In-person Portland Book Festival Writing Class Youth Events
Narrative and Social Justice Storytelling (Grades 9-12)
In this workshop, we’ll learn journalistic storytelling techniques and explore how they can be used to cover social justice stories.
45 events found.
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 community space and bookstore at 716 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR, online, and at partnering venues across Portland and Oregon.
Portland Book Festival Ticketed Events
Michael Lewis: Going Infitinite
This is a special event at Portland Book Festival which requires an add-on ticket to attend. From the #1 best-selling author of The Big Short and Flash Boys, the story of FTX’s spectacular collapse and
In-person Portland Book Festival Writing 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, making it a very unique form.
Online Class Portland Book Festival Writing Class Writing Classes
Radical Revision
Let's spend a few hours together exploring the practice of revision! Too often revision is just a fancy word for copy-editing. But it can be more. In this three hour class we will explore different revision exercises using a recent poem and how we can break old revision habits and constructs.
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
Washington Square
Catherine Sloper is young—not clever, not quick, not ugly—and rich. Into her life in New York City’s fashionable Washington Square comes Morris Townsend—“the most beautiful young man in the world.” Her aunt Lavinia is impressed but Dr. Sloper, Catherine’s father, is not. Is Morris in love with Catherine, or merely after her money? In only
Online Class Writing Classes
Recharge Your Writing Life: Experiments & Strategies
Equal parts strategy, community, generative writing, and experiment, this class will help writers spark curiosity and deepen self-knowledge while crafting artistic habits that nourish. A good fit for writers who want to reimagine their creative life. We’ll discuss methods for working through blocks and rejection, rituals that refill the well, and ways to make time
Free Events In-person
Incite: Queer Writers Read
Featured
Incite: Queer Writers Read
Incite: Queer Writers Read is a curated, bimonthly reading series for Queer writers. Incite’s hope is to create conversation, connection, and greater understanding both within the Queer community and with other communities. Hosted by Vinnie Kinsella and Jennifer Perrine.
In-person Writing Classes
Finders, Keepers: Reclaiming Agency through Erasure and Collage
The hybrid genre of erasure and collage often exists between and because of two different mediums: text and image. Through obscuring a pre-existing text using various methods, an original work is created. Like erasure and collage, we as writers and community members exist between and because of various factors and people. What we amplify in
Online Class Writing Classes
Essaying the Essay
While we may know of essays as personal narratives crafted with creative storytelling techniques, essay as a verb means an attempt. In this six-week series, we’ll explore a variety of essays under the creative nonfiction umbrella in an attempt to expand our entry points to writing and in an attempt to build community. Our evenings
Online Class Writing Classes
Speaking Beyond the Self in Poetry
“Your experience is not yours alone, but in some sense a metaphor for everyone’s.” -Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux, The Poet’s Companion What we know in our personal worlds contain essential truths of the larger world. The challenge we face as poets is how to transform our lived experiences–creatively and imaginatively–into art that can be
Free Events In-person
Slamlandia
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. 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 safe space for poets to read their own poetry,
For BIPOC Writers Free Events In-person
BIPOC Reading Series- November
Featured
This monthly 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 November is "Friendship." Our
Free Events In-person
Timeless Feminist Wisdom: A poetic conversation between Adela Zamudio and Adrienne Rich
Lynette Yetter, translator of Bolivian feminist poet Adela Zamudio’s work from the Spanish and Sara Guest, local teacher of American feminist Poet Adrienne Rich’s work will facilitate a “conversation” between these two poets through overlaps and confluences in their canons — in a belated celebration of Zamudio’s birthday! Come for the poetry and stay for the
Free Events In-person
One Page Wednesday
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. Our host is the one and only, Emme Lund. Please review our Covid-19 guidelines. Masks are
Free Events In-person
Independent Publishers Discussion
Join us at Literary Arts for a panel discussion featuring local independent publishers, Buckman Journal, Lurch Zine, and Provecho Magazine. Hosted by Michael Kurt and Wesley Mueller of Berm Magazine. The panel discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Free Events In-person
Slamlandia
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. 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 safe space for poets to read their own poetry,
