A resource for the PDX literary community. Produced by Old Pal.
LitPDX seeks to amplify marginalized voices, and welcomes all, their ideas, their events, and their words.
For details regarding specific events please contact the organizers or venues. If you are an organizer or venue and would like to reach out to us please feel free to contact us or submit an event using our submission form. We’d love to hear from you!
The Oregon Book Awards honors the state’s finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, graphic literature, drama, literary nonfiction, and literature for young readers. Finalists will be announced on our web site on March 29, 2021, and winners will be announced May 2, 2021, on a special episode of the Archive project.
If you’re like most people, thinking about tomorrow makes you anxious. You may have dreams of what you want to do or where you want to be in the next few months, years, or decade, but you’re fearful because you don’t know what may await. Unfortunately, this apprehension affects how you make decisions today — the kind of decisions that will impact your life tomorrow. Acclaimed futurist Brian David Johnson has spent a quarter century helping governments, Fortune 500 corporations, and other organizations chart successful paths forward by showing them what the world will soon look like. Now, he uses his prognosticator’s skill to help you be your best self — to help you see the future, and your place in it, in a new…
Annie Bloom's welcomes local author Emmeline Duncan (aka, Kelly Garrett) for a livestream reading from her new mystery novel, Fresh Brewed Murder. She will be joined by a trio of fellow Northwest mystery authors: Ellie Alexander, Alicia Beckman (aka, Leslie Budewitz), Angela M. Sanders. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcudOisqDIqE9UCVRUg2BnHhH36J6f_UUBx About Fresh Brewed Murder: Master barista Sage Caplin is opening a new coffee cart in Portland, Oregon, but a killer is brewing up a world of trouble. Portland is famous for its rain, hipsters, craft beers...and coffee. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee truck, Ground Rules, which she runs with her business partner, Harley--a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. That's essential in a city where locals have intensely strong opinions about cappuccino versus…
#Virtualandia! 2021 is an exciting opportunity for students from eligible* Portland-area high schools to take part in a dynamic virtual slam poetry competition presented by Literary Arts. Competitors will take to the mic for a chance to win prizes including the title of #Virtualandia slam champion and corresponding $1,000 visa gift card. Up to 300 youth poets will submit original work via video by midnight Wednesday, March 31 to be reviewed and judged by a diverse group of artists and fans with a pulse on the literary scene. Ten poets will be selected to advance and qualify for our April 29, 2021 grand slam event. These ten students will have their poems professionally recorded and aired during the grand slam event to be scored by…
Join us online for a homeschool family book group to discuss the Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award nominees and then cast our votes. Each year children vote on The Beverly Clearly Children's Choice Award to honor their favorite chapter book for new readers. This group is for children reading short chapter books and their favorite adult. Space is limited. Please register via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3mqYGEE
Due to limited space, we must give priority to current K – 12 educators. If you are not a current teacher, but are interested in attending, please email education@ojmche.org and if space becomes available we will email you with the link to attend. The program will also be recorded and uploaded to our youtube page for anyone to watch. With the flood of misinformation and disinformation appearing on our social media feeds, conspiracy theories like QAnon and Holocaust Denial have emerged into the public dialogue at a disturbing pace. In this session, educators will learn how and why people begin to engage with conspiracy theories and extremist movements, explore the relationship/spectrum between truth/evidence, opinions/beliefs, and conspiracy theories, and acquire tools and strategies for addressing comments…
In 1833, Charles Darwin was astonished by an animal he met in the Falkland Islands: handsome, social, and oddly crow-like falcons that were “tame and inquisitive… quarrelsome and passionate,” and so insatiably curious that they stole hats, compasses, and other valuables from the crew of the Beagle. Darwin wondered why these birds were confined to remote islands at the tip of South America, sensing a larger story, but he set this mystery aside and never returned to it. Almost 200 years later, Jonathan Meiburg takes up this chase. He takes us through South America, from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana, in search of these birds: striated caracaras, which still exist, though they’re very rare. He reveals the…
Come hear Dr. Kendi as he engages the community in a dynamic conversation. ReadUP 2021 will conclude with the Schoenfeldt Distinguished Visiting Writers Series hosting Dr. Kendi as he engages the community in a dynamic conversation that addresses questions submitted by UP community members in advance of the event and, if time allows, from event attendees. Questions for Dr. Kendi? Book discussion groups across campus will harvest questions, and for those reading on their own, UP community members can supply questions on this simple form; sign in with your UP credentials. Questions submitted by 5pm on Monday, March 29 will be generously curated by staff in the Office of International Education, Diversity and Inclusion, with the goal of hearing from as many people as possible.…
An Event with Jacqueline Winspear and Her Latest Maisie Dobbs book We are thrilled to once again welcome Jacqueline Winspear to our virtual stage to talk about the latest book (#16!) in her series of Maisie Dobbs books, The Consequences of Fear. Jacqueline Winspear is well-known and well-loved for her Maisie Dobbs series, which explores the aftermath of World War I through the character of Maisie, who is very much a woman of her generation--women who claimed independence they were reluctant to relinquish once the war ended. The new novel opens in October 1941, as Europe buckles under Nazi occupation. Maisie is working secretly for the Special Operations Executive, assessing candidates for crucial work with the French resistance. Her two worlds collide when she spots…
The Beaverton City Library is assisting a student with her Girl Scout Gold Award project by helping to collect writings from students in grades 6-12 about their experiences during the pandemic. We are hoping to add teenage voices to the conversation surrounding the pandemic and its effects on people. Selected writings will be assembled into a booklet and added to the Beaverton City Library’s local history collection, and some entries will also be sent to the Oregon Historical Society and/or published elsewhere. Writing can be in the form of an essay, poem, or any other creative style. Submissions can be kept anonymous if the author chooses. This writing project is open to Oregon students living in Washington and Multnomah counties. There is an informational webpage…
Writing is often thought of as something done in isolation; we know there is immense power when writing is done in community. Join us for 90 minutes of creativity and community-building, with generative writing exercises, sharing and strengths-based feedback. Our workshop model, refined over 22 years, is proven for people of all writing levels: from the budding writer to the published author. Workshops are held via Zoom. Weekly registration opens 5 days before each session and closes one hour before the workshop. Click here for more info. Mondays from 3 to 4:30 pm (Pacific Time) Sliding Scale Registration $5-$30. Register here. $0 registration available for past Write Around Portland participants at a social service agency and people experiencing financial hardship. Register here. Thursdays from 11 am to…
Saeed Jones is an essential author as well as a powerful voice in the world of literary activism, and his writing often takes on questions of identity. Formerly a major contributor at Buzzfeed, he shaped his platform into a tool for social awareness with his no-holds-barred personality. In 2019, Saeed released his highly anticipated memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives. In this memoir, Saeed has developed a one-of-a-kind style that is as beautiful as it is powerful, and he has cemented himself as an essential writer of our time. This event will be free and open to the public. For the link and password to the event, write to anelson@clark.edu. *Because this lecture falls during Clark College's spring break, a recording will be made available to…
Long before she became the first American woman to summit K2 and the first British woman to return from its summit alive, Vanessa O’Brien was a feisty suburban Detroit teenager forced to reinvent her world in the wake of a devastating loss that destroyed her family. Making her own way in the world, O’Brien strove to reach her lofty ambitions. Soon, armed with an MBA and a wry sense of humor, she climbed the corporate ladder to great success, but after the 2009 economic meltdown, her career went into a tailspin. She searched for a new purpose and settled on an unlikely goal: climbing Mount Everest. When her first attempt ended in disaster, she trudged home, humbled but wiser. Two years later, she made it…
Our book discussions aim to bring people together to talk about books in a safe and inviting atmosphere. Our meetings are lovely and inclusive; we invite you to attend. Come and enjoy a lively discussion about the chosen book with other readers. Join us on April 1st at 6:30pm for our Romance Book Club. : The Duke and I ( Bridgertons, 1 ) is this month's pick]
Please join us for an hour on zoom. We'll have five phenomenal writer/readers sharing their grief stories on a variety of topics. It's a heart balm. Love to see you there! Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83022570139?pwd=UXR0bjhXWnRIZEtlelByVWRLSkcvZz09 Meeting ID: 830 2257 0139 Passcode: 455941
FLASH! In The Pan is a series of 10-day long creative writing workshops taught by jayy dodd with prompts, lessons, & guest talks. The third session will feature a guest talk from visiting writer Siaara Freeman. This series of workshops is for Queer/Trans* Black, Indigenous Writers / of Color. Each session has 20 seats max. The workshop will utilize, Google Groups, Google Meet, Drive, & Youtube Live. Facilitated by jayy dodd. Tuition for each workshop is $100, scholarships available. Apply here
Support Powell’s and four amazing local nonprofits during Powell’s Book Drive! Donate your unwanted used books to Powell's and we'll pass your proceeds on to one of our partner nonprofits. Powell’s Book Drive will be held April 2 through 30 at Powell’s Industrial Warehouse, located at 2720 NW 29th Ave. Drop-offs are welcome between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. All COVID-19 safety protocols, including mandatory face masks and social distancing, will be observed during the Book Drive. Book Drive sales are donation only. If you wish to sell us your books for cash or credit, please use our Online Buyback program. Before you come As with all books sold or donated to Powell’s, we ask that donors inspect the condition of the items you're offering…
This class is for serious writers who are ready to reclaim their commitment to writing. The writing journey, exhilarating and wondrous as it is, can be punctuated with delays and disappointments. Sometimes the demands of daily life or an unexpected crisis can send us into a tailspin. How do we keep writing through chaos or a stressful live event? For many of us, 2020 threw various hurdles in the way of our ability to write consistently. Yet, we pressed on. Still, some of us have yet to regain our footing, and need encouragement to keep going. If you are tired of not writing, and want to cultivate the “stick-to-it-ness” necessary for meeting your goals–no matter the challenges–this workshop is for you. Gleaning inspiration and guidance…
It’s zine making time! Dive into all things zine with Outlet and zine queen Kate Bingaman-Burt! In this virtual workshop we’ll explore zine history, types of zines, talk about where to find zines, how to share them, and experiment with different zine formats (including the versatile and ubiquitous one page zine)—also we’ll spend some time actually sort of DEFINING what a zine is for those who are new to this amazing medium for sharing ideas and knowledge! Kate will give tons of prompts, tips, and inspiration to take those ideas and turn them into a tangible lovely THING. Depending on the workshop ticket tier you choose, this class culminates in making a collaborative zine that is riso printed and mailed to you! Supplies Needed A…
