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!
Be transported by music that tells a story, from the classic Saint-Saëns "Carnival of the Animals" with narration by pianist Orion Weiss to contemporary works "Portraits of Langston" by Valerie Coleman and Bruce Adolphe’s urban fairy tale "Marita and Her Heart’s Desire."
What is Grits? Grits is a forthcoming independent publication that will be distributed on the internet. The goal of this publication is to unite reading/writing with design/art to share weird truths that make us feel human. It was founded in May 2020 with the belief that there are can never be too many small press publications. I hope this publication feels like a win-win when the bigger things lately have been feeling like loss after loss. Why is it called Grits? This publication is called “grits” because the word manages to balances all its disparate personalities in one syllable. It’s the dirt under your fingernails and it's your badass tenacity. It’s scum and resolve, firm courage with a rough edge. It’s also a hearty wholesome…
We’re pleased to announce that the 2021 Bitch Media Fellowships for Writers applications are now open! A series of three-month intensive writing fellowships, the goal is to develop, support, and amplify emerging voices in feminist media. All fellows will work under the guidance of Bitch cofounder Andi Zeisler. This fellowship was created in order to cultivate and amplify new voices. If you are a writer who has minimal publication experience, we strongly encourage you to apply. If you are passionate about one of the above subject areas but do not have a history of writing or blogging about them, we strongly encourage you to apply. If you are a writer still figuring out what subjects obsess you, we strongly encourage you to apply. Fellows will work in one of four subject…
The Young Adult Book Club meets the last Tuesdays of every month at 6pm. 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. You don't have to RSVP, just come and enjoy a lively discussion. We welcome both teens and adults to join this book club! Join us on June 30th for our next Young Adult Book Club. We will discuss Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons. About the Book: Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless in this hilarious YA horror comedy set at a local zombie convention--featuring a teenage girl gang that has to save the world from a horde…
Written by acclaimed, multi-award-winning authors, Gregory Benford (Timescape) and Larry Niven's (Ringworld), Glorious (Tor Books) concludes the Bowl of Heaven series praised by Booklist as "a solid adventure and entertaining speculation on the lives of alien creatures." In the journey that began with the New York Times bestseller, Bowl of Heaven and its sequel, Shipstar, audacious astronauts encounter bizarre, sometimes deadly life forms, and strange, exotic, cosmic phenomena, including miniature black holes, dense fields of interstellar plasma, powerful gravity-emitters, and spectacularly massive space-based, alien-built labyrinths. The alien civilization is far more advanced than our own, and difficult for our astronauts to comprehend. The astronauts must explore and document this brave, new, highly dangerous world, while also dealing with their own personal triumphs and conflicts —…
Two Rivers Book Club is open to all readers who would like to discuss books in a casual group setting, perhaps even with a glass of wine! We meet the last Tuesday of the month at 45th Parallel Wines, 8527 N Lombard Street in St Johns, Portland, Oregon, from 6:30-8:00pm. We will reveal the book for the following month at the end of the discussion, and post it in this event and on our website (https://www.tworiversbooks.com/event/two-rivers-book-club) after.
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! Books Around the Corner is inviting you to participate in Writers Group by phone or email until further notice. The Meeting ID will not change monthly for the Writers Group. Join Online HERE https://zoom.us/j/230496085 Meeting ID: 230 496 085 Join by Phone HERE +1 301 715 8592 US Meeting ID: 230 496 085
Award-winning long-form journalist Eva Holland had always understood that her deepest fears were the death of her mother and falling from heights. She spends the majority of her life avoiding heights when possible, and managing exposure when necessary; but when her mother suddenly passes away, Holland is sent spiraling into a period of deep grief. When, months later, she begins to resurface, the realization that she has survived her worst fear emboldens her to begin an odyssey of confronting fear itself. Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear (The Experiment) chronicles Holland’s investigation of the science of fear, trauma, and anxiety. Using herself as a test subject, she jumps out of airplanes, ice climbs to nerve wreaking heights, and delves into her fears of loss…
Youth Programs of Literary Arts is thrilled to debut the first virtual iteration of our annual WITS End of Year Reading to celebrate the work and contributions of the adults working behind the scenes to bring Writers in the Schools to life—our WITS writers, teachers, and partners. This event will be hosted by WITS Program Specialist, Joanna Rose. Open to the public with registration in advance. Held via Zoom. Register in Advance for this Event Pronouns: she/her Joanna is the author of the award-winning novel Little Miss Strange (Algonquin Books). Other work has appeared in ZYZZYVA, Windfall Journal, Cloudbank, Artisan Journal, Northern Lights, Oregon Humanities, High Desert Journal, VoiceCatcher, and Bellingham Review, among others. Her essay “That Thing With Feathers” was cited as Notable in…
Rosalie Knecht discusses her new novel Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery with Amy Stewart! Order Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery Order Who Is Vera Kelly? Order Kopp Sisters on the March * Rosalie Knecht is the author of Who Is Vera Kelly? and Relief Map. She is the translator of César Aira’s The Seamstress and the Wind (New Directions) and a Center for Fiction Emerging Writer Fellow. She resides in New York City. Amy Stewart is the New York Times best-selling author of the Kopp Sisters series, which are based on the true story of one of America’s first female deputy sheriffs and her two rambunctious sisters. The books are in development with Elizabeth Banks’ production company, Brownstone, for a television series. Her popular nonfiction titles include…
Trivia Night on Zoooooom Your team can be people you live with or people you don't live with. We have a plan, and it is an amazing plan that we will figure out tomorrow night, but trust us. Teams are usually limited to 4 people, but we need more connection, so let's say teams can be up to 6 people. Prizes: The respect and resentment of your peers Cost: Free with optional cover charge Please consider contributing to this virtual event with an optional cover charge here: https://www.rosecitybookpub.com/shop/optional-cover-fee-for-virtual-events-5-suggested Teams will be posted in the discussion. Please comment if you would like to join one of the teams listed.
A recurring conversation on building awareness through the books we read. Register and join the conversation via Crowdcast at: https://www.tworiversbooks.com/event/coffee-break-reading-resistance For a collection of recommended book lists curated by Reading is Resistance, please visit our Reading is Resistance Resource page: https://www.tworiversbooks.com/reading-resistance For the full Book Club, and all related information, check out their website: https://www.readingisresistance.com/book-club Topics by date: June 4: Jazz Baby (ft. live music with Farnell Newton) (farnellnewton.com) June 11: Activism/Community Engagement June 18: Collage and Craft in Social Justice Books for Kids June 25: Outdoor/Adventure Books July 2: Book Bundle Highlight July 9: Social Justice Teaching July 16: Poetry July 23: Book Bundle Highlight (ft. special guest Vera Newton, from Vera's Reviews) July 30: Interview (TBD) August 6: How to Get Involved in…
Join Marissa and friends for an hour of drawing together! This week we’ll be doing still lifes. We’ll start with a check in drawing activity and do several short times drawings and a longer drawing. Set up your own scene to share or draw one that’s provided! Leave Marissa an artist tip via Paypal: marissabperez@gmail.com Register here to receive a reminder email with Zoom link Zoom meeting link here
Looking for writers in all the wrong places? Maybe you need the write place. Join at the Write Place each week, online. Discuss goal setting and productivity while encouraging, supporting, and connecting with other writers. We will share our rejections, sales, and other market news so that we can inspire and learn from each other. How to join the Write Place Please fill out the Google Form here, and we will send you details for logging in: https://forms.gle/4tN8y78Atcw3WbU87 See you at the Write Place
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 July 2nd for our Romance Book Club. We will discuss Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. About the book: What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius―his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the…
Slamlandia is hosting another digital poetry open mic. This open mic - only poetry, no music please - will take place on July 2nd. We'll be hosting this event with the help of Literary Arts. You can access our Zoom link in advance. Here is the link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAoc-uurjgrE902IMKcdCZryv-hCRS8GjE1 Sign ups for the open mic will be posted at 6:30pm PT day of via Facebook posts and an Instagram story. Comment / Reply to get your name on the list. Open mic will promptly begin at 7pm. There will be no feature for this show. Because of this, poets will have FIVE minutes to read on the mic - please do not go over time. A quick run down of Zoom: click the link…
Join us for a virtual show. Performers TBD. Please consider contributing to this live virtual event with an optional cover fee here: https://www.rosecitybookpub.com/shop/optional-cover-fee-for-virtual-events-5-suggested
Join us on July 3rd at 4pm for our Historical Fiction Book Club. We will discuss Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. About the book: The Handmaid’s Tale meets Alice in Wonderland in this gripping and imaginative historical novel about a shunned orphan girl in 16th-century England who is ensnared in a deadly royal plot and must turn her subjugation into her power. Due to the time and effort we put into organizing our book clubs if you choose to purchase the book elsewhere or check it out from the library we will now be asking members who do not purchase their books at our shop to pay a $5 fee. Thank you for understanding and supporting us. HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK CLUB REMOTE INSTRUCTIONS Join online!…
Join us for coffee at your kitchen table with Willamette Writers Online! Warm up the coffeepot and get your cup — we’re ready for a coffee date with you online. Join us on Zoom for coffee and conversation. No reason — just connection. We will see you there! Details for joining online Click over to our events calendar to find the details for logging in: willamettewriters.org/events. New to Zoom? If you are new to Zoom you can go to a test meeting at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115002262083-Joining-a-Test-Meeting. We look forward to sharing a cup with you!