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past: The Guermantes way
Proust’s magnum opus is often considered to be the greatest novel of the 20th century. It richly repays the careful attention it demands, and becomes unforgettable. First-time readers, however, may find the style and size of the work daunting. This seminar is intended for participants who have always wanted to read Proust, but who would
Delve Readers Seminars
George Eliot: Daniel Deronda
Young and beautiful Gwendolen Harleth is poised at a roulette table at a German spa, where she is observed by Daniel Deronda, an exceptionally handsome upper-class Englishman. Later, a reversal of fortune forces Gwendolen toward a troubled marriage with a rich older man and Daniel encounters Mirah Lapidoth, a troubled young actress and singer. In
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
Selling your Soul for Fun and Profit: Faustian Bargains
The Faust Legend takes up the question of selling your soul to the devil for magical success in this world. This Delve seminar looks at the legend in three famous instantiations: in the German chapbook, in Christopher Marlowe’s tragedy, and in Goethe’s iconic drama. We can trace these authors’ evolving view of evil, sin, the
Free Events In-person
Incite: Queer Writers Read
Featured
Incite: Queer Writers Read
Incite: Queer Writers Read is a curated, bimonthly reading series for Queer writers. Incite’s hope is to create conversation, connection, and greater understanding both within the Queer community and with other communities. Hosted by Vinnie Kinsella and Jennifer Perrine. January's featured readers are Bobby Jo Valentine, Lynne and Robin Lanehurst
Online Class Writing Classes
Six Month Short Story Intensive
This class is for experienced writers who are dedicated to starting the first draft of a story collection over the course of six months. 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
Online Class Writing Classes
More Joy: Writing for Resilience
What if we joined our sorrows? What if that is joy? - Ross Gay Following in the tradition of Ross Gay, and his new book, The Book of (More) Delights, we will focus in the depth of winter on writing about joy. Can we find joy even in our sorrows? This is a generative writing
Delve Readers Seminars
Monsters and Morals: Art vs. the Artist
So the saying goes, “You should never meet your heroes.” The fact that this is such a common expression implies a longtime acceptance that the artist and the art they make are not necessarily synonymous. However, recent years have seen our culture engaged in revelations about the morality of the figures behind our beloved works
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
“Lucid Abnormality”: The Short Stories of Elizabeth Bowen on the Homefront in World War II
Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973) was maybe the greatest short story writer in English that you might not have read. In this Delve, we will read the two dozen stories she wrote describing life in London and throughout Britain during World War II. She describes a world coming apart at its most intimate level—the homes, the lives
Online Class Writing Classes
Writing the Novel: Getting to the First Draft
Writing novels can seem like a mystical process. Write every day, and a novel will appear. The work can feel isolating and disorienting, particularly for a writer’s first book, like stumbling around in the dark. This 16-week course is designed to prepare writers for every stage of the novel writing process from beginning the first
Free Events
2024 Oregon Book Award finalists announced
The 2024 Oregon Book Awards finalists will be announced on January 23, 2024 on our website. Winners will be announced at the 2024 Oregon Book Awards ceremony.
In-person Writing Classes
Get Writing: Unblocking Writer’s Block
Sometimes we become so focused on productivity or “doing it right” that we stifle our creativity. In this class we’ll focus on one of the hardest parts of writing: writing. Each week we’ll use new prompts and guided activities to inspire new creation. We’ll look at the work of writers we admire and ask: how’d
Online Class Poetry Writing Classes
There’s Something About Mary: The Practice of Looking Closely with Mary Oliver & Mary Ruefle
"I’m half crazy with the wonder of it- the abundance of leaves, the quietness of the branches, the hopelessness of my effort. And I’m, in that delicious and important place, roaring with laughter." - Mary Oliver Winter is a time of deep introspection. The world gets dark and cold, we huddle close under blankets, we
Online Class Writing Classes
Write the Self: the study and practice of writing from personal experience
This course is for all levels of writers and readers. We will read and discuss excerpts from contemporary authors who write the self (or write from the basis of personal experience) such as Annie Erneaux,Carmen Maria Machado, Kate Briggs, Emmanuel Carrere, Zadie Smith, Rachel Cusk, Hilton Als, Melissa Febos and others, in addition to weekly
Portland Arts & Lectures
David Grann: Portland Arts & Lectures 2023/24
Featured
Portland Arts & Lectures 2023/24
Literary Arts presents David Grann, on January 25, 2024. Part of the 39th season of Portland Arts & Lectures.
