Noticing: Writing as an Act of Attention

In this class, we will drop all worry about being “writers”. Instead, we will simply use writing as a means of grounding our own attention. We will be prompted by writers who have turned their attention to the smallest noticings of life — observations of what is. Through writing together to prompts during our sessions, we will turn our own attention to the details around us – the way our skin feels against the chair, the light outside the window, a bird flying by. I will also suggest you establish a daily practice of noticing and hope that by the end of the four weeks, we each will share a rough “lyric essay” built from the fragments of our attention.

Access Program
We want our classes to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers class registrations at a reduced rate. The access program for writing classes covers 60% of the class tuition. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.

Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.

Perrin Kerns

Perrin Kerns has been teaching creative writing for over 30 years.She currently teaches literature, creative writing and digital storytelling at Prescott College, Portland State University, Clark College, Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, Fishtrap Writers Conference and Literary Arts. Her own creative work has taken her from lyric essay to digital storytelling to personal narrative documentaries based on her lyric essays. She won the Director’s Choice award for her documentary, “Between Sasquatch and Superman: Living with Down’s Syndrome”, from the San Francisco Short’s festival and Best Short Animation for her film about her miscarriage from the Oregon Independent Film Festival.