
Events, Classes, and Seminars
We have moved many of our offerings online! We hope you will join us.
Featured Events
April 2018
Youth Events
Verselandia! 2018
Thu, Apr 26, 2018 from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm PDT
Come celebrate Portland’s creative youth during our seventh annual Verselandia! poetry slam.
Find out moreMay 2018
Youth Events
WITS Reading for Grant High School
Thu, May 3, 2018 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Writers in the Schools (WITS) end-of-residency reading featuring students who worked with WITS writers Jules Ohman and Claudia Savage.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS Reading for Lincoln High School
Mon, May 7, 2018 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Writers in the Schools (WITS) end-of-residency reading featuring Lincoln High School students who worked with WITS writers Bettina de Leon Barrera, Lisa Eisenberg, and Mark Pomeroy.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS Reading for Roosevelt High School
Wed, May 16, 2018 from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PDT
Writers in the Schools (WITS) end-of-residency reading featuring Roosevelt students who worked with WITS writers Arthur Bradford, Jeffy Denight, and James Gendron.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS Reading for Franklin High School
Wed, May 16, 2018 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Writers in the Schools (WITS) end-of-residency reading featuring Franklin students who worked with WITS writers Alex Behr, David Ciminello, and Cari Luna.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS Reading for Gresham High School
Thu, May 24, 2018 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Writers in the Schools (WITS) end-of-residency reading featuring students who worked with WITS writers Brian Kettler, Monty Mickelson, and Emilly Prado.
Find out moreNovember 2018
Youth Events
WITS Writers-in-Residence Reading
Thu, Nov 29, 2018 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm PST
Literary Arts is honored to have accomplished poets, journalists, novelists, essayists, and playwrights teaching creative writing to high school students in the Writers in the Schools program. This month, the public will have the opportunity to hear from a selection of WITS writers-in-residence as they share their own pieces. The event will include readings by Michelle Keil, GF Harper, Jules Ohman, Bettina de León Barrera, Mark Pomeroy, Matt Smith, Ramiza Koya, Alex Behr, Ryan Nakano, Callum Angus, and Emilly Prado.…
Find out moreJanuary 2019
Youth Events
Youth Poetry Reading: Poetic Imagination in Japanese Art
Fri, Jan 11, 2019 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PST
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Parkrose High School Students
Mon, Jan 14, 2019 from 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm PST
Come celebrate the next generation of writers during our Writers in the Schools end-of-residency readings.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Wilson High School Students
Wed, Jan 30, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Wilson High School students have spent the past semester crafting original creative writing pieces under the guidance of experienced writers. The students will be reading these pieces aloud for peers, family, and community members. Come support and hear the fantastic work they've done!
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Benson High School Students
Wed, Jan 30, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Celebrate the next generation of writers during our WITS end-of-residency readings
Find out moreFebruary 2019
Youth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Madison High School Students
Thu, Feb 7, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Hear students read the impressive and original creative writing pieces they produced during the semester-long WITS residency at Madison High School.
Find out moreMarch 2019
Youth Events
WITS Alliance Reading: Off-site AWP event
Fri, Mar 29, 2019 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm PDT
The WITS Alliance hosts a happy hour and reading at Literary Arts.
Find out moreApril 2019
Youth Events
Verselandia! 2019
Thu, Apr 25, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm PDT
Celebrate Portland’s youth poets during our eighth annual Verselandia! poetry slam. Students perform original work in front of a panel of judges and a live audience.
Find out moreMay 2019
Youth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Lincoln High School
Wed, May 15, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Listen to Lincoln High School students read their original writing, crafted during their semester with a professional writer in a WITS residency.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Roosevelt High School
Thu, May 16, 2019 from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PDT
Roosevelt High School students worked with professional writers for ten weeks on original creative writing pieces. Come hear them read their work in the cozy Cathedral Coffee.
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
Verselandia! East Side Slam
Thu, May 16, 2019 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Literary Arts’ Youth Programs presents the first annual Verselandia! East Side Slam. Cheer on high school students in your community as they perform original poetry in front of a panel of judges. Students from participating East Multnomah County high schools will be competing at this event. Following the same rules as national poetry slams, students must perform original work without props, costumes, or music in front of a panel of judges and a live audience. Using a scale of…
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Franklin High School
Fri, May 17, 2019 from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm PDT
Hear Franklin students read their original creative writing in the company of friends, family, and community members, as they celebrate the end of their Writers in the Schools residencies.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Grant High School
Mon, May 20, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Listen to original writing from Grant High School students as they wrap up their Writers in the Schools residencies. This year's host classes include Writing for the Arts and a Digital Media course.
