Events for writers in the Pacific Northwest. Space prohibits us from providing full information, but we've tried to include all contact info sent to us.

DATE	TIME	LOCATION	DESCRIPTION
Oregon Writers Colony Listings
OWC 2008 workshops
5/26/08	7:00 p.m.	Looking Glass Books (NEW LOCATION)	OWC Presents: Doreen Gandy Wiley
6/13-15/08	Weekend	Colonyhouse	Writer in Residence: Novelist, Ed Goldberg
6/23/08	7:00 p.m.	Looking Glass Books	OWC Presents: Donna Henderson
7/12 & 13/2008	All Day	Portland	Michael Hauge: Story Mastery
9/13 & 9/14/2008	All Day	Portland	Jurgen Wolff: Writing Break-though Day & Time to Write

ALL OTHER LISTINGS
5/15/08	7:00 p.m.	Barnes & Noble, Clackamas Town Center, 12000 SE 82^nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97086, Phone: (503) 786-3464	BOOK GROUPS FOR ADULTS: 104.1 THE FISH presents THE PETE & BRENDA BOOK CLUB Barnes & Noble is pleased to partner with 104.1 The Fish radio for a monthly book group discussion that usually meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. The Pete & Brenda Book Club features a popular mainstream title for discussion each month with 104.1 morning personalities Brenda and Pete as hosts. Please join us for a lively discussion that welcomes and respects opinions of all types, plus yummy refreshments from the Barnes & Noble Café! Title for Discussion: Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
5/15-18/2008	Weekend	Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland	POW Fest is Oregon’s premiere showcase for international independent films made by women. POW Fest will exhibit women-made movies, moderate several exciting filmmaker panels, present a variety of emPOWering workshops, including the Dirt on Documentary Filmmaking and Screenwriting, and host an expo of women-owned and served businesses. In addition, the festival will spotlight a retrospective of the Guest of Honor, female indie director pioneer Allison Anders’, award-winning feature film work (Gas Food Lodging, Grace of My Heart). For more information Contact: Tara Johnson-Medinger, Executive Director, Email: tara@sourappleproductions.com
5/16/08	6:30 p.m.	Murder by the Book, 3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd. , Portland	Murder by the Book Presents: JOHN STRALEY appears to read from and discuss *The Big Both Ways, his gripping period crime story that weaves early union and strike-busting events on the West Coast into an original thriller. Straley is also the author of an award-winning, private-eye series that began with The Woman Who Married a Bear*, set in his home town of Sitka , Alaska . This event, one of 25 being held in May to celebrate the bookstore's 25th anniversary, is free and open to all. Further info, contact: Carolyn Lane , 503.232.9995, or email: lanec@hevanet.com
5/17/08	All Day	Wenatchee Valley College	Write On The River 3^rd Annual Writers’ Conference presents Elizabeth George, internationally acclaimed and New York Times best selling author who will kick off the on May 17^th at . With 12 inspiring workshops taught by established Pacific Northwest ’s outstanding authors you can take your writing to the next level with professional guidance and instruction. To reserve your space go to www.writeontheriver.org and register early for the $10.00 Early Bird discount. Write On The River is a project of the Community Foundation of North Central Washington
5/17/08	Weekend	Sinsinawa Mound Center, Sinsinawa, Wisconsin	WRITING OUR LIVES with Gail Balden--a weekend writing retreat What is your story? Who are you? How do you experience the world? What are your most wonderful memories? Write, share and touch others with the words of your heart. Leave a trace as only you can. Private room, $179; Commuter, $114. Includes workshop, lodging, and meals. To register, contact Sinsinawa at center@sinsinawa.org or 608-748-4411, ext. 811
5/18/08	3:00 to 5:00 p.m.	Wilsonville Public Library In the Oak Room.	Going Beyond Imagination: Writing Alphabet of Dreams Author Susan Fletcher will tell of her 5-year odyssey to write Alphabet of Dreams—her YA novel about a boy who has prophetic dreams, the teenage sister who tries to protect him, and a suspense-filled camel caravan journey across ancient Persia. She’ll show pictures of the journey she took to Iran to research the book, and tell how her travels took her to places beyond what she was capable of imagining beforehand: to a picnic with a Kurdish family near the Iraqi border; to a caravanserai on the old Silk Road; to an ancient Persian village; to a camel trek in the desert, and more. For the writers and aspiring writers in the audience, Susan will reflect on using a sense of place as inspiration for fiction. Cost is five dollars at the door. Susan Fletcher is the author of nine books for young readers, including *The Dragon Chronicles Series (Dragon’s Milk, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, Sign of the Dove); Alphabet of Dreams, Shadow Spinner; Walk Across the Sea,* and *Dadblamed, Union Army Cow*. She has received two Oregon Book Awards and the Willamette Writers’ Distinguished Writer Award. Some other honors her books have received: American Library Association Notable Books for Young Readers; American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults; Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon; and School Library Journal Best Books. Susan has an M.A. in English from the University of Michigan. She has taught in the M.F.A. in Writing for Children program at Vermont College.
