BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Literary Arts - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Literary Arts X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://literary-arts.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Literary Arts REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20270314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20271107T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260404T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260404T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260127T000606Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T164940Z UID:10005627-1775296800-1775304000@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:THRUSH NOTES: Place-Based Writing and Poems DESCRIPTION:How do we write the sonic personalities of our homes\, neighborhoods\, and landscapes? In this three week class\, participants will diversify approaches to place-based writing by following the auditory threads within their poems and worlds alike. Each week\, we’ll identify and write with sound-oriented devices to channel the sensuous qualities of our chosen environments. \nCourse Outline:\nWeek One: Home-Diction: Writing Place-based Vocabularies\nWriters will brainstorm lists of words that are unique to their chosen places\, using local vernaculars to draft poems. Writers will begin a sound-journal to catalogue auditory textures noticed throughout their week. We’ll read two poems that detail close-to-home environments.\nWeek Two: Soundscapes: Assonance and Consonance\nWriters will share from sound-journals to aid in an exploration of vowels and consonants. We’ll read two exemplary poems that employ assonance and consonance\, then practice drafting with sonic constraints to craft lush soundscapes that speak with\, and to\, our chosen places.\nWeek Three: Re-wild: Forming and Breaking Sonic Patterns\nResponding to the uncertain future of our landscapes and communities\, participants will practice making (and breaking) patterns throughout their poems\, prioritizing wildness\, surprise\, and juxtaposition. We’ll take a look at poems that detail ecological grief and future visioning. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/thrush-notes-place-based-writing-and-poems/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Classes26_WebGraphics_600x900_Fillable-1-3.png GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260404T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260404T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260204T003843Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T003843Z UID:10005632-1775296800-1775304000@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Writing with the Seasons: Spring DESCRIPTION:Does what you write or how you write it change with the seasons? In these quarterly gatherings we’ll meet to be inspired by the turn of the world. From autumn leaves to springtime flowers\, rain and snow and sun\, we’ll consider nature’s shifts and how we can incorporate them into our writing practice. We’ll also reflect on the impact of climate change on our seasonal rhythms and on our writing. Through brief readings\, writing prompts\, and generative exercises\, we’ll welcome in and attune our writing to the time of year. \nThis gathering meets once per season. You can sign up for all four or just come to one. It’s suitable for all writing levels and genres. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/writing-with-the-seasons-spring/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Classes_Template_600x900_Schmidt.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260407T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260407T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260312T210618Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T164630Z UID:10005658-1775586600-1775592000@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Dead Poets Society: Open Mic DESCRIPTION:The Literary Arts Bookstore & Cafe cordially invites you to the first annual meeting of the Dead Poets Society\, an open mic for dead people and their enthusiasts. \nThis National Poetry Month\, we’re celebrating the voices of poets from the past. Join us to celebrate the work of your favorite dead poet by sharing it with a crowd—or sit quietly and soak up the vibes. \nThis is an open mic like any other\, except we are asking you to read someone else’s work. (Dead poets only) Original pieces and work by living artists will be turned away. Sign-ups start at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited. \nThis event is free and open to the public. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/dead-poets-society-open-mic/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/DPS-scaled.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T180000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260204T004850Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T221638Z UID:10005633-1775671200-1775671200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:WRITING WITH TAROT DESCRIPTION:Ever try doing a tarot reading for one of your characters? Writing a poem inspired by the images on a tarot card? Tarot is both deeply symbolic and highly narrative\, creating a system that can inspire and guide many forms of writing. This multigenre workshop will introduce techniques for using tarot in one’s writing practice. We’ll use tarot cards to generate new ideas and new writing through writing exercises; practice character\, story\, and image development using tarot symbols; learn how tarot can help us plumb the depths of our ideas; and discover how to work with the Tarot from generation through revision. This class is open to writers in any genre. \nNo experience with tarot is necessary prior to the first workshop. You don’t have to have a tarot deck for this class\, but if you do\, please bring it along. \nClass outcomes:\n• Practice using tarot for a variety of writing purposes\, from generating ideas through revision.\n• Explore the fundamentals of tarot through writing exercises and discussion.\n• Work with tarot images\, narratives\, and characters from many different decks. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/writing-with-tarot/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Classes_Template_600x900_Schmidt.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260408T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260310T221656Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T164735Z UID:10005659-1775673000-1775678400@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Robyn Saunders Wilson in conversation with Michelle Kicherer DESCRIPTION:The Literary Arts Bookstore & Cafe is thrilled to welcome Robyn Saunders Wilson to celebrate her debut\, Junkyard Princess! Saunders Wilson will be in conversation with Michelle Kicherer. \n\nAbout Junkyard Princess \nThe year is 1983. It’s a time of both mullets and glam\, Bowie and the Smiths\, and for twelve-year-old Robyn: rusty old vehicles\, terrifying dogs\, and grease-stained car guys. Robyn’s dad has just uprooted the family from the clean streets of Orange County and plopped them in the middle of the California High Desert to fulfill his lifelong dream: to own a junkyard. \nAt first\, the new business is a lark\, but soon Robyn is hawking auto parts amidst a motley assortment of fugitives and refugees. Too young to know better\, Robyn misses that the people around her may be slightly dangerous. Without any real role models and lost among kids her own age\, Robyn fakes her way through her teen years by mimicking the only adults she admires: soap opera stars and characters plucked from Danielle Steel romance novels. But when the rise of meth use takes hold of the area\, a new flicker of danger threatens to strike its match on the Saunders’ junkyard kingdom. \nTold in smiling vignettes\, filled with daydreams and vulnerability and just a hint of self-deprecation\, Junkyard Princess is infused with compassion for the blue collar and empathy for the underdog. Saunders Wilson’s debut memoirella explores familial bonds and inherited histories\, empty gas tanks\, and that sweet spot of redemption that only comes from a life of observing and choosing differently. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/robyn-saunders-in-conversation-with-michelle-kicherer/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Saunders_Kitcherer_600x900-1-scaled.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T190000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260123T220306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T220306Z UID:10005626-1775754000-1775761200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Haunted and Hybrid: Exploring Occult Ecopoetics DESCRIPTION:In this generative writing class\, poet Joyelle McSweeney’s vivid notion of the Necropastoral will guide us into creative engagement with environmental writing\, mortality\, spells\, and unconventional poetics. \nBiological principles such as mutation\, contamination\, and decay are transformed into artistic forces in works by McSweeney\, Don Mee Choi\, Kim Hyesoon\, Jane Wong\, CAConrad\, and Maya Jewell Zeller. Their hybrid and haunted poetry and prose will help us explore the paradoxic beauty and harm of climate change\, species loss\, eco grief\, and environmental disruption. \nWhat is the power of poetry in decadent times? “It’s what Plato wants to put back in the bottle\,” McSweeney says\, “the pharmakon—the cure that harms\, the poison that heals.” We’ll consume heady draughts of inspiration from readings and discussions\, then brew our own unexpected literary elixirs. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/haunted-and-hybrid-exploring-occult-ecopoetics/ CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,Online Class ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Classes26_WebGraphics_600x900_Fillable-1-2.png LOCATION: END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T190000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260317T040524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T040524Z UID:10005667-1775754000-1775761200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:April Hand-Sewing Social with SCRAP PDX DESCRIPTION:Join us to hand-sew decorative plush to celebrate the rain! Sew felt raindrops\, umbrellas\, crows\, and more. ✨ Bring a friend! Make a friend! Grab a beverage\, browse the books\, and gather round to sew some righteously rainy things to celebrate the equinox! \nTraceable templates & embroidery stitch print-outs provided. This event is self-guided and beginner-friendly. A SCRAP educator will be ready to assist newer sewists with hand-sewing basics. \nThis is a ticketed event. Drop-ins welcome. Get tickets here. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/april-hand-sewing-social-with-scrap-pdx/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Monthly-Crafts_SCRAP_600x900-scaled.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260409T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260113T173556Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T234301Z UID:10005609-1775757600-1775764800@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Write More\, Feel Better: Resources\, Routines\, and Accountability DESCRIPTION:This eight-week class offers an in-depth exploration of how to optimize writing habits and routines for productivity and mental health. For Virginia Woolf\, that meant “a room of one’s own.” For Honoré de Balzac\, it meant fifty cups of coffee per day. What does it mean for you? \nAnswering this question is a process of getting to know oneself as a writer. On the surface level\, this means exploring one’s preferences: neighborhood cafe\, kitchen table\, or seaside retreat? Daily trots or monthly marathons? MacBook\, pen and paper\, or Olivetti? On a deeper level\, we will explore how to set and meet realistic expectations for productivity and mental health. And we’ll ask each other the hard questions to challenge our limiting beliefs and unlock our potential for creative flow. \nThis class will have two main components. The first component will be a review of the resources available to writers who wish to refine their creative practices. We’ll learn about software and hardware tools that writers can use to minimize distractions. We’ll review also books on writing craft\, writing communities within Portland\, and other resources for writers outside the home. And we’ll spend some time discussing working with agents and editors to complete and publish a manuscript. \nThe second component will be in-class writing\, accountability\, and discussion exercises. These exercises will help us hone our creative practices to feel happy and productive throughout our most arduous creative undertakings. Subjects will include: managing goals and deadlines; when\, how\, and who to ask for feedback; writing alone vs. working together. We’ll check in which each other about our projects and cultivate accountability. Over eight weeks\, these check-ins will help each student develop practices to feel confident and productive as they move their manuscripts forward. \nAfter eight weeks\, students will have clear\, concise\, personalized work plans\, including refreshed goals and routines. They’ll also have an updated toolkit of resources to help them along their creative journeys. And lastly\, they’ll have built community among fellow process-oriented writers who are serious about doing the work.\nOpen to writers working on any long-form writing project. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/write-more-feel-better-resources-routines-and-accountability/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Classes26_WebGraphics_600x900_Fillable-1.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260412T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260412T130000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260122T230825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T205837Z UID:10005623-1775988000-1775998800@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:The Sijo: Crash Course in Traditional Korean Poetry DESCRIPTION:The sijo is Korea’s most prominent and enduring traditional poetic form. Characterized by a clarity and accessibility that belies emotional complexity and tonal nuance\, it is a form that prioritizes the unsaid and best grapples with the unsayable. Its brevity demands strict economy of language and intentionality of silence. In this similarly brief one-day class\, we will learn about the history of the sijo\, its relevance to Korean literature\, and the unique sensibilities and affordances of the form\, while also getting several opportunities to write our own with guided instruction. Students will leave not only knowing how to write sijo\, but also how to apply the required skills to their writing as a whole. \nStudents should bring a notebook and writing utensil. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. Apply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/the-sijo-poetry-workshop-in-korean-traditional-form/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Classes26_WebGraphics_600x900_Fillable-1-1.png GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260412T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260412T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260202T204416Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T193652Z UID:10005630-1775988000-1776004200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Small Stories\, Big Meaning: a storytelling workshop DESCRIPTION:In this four-hour workshop\, we’ll mine minutia. Everyday moments\, half-remembered anecdotes\, passing observations using them as raw material for telling personal stories that resonate. What makes a story feel big or important? Together\, we’ll test that question by looking closely at how you move through your life: the choices you make\, the risks you avoid or take\, the mistakes you repeat\, the things you long for\, and the decisions that reveal what matters to you. \nThrough 5-part story structure\, guided prompts\, playful exercises\, and real-time exploration\, you’ll practice noticing what’s already there and shaping it into a story. You’ll learn how small moments carry weight—and how to recognize the ones that want to be told to an audience (whatever audience means to you. Could be stage\, or podcasts\, or during a pitch\, or for documentary) \nTaught by BACKFENCE Storytelling producers and hosts Frayn Masters and Ash Allen\, This class is for everyone. Whether you’re experienced and looking for a hot take into your material\, quieter and still discovering what your stories might be\, or someone who loves being on stage and wants deeper source material\, you’re welcome here. You’ll leave with new tools\, new perspectives\, and a clearer relationship to the stories embedded in your own life—ready to keep excavating long after the class ends. \nComments from previous students: \n“Frayn’s workshop was just so magical and life changing.” \n“After Frayn’s workshop & showcase\, I felt like I was on (legal) drugs. For days. It put a bounce back in my step.” \nAccess Program\nWe want our classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/small-stories-big-meaning-a-storytelling-workshop/ CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person,Storytelling ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/template.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260413T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260413T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260210T215424Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T202530Z UID:10005639-1776103200-1776110400@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Alone\, Together: The Short Works of David Foster Wallace DESCRIPTION:David Foster Wallace was uniquely prophetic in his ability to diagnose the ills of America and where they were headed in the early 2000s. Toxic masculinity\, mental illness\, authenticity\, empathy\, and dopamine exhaustion though media are constants in his work and are best showcased through his short fiction and nonfiction. Probably best known for Infinite Jest\, Wallace’s style changed substantially in the middle of his career away from the manic hyperreality of his early work into a more considered\, humanistic\, and