WITH: Brigid Yuknavitch and Lidia Yuknavitch WHEN&WHERE: Saturday April 3rd and Sunday April 4th, over Zoom. 10am-1pm PST both days. HOW MUCH: $450. Twenty person cap. Payment plans are always available, contact Daniel at registration@corporealwriting.com. SCHOLARSHIPS: Click here to apply. What are the trees saying in their ways and what might we say? How many trees have been nearby in your life, standing as you were cradled and and then walked and then moved into the world? Did you see them touch them, hide inside them, or behind them? Did their smells come onto your skin as if you were a tree? Did you hear wind through them or watch the light flicker? How have you been with trees? In this generative writing workshop we…
Lola Milholland produces food-related art installations and events, bringing together interactive public engagement with art making and food activism. Her favorite projects involve collaborating with artists and community members to take an idea from seed to full-blown project. These include a multi-day festival focused on mushrooms, with food, videos, and a zoetrope sculpture; a CSA Share Fair to introduce local eaters to CSA farmers in the Portland area with matchmaking booths and a cookbook swap meet; and a convening of community members to make miso from scratch together and investigate what it means to share cultures, bacterial and otherwise. You can read more about these projects on her website. Lola also runs a noodle business in Portland called Umi Organic. Their ramen was a recent…
Sound Familiar? The fairy tale with the step sisters, the fancy dress ball, the fairy god-mother? And those slippers? A universal story, right? Maybe not. Join members of the Portland Storytellers’ Guild for an around the world tour of this story from different cultures with so many nuanced differences. What – no slippers? Huh -- no prince or fancy ball? Hey – what happened to the fairy god-mother? Through it all, discover that in our many cultural differences, we have a lot more in common than we thought. A half dozen storytellers bring you Cinderella in some of her many surprising guises from around the world. Join us for a fun frolic with an old/new friend. A virtual evening of tales Saturday, April 3 at…
A bi-weekly virtual meet-up group for dramatists to write silently together in community for one hour. About this Event Oregon Dramatists are invited to participate in Oregon Write Now!, an ongoing virtual meet-up group where playwrights, composers and librettists write silently together in virtual community. This event will take place every other Sunday at 7pm, with meeting times March 7, March 21, April 4 , and April 18. Register for all four sessions, or as your schedule allows. For Write Now!, after a quick welcome by your host, all you have to do is turn your camera on and mute your sound, for an hour of uninterrupted community writing time. You may use this Eventbrite registration form to register for one or multiple sessions. A…
These online workshops for BIPOC writers are designed to help you generate new material, refine an existing draft, or simply discover the permission to call yourself a writer. We will gather on Zoom on the first Sunday of each month (March-June) and hold space for each other, creating an online community with other BIPOC writers. Think of this as a playpen and creative incubator to support you as you generate writing and navigate building a creative practice and life in the arts. We will write together using specific prompts. We’ll bounce ideas off each other, share our work in progress, and hold space for the fullness of who we are. These online workshops are for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) writers, in order to maintain…
IPRC Creative Writing Workshops for Winter 2021 will be held online via zoom, PST. Register here Taught by Catie Hannigan, Creative Semester is a new hybrid creative writing workshop that brings together creative practice, generative writing, critical discussion and an exploration of bookforms. With an emphasis on continual creative engagement participants will learn four bookforms in tandem with monthly generative writing prompts. The workshop will also incorporate asynchronous community engagement, with ample opportunity to give and receive feedback on creative work. Over the course of 6 months, participants will be challenged to explore craft choices through journaling & creative writing prompts, and assigned readings and book discussions. Participants will come away with four hand-crafted bookarts projects, a suite of new poems, and a creative community.…
Join us for our April Open Mic! Sign ups will be available in the event 30 minutes before we start! You will have 3 minutes to read 1-2 poems. We will have a feature from Catherine Weiss! More about Catherine: Catherine Weiss (she/they) is a poet and artist from Maine. Her poetry has been published or is forthcoming in Tinderbox, Up the Staircase, Fugue, Okay Donkey, perhappened, Bodega, Counterclock, Hobart After Dark, and Flypaper Lit. They were the 2017 Grand Slam Champion and the 2018 WOWPS rep of Northampton Poetry. Their debut full-length collection will be published by Game Over Books in 2021. You can find Catherine at most any New England agricultural fair — she’s the one admiring the blue ribbon hog, covered in…
*IPRC Winter & Spring Creative Writing Workshops will take place on zoom, PST Register here Mark Making and Comics Appreciation is a four-week workshop meeting on Sunday nights in April, taught by Liz Yerby. Each week, Liz will give a short lecture on a comics artist or aspect of the medium of comics, and then participants will do drawing exercises together. Between sessions there will be optional homework, such as doing a few 15-minute drawing exercises throughout the week and reading a comic book. The purpose of this class is to approach drawing in a manner that is experimental and kind. Content covered in lectures includes the work of Tove Jansson, Aya by Marguerite Abouet, the work of David B, and more. Sundays, 7-8:30pm PST April 4th –…
Writing is often thought of as something done in isolation; we know there is immense power when writing is done in community. Join us for 90 minutes of creativity and community-building, with generative writing exercises, sharing and strengths-based feedback. Our workshop model, refined over 22 years, is proven for people of all writing levels: from the budding writer to the published author. Workshops are held via Zoom. Weekly registration opens 5 days before each session and closes one hour before the workshop. Click here for more info. Mondays from 3 to 4:30 pm (Pacific Time) Sliding Scale Registration $5-$30. Register here. $0 registration available for past Write Around Portland participants at a social service agency and people experiencing financial hardship. Register here. Thursdays from 11 am to…
Draft a short story in six weeks. Classes combine generative writing to help cultivate ideas for plot and character with workshop feedback to assist in developing story arc, structure, and sensory details. You will also read short stories by masters of the form to help you envision a range of creative possibilities. By the end of the class, you will have completed a draft of a short story, created a plan for revision, and developed material for future projects. Access Program We want our writing 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 writing class registrations at a reduced rate. The access program for writing classes…
In this four-part zine workshop meets peer support group, we will gather with the intention to cultivate both community and creative consciousness around the complex presence that smartphones have in our lives. Each meeting will include space for sharing, followed by conversation to develop ideas for a cumulative collaborative Tech Support zine. The zine may include drawings, writings, poems, prompts, experiments, photos, etc which reflect the unique relationships and experiences that we have with our phones. Participants can expect weekly email offerings with questions, prompts and themes to support their processes, to be used if desired. Facilitated by Erika Dedini Meets Mondays Biweekly Mar. 8th – Apr. 19th $15-25 Sliding Scale; cost reflects all four class sessions Register here Zoom link will be sent the first day of…
Please join us in welcoming Dr. James Waller to Portland via Zoom, where he will be presenting his world recognized research on Atrocity Prevention, and will be sharing findings from his recent report on risks in the United States, published through the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. Through his work with the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass atrocities, Dr. Waller has identified categories of risk that have particular significance in our current social and political landscape. Mike Brand and Jessica Murrey will respond to Dr. Waller’s presentation, engaging questions and conversation from their unique perspectives in atrocity prevention, policy making, and peacebuilding. This event is co-sponsored by OJMCHE, Never Again Coalition, PSU’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project, WorldOregon, The Immigrant…
As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. In Broken (In the Best Possible Way) (Henry Holt), she explores her experimental treatment of transcranial magnetic stimulation with brutal honesty. But also with brutal humor. Lawson discusses the frustration of dealing with her insurance company in “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company,” which should be an anthem for anyone who has ever had to call their insurance company to try and get a claim covered. She tackles such timelessly debated questions as “How do dogs know they have penises?” We see how her vacuum cleaner almost set her house on fire, how she was attacked by three bears, business ideas she wants to pitch to Shark Tank, and why she…
This one-day generative poetry class is an introduction to help you write and examine your own work for revision. Using the four elements of Story, Structure, Music, and Imagination, poets will identify and attempt to balance these elements in their own work. We will use Gregory Orr’s essay “The Four Temperaments and the Forms of Poetry” to examine and revise our own poetry. Prompts will be provided to encourage you to explore and deepen your understanding of each temperament. Reading: Gregory Orr, “The Four Temperaments and the Forms of Poetry." Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're offering our workshops via Zoom. All students must first sign up for a free Zoom account. Setting it up is easy. And we can help you with questions,…
PREORDER Vulnerability Is My Superpower to receive a bookplate signed by Jackie Davis and an invite to the virtual release party on Tuesday April 6, 6pm PST. By being her anxious, honest, and just plain silly self, Jackie Davis’ potato-shaped character proves that, even though opening up to others is scary at first, vulnerability can be a superpower. Vulnerability Is My Superpower features Jackie Davis’s relatable diary comics about self-discovery, mental health, relationships, and childhood. From bouts with anxiety and insecurity to the thrill of simple pleasures like secretly trying other people’s coats on at a party, she’s figuring things out as she goes along, navigating domestic life with her husband, Pat (aka “the Purple Guy”), and sharing her most embarrassing thoughts and habits so you…
Annie Bloom's welcomes back Portland author Jamie Yourdon for the livestream launch of his new novel, The Space Between Two Deaths. Register in advance here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvcu2oqDMtGNKRmAN4UP5sM1ZBj7RxtMkT About The Space Between Two Deaths: In ancient Sumeria, only a thin veil separates the living from the dead. The lives of Ziz, her mother, Meshara, and her father, Temen, are disrupted when a mysterious crevasse rends the earth. Temen becomes obsessed with the mystery and, capturing a crow to guide him, he follows a path to the netherworld where he hopes to gain wisdom from his dead father. Yet he soon finds that ancestors don't always provide the answers we need. In his absence, a grisly accident occurs on their farm––Meshara and Ziz are forced to flee. Friendless…
feat. Sampson McCormick, Rain DeGrey, Tatiyanna Shirley, and Reba Sparrow! From vanilla to kinky, queer to straight, and everything in between, a night at The Mystery Box Show brings you tales of one-night stands, explorations into fetish, awkward first times, dark fantasies come true, and much much more. Storytellers have included bestselling authors, nationally touring comedians, adult film industry veterans, theatre professionals, sex toy experts, members from the kink community, students and people from all walks of life. Nothing here is too raw, too sweet, too strange, or too deep; it's all about the sex, and all about the story.
Allison Hutchcraft is the author of Swale, which was named the 2019 Editor’s Choice by New Issues Poetry & Prose. Her poems have appeared in Boulevard, The Cincinnati Review, Crazyhorse, The Gettysburg Review, Kenyon Review, The Missouri Review, and The Southern Review, among other journals. A former resident at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology on the Oregon coast, she has been awarded an Artist Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council and scholarships from the Tin House Writers Workshop, the Key West Literary Seminars, and the Community of Writers. She teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Join fellow writers the first Wednesday of the month for a friendly critique. The goal is to support one another with constructive feedback and participate in writing exercises. All experience levels welcome! Join Online Meeting ID: 230 496 085
In an ever-changing country filled with political turmoil, understanding our histories is the only way for us to move forward. The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education’s Student Advisory Board hosts a Youth Book and Film Circle, where students in grades 9 – 12 meet to discuss films and books covering topics related to the museum’s core exhibits and mission. For our second meeting, participants will be asked to watch the 2019 film Jojo Rabbit and/or read the book Night by Elie Wiesel. Jojo Rabbit is a satirical film directed by Taika Waititi about the Hitler Youth and antisemitic propaganda during the Holocaust but is also a story of resistance. Night is a memoir that recounts the author’s experiences as a Jewish victim…
Award-winning author Willy Vlautin (The Motel Life, Lean on Pete) explores the impact of trickle-down greed and opportunism of gentrification on ordinary lives in his scorching new novel that captures the plight of a young woman pushed to the edge as she fights to secure a stable future for herself and her family. Barely 30, Lynette is exhausted. Saddled with bad credit and juggling multiple jobs, some illegally, she’s been diligently working to buy the house she lives in with her mother and developmentally disabled brother, Kenny. Portland’s housing prices have nearly quadrupled in 15 years, and the owner is giving them a good deal. Lynette knows it’s their last best chance to own their own home — and obtain the security they’ve never had.…
Since April is National Poetry Month, the theme of the open mic is poetry and it's importance. This year is the 25th annual National Poetry Month celebration by the Academy of American Poets. Anyone who would like to participate in this Open Mic is welcome. Email Tom Hogan at tomhogan2@comcast.net (link sends e-mail) to register. You will receive a zoom link prior to the event. Plan to read 1 or 2 poems depending on the number of participants and length of the poems. If time permits additional poems will be allowed.
Write A Book: Fiction & Creative Nonfiction IPRC Creative Workshops for Fall 2020 will be held online via zoom, PST. *Waitlist Instructor: Michael Heald Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 Nine students maximum (ages 18+) Class meetings: 24 (8 per term) Cost: $825 *2 spots available at sliding scale, BIPOC prioritized; email hquinn@iprc.org *2 spots available at no cost, BIPOC prioritized; email hquinn@iprc.org October 7, 2020 – June 9, 2021 This workshop will consist of three eight-week terms. Writers currently working on memoirs, essay collections, novellas, novels, short story collections, oral histories, and long-form journalism are all strongly encouraged to apply. Hybrid forms welcome. Over the course of 24 sessions, writers will work towards a draft of a manuscript in a supportive workshop environment. We’ll explore non-linear…
Every year on Yom HaShoah, the Day of Remembrance, communities around the world uphold the memory of victims of the Holocaust through the Reading of the Names, a public recitation of Holocaust victims’ names, ages, and birthplaces. The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education will once again sponsor the Reading of the Names. While the event is normally held at Pioneer Courthouse Square, this year a selection of community members, elected officials, and Holocaust survivors will be reading at the Oregon Holocaust Memorial in Washington Park and the names read will be those written on the Memorial, which recognizes the lost families and friends of local Holocaust survivors. The Reading of the Names will be a virtual event and will be recorded. “The…
Writing is often thought of as something done in isolation; we know there is immense power when writing is done in community. Join us for 90 minutes of creativity and community-building, with generative writing exercises, sharing and strengths-based feedback. Our workshop model, refined over 22 years, is proven for people of all writing levels: from the budding writer to the published author. Workshops are held via Zoom. Weekly registration opens 5 days before each session and closes one hour before the workshop. Click here for more info. Mondays from 3 to 4:30 pm (Pacific Time) Sliding Scale Registration $5-$30. Register here. $0 registration available for past Write Around Portland participants at a social service agency and people experiencing financial hardship. Register here. Thursdays from 11 am to…
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job — despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records. In early 1970s New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a…
Join us a half an hour before No Shelf Control Book Club for an interview with Sarah Penner, the author of The Lost Apothecary! We will discuss The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. ABOUT THE BOOK: A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary... Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary's fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. Meanwhile…
The selection for Multnomah County Library’s 19th annual community reading project, Everybody Reads, is acclaimed author and poet Ross Gay and his collection of essays, The Book of Delights. Each year, Literary Arts presents the culminating event of the program—an author lecture. This year, the event will be held virtually on Thursday, April 8, at 6:00 p.m (PDT) and will feature an approximately 30-minute talk from Ross Gay, followed by an approximately 40-minute interview with local bestselling author, Lidia Yuknavitch. We are pleased to offer free registration for community members suffering financial hardship, as well as a range of tickets rates, to ensure this event can be accessible to all. Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of…
Join us for our first No Shelf Control Book Club. This book club will feature books from a wide range of genres including contemporary fiction, young adult, mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and more. We will meet second Thursdays. Our April meeting of the No Shelf Control Book Club will be on April 8th at 6:30pm. We will discuss The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. About the Book: A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary... Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against…
Chelsea Bieker is the author of the novel Godshot and the forthcoming story collection Cowboys and Angels (2022). Her writing has been published in The Paris Review, Granta, The Cut, McSweeney’s, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award and a MacDowell fellowship. Originally from California’s Central Valley, she now lives and teaches in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children. She is a graduate of the Portland State MFA program. Susan Leslie Moore’s poetry has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York Quarterly, Poetry Northwest, Willow Springs, and elsewhere. She is the winner of the 2019 Juniper Prize in Poetry and her first full-length collection, That Place Where You Opened Your Hands, was published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2020. Her poem “Night of the Living” appears in The Best American Poetry…
For people who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC). 2nd & 4th Friday of every month from 4 to 5:30 pm (Pacific Time), Free. (No workshop 12/25.) Workshops are held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. Registration opens the 1st of the month every month. Pre-register for our 2nd Friday workshop here. Pre-register for our 4th Friday workshop here. Click here for more workshop details.