5/18/08	5:00 to 7:00 p.m.	Collins View Performance Center, 318 SW Palatine HIll Rd, Portland, 97219.	Bill Johnson hosts a book signing for A Story is a Promise and Deep Characterization, the third edition of his writing workbook. Refreshments and camaraderie served in equal measure. The reading also features Nancy Hill, a photographer and author of The Doll House, a new photographic book about a young girl who hides in a doll shop and takes care of the dolls when she comes out at night; and Shannon Capps, author of Salmon Run, a novel about a man on the run when his wife hires someone to kill him.
5/20/08	6:30 p.m.	Murder by the Book, 3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd.Portland	Murder by the Book presents: The Oregonian "Edge" columnist and always-amusing GREG MANDEL to talk about *High Hat*, his wickedly funny send-up of hard-boiled detective fiction and the Catholic church. This event, one of 25 being held in May to celebrate the bookstore's 25th anniversary, is free and open to all. Further info, contact: Carolyn Lane , 503.232.9995, or email: lanec@hevanet.com
5/20/08	7:00 p.m.	Cedar Hills Borders Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton	Marc Acito and his new book: Attack of the Theater People, published April 29th.
5/22/08	7:00 p.m. reception 7:30 p.m. Speaker	Good Samaritan Medical Center auditorium, 1040 NW 22nd Ave. (at Marshall), Portland	AUTHOR EVENT AT FRIENDS OF MYSTERY: STEVEN SAYLOR will discuss his new Roman mystery, The Triumph of Caesar, and its sleuth Gordanius the Finder The meeting is free and open to the public. Contact: Carolyn Lane, 503.232.3690 or Elinore Rogers at ejrogers@hevanet.com
5/24/08	8:30 a.m. to Noon	Meet at the corner of NW 2nd & Everett, old town, Portland	Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass with poet Amy Minato, author of The Wider Lens. Join Sharon Wood Wortman, author of The Portland Bridge Book, for the 2008 Season of monthly Poetry and Bridge Walks for Portland Parks and Recreation. Each walk, about a mile long and easy paced, features an Oregon poet. See eight bridges in all and tour the operator's tower in the Morrison or Burnside Bridges, the state's largest mechanical devices. No prior registration is required. Fee $15 for adults, $10 for students 14 and under. No host (extra $) lunch follows the event. Amy Minato teach poetry writing at WSU, in schools through Literary Arts and Community of Writers, and in Writing workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest. Born in Chicago, she now divides her time between Portland and the Wallowa Mountains.