Free Events In-person
Slamlandia
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. 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 safe space for poets to read their own poetry,
Online Class Writing Classes
Recharge Your Writing Life: Experiments & Strategies
Equal parts strategy, community, generative writing, and experiment, this class will help writers spark curiosity and deepen self-knowledge while crafting artistic habits that nourish. A good fit for writers who want to reimagine their creative life. We’ll discuss methods for working through blocks and rejection, rituals that refill the well, and ways to make time
Writing Classes
Fiction Intensive
Generate pages and explore the finer nuances of the world of your short story or novel in this Fiction Intensive! Over the course of 12 weeks, participants will work on generating and framing their narratives – from idea formation to story development and revision with a keen eye on the elements of fiction such as
Delve Readers Seminars Online
The Age of Doubt
A translated collection of short stories from one of Korea's most renowned writers, Pak Kyongni, Age of Doubt explores the postwar Korea of the 50s and 60s. A time of
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
José Saramago’s Allegories of the Human Condition
In this Delve, we will read Portuguese Nobel-laureate José Saramago’s breathtaking novel, Blindness (1995), focusing in particular on the concept of “community.” The novel posits the trope of community as
Free Events In-person
One Page Wednesday
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. Our host is the one and only, Emme Lund. February's featured reader is Eric
Free Events In-person
Slamlandia
Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. 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 safe space for poets to read their own poetry,
For BIPOC Writers Free Events In-person
BIPOC Reading Series February
Featured
This monthly 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 February is "time." Our
Portland Arts & Lectures
Charles Yu: Portland Arts & Lectures 2023/24
Featured
Portland Arts & Lectures 2023/24
Literary Arts presents Chalres Yu on February 29, 2024, as part of the 39th season of Portland Arts & Lectures.
Free Events In-person
One Page Wednesday
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. Our host is the one and only, Emme Lund. March's featured reader is
Online Class Writing Classes
Noticing: Writing as an Act of Attention
In this class, we will drop all worry about being “writers.” Instead, we will simply use writing as a means of grounding our own attention. We will be prompted by writers who have turned their attention to the smallest noticings of life—observations of what is. Through writing together to prompts during our sessions, we will
Free Events In-person
Incite: Queer Writers Read
Featured
Incite: Queer Writers Read
Incite: Queer Writers Read is a curated, bimonthly reading series for Queer writers. Incite’s hope is to create conversation, connection, and greater understanding both within the Queer community and with other communities. Hosted by Vinnie Kinsella and Jennifer Perrine.
Free Events In-person Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships Oregon Book Awards Author Tour
Sindya Bhanoo and Marcelle Heath
Recipient of the 2023 Ken Kesey Award in Fiction, Sindya Bhanoo, and 2024 finalist Marcelle Heath will speak about their works at the Linfield Nicholson Library, as part of the Oregon Book Awards Author Tour.
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
The Anti-Western: Cormac McCarthy, Carmen Boullosa and the Myth of the American West
The Wild West has always been a fiction. The heroic cowboy settling the frontier is a myth. The Western novels of the mid-20th century rewrote genocide & colonialism to justify
Delve Readers Seminars In-person
Homer, The Iliad: the Emily Wilson translation
Emily Wilson's new translation of the Iliad, building on the accomplishment of her recent translation of the Odyssey, has kindled fresh interest in Homer's perennially relevant war epic. In this
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- la@literary-arts.org
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