The IPRC is a fantastic place for writers and artists to work and learn the craft of self publishing.

IPRC Events and A Very Minor Prophet

Hawthorne Book authors have hosted events at the IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) in the past and coming up on Saturday May, 19th at 7:30pm, James Bernard Frost will read from his spring 2012 title A Very Minor Prophet at IPRC. In his novel, IPRC is a hub where the characters create and distribute their zines so we thought a book event there would be fitting.

Of course, IPRC doesn’t just play a role in fiction, they have a whole host of events and opportunities for Portland artists. IPRC has helped Portland area writers, self-publishers, and artists achieve their creative goals since 1998. It provides a space to network with other artists and writers and helps with the production and distribution of zines, comics, artwork, and hand-bound books.

This February, IPRC will host workshops focused on binding, letterpress, lino- and screen printing as well as a few guest speakers. Check out their full calendar of events. A few upcoming IPRC events are listed below:

Zines 101
When: Wednesday, February 15, 7:00-9:00pm
Cost: $10 members / $20 nonmembers purchase here.
Summary: Learn the basics of zines: how to do it and why you should and join seasoned zinester Sarah Mirk in making your own practice zine.

Digital Publishing (e-books)
When: Sunday, February 19, 6:00-8:00pm
Cost: $30 members/$45 non-members register by emailing iprcworkshops@gmail.com
Summary: This workshop will lay the groundwork on the different e-book formats and which reading devices support them. You’ll learn how to produce your own e-book files using Microsoft Word and Calibre and get your work into retailers’ digital bookstores.

Guest Speaker: Arthur Bradford
When: Tuesday, February 24, 6:00-9:00pm
Cost: $5 purchase here.
Summary: Arthur Bradford short story author and a director. He has had one book of short stories published, Dogwalker. He has won an O. Henry Award and has had his stories published in Esquire, McSweeneys, Zoetrope, Dazed & Confused, Tin House, and BOMB. He will be giving an intimate talk about his writing process.

The Independent Publishing Resource Center/IPRC
917 SW Oak Street #218
Portland, Oregon 97205
www.iprc.org

Central Multnomah Library (pictured here) is hosting many readings and lectures this winter with authors Kevin Renner, Joe Sacco, and Richard Meltzer.

Snowstorms and downpours, winter has arrived in full force and what better way to get out of the rain and fight off the winter blues than to attend some local literary events. Here is a list of readings, exhibits, and guest speakers going on in upcoming weeks around town. (I’m sure that I’ve left some out so please leave any that you know of in the comments!) In addition to this list, we will soon post events for our spring 2012 title A Very Minor Prophet by James Bernard Frost. Stay tuned!

“The Envious Tooth of Time”: Early Printed Works from the PSU Library Special Collections
When: January 13 – March 23, 2011
Where: Millar Library, 1st Floor Elevator Lobby on PSU Campus
Summary: This exhibition highlights original printed works from the Portland State University Library Special Collections, ranging from the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries.

First Wednesday Guest Speaker- Ed Edmo
When: Wednesday, February 1, at 7:00pm
Where: Oswego Heritage House, 398 10th St., Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Summary: Come hear Ed Edmo, a Shoshone-Bannock poet, playwright, performer, traditional storyteller, tour guide and lecturer, talk about Pacific NW Indian culture and storytelling throughout history.

Writers Talking – Kevin Renner
When: Saturday, February 4, 1-2:30pm
Where: Central Library, Multnomah County Library, U.S. Bank Room, space is limited.
Summary: Kevin Renner speaks about his recently published book. The event will be a lecture with a reading and discussion.

The Moth Mainstage-Walk the Line: Stories of Balancing Acts
When: Tuesday, February 7, 7:30pm
Where: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Fee: Tickets range between $25 – $60 order at ticketmaster.com
Summary: One of the most loved radio shows returns to Portland for another round of true! Featuring storyteller Lisa Lampanelli and event host Mike Daisey.

Molly Gloss Presentation: “The Community of the Book: Where Writers and Readers Meet on the Page”
When: February 11, 10:00am
Where: Oswego Heritage House, 398 10th St., Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Summary: Portland author Molly Gloss will talk about how her work has been shaped by the books she has read throughout her life; and by her readers, who collaborate in storytelling whenever they open one of her novels.

