Events, Classes, and Seminars
We have moved many of our offerings online! We hope you will join us.
Featured Events
August 2021
Summer 2021 Writing Classes
Oracles, Intuition, and Creativity
Wed, August 4 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Forge a deeper connection with your intuition in this 5-week course exploring intuitive processes and symbolism in creative practice. Students will work with The Personal Oracle deck, designed by instructor Coleman Stevenson, to stretch their symbolic awareness and sharpen their creative instincts. The cards and other divinatory methods will be used as prompts for storytelling and other creative writing exercises as well. This is a great class for card readers who want to expand their reading methods to include visual…
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Free Events
One Page Wednesday – August
Wed, August 4 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm PDT
Here is an opportunity to share or listen to one page of work in progress from talented writers from everywhere. Come with a single page of work and sign up to read – or come to listen and prepare to be inspired! Hosted by Natalie Serber. This month's featured reader is Mary Lou Buschi. Click here to register in advanced. You don't need to live in Portland to participate. If you have questions, please contact jessica@literary-arts.org
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Summer 2021 Summer of Love Writing Classes
Writing About Sex
Sun, August 8 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm PDT
From kissing to seduction—to the deed itself—writing about sex can be one of the hardest feats in storytelling. We’ll study the way writers like Lidia Yuknavitch, Melissa Febos, Zadie Smith, D. H. Lawrence, and others approach this facet of craft. Our conversations will explore how sex can be implied or explicit, while still being literary and classy. Class one is entirely devoted to writing the literary kiss, and future sessions will cover sex “implied” with its absence on the page,…
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For Bipoc Writers Summer 2021 Writing Classes
August BIPOC writer workshop
Sun, August 15 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT
One-day Workshop: Open to writers of color at all levels writing in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. A variety of prompts will be presented as avenues for generating and sharing new work in an informal setting. You can also bring your own prompts and questions about the writing process, and explore them with the group.
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Free Events Oregon Literary Fellowships
Oregon Literary Fellowships Information Session
Wed, August 18 from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm PDT
Questions about applying to this year's Oregon Literary Fellowships? Join us at this information session! You can drop-in anytime between 2 PM and 3 PM. If you can't attend this session, another session will be offered on August 31. Register in advance for this meeting here. Please contact Susan Moore (susan@literary-arts.org) or Jessica Meza-Torres (jessica@literary-arts.org) if you have any questions.
Find out moreFor Bipoc Writers Summer 2021 Writing Classes
August BIPOC Craft Series: Fiction
Wed, August 18 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
This monthly craft series for BIPOC writers invites you to dream and imagine new worlds and characters for fictional storytelling. Using beloved and renowned BIPOC writers as models for fictional narratives, we will notice, play, practice, share and grow as writers. Access Program We want our writing classes to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class registrations at a reduced…
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Free Events
Slamlandia
Thu, August 19 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PDT
An event every month that begins at 7:00 pm on day Third of the month, repeating until Thu, Aug 19, 2021
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safer space for poets to read their own poetry, witness others, and participate in community. Hosted by Julia Gaskill. Register in advance for this event If you have any questions, please contact slamlandia@gmail.com or jessica@literary-arts.org.
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Delve Readers Seminars Summer 2021
The Book of Embraces
Tue, August 24 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
The vignetted format of this text sometimes expands into short stories and sometimes shrinks into prose-poems, but regardless of any section’s length, this book is always intimate, charming, and transportive. Galeano uses journalistic research, autobiographical anecdotes, and interviews to emphasize how there really is no distinction between the personal and the political. He writes of the military dictatorship in Uruguay that forced him into exile, an Italian pantomime performance that reminded him the importance of loving your craft, a pet…
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Summer 2021 Writing Classes
Writing the Non-Fiction Book Proposal
Wed, August 25 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
This six-week class will take you step-by-step through the major parts of the nonfiction book proposal: the query letter, overview, competitive analysis, marketing and promotion, author background, outline and sample chapter. Bring an idea, and be ready to write. The class includes extensive handouts and questionnaires to guide your work.
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Free Events
On The Metaphysics of Deep Gossip: Bagley Wright Lecture Series
Wed, August 25 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm PDT
In this memoir and craft talk, Lisa Jarnot reflects on her entanglement in the New York poetry scene over twenty-five years. Beginning with the proposition that deep gossip and urban mindfulness are sacred practices, she explores the places where the New York School’s feminine, marvelous, and tough irreverence opens into a deeper mystery that is passed down as a liturgy of ecstatic connectedness. The Bagley Wright Lecture Series on Poetry supports contemporary poets as they explore in-depth their own thinking…
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For Bipoc Writers Free Events
BIPOC Reading Series- August
Thu, August 26 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PDT
This bimonthly reading series is intended to prioritize the safety, creativity, and stories of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color. Come listen to our featured readers, or sign up to share your work in our open mic. Readings will be followed by a short community discussion. The theme for August is "Nourishment." Click here to register for this event. This event is open to everyone, but only people who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color will…
Find out moreFor Bipoc Writers Summer 2021 Writing Classes
BIPOC Revision Workshop
Mon, August 30 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
This affinity space for BIPOC writers will support the transformation of your early drafts into new iterations and more polished pieces. How do we revise our writing in ways that feel energized and nimble? How do we identify writing habits that aren’t serving us and gather inspiration from fellow writers? What can supportive feedback offer to our word choice, sentences, and overall structure of our piece? How can we be intentional about the writing moves we’re making for clarity, engagement,…
Find out moreFree Events Oregon Literary Fellowships
Oregon Literary Fellowships Information Session
Tue, August 31 from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PDT
Questions about applying to this year's Oregon Literary Fellowships? Join us at this information session! Drop-in anytime between 4 PM and 5 PM. Register in advance for this meeting here. Please contact Susan Moore (susan@literary-arts.org) or Jessica Meza-Torres (jessica@literary-arts.org) if you have any questions.
Find out moreSeptember 2021
Delve Readers Seminars Fall 2021
James Baldwin
Wed, September 1 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Explore James Baldwin's first two novels - Go Tell It on the Mountain and Giovanni's Room - and some of his early essays in order to deepen your understanding of the intersection of identity, morality, and power. What do these early works teach about Baldwin's response to his own question: what does it mean to be an honest person and a good writer?
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Fall 2021 Writing Classes
The Path of Perseverance: Writing No Matter What
Sat, September 4 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm PDT
The writing journey, exhilarating and wondrous as it is, can be punctuated with delays and disappointments. Sometimesthe demands of daily life or an unexpected crisis can send us into a tailspin. How do we keep writing through chaos or a stressful live event? For many of us, the last year threw various hurdles in the way of our ability to write consistently. Yet, we pressed on. Still, some of us have yet to regain our footing, and need encouragement to…
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Fall 2021 Writing Classes
Refuse the Given World: Breaking Blocks Through Play
Tue, September 7 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm PDT
“When I sit down and start writing, I feel the given world recede, and I can just play.” --Sam Lipsyte Remember when you were a little kid, playing on the floor for hours and hours? Our best writing days are often imbued with that same sense of timelessness, freedom, wonder, and escape—in other words, our work often works best when it feels like play. In this generative writing course, we will tap into a playful mindset—by using silly rules, obstructions,…
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Fall 2021 Writing Classes
Writing the Intersection of Our Identities: Tuesday nights
Tue, September 14 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm PDT
Through autobiographical writing about our identities—including race, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, and class—we’ll explore where we hold power and privilege and where we have experienced marginalization and oppression. In addition to experimenting with craft techniques such as audience, point of view, research, dialogue, and figurative language, we’ll also discuss how to use our writing in service of reflection, healing, truth-telling, and culture change. By the end of the course, I hope you’ll emerge with several drafts, and that we’ll each emerge…
Find out moreFall 2021 For Bipoc Writers
Writing the Intersections of Our Identities: For BIPOC writers
Wed, September 15 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm PDT
Through autobiographical writing about our identities—including race, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, and class—we’ll explore where we hold power and privilege and where we have experienced marginalization and oppression. In addition to experimenting with craft techniques such as audience, point of view, research, dialogue, and figurative language, we’ll also discuss how to use our writing in service of reflection, healing, truth-telling, and culture change. By the end of the course, I hope you’ll emerge with several drafts, and that we’ll each emerge…
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Fall 2021 Writing Classes
Nine-Month Novel Intensive
Wed, September 15 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm PDT