philosophical approach\, which is where our delve picks him up. \nBrief Interviews with Hideous Men\, published in 1999\, was Wallace’s answer to winning the MacArthur “Genius” Grant and in the short stories contains perhaps the most powerful description of contemporary depression in literature. It features a throughline of the titular brief interviews by an unknown interviewer asking men about their relationships with women. They are shocking\, sad\, and strange. Something to do with Paying Attention is taken from his final unfinished work\, The Pale King\, and can be considered its central throughline narrative – in fact\, Wallace considered publishing it on its own before he took his own life. Wallace became increasingly interested in boredom as a state of being and obsessed with the IRS as a microcosm of duty and that modern tedium. He went so far as to take tax prep classes at a local community college to get inspiration for the novel. \nWallace is a study in dualisms: he certainly dealt with demons throughout his life that isolated and ultimately destroyed him\, yet his writing is almost wholly about connection.A fter he passed away\, a number of hagiographies were written as if he was a man uniquely blessed with “truth.” Where does the writer Wallace and the narrator Wallace begin and end? In some ways\, Wallace is a perfect postmodernist: Real and fake\, honest and deceitful\, broken and whole. He was\, maybe\, the most difficult to understand creature of all: human. \nRequired text: \nBrief Interviews With Hideous Men: Stories by David Foster Wallace\nSomething to do with Paying Attention by David Foster Wallace\nAll other texts provided by instructor. \nReading schedule: (subject to change)\nWeek 1: Brief Interviews with Hideous Men\, pp. 1-70\, “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction” (from A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again).\nWeek 2: Brief Interviews\, pp. 70-160\, “Certainly the End of Something or Other\, One Would Sort of Have to Think” (from Consider the Lobster)\nWeek 3: Brief Interviews\, pp. 160-234\nWeek 4 Brief Interviews\, pp. 235-321\, “Big Red Son” (from Consider the Lobster)\nWeek 5: Something to do with Paying Attention\,pp. 1-77\nWeek 6: Something to do\, pp. 78-136\, “Backbone” from The New Yorker\, “This is Water” (the 2005 Kenyon Commencement address). \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/alone-together-the-short-works-of-david-foster-wallace/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Delve Readers Seminars,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1brief.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260414T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260414T190000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260212T180219Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T175057Z UID:10005648-1776186000-1776193200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Get Writing: Unblocking Writer's Block DESCRIPTION: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. \nEach 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 they do that? As they say\, writing is a muscle\, and no matter what your experience level\, you have to continually exercise that muscle and practice new tools to keep your writing nimble and moving. \nThrough a variety of prompts\, we’ll create new work every week and practice tools for expanding existing projects and unblocking writer’s block. \nEach week you’ll receive optional homework for how to keep creating in the days between our meetings. Prompted is meant to be fun\, encouraging and generative. This class is designed for writers of all levels. Come write with us! \nCourse Takeaways\n● Learn new tools for getting the writing juices flowing and getting words on the page\n● Better understand the meaning behind your words\n● Practice applying new tools to works in progress\n● Develop or strengthen your regular writing practice\n● Have community with other writers of all levels \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/getting-writing-unblocking-writers-block/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Classes_Template_600x900_Kicherer.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260414T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260414T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260310T222902Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T173252Z UID:10005660-1776187800-1776196800@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:April Write-In: Poetry DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Literary Arts Bookstore & Cafe for our monthly write-in. April is National Poetry Month\, so we are celebrating our poets. Whether you write poetry\, prose\, or something in between\, all stories welcome! \nOur Food and Beverage Assistant Manager\, Miah\, cooked up a new special\, the Sigh Swoon Sigh; a tangerine ginger latte topped with cinnamon\, complementing April showers\, or flowers. Hot or iced\, this drink will have you swooning. \n\nAbout write-ins:\nWrite-ins are community gatherings where writers come together to share space\, write\, and make connections. Whether you’re here to hit word count or make a new friend\, we’re here to support you! URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/april-write-in-poetry/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_3602-scaled.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260414T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260414T210000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260113T212048Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T172107Z UID:10005610-1776195000-1776200400@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Planet Money: Live DESCRIPTION:Join the team behind the popular NPR podcast Planet Money to celebrate the publication of their new book\, PLANET MONEY: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. \n\n\nBook author and longtime Planet Money contributor Alex Mayyasi and host Kenny Malone will bring Planet Money’s signature brand of storytelling to the stage and discuss some highlights from the new book\, including unlikely origin stories\, revealing truths about human behavior\, and insightful suggestions for navigating chaotic times drawn from the latest ideas in economics. Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen\, co-owners of Xiao Ye restaurant\, will be the special guests this evening. \n\n\nSelect tickets include a copy of the book and an exclusive Planet Money tote bag! \nEnter promo code MONEY to get $10 off Zone 1 tickets (discount applied in cart). URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/planet-money-live/ LOCATION:The Reser\, 12625 SW Crescent St\,\, Beaverton\, OR\, 97005\, United States CATEGORIES:Ticketed Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Planet-Money-jacket.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260415T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260415T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260205T231626Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T231916Z UID:10005634-1776276000-1776283200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Marilynne Robinson: Home\, Lila\, and Jack DESCRIPTION:This Delve takes up the three novels in the series that follow Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer-Prize winning Gilead. The three novels all overlap in time and space with the mid-twentieth-century world of Gilead\, while offering whole other stories and lives that offer perspectives on the great themes of race and racism\, faith and family\, punishment and reconciliation\, love and loss and forgiveness. Set in the American past\, Robinson’s novels nevertheless offer challenging insights and hope for today—hope for art\, for the nation\, for each other and individual selves. Each book will occupy the group over the course of two weeks\, and in the final session\, we will discuss the series as a whole. It will be useful to have read Gilead in advance of these sessions\, but it’s not required. \nTexts:\nHome by Marilynne Robinson\nLila by Marilynne Robinson\nJack by Marilynne Robinson \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/marilynne-robinson-home-lila-and-jack/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Delve Readers Seminars,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2home.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260415T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260415T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260310T224738Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T225144Z UID:10005661-1776277800-1776283200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Mud & Cherry Blossoms: Poems for a Messy Season DESCRIPTION:The Literary Arts Bookstore & Cafe is excited to welcome local poets Rebecca Clarren\, Margot Kahn\, and Daniela Naomi Molnar for an evening of readings and conversation! URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/mud-cherry-blossoms-poems-for-a-messy-season/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MudCherry-Blossoms_600x900-scaled.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T210000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260312T181055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T230658Z UID:10005664-1776366000-1776373200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Slamlandia - April DESCRIPTION:Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month at Literary Arts\, 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\, witness others\, and participate in community. \nSlamlandia is hosted by Julia Gaskill. The featured poet for April is Arttistry. \n  URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/slamlandia-april/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BookstoreEvents_Evergreen-Templates_600x900_Slamdlandia.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260420T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260420T210000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260120T230128Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T224830Z UID:10005619-1776713400-1776718800@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:2026 Oregon Book Awards Ceremony DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening honoring our state’s most accomplished writers in the categories of poetry\, fiction\, nonfiction\, young readers\, and graphic literature. \nClick here to view this year’s finalists! \nThis year’s ceremony will be hosted  by Kimberly King Parsons. \n\n \n\nPlease note: tickets will be emailed out two weeks before the event.  URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/oba-2026/ LOCATION:Portland Center Stage at The Armory\, 128 Northwest 11th Avenue\, Portland\, OR\, 97209\, United States CATEGORIES:Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships,Ticketed Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/OBA26_DigitalAds_V2_600-x-900.jpg GEO:45.524196;-122.6816791 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Portland Center Stage at The Armory 128 Northwest 11th Avenue Portland OR 97209 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=128 Northwest 11th Avenue:geo:-122.6816791,45.524196 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260421T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260421T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260312T172624Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T173514Z UID:10005662-1776796200-1776801600@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Sakura: Kanako Nishi and Allison Markin Powell DESCRIPTION:The Literary Arts Bookstore & Cafe is thrilled to welcome Kanako Nishi\, author of the Japanese language novel Sakura and Allison Markin Powell\, the English translator of the best-selling novel. This event will be moderated by Jay Boss Rubin and feature musical guest Gabriella Page-Fort. \n\nAbout the book:  \nAvailable in English at last\, the international bestseller from one of Japan’s most acclaimed authors\, a touching tale of a broken family contending with the pain of the past to live in the present\, helped by the unforgettable dog who becomes their lifeline. \nSakura is the story of a family who is happy\, until it isn’t. Skipping back and forth in time\, it begins when the narrator\, Kaoru\, receives a letter from his estranged father announcing he will be home in Osaka for New Year’s. The letter spurs Kaoru to go back to his childhood home\, and though he is apprehensive at returning\, his spirits are unexpectedly lifted when he is greeted by Sakura\, the family dog.