What does a career in comics publishing look like? Join alumni from the PSU book publishing program and comics certificate as they talk about comics publishing in Portland: their career trajectories, thoughts on the latest developments in comics, and time as students at PSU. Featuring: Jenny Blenk - Assistant Editor at Dark Horse Melissa Gifford - Content Manager at Image Comics Konner Knudsen - Assistant Editor at Dark Horse Comics Erika Schnatz - Senior Production Artist at Image Comics
The San Antonio Book Festival and Portland Book Festival present Jeff VanderMeer in Convo with Silvia Moreno-Garcia. REGISTER HERE We’ve gathered two of America’s most visionary writers for this event. Jeff VanderMeer moves from fantasy to noir in his new novel, Hummingbird Salamander, in which security consultant “Jane Smith” receives an envelope with a key to a storage unit that holds a taxidermied hummingbird and clues leading her to a taxidermied salamander. Silvina, the dead woman who left the note, is a reputed ecoterrorist and the daughter of an Argentine industrialist. By taking the hummingbird from the storage unit, Jane sets in motion a series of events that quickly spin beyond her control. And in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s bestelling novel Mexican Gothic, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a…
Join the Portland Storytellers' Guild for an informal evening of stories shared virtually. Join us to tell. Join us to listen. A friendly supportive atmosphere composed of tellers with all levels of experience. We'll fit in as many tellers as we can, so be prepared to volunteer at the start. Spoken stories (not read) to be limited to 6-7 minutes.
Personal Essays and memoir represent some of the most adventurous writing today. Pushing narrative boundaries, utilizing traditional and nontraditional forms, this type of writing explores individuality and the minutiae of life unlike any other form. This workshop will help students explore the world of memoir and personal essay writing and understand both traditional and nontraditional narrative strategies available to them. Though the class will be run as a classic workshop, where students will submit their work to be reviewed in class, it will also combine craft lectures, outside reading, and in-class exercises. Students are expected to workshop twice. This will include their original essay submitted to class plus a revision. | Maximum: 12 writers Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're offering…
Welcome to our Risograph Basics course: a printing, collage, experimentation, and mark making extravaganza! Get to know Outlet and our RISO sisters (Barbara, Janet, Corita, and Tina) and learn the basics of this fun and unique print method with Kate Bingaman-Burt! This workshop is a great place to start if you’re new to riso, or if you’d like a refresher! We’ll take a deep dive into risograph history, an overview of how these machines work, the stencil-duplicator process, and the quirks and fun (sometimes unpredictable) outcomes of riso printing. The main focus of this class is EXPERIMENTATION. We’ll share print and zine inspiration, favorite mark making tools and how to use them for riso, and we’ll walk through a print demo on two of our…
Stories have component parts, and they interact. Starting with the basic building block of scene we’ll start with character and move step by step through the micro-levels of sentences, concrete detail, cause and effect, narration, and structure. Each week includes a close read of an excerpt of a published work and a discussion of specific craft elements. Participants will be invited to turn in work each week and can expect to develop a language of non-judgmental critique that will lead to a supportive, in-depth conversation about each other’s work. We’ll look deeply into what it takes to build a prose narrative, real or imagined, long or short. | Maximum: 12 writers Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're offering our workshops via Zoom.…
The Poetry Box LIVE – April Edition April 10, 2021@ 4:00 PM (Pacific) / 7:00 PM (Eastern) The Poetry Box LIVE is a monthly Zoom poetry reading series on the 2nd Saturday of each month and hosted by Shawn Aveningo Sanders. APRIL Featured Poets: • Penelope Scambly Schott (Oregon), author of SOPHIA AND MISTER WALTER WHITMAN • Sally Naylor (Florida), author of SYNAPSE FLIES INTO STARTLE • David Belmont (New York), author of WORLD GONE ZOOM ------- ABOUT THE FEATURED POETS ---------- Penelope Scambly Schott is a past recipient of the Oregon Book Award for Poetry and author of a novel and several books of poetry, including her 2018 prizewinning chapbook November Quilt and most recently On Dufur Hill about a small wheat-growing town in…
Please join Indigena Collective and whitenoise project, as we celebrate the recent releases by Threa Almontaser (The Wild Fox of Yemen) and George Abraham (Birthright)! April 10, 2021 4pm PST / 7pm EST REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ocuCqrT8rEtfqjTWuefccHlqtK4VOjGhZ FEATURING: Threa Almontaser George Abraham Maryam Imam Gabriel Fargo Tbakhi Fatmah Worfeley Threa Almontaser is the author of the poetry collection, THE WILD FOX OF YEMEN (Graywolf Press, 2021) selected by Harryette Mullen for the Walt Whitman Award from The Academy of American Poets. She is the recipient of awards from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Italy, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulbright program, and elsewhere, and is at work on her first novel. George Abraham is a Palestinian american poet and writer from Jacksonville, FL. Their…
For the summer issue of Oregon Humanities magazine, we want to hear stories and ideas about what global climate change means for the people and land of this place. Tell us about how climate change and its myriad consequences affect your work, or how you choose what work to do; how you raise your children, or whether you decide to have them; how you vote; where you live; what you eat. How are Oregonians adapting to climate change personally and politically? Who are building visionary communities in these rapidly changing climates? What possibilities does climate change provide, and what does it foreclose? What about other kinds of climate—political winds, social ambiance, architecture and infrastructure, work environment, and other prevailing conditions? We’re looking particularly for stories…
for BIPOC writers only Putting constraints on our writing can feel like a challenge, but sometimes a little pressure is what’s needed to push our writing in a new direction or to find language for what seems unsayable. We’ll draw on Oulipian constraints like the lipogram and the Beatiful Outlaw, as well as visual constraints such as erasures and collage, to radically depart from our typical writing habits. We’ll also invent our own extreme constraints to discover what happens when we challenge ourselves to write our way out of seemingly impossible restrictions. Access Program We want our writing 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…
Deadline Extended/Plazo Extendido: 12 de Abril / 12 April English (Vea abajo para español): A virtual student poetry contest in celebration of National Poetry Month and in conjunction with the release of Amanda Gorman's The Hill We Climb. Inspired by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman's performance at the 2021 inauguration, we're looking for poetry containing themes of uniting community through the particular experiences and challenges of 2020. All forms of poetry accepted. Parental permission is required. Eligible participants must: live within one of the following zip codes: 97203, 97217, 97231 OR be enrolled in any school within one of the above zip codes Submission: Poetry must be submitted in written form, and may additionally be submitted in video or audio formats. A video performance…
Novelist and musician Willy Vlautin, author of "The Night Always Comes" appears in conversation with Maria Semple About this Event An appearance by Willy Vlautin is always a special occasion for us, and, like you, we've been looking forward to his new novel, The Night Always Comes (Harper). He'll appear in conversation with Seattle writer, Maria Semple. Award-winning author Willy Vlautin explores the impact of trickle-down greed and opportunism of gentrification on ordinary lives in this scorching novel that captures the plight of a young woman pushed to the edge as she fights to secure a stable future for herself and her family. Barely thirty, Lynette is exhausted. Saddled with bad credit and juggling multiple jobs, some illegally, she’s been diligently working to buy the…
Annie Bloom's welcomes back Portland poet Kim Stafford for the livestream launch of his new collection, Singer Come from Afar. Kim will be joined by Sisters singer-songwriter and poet Beth Wood, whose latest book of poems is Believe The Bird. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrc-2pqDMoH93TxVGmcBF_eI0EZTefpRt9 About Singer Come from Afar: This book considers war and peace, pandemic struggles, Earth imperatives, a seeker’s spirit, and forging kinship. The former poet laureate of Oregon, Stafford has shared poems from this book in libraries, prisons, on reservations, with veterans, immigrants, homeless families, legislators, and students in schools. He writes for hidden heroes, resonant places, and for our chance to converge in spite of differences. Poems like "Practicing the Complex Yes" and "The Fact of Forgiveness" offer tools for connection with…
Software manager Jane Smith receives an envelope containing a list of animals along with a key to a storage unit that holds a taxidermied hummingbird and salamander. The list is signed “Love, Silvina.” Jane does not know a Silvina, and she wants nothing to do with the taxidermied animals. The hummingbird and the salamander are, it turns out, two of the most endangered species in the world. Silvina Vilcapampa, the woman who left the note, is a reputed ecoterrorist and the daughter of a recently deceased Argentine industrialist. By removing the hummingbird and the salamander from the storage unit, Jane has set in motion a series of events over which she has no control. Instantly, Jane and her family are in danger, and she finds…
Our 2020–21 Consider This conversation series is all about democracy and civic engagement—how it works, who gets to participate, and how it can break down. Join us for conversations with journalists and scholars with insight into how our democracy is working and the threats it faces. On April 13, join Clint Smith, author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, for a conversation on education, memory, race, and democracy. The conversation will take place starting at 5:00 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday, April 13, via Zoom and YouTube. To join us and other viewers in our virtual lobby for post-talk conversation, please RSVP here. If you'd rather just watch live, you can do so here.