5/24/08	11:00 a.m.	Murder by the Book, 3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland	Murder by the Book Presents: JESS LOUREY, author of *August Moon, latest in her lively Murder by Month series, and & DANA FREDSTI,* ex-B movie actress who has penned *The Peruvian Pigeon*, will entertain all comers.. This event, one of 25 being held in May to celebrate bookstore's 25th anniversary, is free and open to all. Further info, contact: Carolyn Lane , 503.232.9995, or email: lanec@hevanet.com
5/25/08	5:00 p.m.	Murder by the Book, 3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland	Murder by the Book presents: northwest mystery writer JO DERESKE, author of *Index to Murder*, with her inimitable librarian sleuth Miss Zukas. This event, one of 25 being held in May to celebrate bookstore's 25th anniversary, is free and open to all. Further info, contact: Carolyn Lane , 503.232.9995, or email: lanec@hevanet.com
5/29/08	7:00 p.m.	Barnes & Noble, Clackamas Town Center, 12000 SE 82^nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97086, Phone: (503) 786-3464	Barnes and Noble Clackamas presents: THE BIBLIOTHEQUE SOCIETY BOOK GROUP The Bibliotheque Society Book Group reads and discusses a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles on the last Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. New members are always welcome to join in this fun and passionate book group discussion. Our Barnes & Noble Café will serve refreshments. Title for Discussion: Tweak by Nic Sheff and Beautiful Boy by Nic Sheff
5/30-6/1/08	Weekend	Sinsinawa Mound Center, Sinsinawa, Wisconsin	WRITING AS A SPIRITUAL QUEST With Gail Balden--a weekend writing retreat Writing can change your life. We all have a soul’s story only we can tell, and our creativity and spirituality grow stronger through the power of self-expression. We will focus on writing about what really matters and explore our spiritual well being by looking at the sacred, grace and loss in our lives. Join us in seeing the hand of promise in who we are and how we can express this through writing. Private room, $179; Commuter, $114. Includes workshop, lodging, and meals. To register, contact Sinsinawa at center@sinsinawa.org or 608-748-4411, ext. 811
6/1/08	11:00 a.m.	Soapstone Retreat	SOAPSTONE’S ANNUAL WORK DAY Everyone is welcome! We’ll be making kindling and starter logs for next winter from branches that fell during the severe winter storms, weeding and transplanting in the native plant restoration area, and clipping overhanging plans along the trails. Window washing is always popular. There are many possibilities. The work requires no skill and everyone works at her or his own pace, choosing what feels comfortable to do. If anyone has special skills we’ll definitely use them (electrical, carpentry, etc.). Let us know in your email. We’ll start at 11 and have a potluck dinner at around 5. Carpooling will be facilitated. Please email Ruth at retreats@soapstone.org if you can come or want more information. We’ll send more detailed information to those who sign up. This is only a work day. We’ll be having a 10th anniversary celebration (of the writing residency program) in Portland on Sept. 28.
6/3/08	Doors open 6:30 pm Speaker, 7 pm	The Old Church SW 11th and Clay (near PSU)	Willamette Writers is extremely proud to have Irene Radford give a workshop on "Writing a Synopsis", for the June meeting. While reading materials submitted to a writer's workshop for a con, she realized that most of the beginning writers, and some experienced ones, had no clue as to the purpose and format of a synopsis. A synopsis is a vital marketing tool and can assist the author in planning a book. See Irene's website for information on her available titles and appearances: http://www.ireneradford.com Free to members and students; guests of members, $5; non-members, $10 Parking is unpredictable; a lot next to the Old Church charges $4
6/4/08 - 7/9/08	TBA	TBA	SAGE COHEN OFFERS PERSONAL ESSAY & POETRY EMAIL CLASSES Find out why Maria Schneider, Editor of Writer’s Digest, decreed Sage Cohen the official Poet Laureate of The Writer’s Perspective blogroll! Personal Essays That Get Published Everyone has a story to tell. Would you like to tell yours exceptionally well and then share it with a wider audience? Personal Essays that Get Published equips you with the basic knowledge you need to write personal essays that connect and the market know-how to get them published. Six lessons with six assignments completed in six weeks will take you from writing magnetic leads to cultivating meaningful and memorable narratives to researching markets and sending out your work. Plus, each week’s lesson will include two recommended publications for placing your essays. Poetry for the People Have you always wanted to write a poem but didn’t know how to begin? Maybe you’re already writing poetry and want to connect with your muse more often, or brush up on your poetic prowess? Poetry for the People takes poetry off of its academic pedestal, making it accessible to and enjoyable for everyone. In this six-week class, weekly lessons will include a mix of inspiration, craft tips, exercises and publication ideas. You’ll be inspired (but not required) to write a poem a day! Class Registration (for both classes) Cost: $199 Prerequisites: None Format: six classes with six assignments in six weeks Learn more and register: http://www.writersontherise.com/classes.html Contact Sage with questions: sage@sagesaidso.com About Sage Cohen Sage Cohen is author of Writing the Life Poetic, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and Black Lamb. Visit her at sagesaidso.com
