Registration for Year 17 of Poetry Postcard Fest Nears Deadline

    SEATTLE, WA, July 02, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cascadia Poetics Lab invites anyone interested in writing and receiving personal, original poetry to participate from July 4th-August 31st, 2023, by writing daily poems on postcards and sharing them with other writers around the globe. Participants can write poems wherever and whenever inspiration strikes!

Cascadia Poetics Lab was founded in 1993 by poet and interviewer Paul Nelson, who started the Poetry Postcard Festival in 2007 with poet Lana Ayers with the intention of encouraging spontaneous composition and encouraging practice and community. The fest is a self-guided 56 day workshop that involves receiving a mailing list of other poets to whom they will send 31 first draft poems on postcards. The structure of the fest allows for flexibility of time to write and send the postcards, but it is suggested the poems be written and sent between July 4 and August 31st. Postcards can be purchased or hand-made, and participants are encouraged to be creative with themes and images!

Throughout the duration of the fest, participants are encouraged to put poetry in the forefront of their lives by perceiving every moment as possible material for poetry, as well as putting aside time in their day to write postcard poems and read poetry for inspiration. The festival is seen as an exercise of both community and discipline, to dedicate oneself to writing thirty-one poems in 56 days, using limited space and mailing the postcards to other participant poets around the world. As described by participant Ina Roy-Faderman in a testimonial describing the 2016 Poetry Postcard Festival, "the words are out in space to touch someone else. And someone is sending you an essential moment of themselves–out of the goodness of their hearts, out of a willingness to commit to a piece of deep honesty and trust–which you get to hold in your hands."

2022's Poetry Postcard Fest attracted 544 participants in total, with participants spanning 44 U.S. states and 12 countries, including Australia, France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Canada. Last year's participation was the highest in 16 years, and organizers of the event are anticipating higher levels of participation for this year's festival. By connecting with other poets in various locations, participants can gain a sense of empathy and connectedness with members of cultures and backgrounds different from their own.

Join Cascadia Poetics Lab for the Poetry Postcard Fest and discover the wonders of connecting through poetry! Registration is still open at PoetryPostcardFest.org for a fee of $21. Scholarships are available for those in need committed to writing and sending 31 poems during the fest. Anyone with interest is encouraged to participate, and a background in poetry or writing is not necessary to have a meaningful experience. For information on Cascadia Poetics Lab's events and tips for poetry writing, visit https://cascadiapoeticslab.org/ or Cascadia Poetics Lab's Facebook page.

Cascadia Poetics Lab, a Seattle-based nonprofit, was founded in Auburn, Washington, on December 14, 1993. Founding Director Paul E. Nelson is available for interviews. (206) 422.5002 or [email protected]

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