2014 Cascadia Poetry Festival

The Cascadia Poetry Festival is an international event which seeks to bioregionally animate & culturally construct Cascadia by gathering writers, artists, scientists and activists to collaborate, discover and foster deeper connection between all inhabitants and the place itself. Over four days the fest features Academic, Democratic and Performance components, late night readings, a Small Press Fair and one workshop. Some of the best poetry minds in the bioregion, many Canadians not well known in the U.S., will gather, discuss this place and begin to better understand Cascadia and our role here. The festival was founded by SPLAB, a Seattle-based non-profit organization founded in 1993 and the first iteration happened in 2012. Cascadia III will happen in Nanaimo, BC, in 2015.

PDF of 2014 Festival Program

Small Press Fair info here.  The Small Press Fair happened in Paccar Atrium in the Pigott Building, just outside the auditorium where the Main Stage readings happen Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 7:30PM. The Load-in is at 4P Friday and the Small Press Fair hours are Friday night 6-10P, Saturday and Sunday, 8:30A-1:30P and 6-10P. See sponsors (below) for participating organizations and links to their websites. Bios for CPF 2 poets here.

The second Cascadia Poetry Festival happened May 1-4, 2014, at Seattle University’s Pigott Auditorium and Spring Street Center. An all-access Gold Pass was $25 for the whole weekend and admission for individual events was $10.

Our thanks goes to contributors to the Festival’s IndieGoGo Campaign!

Thursday, May 1, 7:30p, Force Field reading, featuring poets from the first all women anthology of British Columbia poets in 34 years. Judith Roche is emcee. Confirmed poets include: Joanne Arnott (Richmond), Yvonne Blomer (Victoria), Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo), Heidi Greco (White Rock), Ursula Vaira (Lantzville, BC), Jo Lilley (Whitehorse, YT) and Linda Crosfield (Nelson, BC) at Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring.

Friday, May 2, 9a-1p, Workshop featuring exercises designed by Joanne Kyger, George Stanley and George Bowering. Limited to 15 participants. Joanne Kyger: Writing in Empty Space.

George Stanley: “Childhood Revisited.” A workshop to suggest to writers ways of reflecting on childhood as source material or inspiration for poetry or other writing. Introductions. Introduction: When was childhood? Steps (for each theme): Re-imagining; Notation; Conversation; Freewriting.

George Bowering: TBA. There will be writing time in the workshop as well as time for discussion and exchange. ($80 and not included in the Gold Pass.) Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring. (This replaces the Daphne Marlatt Workshop.)

Friday, May 2, 10a-11a, Writers in the Schools visit: Roosevelt High’s 9th grade “Living in Place” Course.” Joanne Arnott (Richmond), Yvonne Blomer (Victoria), Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo), Heidi Greco (White Rock).

Friday, May 2, 3-5p, Living Room. A free and open democratic reading where people read their own work and listen to others in a circle format. No gold pass is necessary for entry. Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring. Small Press Bookfair. Starting Friday at 6p. 30 small presses from around the bioregion display their wares and introduce you to poets from around Cascadia. Runs through the weekend in Paccar Atrium at Seattle U.

Friday, May 2, 7:30p-9p, Keynote Reading. George Bowering (Vancouver), Joanne Kyger (Bolinas), George Stanley (Vancouver), Kaia Sand (Portland) and Emily Kendal Frey (Portland). Pigott Auditorium.

Friday, May 2, 10p, Beer Slam, 8 Cascadia poets compete for the right to be crowned Cascadia Beer Slam Champ: Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo, BC), Heidi Greco (White Rock, BC), Robert Lashley (Tacoma and Bellingham, WA), dan raphael (Portland, OR), Anastacia Tolbert (Mukilteo, WA), Isaac Grambo (Spokane), Derek Sheffield (Leavenworth) and Morris Stegosaurus (Seattle) Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring.

Saturday, May 3, 9a-10:10a, Cascadia Geography: Place & Spirit, David McCloskey, Professor Emeritus at Seattle U and Founder of the Cascadia Institute. The “Father of Cascadia” says: “Cascadia is a real place! A quick tour of the latest images and understandings of Cascadia’s geography and ecology making it a distinctive bioregion with its own character and context.” Paccar Atrium PIGT 103 at Seattle U.

Saturday, May 3, 10:20a-11:30a, Panel 1: Cascadian Poetics: Innovations from Here. Nadine Maestas (Seattle) facilitates a panel on what is innovative in Cascadia poetry. Panel includes: Jeanne Heuving (Seattle), Joanne Kyger (Bolinas), Stephen Collis (Vancouver) and George Stanley (Vancouver). Paccar Atrium PIGT 103 at Seattle U.

Saturday, May 3, 11:40a-12:50p, Panel 2: Geoactivism (Geography & Activism). The panel includes: Kim Goldberg (Facilitator, Nanaimo), Eric De Place (Seattle), Trevor Carolan (North Vancouver), Kaia Sand (Portland, OR). Paccar Atrium PIGT 103 at Seattle U.

Saturday, May 3, 3-5p, Living Room. A free and open democratic reading where people read their own work and listen to others in a circle format. No gold pass is necessary for entry. Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring.

Saturday, May 3, 7:30p-9p Force Field/Feminists (Allergic to Cats) Reading. Emceed by Nadine Maestas and Jocelyn MacDonald (both of Seattle) this is an all women reading featuring Force Field (BC) poets Gail Tremblay (Olympia),  Shae Savoy (Seattle), Kim Goldberg (Nanaimo), Linda Russo, (Pullman, WA),  Alyse Knorr (Anchorage), Jane Wong (Seattle), Yvonne Blomer (Victoria), Jeanne Heuving (Seattle, WA), Joanne Arnott (Richmond), Natasha Marin (Seattle), Heidi Greco (White Rock), Emily Mundy (Seattle), Sharon Cumberland (Seattle) & Marilyn Stablein (Portland). Pigott Auditorium at Seattle U.

Saturday, May 3, 10p-? The After Party. 30+ poets from around Cascadia read one poem each with lots of time for socializing between the three sets. Spring Street Center Reception Hall (downstairs). Larry Crist, Judith Roche, Lydia Swartz, Aaron Kokorowski, Laura Wachs, Chelsea Rose, Alex Bleecker, Paul Nelson, Kris Hall, Jeremy Springsteed, Martha Silano, Dennis E. Bolen, Tod Marshall, Imani Sims and others. Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring.

Sunday, May 4, 9a-10:10a. Discussion on Landscapes/Actions/Embodiments moderated by Linda Russo (WSU, Pullman, WA) featuring Joanne Arnott (Richmond, BC), Joanna Lilley (Whitehorse, YT), Marilyn Stablein (Portland) and Eleni Stecopoulos (Berkeley CA). Paccar Atrium PIGT 103 at Seattle U.

Sunday, May 4, 10:20a-11:30a. Panel 3: Geopoetics (Regional Ecology & Poetics): Gordon Miller (Seattle U), Facilitator. Panel: Derek Sheffield (Leavenworth, WA) and Renee Sarojini Saklikar (New Westminster, BC). Paccar Atrium PIGT 103 at Seattle U.

Sunday, May 4, 11:40-12:50p. Panel 4: Bridging the Border: Cascadia Poetry MOOC. Paul Nelson (Seattle) facilitates. Panel: Nadine Maestas (Seattle), Jared Leising (Seattle) and Tod Marshall (Spokane). Paccar Atrium PIGT 103 at Seattle U.

Sunday, May 4, 3-5p, Living Room. A free and open democratic reading where people read their own work and listen to others in a circle format. No gold pass is necessary for entry. Spring Street Center, 1101 15th in Seattle at the corner of 15th & Spring.

Sunday, May 4, 7:30p-9p, Closing Reading. 826 Seattle poets from the Mountains of Poetry workshop led by Jared Leising. Heather McHugh (Seattle), Frances McCue (Seattle), Stephen Collis (Vancouver) and Maged Zaher (Seattle.) Pigott Auditorium at Seattle U.

Information on Cascadia I (2012) is here. Essay “Why Poetry: Why Cascadia” published in the Jan 2014 edition of Raven Chronicles.

Cascadia Poetry Festival Sponsorships 
(May 1-4, 2014)

The Cascadia Poetry Festival is an international event which seeks to bioregionally animate & culturally construct Cascadia by gathering writers, artists, scientists and activists to collaborate, discover and foster deeper connection between all inhabitants and the place itself.

$25 – Gold Pass

Admittance to all events.* ($25 + PayPal fee = $26.00)
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$80 – Workshop

($80 + PayPal fee = $83.00)
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$100 – Small Press Fair Table

4 feet. Includes 4 Gold Passes, mentions on the website and in the program. ($100 + PayPal fee = $103.00). Deadline to get your logo in the program Sunday, April 20, 2014.
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$500 – Douglas Fir

Logo on Website and on poster and Half Page ad in program, on site signage (space for your banner) and mentions on stage and in social networking efforts. ($500 + PayPal fee = $515.00)
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$1,000 – Transnationalist

Logo on Website and on poster, Full Page ad in program, on site signage (space for your banner) and mentions on stage and in social networking efforts. ($1000 + PayPal fee = $1030.00)
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• Some events have limited space and are first come, first served.

Venues include Seattle U’s Pigott Auditorium, Paccar Atrium and Spring Street Center. pen@splab.org or (206) 422.5002 to arrange sponsorship. All funds are non-returnable.

DONATE ANY AMOUNT

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Sponsors Include: