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
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 Cascadian poetry, touching on:
- Theodore Roethke
- Fred Wah
- Daphne Marlatt
- George Bowering
- Mary Norbert Kõrte
- 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
Course Materials Week 2
(Thursday, April 2, and Sunday, April 5, 2026)
Read: information coming soon
Listen: information coming soon
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.