Life as Rehearsal for the Poem and Poetics as Cosmology 2026 Workshops
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
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem / Poetics as Cosmology SPRING 2026 Workshops
History of Cascadia Poetry. 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 Spring 2026, we’ll explore a short history of Cascadian poetry, touching on:
- Theodore Roethke
- Fred Wah
- Daphne Marlatt
- George Bowering
- Mary Norbert Körte
- John Olson
- Phyllis Webb
- Stephen Collis
- Sharon Thesen
- Barry McKinnon
- Cedar Sigo
- George Stanley
- Robin Blaser
- Gary Snyder & 15. Gary Copeland Lilley, among others…
and related texts and assignments. How can one’s poetics be a cosmology and how can one maintain some experience of the Poetry Postcard Fest, & allow one’s life as a creative participant in the world to rise in one’s personal hierarchy of duties/activities? How is the projective poem an antidote to Silicon Valley attention fracking? An alternative to A.I. Slop? Will you let the machines do your thinking?
$125 suggested donation for each five week session per person, scholarships are available. Canadians in need can pay $125 CAD.
Life as Rehearsal for the Poem (LARFP)
- Sundays, 3-5PM, PACIFIC
- March 29, April 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2026
Poetics as Cosmology (PAC)
- Thursdays, 3-5PM, PACIFIC
- March 26, April 2, 9, 16, and 23
Also, these essays on Poetics are helpful for beginning and advanced students. The courses are essentially the same. These workshops are conducted online.
WHY LARFP? See: https://paulenelson.com/life-as-rehearsal-for-the-poem/
A.I. says:
- Organic Process: The workshops emphasize that the “poem” is not a pre-meditated, academic construct, but rather a “continuation of life” or a “tendril” growing from direct experience.
- Improvisation: It suggests that because life is spontaneous, the poem should reflect that spontaneity, acting as a “recording” of one’s consciousness in action.
- “Life-force” Over Perfection: The approach prioritizes the “vitality” or “energy” of a lived moment over the need to maintain a “perfect appearance” in a rehearsal for a future life.
- Connection to “Poetics as Cosmology”: The workshop encourages participants to treat their personal, daily lives as a form of sacred, artistic practice, aligning with the idea that the “poem” is a “summary of your life to that point”.
Course Materials Week 1
(Thursday, March 26, and Sunday, March 29, 2026)
READ: A Way Forward for Cascadian Poetry
READ: WCW The Poem as a Field of Action
LISTEN (or WATCH): Interview with Roethke scholar Bill Barillas
READ: The North American Sequence
EXTRA CREDIT: Bill Barillas Intro to Field Guide to the Poetry of Theodore Roethke
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS: Watch Jean Walkinshaw Profile
WATCH: In a Dark Time (on Theodore Roethke)
WATCH: Three NW Artists
Course Materials Week 2
(Thursday, April 2, and Sunday, April 5, 2026)
Read: The Prosody of Open Form
Watch: The Line Has Shattered
Listen: Lorin Medley Interview (Video) (Audio)
Read: Cascadia Poetry Interview by Crystal Curry (2012)
Read: Limestone Lakes Utaniki (You have to scroll down once on the pdf)
Watch: CPF9 video of Daphne Marlatt & Fred Wah (audio is so-so)
Additional Materials: Fred Wah Interview (Note the parts on Utaniki)
Write: Utaniki. Fred Wah noted the Haibun form and here is a poetic journal that comes from you but could expand beyond your personal mythology if you drill down to the minute particulars of your present dharma position. Ideally this is an exercise done over several days or more. Maybe you continue to add to this during the course of this workshop. Do click on hyperlinks above for more guidance. You do not have to write a haiku as part of your Utaniki. One line could work.
Course Materials Week 3
(Thursday, April 9, and Sunday, April 12, 2026)
Read: information coming soon
Listen: information coming soon
Course Materials Week 4
(Thursday, April 16, and Sunday, April 19, 2026)
Read: information coming soon
Listen: information coming soon
Course Materials Week 5
(Thursday, April 23, and Sunday, April 26, 2026)
Read: information coming soon
Listen: information coming soon
As part of your registration, you become a member of Cascadia Poetics LAB. Membership is free, carries no cost or obligations, and is recorded with your registration. See our Membership Policy for details.