In these times of plague and revolution, where are you? How are you? We are here. Poetry! Humor! Mythology! Smut! Rage! Portland's longest running open mic goes VIRTUAL this Monday, July 6, at 8 PM. Jennifer Robin hosts. Do you want to read your private collection of hundreds of cut-up cereal box ingredient lists? A break-up email? A page from your Pandemic Diary? The final chapter of your history of lint? Maybe you'd like to read from another writer's work which is especially resonating with you right now. Oh, you may! Stuck wondering if your writing is suitable for the show? Look at the above declaration! The Last Stand treasures diversity, passion, and experimentation. The open mic is on the video conference site GetVokl, with…
Join us for coffee at your kitchen table with Willamette Writers Online! Warm up the coffeepot and get your cup — we’re ready for a coffee date with you online. Join us on Zoom for coffee and conversation. No reason — just connection. We will see you there! Details for joining online Click over to our events calendar to find the details for logging in: willamettewriters.org/events. New to Zoom? If you are new to Zoom you can go to a test meeting at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115002262083-Joining-a-Test-Meeting. We look forward to sharing a cup with you!
The comics from the new DC distributor came in in plenty of time to actually try out a Tuesday release! Call it market research. I can't promise I'll always do it (Wednesday is the big day, there's a pandemic, I'm a 1-man shop so not able to work 7 days a week) but I thought I would do it this time since we have a busy week for DC comics. Please follow all precautions as usual and I'm happy to do curbside or free delivery to North Portland. Thanks! Let me know if questions. Offerings include: Batman 94 Batman The Adventures Continue 2 Batman's Grave DC Classics The Batman Adventures 2 DCeased Dead Planet 1 (of 6) Detective Comics 1023 Joker War Flash 757 Green…
When the new girl in school joins a group of teen witches, she and her friends must team up with a rival coven to take down a mysterious killer. New girl and secret witch Iris just wants to get through her first day of school without a panic attack. The last thing she expects is to be taken in by a coven of three witches — soft-spoken Greta, thoughtful and musical Ridley, and fiery and spirited Binx. They may be the first witches Iris has met IRL, but their coven is not alone in their small northwestern town. The Triad is the other coven at their school. When the Triad's not using spells to punish their exes or break up happy couples for fun, they…
From the precolonial period to modern times, these two authors show the complexity of Nigerian history: the original tribal forms of organizing the society, where the strong man rules for good and for bad; the colonial era where those tribal communities transform in order to negotiate with the colonizers; and the postcolonial period that shows how the thirst for oil from the western powers also generates conflicts between the native peoples and a level of corruption that pervade every aspect of their lives. The transformations narrated in these two books are journeys of no return, with echoes from Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Texts: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Oil on Water by Helon Habila Participants are responsible for purchasing texts. First assignment: For the…
This 4 -week short fiction workshop will focus on generating new work and simply getting words down on a page. We will read excerpts, share just-written work aloud, and discuss assigned weekly readings together. We will investigate ways to unearth material together and share strategies for maintaining a regular writing practice. Participants will leave will many fragments and several starts for new work. This class takes place through Zoom. Participants will receive instructions on how to log on to the Zoom meetings. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: Scholarships pay for the entire class tuition. All of our writing classes have at least one scholarship position available, made possible by a generous gift from Dennis Steinman. To apply, email Susan…
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 21 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 Mondays at noon and closes one hour before the workshop. Click here for more info. Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 pm 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 due to the coronavirus. Register here. Thursdays from 11 am to…
Mario Livio's Galileo: And the Science Deniers (Simon & Schuster) is a fresh interpretation of the life of Galileo Galilei, one of history's greatest and most fascinating scientists, that sheds new light on his discoveries and how he was challenged by science deniers. "We really need this story now, because we're living through the next chapter of science denial" (Bill McKibben). Galileo's story may be more relevant today than ever before. At present, we face enormous crises — such as the minimization of the dangers of climate change — because the science behind these threats is erroneously questioned or ignored. Galileo encountered this problem 400 years ago. His discoveries, based on careful observations and ingenious experiments, contradicted conventional wisdom and the teachings of the church…
The Books Around the Corner Book Talk Book Club is led by the owner/librarian, Stephanie Rose, and meets monthly on Wednesday every month. We would like to extend an invitation to all of our customers (RSVP is not required). Bring whatever book your are reading or have recently finished and book talk it to the group. This is a great way to find books outside of your genre that you may not have otherwise been introduced to! 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 with other readers. REMOTE INSTRUCTIONS Join online! https://zoom.us/j/306490858 Meeting ID: 306 490 858…
Trivia Night on Zoooooom Your team can be people you live with or people you don't live with. We have a plan, and it is an amazing plan that we will figure out tomorrow night, but trust us. Teams are usually limited to 4 people, but we need more connection, so let's say teams can be up to 6 people. Prizes: The respect and resentment of your peers Cost: Free with optional cover charge Please consider contributing to this virtual event with an optional cover charge here: https://www.rosecitybookpub.com/shop/optional-cover-fee-for-virtual-events-5-suggested Teams will be posted in the discussion. Please comment if you would like to join one of the teams listed.