Find out moreJune 2019
Youth Events
WITS End of Residency Readings: Gresham High School
Thu, Jun 6, 2019 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm PDT
Gresham High School students read their inspiring and original creative writing, celebrating the end of their Writers in the Schools residencies.
Find out moreJanuary 2020
Free Events Youth Events
Writers in the Schools End of Residency Reading
Tue, Jan 7, 2020 from 5:30 pm PST
Hear students from Grant High School share their creative writing during this live reading event! These students participated in our semester-long Writers in the Schools (WITS) creative writing residencies. Each residency is unique, tailored to support, deepen, and extend existing curriculum, and to contribute to student achievement in reading and writing. WITS teachers will also be reading at the event.
Find out moreYouth Events
WITS Student Reading: Benson High School
Wed, Jan 15, 2020 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
WITS Student Reading: Grant High School
Wed, Jan 22, 2020 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
WITS Student Reading: Madison High School
Thu, Jan 23, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Find out moreFebruary 2020
Free Events Youth Events
WITS Student Reading: Wilson High School
Wed, Feb 5, 2020 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST
Culmination of the Wilson High School Writers in the Schools (WITS) residencies. Listen to Wilson students read their original creative writing to peers, parents, and community members.
Find out moreApril 2020
Writing Classes Youth Events
Online Teen Creative Writing Workshop: Free
Wed, Apr 8, 2020 from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm PDT
This 90-minute creative writing workshop is a laid-back session taught via Zoom that is open to high school students at all skills levels interested in writing. Students will be guided through fun, imaginative writing exercises and flex their creative muscles with plenty of time to chat with fellow writers. Limited to 20 students. All genres. Zoom meeting instructions to be emailed to students by instructor prior to class start. Sold out but still interested in joining a waitlist and/or…
Find out moreYouth Events
2020 Verselandia! City-wide Youth Poetry Slam – CANCELLED
Thu, Apr 30, 2020
2020 Verselandia! will no longer take place live. Please join us online for #Virtualandia!
Find out moreMay 2020
Writing Classes Youth Events
Online Fiction Workshop for Teens
Thu, May 28, 2020 from 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm PDT
An event every week that begins at 12:00 pm on Thursday, repeating until Thu, May 28, 2020
This course consists of three consecutive 90-minute workshops that will take place from noon - 1:30 p.m on May 14, May 21, and May 28, 2020 and will be taught via Zoom, by writer Jules Ohman. The workshop is open to high school students at all skills levels interested in writing fiction. Students will be guided through fun and generative writing exercises, learn new craft techniques, and receive feedback on their work from their peers and instructor. Limited to 16…
Find out moreJuly 2020
Youth Events
WITS End of Year Reading
Wed, Jul 1, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PDT
Youth Programs of Literary Arts is thrilled to debut the first virtual iteration of our annual WITS End of Year Reading to celebrate the work and contributions of the adults working behind the scenes to bring Writers in the Schools to life—our WITS writers, teachers, and partners. This event will be hosted by WITS Program Specialist, Joanna Rose. Open to the public with registration in advance. Held via Zoom. Register in Advance for this Event
Find out moreNovember 2020
Portland Book Festival Young Adult Youth Events
The Seeds to Plant the Future: WITS 2019–20 Anthology Launch
Wed, Nov 11, 2020 from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PST
Join Portland public high school students as they read from their work featured in the 2019–20 Writers in the Schools anthology, The Seeds to Plant the Future. Pre-order your copy of the book here! (Ships December 2020) To view this event, go to: https://www.pdxbookfest.org/daily-live-stream/ If you have not done so already, you will need to register for a free account at pdxbookfest.org so you are able to access all of our free Portland Book Festival events, including this one. You only need to register…
Find out morePortland Book Festival Writing Classes Young Adult Youth Events
Youth Workshop: Hopes/Fears/Feathers: The Art of the Notebook and the Bird in Your Yard
Thu, Nov 12, 2020 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm PST
In this workshop we’ll identify and then banish fears, generate new work on the page and examine ways the writer’s notebook can help to focus our attention, capture stories and make sense during unsettled times. We’ll look at poems by Claudia Rankine and Emily Dickinson and watch New York birder Christian Cooper nerd out on birds. Bring a notebook, a pen and your fledgling hopes. Grades 9-12. Instructor: Laura Moulton Register with "get tickets" button below. Add student name…
