Ink Splash Youth Writing Workshop

Only four places left! Register now!

Connect with professional writers and editors for feedback on your writing before you submit it for publication. We'll offer writing tips every storyteller should know, writing prompts, and valuable feedback on your current masterpiece in the making. Light refreshments will be provided. The Writers' Dojo is a no-shoes facility, so feel free to bring comfy and inspiring slippers.

Saturday, February 2
Where: Writers' Dojo, 7518 N. Chicago Avenue, Portland, www.writersdojo.org
When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Who: Young writers aged 11 to 18
Bring: A finished story or personal narrative to workshop
Cost: Free, with a $5 suggested donation. All proceeds will benefit Community of Writers, which supports creativity in youth, www.communityofwriters.com.
RSVP required: www.indigoediting.com, limited to the first 15 registrants
For more info: amccart@indigoediting.com

New Release Spotlight: Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

“In the audience was a street poet, dressed in rags and bearded like a yeti, who had a plastic machine gun that shot Ping-Pong balls, which he unloaded on performers he didn’t like.”

Steve Martin is now mostly known as an actor who makes funny if formulaic movies. But at one time he was the biggest stand-up comedian working, playing huge, sold-out arenas. In this memoir, Martin recounts those days; it was a time period he admits, up until recently, he had turned his back on.

Born into a middle-class household, Martin sought out comedy from the beginning, diligently listening to Bob Hope and Abbot and Costello on the radio. Although he had a good relationship with his mother, the one with his father was tumultuous at best. Many years later Martin discovered his father was bitter because he never had a chance to follow his acting ambitions.

As a kid Martin got a job selling maps at Disneyland. Other jobs around the park followed until he ended up working in a magic shop. He enjoyed doing tricks for customers and soon learned that a trick that went wrong evoked a better response from the audience; namely, laughter. Martin loved to perform and began acting at local theaters, all the while working on material for his own act.

Martin paints a vivid picture of all the dingy (or empty) dives he had to perform at in the early parts of his career, lugging his banjo and magic kit all over the country. Lonely and depressed, he was never quite sure he was going to make it.

Even knowing how successful he became, it’s easy to feel bad when he slumps back exhausted to another cheap motel room, or excited when he makes Johnny Carson laugh performing on The Tonight Show.

Although there’s an underlying melancholy throughout (especially when he talks about his father) the book is typical Martin: witty, intelligent, and at times hilarious.

“I ignored my stand-up career for twenty-five years,” Martin writes at the end of the first chapter, “but now…I view this time with surprising warmth. One can have, it turns out, an affection for the war years.”

And it’s also quite easy to have a real affection for this book.

Review by Tim Josephs, Indigo Editing, LLC

ISBN: 1-4165-5365-9
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Pub. Date: November 2007
Hardcover, $25.00

Portland Literary Events

Monday, January 28
The Oregon Writers Colony presents Deborah Dewit Marchant, author of Traveling Light: Chasing an Illuminated Life
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Monday, January 28
Jim Walsh discusses his new book The Replacements: All Over but the Shouting
Where: Borders, 708 SW 3rd Ave
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.bordersstores.com

Tuesday, January 29
Tim Harford talks about his new book The Logic of Life
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Wednesday, January 30
Greg Olsen and Bill Cameron will read from their contributions to Killer Year: Stories to Die For…from the Hottest New Crime Writers
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Thursday, January 31
Jim Wallis, author of God’s Politics, discusses his new offering The Great Awakening
Where: Bagdad Theater
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: $25.95, which includes a copy of the book
For more info: Bagdad Theater

Friday, February 1
Robin Hobb talks about Renegade’s Magic, the conclusion to her Soldier Sun trilogy
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Friday, February 1
Controversial author Shelby Steele discusses his new book A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited about Obama and Why He Can’t Win
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

This week the Portland Fiction Project continues it’s “Zodiac Thriller” theme with “snake” inspired stories. Slither over to www.portlandfiction.net for some excellent short fiction.

New Release Spotlight: The Stylist

The Stylist by Cai Emmons

Hayden is a hair stylist in Hoboken, NY. Fitted with too much responsibility as a young girl, her mother’s sudden death leaves Hayden struggling to reconcile grief, loss, blame, and guilt. She cuts ties with her family and drops out of classes at Harvard to focus on hair and its power to create an identity for the wearer.

When criticized by her father for her choice of career and its shallow unimportance, Hayden explains, “I help people transform themselves. I help women to be who they want to be.”

The act of deconstruction and then reclamation of one’s identity is the overarching theme. For Hayden, it takes the form of decisively cutting ties to education, wealth, and family. She moves to a dilapidated apartment in humble Hoboken where she finds contentment transforming others through hair and knowing that her life is her own.

For Hayden’s friend and fellow hair stylist, Emory, the choice lies in surgery and gender. Wrestling with his sense of self and its physical manifestation, Emory’s search for identity affords the book insightful dialogue and complements Hayden’s self-discovery. Their friendship enables and empowers each to become more fully and honestly whole.

Cai Emmons creates dynamic characters that mold and change without compromising their integrity. Her attention to detail drives the story forward and keeps the reader engaged. Emmons’s experience as a screenwriter and playwright is evident in the way she seems to set the stage, introduce the actors and then share with the reader as the story unfolds.

An unpredictable tale of finding and forming identity, The Stylist and its characters linger after the last page.

Review by Adriel Gorsuch, Indigo Editing, LLC

ISBN: 978-0060898953
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Pub. Date: October 2007
Paperback, $13.95

Portland Literary Events

Monday, January 21
Michael Shermer discusses his new book The Mind of the Market
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Tuesday, January 22
Friends of William Stafford celebrate the birth of the former poet laureate
Where: Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.annieblooms.com

Tuesday, January 22
Gina Daggett and Kathy Belge, the authors of Curve magazine's "Lipstick and Dipstick" column, talk about their new book Lipstick and Dipstick’s Essential Guide to Lesbian Relationships
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Wednesday, January 23
Rafe Esquith discusses his new book Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Thursday, January 24
Kazia Jankowski discusses the Moon Peru Handbook, an insider’s view of Peru
Where: Twenty-Third Avenue Books, 1015 NW 23rd Ave
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.23rdavebooks.com

Thursday, January 24
Kirby Larson talks about his new book Hattie Big Sky
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Friday, January 25
George and Roberta Poinar, the authors whose research inspired Jurassic Park, discuss their new book What Bugged the Dinosaurs?
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Saturday, January 26
Libba Bray talks about The Sweetest Far Thing, the final volume in a series that began with A Great and Terrible Beauty
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 2:00
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

This week the Portland Fiction Project begins a new "Zodiac Thriller" theme with “monkey” inspired stories. Quit monkeying around and check out www.portlandfiction.net for some great short fiction.

New Release Spotlight: Purplicious

Purplicious by Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann

Purplicious is a charming picture book featuring a girl named Pinkalicious. Victoria and Elizabeth Kann introduced kids to the character of Pinkalicious and her love of the color pink in 2006’s Pinkalicious. In this second book, Purplicious, Pinkalicious’s love of the color pink is tested. The girls at school have decided that the color pink is only for babies and that the color black is simply divine. Pinkalicious is teased for her love of pink, which is now considered passé, and as the weeks progress, she starts to question whether her love of the color does indeed make her a “baby.” Just when Pinkalicious is about to give up her favorite color, she meets a new friend at school who also loves pink, and who shows Pinkalicious that liking the color pink, and being different, is a great thing indeed.

Purplicious is a fun, humorous story that teaches children that being different is not a bad thing, and in fact, it is important to always be yourself. Variety is the spice of life, and kids learn that if all children loved the same color, the same activities, the same foods, (and so on), that life would be boring and bland without question.

The pictures in this book are wonderful and tell just as much of the story as the words do. The pages have a slight collage-like feel to them, with a variety of textures used to create the images. The bright colors and glitter on the cover will appeal to the main audience—girls ages four to eight—and the depth and detail of the illustrations will keep them interested and intrigued through numerous readings of the book. Make sure that when you are reading this book to your child or to your students, that they pay attention to such details as the color of Pinkalicous’s dress—which changes depending on her mood in the story. Overall, the book has fun, creative illustrations that are appealing to the eye and add life to the story.

Review by Katrina Hill, Indigo Editing, LLC

ISBN: 0061244058
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub. Date: October 2007
Hardcover, $16.99

Portland Literary Events

Monday, January 14
World-class speed golfer Christopher Smith talks about his new book I’ve Got 99 Swing Thoughts but “Hit the Ball” Ain’t One
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Monday, January 14
Chuck Thompson discusses his new book Smile When You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Tuesday, January 15
Colson Whitehead discusses his new book Apex Hides the Hurt
Where: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: $10-$26
For more info: www.pcpa.com/events

Tuesday, January 15
Eric Weiner talks about his new book The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Wednesday, January 16
Beth Lisick, author of Everybody in the Pool, discusses her new offering Helping Me Help Myself
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Thursday, January 17
Tim Josephs reads from A Camouflaged Fragrance of Decency, his new book of humorous short fiction
Where: Twenty-Third Avenue Books, 1015 NW 23rd Ave
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.timjosephs.com

Friday, January 18
James A. Owen talks about The Search for the Red Dragon, his follow-up to Here, There Be Dragons
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Saturday, January 19
Lisa Schroder discusses her new book I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 1:00
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

This week the Portland Fiction Project continues it’s “Relatively Forced Laughter” theme with “flatter” inspired stories. Flatter yourself by reading some excellent fiction at www.portlandfiction.net.

New Release Spotlight: In For the Kill

In For the Kill by John Lutz

Who knew serial murders could be boring? At almost five hundred pages, the latest thriller by John Lutz (most mainstream-famous for the book the movie Single White Female was based on) bogs in places—but thankfully not at the most important times.

Making his second appearance in Lutz’s collection, ex-cop Frank Quinn faces the Butcher, so cleverly named because he drowns pretty females in New York City, then chops them into pieces, scrubs the pieces with every cleanser in the apartment, and stacks them in the bathtub. The first five victims appear to be guilty only of having last names whose first letters spell out Q-U-I-N-N, but it’s never explained why the Butcher is egging on Quinn specifically.

For his remaining victims, the Butcher sends cryptic hints to the police, but they’re so obtuse, the reader is left wondering why he does it. The only one that works well is about roses, which leads the cops on a hunt for rose varieties named after women, female characters in Shakespeare, and women named Gertrude, because of a Gertrude Stein quote about roses. They’re wrong—the next victim’s last name turns out to be “Thorn”—but the note and the cops’ missteps are both poetic and logical: “‘We should have thought of it,’ Fedderman said. ‘It’s right there in the note between the lines, just like thorns are between the roses. If you’re thinking roses, you’re a fool if you’re not also thinking thorns.’”

The reader is present at every killing, which becomes a bit much after a while. Lutz is skillfully not gratuitous in his description, so that’s not the tiring part. Rather, each episode is identical, with just a slightly different victim inserted in place. Yes, that is the hallmark of “serial killing,” but it’s not the hallmark of a great read.

Other than those stumbles, this is a good page-turner. The characters are interesting, with distinct voices. The serial killer has a startlingly unique back story that is woven with his present-day actions. Those who should do indeed get their due, as is to be expected, but not every thread is tied neatly into bows at the end. And that’s what a thriller is: not a book about violence, but a book about humanity, how we as individuals slip and slide to and from our darkest tendencies. A certain level of sleepiness in the mystery can be tolerated if the actual story is wide awake.

Review by Kristin Thiel, Indigo Editing, LLC

ISBN: 978-0-7860-1843-7
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Pub. Date: November 2007
Paperback, $6.99

New Release Spotlight: The Poison Apples

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer

A new twist on an old story, Lily Archer takes on evil stepmothers in her young adult novel, The Poison Apples. The story centers around three modern-day teenagers, Alice, Molly, and Reena, and their individual experiences with their not-so-fairy-tale “evil” stepmothers. Each girl has her own perspective, her own voice, her own story, but all three are brought to the same place by common circumstances—at Putnam Mount Mckinsey, a boarding school in rural Massachusetts, each seeking refuge from the stepmother currently invading her life. While at boarding school, the three girls meet and create an exclusive club called The Poison Apples. Admittance to the club requires two things—that you have an evil stepmother and that you want to get rid of her. The girls’ club membership consists of plotting ways to retrieve control of their lives from their stepmothers’ evil clutches and conspiring to kick those evil stepmothers right to the curb.

Though the story is told from three different perspectives, Archer makes the plot easy to follow, and transitions from one character to another are clean and clear. Archer did an amazing job of giving each of the three main characters a unique voice and personality, making movement from chapter to chapter smooth, but also providing great interest in the plot. And each girl has her own distinctive life experiences: Molly’s the slightly nerdy bookworm who has trouble fitting in, but is always true to herself; Reena’s the affluent Indian teen who immediately fits in with the popular crowd, but still finds herself feeling alone; and Alice is the loner who wants to live her life out loud, but is afraid of attracting too much attention—in her family and at school. All in all, Archer has created three strong, yet individual characters, ensuring that a variety of girls will be able to relate to the book and the stories it presents.

My favorite part about the book was the ending—which I will not spoil—that was filled with fun escapades as each girl tried to rid herself of her evil stepmother and as each ends up learning about life and a bit about what it means to be human, in the process. The girls also make the ultimate discovery—that real-life evil stepmothers are not always completely evil—even they have flaws, such as moments of kindness and compassion.

And if you are a stepmother reading this review, and feel that Lily Archer may be giving you a bad rap—be sure to read the prologue, as not all stepmothers are included in this book—only the truly evil are portrayed!

All in all, a truly innovative, modern take on a century-old plotline—a contemporary fairy tale for today’s teens.

Review by Katrina Hill, Indigo Editing, LLC

ISBN: 0312367627
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pub. Date: September 2007
Hardcover, $16.95

Ink Splash Youth Writing Workshop

Connect with professional writers and editors for feedback on your writing before you submit it for publication. We'll offer writing tips every storyteller should know, writing prompts, and valuable feedback on your current masterpiece in the making. Light refreshments will be provided. The Writers' Dojo is a no-shoes facility, so feel free to bring comfy and inspiring slippers.

Saturday, February 2
Where: Writers' Dojo, 7518 N. Chicago Avenue, Portland, www.writersdojo.org
When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Who: Young writers aged 11 to 18
Bring: A finished story or personal narrative to workshop
Cost: Free, with a $5 suggested donation. All proceeds will benefit Community of Writers, which supports creativity in youth, www.communityofwriters.com.
RSVP required: www.indigoediting.com, limited to the first 15 registrants
For more info: amccart@indigoediting.com

Call for Youth Submissions

Ink-Filled Page Call for Submissions
Spring 2008—Youth Issue

The Ink-Filled Page is a quarterly literary journal produced by Indigo Editing, LLC. The journal is published online quarterly, and we print an anthology annually.

Our youth issue features the artistic talents—both literary and visual—of youths aged eleven through eighteen. So polish your stories from English class, dust off your paintings from art class, and submit them for a chance to be published!

Literary Submissions:

Fiction submissions can be short stories or novel excerpts that can stand alone, and the nonfiction section is open to personal narratives and essays. While all genres are welcome, special interests include travel, multicultural themes, feminism, and magical realism.

Limit submissions to 3,500 words, one submission per candidate. Authors who submit more than one piece will not be considered. All submissions must be formatted in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and be double-spaced. Name, contact information, title, and word count should be at the top of the first page.

Artwork submissions:

Artwork submissions are open to all mediums, but pieces must be submitted electronically. Winning pieces are selected based on composition and originality. We are looking for pieces that highlight the human experience—show us the good or the bad, be surreal or real, but make sure that whatever you submit connects us, human to human.

Limit three submissions per candidate. Artists who submit more than three pieces will not be considered. Submit digital artwork at 300 dpi or higher.

Publication:

Selected authors and artists earn publication and will receive a complimentary copy of the annual anthology. Authors will also receive professional editing services on the selected story. All work must be original and unpublished. By submitting your work to the Ink-Filled Page, you are offering first online and North American print publication rights. Rights revert to authors and artists after publication.

The youth issue accepts submissions from youths aged eleven through eighteen. E-mail all submissions to inkfilledpage@indigoediting.com with a 100-word bio, including your age, and "Fiction Submission," "Nonfiction Submission," or "Artwork Submission" in the subject bar by Friday, February 29.

For best results, read our publication by downloading the most recent issue and buying the 2007 anthology from www.indigoediting.com before you submit.

Portland Literary Events

Monday, January 7
Story Time for Grownups: Ambrose Pierce
Where: Grendel’s Coffee House, 729 E Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: 503-595-9550

Monday, January 7
Christopher Rauschenberg speaks about his new photography collection, Paris Changing
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Tuesday, January 8
The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Wednesday, January 9
Laurie R. King discusses her new book Touchstone
Where: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills
When: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Thursday, January 10
Colm Toibin talks about his new book Mothers and Sons
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Friday, January 11
Jill Conner Brown reads from The Sweet Potato Queen’s Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
For more info: www.powells.com

Saturday, January 12
Writer's Dojo Launch Party
Readers include Chelsea Cain, Kim Stafford, Tom Spanbauer, and more
Where: 7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave
When: 7:00 pm (Readings start at 8)
Cost: Free but RSVP required
For more info: http://www.writersdojo.org/

This week the Portland Fiction Project continues it’s “Relatively Forced Laughter” theme with “bemuse” inspired stories. Check out www.portlandfiction.net for some short fiction that will surely bemuse and beguile.

New Release Spotlight: Spanking Shakespeare

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner

Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. He considers it just one in a long line of horrible things that has happened to him in his seventeen years. Shakespeare (his parents decided not to give him and his younger brother Gandhi “normal” names) is a neurotic twelfth grader determined not to end his senior year without doing something like dating a girl or smoking pot for the first time, things Gandhi has been doing for years. Shakespeare has two good friends, Neil and Kate, and the three of them try their best to maneuver through their final year of high school before they head off to college.

Shakespeare is a talented writer and at the beginning of the school year he gets an assignment in English class to write his memoir. Throughout the book, in a clever device, we get to read parts of it. It’s a never-ending series of embarrassing and humiliating events. Some of the highlights include getting lost in Italy with his drunk father, being taken to a nearly X-rated film with his grandmother and being caught with a dirty magazine in seventh-grade math class.

Although sometimes sinking into clichés (the dumb, but popular jock; the cute but poor girl, ala Molly Ringwold from Pretty in Pink) Spanking Shakespeare is funny and at times, heart-warming. Shakespeare—although occasionally irritating—is a nice guy and easy to root for.

Wizner captures teen angst well, but occasionally the characters sound more like thirty-somethings than teenagers. Also, I got the distinct impression he has his main character do and say things he himself wished he had done and said in high school. Shakespeare sometimes just seems too witty, too clever, too smart for the room. But then again, how many of us wish we could rewrite our own high school stories?

Review by Tim Josephs, Indigo Editing, LLC

ISBN: 978-0-375-84085-2
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: September 2007
Hardcover, $15.99