A recurring conversation on building awareness through the books we read. Register and join the conversation via Crowdcast at: https://www.tworiversbooks.com/event/coffee-break-reading-resistance For a collection of recommended book lists curated by Reading is Resistance, please visit our Reading is Resistance Resource page: https://www.tworiversbooks.com/reading-resistance For the full Book Club, and all related information, check out their website: https://www.readingisresistance.com/book-club Topics by date: June 4: Jazz Baby (ft. live music with Farnell Newton) (farnellnewton.com) June 11: Activism/Community Engagement June 18: Collage and Craft in Social Justice Books for Kids June 25: Outdoor/Adventure Books July 2: Book Bundle Highlight July 9: Social Justice Teaching July 16: Poetry July 23: Book Bundle Highlight (ft. special guest Vera Newton, from Vera's Reviews) July 30: Interview (TBD) August 6: How to Get Involved in…
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 21 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 Mondays at noon and closes one hour before the workshop. Click here for more info. Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 pm 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 due to the coronavirus. Register here. Thursdays from 11 am to…
Looking for writers in all the wrong places? Maybe you need the write place. Join at the Write Place each week, online. Discuss goal setting and productivity while encouraging, supporting, and connecting with other writers. We will share our rejections, sales, and other market news so that we can inspire and learn from each other. How to join the Write Place Please fill out the Google Form here, and we will send you details for logging in: https://forms.gle/4tN8y78Atcw3WbU87 See you at the Write Place
Afterlife (Algonquin Books) is the first adult novel in almost 15 years by Julia Alvarez, the internationally bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. "A stunning work of art that reminds readers Alvarez is, and always has been, in a class of her own." — Elizabeth Acevedo, National Book Award-winning author of the New York Times bestseller The Poet X Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find…
Dive in to the first draft of your novel with confidence, excitement, and curiosity, armed with tools to deal with doubt and writers block. This three week online class will include writing exercises, feedback and a discussion of the variety of ways to begin a novel. July 9 - 23, 2020 Thursdays, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (3 sessions) online via Zoom Cari Luna Cari Luna is the author of The Revolution of Every Day, which won the Oregon Book Award for Fiction. A fellow of Yaddo and Ragdale, her writing has appeared in Guernica, Salon, Jacobin, Electric Literature, Catapult, The Rumpus, PANK, and elsewhere.
“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” Explore Czech writer Kundera alongside some of his inspirations. We will begin with his most famous work, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, reading both the original text and exploring major influences on this work, through excerpts from Kafka and Nietzsche. We will also read his novel Immortality and short story collection Laughable Loves. We will discuss what is distinctive about Kundera’s style, such as his lyrical writing and preoccupation with philosophical themes. Of course, no discussion on Kundera would be complete without a discussion surrounding the thematic elements of totalitarianism and revolution. Reading List: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Immortality Laughable Loves Excerpts from Nietzsche and Kafka (guide will provide PDFs to…
For people who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC). 2nd & 4th Friday of every month from 4 to 5:30 pm, Free. Workshops are held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. Pre-register for July 10, 2020 workshop here. Pre-register for July 24, 2020 workshop here. Click here for more workshop details. Write Around Portland provides high-quality, participant-centered, creative writing workshops. Most of our workshops run for ten weeks, two hours per week. The workshop curriculum focuses on experiential learning, generating new writing and building on the writers’ strengths. Workshop participants write stories, poems, memoirs, letters and essays while experimenting with imagery, character development, dialogue and early-draft revision. To build community through writing, our workshops are facilitated by extensively-trained volunteers who write and share alongside…
Join us on Friday July 10th at 6pm for our Remote Nonfiction Book Club. We will discuss Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. About the book: From a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist, a hilarious, thought-provoking, and surprising new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world--where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she). One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet…
“So many of us believe in perfection, which ruins everything else, because the perfect is the enemy of the good; it is also the enemy of the realistic, the possible, and the fun.” ~Rebecca Solnit Carving time and space to be attentive to our creative practice can be daunting at anytime, during a pandemic, when we’re struggling to juggle all our roles it’s even more difficult. Not only do we have to make the time, which often means taking time away from our responsibilities, but then, once at our desk we must quiet our minds, we have to release the tight grip of the mind that stands in the way. In this workshop we’ll spend some time building tools and resources to relieve the overwhelming…
Time isn’t real, the year 2020 is an exhausting tornado, and on July 11th and 12th, #virtualpzs will be happening on the internet. We are currently in planning stages, but below is a list of some of our programming. We have not yet set a schedule, but all programming will take place between 11am-6pm on July 11th and 12th. Radical Animal-Style Singalong Kids of all ages and kids at hearts are invited to join Sine in the animal kingdom for a radical singalong to lift our spirits, soothe our hearts, and share some laughter and fun! Come with your best animal costume, noises, snacks, and dance moves and get ready to roar! Interactive Story Time (Children ages 2-5 and their families) Join the Portland Childcare…
How we journey through this moment, one page at a time. What’s it like being you right now? How has your life been changed? How will you look back on this moment? We want to hear from you! The Portland Art Museum, Portland Public Schools, and Create More, Fear Less are assembling one enduring art journal, made up of many, to capture our shared story of this unique moment in history. How to participate Respond to our prompts below or follow along on Instagram @journal_on_everyone. Then, upload an image of your work to the gallery. Share your drawings, words, or photos. Use any creative expression you want. If you’re a musician, dancer, or other kind of artist that doesn’t fit on a page, we’d love…
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! IMPORTANT: Due to social distancing this class will be taught virtually via Zoom—more info on that below! About the Workshop: Want to learn what Risograph printing is? Want to meet others who do too? Join us to learn all about the basics of the Risograph in our two-color introduction workshop. The workshop will kick off with a Show & Tell of exactly what a Risograph can do with a printing demo, print and zine samples and a general exploration of how we can get the best results from this…
Today, author Stephanie Campisi joins us to read from her new picture book, Five Sisters (Familius), illustrated by Madalina Andronic. When a great white oak gifts an old man a branch imbued with magic, he carves five wooden dolls “each smaller than the last.” The wooden dolls take on a life of their own as they frolic from one season to the next bringing the old man and his wife a joy they had always longed for. Beautiful verse and stunning, traditional illustrations full of woodland creatures and playfully painted matryoshka dolls explore a tale of heartache, hope, and love. Register for the Zoom event / Buy the Book
NOTE: Due to the restrictions to keep us safe from the Coronavirus, The Work will continue as a remote workshop via Zoom. Please email Christopher Luna at christopherjluna@gmail.com by midnight the night before each workshop to RSVP if you would like to participate. Also, please share this event with others who might be interested. The cost for the workshop is a suggested donation of $20 to Christopher Luna’s PayPal account. Suggested means that we would like for you to join us regardless of whether or not you can afford it right now. SATURDAY AFTERNOON EDITION Join us on Saturday, July 11 for The Work, a poetry writing workshop led by Christopher Luna. The Work is a drop-in poetry writing workshop for beginners as well as…
WHAT: A two-hour online webinar AND a 4-week online workshop WITH: Terese Marie Mailhot WHEN: WEBINAR: Saturday, July 11th 1PM-3PM PST WHERE: ZOOM! (But of course.) Meeting registration and access details will be provided in advance. HOW MUCH: WEBINAR—$100. One hundred total capacity. Payment plans are available, contact Daniel Elder at registration@corporealwriting.com SCHOLARSHIPS: Fifteen full scholarships are available for BIPOC writers. Click here to apply. WEBINAR—July 11th—SEATS AVAILABLE! Our stories can be medicine for ourselves and others. When we retrieve stories people wish we would forget, we can re-shape the narratives of our lives and make art of it, too. Terese will be discussing ways you can piece together a fragmented life, and ways you can utilize metaphor and draw out ideas to connect points…
Hell is not the bother of other people, it is other people who see us as we really are. Experience Theatre Project, in artistic association with Lacy Productions, present an eTheatre presentation of NO EXIT by Jean-Paul Sartre, adapted by Alisa Stewart and the debut of a new artist's salon LE CHAT NOIR MODERNE JOIN US on July 11 as we celebrate the grand opening of our beautiful online salon for artists, featuring a live, fully rehearsed, online performance of Jean-Paul Sartre's NO EXIT, an adapted online pastiche by Alisa Stewart. Virtual doors open at 6pm PDT at the Experience Theatre Project website to experience the glitz and glamour of world-wide artists performing in a salon setting. Enter your key (your personal password) to access…
4-Week Online Workshop starting July 12th, 2020 “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 each other, or, how do we learn to…
* Reminder * Registration is required. Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOUyTp8LtSbZYSyxclM4D6QDAJjU9d_U8fMQY4jnsRCm1Huw/viewform IS TIME REAL?: A Zine Share Join this group of talented zinesters, including Martha Grover, Meli Nava of Navaja Press, Alex Kostiw, Breena Nuñez, and Eileen Chavez, as they share their work at this zine reading hosted by the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC). Sunday, 12pm to 1pm. Free.