6/6/ - 6/8/08	All day	Breitenbush www.breitenbush.com	Amy Minato will offer a Nature Writing Workshop Join us for a weekend in the forest spent in the laps of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Annie Dillard and other nature writers. Breathe in their unique expressions of the natural world. Writing about the natural world covers a wide terrain. Writers look at details as well as the abstract through many lenses. Study examples from other writers and practice translating such “inexpressible” moments into words. In this workshop we will discuss several examples of nature writing and practice a few of the techniques we observe. The class format varies from small group discussion, to writing exercises, to peer editing, to reading circles. All writing levels welcome! ($130 plus lodging) Minato is author of The Wider Lens (poetry) and Siesta Lane (creative nonfiction). She teaches creative writing at WSU, with Literary Arts, Community of Writers and independently. She and her family split their time between Portland and Joseph, Oregon
6/17/08	6:30 p.m.	In Other Words Bookstore	In Other Words Bookstore, the sole remaining non-profit feminist bookstore in the United States, will host a reading by Portland author Beren deMotier from her book, The Brides of March: Memoir of a Same-Sex Marriage, on June 17, 2008 at 6:30 pm, followed by a lively discussion of same-sex marriage remembered, in honor of PRIDE!. The Brides of March is a giddy and heartbreaking tale of getting married, celebrated, lost in legal limbo and annulled by state supreme court decision when Multnomah County briefly granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It won Honorary Mention in the Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards, is a Finalist in the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Awards, and won a Reader Views Award in the gay/lesbian non-fiction category.
6/20/2008	7:00 p.m.	Powell's Cedar Hills Crossing Store, Beaverton	Cezanne's Quarry, Barbara Corrado Pope's first novel, will be published on June 19. Called by Publisher's Weekly, "a provocative debut," it is an historical mystery set in 1885 in Aix-en-Provence, France. She will give her first reading at the Beaverton branch of Powell's at 7 p.m. on June 20
6/20-6/21/08	Friday, Saturday	Contemplative Arts Center Manzanita, Oregon	Contemplative Arts Center Manzanita, Oregon presents Jessica Morrell & Marian Pierce Part 1: Inspiration: Tapping into Your Inner Writer and the Big Awe Friday 9:30-12:30 Jessica Morrell, instructor The creative source is a room hidden inside each writer. We’ll discuss how to access this room and how wonder, awareness, and awe are often buried under familiarity. We’ll also discuss how to use emotions in writing rather than being distracted by them and how to develop your writing instincts. Session includes a writing exercise and helpful information on staying focused and inspired. Part 2: Expression: Word Painting and Voice Friday: 1:30-5 Jessica Morrell, instructor Donald Newlove said “Great description shakes us. It fills our lungs with the life of the author.” We’ll cover how word painting, or description, is used in various writing formats, with special attention on how to choose details that cause things to happen in your story along with tension and an emotional response in readers. We’ll also talk about how to hone and vary your writing voice whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction and how voice is “in harmony with your roots.” Examples of effective word painting and voice will be part of our discussion along with a writing exercise. Cost for both Friday sessions: $70 Out Loud—open mike for writers Friday, 7-10 p.m. Stop by to read your work, get inspired, and meet other writers. Cost: $10 Part 3: Refinement: Characters Saturday, 9:00-12:30 Marian Pierce, instructor In this session we will work on refining our presentation of characters in fiction and nonfiction by first examining how writers depict their characters’ internal lives through dialogue, gesture and action, description, internal monologue, and point of view. We will also learn about the process writers go through to develop characters that live and breathe