Raspy, our mascot

RASP: Resources for Poets and Writers

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.


Our favorites

Richard Hugo House—A Seattle writing center located on Capital Hill.

Haiku Northwest—Group founded in 1988 to celebrate haiku and related poetry, meeting monthly usually in Bellevue.

Jack Straw Productions—Jack Straw Productions is dedicated to the production and presentation of all forms of audio art. Jack Straw focuses on arts & heritage partnerships, arts and technology education, radio productions, Artist Support Program, Writers Program and new music residency programs.

Northwest SPokenword LAB—SPLAB is an inter-generational spokenword performance, resource, and outreach center dedicated to poetry, storytelling, conversation, debate, consciousness, and building community through shared experience of the spoken and written word.

Writers Cramp—A writer's group that meets in West Seattle. Their emphasis is science fiction and fantasy but they welcome all writers interested in improving their skills and getting published.

Floating Bridge Press—Floating Bridge Press is a 501(c)(3) non-profit literary arts organization whose mission is to recognize and promote the work of Washington State poets, through an annual Poetry Chapbook Award; the production of archival-quality chapbooks, anthologies, and broadsides; as well as community poetry readings.

Writers Exchange on About.com—Part of "About.com" (used to be called Miningco.com) on this site you'll find research tools, alternative publishing opportunities (audio, cyber, subsidy, and self), professional writers' organizations (and informal groups), and new market developments (including the "dark side" publishing scams).

Romance writers of America, Seattle chapter—Part of the National organization for romance writers, this group has a newsletter, monthly meetings and has opportunities for networking and writing groups.

The Raven Chronicles—The Raven Chronicles publishes work that reflects the cultural diversity and multitude of viewpoints in the Pacific Northwest and other regions. They publish, in varied formats (magazine, chapbooks, online), art, fiction, spoken word, poetry, essays, reviews and interviews. They document the profound contributions of art made at the community level.

3:15 Experiment—In 1993, A group of writers at the Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics Summer Writing Program tried an experiment in states of consciousness and the writing process. Write each day during the month of August at 3:15 am. There have been some format changes, but the experiment lives on.

If you're aware of any writing resources that aren't here, please let us know at ).