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
Jose Kozer Interview (L.A. N.13.13)
While I am not the guy who got the chance to interview José Kozer recently during his visit to Southern California, I was present as he responded to the questions of Cal State U at L.A. Ph.D....
Sunday Holiday Reading at Lottie’s
For years there was a popular open mic at Lottie Motts, which was a cafe in Columbia City. Now the coffee has given way to Tequila and the Angie's crowd has migrated across the street to be served...
Morris Graves Selected Letters
One of my goals during my recent residency at The Lake, awarded by the Morris Graves Foundation, was to get to know Graves better and have a deeper appreciation for his work. Mission accomplished,...
Bay Area Poets Age w/ Grace
Our recent family road trip to Southern California (or SoCal as the car ads and meteorologists there say) and back had its share of beauty and difficulty. My Cousin Steve O'Connell gave us a week at...
The Four Hoarse Men Saturday 12.14.13
From Anne Sweet: Hey Friends – It’s almost time for the big Equinox Studios art bash and block party! You are all invited to 6555 5th Ave. S. in West Georgetown on Saturday, December 14, 6-10pm ......
David McCloskey on Cascadia Parts 4-6
David McCloskey is a retired Professor of Sociology at Seattle University, and founder of the Cascadia Institute. I got the chance to interview him on October 30, 2013, at his home in Eugene,...
98. Why Redwings Sing
When asked how my residency at the Lake, the final home of legendary artist Morris Graves, my stock response has been "stunning and miraculous." I was awarded a residency almost a year ago by the...
David McCloskey on Cascadia Part 3
David McCloskey is a retired Professor of Sociology at Seattle University, and founder of the Cascadia Institute. I got the chance to interview him on October 30, 2013, at his home in Eugene,...
An Update to Writing or Rewriting
The update of an essay, (Writing or Re-Writing: A Primer on Prevision) really a series of notes, on some of the history of what Robin Blaser called "The Practice of Outside" centers around Brenda...
American Sentences August – November 2013
I have finally gotten a chance to harvest American Sentences from the last few months. As you may know, this is my 13th year of writing one every day and I've about 37 left for 2013. Found poems,...
Margin Shift
I'm delighted to be doing another Zoom-Because-of-Shelter-in-Place reading, this time for Margin Shift, Thursday June 18 at 7pm. As its name implies, Margin Shift is the most diverse reading series...
The Poetry Foundation
Dispatches from the Poetry Wars was a great little, shit-stirring website that reminded us that poetry wars are ongoing and critical, if they lead to dialog. Community happens only when there is...
The Undercommons Remembers Michael McClure
The Undercommons is a literary salon that was founded a few months ago, happened in person once a month a few times and has moved to Zoom for the time-being. We've studied Denise Levertov and The...
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.