Events, Classes, and Seminars

In this generative writing workshop, we will explore a slice of Portland as flâneurs, or writers who walk and observe as part of their practice.

This class will provide an introduction to journalism for every writer. Learning the fundamentals of reporting, researching, writing, editing and fact-checking can enhance any writing practice. In five, two-hour sessions, students of all levels will learn basic journalistic skills they can apply to their own projects, whatever the genre.

Together we will read & write creative writing on substance abuse, addiction & recovery, with an emphasis on harm reduction, healing, and reclamation. We will look at poems, short stories, and essay writing centering themes of addiction by their loved ones and by those with lived experience.

Although this course will predominantly take the form of a workshop, it will also provide insights into the craft of writing by drawing upon principles from The Art of Fiction, essays on literary craft, and published short stories. Designed for beginner and advanced writers, this course meets for ten sessions total. Students will have the opportunity to share two pieces (up to 25 pages each) and receive constructive feedback in a thoughtfully facilitated, supportive atmosphere.

This class is designed to demystify the editing process with applicable tools for editing at each stage of your draft. From fiction to creative nonfiction, this five-week workshop offers in-depth looks at different editorial tools to use to help you refine your story and your language.

If you dream of writing that novel or finishing that poem, but you feel scattered, overwhelmed, or stuck with many beginnings but no finished product, this workshop will offer you gentle and effective ways to work through creative blocks so you can finally share your creative expression with your readers.

This five-day intensive teaches writers the essential elements of compelling scene construction. Over five class meetings, students will learn to create authentic characters, ground readers in vivid and purposeful setting, weave exposition seamlessly into narrative, and build scenes that draw readers in and hold them page after page.