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
Winter in America (Again (poem)
I have submitted my poems to the upcoming anthology Winter in America (Again. The project was conceived of by Katie Sarah Zale and modeled after Sam Hamill's "Poets Against The War." Greg Bem's...
Rainier Beach Arts & Craft Market
I attended this market when Bhakti and I first moved to Rainier Beach in 2007 and I have been delighted to participate in in the last four or five years, excepting the pandemic time. Of course I'll...
Poet of Place (Joanne Kyger)
Today we present the video version of the interview I conducted with Jane Falk and Mary Paniccia Carden on the book Poet in Place and Time: Critical Essays on Joanne Kyger. Kyger is one of the most...
Andrew Schelling in Seattle and Port Townsend
Fans of the Cascadia Poetics Lab are no doubt familiar with Andrew Schelling, the poet/translator and Naropa professor. We have interviewed him on several occasions:...
Robert Bringhurst at Seattle U, Nov 15
Robert Bringhurst will be talking at Seattle University on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Sinegal 100/110 at 4pm. Robert has been part of at least two Cascadia Poetry Festivals, 2015 in Nanaimo and...
The Nature of Zen: An Ecology of Being
From Ray Grigg: I thought I'd let you know that my latest book, The Nature of Zen: An Ecology of Being is now available from Xlibris for $20.99 and from Amazon for... $28.95. An eBook edition is...
Happy 92nd Michael McClure
Michael McClure would have turned 92 Sunday, October 20, 2024. His book: Touching the Edge: Dharma Devotions from the Hummingbird Sangha may be the best Zen poetry written in English. It has...
Two Readings, Downtown Library, Jack Straw
I'm delighted to be part of two important poetry readings in the next few days. Saturday, October 19, 2-4pm, Microsoft Auditorium, Seattle Central Library, 1000 4th Avenue: TAKE A STAND: Poets...
Paul Reads at Jack Straw Oct 21 7pm
I'm delighted to have been invited to read as part of the Jack Straw Writers Program reading Monday, October 21, 2024 at 7pm. Other poets include John Burgess, Bill Carty, Denise Michaels, Susan...
DaySong of Thoughtless Openness
I am still floating from my recent visit to British Columbia, which I took for a series of events centered around Cascadian Zen Volume I. Events at the Mountain Rain Zen Center in Vancouver, the...
Andrew Schelling via Vidyā (in direct contact with rasa)
I've been granted permission from Andrew Schelling to post a small excerpt from his new book of Vidyā translations for my ongoing online workshops. The new book is Old Time Love Song Magic: Sanskrit...
Free Winter in America (Still Workshop
PAUL E NELSONDear Poet, WHAT: Free online poetry workshop WHEN: Today at 12N PST WHERE: PEN zoom WHY: Winter in America (Still WHO: Roxi Power, allia abdullah-matta, Your Humble Narrator I am one...
CPL Wins Humanities WA Award
On October 30 the Cascadia Poetics Lab was one of 50 individuals/entities honored with the Humanities Washington Award. They said: The Humanities Washington Award recognizes outstanding...
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.