Deep Breath after the Solstice

Our first official workshop on December 21st was a huge success. With just 10 days notice, we had 20 people join us for 4 hours of movement and writing. And we raised a few hundred-plus bucks for an amazing cause.

Our instructors, Kim Stafford on the writing side (center in picture), and my brother, Michael Selin, for Aikido (in his gi on the left), were AWESOME! Basically, they were a brilliant pair. Thank you, gentlemen!

What better way to launch and connect the space here: a writing seminar with an Aikido class? We'll have to do it again soon.

If you have any ideas for a killer event, with amazing instructors, stellar content, to help showcase the Writers' Dojo as a center of excellence for writers, one that will be talked about and memorable for years to come, of course I'd love to hear from you. Shoot me your ideas. Maybe we can make it happen.

thanks, links and tours

We don't have furniture quite yet, but we're already filling the writers dojo with creative, literary energy. Thanks to everyone for stopping by and sharing ideas. Local authors like M.K. Hobson, James Bernard Frost, and Kristina McMorris are just a few of the folks who deserve special thanks.

We're hoping these writers and many more will find a base for their artistic endeavors. M.K.'s work on the literary journal Diet Soap and James' group PEW are perfect examples of the types of projects we want to support. Please help us support them by following the links.

If you'd like the tour, please give me a call. 503-784-1449. We're at 7506 N. Chicago Ave. (writersdojo.org coming soon.) Driving directions are here.

Feedback so far

Here's the latest in a series of thanks--to everyone for the deluge of emails and awesome input. Here's what we've learned in the last 12 hours.

• Several folks asked: "What the hell does 'office' mean?" Wow, that's a good one. Please take a look at our new survey and help us figure it out.

• Souk and CubeSpace here in Portland are renting office spaces. I've heard great things about them and I can't wait to meet folks in both places. But I think these are different from a writers' room. Writers need an awesome creative space, that old Victorian house style, with books to the ceiling, people reading on couches, and literary rock stars sipping java over their dog eared manuscripts.
  
  
• Location was high on the comment list. People might be interested depending on the location. We're investigating places. It will be something close to downtown, in a funky nook of Belmont, Hawthorn, N. Mississippi... with parking and public transportation nearby.