NEWS AND NOTES from PoetsWest

Updated May 6, 2008

Nye Beach Writers' Series
The Nye Beach Writers' Series showcases authors of diverse types of writing including fiction, nonfiction, plays, songs, Oregon history, memoir, poetry, essays, and investigative journalism. Readings and performances are appropriate for writers and readers who appreciate good writing and diversity of thought.
Writers On The Edge is offering a summer writing workshop in August for youth aged 7 to 10. Pre-registration is required; class is limited to 12 students. All participants receive full scholarships. Workshop students will perform at the August 16 Nye Beach Writers Series. Workshop details and Writers' Series schedule information are available at www.writersontheedge.org. To receive email notification of upcoming events contact Carla Perry at 541-574-7708, or send an email to info@writersontheedge.org. All donations to Writers On The Edge are fully tax-deductible. Contact: Carla Perry info@writersontheedge.org or 541-574-770. Mailing address: PO Box 85, Newport, OR 97365.
May 16-18: DOUG THOMPSON, author of Whales: Touching The Mystery "A book that offers hope for the future of the whales and for all of us," writes Jane Goodall. Co-sponsored with Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon Coast Aquarium, and Mountain Writers Series in Portland. 3-days of events:
Friday evening, May 16: Doug Thompson talk & CD showing, Lobby of Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, in the South Beach area of Newport. 6:30 to 8 p.m. $5 admission. Snacks and no-host bar. Book signing. Aquarium handling tickets.
Saturday morning, May 17: Aquarium & Discovery Tours sponsoring a Whale Watching trip (confirmation pending). Open to adults & kids. Doug to give commentary during trip. Book signing.
Saturday night, May 17: Nye Beach Writers Series, Newport Visual Art Center, 777 NW Beach Drive, in the Nye Beach area of Newport. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Reading from, Whales: Touching The Mystery followed by an open mike. Admission $5 at the door; free to students.
Sunday, May 18: Program sponsored by OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center, at the HMSC Visitor's Center Auditorium, 2020 SE Marine Science Drive (southeast of Newport's Yaquina Bay Bridge, follow signs to the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center parking lot). Time to be determined. Open to the public, free admission. Book signing. For information: info@writersontheedge.org or 541-574-7708.
Writers on the Edge
PO Box 85
Newport OR 97365

Willamette Writers monthly meetings are held each First Tuesday during 2008 in the McEntee Room at the Newport Public Library in Newport, Oregon from 7-8:30 p.m. Admission is free. The Writers-on-Writing series is also sponsored by the Newport Public Library and the Sylvia Beach Hotel. Contacts: Sue Lick, 541.867.4692, suelick@casco.net; Dorothy Blackcrow Mack, 541.765.2383, dmack@netportnet.com; www.willamettewriters.com.

The Pongo Teen Writing Project is a therapeutic poetry project that sends teams of trained volunteers into sites such as the state psychiatric hospital and juvenile detention. We particularly seek out teens who have difficulty expressing themselves. Sadly, a consistent theme in the teens' poetry is early childhood trauma, such as abandonment, abuse, and neglect. But, even though the teens often express profound emotional struggles, their writing is also a joyful and healing process. See their web site www.pongoteenwriting.org.

The Nature of Words, Central Oregon's premier literary event, announces 2008 Guest Authors for its annual celebration scheduled for November 5-9, 2008 in Bend, Oregon. Line-up includes Ursula LeGuin, Luis Urrea, Pam Houston, Charles Bowden, Craig Childs, Judith Barrington, and Patricia Smith.

The Nature of Words includes two nights of author readings in Bend's Tower Theatre, two days of writing workshops conducted by the guest authors at the OSU-Cascades Campus, dinner and panel discussion at the High Desert Museum, the Rising Star Creative Writing Competition a wards for young writers, and an open mike session for aspiring writers at the Bend Public Library. For more information, visit www.thenatureofwords.org, email info@thenatureofwords.org or call 541.330.4381.

Mukilteo Arts Guild Writers Group meets Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
The Art Building, Upper Level in The Art Workshop Studio, 724 1st Street, Mukilteo WA. Mukilteo Arts Guild Writers Group is a literary salon for writers seeking supportive, collaborative, and honest community of friends. Open to writers from all genres. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Christine at the Mukilteo Arts Guild 425.423.0450.

Summer Art Programs for Kids and Teens
The Art Workshop offers an array of summer art sessions available through your local YMCA, Mukilteo Parks & Recreation and Northshore Christian Academy's R.E.A.L summer enrichment. For information, log onto http://www.theartworkshopinc.com or call 425-355-6584.

The Mukilteo Arts Guild will have Master Pastelist Margaret Dyer offering a 3-day workshop on August 15-17, 2008. Go to http://www.margaretdyer.com for more info.

