peace postcard prep

It’s time to sign up to participate in 2023 Peace Poetry Postcards.

WORLD PEACE POETRY POSTCARD MONTH is February 1-28, 2023. Signups are now open and the signup deadline is Saturday, January 21, 2023.

Participants write an original peace poem on a postcard each day of February and mail the postcard to the next poet on their list.

To participate: Send an e-mail to worldpeacepoets@gmail.com with your name, street/PO Box address, city, ZIP or postal code, and country.

Your name will be added to the next available list and you will receive an email with the list of 29 names (one for each day of February, plus you) before the end of January. While you’re waiting, stock up on postcards and stamps.

When the list arrives: Find your name and make sure your address is correct. Send your first peace poem postcard to the person whose name is immediately after yours, then continue down the list to the bottom and back to the top, one poem/postcard per day, until you are back at your name.

Note that international deliveries may take longer, so it’s good to get an earlier start on those cards.

Special thanks to Bellingham poets Carla Shafer and C.J. Prince, who have organized the Peace Postcard project for many years.

Mark your calendar: a World Peace Poets read-in will be held on Zoom, April 30, 2023, 4:00pm Pacific. You are invited to read a few favorite peace poems you wrote during the month.

Sign up now to participate in February’s Peace Postcard project and look for updates on the World Peace Poets Facebook page.

world peace, one postcard at a time

World Peace Poets again invite you to participate in World Peace Poetry Postcard Month, sending one peace poem on a postcard each day of February 2022. Founded and managed by Carla Shafer and C.J. Prince, the annual event draws participants from around the world.

To participate, send an e-mail to worldpeacepoets AT gmail.com with your name and complete mailing address. You will receive instructions along with a list of 28 people for your peace poetry exchange. DEADLINE for signups is Saturday, January 22, 2022.

Community write-in on peace and justice

At a recent workshop at Egress Studio, Anita K. Boyle introduced the idea of the self-directed writing workshop. The idea is that rather than working under the guidance of an instructor, participants work independently, responding to prompts and to the site.

Riffing on this idea, World Peace Poets invites your participation in the five-week-long World Peace Poets Community Write-In on Peace and Justice, September 21 through October 26, 2019. Drop in for a few minutes or an hour or more; join in as often as you’d like. It’s self-directed!

Free and open to the public, the Community Write-In provides sites around Bellingham where participants can sit and create poems, essays, short stories, or artwork. Bring your own writing materials. Some inspiring words will be available and a volunteer will be on hand at each site. Additionally, each site will create a “fusion poem” to which participants can add a line of their own.

Click here for a chart of participating venues and times (PDF). Note that new venues and times may be added, so watch for updates on World Peace Poets on Facebook. If you think you will participate on one or more days, please register by sending an email to worldpeacepoets@gmail.com in order to help the organizers prepare.

The write-in will culminate in the free World Peace Poets Read-In at St. James Presbyterian Church in Bellingham on Saturday, October 26, 2019, with a 3-minute-per-person open mic for writing and music related to peace and justice. Doors open at 5:00pm, a soup and salad supper will be served at 5:30pm, and side dishes will be provided by you, potluck.

Clover, today!

Clover: A Literary Rag celebrates Sweet 16 today as a selection of contributors to volume 16 share their words. Featured authors are Luther Allen, James Bertolino, Jennifer Bullis, Nancy Canyon, Susan Chase-Foster, Michael Daley, Victoria Doerper, Paul Hunter, Andrew Shattuck McBride, C.J. Prince, Betty Scott, Gary Wade, and Bob Zaslow.

Join in the celebration at 4:00pm at Village Books in Bellingham. It’s free, and copies of Clover will be available for purchase and signing.

poetry riches

This weekend is full of poetry treasure…

On Friday, September 29, in Bellingham, Poetry at St. Paul’s opens with a presentation by Gregory Wolfe, editor of Image Journal, followed by a reading by poet Luci Shaw. Events begin at 7:00pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Also on Friday, September 29, in Deming, Frida and Friends features Susan J. Erickson reading from her book of poems, Lauren Bacall Shares a Limousine, joined by poets Lois Holub, Stephanie Hopkinson, J.I. Kleinberg, C.J. Prince, and Leslie Wharton. The reading begins a 7:00pm at the Deming Library.

Also on Friday, September 29, 2017, in Seattle, Meghan McClure and Michael Schmeltzer will read from their new collaborative volume, A Single Throat Opens (Black Lawrence Press). Join them at their book launch at 7:00pm at Open Books.

On Saturday, September 30, Poetry at St. Paul’s continues with a trio of workshops offered by Jennifer Bullis, Luci Shaw, and Caitlin Thomson. Registration is required. Workshops run concurrently, 1:30-3:00pm, at St. Paul’s.

Later on Saturday, September 30, head back to Open Books in Seattle for a launch party for Hailey Higdon’s chapbook, Rural (Drop Leaf Press), featuring readings by the author, Sarah Heady, and Tanya Holtland.

This is just a sampling of the weekend’s goings-on. Enjoy!

Frida and Friends in Deming!

Frida and Friends
Friday, September 29, 2017, 7:00pm
at the Deming Library

Frida Kahlo, the dynamic Mexican painter, is recognized today for her artistic talent and for her courage in dealing with adversity. This reading will gather a group of local women poets to read their work and celebrate strong women. Susan J. Erickson, the featured reader, will share work from her recently published book of poems in women’s voices, Lauren Bacall Shares a Limousine, which includes poems in the voice of Frida. (Frida “herself” will make a guest appearance at the reading!)

Please join the following poets in celebrating with Susan J. Erickson, Frida and Friends: Lois Holub, Stephanie Hopkinson, J.I. (Judy) Kleinberg, C.J. Prince, and Leslie Wharton.

PS: Susan will offer one of her handcrafted collage cards with images of some of the women from the book with each purchase of her book.

Poetry Alive! Saturday in Bellingham

Kevin Murphy and Matthew Brouwer are at it again, this time joined by poets Shannon Laws, Joe Nolting and CJ Prince. Poetry Alive IV (or III, depending on where you look) promises “a night of poesy so mind-bendingly grand, so soul-shakingly shaking it may just inspire you to quit your day job and pursue a hermetic life of poetic penury…not that you should come with any expectations or anything…”

Proceeds benefit the Whatcom Juvenile Justice Creative Writing Project, which leads writing workshops with kids in the juvenile justice system. JJCWP affirms that all youth have a unique voice that deserves to be shared with the community and that helping teens to connect with the vitality of their imaginations can be a powerful means for self expression and personal growth.

Saturday, November 1, 2014, at 7:00pm in the Encore Room at the Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham. $10 suggested donation.

support your local poet

We’re always happy to hear of new books from local* poets. Here are a few recent (and very recent) titles. Follow the links for information on the books and their authors:

Anita K. Boyle
The Drenched
Egress Studio Press

Caitlin Thomson
Incident Reports
Hyacinth Girl Press

C.J. Prince
Mother, May I?
CreateSpace

Shannon P. Laws
Odd Little Things
Chickadee Productions

Oliver de la Paz
Post Subject: a Fable
The University of Akron Press

James Bertolino
Ravenous Bliss
MoonPath Press

*We use the word local not to regionalize the poetry or the poets’ reputations, but because these poets are our neighbors, co-residents in the upper left-hand corner of the U.S. The rest we encourage you to consider for yourself.

Reading!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 20, 2012, and join Nancy Canyon and C.J. Prince at 7:00pm in the Village Books Readings Gallery as they weave tales from their latest books.

Nancy Canyon’s new eBook, Dark Forest, is a collection of poignant short-short stories based on the author’s life growing up in Eastern Washington. New Libri Press of Seattle published this collection as part of Coffee Break Shorts. Nancy’s artwork adorns the cover of Dark Forest.

Catching My Breath is a book with three stories that all involve women in the process of learning about packing: what to take, what to leave behind, who to talk to about it all. The change starts when you make the decision that, this time, “I’m packing my own bags on this journey of life.” C.J. Prince will read her story from the collection. Prince has written for the anthology Leaning Into the Wind: Women Write from the Heart of the West, as well as columns, feature stories, book reviews and articles for several Colorado newspapers.