Cascadia Poetics LAB

Empowering people to practice poetry & deepen connections to place, self & the present moment.

We believe that poetry is the nexus at which self-knowledge, bioregionalism and expansive creativity converge. Cascadia Poetics Lab is a vibrant community whose workshops, festivals, and opportunities for connection can open the door to transformative experiences.

Donate to Become a Founders Circle Member

Thanks for being a part of our place-based city of poets. We’re deeply grateful to have the support of members like you. Through your donations, we empower people to practice poetry and deepen connections to place, self and the present moment. Join us in a year that marks our 30th anniversary! Founder’s Circle members get the first opportunity to register for the 8th Cascadia Poetry Festival on November 1-3 in Seattle! Please support the Cascadian Prophets podcast, the Cascadia Poetry Festival, the Poetry Postcard Festival (in year 19 in 2024) and online workshops such as Poetics as Cosmology and Life as Rehearsal for the Poem.

$100

Founders Circle

Support the Cascadian Prophets Podcast, as well as our other offerings, and receive early opportunities to register for the 8th Cascadia Poetry Festival.

$250

Reinhabitarian

You understand humans have to stop living like invaders & deeply connect to place & how the Cascadia Poetics LAB leads that effort via poetry, interviews, & other projects enabling deep connection to the Now & Here.

$1200

Cascadian Prophets Podcast Sponsor

Support the Poetry Postcard Fest, The Cascadia Poetry Festival, Online Workshops, Interviews, Interview Archive preservation & other activities. With a donation at this level we will include short announcements for your business or project.

CASCADIA POETICS LAB PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Learn more about some of our key projects

Cascadia Poetry Festival 8 Banner

Cascadia Poetry Festival

The Cascadia Poetry Festival started in in 2012 and is a regular gathering of poets and creatives with workshops and talks, hosted in the Pacific Northwest of the Cascadia Bioregion. We are excited to announce Cascadia Poetry Festival #8 November 1-3, 2024!

Cascadian Zen Vol 2 Concept Book cover

Books

Explore books created under our own imprint, Watershed Press. Featuring Cascadian Zen Volume I, an exquisite collection of poetry, essays, interviews, and art that embody Zen here and now in the Cascadia Bioregion.

PPF 2025 Graphic by Roberta Hoffman

Poetry Postcard Fest

Founded in 2007, The Poetry Postcard Fest is an annual 56 day experiment in spontaneity and community-building where poets send 31 first-draft poems on postcards to other participants around the world.

Registration opens annually on September 1!

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Workshops

Cascadia Poetics Lab hosts poetry workshops, available to the general community, with reading, writing and discussion exercises that intend on helping participants learn new techniques of expression and literary creativity while focusing on place and presence.

Cascadian Prophets Podcast Banner

Cascadian Prophets Podcast

The Cascadian Prophets Podcast was built upon the original work of Cascadia Poetics Lab’s founder Paul Nelson as the foundation of Cascadia Poetics Lab. The Cascadian Prophets podcast produces in depth interviews with poets, authors, educators, indigenous leaders and other cultural workers, with a focus on promoting cultural activities toward sustaining the Cascadia bioregion, place and presence.

Web Banner August 24 & 25, 2024 a Weekend of Cascadian Zen: Cumberland

Events

Cascadia Poetics Lab hosts poetry reading events in partnership with other cultural organizations.

Testimonials

“What timely alchemy is this? Poetics as Cosmology with readings from Brenda Hillman’s In a Few Minutes Before Later got me writing again. For five weeks, I’ve been breathing in from an open field and exhaling without the usual constrictions of thought and form. Paul Nelson throws the raw materials in a pot: a group of new and seasoned writers, all things organic and serial, and then stirs in various prompts and excitements. There’s a whole lot of heart, mind, and soul scholarship on offer here. Paul is the real deal.”

– Lorin Medley, Comox, BC, Feb, 2023

Organization Data Summary

ORGANIZATION NAME
Cascadia Poetics LAB

TAX ID (EIN)
91-1618296

DEMOGRAPHICS
Hispanic & Latinx

ADDRESS
9030 Seward Park Ave S 213
Seattle, WA 98118

SERVICE AREAS
Seattle, WA, US
King County, WA, US
WA, US
US
BC, CA

PHONE
206-422-5002

EMAIL
splabman@icloud.com

WEBSITE
https://cascadiapoeticslab.org