\n\nGrowing up\, the Hasegawas were the perfect family. Kaoru’s loving parents doted on their children. Kaoru’s baby sister\, Miki\, was cute and charismatic\, and his older brother\, Hajime—a natural leader\, athlete\, and charmer—was the superstar. The middle child\, Kaoru was good at school\, but not a star student\, friendly with girls but never popular. He was content to exist in Hajime’s shadow\, and occasionally bask in his light. Then Hajime was involved in a tragic accident that fractured the Hasegawas\, with nothing to keep them together but memories and melancholy.\n\nReturning home\, Kaoru and his family must find the strength to reckon with the past and pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Luckily\, there is Sakura\, who somehow has managed to stay happy. What’s her secret? As the Hasegawas learn to let go\, it is Sakura who holds the key to help them move forward.\nA major bestseller in Japan now available in English\, Sakura is a tender\, bittersweet\, funny\, and beautifully told tale about the magic and mysteries of familial love\, from one of Japan’s most acclaimed writers.\n\nTranslated from Japanese by Allison Markin Powell\n  URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/sakura-kanako-nishi-and-allison-markin-powell/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sakura_600x900-1-scaled.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260423T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260423T210000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20250630T202607Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250829T164704Z UID:10005459-1776972600-1776978000@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Patrick Radden Keefe DESCRIPTION:Literary Arts is pleased to present Patrick Radden Keefe as the final speaker of the 2025-26 Portland Arts & Lectures series. \nClick here to view the full lineup. \nPlease note: a subscription to the entire 2025-26 Portland Arts & Lectures series is required to attend this event. Subscriptions are now SOLD OUT at all levels. \n\n  URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/pal-25-26-keefe/ LOCATION:Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall\, 1037 SW Broadway\, Portland\, OR\, 97205\, United States CATEGORIES:Portland Arts & Lectures,Ticketed Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PAL2526_Social-Web_Graphics_V2_05-Radden-Keefe_600-x-900.jpg GEO:45.516856;-122.6811861 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 1037 SW Broadway Portland OR 97205 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1037 SW Broadway:geo:-122.6811861,45.516856 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260425T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260425T180000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260122T223757Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T191755Z UID:10005622-1777107600-1777140000@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Independent Bookstore Day 2026 DESCRIPTION:Join us for a day of giveaways\, free workshops\, food and drink specials\, and more as we celebrate indie bookstores! \n  \n  URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/independent-bookstore-day-2026/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,Bookstore ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IBD2026-600x900-1.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260425T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260425T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260127T001314Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T001314Z UID:10005628-1777111200-1777118400@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:EPISTOLARY POEMS DESCRIPTION:While letters are kept private\, our poems\, however intimate\, are often intended for public audiences. The epistolary poem is a marriage of these disparate domains. Participants in this one day class will read\, draft\, and collaborate in revising letter poems that balance the public with the private\, the close-to-bone with the common. What’s shared will buoy what’s unsaid; our poems will be meditations on this tension. Through generative\, constraint-based prompts\, participants will explore the tension between forms of direct address and forms of poetic allusion to speak to\, or point towards\, what’s been left unsaid in their poems. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. Apply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/epistolary-poems/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Classes26_WebGraphics_600x900_Fillable-1-3.png GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260425T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260425T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260206T170144Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T212419Z UID:10005635-1777111200-1777118400@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Creating Vibrant Characters DESCRIPTION:Writers will work with a variety of prompts and in-class exercises to amplify the character development of their fictional characters. Class will review stylistic features of timeless characters and observe how character development shapes plot and narrative drive. Ideal for writers working on a short story or novel or just exploring the contours of a narrative. Participants can hope to take away 10-15 pages of refined prose and a dossier of take-home prompts. New students and students who have taken the course previously are welcome. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/creating-vibrant-characters/ LOCATION:Online via Zoom CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,Online Class ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Radhika.