Photo Story Prompt: Fountain

Write whatever comes to you--short or long, fiction or truth.


We'd love to see what you come up with! Send your writing in to photostory@indigoediting.com to be posted on our blog with other stories based on the same photo. If you'd like your name, Web site, and contact info to be posted with your story, be sure to include that too. Feel free to comment on each other's stories and just generally enjoy the process of playing with the written word and the world it creates.

Happy writing!

Photo: "Fountain" by Maria Li

Editorial Tip of the Week: The Auxiliary Verb

The auxiliary verb, or helping verb, is used with other verbs to form mood, voice, and tense in a work. The main ones are “can,” “do,” and “have.” “Can” uses only its stem form in the present indicative, like “I can,” “it can,” or “they can.” “Can” becomes “could” in the past indicative, such as “I could go for a walk.” Because “can” indicates an ability or permission, “can” is always followed by an explicit or implicit verb, such as “Can you carry the groceries?”

“Do” has two forms in the present indicative: “does” for third-person singular and “do” for all other persons. In the past indicative, the form changes to “did” for all persons while in the past participle, the form changes to “done.” “Do” is only used in the present and past indicative as an auxiliary verb, but can also act as a principle verb when referencing performance, like in “he does well in school” or “they do good work.”

In the present indicative, “have” has two forms: “has” and “have.” In the past indicative as well as the past principle, the form is “had.” As a helping verb, when the present or past indicative of “have” comes before the past participle of any verb, that verb’s present-perfect or past-perfect form is used, like with “I have looked everywhere.”

For more information about auxiliary verbs and a list of others besides “can,” “do,” and “have,” be sure to check out The Chicago Manual of Style at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org.

Spotlighted Literary Events

Date: Sunday, April 26
Isa Chandra Moskowitz will be at the Hollywood Library as part of the Multnomah County Library series “Writers Talking.” Moskowitz is the best-selling author of numerous vegan culinary cookbooks with coauthor Terry Hope Romero. Her new cookbook, Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waling Up For—From Asparagus Omelets to Strawberry Pancakes, will be out later this year.
When: 2-3:30pm
Where: Multnomah Hollywood Library
Cost: Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program
For more information, please visit http://www.multcolib.org/events/writers.html

Date: Sunday, April 26
Mark Rudd will be at the Looking Glass bookstore for a reading and book-signing. In 1968, Mark Rudd protested the war in Vietnam and institutional racism by leading an occupation of five buildings at Columbia University. His book, Underground, tells the story of his experience in both the protest and its aftermath.
When: 4pm
Where: Looking Glass Bookstore
Cost: Free
For more information, check out the events page at http://lookingglassbook.qwestoffice.net/

Date: Tuesday, April 28
Students in Pauls Toutonghi’s Advanced Fiction Writing courses will be reading from the stories they wrote and developed during the semester. This event tends to get crowded, so be sure to arrive early for a good seat! Refreshments will be served.
When: 7pm
Where: Lewis & Clark College, Manor House, Armstrong Lounge
Cost: Free
For more information, please contact Dyann Alkire in the English Department at 503-768-7405

Date: Wednesday, April 29
Join Portland State University faculty members and others in a discussion titled “The C Word: Using Author Rights to Enhance Scholarship in the Digital Research Environment” about the future of publishing. This symposium will explore the transitions and possible repercussions from this transition, addressing issues such as publishing in an open access journal, modifying copyright agreements, and proactively managing rights. This event is open to the public, but be sure to arrive early because seating is limited.
When: 12-4:30pm
Where: Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union, room 327, 328, 329
Cost: Free
For more information, please visit the symposium website at http://www.pdx.edu/events/the-c-word-using-author-rights-to-enhance-scholarship-in-the-digital-research-environment

Photo Story Prompt: Abbey

Write whatever comes to you--short or long, fiction or truth.


We'd love to see what you come up with! Send your writing in to photostory@indigoediting.com to be posted on our blog with other stories based on the same photo. If you'd like your name, Web site, and contact info to be posted with your story, be sure to include that too. Feel free to comment on each other's stories and just generally enjoy the process of playing with the written word and the world it creates.

Happy writing!

Photo: "Abbey" by G Schouten de Jel

Calling All Parents!

Dr. Wendy Mogel
"Blessing of a Skinned Knee - How to stop overindulging, overscheduling and
overprotecting"
Thursday, May 7th
Mittleman Jewish Community Center
6615 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219
7 pm - 9 pm

Are you an over-protective parent? You might be surprised, once you've
heard the wisdom of this nationally known psychologist and bestselling
author. Find out how to strike the balance between hovering and helping to
build self-reliance.

Dr. Wendy Mogel is a clinical psychologist, parent educator, school
consultant and author. Her New York Times bestseller The Blessing of a
Skinned Knee is in its twelfth printing.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. For more information and to
purchase tickets, go to: www.parentmap.com/PDXPathways or call
800-838-3006.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Gender Bias-Free Language

Let’s face it. Creating gender-neutral language is never as easy as it seems. On the one hand, many find using the generic masculine pronoun unacceptable, even though “he” is in reference to no one in particular. On the other hand, it can be distracting to use nontraditional devices to use the generic masculine, like “he/she” or even “s/he.” Even the use of “they” can be distracting and, at times, confusing. In order to achieve this invisible gender neutrality takes some serious hard work.

According to the Chicago Manual of Style, the use of “it,” if used correctly, can help this dilemma. “It” eliminates gender even if the noun has a sex. Using “it” indicates that the sex is either unknown or unimportant. The use of “we,” “you,” or even “they” at times can be used indefinitely in the sense of “persons,” “one,” or “people in general.” If speaking for a group, “we” can be used and is sometimes called the editorial “we.” Writers also use “we” to make their writing appear less personal as a way to draw in the reader.

Deciding the best way to evoke gender neutrality can be difficult and a bit confusing. However you decide to go about it, be sure to consult your handy Chicago Manual of Style at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org for the method which will best suit your particular writing needs!

Spotlighted Literary Events

Date: April 20 & 21
The Oregon Book Awards Author Tour brings authors to the Corvallis Public Library and the Newport Public Library for a reading and book signing. This year’s authors are: Neil Browne, finalist in nonfiction for The World in Which We Occur; Ehud Havazelet, winner of the Ken Kesey Award in fiction for Bearing the Body; and Sara Ryan, a co-winner of the Leslie Bradshaw Award for young adult literature for The Rules for Hearts. This event is open to the public.
When: 7pm (both nights)
Where: Corvallis Public Library (April 20) and Newport Public Library (April 21)
Cost: Free
For more information, visit the Oregon Book Awards page at www.literary-arts.org

Date: April 21
As part of the Multnomah County Library’s Lecture, “Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature Neighbors: The World Next Door,” Bernard Malamud’s novel The Assistant is the next topic of discussion. Mulamud’s 1957 novel follows Brooklyn grocery owner Morris Bober and his bizarre friendship with Frank Alpine. Join Dr. Laura Leibman, associate professor of English and Humanities at Reed College, for this discussion series. Interested readers are encouraged to register and pick up a copy of the book at the Popular Library reference desk at the Central Library.
When: 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Multnomah County Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
Cost: Free
For more information, check out www.multcolib.org/events/jewishliterature_cen.html

Date: April 21
Students in Mary Szybist’s Advanced Poetry Writing courses will be reading the poetry they wrote and developed throughout the semester. A limited number of broadsides will be available to those in attendance. This event is always popular and crowded, so be sure to arrive early for a seat!
When: 7pm
Where: Lewis & Clark College, Manor House, Armstrong Lounge
Cost: Free
For more information, check out the events page on the English Department site at www.lclark.edu/dept/english or contact Dyann Alkire at 503-768-7405

Happy Birthday, Elements of Style!

Strunk & White's The Elements of Style turns 50 today. That's 50 years of short, sweet, logical grammar rules. Thank you!

Just a few rules Strunk & White graced us with are:
1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write, Charles's friend, etc. (English teachers: You've had 50 years to get caught up with this. Please stop teaching our children to write Chris'!)
2. Logic suggests that [Junior when following a name] is, in fact, restrictive and therefore not in need of a comma: James Wright Jr. (Hallmark, can we please take the comma out of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day now?)
3. Omit needless words. (Enough said.)

Cheers to 50 years with Strunk & White, and here's to 50 more (before those pesky grammar rules change again)!

Photo Story Prompt: Walk

Write whatever comes to you--short or long, fiction or truth.

We'd love to see what you come up with! Send your writing in to photostory@indigoediting.com to be posted on our blog with other stories based on the same photo. If you'd like your name, Web site, and contact info to be posted with your story, be sure to include that too. Feel free to comment on each other's stories and just generally enjoy the process of playing with the written word and the world it creates.

Happy writing!

Photo: "Walk" by Antonio Sariñana

Editorial Tip of the Week: Who and Whom

When to use “who” and when to use “whom” is something I still have trouble with from time to time. Here are the traditional rules according to The Chicago Manual of Style: “Who” is a nominative pronoun used as the subject of a finite verb. For example, “it was Kathy who bough the bagels today.” “Who” is also used as a predicate nominative when it follows a linking verb, like with “that’s who.”

“Whom” is an objective pronoun that may appear as the object of a verb, like in “I learned nothing from the man whom I saw today.” I can also be used as the object of a preposition; “The woman to whom I owe my life.”

Today, the norm is to default to using “who” in most contexts. There are also those (myself included) who are insecure about their knowledge of the difference and tend to overuse “whom” when “who” would be correct. For more information, be sure to check out The Chicago Manual of Style online at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org.

Spotlighted Literary Events

Date: Thursday, April 16
Poets John Isles and Kristen Hanlon will be at Lewis & Clark College for a poetry reading. John Isles is the author of Inverse Sky and Ark, and coeditor of the Baltics section of New European Poets. Kristen Hanlon’s chapbook, Proximity Talks, was published in 2005. Her poetry has appeared in the Colorado Review, Puerto del Sol, VOLT and the New Orleans Review. This event is co-sponsored by Watzek Library Special Collections. Refreshments will be served!
When: 3:00pm
Where: Lewis & Clark College, Pamplin Society Room
Cost: Free
For more information, please contact Dyann Alkire at 503-768-7405 or visit http://www.lclark.edu/dept/english/specialevents.html

Date: Thursday, April 16
Leading up to this weekend’s Stumptown Comics Fest, learn about webcomics with Carolyn Main, freelance cartoonist. Her webcomics include the sci-fi epic “Personal Mission” and the gags of “Quickies” as well as some short animation and comedies.
When: 4:30-5:30pm
Where: Multnomah Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
Cost: Free
Check out http://www.multcolib.org/books/zines/events.html for more information

Date: Friday, April 17
Another Stumptown Comics Fest event is “Zinesters Talking” with Hellen Jo and Dunja Jankovic. Hellen Jo is the author of Jin and Jam #1, a comic about suburban teens. Most recently, she wrote and drewthe short ghost story “Diamond Heights” for the serial comics anthology Papercutter. Dunja Jankovic is the author of Department of Art, a story about time and procrastination very reminiscent of Kafka. Department of Art was nominated for the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Comic in 2008.
When: 4:30-5:30om
Where: Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
Cost: Free
For more information, check out http://www.multcolib.org/books/zines/events.html

Date: Saturday, April 18
Author Matt Love will be at the Multnomah Central Library as part of their “Writers Talking” series. Love is the editor of the Beaver State Trilogy and Citadel of the Spirit: Oregon’s Sesquicentennial Anthology as well as the founder of the Nestucca Spit Press. Love also writes the “Lost Northwest Books” column for The Oregonian and contributes to Bear Deluxe and Oregon Coast Today.
When: 1-2:30pm
Where: Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
Cost: Free
For more information visit http://www.multcolib.org/events/writers.html

Yes, We Creative Advocacy Network!

If you have an interest in the arts in Clackamas, Multnomah, or Washington counties, please consider learning more about CAN. And join other involved residents in a discussion about the arts with Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten, and Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette Monday, April 13.

Editorial Tip of the Week: Troublesome Expressions

In writing, it is always important to consult your handy Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for any issues with word choice, but be sure to keep in mind that the presence of a word in the dictionary does not mean it is fir for your particular story. Some words, such as “archeology” are sometimes seen in some works as “archaeology” because that is the preference of the author belonging to that particular field. Be sure to take such preferences into consideration as well as closely read the definition of the questionable word. Sometimes the word you want is not the word you thought!

With that in mind, here are some words and their definitions that need a little clearing up as defined in The Chicago Manual of Style:

ability; capability; capacity. “Ability” refers to a person’s physical/mental skill in achieving something, like “the ability to ride a bicycle.” “Capability” refers more generally to power or ability, “she has the capability to play soccer professionally.” “Capacity” refers especially to a vessel’s ability to hold or contain something which, when used figuratively, can refer to a person’s power to learn, “an astounding capacity for mathematics.”

allude; elude; illude. To “allude” is to refer to something indirectly, “allude to a problem.” To “elude” is to avoid capture, “elude the police.” To “illude,” which is quite rare, is to deceive, “your imagination might illude you.”

lay; lie. “Lay” is a transitive verb—it demands a direct object, “lay your pencils down.” It is inflected “lay”-“laid”-“laid.” For example, “I laid the book there yesterday” and “these rumors have been laid to rest.” “Lie” is an intransitive verb—it never takes a direct object, “lie down and rest.” It is inflected “lie”-“lay”-“lain.” For example, “she lay down and rested” and “he hasn’t yet lain down.”

These are only a few of the hundreds that are mixed up all the time. Be sure to consult your dictionary and check out The Chicago Manual of Style at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org for more information on word usage.

Spotlighted Literary Events

Date: Sunday, April 5
MAD Magazine Senior Editor Joe Raiola will be discussing First Amendment issues, including the effects of 9/11 on free speech. Raiola will also trace MAD’s history with a one-of-a-kind slide presentation spotlighting many of MAD’s most controversial covers and articles.
When: 12:30-1:45pm
Where Multnomah Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
Cost: Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program.
*This event will occur a second time on Tuesday, April 7 from 6:30-7:45pm at the Midland Library*
For more information, check out the events page at http://www.multcolib.org

Date: Tuesday, April 7
Phillip Knightly and Thomas Ricks will be at Lewis & Clark College as part of the 47th International Affairs Symposium to discuss different issues with journalism, the military, and how much information is too much information. The title of their lecture is “Black and White and Read All Over: Embedding Journalists with Modern Warriors.”
When: 7pm
Where: Lewis & Clark College, Templeton Student Center, Council Chambers
Cost: Free
For more information, please contact Amy Timmins at 503-768-7630 or visit the International Affairs Symposium website at http://www.lclark.edu/dept/iaffairs/sympo2009.html

Date: Thursday, April 9
Poet Matthew Dickman will be at Reed College as part of their Visiting Writers Series. Dickman’s first collection of poetry, All American Poem, won the 2008 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize in Poetry while his chapbook, Amigos, was published in 2007 by Q Ave Press. His poetry also appears in Tin House, the Clackamas Literary Review, Agni Online, and The New Yorker.
When: 6:30pm
Where: Reed College, Psychology 105
Cost: Free
For more information, visit http://www.reed.edu/visiting_writers/index.html

Date: Thursday, April 9
Join VoiceCatcher poets for a National Poetry Month reading at the Looking Glass Bookstore! This event will feature readings from the new VoiceCatcher anthology. The poet line-up has yet to be announced, so be sure to check the Looking Glass events page for more information!
When: 7pm
Where: Looking Glass Bookstore, 7983 SE 13th Ave
Cost: Free
Check out http://lookingglassbook.qwestoffice.net/Events3.htm for more information.