HIATUS


Write In Portland is currently on hiatus. 

Please send your Portland literary event listings to:

Blue Skirt Productions: blueskirtproductions@gmail.com

http://blueskirtproductions.com/events/

Thank you!

Prompt: A Write Around Portland Community Workshop

Prompt: A Write Around Portland Community Workshop
Join us for a 10 week workshop devoted to generative writing and the transformative power of writing in community. Based on the successful Write Around Portland (http://www.writearound.org/) model, this dynamic workshop incorporates many of our favorite exercises designed to inspire the writing life, including free-writing; group discussion; imagery, character, plot and poetry development; and early-draft revision.

All proceeds from Prompt go directly toward funding Write Around Portland workshops and programs in hospitals, prisons, schools, treatment centers, low-income housing facilities and more.

Prompt: Meets weekly for 10 weeks
Ten Tuesdays, May 13 to July 15, 6:30-8:30pm
Powell’s City of Books, 10th and W. Burnside
$285 (Payment plans available. Includes free parking, snacks and access to the “Bowels of Powells.”)

Carolyn O'Doherty earned her MFA from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine.  She has been a Hawthorne Fellow and taught a Worldbuilding class at the Attic.  Carolyn started volunteering with Write Around Portland in 2013 and facilitated workshops at a residential treatment center for men and our twice monthly workshops at HOTLIPS Pizza. She is currently working on a young adult urban fantasy novel about kids who can freeze time.

Registration limited to 12 adults. For more information or to register, please contact Write Around Portland at 503.796.9224.

The ABC's of Literary Journal Submission

What Submission Guidelines Don’t Tell You: An Insider’s Guide to Submitting to Literary Journals


Whether you’re just thinking  about sending your work out to literary journals, or you’ve already received a  handful of rejections, this class will explain how the dizzying process really works. We’ll cover targeting  markets, formatting work, handling rejections, and what happens when you get  accepted. After this lively class, you’ll be ready to charge the world of  publishing. (Note: Not for book-length publishing)
“I attended  a Liz Prato’s mini-workshop on publishing, & it was great. I walked away  with reassuring statistics on how many rejections to expect as opposed to  acceptances, models for cover letters, an online source for literary journals,  & lots of good, practical advice.” ~ Cindy Stewart-Rinier

Register for this class

Teacher: Liz Prato
Date/Time: Saturday, April 19th, 1 - 3pm
Location: Attic Institute, 4232 SE Hawthorne
Total Fee: $50 (cash/check); $59 (Paypal).

Liz Prato's stories and essays have appeared in Hayden’s  Ferry Review, Subtropics, The Rumpus, Iron Horse Literary Review, Hunger  Mountain, Carve, and ZYZZYVA, among others. Awards include the 2010 Minnetonka  Review Editor’s Prize, 2005 Berkeley Fiction Review Sudden Fiction prize. She was appointed a 2012 Sewanee Writers’ Conference Scholar and has guest-edited for VoiceCatcher. She is the editor of the fiction anthology The Night, and the Rain, and the River (Forest Avenue Press, May 2014).   www.lizprato.com

The 5th Annual Terroir Creative Writing Festival

The 5th Annual Terroir Creative Writing Festival of Yamhill County will be held 9-5, on Saturday April 19, 2014, at the Yamhill Valley Chemeketa Community College campus in McMinnville. A full program of speakers includes authors of fiction, poetry, and memoir, as well as a workshop in travel writing and hands-on sessions in making letterpress broadsides and creating a handmade book. Registration discounts for students, seniors, and pre-registration.