The smallest moment can profoundly change your life, a smell briefly caught on a walk can send you back in time, objects hold whole multi-histories and as the writer Jay Ponteri says "memories nest inside other memories". In this 5 week class we will be exploring memory and the tools of the memoir genre to write our own "Micro-Memoirs". These will be 1-5 page prose pieces. We will also be reading a lot of outside examples of this and writing together in class. This class is open to all writers, whether you identify as a poet, fiction, or creative non-fiction writer. Whoever you are let's all explore together! | Maximum: 12 writers NOTE: Writers may take this class without having previously taken Micro Memoir I. Register for this…
No bookstore readings possible, and I have a need to read, so will be reading in the schoolyard across from my house, near corner of 78th and Cooper. Plenty of space for distancing. you might want to bring something to sit on. I will read for 20-30 minutes. Poet & teacher Leanne Grabel says of Moving with Every "dan raphael's world is a world where decimal points become poppy seeds, rivers hurl their fish bones at the stars, eagles drink at the bar, starling play pool, bass riffs twitch like perches, the wind, pocketless, collects things anyway, crows wear edwardian capes, hair is infested with sun, a sun that later gets stuck in traffic. The descriptions are impeccable." right next to Jade Garden, Melba's 100…
Meets Mon/Weds 11am-12:30pm | July 13, July 15, July 20, July 22, July 27, July 29 In this course, we’ll explore work by contemporary artists and writers and generate our own projects both on the page and in the world. Each week you’ll choose one truth and one dare and work toward a final project that will be a culmination in the medium of your choice. The only rule: follow what you are most curious about. Our workshop will include fun writing prompts, research and lively reports-from-the-field, and group-think collaborations. “Homework” may include adventures like graffiti harvesting, doing anonymous good, writing a short story about a nightclub singer in love with an armadillo, or sending something via postal mail. Laura Moulton is a writer and…
Rion Amilcar Scott, Kali Fajardo-Anstine & Catherine Lacey YouTube
Jenara Nerenberg’s Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You (HarperOne) is a paradigm-shifting exploration of neurodivergent women — those with autism, ADHD, synesthesia, and other sensory processing differences — offering a timely, provocative examination of why these traits are overlooked in women and how our society can benefit from allowing their unique strengths to flourish. As a smart, successful, Harvard- and Berkeley-educated writer and devoted mother, Nerenberg didn’t discover her autism and ADHD until well into her adulthood, after it had already taken a huge toll on her personal and professional life. Being a journalist, she dove into the research and discovered neurodiversity — a movement which seeks to stop pathologizing "normal" and "abnormal" brains and start embracing the variety of…
Apps due July 8 One of the things I feel Poets Studio participants, regardless of experience and skill, can benefit from, is an extended concentration on only a few pieces over a couple months. That’s my goal for the Summer Sessions, which would progress as follows: Sessions 1-3: Making. We’ll start from scratch on a few poems, developing strategies of imagination, research, trial and error, and writing several “test” drafts over several weeks. Sessions 4-6: Noticing. Here we’ll begin to be attentive to what might be possible with various drafts of poems, in the writing process — noticing what they are doing and not doing, what they are implying and avoiding, and what they are potentially able to become, and what they can’t ever become…
NOTE: Due to the restrictions to keep us safe from the Coronavirus, The Work will continue as a remote workshop via Zoom. Please email Christopher Luna at christopherjluna@gmail.com by midnight the night before each workshop to RSVP if you would like to participate. Also, please share this event with others who might be interested. The cost for the workshop is a suggested donation of $20 to Christopher Luna’s PayPal account. Suggested means that we would like for you to join us regardless of whether or not you can afford it right now. MONDAY NIGHT EDITION Join us on Monday, July 13 for The Work. The Work is a drop-in poetry writing workshop for beginners as well as more experienced writers. Poetry encourages empathy and compassion,…
Do you find it difficult to find time for your writing? Or maybe can’t find time for your life? Come learn with seasoned entrepreneur, Janelle Youngstrom, on how to set goals, manage your priorities, organize your time, and shift your thinking about managing life and your writing.
DC Comics came in on time again so I'm going to open up for a few hours & see if folks want a chance to grab them early! Thanks! Be aware of the noon start time rather than 11. New DC offerings will include AQUAMAN CATWOMAN DAPHNE BYRNE 6 (OF 6) DARK NIGHTS METAL 2 (OF 6) LOONEY TUNES NIGHTWING STRANGE ADVENTURES 3 (OF 12) SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN 12 (OF 12)
Towering peaks, sparkling coastline, and vast old-growth forests: wherever you turn in the Pacific Northwest, adventure awaits. Pack a lunch, lace up your boots, and hit the trails with Craig Hill and Matt Wastradowski’s Moon Pacific Northwest Hiking (Moon Travel). Inside you'll find: Diverse Hiking Options: Whether you plan to take breathtaking coastal walks in Oregon or challenging treks around Mount Rainier, enjoy outdoor getaways ranging from easy day hikes to multi-day backpacking trips. Find Your Hike: Looking for something specific? Choose from strategic lists of the best hikes for waterfalls, wildflowers, bringing your dog, and more, plus a breakdown of the best hikes by season. The Top Outdoor Experiences: Wander through the damp, dense greens of a rainforest in Olympic National Park or revel…
July 14th will be a Fantasy Pick. Join us on Tuesday July 14th at 6pm for our Books Around the Corner Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club. We will discuss Circe by Madeline Miller. About the book: In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Due to the time and effort we put into organizing our book clubs if you choose to purchase the book elsewhere, already own it,…
Join us to discuss How to Make Friends with the Sea (our July focus book for middle readers). We will be diving into the discussion questions provided and explore the book themes. Sign up to join our conversation!