Flash nonfiction, simply put, is true-to-life writing defined by extreme compression: it's saying what you've got to say using as few words, and as much beauty, as possible. An endlessly accessible, playful, potent form, flash nonfiction is evermore popular; from Brevity to Barren, The Forge to The Sun, legions of journals are eager to publish great flash. In this prompt-driven workshop, we'll read short nonfiction by master writers, including Ross Gay, Natalie Lima, Ira Sukrungruang, Roxane Gay, Jerald Walker, Ruth Ozeki, and many more; we'll talk about what stories are suited for flash, how to tell them well, and where to publish them; and most of all, we'll write, and write, and write, via in-class exercises and take-home prompts. Students will leave the class with reams of new writing and ideas for where to publish. Register for…
When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology. Angrboda's story begins where most witches' tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love. Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin's…
Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life's Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Amanda L. Tyler Amanda L. Tyler is the Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. She is the co-author, with the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, of Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union. Professor Tyler holds a degree in public policy from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Prior to entering academia, Professor Tyler served as a law clerk to the Honorable Guido Calabresi at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court of the United…
Themed submissions will open for 24 hours on April 14. Languages and change, buses and trains, the tracks of planets—for our series on transit, transition, and translation, we’re looking for stories, poems, and nonfiction that deal with change and movement in under 1000 words. We can't wait to read your work! Submissions will open at 12 a.m. PDT on April 14 and close at 11:59 p.m. ABOUT US: For over sixty years, Portland Review has published the works of emerging writers and artists alongside the works of well-established authors. We warmly encourage previously unpublished writers and artists to submit, and we aim to support work by those often marginalized in the artistic conversation, including (though certainly not limited to) people of color, women, disabled people,…
In celebration of National Poetry Month and International Haiku Poetry Day on April 17, Friends of the Columbia Gorge is announcing its second annual Spring Gorge Haiku Challenge. Recently, the video version of Amanda Gorman's popular "Earthrise" poem has inspired people around the nation in response to her challenge: We relish the view; We witness its round green and brilliant blue, Which inspires us to ask deeply, wholly: What can we do? In the spirit of Gorman’s words, for this year's Spring Gorge Haiku Challenge, Friends of the Columbia Gorge is asking the public to submit haikus illustrating what they love about the Gorge (the views, the communities, waterfalls, etc.) as well as haikus about why it's important to protect, preserve, and steward the Gorge…
Join PSU's Comics Studies program for a talk with Professor Qiana Whitted. In her talk, Prof. Qiana Whitted draws from her recent book on EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest to explore the 1950s publisher’s effort to distinguish between “entertaining” and “educational” reading practices that were mindful of the public’s anxieties over how comic books could influence young readers. Her discussion will consider the ways that EC’s writers and artists arranged the verbal and visual dynamics of the comics page to steer the potential impact of notorious crime and horror titles such “The Whipping” and “The Guilty.” Evaluating these creative choices raises important questions about the taboo combination of explicitness, incredulity, and reading pleasure that EC branded as “shock comics," engaging complex social messages amid the…
Eight weeks of writing and reading. Try your hand at characterization, dialogue, plot, finding the telling detail, playing with points of view. Develop a “writing practice” while generating ideas for short stories, memoirs, even novels. Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're offering our workshops via Zoom. All students must first sign up for a free Zoom account. Setting it up is easy. And we can help you with questions, if needed. For each class, you'll receive a Zoom "invitation," from the instructor. Click the link...follow the simple directions about the settings for your microphone and in-computer video, and you're immediately in the "room" for the workshop. For critique workshops, instructors will communicate with students about the process of sharing work. For more generative workshops, students…
A Delve for BIPOC participants only A survey of five contemporary poets and their volumes of selected poems. We will focus on each poet’s body of work, starting with Lucille Clifton, then moving through the works of Joy Harjo, Yusef Komunyaaka, Arthur Sze, and Tracy K. Smith. By reading books that collect poems over decades, we will access each poet’s progressions in content, form, and style, as well as comprehensively approach the historical and cultural contexts reflected. Spending significant time with each poet will bring both breadth and depth to our discussions, and over the course of the seminar we will build a larger and more cohesive understanding of the work of poetry. Reading List: Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000, Lucille Clifton…
The 14th season of poetry readings by established local poets will stream live on the Ledding Library YouTube channel (link is external) on the second Wednesday of each month February through July at 6:30 p.m. February 10, 2021 - John Sibley Williams March 10, 2021 - Quinton Hallett April 14, 2021 - Claudia Savage May 12, 2021 - Anis Mojgani June 9, 2021 - Paulann Petersen July 14, 2021 - Emmett Wheatfall DVDs of past the past two seasons of the Poetry Series readings are available for checkout at the library. Online you can access all past Poetry Series readings at the Ledding Library YouTube channel (link is external). For additional information please contact the Series Coordinator Tom Hogan at 503.819.8367 or tomhogan2@comcast.net (link sends e-mail) or Reference Librarian Sarah Roller…
Michio Kaku, renowned theoretical physicist and New York Times bestselling author of Hyperspace and The Future of Humanity, tells the story of the greatest quest in all of science. When Newton discovered the laws of motion and gravity, he unified the rules of heaven and earth. From then on, physicists have been discovering new forces and incorporating them into ever-greater theories. But the major breakthroughs of the 20th century — relativity and quantum mechanics — are incompatible, and so since then, physicists have been endeavoring to combine these two theories. This would ultimately tie all the forces in the universe together into one beautiful equation that can unlock the deepest mysteries of space and time. That epic journey is the story of Kaku’s new book,…
In the Netflix anthology series Love, Death, and Robots, the future takes many forms. Cats survive the apocalypse while humans are extinct. Farmers fight an endless battle. Sentient yogurt takes over the world. Many of these episodes are adapted from short stories, writers envisioning a range of possibilities, given what they know of the past and the present. So, how do we imagine the future when the present feels like dystopia? What remains the same in a world of endless innovation? What has the potential to change? In this generative workshop, we will explore the future through weekly writing exercises. And through the work of writers like Rivers Solomon, George Saunders, NK Jemisin, John Scalzi, and Octavia Butler, we will examine the many paths humanity can…
Join us monthly on zoom, on the third Thursday of the month for prompts and sharing. Register here, and we’ll send the zoom link on the day of the event. Poetry Practice Space is a monthly gathering for poets and writers. Writing materials, readings and prompts for generative writing will be provided. Come share a space to talk about your writing practice, and current writing projects, bemoan rejections, celebrate acceptances, share writing resources— and write together! Consider Poetry Practice Space the calisthenics for your poetics. Suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds Free for members
Mark your calendars!!! On Thursday, April 15th at 6:30 p.m., poet and novelist Ocean Vuong will read from his recent creative works. Following the reading, Vuong will be joined by faculty mentor and interdisciplinary artist Dao Strom for a conversation. This event will be co-hosted by PNCA’s MFA Low-Residency Creative Writing and MA Critical Studies programs and has been made possible by a generous grant from the Collins Foundation. Ocean Vuong is the author of The New York Times bestselling novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, from Penguin Press (2019) and forthcoming in 30 languages. A recipient of a 2019 MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Vuong is also the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, a New York Times Top 10…
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safer space for poets to read their own poetry, witness others, and participate in community. Hosted by Julia Gaskill. Register in advance for this event If you have any questions, please contact slamlandia@gmail.com or jessica@literary-arts.org.
Annie Bloom's welcomes back Portland author Polly Campbell for a livestream presentation from her new book, You, Recharged: How to Beat Fatigue (Mostly), Amp Up Your Energy (Usually), and Enjoy Life Again (Always). Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrf-Cvqj0iEtYacgrt_C0wP2TvB6U2QEwg About You, Recharged: When author and podcaster Polly Campbell got tired of her hoodie smelling like pizza and her days being clouded by midlife over-exhaustion, emotional burnout, and boredom, she decided to get off the couch and reclaim her core energy. But could this burned-out, chronically ill, middle-aged mother of a teen rediscover her vitality? Yes. And so can you. Self-help books for women often encourage you to throw out the life you're living and create a fresh start. You, Recharged isn't about that. You don't have to quit…
Join the five 2021 Oregon Book Award finalists for the Ken Kesey Award for a reading as part of Springfield Celebrates Authors. Chelsea Bieker is from California’s Central Valley. She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writer’s Foundation Award and her fiction and essays have been published in Granta, McSweeney’s, Catapult magazine, Electric Literature, and Joyland, among others. She has been awarded a MacDowell Colony fellowship, and holds an MFA in creative writing from Portland State University. Godshot is her first novel. Purchase Godshot from Broadway Books, one of our Portland-based, independent bookstore partners HERE. Originally from Alabama, Genevieve Hudson earned an MFA from Portland State University and has received Fulbright, MacDowell, and Vermont Studio Center fellowships. She is the author of Pretend We Live Here: Stories, and lives in Portland,…
Norm Brecke will tell this classic Grimm tale in two parts. You’ll also hear about Norm’s Uncle who influenced his sense of humor and theatrical side. In a way, his Uncle gets to play the Devil in the story, a part he would have relished. Get ready for a night of adventure, humor, music, and a good deal of luck! Join Portland Storytellers' Guild as we welcome Norm Brecke to the stage for a tour de force one-person evening of stories and songs. The virtual event can be enjoyed right in the comfort of your home. The Portland Storytellers' Guild continues its "virtual" season on Saturday, April 17 at 4pm AK / 5pm Pacific / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST via Zoom.…
For BIPOC writers Searching for a space to create new work with fellow BIPOC writers? This two-hour workshop meets on Zoom. A variety of prompts will be presented as avenues for generating and sharing new work in an informal setting. Open to BIPOC writers at all levels writing in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Scholarships are available. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org for more information. Jacqueline Fitzgerald is an educator, coach, and writer who strives to lead through a love ethic and believes in the power of stories to change hearts and minds. Her writing has been published in the Oregonian, The Learning Network of the New York Times, and Beacon Magazine. Currently, she is working on a speculative future novel exploring intergenerational experiences of survival…
How can we build a better writing practice? This prompt-driven generative workshop will give writers an opportunity to flex their literary muscles. Classes will provide an intimate, structured, and supportive time to broaden basic and complex writing skills. Through a series of experimental and innovative exercises we will explore the concepts of character, setting, plot and scene, as well as voice, form, and technique. Close attention will be paid to literary and poetic devices as we take a deep dive into the craft of prose writing. Supportive in-workshop sharing and feedback will be an integral part of the process. All genres welcome. Access Program We want our writing classes to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure…
Please join us for our next event in the Talakayan at Kapehan Series: The Power of the Written Word, cosponsored by NAFCON Portland and Whitenoise Project! Did you know Clark County, WA, has a Filipino American Poet Laureate? What is the tradition of our poets making art and building community in the Philippines and the diaspora, and why weren’t we taught about them in schools? Join NAFCON Oregon and Whitenoise Project as we celebrate National Poetry Month, exploring these questions with local writers Armin Tolentino and Abigail Licad. Our second #NAFCONTAK event of 2021 will feature a poetry reading and discussion about seizing the means of literary production and building alternate structures to the academy. There will be a community Q&A after the reading, all…
In this Intro InDesign workshop, learn the basics of setting up a zine in InDesign. InDesign is a staple for book designers, zinesters and anyone looking to take their zines, chapbooks and publications to the next level. This guided tutorial will give participants an overview of some of InDesign’s most useful features and functions. Taught by Anthony Wylen $10 Register here and zoom link will be sent on the day of the workshop.