Deadline for pre-registration discount is April 11. For a full schedule and a registration form, go to:
http://terroircreativewritingfestivaldotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/2014-tcwf-registration-form-2.pdf
For detailed information on presenters and their websites: http://terroircreativewritingfestival.com/visiting-authors
Among the authors presenting are Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate and widely published poet; Karen Karbo, author of fourteen award-winning novels, memoirs and works of non-fiction including the best-selling “Kick Ass Women” series; Joe Wilkins, whose books have won awards both in prose and poetry (Notes from the Journey Westward, The Mountains and the Fathers, and others); Maggie Chula (president of the Tanka Society of America and author of seven poetry collections); nonfiction author and poet Barbara Drake (Peace at Heart, Driving One Hundred); poet and Linfield College professor Lex Runciman (One Hour That Morning and four other collections); memoirist Lisa Ohlen Harris (The Fifth Season and Through the Veil); and novelist Stephen Long (There’s a Somebody). Broadside and letterpress artist Juniper White will discuss the history of the literary broadside and teach a workshop in using letterpress to print poetry broadsides. Journalist and travel author Emily Grosvenor, whose work appears in Sunset magazine, AAA magazine, newspapers, and other publications, will speak on travel writing. Marilyn Worrix, Founder and Director of the Book Arts Center of McMinnville, will conduct a two hour workshop in making your own handmade book, supplies provided.
Note: Check out our Terroir Facebook page for video interviews of Festival speakers talking about their art and their Terroir Festival workshops and other posts.

Two Portland Novelists!

Broadway Books is pleased to announce a special event to be held at the store at 7 pm on Thursday, April 24.

Two Portland novelists will be here to present their newly published books.

Dan Berne is the author of
Gods of Second Chances. This is the story of Ray Bancroft, a widowed Alaskan fisherman who is raising his granddaughter. Trouble comes when Ray’s estranged daughter returns from prison, her search for a safe harbor threatening everything Ray holds sacred.

Rob Yardumian’s debut novel is
The Sound of Songs Across the Water. The story takes place in the summer of 1995 in Los Angeles. Washed-out musician Riley Walter hasn’t had an album in fifteen years. He joins former bandmate Will Taylor to produce a new album, and long-buried conflicts darken the sunny California scene. It’s a tale about the struggles of two old friends, music, sex, charisma, art, love, and the power of money.

Poetry with Harold Johnson and Robert A. Davies

Harold Johnson and Robert A. Davies will give a poetry reading at Kenton Library
(8226 N. Denver Ave., Portland) 7-8:00 PM on Tuesday, April 22. Free.

Harold Johnson was born in Yakima, Washington, and has lived in Portland for the past sixty-two years where he has practiced music, visual art, and writing. His poems have been published in numerous small journals and anthologized in From Here We Speak: Poetry of Oregon, New Poets of the American West, Millennial Spring: Eight New Oregon Poets, Portland Lights, and Millennial Spring: African-American poetry of the 21st Century. He has co-edited the journal Fireweed and has a volume of poems forthcoming from Many Voices Press. Johnson's reading will include recent and older works.

Robert A. Davies lives in Portland, Oregon. He has published widely in the Little magazines and more recently in
CounterPunch.com, Windfall, Subtopian and Dissidentvoice.com. He was co-editor of Mr. Cogito magazine for more than 20 years, has published TRACKS IN OREGON (a finalist for the Oregon Literary Award), TIMBER, SOMETIMES SUBVERSIVE, MELONS and MENDELSSOHN and BLUFF HOLLOW. H will be reading mostly from the last 3 books. rjdavies3@comcast.net

Spring Classes at the Multnomah Arts Center

 The Multnomah Arts Center is located in SW Portland and offers classes in various artistic disciplines for people of all ages through Portland Parks and Recreation. 
 
To register call (503) 823-3187 or visit www.multnomahartscenter.org to get full course listings and find out more about our teachers.