From Carlos Fonseca, author of Colonel Lágrimas, comes Natural History (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), a dazzling, kaleidoscopic epic of art, politics, and hidden realities. Just before the dawn of the new millennium, a curator at a New Jersey museum of natural history receives an unusual invitation from a celebrated fashion designer. She shares the curator's fascination with the hidden forms of the animal kingdom — with camouflage and subterfuge — and she proposes that they collaborate on an exhibition, the form of which itself remains largely obscure, even as they enter into a strange relationship marked by evasion and elision. Seven years later, after the death of the designer, the curator recovers the archive of their never-completed project. During a long night of insomnia, he…
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Vanessa Hua, Lesley Nneka Arimah & Leni Zumas YouTube
I have been saying for years that I wanted to do a book club, so this is it. This conversation that will start with a book selected and/or suggested will hopefully be one of the catalysts for change. While I’m hoping to have this first one in my backyard, I’m happy to have it virtually. When we get closer to the date, we can confirm where it will happen. IT IS HAPPENING! So, what are we reading? I will post the first offering after I have 10 people confirm they want in. This is not that cute book club with tea and crumpets. There will be tea spilt, cussing, and crying. There will be possibly be anger, but most of all, this is a chance…
In her book The Ethics of Ambiguity, the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir asks us to consider what it means to exercise individual freedom and to live in community with others. Where does our individual freedom begin and end? Simone de Beauvoir claims that our personal freedom can be manifest only when we “will others free.” How do we create a life where we protect our individual freedom and work toward the freedom of our neighbor? Can both forms of freedom truly exist? de Beauvoir wrote The Ethics of Ambiguity in 1947, and she questions and seeks to define personal ethics and freedom in the wake of Nazi atrocities and totalitarianism. We will read The Ethics of Ambiguity in its entirety. At first glance, Franz Kafka…
The theme for July’s Incite is Justice! We're back for a virtual Incite on July 15th with a country-wide line-up of writers that will make you contemplate our theme, justice: Leah Baer, Carolyn Martin, Ron Bloodworth, and Shay Raymond. Stunning! We've only got room for 100 in our virtual room so, register and get the link at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMudOGtrD8rHdE5zQh8ziw4DWiGLGKw7MXh Hosted by Kate Carroll de Gutes and Kate Gray Sign up in advance here Kate Gray’s passion comes as a teacher, writing coach, and a volunteer writing facilitator with women inmates. For Every Girl: New & Selected Poems was published by Widow & Orphan House in 2019. Her first full-length book of poems, Another Sunset We Survive (Cedar House Books, 2007) was a finalist for the Oregon…
Home(Work): A Conversation Between Jami Attenberg and Kristen Arnett A look at the craft of fiction & essay writing through the lens of regional narrative. YouTube
Matt Ruff, the critically acclaimed author of Lovecraft Country, returns with 88 Names (Harper), a thrilling and immersive virtual reality epic — part cyberthriller, part twisted romantic comedy — that transports you to a world where identity is fluid and nothing can be taken at face value. John Chu is a "sherpa" — a paid guide to online role-playing games. For a fee, he and his crew will provide you with a top-flight character equipped with the best weapons and armor, and take you dragon-slaying, hunting rogue starships, or battling hordes of undead in the zombie apocalypse. Chu's new client claims to be a "wealthy, famous person" with powerful enemies, and he's offering a ridiculous amount of money for a comprehensive tour of the world…
When we think of speculative words, such as those found in science fiction, high fantasy, and urban fantasy, we often wonder how the author managed to come up with fantastical ideas that are both believable and logical. We often don’t stop to think about how much of the scientific in our world could easily be considered magical, or how our mundane life could also be seen as extraordinary. It’s easy enough to say that our technology would be fantastical to someone from a hundred years ago, but what separates the current mundane from the current fantastical in our writing? In this class we will first examine modern technology, current trends, the natural world, and popular beliefs, and convert them to a magical viewpoint. Participants will…
In this workshop hosted by Marina Martinez-Bateman, participants will deconstruct the toxic habit many of us have of associating our worth with our ability to produce. Especially in this charged and stressful time, we feel external pressure to make work that will help others contextualize a situation we ourselves may not yet have a handle on. Add to that a constant social media feed of friends and colleagues to unfairly compare ourselves to, and this is a recipe for despair. Workshop attendees will talk about where toxic productivity comes from, how to identify it, and introduce some and exercises that will help you develop other coping strategies. Learn more about Marina at marinaforhire.com *15 spots available* Register Here. Participants will be emailed the Zoom meeting link…
The Books Around the Corner Page Turner Book Club is led by the owner/librarian, Stephanie Rose, and meets monthly on the third Thursday of every month at 6PM. We would like to extend an invitation to all of our mystery and thriller loving customers (RSVP is not required). 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 July 16th for our next Page Turner Book Club. We will discuss Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. The next heart-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager follows a…
Slamlandia is hosting another digital poetry open mic. This open mic - only poetry, no music please - will take place on July 16th. We'll be hosting this event with the help of Literary Arts. You can access our Zoom link in advance. Here is the link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvcOuhqD4qGNXQuygbKflMOYGXeTgPhGA7 Sign ups for the open mic will be posted at 6:30pm PT day of via Facebook posts and an Instagram story. Comment / reply to get your name on the list. Open mic will promptly begin at 7pm. Poets gets 3 minutes to share poetry - please do not go over time. We will have a feature from Gigi Bella and Marty Adamsmith. gigi bella // has been ranked the tenth woman poet in the…
Like many of those in our communities, The COVID-19 pandemic has had a deep impact on Oregon’s writers. Many are experiencing disruptions to their work, family lives and overall financial security. This was confirmed by a recent survey we conducted of Oregon Book Awards & Fellowship recipients and Writer of Color fellowship applicants. 86% of the respondents have either experienced or are anticipating an impact to their financial situation as a result of the pandemic. In response to this need, Literary Arts has allocated a significant amount from our Brian Booth Writers’ Fund to create the Booth Emergency Fund for Writers. This emergency fund is designed to provide meaningful financial relief to Oregon’s writers, including cartoonists, spoken word poets, and playwrights. Update: The first application…
Join us for an afternoon of personal writing in the company of others. Sometimes the medium of *instant* messaging and emails doesn’t do our deeper thoughts and feelings justice. If you would like to sit together in good company writing letters, Wendy will provide examples, strategies and prompts to inspire students to write from their intellect and feelings both. Pre-registration is required. Click on this link to register. Wendy Noonan’s poetry has appeared in many journals, including Painted Bride Quarterly, Muzzle, Crazy Horse and 2River View. Her creative nonfiction, forthcoming in Diagram, was also featured in Meridian Journal as one of two finalists for their 2020 Editor’s Choice prize. Wendy teaches at Pacific Northwest College of Art and tutors at Portland Community College.
Queer Beautitudes: A Conversation Between Garth Greenwell and Brandon Taylor Riffing on Queer Aesthetics. YouTube
Zach St. George’s The Journeys of Trees: A Story About Forests, People, and the Future (W. W. Norton) is an urgent and illuminating portrait of forest migration, and of the people studying the forests of the past, protecting the forests of the present, and planting the forests of the future. Forests are restless. Any time a tree dies or a new one sprouts, the forest that includes it has shifted. When new trees sprout in the same direction, the whole forest begins to migrate, sometimes at astonishing rates. Today, however, an array of obstacles – humans felling trees by the billions, invasive pests transported through global trade – threaten to overwhelm these vital movements. Worst of all, the climate is changing faster than ever before,…
Short Form: A panel with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Rion Amilcar Scott, Lesley Nneka Arimah, moderated by Dantiel W. Moniz Examining the craft behind the first sentence, story, collection, and beyond. YouTube
Kristen Arnett, Nicole Dennis-Benn, & Brandon Taylor YouTube
A 6-week online workshop STARTS: July 19th, 2020 COST: $350 (scholarships available - preference to queer/trans POC writers - click here to apply) Cooper Lee Bombardier says: “To me, queer is expansive, queer is hybrid, queer is taking what works and leaves behind the retrograde.” Yes, for many queer is also an identity but you don’t have to identify as queer to benefit from a look at queer forms, or attempting to queer your own work. We’ll look at work that might be considered queer in content as well as form, and will embark on multiple generative writing “experiments” where we try on the forms and constraints studied, enter into conversation with them, become inspired by them, apply them to our own creative voices, and invent our own…
For writers of color at all levels. Searching for a space to create new work with fellow writers of color? This two-hour workshop meets on Zoom. Writers can register for one or more sessions. A variety of prompts will be presented as avenues for generating and sharing new work in an informal setting. Open to writers of color at all levels writing in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. You can also bring your own prompts and questions about the writing process, and explore them with the group. Scholarships are available. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org for more information.