The International Poetry Museum in San Francisco wants to create a facility that will illuminate the universality and diversity of world poetry, with equal emphasis being given to the ancient heritage of folk poetry as well as contemporary international work. Its Poetry Library accepts donations of poems, books and subscriptions to The National Poetry Assoc. 934 Brannan St., San Francisco CA 94911. Check out its web site http://www.internationalpoetrymuseum.org.

The Bathroom Poetry Project wants to increase accessibility to poetry in non-traditional spaces and to provide an alternative publication venue for willing poets (the bathroom). The project is looking for original works to post in public bathrooms and for additional cities. Current project installations in Boulder CO, Chicago, Austin, Raleigh NC (in draft), and in Portland OR. See http://bathroompoet.net/index.html.

Field's End third Tuesday of each month
Bainbridge Public Library, 1270 Madison Avenue N, Bainbridge Island
Writers' Roundtable is a monthly free event hosted by Field's End, an affiliate of the nonprofit Bainbridge Public Library. The monthly Roundtable is free and open to writers of all levels and interests. The guest author introduces the topic, and then participants join in a Q & A period followed by group discussion. The evening closes with socializing, coffee, and cookies.

The third annual Field's End "Writing in the Garden of the Gods" conference, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2008 at Kiana Lodge in Suquamish on the shores of Agate Passage near Poulsbo, Washington.
Roy Blount, Jr., Timothy Egan and Stephanie Kallos head the list of keynoters and presenters at the third annual Registration date, February 1, 2008.
An affiliate of the nonprofit Bainbridge Public Library, Field's End was named "Best Writers' Community 2006" by The Seattle Weekly.
Workshop Presenters include: Alice Acheson, Knute Berger, Lyall Bush, Laura Kalpakian, Thomas Kohnstamm, Rosina Lippi, Jennifer Louden, Charley Pavlosky, Suzanne Selfors, David Wagoner.
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (registration, continental breakfast, book sales)
9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (conference program)
12 workshops (choose from presentation or hands-on writing workshops). Registration opens February 1, 2008. Pre-registration is essential. Price $150 per participant ($135 for early enrollment, February 1-29), includes salmon/vegetarian buffet lunch, snacks, wine & cheese reception, and book signing (supported by Eagle Harbor Books). Groups rate of $130/person for groups of 5 or more. For information, go to www.fieldsend.org or 206.842.4162 or contact cindyvandersluis@yahoo.com or 206.780.0752.

Writer's Rainbow Literary Services, LLC is up and running!
The Writer's Rainbow website is a comprehensive portal to writing, editing and other literary services:
Manuscript critique services for prose writers at every level
Level I and Level II manuscript editing services you choose the level of "grooming"
Group instruction/presentation services catalog of workshops, seminars, sessions, mini-retreats
Writer's Advocate service perfect for those extended projects you need to keep on task
Weekly writing prompts a generative jump-start
Rhymes with Camera [creativity blog]

Let me know how I can help you meet your needs as a creative writer!
Tamara Kaye Sellman
www.writersrainbow.com
321 High School Road NE
Ste D3, PMB 204
Bainbridge Island WA 98110
tamara@writersrainbow.com

Spalding University of Louisville, KY, offers a two-year brief-residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program with concentrations in poetry and five other areas of writing. Each semester begins with a 10-day residency of workshops, lectures, classes, and readings, followed by an at-home semester of individualized study with a faculty mentor by correspondence. Poetry faculty include Molly Peacock, Greg Pape, Rane Arroyo, Barbara Hamby, Debra Kang Dean, Richard Cecil, Maureen Morehaed, and Kathleen Driskell. For more information email mfa@spalding.edu or call 800-896-8941x2423.

THE WAR GOES ON (and so does poetsagainstthewar.org).
Submit your antiwar poetry! Help PAW make a powerful statement for peace, joining with thousands of other poets around the world. Go to http://poetsagainstthewar.org/submitpoem.asp.

Join and support Poets Against the War! Your membership donation of $10 or more can help us publish the web site and continue building a broad-based movement against war. With a donation of $100 or more, you'll get a free PAW T-shirt. Go to http://poetsagainstthewar.org/donate.asp.

Organize a poetry reading against the war! Gather with other poets to make a public statement for peace with your poetry. Announce your reading at http://poetsagainstthewar.org/createreading.asp.

Mountain Writers Series Upcoming Readings & Events

For details or other information, contact:
Mountain Writers Center
3624 SE Milwaukie Avenue
Portland OR 97202
503.236.4854
pdxmws@mountainwriters.org
www.mountainwriters.org.

SEATTLE FREE LANCES, a social and professional networking group, is one of the oldest associations in Seattle for published writers of the Northwest. They meet the first Tuesday of each month (September-June) at 5:30 p.m. at the Lake City Elks Club, 14540 Lake City Way NE, Seattle WA. For membership information and application form, call 206.363.3832 or email m-gutteridge@msn.com.