If you've been on the Portland literary scene for more than, say, 20 minutes, then you know Monica Drake and James Bernard Frost. If you don't, you should. So either way, let's go support them tomorrow and check out their reading session at the downtown library.
Saturday, December 15, 1–2:30 p.m.
Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
If they're in the mood, it should be a total trip. And if you go, come find me. I'll be the guy in the green "Write" tee shirt. Oh, but I handed out a bunch of shirts, so it might be hard to spot me. On second thought, ignore me and focus on these two rocking artists. Here's where you can find more info.
Alright, if you're still not convinced, you have weekend plans, or you're bibliotecaphobic, just go get their work and read: Jim's World Leader Pretend and Monica's Clown Girl.
Friday, December 14, 2007
News from our writing friends
News from NoPo poet, Ariel Zimmer
North Portland Poetry Jam
When: 1st and 3rd Sundays, 7-9pm
Where: Trippin Billies Coffeehouse
Open mic this Sunday. Sign up begins at 6:30. Beer, wine and treats for purchase. All ages. Free. The coffeehouse is at 3226 N Lombard (across from US Bank).
##
News from author and teacher, Ariel Gore
Call for Submissions
PORTLAND QUEER
A New Anthology Edited by Ariel Gore
Greetings Portland Queers!
I'm looking for first-person literary narratives by queer-identified Portland writers for a new anthology showcasing the diversity, hilarity, and talent of emerging and established local writers. Stories can be fiction or nonfiction, but should have a clear Portland connection.
I'm looking for:
- Experimental and traditional short stories / short memoirs featuring queer characters
- Character-driven literary narratives
- Stories that mention specific Portland neighborhoods, landmarks, haunts, or nearby destinations
- Up to 5,000 words (shorter pieces welcome)
I'm not looking for:
- Opinion essays on what it's like to be queer in Portland
- Erotica (sex isn't taboo-- I just don't want it to be "the point")
- How-to or travel pieces
- And I'm not looking for trouble! Please be prepared to change the names of the guilty.
Send submissions to
Ariel Gore / Portland Queer
P.O. Box 12525
Portland, OR 97212
Send your questions to
arielfiona@gmail.com
Subject: Pdx Queer
Deadline is May 1, 2008
Payment to be determined
Ariel Gore is the editor of Hip Mama and the author of seven books
including The Traveling Death and Resurrection Show, Atlas of the
Human Heart, and How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead.
Click to www.arielgore.com
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Season of the Launch
Dear writers, literary folk and friends :
Please join us to celebrate the development of a Writers' Room in Portland.
Saturday, January 12th
Start: 7pm
Readings: 8pm
Party until: whenever
Where: Writers' Dojo
To RSVP is divine. If you plan to attend, please take a moment to follow the link.
Join us for readings, poetry, music, drinks, some surprises, and together we'll celebrate the launch of Writers' Dojo. Yes, we've already launched. But this party will be the finale in The Season of the Launch, to make it official.
Our reading friends include:
• Chelsea Cain: Weekly columnist for The Oregonian and author of several books, including the new best-seller Heartsick.
• Kim Stafford: Poet, author, professor, musician and director of the William Stafford Studio.
• Tom Spanbauer: Pulitzer nominated author and the founder of Dangerous Writing workshop.
• Alison Clement: This year's winner of the Oregon Book Award for her novel Twenty Questions.
• James Bernard Frost: Journalist for Wired and others. His book The Artichoke Trail won an award for travel journalism. World Leader Pretend is his first novel.
Late night open mic and jam session to follow the mood. If you have any questions, please drop a line.
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey and Rachel Selin
503-706-0509
info@writersdojo.org
WritersDojo.org
7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave.
Portland, OR 97203
Directions
We're just over the St. Johns Bridge, one block from N. Lombard. Visit us online for driving directions and a map. (There's plenty of free street parking.)
PS. Please don't forget to RSVP.
Please join us to celebrate the development of a Writers' Room in Portland.
Saturday, January 12th
Start: 7pm
Readings: 8pm
Party until: whenever
Where: Writers' Dojo
To RSVP is divine. If you plan to attend, please take a moment to follow the link.
Join us for readings, poetry, music, drinks, some surprises, and together we'll celebrate the launch of Writers' Dojo. Yes, we've already launched. But this party will be the finale in The Season of the Launch, to make it official.
Our reading friends include:
• Chelsea Cain: Weekly columnist for The Oregonian and author of several books, including the new best-seller Heartsick.
