing and designing with longtime Poetry Postcard Fest poet Tim Mateer! Tim will provide access to his process of making poetry postcards. He has created and mailed over 2,000 Poetry Postcards in his illustrious postcard career.
Sunday, November 22, 10AM – 12PM
Workshop cost: free to Poetry Postcard Fest 2026 Registratants. Optional Donation of $40.
Postcard Workshop With Tim Mateer
Postcard Workshop With Tim Mateer
Learn about different techniques and perspectives in writing and designing with longtime Poetry Postcard Fest poet Tim Mateer! Tim will provide access to his process of making poetry postcards. He has created and mailed over 2,000 Poetry Postcards in his illustrious postcard career.
Sunday, November 22, 10AM – 12PM
Workshop cost: free to Poetry Postcard Fest 2026 Registratants. Optional Donation of $40.
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem and Poetics as Cosmology 2025 Workshops
A five week online (Zoom) workshop best suited for continuing participants and more experienced poets (open to open form) in 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 Fall 2025, we’ll explore a short history of Projective/Outside North American Poetry, focused on:
Whitman & Dickinson
- Whitman & Dickinson
- WCW & Lorine Niedecker
- Olson & Levertov
- McClure & di Prima
- Daphne Marlatt, Brenda Hillman, & Nate Mackey
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem (LARFP)
- Sundays, 3-5 PM PDT
- November 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2025
Poetics as Cosmology (PAC)
- Thursdays, 3-5 PM PDT
- October 30, November 6, 13, 20, and December 4, 2025
The Poetics of Cascadian Land and Water
A 5-week online Cascadian poetry workshop, on zoom.
This is a workshop in poetic fusion. Cascadia began with a language that united cultures: Chinook Wawa. This series of workshops expands its gift of integration between the ancient languages of the Columbia and its new languages, French and English. To do so, it draws in American, Canadian, Wawa and North European poetries, with a concentration on opening doorways.
Click this link for more information about the workshop The Poetics of Cascadian Land and Water
Saturdays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
January 10, 17, 24, 31 & February 7
Cost: $250.00
The Poetics of Cascadian Land and Water
A 5-week online Cascadian poetry workshop, on zoom.
This is a workshop in poetic fusion. Cascadia began with a language that united cultures: Chinook Wawa. This series of workshops expands its gift of integration between the ancient languages of the Columbia and its new languages, French and English. To do so, it draws in American, Canadian, Wawa and North European poetries, with a concentration on opening doorways.
Click this link for more information about the workshop The Poetics of Cascadian Land and Water
Saturdays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
January 10, 17, 24, 31 & February 7
Cost: $250.00
Two versions of what will be basically the same workshop to discuss the concept of the daysong, how to accomplish one and what it means to the poet who pulls it off.
Thursday, January 22, 2026 3-5 PM PDT
Monday, January 26, 2026 3-5 PM PDT
Workshop Cost: Free, with optional donation of $20-$100.00
Daysong Workshops 2026
Daysong Workshops 2026
Two versions of what will be basically the same workshop to discuss the concept of the daysong, how to accomplish one and what it means to the poet who pulls it off.
Thursday, January 22, 2026 3-5 PM PDT
Monday, January 26, 2026 3-5 PM PDT
Workshop Cost: Free, with optional donation of $20-$100.00
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.
Click this link for more information about the workshop Thinkingwith: Writing Strategies for Reconnecting to Earth.
Sundays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
February 15, 22, March 1, 8, and 15, 2026
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.
Click this link for more information about the workshop Thinkingwith: Writing Strategies for Reconnecting to Earth.
Sundays 3-5:00 PM Pacific Time
February 15, 22, March 1, 8, and 15, 2026
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem and Poetics as Cosmology 2026 Workshops
A five week online (Zoom) workshop best suited for continuing participants and more experienced poets (open to open form) in 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 Winter 2026, we’ll explore a short history of Projective/Outside North America Poetry, focused on:
-
- George Bowering
- Fred Wah
- Daphne Marlatt
- Michael McClure
- Mary Norbert Kõrte
- John Olson
- Phyllis Webb
- Stephen Collis
- Sharon Thesen
- Barry McKinnon
- Cedar Sigo
- George Stanley
- Robin Blaser
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem (LARFP)
- Sundays 3-5 PM PDT
- March 29, April 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2026
Poetics as Cosmology (PAC)
- Thursdays 3-5 PM PDT
- March 26, April 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2026
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard