Paul E Nelson presenting at Cascadia Poetry Festival 8, photo by Leszek Chudzinski
“Paul formally received the Mahayana precepts of Zen Buddhism in 2023, becoming a lay practitioner within the tradition, but I believe he had long lived in accord with them. His poetry, in its sensitivity, its humility, and its deep listening, embodies practice-realization — the understanding that practice and awakening are not separate. His writing was his zazen. This collection, FLEXIBLE MIND, is more than a book. It is a continuation of that practice. A testament to a man who lives by attention, who bows to language but does not cling to it, who seeks what lays beyond words by walking straight into them.”– Kosho Itagaki, Soto Zen Priest
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Covington Library 6P Apr 23
On Wednesday, April 23rd at 7PM, at the Covington Library, 27100 164th Ave SE, Covington, WA 98042, I'll be bringing three Seattle poets for a Poetry Coffeehouse. Judith Roche, Peter Munro and Amber...
Cascadian EcoPoetics
The term Ecopoetics has been in vogue since about the turn of the century. Beyond the well-known "nature poem" I take this term to be used with the insinuation of a little more responsibility on the...
Joe Chiveney and Cathy Visser
The SPLAB Board President, Joe Chiveney, has been an incredible asset since joining SPLAB a few years ago. I joke that non-profits should have counselors on their boards, because they are used to...
The interview I conducted with Sam O’Hana, a Ph.D. student at CUNY, is immensely critical and immensely validating for the work we do at the Cascadia Poetics Lab. At its core, the discussion is about whether writing is for people of means, or if it can be people who have skill and something to say. It means the literary gatekeepers have failed us and have a role in perpetuating neoliberalism in North America which has paved the way for authoritarianism. The interview is available as a podcast here and as a YouTube video here. Below, I have pasted in the transcript and here is my introduction to Sam O’Hana and his topic.