Indigo's Day of Workshops

It's true, we're beginning to offer non-writing workshops for writers to help them navigate the editing and publishing worlds. Please join us on Saturday, May 15, for our first day of workshops featuring:

Breakthrough Writing Playshop
10:30 a.m.–Noon
Instructor: Susan DeFreitas
Cost: $45*
This inspiring workshop will help you break through the constraints of left brain logic and into the fascinating chaos of the deep creative or intuitive mind. We’ll incorporate a series of prompts garnered from found images and objects, quotes, Surrealist-style writing exercises, and more, drawing on layering techniques designed to unhinge habitual patterns of meaning-making and arranging, with the goal of jogging the subconscious mind into loosing its gems of association through intriguing and unexpected combinations of words and images.

All participants will leave with a series of free-writes that may serve as seeds for future pieces and creative dynamite aimed at breaking through current writing blocks.

Susan DeFreitas is a writer, editor, multimedia artist and poet who enjoys the way different art forms can influence writing. She has an interdisciplinary degree in Arts and Letters from Prescott College for the Liberal Arts and the Environment; her prose-poetry natural history (influenced by classical music) was recently published in Southwestern American Literature.

Impress Your Editor—All of Them
1–2:30 p.m.
Instructor: Kristin Thiel
Cost: $45*
If someone’s opinion is important enough for you to share your manuscript with that person, it’s equally important that you prepare your manuscript to its best before you hand it over. Learn how to ready your manuscript for your writing group. Save time and money by following a few simple tips before you hire an independent editor. Support—don’t sabotage—your manuscript before the acquisitions editor or agent finally slices open your promising box of twelve-point Times New Roman.

Kristin Thiel has been an editor for almost a decade, and sharing her own writing with other editors for longer than that. An excerpt of her writing is an example of what to do right in the reference book Don’t Sabotage Your Submission: Save Your Manuscript from Turning Up D.O.A.

Publish Before You Publish
2:40–4:10 p.m.
Instructor: Andrea Deeken
Cost: $45*
If you have dreams of becoming a published author but don’t know where to start, this is the class for you. Submitting to contests and journals is a great way to begin building a platform for your writing that can easily be carried over into further publication. Learn the basics of how and why to submit, as well as the kinds of submissions to avoid. There will be time set aside for free writing and feedback. All skill levels welcome.

Andrea Deeken has studied writing for almost fifteen years and has been an editor since 2005. A veteran of submitting to contests and journals, she has won first place in writing contests sponsored by Richard Hugo House and Portland Pen and Pie. Her work has most recently appeared in The Bear Deluxe.


*Attend all three workshops for just $100. Each class is limited to nine students. All classes will be held at the Indigo office, 519 SW 3rd Ave., Fifth-floor conference room, Portland, Oregon.

Take advantage of these great prices to add to your knowledge base and to get to know our editors! Visit www.indigoediting.com for more information. E-mail workshops@indigoediting.com to register.

Spotlighted Literary Events

*July 24-26, Portland Zine Symposium*

*See last week's Spotlighted Literary Event for more Info*

Date: Sunday, July 26

Writers in the Corvallis vicinity are gathering for a second time. Join wordsmiths from "all backgrounds, ages, genres and stages of their careers" to discuss a name for the "local writers network, results of last month's survey of writers' interests and needs, and future events for the group." Please RSVP to larina@larinawarnock.com.

When: 2pm

Where: Avery House in Avery Park. Parking just north of the park.

Cost: Free

Date: Sunday, July 26

Hungry for stories? Poems? Music? Satisfy your cravings with a delicioius literary and musical meal served at the Super Sunday Stew at Cafe Mundo in Newport. The stew features musical and spoken word performance by some of the most dynamic performers in Oregon. "We've got poetry, prose, rants, Americana, trip hop, and straight-up three-chord rock and roll," says author and Nestucca Spit Press Publisher Matt Love. In addition to Love's new book, Newport: Notes From My First Year In Town, Andrew Rodman will yell from his new chapbook of savage spoken word poems Secretly Famous. Poet and Newport native Tim Sproul will share his funny and poignant obserations from How to Leave Your Hometown For Good.--Matt Love

When: A vegetarian stew will be served by Cafe Mundo at 6:30pm

Where: Cafe Mundo, in Newport's historic Nye Beach area

Cost: Free!

Date: Saturday, August 1

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon is hosting an open house and book sale with light refreshments, tours of the library and more.

When: 9am-3pm

Where: 1505 SE Gideon St.

For more information visit www.gfo.org or call 503-963-1932.

Seeking Submissions from Women Writers for Two Proposed Books

SEEKING SUBMISSIONS from U.S. WOMEN WRITERS for 2 PROPOSED BOOKS
See complete guidelines on: http://www.encirclepub.com/poetry/aurorean/announcements (bottom of page.)

1. The Poet in Us: Tips on Writing by and for Today's Women

* Foreword by Robin Merrill, Maine Poets Society President 2006-2007 (M.F.A. Stonecoast.) With hundreds of poems published, some from her chapbook Laundry & Stories (Moon Pie Press) were featured on Garrison Keillor's Writers' Almanac. (http://www.robinmerrill.com)

* Afterword by the editors of Iris Magazine, an award-winning publication of 27 years celebrating and empowering young women through provocative articles, essays, and fiction pieces that are uplifting, inclusive, and literate. http://womenscenter.virginia.edu/coreprograms/iris.html

* Markets for women, why women write, time management, using life experience, women\'s magazines, critique groups, networking, blogs, unique issues women must overcome, lesbian and bisexual writing, formal education, queries and proposals, conference participation, family scheduling, feminist writing, self-publishing, teaching tips, etc.

Step 1: Send your proposed topics before writing articles to avoid duplication; proposed topics must be accompanied by a 65-70 word bio with your present position, location, relevant publications, career highlights for the contributor page; please use POETS/your name on the subject line to brackett-vincent@encirclepub.com.

Step 2: (If your topics are approved): Deadline for submissions (by e-mail only) is August 30, 2008. Again, please use POETS in the subject line; send to Cynthia at brackett-vincent@encirclepub.com in a Word document (.doc format only) using 12-point font.
Article specifics: Word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience: 1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred. If submitting two articles, please break them up fairly evenly in word count.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material. Contributors must be reside in the United States. Books such as this can typically take up to a year to compile. Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor\'s discount on additional copies.

* Co-editor Cynthia Brackett-Vincent is publisher/editor of the esteemed Aurorean poetry journal; poetry instructor; award-winning poet; author of The 95 Poems chapbook (2005) and contributor to Educators as Writers: Publishing for Personal and Professional Development. In 2007, her poems received a citation, honorable mention and second place in the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, New England Writers and Maine Poets Society competitions. View Cynthia at http://www.encirclepub.com/poetry/aurorean/editor

* Co-editor, Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited. An award-winning writer, her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, and several others including anthologies; chapbook, Pudding House 2008; Educators as Writers, Peter Lang 2006;
and http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3

2. Women Writing on Today's American Family

* Foreword: Robbi Hess, Journalist, co-author,?Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names(Penguin Books); Editor, Byline Magazine

* Afterword: Suzanne Bunkers, Professor of English, Minnesota State University, editor of Diaries of Girls and Women: A Midwestern American Sampler (University of Wisconsin Press.)

This is a book about writing and publishing about family by women with family publication credits. Possible subjects: markets; why women write about family; using life experience; networking; unique issues women must overcome; formal education; queries and proposals; conference participation; self-publishing; teaching tips; family in creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, novels. Contributors have already covered: blogs, using family history, managing time, privacy issues.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful to readers.

Two articles each 950-1050 words; minimum 1900, maximum 2100 words total. No previously published or simultaneously submitted material or co-authors.

Deadline: August 30, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but I will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

* Editor: Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers (Peter Lang, 2006); chapbook, (Pudding House 2008); The Published Librarian (American Library Association, forthcoming). My work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; Words and Images of Belonging co-edited with the editor of the Aurorean is with an agent; a recent book is http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3575-3.

Please send topics for feedback and a 65-70 word bio. Place FAMILY and your name on the subject line, send to: smallwood@tm.net.

The Strike is Over; the Fight Isn't

Writers' rights aren't solved for good once one particular strike ends. Stay in touch with what's happening at United Hollywood's new site.

Writers' Strike—Yes, It Is Still On

I've been terribly remiss in keeping us talking about the writers' strike in Hollywood. What? That's still going on? It's become a bit of a strange situation because a lot of people aren't talking about it as much as they were, yet truly frightening-sounding reality shows are trudging across the screen in growing numbers, so clearly things are not back to normal.

So, yes, it is still going on—a reminder that you can stay up-to-date here—and whatever we write, we should support our fellow writers, whatever they write. We all fight the fair-pay war, most of us over and over.

In case you haven't seen them yet, the WGA has put out some (mostly) great Speechless videos. One of my favorites from the very beginning is this one. And if you want some truly blunt talk about fair pay for writers in general, check out Harlan Ellison's video.

Writers Partying

The Writers' Dojo concludes its Season of Launching with a party Saturday, January 12. The party starts at 7:00 p.m. and goes till whenever. Readings start at 8:00 p.m. Late night open mic and jam session to follow. If you have any questions, e-mail info@writersdojo.org. Writer types, editors, literary professionals, and their friends and families, too, are welcome. RSVP if you plan to attend.

Readers include these fabulous folk:

• Chelsea Cain: Weekly columnist for the Oregonian and author of
several books, including the new bestseller Heartsick.
• Kim Stafford: Poet, author, professor, musician, and director of the
William Stafford Studio.
• Tom Spanbauer: Pulitzer-nominated author and the founder of Dangerous
Writing workshop.
• Alison Clement: This year's winner of the Oregon Book Award for her
novel Twenty Questions.
• James Bernard Frost: Journalist for Wired and others. His book The
Artichoke Trail won an award for travel journalism. World Leader
Pretend is his first novel.

Where is the Dojo?
7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave., just over the St. Johns Bridge, one block from N. Lombard
Portland, OR 97203
There's plenty of free street parking.

Grace Paley, Celebrated Wondrously

I attended a celebration of Grace Paley's life last night at Broadway Books. What a fun event. It's too bad the format wouldn't work for readings normally because the variety of both information given and speakers was so refreshing.

Judith Arcana (Paley's biographer), Miriam Budner, and Nancy LaPaglia hosted the evening, with Ursula K. Le Guin, Elisabeth Linder, Ruth Gundle and Judith Barrington, Rebecca Gundle, Marjorie Sandor, Elinor Langer, Paulann Peterson, Martha Roth, and Gwyn Kirk sharing Paley's work and their memories of her. Every couple of speakers or so, Budner asked the audience members questions about their relationships with Paley. What resulted was not only a memorial to a person but a reading and a discussion of writing, activism, and strong living. A percentage of purchases made last night at the bookstore went to the War Resisters League, which Paley was a member of for almost fifty years.

I took some notes, but they don't cover the full event, and I also need to offer apologies for any misquotes (and certainly the language of my notes doesn't convey the thoughtfulness and poetry of the speakers' words). Around taking hasty notes, I was cutting the cake and unwrapping the bread for a post-discussion feast it sounds like Paley would have loved.

*Paley said that few paid her work any attention until "women lifted her" by buying her books, etc. (Arcana)
*Brian Doyle's recent Oregonian column suggests one of the worthy ways one could spend one's kicker check is on Le Guin's complete works. (introduction to Le Guin speaking)
*To Paley, stupidity equals refusal to hear; adults should raise children righteously up, meaning that they should speak truth and do no harm to both those who are familiar to them and those who are strangers; a hunk of bread is an important thing to eat daily (her father ended every meal with a hunk of bread); always remember love. (Le Guin)
*Paley arrived at a pre-event party with bare legs, and the host (Linder) rejoiced and ran back upstairs to her bedroom to remove her own nylons. It's sad that we are no longer able to ask Paley questions, but what is truly awful is that we can no longer receive her answers. (Linder)
*Budner told the story of the time she was in a cab with Paley, and she had just worked up her courage to say, in just the right way, how much Paley's works had meant to her when Paley interrupted her to speak to the cab driver about broken stoplights. Budner said she suddenly felt as though she were in one of Paley's short stories, realizing how difficult and surprising it is to care.
*Paley preferred the word storytelling over fiction. She told her writing students to think of and discuss, without putting pen to paper, a story. A couple days later, she asked them to think of the story underneath that original story. On the fifth day of class, she asked them to consider the story underneath the second story. Some amazing, truly unexpected stories emerged. Don't lie to the reader. That's enough concrete; anything more is just stone. Compassion should be in the same room as hard truths. You should interrupt—don't you know how to have a conversation? (Ruth Gundle and Barrington)
*Kirk explained that she thought she had read Paley's stories, but she had of course read them in her British accent, etc. She discovered that she hasn't truly read the stories until she heard Paley read them. (And there is a good plug for the importance of readings.)

A Gift to Writers This Holiday Season

Have you checked out Duotrope's Digest yet? Jeff at the Writers' Dojo clued me into this amazing—and free!—online resource.

What Kate's Reading

One of Indigo's clients has started a blog she calls an "online book club…I'd love to have my blog become a place for discussion on books, a place for people to learn about new books, comment about them or similar authors or books that they think I and other blog-readers might enjoy."