Revision is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process. How do we dig deeper and color in the edges to make our writing more evocative? How do we use the senses to make it come to life? What would happen if we approached the same material from a different point of view (third person as opposed to first-person say)? In this six-week class, we will take an editor’s perspective on polishing our work. The class will be structured as a mini-workshop and we will devote most of our time to peer reading and critique with an emphasis on elements of developmental editing as well as line editing. We will focus on refinement of style, structure, and content. Sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, we will sharpen…
Meets Mon/Weds 1-2:30pm | July 20, July 22, July 27, July 29, Aug 3, Aug 5, Aug 10, Aug 12 Do you write your own music, lyrics, or rhymes? Have you experimented with recording music at home? In this workshop, we’lldissect and analyze song forms together across different genres of music. What makes a song unique? What is the message of the lyrics? What’s the production quality and how was it arranged in the studio? Inspired by what we discover, we’ll challenge ourselves to write and record a new song each week. We’ll also be joined by guest artists and songwriters for QAs about their creative process. This workshop is geared towards students with some basic songwriting experience who’d like to take their skills to…
Megan Fernandes, Jonathan Hill, Jenn Shapland, & Jeannie Vanasco YouTube
How do you stop a rogue president? How do you protect our country from a man who lies, who obstructs justice, and who seeks to cheat with foreign powers to get reelected? Our constitution offers one remedy: impeachment. Thanks to the courageous actions of public servants who came forward to report his abuses of power, on December 18, 2019, President Donald J. Trump became just the third president in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. In Endgame; Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump (Harry N. Abrams), Congressman Eric Swalwell offers the personal account of his path to office and how he and his colleagues resisted, investigated, and impeached a corrupt president. After the shock of the 2016 election and Trump's…
WHAT: A three-week online workshop for young mammals ages 13 to 17. WITH: Katie Collins-Guinn WHEN: Tuesday July 21- to Friday August 7th—we will meet on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30pm WHERE: ZOOM! (But of course.) Meeting ID will be provided each morning of meet days. HOW MUCH: $100, with a capacity of twelve writers/artists. Payment plans are available, contact Daniel Elder at registration@corporealwriting.com SCHOLARSHIPS: Click here to apply. One seat available to a mammal whose financial situation has been directly impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Making art is a vital way to survive. Sometimes we need a little help accessing our inspirations and motivations—working collectively has a powerful way of conjuring that. Memory is a prominent part of our present lives. As we move…
Come and fold with an IPRC member/volunteer & origami instructor/author, Yuki Martin on Zoom! You will need either origami paper*, or regular copy paper cut down to the dimensions of a square. Yuki will show you a few fun, summery models, including a rose and butterfly. All ages & skill levels are welcome. The materials needed would be a few sheets of standard size (6″x6″) origami paper* or copy paper cut into a square. You can cut copy paper into a square, using one of the methods explained in this link: https://www.origami-resource-center.com/cut-a-square.html RSVP here $5-15 suggested donation directly to facilitator; Venmo: @yukiorigami *Origami paper can be picked up at the IPRC. Coordinate with hquinn@iprc.org to pick origami paper up.
A discussion about making narrative (and aesthetic) sense out of the darkest parts of their pasts. YouTube
Lauren Cress teaches writing at a small college outside of Washington, DC. In the classroom, she is poised, smart, and kind, well-liked by her students and colleagues. But in her personal life, Lauren is troubled and isolated, still grappling with the sudden death of her parents 10 years earlier. She seems to exist at a remove from everyone around her until a new student joins her class: charming, magnetic Siri, who appears to be everything Lauren wishes she herself could be. They fall headlong into an all-consuming friendship that feels to Lauren like she is reclaiming her lost adolescence. When Siri invites her on a trip home to Sweden for the summer, Lauren impulsively accepts, intrigued by how Siri describes it: green, fresh, and new,…
The Books Around the Corner Page to Screen Book Club is led by the owner/librarian, Stephanie Rose, and meets monthly on the third Tuesday of every month at 6PM. We would like to extend an invitation to all of our customers that love books that have or will become adapted into shows or films. (RSVP is not required). 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 July 21st for our first Page to Screen Book Club. We will discuss The Outsider by Stephen King. Evil has many faces…maybe…
What happens when a childhood hobby grows into a lifelong career? The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist (Drawn & Quarterly), Adrian Tomine's funniest and most revealing foray into autobiography, offers an array of unexpected answers. When a sudden medical incident lands Tomine in the emergency room, he begins to question if it was really all worthwhile: despite the accolades and opportunities of a seemingly charmed career, it's the gaffes, humiliations, slights, and insults he's experienced (or caused) within the industry that loom largest in his memory. Tomine illustrates the amusing absurdities of how we choose to spend our time, all the while mining his conflicted relationship with comics and comics culture. But in between chaotic book tours, disastrous interviews, and cringe-inducing interactions with other artists,…
Mira Jacob, Saeed Jones, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, & Elissa Washuta YouTube
A conversation about money, careers, and the poetic eco-system. YouTube
For writers at all levels. This class takes place online. Registered participants will receive information on how to access the Zoom meeting before the class starts. 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.…
Join Marissa and friends for an hour of drawing together! This week we’ll be doing still lifes. We’ll start with a check in drawing activity and do several short times drawings and a longer drawing. Set up your own scene to share or draw one that’s provided! Leave Marissa an artist tip via Paypal: marissabperez@gmail.com Register here to receive a reminder email with Zoom link Zoom meeting link here
The Books Around the Corner Horror Book Club is led by the owner/librarian, Stephanie Rose, and meets monthly on the fourth Thursday of every month at 6PM. We would like to extend an invitation to all of our horror loving customers (RSVP is not required). 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. Our July pick is The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay and we will meet on July 23rd. About the book: The Bram Stoker Award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts adds an…
The writer whom the Los Angeles Times calls “part Annie Dillard, part Anne Lamott” now brings us her quirky and compassionate account of holding local office. Heather Lende was one of the thousands of women inspired to take a more active role in politics during the past few years. Though her entire campaign for assembly member in Haines, Alaska, cost less than $1,000, she won! But tiny, breathtakingly beautiful Haines — a place accessible from the nearest city, Juneau, only by boat or plane — isn’t the sleepy town that it appears to be: from a bitter debate about the expansion of the fishing boat harbor to the matter of how to stop bears from rifling through garbage on Main Street to the recall campaign…
As part of the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing program, PNCA offers talks, discussions, and readings by acclaimed writers and artists, July 24th to August 3rd. Everything is free and open to the public. All events this summer are hosted via Zoom. The passwords for all faculty classes are 515000. CLASSES Saturday, July 25 10am: Unsafe is Not a Feeling: How Writing Contends with the Illusion of Safety Sara Jaffe https://pnca.zoom.us/j/98345715004?pwd=OVVOLysrZUh5S0hxS0d5QlBHUDZMUT09 2pm: Winter Poop, Spring Revivals, Summer Fires, and Fall Marigolds Alison C Rollins https://pnca.zoom.us/j/98224439656?pwd=TnNGWkJmQUZaTWlOOXFhZjlhUnJudz09 Sunday, July 26 10am: THE ART OF WEALTH (in life & in literature) Vi Khi Nao https://pnca.zoom.us/j/95075415254?pwd=YVd4ZVJON3YrZHIrdWF1MXN4WmkwZz09 Monday, July 27 10am: Outsider Ecopoetics Tyrone Williams https://pnca.zoom.us/j/95516376236?pwd=T1EycmFvM05STEJlN1JPZ3k3WVY3dz09 11am: Feminism / Queer Theory Shawna Liption and Sloane McNulty https://pnca.zoom.us/j/97573944766?pwd=Y0NZeEtETmxZdDFRczRrYU0wdEJLdz09 Tuesday, July 28…
For people who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC). 2nd & 4th Friday of every month from 4 to 5:30 pm, Free. Workshops are held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. Pre-register for July 10, 2020 workshop here. Pre-register for July 24, 2020 workshop here. Click here for more workshop details. Write Around Portland provides high-quality, participant-centered, creative writing workshops. Most of our workshops run for ten weeks, two hours per week. The workshop curriculum focuses on experiential learning, generating new writing and building on the writers’ strengths. Workshop participants write stories, poems, memoirs, letters and essays while experimenting with imagery, character development, dialogue and early-draft revision. To build community through writing, our workshops are facilitated by extensively-trained volunteers who write and share alongside…
