Samthology Launch at Cascadia Poetry Fest

Thanks to Ian Boyden’s cover design and Cate Gable’s marvelous introduction and Lyn Coffin’s expert proof-reading and to many contributors writing homages in French, Spanish and English, the Samthology will be launched at the Cascadia Poetry Festival, happening May 9-12, 2019, at the Croatian Cultural Center, 801 5th, in Anacortes, Washington, the last town in which Sam Hamill lived.

The schedule is here: https://cascadiapoetryfestival.org/cpf-anacortes-2019/

And Gold Passes admit bearers to all events save the Steve Kuusisto master workshop. Gold Passes are only $25, as is keeping with our desire to make these events extremely accessible. https://cpfanacortes.brownpapertickets.com/

The town of Anacortes has welcomed our efforts and we are grateful to everyone who has stepped up to contribute. Contributors to the anthology have even stepped up to help bring it into the world with cash contributions.

That today marks the one year anniversary of Sam’s passing is important, as it is a good occasion to release grief we’re still holding. (April 14, 2018, 6:04pm). Of course all this year’s Cascadia work has been an homage to Sam, who was one of my poetry teachers/mentors/guides. I guess his inscription to me for Habitation, which I believe is the last one he ever did for me, says it all:

So here we are, a year without Sam. We’ll lift a cup, though it won’t be much saké for me anymore given my new life challenges. And we’ll lift one again May 9, 2019, at the opening night of the Cascadia Poetry Festival, a night on which Sam would have turned 76. I find some solace that the last poem in Habitation: Collected Poems is “Of Cascadia.” Though he did not say it to me, I think he felt the bioregional focus of my work since 2012 to be a deep response to the direction of the U.S.S. Empire and his putting Of Cascadia as the last poem was a gesture to that work. I hope you’ll join us in May, in Anacortes, to give Sam a proper sendoff. My huge thanks to all the sponsors, donors and participating poets. So many have pitched in to make this happen, its humbling.

The Samthology will be $14.95, and available at the fest and then online via the usual book-buying websites. Huge thanks to Kim Miller, Middlepoint Press, Martín Espada, Steve Kuusisto and Ian Boyden for their contributions to the book’s publication.

About Splabman

Poet & interviewer Paul E Nelson founded SPLAB (Seattle Poetics LAB) & the Cascadia Poetry Festival. Since 1993, SPLAB has produced hundreds of poetry events & 600 hours of interview programming with legendary poets & whole systems activists including Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, Joanne Kyger, Robin Blaser, Diane di Prima, Daphne Marlatt, Nate Mackey, George Bowering, Barry McKinnon, José Kozer, Brenda Hillman & many others. Paul’s books include American Prophets (interviews 1994-2012) (2018) American Sentences (2015) A Time Before Slaughter (2009) and Organic in Cascadia: A Sequence of Energies (2013). Co-Editor of Make It True: Poetry From Cascadia (2015), 56 Days of August: Poetry Postcards (2017) and Samthology: A Tribute to Sam Hamill (2019) Make it True meets Medusario (2019), he’s presented poetry/poetics in London, Brussels, Nanaimo, Qinghai & Beijing, China, has had work translated into Spanish, Chinese & Portuguese & writes an American Sentence every day. Awarded a residency at The Lake, from the Morris Graves Foundation in Loleta, CA, he’s published work in Golden Handcuffs Review, Zen Monster, Hambone, and elsewhere. Winner of the 2014 Robin Blaser Award from The Capilano Review, he is engaged in a 20 year bioregional cultural investigation of Cascadia and lives in Rainier Beach, in the Cascadia bioregion’s Cedar River watershed.
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3 Responses to Samthology Launch at Cascadia Poetry Fest

  1. Tom Stiles says:

    Thanks for showing up in garish bio-regional clothing, and for sharing your personal and professional love and respect for Sam. May “new life challenges” indicate… new life.

  2. Karma Tenzing Wangchuk says:

    Sweet and true words, Paul. Thanks for all your good work–the same for all others involved. It looks like I’m going to be able to attend the launch party. Very glad for that! Best All Ways, Tenzing

  3. Splabman says:

    Not sure what you mean by “garish” but thanks for the kind words about Sam.

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