The revolution often starts with the poets. In the U.S., they are mentioned, then ignored. And so it goes in the “newspaper of record.” Yes, they wrote about the poets at the Cascadia Day Poetry Explosion, organized by Andy Engelson of the Cascadia Journal and Cascadia Democratic Action on May 18 at Vermillion on Capitol Hill. Vermillion continues to be a friend of poets by providing a place for readings and not expecting the poets to cough up $1K. (Poets, buy drinks for the love of the baby Jesus!)
& the article written by the New York Times was picked up by the Seattle Times. Links:
Excerpt:
By Anna Griffin
Reporting from Seattle
June 13, 2026
The revolution begins with a poetry reading.
Last month, a journalist turned organizer named Andrew Engelson invited friends and fellow Pacific Northwesterners to a small club in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood for an evening of verse, in which his guests would ponder what it means to be from “Cascadia,” the bioregion stretching from Northern California, through Oregon and Washington, into British Columbia.
Odes to volcanoes, woods and rivers would help the audience reach the same conclusion he has: The region might be better off leaving the United States.
For the record the featured poets included Nadine Maestas, Robert Lashley, Matt Trease, Mateo Quispe, Rhea Melina & yr humble narrator. Andy was so happy after the reading, he said we should do it again and we are investigating the possibility of having a regular Cascadia-centric open mic. Stay tuned.
If it is true what is attributed to Charles Olson: “I keep thinking, it comes to this: culture displacing the state” then fighting for independence before the culture has shifted that was may not be successful, but I don’t blame Andy’s exasperation at the current situation and the vote regarding independence from the U.S. for WA and OR would be an excellent temperature check.