I’m delighted to be part of a panel and performance at ScribFest, Saturday, June 20, at 10am. From the ScribLab website: “Scrib Fest brings PNW performance writers together for a weekend of professional development, artistic sharing, community building, and networking.” Our presentation:

Poetry As Performance, ScribFest, Town Hall Seattle, Annex, Saturday, June 20, 10am

Members of the Cascadia Poetics Lab will read their original poetry then lead a discussion about the relationship between poetry and performance. Zach Charles, a member of CPL’s Cascadia 2050 youth initiative, would also discuss poetry as a tool for youth to express, perform and connect.

Poets: Paul E Nelson, Dion O’Reilly, Zach Charles, Buffy Sedlachek

As you can imagine, I’m a big fan of printed page as a score for reading the poem aloud. Other than my daily practice of writing a 17 syllable poem every day (I now call them Cascadian Sentences) my poetry is attempt at the deepest gesture I can make in language. That I am a residential institute fellow at the Clyfford Still Museum this July should also provide some guidance as to how I factor audience in my own work. I am not as severe as Still is on this point, but I admire his resolve regarding considerations external to the creative act. Thank you Miriam Tobin for including the Cascadia Poetics Lab in ScribFest, a truly unique event. 

In addition to being in Denver all of July for my Clyfford Still Museum experience, I will be at the Community of Writers June 22-28, with one of my all-time favorite poets Brenda Hillman and a very fine faculty. See: https://communityofwriters.org/2026-poetry-program/