Each month, Literary Arts staff will round up news, events, and more happening in Portland, and beyond. Let us know if you have any events or news to share.
EVENTS
New Year’s Eve Sobriety Powwow (Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest)
Saturday, December 31 | Free to attend | In person at Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR
The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) presents the Annual Sobriety Powwow. The NARA New Years’ Eve Sobriety Powwow is one of the country’s largest sobriety new year powwows. It is undoubtedly the largest sober New Year’s party in Portland, where thousands close out the year with drums, songs and dance (all alcohol-free).
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Cabell First Novelist Award (Virginia Commonwealth University)
Deadline: December 30
A prize of at least $3,000 is given annually for a debut novel published during the current year. The winner and two additional guest panelists (usually the winner’s agent and editor) also receive lodging and travel expenses to attend the First Novelist Award event night at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in fall 2023. A committee of VCU faculty and MFA candidates will judge. Submit one digital copy and five hard copies of a book published in 2022 by December 30. There is no entry fee.
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards (Cleveland Foundation)
Deadline: December 31
Three to four prizes of $10,000 each are given annually for a poetry collection, a book of fiction, and a book of nonfiction (including creative nonfiction) published during the current year “that contribute to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity.” A lifetime achievement prize is also awarded. Rita Dove, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Joyce Carol Oates, Steven Pinker, and Simon Schama will judge. Submit five copies of a book published in 2022 by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Dorset Prize (Tupelo Press)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $9,000, publication by Tupelo Press, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. The winner also receives the option of either a weeklong residency at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts, or a two-week residency at Gentle House in Port Angeles, Washington, both valued at $1,000. Diane Seuss will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 88 pages with a $30 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Four Quartets Prize (Poetry Society of America)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $20,000 is given annually for a unified and complete sequence of poems published in the United States in a print or online journal, a chapbook, or a book during the current year. Three finalists, including the winner, will receive $1,000 each. Submit four copies of at least 14 pages of poetry or a book-length sequence of poems published in 2022 and unified by subject, form, and style by December 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Jesmyn Ward Prize in Fiction (Michigan Quarterly Review)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $2,000 and publication in Michigan Quarterly Review will be given annually for a short story. Desiree Cooper will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a short story of 1,500 to 7,000 words with a $25 entry fee by December 31. All entries will be considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Oregon State Parks Centennial Creative Challenge (Oregon State Parks)
Deadline: December 31
Oregon’s Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani shared his thoughts about Oregon’s special places in a poem written for the Centennial celebration of Oregon State Parks. Now they want to hear from you! What do Oregon’s state parks mean to you or your family, or how do they complement the Oregon mystique? Use Anis’ poem, The branch is both branch & tree, as inspiration, or draw from your own experience. Whether it’s a photograph, painting, dance, collage, or a song you’ve written—be creative and submit a digital file of your creation and describe the inspiration for your work. Submissions will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2022 and displayed on their website and social media.
Poetry Prize (The Moth)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of €6,000 (approximately $6,128) and publication in the Moth is given annually for a single poem. Three runner-up prizes of €1,000 (approximately $1,021) each and publication in the Moth are also given. The four shortlisted poets, including the winner, will also be invited to read at an awards ceremony at the Poetry Ireland festival in Dublin in spring 2023. Louise Glück will judge. Submit any number of poems of any length with a €15 (approximately $15) entry fee per poem by December 31. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Robert H. Winner Memorial Award (Poetry Society of America)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $2,500 and publication on the Poetry Society of America website is given annually to a poet over 40 who has published no more than one book. Nuar Alsadir will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit 10 pages of poetry with a $15 entry fee by December 31. There is no entry fee for PSA members. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers (Boulevard)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors will judge. Submit a story of up to 8,000 words with a $16 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Boulevard, by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction (LitMag)
Deadline: December 31
A prize of $2,500 and publication in LitMag is given annually for a short story. The winner will have their work reviewed by agents from Bankoff Collaborative, the Bent Agency, Brandt & Hochman, Folio Literary Management, InkWell Management, Sobel Weber Associates, and Triangle House Literary. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of 3,000 to 8,000 words with a $20 entry fee by December 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Bank of America Student Leaders Program (Bank of America)
Deadline: January 13
Since its inception in 2005, the Bank of America Student Leaders Program has recognized more than 3,000 exemplary high school juniors and seniors who have a passion for improving their communities. The program recognizes community-minded students by connecting them to employment, skills development leadership training and service through two components: a eight week paid summer internship and a week-long, all-expense paid Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
FOR KIDS/ TEENS
Hanukkah Menorah Lighting (PDX Parent)
Sunday, December 18th at 4:00 p.m. | This is a recurring event | In person at Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave, Portland
Chabad of Oregon will display and light Portland’s public Hanukkah menorah at Pioneer Courthouse Square for eight nights beginning Sunday, Dec. 18. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. on the first night. Kick off the Festival of Lights on the first night with live music, yummy foods and more.
Jessa Campbell & the Saplings Wee Wednesdays (PDX Parent)
Wednesday, December 28 from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. | $5 – $20 dollars | In person at Hoot-n-Annie Barnes Rd., 7323 SW Barnes Rd, Portland
Wee Wednesday’s are back! Bring the family for some ecology-based children’s music and browse the store after the show. With songs like “Rings on the Tree” (Wheels on the Bus), Jessa puts a nature spin on familiar tunes! Be sure to check out each week for other artists!
The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays (Portland 5)
Thursday December 29, from 7:30 p.m. | $32.00 – $62.00 dollars | In person at the Keller Auditorium 222 SW Clay St., Portland
Celebrate the holidays with the entire family at The Illusionists—Magic of the Holidays, a mind-blowing showcase featuring jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on earth. The Illusionists has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage. This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.
Free Sundays at the Discovery Museum (World Forestry Center)
Sundays through January 29, 2023 (closed Dec. 25 & Jan. 1) | In person at World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum, 4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR
World Forestry Center is offering free admission to its Discovery Museum on Sundays from November 13, 2022, through January 29, 2023 (excluding Sunday, December 25, and Sunday, January 1 when the Museum will be closed). World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum will change the way you see the forest. The dramatic 20,000-square-foot wooden building has been a Portland landmark since 1971, and the exhibits inside invite visitors to examine their relationship to forests and consider all the unexpected ways they impact our lives. Get a bird’s-eye view of a northwest forest, meet people who rely on the woods for their livelihoods, and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing this critical natural resource.
IN THE NEWS
Andrew Proctor Is Enriching Portland’s Intellectual Life With Literary Arts (Willamette Weekly)
Our Executive Director Andrew Proctor was included in Willamette Weekly‘s Arts List of 25 people who shape the arts in Portland.
Best Books 2022: Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
2022 Portland Book Festival authors Tess Gunty’s and Kate Beaton’s books have been chosen as the top ten books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Congratulations!
Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka wins 2022 Booker Prize (OPB)
The 2022 Booker Prize was given to The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, written by Sri Lanka’s Shehan Karunatilaka.
2023 Carnegie Longlist (American Library Association)
Congratulations to Kate Beaton, Hua Hsu, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and Morgan Talty for making the Carnigie longlist!
RECOMMENDED READING
A Reading List for Jewish Book Month 2022 (clmp)
Allyship: More resources for your journey (Multnomah County Library)
Best Books of 2022 (Powell’s Books)
Gift Recommendations from Authors (Powell’s Books)
Holiday Gift Guide (Willamette Week)