Find out moreFree Events Picture Book Portland Book Festival Writing Classes Youth Events
SOLD OUT: Youth Workshop: Portal to an Alternate Universe
Sat, Nov 14, 2020 from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm PST
Young writers will find an ordinary object, indoors or outdoors, that can magically transform into a portal to an altered universe! We’ll sketch it out and add descriptive words. Then we will use a guided visualization and literary models like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Wildwood to help create a scene. It can be Portland with a twist, or something entirely from a fantasy world. Prompts will be offered to help participants, if needed, such as: Imagine…
Find out moreMiddle Grade Portland Book Festival Writing Classes Youth Events
Youth Workshop: Writing When We’re Far Apart
Sat, Nov 14, 2020 from 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm PST
For most of us, this year has made it hard to say all the things we want to share with family and friends who don’t live with us. Even if we get to stay in touch with texts or Zoom or TikTok, there are always more stories to tell! In this class, we’ll write about memories of times we spent with family and friends who are far away, remembering big and small events with them that mattered to us. We’ll…
Find out moreDecember 2020
Free Events Youth Events
WITS Writer Winter Reading
Thu, Dec 17, 2020 from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm PST
Join Writers in the Schools (WITS) as we close out this year in community for our annual WITS Writer Winter Reading. Although we'd normally gather in the library at Literary Arts, we invite you to cozy up from the comfort of your own spaces and listen to literary excellence at this virtual reading held via Zoom. This free public event will feature WITS writers Brian Benson, CJ Wiggan, Dey Rivers, Matt Smith, Meg E. Griffitts, Valarie Pearce, Damien Miles-Paulson, and…
Find out moreJanuary 2021
Free Events Youth Events
WITS Reading: Gresham High School
Tue, January 19 from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm PST
Writers in the Schools (WITS) has served public high school students with creative writing residencies in Portland, and more recently Gresham, since 1996. Published local writers collaborate with classroom teachers to lead an immersive semester-long workshop series designed to further class themes, curricula, and student interests. Each residency culminates with a public reading, ordinarily held in a local café or bookstore. With distance learning, we look forward to hosting our reading on Zoom and invite you to join us in…
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
WITS Reading: Madison High School
Wed, January 27 from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm PST
Writers in the Schools (WITS) has served public high school students with creative writing residencies in Portland, and more recently Gresham, since 1996. Published local writers collaborate with classroom teachers to lead an immersive semester-long workshop series designed to further class themes, curricula, and student interests. Each residency culminates with a public reading, ordinarily held in a local café or bookstore. With distance learning, we look forward to hosting our reading on Zoom and invite you to join us in…
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
WITS Reading: Benson High School
Wed, January 27 from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm PST
Writers in the Schools (WITS) has served public high school students with creative writing residencies in Portland, and more recently Gresham, since 1996. Published local writers collaborate with classroom teachers to lead an immersive semester-long workshop series designed to further class themes, curricula, and student interests. Each residency culminates with a public reading, ordinarily held in a local café or bookstore. With distance learning, we look forward to hosting our reading on Zoom and invite you to join us in…
Find out moreFebruary 2021
Free Events Youth Events
WITS Reading: Parkrose High School
Wed, February 3 from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm PST
Writers in the Schools (WITS) has served public high school students with creative writing residencies in Portland, and more recently Gresham, since 1996. Published local writers collaborate with classroom teachers to lead an immersive semester-long workshop series designed to further class themes, curricula, and student interests. Each residency culminates with a public reading, ordinarily held in a local café or bookstore. With distance learning, we look forward to hosting our reading on Zoom and invite you to join us in…
Find out moreMarch 2021
Free Events Writing Classes Youth Events
Pop Culture Poems! a Youth Poetry Slam Workshop | #Virtualandia! 2021
Wed, March 3 from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm PST