on the page. You will then work on refining your ability to depict characters using work you either bring to, or generate in, class. If you have work in progress, please bring it with you to our session. Part 4: Refinement: Think Like an Editor Saturday: 1:30-5, Jessica Morrell, instructor In the frantic, fast-paced world of book and magazine publishing most editors are notoriously pressed for time. This workshop will cover how to make a great impression on editors and agents, highly discerning readers. We’ll also discuss the most common errors that editors see in fiction and nonfiction such as beginnings that don’t ignite the story, and a writing style that falls flat. The session will include helpful tips on refining your writing with both the big picture and copy editing in mind, and what editors most notice in manuscripts. Bring the first 5 pages of a work-in-progress to this session. Cost for both Saturday sessions: $70 . Cost for all 4 workshops and Out Loud, $135 Space is limited so we recommend that you sign up early. To reserve your place: Please send a check for the appropriate amount and indicate which sessions you plan to attend to Jessica Morrell, P.O. Box 820141, Portland, OR 97282-1141. A confirmation e-mail will be sent so please include email address and phone number. For more information: contact Jessica at jessicapage@spiritone.com or phone 503-287-2150 Marian Pierce can be contacted at marian.pierce@juno.com
6/21/08	8:30 a.m.	Meet at the corner of NW 2nd & Everett, old town, Portland	Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass with poet Kim Stafford, author of The Muses Among Us: Eloquent Listening and Other Pleasures of the Writers Craft. Join Sharon Wood Wortman, author of The Portland Bridge Book, for the 2008 Season of monthly Poetry and Bridge Walks for Portland Parks and Recreation. Each walk, about a mile long and easy paced, features an Oregon poet. See eight bridges in all and tour the operator's tower in the Morrison or Burnside Bridges, the state's largest mechanical devices. No prior registration is required. Fee $15 for adults, $10 for students 14 and under. No host (extra $) lunch follows the event. Kim Stafford, born in Portland, is a poet and essayist. He is Associate Professor of English at Lewis and Clark College.
6/21/08	TBA	TBA	The Manzanita Writers’ Series, under the auspices of the Hoffman Center, is ready to begin a monthly 2-hour event in which a well-known author is brought to Manzanita for a public reading and discussion followed by an Open Mic for local writers. Our first reading is set for June 21. The purpose of our series is to provide a literary event for the community and to encourage writers in the Manzanita/Nehalem/Wheeler community as well as raise awareness of and participation in the Literacy Movement.Contact Gail Balden for more infomation www.creativejourneys.net 503-368-7807
6/21/08	10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.	Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland	Multnomah Arts Center presents Creative Nonfiction Workshop with Liz Prato. Learn to write personal essays with creativity and delight! Creative nonfiction fuses "what happened" with the traditional and experimental storytelling techniques of fiction. We'll create and review work together, so come ready to write & talk. Instructor: Liz Prato; $50. Register at: www.multnomahartscenter.org or contact Liz with Questions at: lizprato@comcast.net
6/26/08 - 8/07/08	1:00-2:30pm	Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland	Multnomah Arts Center presents Teen Zine (Ages 13 – 18); Got something to say but don’t know how to make people listen? Create your own hand made magazine, mini comic or manifesto about anything your heart desires! Make yourself heard using the simplest of tools: Pens! Paper! Scissors! Staples! Do it yourself! Do it now! Instructor: Sophie Franz; $70 register at: www.multnomahartscenter.org
7/4/08	8:30 a.m.	Meet at the corner of NW 2nd and Everett, old town, Portland	Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass with poet and performer, Ed Edmo. Join Sharon Wood Wortman, author of The Portland Bridge Book, for the 2008 Season of monthly Poetry and Bridge Walks for Portland Parks and Recreation. Each walk, about a mile long and easy paced, features an Oregon poet. See eight bridges in all and tour the operator's tower in the Morrison or Burnside Bridges, the state's largest mechanical devices. No prior registration is required. Fee $15 for adults, $10 for students 14 and under. No host (extra $) lunch follows the event. Ed Edmo, poet, performer, and traditional storyteller, was raised at Celilo Falls and now lives in Northeast Portland. He is a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and lectures widely on Northwest tribal culture. A collection of his short stories, plays, and poetry is forthcoming from Oregon State University Press, due out in late 2008.