WHERE: Online, for six weeks (please note: there is no live/Zoom component to this class—poets will go at their own pace each week) LEADER: Brigid Yuknavitch COST: $350 SCHOLARSHIPS: Yes, scholarships are available. Please follow this link to apply. The Edge of Reason: poetic line The form of the poem organizes our sensory and felt experience as we read. It supports and disrupts what the language is saying. The line slows the sentence down. The line makes a dance inside the sentence. The line breaks open the sentence. The line registers what the sentence tried to contain. The line takes a walk as Paul Klee described it in painting. And because the line can make these many moves it lets us do more with words…
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! IMPORTANT: Due to social distancing this class will be taught virtually via Zoom—more info on that below! About the Workshop: Want to learn what Risograph printing is? Want to meet others who do too? Join us to learn all about the basics of the Risograph in our two-color introduction workshop. The workshop will kick off with a Show & Tell of exactly what a Risograph can do with a printing demo, print and zine samples and a general exploration of how we can get the best results from this…
Today, author and illustrator Skylaar Amann joins us to read from her new picture book, Lloyd Finds His Whalesong (Page Street Kids). Lloyd can't sing. The rhythm of the whalesong guides the whales through danger and connects them to each other. But Lloyd is too quiet to join in. If he can't sing, how can he be a part of the pod? Then one day he finds a magical, mysterious object with supersonic seaweed strings! This could be his chance to be part of the song. He practices and practices, nervously preparing to show the other whales. But before he can perform for them, a disruptive, noisy boat approaches and scatters the pod. Lloyd's powerful new instrument may be the only thing that can reunite…
From the first feedback to the final copyedits, navigating literary publishing can be especially harrowing when your story doesn’t fit the industry’s narrow bookshelf. Kaitlyn Greenidge and Mira Jacob discuss their combined 30+ years of experience, as well as the strategies they’ve employed to stay sane and keep writing. YouTube
Hanif Abdurraqib, Melissa Febos, Solmaz Sharif YouTube
Shayla Lawson is major. You don’t know who she is. Yet. But that’s okay. She is on a mission to move black girls like herself from best supporting actress to a starring role in the major narrative. Whether she’s taking on workplace microaggressions or upending racist stereotypes about her home state of Kentucky, she looks for the side of the story that isn’t always told, the places where the voices of black girls haven’t been heard. The essays in Lawson’s This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope (Harper Perennial) ask questions like: Why are black women invisible to AI? What is “black girl magic”? Or: Am I one viral tweet away from becoming Twitter famous? And: How much magic does…
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. 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 July 26th at 3pm for True Crime Book Club. This month's pick is Columbine by Dave Cullen. "The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . ." So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is…
Storytellers: Rebecca Smolen Robin Oakman Dion Lissner O’Reilly Jenny Stults Judith van Praag ........ Coffee And Grief is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Grief Rites Time: Jul 26, 2020 04:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83410440326?pwd=eWYrWWp1T3BPdGZkSC9GRytyMkhXUT09 Meeting ID: 834 1044 0326 Password: 117529 One tap mobile +13462487799,,83410440326#,,,,0#,,117529# US (Houston) +16699006833,,83410440326#,,,,0#,,117529# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) Meeting ID: 834 1044 0326 Password: 117529 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kefc0loMoE
Teen Poetry Workshop Sliding scale: $15-20 These youth poetry workshops are for everyone, whether you currently write, or are curious to try! We are going to be focused on reading, listening, and discussing poems from many different poets and writers. This will help get our creative inspiration flowing and help us to learn about the different styles of poetry, which there are many! Most of the written work we will do is free form unless we choose to delve into a specific style together. We will work with prompts, group writing exercises, and explore free/continuous writing! We will experiment with tools in our writing practice, this includes oracle cards, objects, and spoken word! In addition to a notebook and headphones, if you have objects that…
In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government's emergency protocols are faltering. With Survivor Song (William Morrow), Bram Stoker Award-winning author Paul Tremblay once again demonstrates his mastery in a chilling and all-too-plausible novel that will leave readers racing through the…
In an idyllic Los Angeles neighborhood, where generations of families enjoy deep roots in old homes, the O'Rourke family fits right in. Miriam and Craig are both artists and their four children carry on the legacy. When their teenage son, Nick, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, a tumultuous decade ensues in which the family careens permanently off the conventional course. Like the 10 biblical plagues, they are hit by one catastrophe after another; violence, evictions, arrests, a suicide attempt, a near-drowning — even cancer and a brain tumor — play against the backdrop of a wild teenage bacchanal of artmaking and drugs. With no time for hand-wringing, Miriam advances, convinced she can fix everything, while a devastated Craig retreats to their property in rural Washington State…
The Young Adult Book Club meets the last Tuesdays of every month at 6pm. 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. You don't have to RSVP, just come and enjoy a lively discussion. We welcome both teens and adults to join this book club! Join us for the our first meeting on July 28th of the Young Adult Book Club. We will discuss A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. About the Book: An addictive, twisty crime thriller about a closed local murder case that doesn’t add up, and a girl who’s determined to find the real killer–but not everyone wants…
July’s pick is The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSLLER Winner of the 2019 National Book Award in Nonfiction A brilliant, haunting and unforgettable memoir from a stunning new talent about the inexorable pull of home and family, set in a shotgun house in New Orleans East. In 1961, Sarah M. Broom's mother Ivory Mae bought a shotgun house in the then-promising neighborhood of New Orleans East and built her world inside of it. It was the height of the Space Race and the neighborhood was home to a major NASA plant--the postwar optimism seemed assured. Widowed, Ivory Mae remarried Sarah's father Simon Broom; their combined family would eventually number twelve children. But after Simon died, six months after Sarah's…
Join Front Porch Sessions in helping to make less strangers in the world! These events are about listening and sharing with an open heart. Three storytellers will share a personal story around a chosen theme. Audience members will also have an opportunity to share and form deeper connections with each other by discussing a specific question after each story has finished. This is our first virtual event so we hope that you can join us from where ever you are. All you have to do is show up and be your beautiful and unique self. All ticket sales for this show will go to The Loveland Foundation https://thelovelandfoundation.org/ One host, three storytellers, three questions and a lot of conversations. About this Event Join Front Porch…
What can you do to make the world a better place and create a more satisfying life for yourself? In his new book, Touching the Jaguar: Transforming Fear Into Action to Change Your Life (Berrett-Koehler Publishers), John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, invites us to answer that question. Perkins details how shamanism converted him from an economic hit man to a crusader for transforming a failing Death Economy (exploiting resources that are declining at accelerating rates) into a Life Economy (cleaning up pollution, recycling, and developing resource-regenerative technologies). He describes the power our perceptions have for molding reality, both individually and globally. And he provides a strategy for each of us to change our lives and defend our territory — the…
The Fiction Addiction Book Club meets the last Wednesday of every month at 6pm. 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. You don't have to RSVP, just come and enjoy a lively discussion. Join us on July 29th at 6pm for our May meeting. We will discuss Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore. About the Book: A remarkably inventive novel that explores what it means to live a life fully in the moment, even if those moments are out of order. It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will…
