About Poetry & Prose Network
Words still matter.
We are a mighty little nonprofit powered by passion, community, and the stubborn belief that words still—and always will—matter.
Founded in 1997 as the Redmond Association of SPokenword (RASP), the Poetry & Prose Network (PPN) is a creative home for writers, storytellers, spoken word artists, and curious beginners alike. Whether you are drafting your first poem, refining your tenth revision, or preparing to step up to the open mic, you will find a place here to learn, create, connect, and grow alongside others who believe in the power of language.
We believe writing is more than just putting ink on a page. It is how we make sense of ourselves, connect with one another, and imagine new possibilities.
Our Mission
Poetry & Prose Network transforms self-expression into shared experience through workshops, peer feedback, featured readings, and open mics.
We amplify writers' voices on the page, on the stage, and online
so they can be seen, heard, and felt.
What We Believe
Open Access
Everyone Deserves a Place to Begin.
Creativity shouldn't depend on experience, money, or connections.
Whether you're writing your first poem or preparing your next book, you'll find a welcoming community ready to meet you where you are.
You'll find:
Free and low-cost programming
Beginner-friendly workshops and events
Diverse voices, genres, and perspectives
Accessible opportunities to write, perform, and participate
Community before credentials
Real Connection
Creativity Grows in Community.
Writing flourishes when people encourage one another.
We don't just build audiences—we build relationships where writers exchange ideas, celebrate breakthroughs, offer thoughtful feedback, and discover that they don't have to create alone.
You'll experience:
Recurring gatherings that build trust
Meaningful peer feedback
Conversations that continue beyond the event
A community shaped by listening
Belonging before performance
Amplified Voices
Your Voice Matters.
Stories are meant to be shared.
We create opportunities for writers of every background and experience level to move from private pages to public expression with confidence.
Whether you're reading for the first time or the fiftieth, we want your words to resonate.
You'll discover:
Featured readers and open mics
Opportunities for emerging voices
Inclusive programming across genres
Encouragement to write authentically
Experiences that leave lasting impact
The Creative Circuit
From Page to Stage — and Back Again
Writing isn't a destination.
It's a continuous cycle of learning, experimenting, sharing, reflecting, and growing.
Every workshop sparks new ideas.
Every draft becomes stronger through feedback.
Every performance builds confidence.
Every conversation inspires the next page.
We call this The Creative Circuit.
📖 Learn → ✍️ Write → 🤝 Share → 💬 Reflect → 🌱 Refine → 🔄 Repeat
Is PPN Right for You?
You might belong here if you...
…are writing your first poem—or your hundredth.
…want thoughtful feedback instead of silence.
…miss being part of a creative community.
…are curious about sharing your work aloud.
…enjoy listening as much as performing.
…believe stories matter, even unfinished ones.
…simply want to be around people who love words.
Every writer comes to PPN from a different place.
Some have shelves full of notebooks.
Some have only an idea they've never spoken aloud.
What matters most isn't where you start.
It's that you're here.
Join the Network
Come write with us.
Come share with us.
Come discover something new.
Come grow with us.
There's room for your voice here.
We Are Poetry & Prose Network:
A Poetic Manifesto
We are a carrier of creation
An incubator of inspiration.
A laboratory for lyrical liberation,
refusing to stay silent.
A server for self-expression.
An amplifier of authenticity.
A data center for dreams,
audaciously defying doubt.
Malware for fear.
Hardware for hope.
Software for the soul.
Bandwidth for belonging.
In an age of algorithms
and artificial minds,
we remain, stubbornly,
people-powered.
Your stories, our signal.
On page and on stage,
transmitting the truth,
raw and real.
A human heart
circulating life
through a city of machines
We are the Poetry & Prose Network.
Draft by draft.
Story by story
Voice by voice.
Where stories become signals,
where strangers become community,
and where voices don't buffer—
they break through.