This workshop will take a look at the ways poetry and pop culture intersect. We will practice inhabiting the voices of fictional characters, historical figures, and celebrities when tackling important themes in the work we create – from the likes of Mario to Frida Kahlo, Beyonce to Jon Snow. Led by Julia Gaskill, this workshop will experiment with using pop culture in writing, particularly in slam poetry, and will also do a quick rundown on how to write a slam…
Find out moreFree Events Writing Classes Youth Events
All About Slam! a Q&A Session | #Virtualandia! 2021
Mon, March 8 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm PST
Learn about the slam poetry process, #Virtualandia, and ask any questions you have whether it's about form, performance tips, or inspiration sources. This Q&A session will be led by local experts in slam poetry—Jacque Dixon, an educator and coach for our Brave New Voices team, and Jordan Wolmut, 2019 Verselandia! grand slam champion and Brave New Voices poet. Olivia Jones-Hall, Youth Programs Manager, will also be in the session to answer any logistical questions about submission, prizes, competition rules, or…
Find out moreFree Events Writing Classes Youth Events
From the Page to the Stage! a Youth Poetry Slam Workshop | #Virtualandia! 2021
Wed, March 10 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm PST
You've got the words, so how do you say them? This workshop will provide the author different methods for how to bring out the best performance out of themself and their poem. We’ll read and discuss a few poems, practice some fresh techniques together, and have plenty of time for questions. -- RSVP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtualandia-2021-workshop-and-qa-sessions-tickets-142756002045 -- Workshops are free and open to all students. These will be hosted via Google Meet and led by talented youth and adult slam poets.…
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
Feedback Session #1 for Youth Slam Poets | #Virtualandia! 2021
Fri, March 12 from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm PST
Get 1:1 support from slam experts during 15-20 minute sessions whether you need support with writing, revision, performance, or anything else. Co-hosted by Jacque Dixon and Julia Gaskill. -- sign up here: tinyurl.com/virtualandia-feedback-21 -- Feedback sessions are free and open to all #Virtualandia students. These will be hosted via Google Meet. For questions about feedback sessions, please contact Emilly Prado, Director of Youth Programs, at emilly@literary-arts.org. -- About the Competition #Virtualandia! 2021 is an exciting opportunity for students from eligible*…
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
Feedback Session #2 for Youth Slam Poets | #Virtualandia! 2021
Thu, March 18 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm PDT
Get 1:1 support from slam experts during 15-20 minute sessions whether you need support with writing, revision, performance, or anything else. Co-hosted by Jacque Dixon and Alex Dang. -- sign up here: tinyurl.com/virtualandia-feedback-21 -- Feedback sessions are free and open to all #Virtualandia students. These will be hosted via Google Meet. For questions about feedback sessions, please contact Emilly Prado, Director of Youth Programs, at emilly@literary-arts.org. -- About the Competition #Virtualandia! 2021 is an exciting opportunity for students from eligible*…
Find out moreFree Events Writing Classes Youth Events
Performance that Pops! a Youth Poetry Slam Workshop | #Virtualandia! 2021
Mon, March 29 from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PDT
Refine your performance chops in anticipation of #Virtualandia! and more at this workshop co-led by two amazing slam poets—Jacque Dixon, an educator and coach for our Brave New Voices team, and Jolly Wrapper, third place Verselandia! 2018 winner and Brave New Voices poet. Topics may include projecting your voice with confidence, extending metaphors, transitioning themes, memorization tips, body language, and anything in between. -- RSVP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtualandia-2021-workshop-and-qa-sessions-tickets-142756002045 -- Workshops are free and open to all students. These will be hosted…
Find out moreFree Events Youth Events
Feedback Session #3 for Youth Slam Poets | #Virtualandia! 2021
Tue, March 30 from 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm PDT
Get 1:1 support from slam experts during 15-20 minute sessions whether you need support with writing, revision, performance, or anything else. Co-hosted by Julia Gaskill and Alex Dang. -- sign up here: tinyurl.com/virtualandia-feedback-21 -- Feedback sessions are free and open to all #Virtualandia students. These will be hosted via Google Meet. For questions about feedback sessions, please contact Emilly Prado, Director of Youth Programs, at emilly@literary-arts.org. -- About the Competition #Virtualandia! 2021 is an exciting opportunity for students from eligible*…
Find out more