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RASP: Redmond Association of Spokenword

Celebrating literary arts and poetry in Redmond for more than 25 years

RASP was founded in 1997 to promote literary arts and activities in Redmond, Washington, and the surrounding area. We meet on the last Friday of each month from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (Pacific time) for a featured presentation and an open-mic reading at the Mi Casa gallery of Centro Cultural Mexicano. RASP also holds a monthly writing critique group via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 PM to 8:45 PM (Pacific time). All events are open to the public and usually free. Please join us!

While literature is one of our best avenues for dealing with difficult subjects, remember that our meetings are open to a diverse audience, including young people. We ask that your reading does not attempt to normalize discrimination or mistreatment of others.

Click to join* our mailing list and receive announcements about the Reading Series, Poetry & Prose Circle, and other RASP events.


Coming This Month
RASP's regular monthly events are free and do not require registration.

Friday, March 29, 2024—Laura Lee Bennett, Elizabeth Carroll Hayden, and Chi Stewart (poetry)
Reading/open mic starts at 6:30 pm (please do not arrive before 6:15)

Tonight's performance features a collaborative voice play channeling the characters of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades in a reimagining of the classic Greek tale. This evening's three poets are excited to return to RASP—where they first met—to celebrate the publication of I Am Not Cursed.

Chi Stewart worked for 14 years in healthcare in Chicago, Oregon, Washington, and Saudi Arabia, and then became an at-home mom for two decades. She is now caregiving for elders and continues to paint and write.

Elizabeth Carroll Hayden is published in the anthologies Here, There, Everywhere, and 10x10, and the online journal, Belletrist. She received an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.

Laura Lee Bennett has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Oregon. In the 1990s, she featured at Seattle's Red Sky Poetry Theater. Her chapbook, Snake Medicine: First Step, was published in 2017 by Nine Muses Books.

MC—Pamela Denchfield



We meet at Centro Cultural Mexicano's Mi Casa gallery

RASP's featured reading and open mic are conducted in the Mi Casa gallery and meeting space, part of Centro Cultural Mexicano. The address is 7945 Gilman St., next to what was McDonald Books, now part of Mi Casa.

For more information about upcoming exhibits and Centro Cultural Mexicano, visit the gallery's website.



Upcoming Readings and Events


Friday, April 26, 2024—Sara Quinn Rivara (poetry)

Sara Quinn Rivara (poetry)

Sara Quinn Rivara's most recent collection, Little Beast (Riot in Your Throat Press), is a finalist for the 2024 Oregon Book Award in Poetry. Her previous collections include Animal Bride (Tinderbox Editions) and Lake Effect (Aldrich Press). She received her MFA from Warren Wilson College, and currently serves as the dean of the Humanities and Social Science Divisions at Mt. Hood Community College. She lives in Portland with her husband, their two boys, five cats, one ancient dog, and three chickens. Visit https://www.saraquinnrivara.com/.

MC—Michael Heavener


Friday, May 31, 2024—Janae Lu (poetry)

Janae Lu

Janae Lu is an aspiring young writer who is inclined toward free-verse poetry and creative prose when not writing to champion the inherent beauty of scientific narratives. She is a sophomore at Tesla STEM High School, an active member of the Redmond Teen Advisory Board, and a second-year member of the Seattle Youth Poetry Fellowship, where she has had opportunities to read poetry at Seattle Town Hall. Her work has been featured at the University of Washington Henry Art Gallery and the Rising Phoenix Review. When not writing, she does endless amounts of homework, overworks her Spotify account, and adds to her growing book collection.

MC—Michael Dylan Welch


Friday, June 28, 2024—Mary Lou Sanelli (nonfiction/poetry)

Mary Lou Sanelli (nonfiction/poetry)

Tonight's performance is in honor of National Immigration Month. Mary Lou Sanelli, author, speaker, and master dance teacher, has published five collections of poetry and four works of nonfiction. Her latest collection of essays, Every Little Thing, was nominated for a Pacific Northwest Book Award and a Washington State Book Award. Her first novel, The Star Struck Dance Studio of Yucca Springs, was released in 2020 and her first children's book, Bella Likes to Try, was published in 2022. Her readings win an audience with poignant insights and gentle self-effacing humor. The Seattle Times said, "What Sanelli does in front of an audience is easier to recognize than it is to define." Her website is www.marylousanelli.com.

MC—Kari Tai


Friday, July 26, 2024—Erin Malone (poetry)

Friday, August 30, 2024—Alex Smith (poetry)

Friday, September 27, 2024—Michael Keen (fiction)

Friday, October 25, 2024—Julene Tripp Weaver (poet)

Friday, November 22, 2024—Josh Tuininga (graphic novelist)
Moved ahead one week to avoid Thanksgiving holiday weekend

Friday, December 13, 2024—Holiday Party

Friday, December 27, 2024—No reading scheduled


Poetry and Prose Circle

Read your poetry or prose and then we'll discuss your work and offer ideas for improvement. Take away a new perspective on your creative work.

Day: Second Tuesday of each month
Time: 6:30 to approximately 9:00 PM (Pacific Time).
FREE: RASP's regular monthly events are free and do not require registration.
Location: Zoom (see below).
Bring: Something written that you're willing to share and get feedback on. You will be able to share your screen so others can read your written words.

Join the monthly RASP Poetry and Prose Circle Zoom meeting beginning at 6:30 PM (Pacific Time)

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Tuesday, December 10, 2024


Look for us on social media

Look for our frequent messages and writing prompts on Facebook. Follow us, share us, enjoy us. Tweet about us, too, and retweet our tweets.


Our Monthly Open Mic

RASP's Open Mic gives you the opportunity to share your work with a receptive audience.

Each month, we open up the microphone to everyone to share their poetry and prose with a receptive audience. You can also participate by relaxing and listening to the words of others.

If you have written something you would like to read, show up early and sign up for a time slot. Time slots are scheduled before and after the featured reader. Details and guidelines are at our Open Mic page.


Other places for poetry and art

VALA (Venue for Artists in the Local Area) https://www.valaeastside.org/

SoulFood Poetry Night https://sites.google.com/site/soulfoodpoetrynight

APex - Artists Personal exchange https://www.facebook.com/groups/357724264707997/

Duvall Poetry https://duvallpoetry.weebly.com/

Everett Poetry Nite https://duanekirbyjensen.wixsite.com/everett-poetry-night

Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/local-author-open-mic

WUUC Poetry Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuucpoetry

The Poetry Department (blog) https://thepoetrydepartment.wordpress.com/nw-lit-events/

Redmond Poet Laureate https://www.redmond.gov/185/Arts-Culture

Redmond Arts & Culture Commission https://www.redmond.gov/489/Redmond-Arts-Culture-Commission-RACC