7/9/08	6:30pm - 9:00pm	Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland	Multnomah Arts Center presents Publishing Your Stories and Poems with Liz Prato So, you’ve written some good short stories or poems or essays, and you want to know how to get your words into the world? This class is for you! We’ll untangle the sometimes dizzying process of publishing in literary journals, including everything from research to cover letters to how to deal with (and decode) the inevitable rejection letters. Come with questions. After this class, you’ll be armed with information to go charging into the world of publishing. Open to writers of all levels interested in getting published, now or later. Instructor: Liz Prato $25 register at www.multnomahartscenter.org or contact Liz with questions: lizprato@comcast.net
7/21/08 thru 8/1/08	TBA	Marylhurst University 10 minutes south of Portland	Marylhurst University presents Creative Writing Workshop for High School Students Binford Workshop for Teen Writers Creative Writing Program The Binford Workshop for Teen Writers is a two-week seminar in which high school students (ages 14 to 18) receive college-level creative writing instruction. Located on Marylhurst University's historic campus, the workshop focuses on developing a student's skills as a creative writer, thinker, observer and performer within a critical, generous and diverse community of learners and writers. The program combines writing workshops, seminars on writing craft, literary zine production and readings. Seminar-style classes are taught by professional working writers of short stories, poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Registration The Binford Workshop accepts applications beginning January 1, 2008. A student is encouraged to apply early, as the workshop fills rapidly. A student receives confirmation within four weeks after receipt of application. Registrations received by July 1, 2008 are given preference. A limited number of part-scholarships are available. Recipients must attend the two-week course. To apply, send registration form (with appropriate box checked) by May 15, 2008. Scholarships are awarded based on need. Students who have financial means to pay for the workshop are asked to not apply for a scholarship. For more information on The Binford Workshop for Teen Writers, go to http://www.marylhurst.edu/english/teenwriters.php or contact Jay Ponteri at jponteri@marylhurst.edu , 503.636.8141, ext. 4420 or 971.235.4712.
7/26/08	10:00am - 4:00pm	Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland	Multnomah Arts Center presents: Writing Critique Workshop with Lyssa Tall Anolik Gain feedback on your work from other writers in an encouraging supportive environment. Learn new revision techniques to help shape your work. Bring a piece of writing in progress, four double-spaced pages max., any genre (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, etc.). Further details available upon registration. Prerequisite: a previous creative writing class or permission from instructor. Instructor: Lyssa Tall Anolik; $50 register at: www.multnomahartscenter.org or contact Lyssa with questions: lyssa@flashdog.com
8/2/08	8:30 a.m.	Meet at the corner of NW 2nd and Everett, old town, Portland	Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass with poet Marilyn Johnston, author of Red Dust Rising.. Join Sharon Wood Wortman, author of The Portland Bridge Book, for the 2008 Season of monthly Poetry and Bridge Walks for Portland Parks and Recreation. Each walk, about a mile long and easy paced, features an Oregon poet. See eight bridges in all and tour the operator's tower in the Morrison or Burnside Bridges, the state's largest mechanical devices. No prior registration is required. Fee $15 for adults, $10 for students 14 and under. No host (extra $) lunch follows the event. Marilyn Johnston’s poetry has appeared in a wide array of literary journals and anthologies, including Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass (Fall 2007). Red Dust Rising, about a family he ali ng from the Vi etnam War, was published in 2004. She is the Human Rights and Relations Specialist for the City of Salem.
8/9/08	10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.	Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland	Multnomah Arts Center presents Flash Fiction in a Day with Liz Prato Flash fiction (a.k.a. short shorts and sudden fiction) is an increasingly popular art form. Learn how to tell a complete story with plot, characters and setting in less than 1000 words. Work will be created, reviewed, and revised in class by using fun and interactive writing prompts. Short-shorts are a perfect way to sharpen your storytelling skills, whether you want to write micro fiction or a novel. Instructor: Liz Prato; $50 register at: www.multnomahartscenter.org or contact Liz with questions at: lizprato@comcast.net
8/23/08	10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland	Multnomah Arts Center presents Nature Writing Workshop with Lyssa Tall Anolik In an urban environment, we can lose touch with our connection to the natural world. Step outdoors and explore with your eyes, ears, nose, and pen. Play with creative exercises to help you hone your observation skills and inspire you to take your writing in new directions. Open to writers of all levels. Bring a notebook, pen, and sack lunch. Class will meet at Southwest Community Center and then walk to Gabriel Park together. Instructor: Lyssa Tall Anolik; $50 register at: www.multnomahartscenter.org or contact Lyssa with questions: lyssa@flashdog.com
9/27/08	8:30 a.m.	Meet at the corner of NW 2nd and Everett, Old Town, Portland	Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass with poet Jonah Bornstein, co-author of A Path Through Stone. Join Sharon Wood Wortman, author of The Portland Bridge Book, for the 2008 Season of monthly Poetry and Bridge Walks for Portland Parks and Recreation. Each walk, about a mile long and easy paced, features an Oregon poet. See eight bridges in all and tour the operator's tower in the Morrison or Burnside Bridges, the state's largest mechanical devices. No prior registration is required. Fee $15 for adults, $10 for students 14 and under. No host (extra $) lunch follows the event. Jonah Bornstein, coauthor of A Pat h Through Stone and Voices from the Siskiyous, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2000 for his poem "Night Blooming Men." He has been published in several anthologies, including Deer Drink the Moon: Poems of Oregon, and September 11, 2001: America's Writers Respond. He lives and works in Ashland.