Fiction—Writing What You Don’t Know with Michael Cooper
Mondays 7 - 9 pm  Apr. 7 - May 19  $120 [7 classes]  Michael Cooper
 
Advanced Memoir Writing with Rob Freedman
Tuesdays 10 am - 12:30 pm   Apr. 1 - May 27  $184  [9 classes]
 
Writing Poetry That Pops  with Donna Prinzmetal
Tuesdays 7 - 8:30 pm  Apr. 1 - Jun. 3  $135  [10 classes]
 
Writing Personal Histories  with Meg Eberle
 Wednesdays 10 am - 1 pm  Apr. 2 - May 28  $120 [5 classes]
 
Reading & Writing About Oregon with Christine Colasurdo
Wednesdays 7 - 9 pm Apr. 2 - Jun. 4 $170 [10 classes]
 
Writing Our Lives As Story with Nancy Linnon
Thursdays 10 am - 12 pm   Apr. 3 - May 22  $136 [8 classes]
 
The Writer’s Toolbox  with Judith Pulman
Fridays 10 - 12:30 pm  Apr. 18 – Jun. 6  $164 [8 weeks]
 
Reading Your Work Aloud with Robert Freedman
Saturday 1 - 4 pm  May 31  $28 [1 class]
 
Writers’ Boot Camp with Michael Cooper
Saturdays  Apr. 121 - 3:30 pmMay 10 & Jun. 71 - 2:30 pm $48 [3 classes] 
 

Dan Berne's "The Gods of Second Chances" Launch

Portland Author Debuts at Powell’s 

The Gods of Second Chances, Portland author Dan Berne’s debut novel, will launch with a reading at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, at Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside Ave., Portland.

The Gods of Second Chances features Ray Bancroft, a widowed Alaskan fisherman raising his granddaughter with help from a multitude of gods and goddesses—not to mention rituals ad-libbed at sea by his half-Tlingit best friend. But statues and otter bone ceremonies aren’t enough when Ray’s estranged daughter returns from prison, her search for a safe harbor threatening everything he holds sacred.

“Every so often a novel comes along that feels like nothing you’ve read before,” said Karen Karbo, author of Julia Child Rules. “Dan Berne’s The Gods of Second Chances is one of those, soulful and shattering in equal measure. Berne shines a light on rarely visited corners of both the world and the human heart in a page-turning story that stays with you long after you’ve reached the end.”

Berne, whose fiction and poetry have been published in literary magazines, owns a market strategy consultancy and lives with his wife Aliza in Portland. Learn more at danberne.com

The Gods of Second Chances is illustrated by Portland artist Reid Psaltis, who draws inspiration from the natural world. Psaltis’s comics and illustrations have been featured on Top Shelf 2.0, Study Group Comics, Trip City, Scout Books Good Ink Series, and by other independent publishers. More of his work can be seen at reidpsaltis.com. 

Forest Avenue Press chose Berne’s manuscript as the first novel in its fiction catalog, following the release of the linked story collection A Simplified Map of the Real World by Stevan Allred, which was named a #1 book of the year in the Powell’s Staff Top 5s. The Night, and the Rain, and the River, an Oregon short story anthology edited by Liz Prato of Portland, and Skin Drag, a debut novel by Portland poet Kate Gray, are forthcoming in May and September 2014. 

For more information, see forestavenuepress.com.

Street Roots Poetry Anthology Launch

Street Roots is publishing its first-ever book, a poetry anthology "I Am Not a Poet: 15 Years of Street Roots Poetry and Art" and would love for folks to come help us celebrate. 
 
Please join us for friends, food and a few poetry readings on:
 Feb. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. 
at Reading Frenzy at 3628 N Mississippi Avenue.

More info at: http://streetroots.org/iamnotapoet


One-Day Conference about Self-Publishing in the Digital Age


Some big names in publishing are coming to Portland, and they’re going to be talking about self-publishing in the digital age. Portland is known for its small press scene and zine culture, so when the founder of Smashwords and a representative from Bloomsbury Publishing roll into town, you know they’re going to shake things up.

Smashwords and Bloomsbury Publishing are teaming up with Portland State University’s graduate program in Book Publishing, Kingston University in England, and Northwest Independent Editors Guild in order to present a one-day conference on self-publishing. The conference is scheduled for Tuesday, February 25, from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the Portland State University campus. Speakers include Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords; Eela Devani, Digital Business Development Director of Bloomsbury Publishing; Dr. Alison Baverstock, author and Course Leader for Publishing at Kingston University; and Jill Kelly, member of Northwest Independent Editors Guild.