Writers Talking – Joe Sacco
When: Saturday, February 18, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Central Library, Multnomah County Library, U.S. Bank Room
Note: Space is limited. Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program.
Summary: Joe Sacco’s most recent book is Footnotes in Gaza. The event will be a lecture with a reading and discussion.

An Evening with Poet Ger Killeen and Author Brian Doyle
When: February 22, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Streff Gallery in the Shoen Library at Marylhurst University, 17600 Pacific Hwy # 43
Summary: Poet and Gaelic teacher Ger Killeen joins Mink River author Brian Doyle for an evening of reading from their works.

NW Author Series: The Essential Elements of Storytelling with Bill Johnson
When: Sunday, February 26, 3:30-5:30pm
Where: Oak Room – Wilsonville Public Library, 8200 SW Wilsonville Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
Fee: $5 dollars at the door
Summary: In this presentation, Bill Johnson will discuss the essential elements of storytelling.

NW Author Series: How to Write Biography with Pamela Smith Hill
When: Sunday, March 18, 3:30-5:30pm
Where: Oak Room – Wilsonville Public Library, 8200 SW Wilsonville Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
Fee: $5 dollars at the door
Summary: Biographer Pamela Smith Hill will discuss practical tips for writing biographies and share ideas to help you research fiction or nonfiction and write with confidence.

And please don’t forget Powell’s monthly author readings, book groups, and literary events.

In late October, Random Order Coffeehouse & Bakery hosted a release party for a newcomer to the Portland literary scene: Cavalcade Literary Magazine. Comprised of fiction, poetry, and photography, the magazine hosts an eclectic mix of voices. It’s powerful, quirky, and poignant.

Putting together a journal has been Cutter Williams’ dream for quite some time. While working part-time at Random Order, sitting on his English degree for a while, Cutter decided to make that dream a reality. He wanted to publish a literary journal, but he didn’t want it to be just a few copies hastily thrown together. He wanted his journal to stand out and he wanted the work to be of literary merit.

Cutter took a self-publishing class at the Independent Publishing Resource Center, taught by Michael D’Alessandro to learn about lit. journal production. He says that Michael was instrumental and that, “The journal should be a testament to that.”

Cutter also had a great deal of help from his friend and co-worker, Jacob Sexton. A graduate student in the Book Publishing Program at PSU, Jacob offered to help edit Cavalcade. Cutter sought advice from Jacob with the layout, asking him questions about InDesign. They spent enough time together working on the journal that eventually Cutter realized he had a partner. “He is essentially half of the publication, in that he helped out immensely with the design and editing.”

Cutter Williams (left) and Jacob Sexton.

Cutter loves the word cavalcade and sees Cavalcade Literary Magazine as supporting a procession of literature in print, as opposed to electronic publishing. While many publishers offer their books in e-versions Cutter stands behind the printed form. He believes that printed books cannot be matched by e-books.

When Cutter began putting the journal together he quickly learned that many of his close friends were good writers. The dream was getting closer to reality. “In this first issue, I reached out to everyone, with a few exceptions. From that, all the work that was given to me was promised to me and not sent elsewhere.”

Most literary journals receive a considerable number of submissions on a daily basis, and Cutter is aware of how taxing it can be to sift through all of them. He is also aware of how easily a submission can be tossed aside. “A great piece of literature that has a couple of grammatical errors may be thrown out after someone reads the first paragraph, just because there is already noticeable editing to embark upon, and a thousand other stories and poems to read.” With the work from his friends, Cutter saw a quality that he felt needed to be published. It was says Cutter, “an opportunity to showcase the work of people closest to me, and they put faith in me to back it up with a well-designed book and exposure.”

The crowd that gathered at the Cavalcade reading was big. (I stood just inside the door of Random Order, leaning in to hear what I could of a few poets reading.) In attendance was a circle of people out to support a friend and his dream. It was a community.

Cutter plans to publish Cavalcade bi-annually. The next issue should be out in the early months of 2012. Keep an eye out for it and check out their website: www.cavalcadelitmag.com.

Hawthorne Books publisher Rhonda Hughes and author David Rocklin tabling at this year's Wordstock festival.

After the smashing success of Wordstock 2011, it’s hard not to feel inspired by the power of the written word. We start reaching for the laptop, journal, or even cocktail napkin to scribble down the ideas that abounded at the annual literary festival. Readers, writers, publishers and bibliophiles of all genres convened to celebrate the world of books through readings, panel discussions, workshops and book signings. Several of our own authors here at Hawthorne—including David Rocklin, Scott Nadelson, Lidia Yuknavitch, Peter H. Fogtdal, Monica Drake—made appearances to share excerpts from their books and participate in some thought-provoking discussions.

So if you’ve got the itch of inspiration but are still facing the white menace of the blank page, we thought we’d offer some local resources to help get the creative ball rolling…

The Attic Institute:
For more than 10 years,The Attic Institute has been offering a creative haven for writers with workshops, classes and consultation groups with a diverse staff of published writers, journalists and educators. Check out some of their upcoming classes covering everything from poetry and fairy tales to crafting dialogue and the details of getting published. Duration and fees vary. See www.atticwritersworkshop.com or call 503-236-0615.

Write Around Portland:
Write Around Portland strives to make writing a community activity through public readings, published anthologies and offering workshops free of charge to veterans, survivors of abuse, people living below the poverty line and other communities in need. Check out their upcoming spring workshops, or volunteer to help other aspiring writers. Call 503-796-9224 or see www.writearound.org.

PDX Writers and Portland Women Writers:
Unleash your inner author in a nurturing environment with a workshop at PDX Writers or the Portland Women Writers, which both offer workshops based on the Amherst Writers and Artists Method aiming to draw out each writer’s unique voice. Check out their workshops, one-day events and weekend retreats at www.pdxwriters.com or www.pdxwomenwriters.com.

Writers’ Dojo:
Looking for a relaxing space that’s more conducive to literary creation than your living room with squabbling children or equally obnoxious roommates? The Writers’ Dojo is a membership organization that offers writers of all sorts just such a sanctuary, along with group readings, special events and an online publication. Core membership is $120 per month. Get all the details at www.writersdojo.org.

Whether you’re a writing novice or a published author, everyone could use a little support and inspiration. So check out one of the local workshops to get started, have a little fun and maybe even uncover some deeper truths about yourself. As our author Scott Nadelson recently posted on our blog about his new short story collection Aftermath:

“Our resilience in the face of suffering, our stubbornness in the face of failure, our stupidity and blindness in the face of repeated mistakes: all of these things continue to amaze and baffle me, but in writing these stories I have come to see them not as an exception or aberration but as the essence of our being, our very lifeblood.”

Wordstock 2011!

One of our fall 2011 Hawthorne interns, Emily Shannon, shares a few thoughts on her weekend at Wordstock…

In my excitement after the superb literary madness that is Wordstock, I hurried home, eager to scribble down all that I had heard, seen, and experienced. I felt motivated and inspired by the readings and conversations. My day seemed complete, especially after an accomplished morning: I finally started writing after weeks of tinkering with an idea.

The act of writing can be a painful process. “We trudge along,” as Anne Enright said at her reading of The Forgotten Waltz. “Editing is what makes the work seem flawless, as if the words magically flowed out of us in a steady stream.” Occasionally that may be the case. Hawthorne Books author Scott Nadelson demonstrated such ability at his reading from his most recent publication, Aftermath. Scott has a strong presence on stage. He has a sharp and concise manner of reading each sentence, and his tone is eager and thoughtful. It compliments the story itself, showing a concern for the narrative, for the character. This is one of my favorite parts from the story Dolph Schayes’s Broken Arm:

“We were just kids, and our relationship was brief and trivial and fumbling, and I’m sure she’s forgotten me long since. I might have forgotten her, too, if not for the suffering she caused me, which didn’t feel trivial at all, not then. Not now, either, in part because I’ve experienced similar suffering since, and its accumulation, I have to believe, accounts at least somewhat for the way I’ve lived my life, with the expectation that joy will always be tempered by deprivation or longing or loss.”

Before Nadelson’s reading, I went to the conversation My Censor, My Self. On panel was Lynn Connor, author of The Stones and the Poet, a creative nonfiction tale for children based off of the poem The Stones by Chinese poet Bai Juyi; Kerry Cohen, author of Loose Girl and Dirty Little Secrets; and Hawthorne Books author Lidia Yuknavitch, author of the memoir The Chronology of Water.