Free online workshop uses a deck of Tarot cards as prompts. Attendees create full drafts of short stories in two hours. Spaces are limited. Some quotes from past workshop attendees: "I write memoir and personal essays. Not fiction. When Andy said I would have a story by the time we were done, I didn’t believe him. I had a lot of reservations about what I'd come up with...and beyond my wildest expectations, he was right! I’m absolutely amazed. I want to work on this story...thank you!" "This was really well done. I had a blast, and got a lot out of it." "I am not a fan of guided writing, prompts, etc. This was different, fun, and low pressure." "I had an amazing time, and…
Kate Greene’s Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth (St. Martin’s) is an essay collection inspired by the author's four-month stay inside a simulated Martian habitat. When it comes to Mars, the focus is often on how to get there: the rockets, the engines, the fuel. But upon arrival, what will it actually be like? In 2013, Greene moved to Mars. That is, along with five fellow crew members, she embarked on NASA’s first HI-SEAS mission, a simulated Martian environment located on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawaii. For four months she lived, worked, and slept in an isolated geodesic dome, conducting a sleep study on her crew mates and gaining incredible insight into human behavior in…
The social unrest in our country isn’t anything new. It has been there along. We don’t have nearly enough spaces where the black voice can be highlighted, uninterrupted and not be dismissed or discounted. With heightened tension on social media and digital platforms we can become desensitized to the injustices that have plagued the black folks in our community for years. Unfortunately, there are still too many people in our community who are unwilling to take off their personal lens of life, so they gain clarity from another perspective. Our hope is that people walk away with a growth in empathy and understanding from a black person's point of view. This is why we are creating a space... to listen, to learn and take action.…
Jennifer Pastiloff and Lidia Yuknavitch are now running their infamous workshop four times a year! Lucky for us since this workshop has been selling out a year in advance for a while now. Jenn & Lidia are both renowned in their fields in their own right, and both of them are known for their inventive, non-traditional methods. Together they lead you to your most creative place by tapping into your body first, and then picking up the pen. But don't worry! You do not have to be a published or experienced writer or yogi- we are looking for people who have heart. You have a desire to write? You have a body? Then this weekend is for you. WRITING and the BODY: SUMMER II, 2020 WHEN: Thursday,…
Pitch agents. Sit down with producers. Sharpen your manuscript with industry pros. You can do all this from the comfort of your own home, July 30 – August 2, 2020! Featuring keynote speakers Cheryl Strayed, Pete Souza, Mitchell S. Jackson, Zoraida Córdova, Rosanne Parry, and more! With over 80 virtual workshops, as well as night events, critiques, and gatherings, you're sure to find your community, develop your craft, and expand your career this year. Whether you're a poet, a screenwriter, a novelist, or a techie, you'll find your home at our annual conference. What's that? You're a memoirist? You're going to love our classes on voice and style, taught by New York Times Bestselling Authors. Newbie? Great! Come learn with us! Published 80 books? We're…
From June 1st to July 31st, The Gravity of the Thing welcomes submissions for its first New Writers Issue. As it is our goal to support emerging writers, this is our way of creating a welcoming space for writers and artists who are new to publishing. If you like to experiment with language and discover through writing, we encourage you to share your work with us! To be eligible, your submission must be your first creative publication, not including blog posts or literary journals you are associated with academically. That is, if you have never had your writing published in the past, or your creative writing has only ever appeared on websites you curate or in student-run magazines housed at your school or college, then you may submit to this issue. The Gravity of the Thing is…
ONLINE EVENT The library is proud to present an hour of kid-friendly drag! Join us for this special storytime featuring the fabulous Poison Waters reading stories about inclusion and diversity, followed by a craft or dance party. For kids 2-6 years old with a favorite adult. Register for the 7/31 event via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3fx9UEP Register for the 8/29 event via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3fuM38M
When Justin Taylor was 30, his father, Larry, drove to the top of the Nashville airport parking garage to take his own life. Thanks to the intervention of family members, he was not successful, but the incident would forever transform how Taylor thinks of his father, and how he thinks of himself as a son. Moving back and forth in time from that day, Riding With the Ghost (Random House) captures the past's power to shape, strengthen, and distort our visions of ourselves and one another. We see Larry as the middle child in a chilly Long Island family; as a beloved Little League coach who listens to kids with patience and curiosity; as an unemployed father struggling to keep his marriage together while battling…
Note: Gary Cole and CoHo Productions are offering a 25% discount on tickets purchased by Aug. 15th if you use the promotional code "LITPDX" when purchasing tickets! If at least 10 purchases are made with the code, an additional drawing for a "Book Club Bonus" package (10 signed copies with free shipping and author call-in) will be offered for those purchasers. Purchasing a ticket for any date will provide you with access to all scenes captured on video and invitations to live talkbacks, in addition to a copy of the book (and a custom inscription and book club call-in, if applicable). CoHo Productions Co-founder Gary Cole presents Black Box: Page to Stage A Virtual Limited Run in Support of Covid-19 Arts and Culture Relief As CoHo…
There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as if they had never happened before - Willa Cather, in O Pioneers Learn ways to build a story of any length by looking at the timeless elements of myth and the structure of the archetypal journey as they appear in literature and film. Open to writers at any stage of their writing. We’ll look at ways to develop characters with consequence and stories with shape. There will be assignments that can reflect work in progress or brand new writing done just for the workshop. | Maximum: 12 writers | No class Sep 5 Register for this workshop NOTE: To protect everyone during the Covid-19 pandemic, we're offering this course via Zoom.…
Teen Poetry Workshop Sliding scale: $15-20 These youth poetry workshops are for everyone, whether you currently write, or are curious to try! We are going to be focused on reading, listening, and discussing poems from many different poets and writers. This will help get our creative inspiration flowing and help us to learn about the different styles of poetry, which there are many! Most of the written work we will do is free form unless we choose to delve into a specific style together. We will work with prompts, group writing exercises, and explore free/continuous writing! We will experiment with tools in our writing practice, this includes oracle cards, objects, and spoken word! In addition to a notebook and headphones, if you have objects that…
WHAT: A webinar and six-week workshop led by acclaimed writer Nana-Ama Danquah. WHEN: Webinar—Saturday August 1st 1-3PM PST. Workshop—6 weeks beginning Sunday August 2nd. (Detailed breakdown of workshop available below.) WHERE: Webinar—ZOOM. Workshop—ZOOM plus WetInk, our online learning platform. HOW MUCH: Webinar—$100. Workshop—$350. (Please note, to purchase a seat in both you will have to choose each enrollment category from the drop-down menu separately and press the Sign Up button, then check out. The webinar is not required for the workshop, but would complement it nicely!) SCHOLARSHIPS: As always, scholarships are available. Apply for the webinar here, and the workshop here. In the dark times, will there be singing? Yes, there will be singing. About the dark times. --Bertolt Brecht These are difficult days with…
A gripping debut set in modern-day Tokyo and inspired by a true crime — for readers of Everything I Never Told You and The Perfect Nanny — Stephanie Scott’s What’s Left of Me Is Yours (Doubleday) charts a young woman’s search for the truth about her mother’s life — and her murder. In Japan, a covert industry has grown up around the wakaresaseya (literally “breaker-upper”), a person hired by one spouse to seduce the other in order to gain the advantage in divorce proceedings. When Satō hires Kaitarō, a wakaresaseya agent, to have an affair with his wife, Rina, he assumes it will be an easy case. But Satō has never truly understood Rina or her desires and Kaitarō’s job is to do exactly that…
Join us for our August Open Mic! You can sign up for the open mic the day of the show when we post a call about 30 minutes before the show. All poets have 3 minutes to read 1-2 poems! We will have a feature from Ashley Finley! More about Ashley: Ashley Finley is a performance poet, writer, and activist who grew up in the diverse neighborhoods of Southern California. At a young age, she began to use poetry as a way to process her experiences as an adopted, African-American girl, growing up in the melting pot of Los Angeles. As an adult, Ashley strives to empower those in under-served and underrepresented communities. Ashley uses her platform to remind these communities that their stories and…