A Zoom Poetry Evening with Kim Stafford and John Morrison Please join us for an evening of poetry, music, and possibly even a little film, as we welcome Portland poets Kim Stafford and John Morrison to the Broadway Books virtual stage on Monday, April 19th, at 4:30 Pacific Time. It's National Poetry month, and we're going to have some poetic fun to celebrate! This evening is a red night, as Kim's book is published by Red Hen Press and John's is published by Redbat Books. In Singer Come from Afar, Stafford considers war and peace, pandemic struggles, Earth imperatives, a seeker's spirit, and forging kinship. The former poet laureate of Oregon, Stafford offers tools for connection with the self, the community, and the Earth. Kathleen…
Two-hour Seminar: Have you finished a draft of a short story, essay, poem, or novel and are now ready to enter the next phase--the arduous, maddening, and fun process of revision? This two-hour seminar will help you see your work with fresh eyes. To revise in Latin means to “re-see” or to “see again.” Using targeted writing exercises to summon the heart of our writing, we will learn new revision techniques that make the writing new again. Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're offering our workshops via Zoom. All students must first sign up for a free Zoom account. Setting it up is easy. And we can help you with questions, if needed. For each class, you'll receive a Zoom "invitation," from the…
Cleanse: A Dialogue on Art and Public Space with Paul Farber and Michelle Angela Ortiz About this Event Paul Farber, Cofounder and Director, Monument Lab When: 12 pm, Tuesday April 20, 2021, Zoom Admission: Free, but donations are accepted Co-presented by Converge 45, Regional Arts & Culture Council, Portland Art Museum, and Portland Parks Foundation. Paul Farber is Director and Co-Founder of Monument Lab, a public art and history studio based in Philadelphia that cultivates and facilitates critical conversations around the past, present, and future of monuments. The Lab works with artists, students, educators, activists, municipal agencies, and cultural institutions on participatory approaches to public engagement and collective memory and to make generational change in the ways art and history live in public. Michelle Angela…
From Paula McLain, the bestselling author of The Paris Wife, comes an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal? Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime…
It Came from Outer Space: This class will focus on writing new poetry. In this workshop we will challenge our notions of ekphrasis by focusing our attention on sci-fi films to generate our poems. While the Greek term ekphrasis translates simply as ‘a vivid description’ of a thing, the long-established tradition of ekphrastic poetry opens the door to a wide range of creative approaches for poets to engage with a work of art in another medium. Ekphrastic poems utilize a myriad of forms and strategies, and they respond to, incorporate, investigate, embellish, interpret and/or reflect upon a vital work of art—usually either a painting, photograph, or sculpture. You will be expected to view one or more of the films from the list below as the source of artwork.…
Join us April 20th at 6:30pm for our Science Fiction Book Club. We will discuss Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor. About the Book: The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa----a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past. Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks--alone, except for her fox companion--searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers. But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion? TO ATTEND: 1) Purchase the…
Annie Bloom's welcomes Portland author Levi Rogers for the livestream launch of his debut novel, Utah! A Novel. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtd--qrDojHteVzwYh6p878B9RD-3-Xkas About Utah! A Novel: Fleeing from ever present wildfires and the threat of the Yellowstone Supervolcano erupting, Lee, Becca, and their daughter Analise embark on a road-trip through the state of Utah to a wedding in Zion National Park. Set in the not-too-distant-future, Utah! is a novel about climate change and the intricacies of relationships-between family, partners, religious structures, nature, and the American West. Featuring a litany of intriguing Utah residents including ex and current Mormons, doomsday preppers, military vets, Presbyterian ministers, and Colombian housewives, these characters eventually find their paths crossing in violence, disaster, and friendship. Through desert islands, climbing gyms, beer bars,…
Joy Harjo is a renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and was named the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States in 2019. Harjo is the author of nine books of poetry—most recently An American Sunrise—several plays and children’s books, and a memoir, Crazy Brave. She has received numerous prominent awards, including the 2017 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and 2015 Wallace Stevens Award. The Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, says: “Her work powerfully connects us to the earth and the spiritual world with direct, inventive lyricism that helps us reimagine who we are.” Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harjo earned her MFA at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has taught English, Creative Writing, and American Indian Studies at numerous universities, while performing music and poetry…
The True Crime Book Club is led by the true crime aficionado Rachel Newton Cumley. We would like to extend an invitation to all of our true crime enthusiasts. This month's pick is Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer. Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, home to a highly regarded state university whose beloved football team inspires a passionately loyal fan base. Between January 2008 and May 2012, hundreds of students reported sexual assaults to the local police. Few of the cases were properly handled by either the university or local authorities. In this, Missoula is also typical. In these pages, acclaimed journalist Jon Krakauer investigates a spate of campus rapes that occurred in Missoula over a…
IPRC Events will be held on Zoom through Summer 2021 Register here Join us in celebrating Earth Day by learning from ecologically-focused visual artists and organizations. Learn about materials and actions that can connect your creative practice more deeply to the land and environment, and how artists contribute to movements for change. Panelists: Daniela del Mar Artist & Communication Coordinator, Bark Ka’ila Farrell-Smith Artist & Director of Rural and Tribal Communities, Signal Fire Amarette Gregor Jeweler & Sculptor Grace Mervin Designer & Printmaker, IPRC Chelsea Heffner Founder, Wildcraft Studio Tickets: $5-10 suggested donation. All attendees will be entered into a raffle to win items and gift certificates from Blick Portland, SCRAP, Wildcraft Studio, and the IPRC. Register here Presented by the IPRC with Earth Day…
Empire of Pain (Doubleday) is a grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin — written by Patrick Radden Keefe, the prize-winning, bestselling author of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. The Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions — Harvard, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oxford, the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations to the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing a blockbuster painkiller that was the catalyst…
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” ~ E. L. Doctorow You have a thousand stories inside your head. You dabble on the page but rarely if ever finish anything, much less share with others. “Is my work good enough?” you wonder. “Do I have something original and interesting to say? What makes me think I can be a writer?” The biggest obstacle for emerging writers is not lack of time nor lack of skill nor lack of things to write about. It’s a lack of self-confidence. This workshop is designed for those who want to be writers, but are not sure they can be. …
We will meet on Thursday April 22nd at 6:30pm and discuss Later by Stephen King. About the book: SOMETIMES GROWING UP MEANS FACING YOUR DEMONS The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine - as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. LATER is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of…
To Celebrate Earth Day, April’s Collage Challenge is to create a collage using repurposed or recycled materials. Tag the IPRC or join us Thursday, April 22nd for a virtual collage show & tell. Register here and zoom link will be sent on the day of the event.
For people who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC). 2nd & 4th Friday of every month from 4 to 5:30 pm (Pacific Time), Free. (No workshop 12/25.) Workshops are held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. Registration opens the 1st of the month every month. Pre-register for our 2nd Friday workshop here. Pre-register for our 4th Friday workshop here. Click here for more workshop details.
