• May 8, 2024
          Incite: Queer Writers Read – May
          May 9, 2024
          Grief Work: Honoring Sorrow as a Generating Motor
          May 13, 2024
          WEIRDING THE EVERY DAY
          May 16, 2024
          Slamlandia
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Events, Classes, and Seminars

Our events, classes, and seminars bring the community together to hear, learn, and discuss the most compelling issues and ideas of our day. We hope you will join us in our downtown Literary Arts space, online, and at partnering venues across Portland and Oregon.

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Sunday

May 15

Saturday

May 21

online class   Writing Classes  

Where Do You Start: Writing Beginnings

The  first sentences of a work can connect instantly to your character and their dilemma so that your reader is immediately hooked into your story. In this 3 hour class, we'll unpack the beginnings from our favorite books and movies to understand how everything you release in the first paragraphs is vital for your story arc.

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Saturday

May 28

online class   Writing Classes  

Getting Published: Literary Magazines

How do you find literary magazines that want your work? What's the best way of getting an editor's attention? This workshop will give you the tools to set up your submission process so you can easily track submissions, learn when to follow up, and how to improve your chances of being published. Access Program We

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Monday

May 30

online class   Writing Classes  

The Break with Kaveh Akbar

In partnership with Alano Club of Portland, "The Break is a monthly virtual gathering of writers and artists lead by Kaveh Akbar, celebrating amongness, collaboration, and interdisciplinary creative experimentation. Though many of the activities and discussions orbit or are inflected by recovery themes (Akbar has been in active recovery for eight years), participants are not

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Wednesday

Jun 8

online class   Writing Classes  

Creative Nonfiction I

How do I decide what to write about? What if my memory is flawed? How much research do I need to do? What details are the most important? What’s the best way to give and receive feedback to writers in a workshop setting? This class invites you to explore the fundamentals of creative nonfiction, including

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Monday

Jun 27

Tuesday

Jun 28

Wednesday

Jul 6

online class   Writing Classes  

Starting the Story

This 4 -week short fiction workshop will focus on generating new work and simply getting words down on a page.  We will read excerpts, share just-written work aloud, and sometimes discuss assigned weekly readings together. We will investigate ways to unearth material together and share strategies for maintaining a regular writing practice. Participants will leave

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Sunday

Jul 10

Tuesday

Jul 12

Thursday

Jul 28

online class   Writing Classes  

Weekly Check-In: Getting the Work Done

This 8-week class is focused on holding yourself and your classmates accountable to your writing goals.  Each week, plan to share your work-in-progress with the group, set or revise goals for your weekly writing practice, and share successes and challenges with fellow writers. You’ll also learn strategies for keeping focused and staying on track. Occasional

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Saturday

Jul 30

online class   Writing Classes  

Creative Nonfiction II

Creative nonfiction utilizes non-linear structures to “think” into complex or ambiguous subjects. In this class, we will explore the relationship between form and content in memoir, deepening our practice by working with a draft of a story or essay. Outside reading assignments and in-class writing and revision exercises will encourage experimentation and writing play. We will

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Saturday

Jul 30

online class   Writing Classes  

The Unique Art of Autofiction

This is a three-hour, one-day intensive discussion on the unique genre of autofiction. This course will provide insight into the many nuances of autofiction, or autobiographical fiction. This “genre” involves writing that is based on real life experiences, but also utilizes fictional literary devices, makingit  a very unique form. I will provide craft essays and

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Saturday

Aug 6

Saturday

Sep 10

online class   Writing Classes  

To Agent Or Not to Agent

It’s all about the relationship! In this workshop you’ll learn when and how to search for an agent, what you need for a powerful query letter, and the nuts and bolts of when to sign, when not to sign, and how to escape from a toxic agent relationship. Access Program We want our writing classes

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Wednesday

Sep 14

online class   Writing Classes  

Nine-Month Novel Intensive: Wednesday

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

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Thursday

Sep 15

online class   Writing Classes  

The Notebook: Your Creative Process

Can we “chase” our imagination to its source? Where does creativity happen in the mind? These are some of the questions Lynda Barry explores in her book Syllabus, which describes the author’s lifelong investigation of the creative process. Participants will discuss Barry's techniques, and visit their own creative process, and perhaps draft a new story,

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Thursday

Sep 15

online class   Writing Classes  

Nine-Month Novel Intensive: Thursday

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

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Tuesday

Sep 20

Wednesday

Sep 21

Saturday

Sep 24

Saturday

Sep 24

Memoir   online class   Writing Classes  

Nine-Month Memoir Intensive

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

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Wednesday

Sep 28

online class   Writing Classes  

Weekly Check-In: Getting the Work Done

This 8-week class is focused on holding yourself and your classmates accountable to your writing goals.  Each week, plan to share your work-in-progress with the group, set or revise goals for your weekly writing practice, and share successes and challenges with fellow writers. You’ll also learn strategies for keeping focused and staying on track. Occasional

Find out more
Saturday

Oct 1

Monday

Oct 3

Wednesday

Oct 5

Saturday

Oct 15

Tuesday

Oct 18

Wednesday

Oct 19

Wednesday

Oct 19

Tuesday

Oct 25

Tuesday

Nov 1

Thursday

Nov 3

Friday

Nov 4

Friday

Nov 4

Saturday

Nov 5

Saturday

Nov 5

Saturday

Nov 5

Saturday

Nov 5

Sunday

Nov 6

In-person   Portland Book Festival   Writing Classes  

The Unique Art of Autofiction

This is a three-hour, one-day intensive discussion on the unique genre of autofiction. This course will provide insight into the many nuances of autofiction, or autobiographical fiction. This “genre” involves writing that is based on real life experiences, but also utilizes fictional literary devices, makingit  a very unique form. I will provide craft essays and

Find out more
Sunday

Nov 6

Sunday

Nov 6

Sunday

Nov 6

Tuesday

Nov 8

Tuesday

Nov 15

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