10/4-10/5/08	All Day	Opal Creek www.opalcreek.org	Amy Minato will offer a Nature Writing Workshop Join us for a weekend in the forest spent in the laps of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Annie Dillard and other nature writers. Breathe in their unique expressions of the natural world. Writing about the natural world covers a wide terrain. Writers look at details as well as the abstract through many lenses. Study examples from other writers and practice translating such “inexpressible” moments into words. In this workshop we will discuss several examples of nature writing and practice a few of the techniques we observe. The class format varies from small group discussion, to writing exercises, to peer editing, to reading circles. All writing levels welcome! ($120) Minato is author of The Wider Lens (poetry) and Siesta Lane (creative nonfiction). She teaches creative writing at WSU, with Literary Arts, Community of Writers and independently. She and her family split their time between Portland and Joseph, Oregon
10/10-12/08	All Day Saturday and until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday	TBA	The Greater Seattle Romance Writer of America chapter hosts a regional conference each October with great workshops and agent/editor appointments available. This year the conference will be Oct 10-12, 2008 with workshops all day Sat and until about noon on Sunday. Cherry Adair is scheduled to close the conference from noon-2:00 on Sunday. We average 250 registrants each year who range from aspiring authors to New York Times Best Selling Authors. If you are interested in attending, the registration will open in mid-April! Julia Hunter, 2008 ECWC Program Chair Juliahunter2@gmail.com
10/25/08	8:30 a.m.	Meet at the corner of NW 2nd and Everett, Old Town, Portland	Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass with author Barbara Drake (Peace at Heart: An Oregon Country Life) Join Sharon Wood Wortman, author of The Portland Bridge Book, for the 2008 Season of monthly Poetry and Bridge Walks for Portland Parks and Recreation. Each walk, about a mile long and easy paced, features an Oregon poet. See eight bridges in all and tour the operator's tower in the Morrison or Burnside Bridges, the state's largest mechanical devices. No prior registration is required. Fee $15 for adults, $10 for students 14 and under. No host (extra $) lunch follows the event. Barbara Drake is the author of Peace at Heart: An Oregon Country Life (nonfiction), several books of poetry including What We Say to Strangers, Small Favors, and the forthcoming Driving 100, and a popular college textbook, Writing Poetry. She lives and writes in rural Yamhill County.
11/8-14/2008	All Day	Casa del Encanto and La Barra, Mexico	HEART AND CRAFT: A MEMOIR WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN, taught by author/journalist Anndee Hochman in La Barra de Potosi, Mexico. November 8-14, 2008. We'll spend six days together (classes in the morning, writing/exploring in the afternoon) in the small, vibrant fishing village of La Barra on Mexico's Pacific coast (near Zihuatanejo). For beginning and experienced writers; we'll write stunning prose about the lives we've lived in an atmosphere of safety, inspiration and challenge. Early-bird fee of $1000 ($400 deposit due by June 1) includes tuition, accommodations in the magical Casa del Encanto, six days' breakfast and dinner and all taxes/tips. More info about Casa del Encanto and La Barra at www.casadelencanto.com/index.html ; learn about Anndee Hochman at www.anndeehochman.com , or e-mail aehoch@aol.com for details and application.