The theme for April is “Uses of Anger” inspired by Audre Lorde’s groundbreaking essay. This bimonthly reading series is intended to prioritize the safety, creativity, and stories of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color. Come listen to our featured readers, or sign up to share your work in our open mic. Readings will be followed by a short community discussion. Click here to register for this event. This event is open to everyone, but only people who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color will be invited to read. If you have any questions, please contact our host Jessica at jessica@literary-arts.org. Dey Rivers is a mixed-media visual artist, poet and storyteller based in Portland Oregon on Cowlitz and Clackamas Native lands. After earning…
Annie Bloom's welcomes Portland author John Brehm for a livestream reading form his new book, The Dharma of Poetry. Registere here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqceqspj0vEtSNjgRf5vpVteKgDkvF7vUe About The Dharma of Poetry: Discover how to engage with poetry to support your spiritual practice, leading to more mindfulness, equanimity, and joy. In The Dharma of Poetry, John Brehm shows how poems can open up new ways of thinking, feeling, and being in the world. Brehm demonstrates the practice of mindfully entering a poem, with an alertness, curiosity, and open-hearted responsiveness very much like the attention we cultivate in meditation. Complete with poetry-related meditations and writing prompts, this collection of lively, elegantly written essays can be read as a standalone book, or as a companion to the author’s acclaimed anthology, The Poetry…
This year's Independent Bookstore Day is going to look very different. We always encourage you to come out and shop in store but not this year. Grab your coffee and credit card, stay in your pajamas, and cuddle your fur babies, watch a bookish show or film, and head to our online shop! With every $10 you spend in our online shop on Saturday, April 24th you'll be entered to win a variety of prizes. Including pins, stickers, books, and more! This year more than ever we need your support as we rely on the sales of this weekend for a third of our annual income. Shop with us now to help us be here tomorrow. ***Prizes can only be awarded to local bookworms for…
"If I write, the dark shadows move away from my desk". ~ Donald Murray Here’s a workshop that can flow with the longer rhythms of your writing. A Saturday morning of each month, we’ll gather and share one or two poems in a comfortable but focused fashion. You choose the poem to share based on what feedback you are looking for; the poems could range from one you want ready to submit for publication, to an experimental piece that needs a supportive but critical eye. Along the way we’ll talk about craft and how to grow and sustain a fulfilling practice. Come ready to share your poems and insights and to carry generous feedback home to your writing desk. Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect…
Literary Arts, Ooligan Press, and Portland State University’s English Department partner to present the Oregon BIPOC Writers Publishing Event. This event is designed to connect Oregon’s most talented, diverse writers to the publishers and authors seeking to hear their voices. Pitching a Book 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM (PST) Distilling the important elements of a book into a concise and gripping pitch is a true art. In this presentation, seasoned literary agent Fiona Kenshole lays out the fundamentals of good pitching. This webinar is intended to aid writers in preparing for a pitching session with a publisher or agent later on in the day. Demystifying Book Publishing Panel 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PST) So much of the process of getting published, finding an agent,…
WHAT: A 2-hour online webinar. WITH: T Kira Madden WHEN: Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 1PM to 3PM PST WHERE: ZOOM (But of course.) Meeting ID will be provided ahead of time. This event will be recorded and registrants unable to make it to the session or who wish to revisit it will have access to the video for 48 hours afterwards. HOW MUCH: $100. Payment plans are always available, contact Daniel Elder at registration@corporealwriting.com SCHOLARSHIPS: Ten scholarships are available, prioritized for parents with children at home. Click here to apply. Word by Word with T Kira Madden Why do some stories require 30+ pages to reach a payoff, while others feel fully satisfying in a single paragraph or line? The answer, often, is in…
Join the five Oregon Book Award finalists for the Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award, presented by Green Bean Books on Independent Bookstore Day. ELOISE JARVIS MCGRAW AWARD FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE Judges: Nikki McClure, Eliot Schrefer, Wendy Wahman Deborah Hopkinson of West Linn, Butterflies Belong Here (Chronicle Books) Jody J. Little of Portland, Worse Than Weird (Harper Collins Children’s Books) Susan Hill Long of Portland, Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster) Jenn Reese of Portland, A Game of Fox and Squirrels (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, Macmillan) Elizabeth Rusch of Portland, Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet (Charlesbridge) Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for young readers…
Co-Dependencies: On Healing, Remembering, Breathing & Writing Trauma 4-Week Online Workshop starting April 25, 2021 “What really exists is not things made but things in the making.” –William James “How other kinds of beings see us matters. That other kinds of beings see us changes things.” –Eduardo Kohn On han: “A feeling of unresolved resentment against injustices suffered, a sense of helplessness because of the overwhelming odds against one, a feeling of acute pain in one's guts and bowels, making the whole body writhe and squirm, and an obstinate urge to take revenge and to right the wrong—all these combined.” –Suh Nam-dong How are the frames of reference and relationships between and of living beings activated? That is, how do different bodies and worlds articulate…
IPRC Workshops will be held on Zoom, PST through Summer 2021 Register here and zoom link will be sent on the day of the workshop Course Description: This workshop will explore concepts of chance and choice by starting where you are and using everyday materials and tools in new and unexpected ways. We will combine collections of recycled things like old mail, magazines, packaging materials, and other ephemera with material and marks made by hand. Experimenting with different ways to layer color and create texture through drawing and painting on paper or various substrates that can be cut, cropped, rotated and reassembled in different variations. Class capacity: 20 Instructor: Elizabeth Arzani Sliding Scale $15-25 5 spots available at no-cost; BIPOC prioritized; reach out to hquinn@iprc.org…
Bored of your own cooking? Overwhelmed by the idea of looking up new recipes? I know I am! Join Tender Table at a virtual recipe swap! We'll enjoy some tea, listen to chill music, write recipe cards together and send them to each other in the mail. Sign up to receive a recipe swap kit, including Tender Table-branded recipe cards and more! RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/tt-recipe-swap This event is reserved for women, femmes, trans/nonbinary folks who are BIPOC.
Join us for a Poetry workshop lead by Risa Mykland! This is a free workshop with an opportunity to tip Risa for their time. Workshop info: Risa Mykland (she/they) will be leading a workshop theming around writing about a simple personal experience and using it to illustrate a much larger story from your life. There will be an opportunity in the workshop to individually listen to a song (preferably one you know really well), so if you want to decide on that song before the workshop feel free to. You will also have time to choose it during the workshop. Come prepared with some way to take words down (ex. notebook + pen, phone notes app, laptop document), optionally a song, and your wonderful self.…
In this Intro Photoshop tutorial-based workshop, learn the basics of prepping files for printing. Learn the basics of touching up images of photos and illustrations, layer separation and best practices for CMYK printing.This workshop is open to all, but especially geared towards IPRC Members looking to learn more about file prep for screenprinting and risograph printing. Taught by Anthony Wylen $10 Register here, and zoom link will be sent on the day of the workshop. Flier design by Luke Mollerup
A Zoom Poetry Evening with Charles Seluzicki and Brittney Corrigan We continue the celebration of National Poetry Month with the authors of two gorgeous new chapbooks: Brittney Corrigan and her chapbook Breaking, and Charles Seluzicki with his chapbook Elegiac. We welcome them to the Broadway Books virtual stage on Monday, April 26th, at 4:30 pm Pacific Time. Elegiac by Charles Seluzicki is the first volume in the Cox Family Poetry Chapbook Series from Carnegie Mellon University Press. It is a collection of eleven elegies that remembers and celebrates the lives of lost friends of the poet. Seluzicki' s poems are classical in style and seek to engage in conversation with the dearly departed in an intimate and convincing sequence. Micheal Dickman says "Charles Seluzicki has…
Join us on the second and fourth Monday of every month for The Work. The Monday Night Edition of The Work takes place from 6-8:30 pm on the second and fourth Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. These workshops will take place on Zoom until it is safe to do so again in person. Upcoming Monday night workshops will take place on May 10 & 24, June 14 & 28, July 12, August 9 & 23. There will be no workshop on July 26. The Work is a drop-in poetry writing workshop for beginners as well as more experienced writers. Poetry encourages empathy and compassion, and sparks the shifts in consciousness which can lead to healing, personal growth, and an interest in fighting for…
Jonny Sun is back with a collection of essays and other writings in his unique, funny, and heartfelt style. The wonderfully original author of Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too gives us Goodbye, Again (Harper Perennial), a collection of touching and hilarious personal essays, stories, poems — accompanied by his trademark illustrations — covering topics such as mental health, happiness, and what it means to belong. The pieces range from long meditations on topics like loneliness and being an outsider, to short humor pieces, conversations, and memorable one-liners. Jonny's honest writings about his struggles with feeling productive, as well as his difficulties with anxiety and depression, will connect deeply with his fans, as well as anyone attempting to create in our chaotic world.…
In this seminar we will read Robinson’s third, fourth, and fifth novels, Home, Lila, and Jack. These novels complete the quartet that begins with Gilead. Home takes up the story of one of that novel’s characters, Jack Boughton. Nemesis of Gilead’s narrator John Ames and son of Ames’s best friend, Rev. Robert Boughton, Jack has returned to his childhood home unexpectedly after a twenty-year absence. Now he, his aging father, and his recently-divorced younger sister Glory must navigate a difficult and often painful reunion, haunted by the mistakes and misunderstandings of the past. Lila tells the story of John Ames’s late-life marriage from the perspective of his young wife, whose quiet gentleness reveals little of her wayward, often lonely history. Lila’s story, and her love…