• Kim Stafford: Poet, author, professor, musician and director of the William Stafford Studio.
• Tom Spanbauer: Pulitzer nominated author and the founder of Dangerous Writing workshop.
• Alison Clement: This year's winner of the Oregon Book Award for her novel Twenty Questions.
• James Bernard Frost: Journalist for Wired and others. His book The Artichoke Trail won an award for travel journalism. World Leader Pretend is his first novel.
Late night open mic and jam session to follow the mood. If you have any questions, please drop a line.
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey and Rachel Selin
503-706-0509
info@writersdojo.org
WritersDojo.org
7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave.
Portland, OR 97203
Directions
We're just over the St. Johns Bridge, one block from N. Lombard. Visit us online for driving directions and a map. (There's plenty of free street parking.)
PS. Please don't forget to RSVP.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Solstice Breath
Last week I attended a writing workshop on food held at Hotlips Pizza--the inaugural session of Hotlips U.--sponsored by the William Stafford Studio. (The Studio is a new venture under works by Kim Stafford, one that you will certainly hear more about in coming months and throughout 2008 as Kim continues to develop this amazing organization.)
It turns out that Hotlips will focus its extra circular activities in 2008 toward the literary arts. Last year it was bicycles. This coming year: words. Bravo, Hotlips! So, we read aloud from works of poetry and prose, used these as prompts to write, shared our words, then feasted.
I was totally inspired by how location--the landscape and culture--have such a profound impact on our words. It was simply the perfect locale to inspire thoughts on food and community. Afterwards, Kim and I kept chatting and dreaming about how Writers' Dojo could host an event based on the energy and vibe of the location. Here's the result: the perfect workshop to help launch our space. What could be better than to combine the two disciplines of writing and movement... from two teachers I greatly admire.
Solstice Breath
with Kim Stafford and Michael Selin
A workshop in writing and movement
At Writers' Dojo: Friday, 21 December 2007, 9 a.m. - 1p.m.
Co-sponsored by the William Stafford Studio
Please join us for our inaugural workshop at Writers' Dojo, featuring writing with poet Kim Stafford and movement exercises with aikido teacher Michael Selin. We will work with breath, the body in motion and at rest, and writing invitations designed to listen at the solstice.
Yes, this is a busy time. All the more reason to step aside from all that frenzy for this retreat, this gift to yourself. The movement and writing exercises will be restorative, leaving you ready for the rest.
Cost: Suggested donation of $25 with all proceeds to benefit Write Around Portland. Visit to learn more about this valuable organization, one of Portland’s treasures. (Checks payable to “Write Around Portland”).
Bring comfortable clothing to exercise (we have locker rooms and showers).
8:30 Caffeine and conversation
9:00 First writing
9:30 Breath and Movement
10:30 Break
11:00 Writing continues
12:00 Aikido class
1:00 Farewell
• Kim Stafford is director of the William Stafford Studio.
• Michael Selin is the instructor at Ecole de Budo RAJI, Portland.
Texts developed during the workshop will be shared with participants, and will become part of the digital archive for community service at the William Stafford Studio, and at Writers’ Dojo.
Visit here for directions, or call 503.706.0509.
Writers' Dojo
7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave.
Portland, OR 97203
It turns out that Hotlips will focus its extra circular activities in 2008 toward the literary arts. Last year it was bicycles. This coming year: words. Bravo, Hotlips! So, we read aloud from works of poetry and prose, used these as prompts to write, shared our words, then feasted.
I was totally inspired by how location--the landscape and culture--have such a profound impact on our words. It was simply the perfect locale to inspire thoughts on food and community. Afterwards, Kim and I kept chatting and dreaming about how Writers' Dojo could host an event based on the energy and vibe of the location. Here's the result: the perfect workshop to help launch our space. What could be better than to combine the two disciplines of writing and movement... from two teachers I greatly admire.
Solstice Breath
with Kim Stafford and Michael Selin
A workshop in writing and movement
In breath, where kingdoms hide,
one little turn at the end
is king, again, again, again…
—William Stafford
At Writers' Dojo: Friday, 21 December 2007, 9 a.m. - 1p.m.
Co-sponsored by the William Stafford Studio
Please join us for our inaugural workshop at Writers' Dojo, featuring writing with poet Kim Stafford and movement exercises with aikido teacher Michael Selin. We will work with breath, the body in motion and at rest, and writing invitations designed to listen at the solstice.
Yes, this is a busy time. All the more reason to step aside from all that frenzy for this retreat, this gift to yourself. The movement and writing exercises will be restorative, leaving you ready for the rest.
Cost: Suggested donation of $25 with all proceeds to benefit Write Around Portland. Visit to learn more about this valuable organization, one of Portland’s treasures. (Checks payable to “Write Around Portland”).
Bring comfortable clothing to exercise (we have locker rooms and showers).
8:30 Caffeine and conversation
9:00 First writing
9:30 Breath and Movement
10:30 Break
11:00 Writing continues
12:00 Aikido class
1:00 Farewell
• Kim Stafford is director of the William Stafford Studio.
• Michael Selin is the instructor at Ecole de Budo RAJI, Portland.
Texts developed during the workshop will be shared with participants, and will become part of the digital archive for community service at the William Stafford Studio, and at Writers’ Dojo.
Visit here for directions, or call 503.706.0509.
Writers' Dojo
7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave.
Portland, OR 97203
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Literary Events, Portland and this blog
How many blogs can a writer have and properly maintain? In the future we'll keep this one updated more regularly as it evolves slightly to share reports and thoughts on Portland's literary scene. We'll still keep you updated on our progress and development for community projects and the larger Writers' Room idea, but these efforts have led us to many fascinating literary corners of Portland.
The laundry list of artists, professionals, and total characters whom we've been honored to meet, share and exchange ideas with, to network, to chat with about possibilities for our beautiful city's future as a beacon for writers... it reads like a gigantic Torah scroll that just several months ago I would have thought impossible to manage.
We've been out tromping through giddy, fun-filled literary afternoons: from meeting with the Oregon Literary Coalition, to small readings at places like Powell's and the St. Johns Bookstore, to the monthly meetings of Willamette Writers, to the Ooligan Open House, to Wordstock, to the OR Book Awards, to Dangerous Writers, to the ongoing creation of the William Stafford Studio... so many names come to mind of people I want to hang out with daily for their kind, cool, awesome, literary thoughts, amazing creative energy, and general sweet disposition as movers and shakers in Portland's creative writing arts.
Basically I'm in awe of how many amazing writers surround Portland (and Oregon in general). If ever a place were a candidate for that ever-sought amorphous community a la the next Algonquin Round Table, methinks Portland is its home. No need to wait to be invited to the table with these larger-than-life literary characters. Just step out to any of a hundred events a month happening all around us.
The laundry list of artists, professionals, and total characters whom we've been honored to meet, share and exchange ideas with, to network, to chat with about possibilities for our beautiful city's future as a beacon for writers... it reads like a gigantic Torah scroll that just several months ago I would have thought impossible to manage.
We've been out tromping through giddy, fun-filled literary afternoons: from meeting with the Oregon Literary Coalition, to small readings at places like Powell's and the St. Johns Bookstore, to the monthly meetings of Willamette Writers, to the Ooligan Open House, to Wordstock, to the OR Book Awards, to Dangerous Writers, to the ongoing creation of the William Stafford Studio... so many names come to mind of people I want to hang out with daily for their kind, cool, awesome, literary thoughts, amazing creative energy, and general sweet disposition as movers and shakers in Portland's creative writing arts.
Basically I'm in awe of how many amazing writers surround Portland (and Oregon in general). If ever a place were a candidate for that ever-sought amorphous community a la the next Algonquin Round Table, methinks Portland is its home. No need to wait to be invited to the table with these larger-than-life literary characters. Just step out to any of a hundred events a month happening all around us.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
We've launched WritersDojo.org
Today we launched WritersDojo.org. Please browse and share your thoughts. We're also proud to have a write-up in Portland Monthly Magazine, November issue (page 42).
Friday, October 19, 2007
ready to launch
Thanks for the Qs on our radio silence. We've been behind-the-scenes, working hard to keep the core training alive by writing daily. Meanwhile, the business side of Writers' Dojo continues to develop, to provide core members with outstanding resources. In just a few days, we'll launch a new WritersDojo.org Web experience. It's a good start, including a free podcast download with bestselling author Chelsea Cain.
Off line, we've been furniture hunting, to outfit the Dojo with beautiful office gear. The redesign continues. Painting, artwork, desks... Here are a few of our finds. Special thanks to our friends at ECOpdx for the salvaged wood masterpieces.
Off line, we've been furniture hunting, to outfit the Dojo with beautiful office gear. The redesign continues. Painting, artwork, desks... Here are a few of our finds. Special thanks to our friends at ECOpdx for the salvaged wood masterpieces.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