By far the most recognizable name on the bill, Coker will be speaking about why self-publishing is the most exciting thing happening in publishing today. It’s not hard to see why Coker might believe this, since the company he founded in 2008, Smashwords, has become a leading distributor for self-published books. Smashwords is known for its ease of use; authors simply upload their manuscripts as Microsoft Word files, and Smashwords converts these files into multiple e-book formats.

Drawing from research she conducted on the subject of self-publishing, Baverstock will provide a firm grounding for the hyperbole one so often hears about self-publishing. She will be discussing the publishing industry, self-publishing’s place within it, and likely future developments. Baverstock brings key insights into how self-published authors can replicate the critical elements traditionally supplied by publishers in order to create successful e-books. Her most recent book, The Naked Author: A Guide to Self-Publishing, is (ironically!) published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Baverstock will also team up with Devani to discuss how self-published authors can use social media to get their work better known. With more than 13 years on the digital side of publishing, Devani is the perfect person to lead this discussion.

But this conference isn’t all experts flown in from overseas or out of state; Kelly will provide a valuable local perspective. Among other things, she will speak to the issue of how to find local freelance editors, designers, and so forth. These local freelancers can be a tremendous boon to one’s self-publishing project.

The conference is being held at Smith Memorial Student Union (1825 SW Broadway), room 238, on the Portland State University campus. The cost is $90 and includes coffee, tea, and light refreshments; lunch is available from a variety of local establishments or bring your own. For more information and to register, visit https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/services/publishing-route

Bad Love with Brave on the Page Writers

Celebrate the day before Valentine’s Day with original tales of bad love by Stevan Allred, Amber Krieger, Gigi Little, and Tammy Lynne Stoner at the Thursday Night Reading Series, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Rain or Shine Coffee House, 5941 SE Division St. 

Be prepared to laugh while your heart is being ripped out. All four readers are featured in Brave on the Page: Oregon Writers on Craft and the Creative Life, the homegrown anthology that launched Portland’s Forest Avenue Press in 2012. 

Stevan Allred lives and writes in a house in the woods halfway between Fisher’s Mill and Viola, in rural Clackamas County, outside of Portland, Oregon. A Simplified Map of the Real World (Forest Avenue Press)his debut linked short story collection, was chosen as one of the best books of 2013 in the annual Powell’s Staff Top 5s. Stevan is the editor of Dixon Ticonderoga, a zine that explores the intimate relationship between divorce and pencils. He teaches writing at the Pinewood Table and has been widely published in literary magazines.

Amber Krieger lives under the name Amber Keller. Her writing has appeared in B O D Y, Carve Magazine, The Adirondack Review, Brave on the Page and elsewhere. She is the host of Late Night Debut, Late Night Library's podcast series focused on debut books. When she is not writing, she can be seen riding around town with her four-year-old on a very big bike.

Gigi Little's work has appeared in literary magazines and in anthologies including Portland Noir and Brave on the Page. Along with her work appearing *in* books, it has appeared *on* books, as she's also the graphic designer for Forest Avenue Press. By day, she works as Lead Visual Merchandiser for Powell's Books and is married to fine artist Stephen O'Donnell. Before moving to Portland, Gigi spent fifteen years in the circus, as a lighting director and professional circus clown. She never took a pie to the face and never got stuffed into one of those little cars, but she is a Rhodes scholar on the art of losing one's pants.

Tammy Lynne Stoner is currently pimping her novel Spots in Sugar Land, which follows the life of a dowdy prison cook with the gift of “the Sight” as she overcomes a frightening prophesy to become the fabulous matriarch to a family of Texas misfits. In the past three years she’s been published by Unshod Quills – who nominated her for a Million Writers Award, 10,000 Tons of Black InkPif MagazineFolio and with the delightful Forest Avenue Press.