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260426T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260426T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260122T232208Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T233204Z UID:10005624-1777197600-1777204800@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:The Sijo: Poetry Workshop in Korean Traditional Form DESCRIPTION:The sijo is Korea’s most prominent and enduring traditional poetic form. Characterized by a clarity and accessibility that belies emotional complexity and tonal nuance\, it is a form that prioritizes the unsaid and best grapples with the unsayable. Its brevity demands strict economy of language and intentionality of silence. Writing in this discipline exercises several poetic skills that we will focus on and hone throughout this six-week workshop.\nReadings will engage with both traditional and contemporary examples of sijo poetry\, as well as some poems from jisei\, tanka\, haiku\, and jueju traditions. All readings will be in English or translated into English. No Korean language skills are required.\nThis workshop invites poets of all levels to write outside their comfort zone. All students will have the opportunity to have at least two poems workshopped by the course with detailed instructor feedback.\nStudents should bring a notebook and writing utensil\, and are expected to bring their annotated copies of the poems being workshopped on a given day\, as well as course readings. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. Apply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/the-sijo-crash-course-in-traditional-korean-poetry/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Classes26_WebGraphics_600x900_Fillable-1-1.png GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260426T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260426T143000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260202T210700Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T200339Z UID:10005631-1777197600-1777213800@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Bring Your Story to the Stage DESCRIPTION:This class is for anyone ready to take a personal 5-minute story and actively shape it for an audience. You’ll work hands-on with one story. Drafting\, refining\, and testing it aloud. We’ll focus on structure\, pacing\, and point of view\, helping you find the spine of the story and decide what belongs in this particular version of the story and what doesn’t. You’ll practice starting strong\, building momentum\, and landing the story with intention. \nTaught by BACKFENCE Storytelling producers and hosts Frayn Masters and Ash Allen\, this class is ideal if you’ve taken Small Stories\, Big Meaning or already have a personal story you’re curious to bring forward—whether for a stage\, or simply to hear it land out loud. \nRather than “performing\,” this class emphasizes shaping a vulnerable narrative. You’ll receive demonstrations and feedback on mic use\, voice\, presence\, and timing in a supportive room\, with clear guidance. \nBy the end of the workshop\, you’ll have:\n• A shaped draft you can continue developing\n• Practical tools for revising and rehearsing\n• Greater confidence telling a personal story aloud\n• A clearer sense of how you want to show up onstage \nYou set the pace. Participation is encouraged but never forced. The goal is clarity\, connection\, and momentum—not polish or performance. \nstrong>Access Program\nWe want our classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. \nApply here for the liaison position. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/bring-your-story-to-the-stage/ CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,In-person,Storytelling ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/template.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260429T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260429T203000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260312T181437Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T232005Z UID:10005665-1777489200-1777494600@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:BIPOC Reading Series - April DESCRIPTION:This monthly reading series is intended to prioritize the safety\, creativity\, and stories of Black people\, Indigenous people\, and People of Color. \nCome 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. Hosted by Kyle Yoshioka and Jessica Meza-Torres. The featured reader for April is Paul Susi. \nThis event is open to everyone\, but only people who identify as Black\, Indigenous\, and/or People of Color will be invited to read. If you have any questions\, please contact Jessica Meza-Torres at jmezatorres24@gmail.com or Kyle Yoshioka at kyle.yoshioka@gmail.com. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/bipoc-reading-series-april-2/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Free Events,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BookstoreEvents_Evergreen-Templates_600x900_BIPOCRS.jpg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260217T203818Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T201503Z UID:10005649-1777572000-1777579200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Faulkner and Morrison: Absalom\, Absalom! and Beloved DESCRIPTION:In this Delve\, we’ll read William Faulkner’s Absalom\, Absalom! (1936) and Toni Morrison’s Beloved (1987)\, both of which consider the many scars\, healed and not\, caused by enslavement and the Civil War. Thinking about history\, memory\, and what Morrison calls “rememory\,” we’ll consider what it means to live in a nation\, to inherit its past\, and to fight for a better future. \nThere are many excellent reasons to read William Faulkner and Toni Morrison in tandem. Morrison herself articulates a crucial one in a 1981 interview\, where she aligns her aims as a writer with what Faulkner’s fiction accomplished: “[He] wrote what I suppose could be called regional literature and had it published all over the world. It is good—and universal—because it is specifically about a particular world. That’s what I wish to do.” It doesn’t matter that Yoknapatawpha County