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Global Voices Radio Spoken Word Lab American Sentences
American Sentences
Organic Poetry

About Paul Nelson

Paul Everett Nelson is a poet, father, teacher and broadcaster. Founder of the non-profit Global Voices Radio and co-founder of the Northwest SPokenword LAB (SPLAB!) - Paul has published three chap books, two CD's - Twisting Runes and A Time Before Slaughter, a book of essays: Organic Poetry: North American Field Poetics (VDM, Verlag, Germany, 2008) and an epic poem re-enacting Auburn history, also entitled A Time Before Slaughter (Apprentice House, 2009). A professional broadcaster From 1980 to 2006, he's interviewed hundreds of authors, poets, activists and whole-system theorists for a syndicated public affairs radio program.

Paul has performed his poetry in numerous venues in the Pacific Northwest and his hometown of Chicago and has conducted over 400 writing and performance workshops throughout the Puget Sound region solo and through the SPLAB!-on-the-Road workshop troupe and at venues like the Richard Hugo House. He has lectured on Open Form in American Poetry (and other subjects) at high schools and community colleges and earned his M.A. in Organic Poetry, through Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.

Click here for graduate essays on Organic Poetry . Paul writes at least one American Sentence every day. Really.

Click here for pictures from his recent trip to Cuba, part of the Cultural Connections component or his Masters.

He has performed with saxophonist Dan Blunck in a poetry/music collaboration called WordPlay. A past member of the board, and Board President, of the Washington Poets Association, Paul is father of Rebecca Rose, born in 1991.

Listen to a portion of "Twisting Runes" as Paul reads it: E-Poets Network
Or hear one of Paul's best jazz poems w/ Dan Blunck: First Breath (For Bud & Monk).
For Paul's response to 911 and resulting events: No Time For Dreamers.

Paul was interviewed by E-Poets founder Kurt Heintz on Poetry and Radio:

An avid hiker, Paul's backpacking trips have garnered major press:

Professional Experience

Global Voices Radio (formerly It Plays In Peoria Productions) (501(c)(3))-Federal I.D.# 91-1618296-
December '93 - Present
Founding Director
Responsible for Hosting/Producing/Syndicating over 450 hours of original Public Affairs Interview programs with some of the world’s most renowned Whole-Systems Thinkers and Authors. Co-Founded and Directed the Northwest SPokenword LAB, including facilitation of Visiting Poet Series, Teen Poetry Slam and SPLAB-on-the-Road Writing Workshop series, through which coordinated over 200 writing workshops. Consultant to City of Auburn on community micro-radio and other duties of this non-profit organization, including: Fund-Raising and Administration.Here's an old Seattle P.I. article the former work as It Plays in Peoria Productions: http://www.seattle-pi.com/tv/radi20.shtml

And click & scroll down for this one GVR Ends Production

Muckleshoot Tribal College
April '07 - June '08
Vocational Education Instructor
Responsible for teaching Word, Excel, Internet, Windows and other basic computer skills, and Business Communication to Tribal adults, as well as general office skills. (Reference Letter)

KNDD 1077 The End Seattle (Alternative)
August '04 - August '06
Weekend/On-Call host at this legendary Alternative station.
1077 The End.org

KPLU-88.5 FM Tacoma/Seattle (Jazz and NPR News)
March '96 - June '03.
Host of Saturday Jazz Matinee; Fill-in Jazz Host
KPLU.org

Education

Columbia College
Chicago, IL June 1983
BA in Radio Communications
Graduated with Honors

Lesley University
Cambridge, MA Graduate Studies - Organic Poetry. M.A. earned May 2007.

Personal

Ethnic Heritage: Latino (Maternal, Cubano)

Click here to see Paul's CV.

Click here for info on Paul's Poetry and some more audio tracks