Laura Stanfill on The Promise and Peril of Self-Publishing




Author and journalist Laura Stanfill is teaming up with the School of Journalism and
Communication’s George S. Turnbull Center to explore the "The Promise and Peril of Self-Publishing" from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, January 23.
 

The public is invited to join her for a spirited discussion about the benefits and challenges of having creative control over your own work, in addition to helpful tips on navigating the complicated aspects. There will also be a Q&A and light hors d’ouevres to follow.
 

For more information: http://journalism.uoregon.edu/promise-and-peril-self-publishing
 

School of Journalism and Communication
University of Oregon in Portland
70 NW Couch St.
Floor 3R
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 412-3662

Writing From Sacred Story

Writing from Sacred Story

A fundraiser for P’nai Or of Portland, a Jewish Renewal community: http://www.pnaiorpdx.org 
Instructor: Lyssa Tall Anolik

When: Sunday Feb. 2, 2014
Time: 1pm - 5pm
Location: St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 9750 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland, OR 97219
Fee: $75  (100% of proceeds go to P’nai Or)
 

To register, and for questions, contact Lyssa:  lyssa@flashdog.com
*Space is limited, so please register soon!*

Description:
We live in a melting pot of sacred story — Native American, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Voodoo, Hindu, Druid, Buddhist… Traditions from all over the world have infused North American culture with elements of their sacred texts and oral traditions. Whether we actively practice a faith or not, we encounter sacred stories and symbols everywhere: in songs, children’s stories, poems, team mascots, business logos, and other forms of media. What can sacred stories reveal about our individual and collective life stories? 
 
Please join me as we enter these sacred story worlds through visualization, stream-of-consciousness writing, and dynamic discussion in a safe and supportive environment. No writing experience necessary — All are welcome!

Winter 2014 Literary Arts Classes at the Multnomah Arts Center

Winter 2014 
Literary Arts Classes at 
the Multnomah Arts Center

To register for classes, call (503) 823-3187 or visit MAC's Literary Arts website
to find out more about our classes and faculty. Classes start soon; don’t miss out!

Multi-week classes:
Fiction—Writing What You Don’t Know with Michael Thomas Cooper
Mondays 7:00 – 9:00 pm ··January 6 - March 3$120 [8 weeks]
No class January 20 or February 17

Memoir Writingwith Rob Freedman
Tuesdays 10:00 am - 12:30 pm ··January 7 – February 25 $164 [8 weeks]

Writing Poetry That Pops with Donna Prinzmetal
Tuesdays 7:00 - 8:30 pm ··January 7 – March 11$135 [10 weeks]

Reading and Writing about Oregon with Christine Colasurdo
Wednesdays 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm ·· January 8 – March 12 $170 [10 weeks]

Writing Our Lives As Storywith Meg Eberle
Thursdays 10:00 am - 12:00 pm··January 9 – February 27 $136 [8 weeks]

The Lyric Essaywith Kate Carroll de Gutes
Thursdays 6:30-9:00 pm ··January 9 – 23 $62 [3 weeks]

Genre-Bendingwith Kate Carroll de Gutes
Thursdays 6:30-9:00 pm ··March 6 - 20 $62 [3 weeks]

Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, & Umami—Writing with Flavor and Zest
with Judith Pulman
Fridays 10:00 am – 12:30 pm ··January 24 – March 14 $150[7 classes]
No class on February 28

Saturday Workshops:
Your Best Intentions with Amy Minato
Saturday, January 25 10:00 am – 12:00 pm $20 [1 class]

Drawing and Writing Excursion in MultnomahVillage
with James Yeary & Nate Orton
Saturday. March 810:00 am -3:00 pm$58 [1 class]

In Short & in Brief with Kate Carroll de Gutes & Judith Pulman
Saturday, March 15 10:00 am -3:00 pm$58 [1 class]