Annie Bloom's welcomes back Portland author Jacqueline Keeler for a livestream reading from her new book, Standoff: Standing Rock, the Bundy Movement, and the American Story of Sacred Lands. Keeler will be joined in conversation with Bob Sallinger, Director of Conservation at Portland Audubon Society. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rcOuvpjgjEt37436YeI1-37-jXcyUtFaS About the book: The Bundy takeover of Oregon's Malheur Wildlife Refuge and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's standoff against an oil pipeline in North Dakota are two sides of the same story that created America and its deep-rooted cultural conflicts. Through a compelling comparison of conflicting beliefs and legal systems, Keeler explores whether the West has really been won—and for whom. "Jacqueline Keeler, a master storyteller and reporter, crafts a knotty skein, twining together family traditions, Native…
One hundred years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Oregon Historical Society is excited to host Elaine Weiss for a powerful lecture on her latest book, The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote. This special lecture is presented in collaboration with our exhibit, Nevertheless, They Persisted: Women’s Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment, on view through December 5, 2021. Copies of The Woman’s Hour and The Woman’s Hour young readers adaptation are available for sale through the OHS Museum Store. Order your copy by emailing museumstore@ohs.org. All proceeds from sales in the OHS Museum Store support the OHS mission. Ability Accommodation Information This event provides the following accommodations: Handicap Accessible About The Woman’s Hour Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have approved the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to…
Join award-winning comics creator Ebony Flowers, author of Hot Comb, for a hands-on and generative workshop. Participants will develop their ability as a writer, picture-maker, and observer while exploring spontaneous storytelling practices. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have a working draft of a short creative non-fiction comic. No drawing experience necessary! The synchronous workshop will be held on April 28 at 4pm on Zoom. An additional asynchronous (complete at your own pace) workshop will be available to registrants on April 5. Register here. Meet Your Instructor: Ebony is a cartoonist and an ethnographer. She was born and raised in Maryland. She holds a BA in Biological Anthropology from the University of Maryland College Park and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the…
In his first basketball novel, New York Times bestselling author John Grisham takes you to a different kind of court. Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon is a raw, young talent with big hoop dreams… and even bigger challenges off the court. In the summer of his 17th year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. During the tournament, Samuel receives devastating news from home: A civil war is raging across South Sudan, and rebel troops have ransacked his village. His father is dead, his sister is missing, and his mother and two younger brothers are in a refugee camp. Partly out of sympathy, the coach of North Carolina…
Please join us for readings of original works of fiction by students from our Advanced Fiction Writing course. Fiction Capstone Reading will be occurring virtually via Zoom. Register in advance for this event: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtd-ivrDkvH9OzI-WImWVDtz541gOZYCaf After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Featuring: Salma Bashir, Yash Bisht, Wesley Haigwood, Zack Hart, Eva Hernandez, Erika Hutchinson, Dylan Jardine, Tessa Kilby, Jensen Kraus, Zach Lebovic, Blue Palioca, Robert Rodriguez, Kaes Vanderspek, Julianna Volta
Paul Auster and Jonathan Safran Foer are two contemporary authors who have explored New York City not only as a space where a person works, transits, and lives, but more as a symbolic space at a certain time that interacts with the fictional characters as if the city were also one of them—a living entity that actively affects the fates and actions of every person that inhabits it. Memory, chance, the double, and disobedience as a way to dig into the self are the literary elements that trigger the plots constructed by these two authors. In this Delve seminar we’ll discuss Auster’s Leviathan (1992), and Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005). We will compare how each author recreates New York as a fictional place,…
Join the five Oregon Book Award finalists for the Angus Bowmer Award in Drama for a panel discussion, moderated by Chip Miller, Associate Artistic Director of Portland Center Stage at The Armory. Streamed live at Portland Center Stage on their You Tube and Facebook pages at YouTube, and Facebook ANGUS BOWMER AWARD FOR DRAMA Judges: Michelle Carter, Diana Grisanti, KJ Sanchez Sara Jean Accuardi of Portland, The Delays Conor Eifler of Portland, You Cannot Undo This Action E.M. Lewis of Monitor, How the Light Gets In Anya Pearson of Portland, The Measure of Innocence Andrea Stolowitz of Portland, Recent Unsettling Events Before joining Portland Center Stage, Chip (they/them) held the role of artistic associate/resident director at Kansas City Repertory Theatre for seven years, where their…
Join us for engaging presentations and a celebration of ROR Oregon's service to over 80,000 children during the past year! About this Event We are thrilled to announce the following schedule for this year's annual event: Keynote address to be given by Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, Philip Fisher, PhD. Dr. Fisher and his team launched RAPID-EC, an ongoing survey of families with young children, in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their objectives are to collect essential information from households and families and to provide actionable data to key stakeholders to inform immediate and long-term policy decisions. A panel including Dr. David Willis, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Representative Lisa Reynolds, Vice-Chair…
#Virtualandia! 2021 is an exciting opportunity for students from eligible Portland metro area high schools to take part in a dynamic virtual slam poetry competition, and to win prizes like the title of #Virtualandia Slam Champion and corresponding $1,000 Visa gift card. Up to 300 youth poets will submit original work via video by midnight on Wednesday, March 31 to be reviewed and judged by a diverse group of artists and fans with a pulse on the literary scene. Ten poets will advance to our April 29, 2021 grand slam championship event. During the grand slam, these ten students will have their poems professionally recorded, aired, and scored by five judges in the typical Verselandia! tradition, identifying a top five and our next Grand Slam Champion. Tickets for…
Join Elissa Washuta, Kristin Arnett, Morgan Parker and Tommy Pico for “a Sagittarius group chat” about Washuta’s new book, White Magic. Register in advance for this webinar Elissa Washuta is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a writer of personal essays and memoir. She is the author of two books, Starvation Mode and My Body Is a Book of Rules, named a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Her work has appeared in Salon, The Chronicle of Higher Education, BuzzFeed, and elsewhere. An adviser for the Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington and a nonfiction faculty member in the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Elissa lives near Seattle. Website - Twitter Elissa Washuta will give a Pop-Up Reading in Native American Art (Main Building, 3rd Floor). Kristen Arnett…
Annie Bloom's welcomes Portland author Jutta Donath for a livestream reading from her memoir, Refugee: The Journey of an East German Woman. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwocu-vrT8iHtc3YgSdaOLdx0I04qCBk-s4 About Refugee: Beginning with her childhood in the East Germany of the 1940s, we follow the author on her family's dangerous flight from communism. As refugees, they move from town to town in 1950s West Germany, finally settling north of Frankfurt, where Jutta spends her teenage years. After marrying an American army intelligence officer, she emigrates to Oregon, her husband's home state. She learns about America and its customs as an outsider. Like her father, she struggles with alcoholism, eventually finding her way to recovery. After remarriage in 1989, she finds refuge at home in Portland. About Jutta Donath: Jutta…
From Michelle Zauner — the indie rock star of Japanese Breakfast fame and author of the viral 2018 New Yorker essay that shares the title of this book — comes an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. In Crying in H Mart (Knopf), Zauner’s exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, she proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her…
Our Spring 2021 reading period is open from March 1st to April 30th. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays about defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about storytelling, literary craft, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column and resources; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A…
This class will help you adopt crucial creative habits using your memory of the past to build a practice for the future. Using a series of daily in-class and at-home prompts that focus on ideas of home, trek childhood, and position memory as present, you will generate new work and use research-based ways to bring a sustainable practice into your life. Everyone will have opportunities to give and receive generous feedback on the development of your practice, as well as on your writing. We will pay particular attention to the voice and structure of new work and engage with the common themes that arise out of these prompts: the grief of all families, the complicated solipsism of children, and the way language gives new meaning…
Three Veteran Guild Members (Anne Louise Sterry, Chetter Galloway and Will Hornyak) reprise crowd favorites for a rollicking evening of stories, songs and poems. An evening to remember from some of the Guild’s favorites. Join us for a fun frolic with old friends and wonderful tales. A virtual evening of stories Saturday, May 1 at 7pm PDT / 8pm MDT / 9pm CDT / 10pm EDT / 6pm AKDT. Register here -- only $10 per computer connection; as many can watch as is socially-distanced-safe. Remember – the evening will be recorded; all registrants will get a link the day after to watch the recording anytime in the following week. So don’t let the start time or a prior commitment stand in your way: The Guild…
The 2021 Oregon Book Award winners will be announced on May 2, 2021, on a special episode of The Archive Project, airing on OPB Radio at 7:00 p.m. The hour-long show will be hosted by Omar El Akkad and Elena Passarello, and will feature readings from Oregon Book Awards winners, archival audio from previous Oregon Book Awards ceremonies, and an interview with CES Wood recipient Molly Gloss. Omar El Akkad was born in Cairo, Egypt and grew up in Doha, Qatar until he moved to Canada with his family. He is an award-winning journalist and author who has traveled around the world to cover many of the most important news stories of the last decade. His reporting includes dispatches from the NATO-led war in Afghanistan,…