only exists on the map that Faulkner sketches\, his novels bring it to vivid and complicated life. Morrison’s fiction does something similar for her characters\, usually Black women who she depicts with caring attention and particularity. Without ever erasing what is unique about their experiences\, she makes sure that persons long overlooked can be seen by readers around the world as “good—and universal.” \nA compelling case can be make that one of these two authors is the “best” U.S. writer of the twentieth century. Their works are formally innovative and unflinching in their assessment of the nation’s history\, particularly as it concerns enslavement and its long aftermaths. Here\, too\, Morrison offers a crucial key to what reading this “American” past can mean when done with deft care: “The most valuable point of entry into the question of cultural (or racial) distinction\, the one most fraught\, is its language—its unpoliced\, seditious\, confrontational\, manipulative\, inventive\, disruptive\, masked\, and unmasking language.” She may be talking about reading nineteenth-century fiction in the passage but it also offers an excellent guide for thinking about the kind of work she (and Faulkner) wrote\, especially as they pressure words to try and account for “unspeakable things unspoken.” \nTexts:\nAbsalom\, Absalom by William Faulkner\nBeloved by Toni Morrison \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. \nLiaison position\nEvery in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar\, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts. Update: The liaison position for this seminar has been filled.  URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/129766/ LOCATION:Literary Arts CATEGORIES:Delve Readers Seminars,In-person ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1.-beloved.jpeg GEO:45.5213897;-122.6810304 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T200000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260316T182821Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T182935Z UID:10005666-1777572000-1777579200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Writer as Witness DESCRIPTION:Explore what it means to be a witness as a writer — to our own lives\, to others’ lives\, to the natural world\, to our nation’s life. We will find ways to push back darkness with our own writing and testimony. During our time together\, we will write to prompts\, engage in peer feedback groups\, and share our newly generated writing throughout our sessions. We will culminate by sharing a final short revised essay or set of poems. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/writer-as-witness/ LOCATION:Online via Zoom CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,Online Class ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Classes_Template_600x900_Kerns.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T213000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20250916T233127Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260403T221843Z UID:10005525-1777575600-1777584600@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:Verselandia! Youth Poetry Slam Championship 2026 DESCRIPTION:Verselandia! is the annual youth poetry slam championship presented by Literary Arts. It is the Grand Slam for the winners from individual school slams hosted by public high school librarians across the Portland region. Finalist poets compete for five great prizes. \nMembers of the public are invited to cheer on the youth poets as they compete for poetic glory in front of a panel of judges. \nThis year’s slam will be hosted by Julia Gaskill. \nPlease note that the poets may perform poetry containing mature themes. \n  \n \n  \n\nTo create access for our wider community we need the support of event sponsors.\nIf you or your company is interested in sponsorship\, please email development@literary-arts.org. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/verselandia-youth-poetry-slam-championship-2026/ LOCATION:Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall\, 1037 SW Broadway\, Portland\, OR\, 97205\, United States CATEGORIES:Youth Events,Ticketed Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Verse26_600x900_V2.jpg GEO:45.516856;-122.6811861 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 1037 SW Broadway Portland OR 97205 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1037 SW Broadway:geo:-122.6811861,45.516856 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260502T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260502T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T050736 CREATED:20260218T204027Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T204148Z UID:10005650-1777716000-1777723200@literary-arts.org SUMMARY:From Feeling to Form: Shaping Your Picture Book DESCRIPTION:This course is for writers who already have an idea\, a feeling\, or a story they want to share and are ready to shape it into a picture book. Through an exploration of picture book fundamentals including structure\, pacing\, character\, and vocabulary\, you’ll learn how big emotions live inside small\, carefully crafted stories. In a time that asks so much of us as writers and humans\, this class welcomes your questions and nurtures your authentic voice. Each week will include guided lessons\, writing time\, and supportive workshops where we’ll get to know one another’s work and help each story take clearer shape. Open to both beginners and writers who have taken children’s writing classes before. \nAccess Program\nWe want our writing classes and seminars 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 and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available. \nPlease apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions. URL:https://literary-arts.org/event/from-feeling-to-form-shaping-your-picture-book/ CATEGORIES:Writing Classes,Online Class ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://literary-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Classes_Template_600x900_Brown-768x1152-1.jpg LOCATION: END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR