Cascadia Poetry Festival – Photos (2012)

Had a GREAT time at the inaugural Cascadia Poetry Festival last weekend in Seattle! Ran into old friends and made new ones.

Kim Goldberg, Sam Hamill, Richard Olafson
(photo by Barbara Erwine)

The festival was dreamed up and organized by Paul Nelson, founder of SPLAB (Spokenword Lab) in Seattle’s colourful Columbia City district. SPLAB was the primary festival venue.

4 Eco-Poets chilling at Lottie’s Bar in Columbia City, Seattle: Kim Goldberg, Heidi Greco, Kate Braid, Catherine Owen
(photo by Catherine Owen)

I made the trek to Seattle with my 3 other BC colleagues who were on the Eco-Poetry panel that I organized for the festival: Catherine Owen, Heidi Greco and Kate Braid.  And, yeah, the four of us totally rocked the joint. 😉

Our Eco-poetry panel & writing workshop (plus a fabulous nature walk led by Ed of the Audubon Society!) all took place at the Seward Park Environmental and Audubon Center on the shores of Lake Washington in south Seattle.

The four of us on the Eco-Po panel even produced a chapbook of our eco-poetry in time for the festival: Igniting the Green Fuse. Just $10 gets you a quadruply signed and numbered copy of this coveted collectible. Only 100 copies in existence.

Sam Hamill, founder of Copper Canyon Press and Poets Against War, closed off the festival Sunday night.
(Photo by Kim Goldberg)

Highlights of the weekend for me were the Sunday night reading by Sam Hamill, founder of Copper Canyon Press and Poets Against War, plus the Wabi Sabi sushi dinner that followed Sam’s reading, as well as the Sound Poetry extravaganza that kicked things off on Friday night at the Vermillion Art Gallery Wine Bar on Capitol Hill. And of course our fabulous Eco-Poetry afternoon at Seward Park!

Cascadia 2013 will be held in British Columbia, and planning is already underway.

Thanks to Barbara Erwine, Greg Bem, and others who let me augment my own photo collection with some of their own.

May the metaphors be with you!

Kim Goldberg

Festival organizer Paul Nelson and his lovely wife Meredith had just had their first baby 9 days before the festival! Welcome to the world, Ella Roque.
(Photo by Kim Goldberg)

Our Eco-Poetry Chapbook, Igniting the Green Fuse, by Kim Goldberg, Catherine Owen, Kate Braid and Heidi Greco

The Eco-Poetry panelists, cooling our heels at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park downtown: Kate Braid, Heidi Greco, Kim Goldberg, Catherine Owen
(Photo by some passer-by)

Dan Raphael from Portland laying down some words for us.
(Photo by Greg Bem)

The Four Hoarse Men pounding it out at the Friday night Sound Poetry extravaganza: Greg Bem, Jeanine Walker, Paul Nelson, Jason Conger.
(Photo by Kim Goldberg)

No, I’m not leading a prayer circle (although after Saturday night, some could have used it!). I am leading a Healing Sounds Qigong session, which was part of my Eco-Poetry presentation.
(Photo by Barbara Erwine)

Catherine Owen, Heidi Greco, Kim Goldberg hangin’ at SPLAB
(Photo by Kate Braid)

The SPLAB “Living Room” where the Cascadia Po Fest was held.
(Photo by Greg Bem)

Judith Roche
(Photo by Kim Goldberg)

Carol Edson & Bill Yake
(Photo by Greg Bem)

Hangin’ with my bud the troll ‘neath the Aurora Bridge
(Photo by Paul Nelson)