This course for dedicated writers is designed to guide you through the writing and/or revising of your novel. It runs from September through May. You’ll read excerpts from published novels by authors including Han Kang, Tommy Orange, Lina Meruane, Mitchell S. Jackson, Deborah Levy, and Susan Steinberg, as well as craft essays by authors including Dorothy Allison, Jane Alison, and Alexander Chee. Some weeks you’ll have craft assignments to complete outside of class, and other weeks we’ll do in-class exercises…
Find out moreFall 2021 Writing Classes
Nine-Month Novel Intensive: Thursday
Thu, September 16 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm PDT
This course for dedicated writers is designed to guide you through the writing and/or revising of your novel. It runs from September through May. You’ll read excerpts from published novels by authors including Han Kang, Tommy Orange, Lina Meruane, Mitchell S. Jackson, Deborah Levy, and Susan Steinberg, as well as craft essays by authors including Dorothy Allison, Jane Alison, and Alexander Chee. Some weeks you’ll have craft assignments to complete outside of class, and other weeks we’ll do in-class exercises…
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Fall 2021 Memoir Writing Classes
Nine-Month Memoir Intensive
Sat, September 25 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm PDT
This class begins in September, with the goal of finishing a complete draft of a memoir by June. Participants do not need to be published writers; however, they should have some experience with elements of memoir, including character, setting, dialogue and scene, and have a clear project in mind that they will devote nine months to. They should also be comfortable in a workshop setting, giving and receiving criticism on works in progress. Download syllabus here. Contact Susan Moore at…
Find out moreOctober 2021
Bookmark: A Benefit for Literary Arts
Thu, October 7 from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm PDT
Literary Arts is proud to invite you to Bookmark: A Benefit for Literary Arts, a showing of essential support for and celebration of the stories in our community and the essential ideas and issues they raise. Join us on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 5:30PM (PDT) for a special pre-show in advance of the 6:00PM (PDT) event to support readers, writers, and the next generation of storytellers. You’ll hear moving stories from artists within our community, as well…
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Portland Arts & Lectures
2021/22 Portland Arts & Lectures: Daniel James Brown
Thu, October 14 from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm PDT
This event is part of our Portland Arts & Lectures 2021/22 season. Tickets start at just $90 for the five-part series. All dates are booked at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and will be held in person in accordance with public health guidelines. Each subscription also includes a full digital pass for those subscribers who may need extra time to rejoin us downtown and would prefer to watch the lectures from home.
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Fall 2021 Writing Classes
Six-Month Short Story Intensive: Starting the Collection
Wed, October 27 from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm PDT
This class is for experienced writers who are dedicated to starting the first draft of a story collection over the course of 6 months. We will have 22 class meetings between October and April, with a four-week break in December to focus on generating and revising our work. Participants should have experience writing stories and familiarity with the elements of literary short fiction including scene, character, conflict, place and revision. We will study individual stories by authors, read craft essays,…
Find out moreJanuary 2022
Portland Arts & Lectures
2021/22 Portland Arts & Lectures: Cathy Park Hong
Thu, Jan 27, 2022 from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm PST
This event is part of our Portland Arts & Lectures 2021/22 season. Tickets start at just $90 for the five-part series. All dates are booked at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and will be held in person in accordance with public health guidelines. Each subscription also includes a full digital pass for those subscribers who may need extra time to rejoin us downtown and would prefer to watch the lectures from home.
Find out moreFebruary 2022
Portland Arts & Lectures
2021/22 Portland Arts & Lectures: Brit Bennett
Thu, Feb 17, 2022 from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm PST
This event is part of our Portland Arts & Lectures 2021/22 season. Tickets start at just $90 for the five-part series. All dates are booked at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and will be held in person in accordance with public health guidelines. Each subscription also includes a full digital pass for those subscribers who may need extra time to rejoin us downtown and would prefer to watch the lectures from home.
Find out moreApril 2022
Portland Arts & Lectures
2021/22 Portland Arts & Lectures: Richard Powers
Thu, Apr 21, 2022 from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm PDT
This event is part of our Portland Arts & Lectures 2021/22 season. Tickets start at just $90 for the five-part series. All dates are booked at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and will be held in person in accordance with public health guidelines. Each subscription also includes a full digital pass for those subscribers who may need extra time to rejoin us downtown and would prefer to watch the lectures from home.
Find out moreMay 2022
Portland Arts & Lectures
2021/22 Portland Arts & Lectures: Edwidge Danticat
Thu, May 12, 2022 from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm PDT
This event is part of our Portland Arts & Lectures 2021/22 season. Tickets start at just $90 for the five-part series. All dates are booked at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and will be held in person in accordance with public health guidelines. Each subscription also includes a full digital pass for those subscribers who may need extra time to rejoin us downtown and would prefer to watch the lectures from home.
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