The focus of the panel was on memoir writing and the authors began by speaking about self-censorship in writing, how it hinders a writer and prevents them from writing the truth. Yuknavitch mentioned that it’s a matter of finding a way to write all the way through the fear and the shame and the judgment. It’s not just about that personal struggle; it’s a crucible. While reflection during the process may be taxing, it is important to remember that we are not alone in our experiences. We are writing on behalf of others knowing they will benefit.

Yuknavitch also expressed the struggle to talk bout the truth of a story. She doesn’t believe that it’s truth with a capital “T,” but many truths coming from a myriad of people who are involved in the story. This layered effect of truths makes the story more complex. While we try to write our own truth, we must be mindful of how others might interpret our words. “Good writing only happens when you have compassion for people,” Cohen said. In our compassion, we show an understanding and an admission to our own flaws.

Yuknavitch also brought to light the fact that a woman writer trying to write explicitly about sex/sexuality (two separate things, she stressed) is going to be dismissed by most publishers and the media. They don’t want such things put in the public sphere, holding to the assumption that readers will be offended or find it distasteful. Little do they know how much readers want to hear the truth, even if it may make us uncomfortable. Yuknavitch prefers to call her memoir a body story. A woman’s sexuality is with her from the day she is born until the day she dies. A body story is about the authenticity and the truth and beauty in a single life, all that a person has endured.

I had my own literary hang-up recently. Trouble writing, for various reasons, or probably most simply out of fear and laziness (thank you Kicking and Screaming), but Yuknavitch accurately defined that delay as a threshold facing the white page. We must “get back to the joy of being inside the story, the rhythm, the language, the passion of writing.” One thing to think about, if there weren’t anyone around to read your writing, would you still create? I believe I would still write. Writing is a form of expression, a way for me to articulate how I perceive things, how I understand life and what it’s made of, with all it’s joys, fears, challenges, contradictions, and possibilities.

When it comes to facing the blank white page, Lynn Connor reminded me of how I usually see things when I begin to tell a story, but which frequently escapes me. I see things in pictures. So, if you can’t write it, think about what you can see or are going to see when you tell the story. Can you see your character? What’s s/he doing? What’s s/he thinking? What’s s/he feeling? And I reiterate, trust the language and let it lead the way.

In celebration of Hawthorne Books' tenth anniversary ALL Hawthorne titles are only $10 from now until August 1st!

A lot of you received our summer newsletter last week. (If you didn’t and want to receive future newsletters sign up here.) Those of you who got the newsletter already know about this great promotion that we’re doing in celebration of Hawthorne Books’ tenth anniversary — all books are just $10 until August 1st.

We’ve been busy bees getting summer reads packages together for this $10 promotion for the past several days and we’d love to keep the momentum up so if there’s a backlist Hawthorne title that you’ve always wanted to read or a newer Hawthorne Book that’s been on your mind — now’s the time!

Not only are ALL of our books only $10 until August 1st we’re taking care of shipping costs too. So if you pony up $50 you’ll get five new Hawthorne Books reads — no postage! Get them while they’re $10 and help us celebrate ten years of supporting literary arts and important writers, ten years of a vibrant Portland small press, ten years of Hawthorne Books!

Thank you for supporting Hawthorne Books! We couldn’t do it without you!

Intern appreciation lunch for our spring 2011 interns (Left to right: Adam O'Connor Rodriguez (senior editor), Irene Costello (intern), Rhonda Hughes (publisher), Stefanie Fisher (intern)

We get a lot of requests from local folks hoping to do an internship at Hawthorne Books — unfortunately way more than we can accommodate. Every spring, fall and winter (and sometimes summer) we have two, 10-week, unpaid interns and they help us out immensely. Lately we’ve been getting double and sometimes triple the amount of applicants so we thought we’d publish a roundup of Portland literary internships so we have somewhere to point folks beyond Hawthorne.

Internships are a great way to gain experience and build your resume while helping a business or non-profit out. This list is most likely missing folks so please let us know who we’ve left out…

Gobshite Quarterly
andreview
The Attic
Beyond Words Publishing
Reading Frenzy
Independent Publishing Resource Center
Willamette Week
Portland Mercury
Oregonian
Portland Tribune
The Bear Deluxe
Bitch Magazine
Calyx Literary Journal
Dark Horse Comics
The Grove Review
Ink & Paper Group
Ink-Filled Page
Raintown Press
Timber Press
Tin House Books
Tin House Magazine
Wordstock
Write Around Portland
Writer’s Dojo

So many books, so little time...

As a Hawthorne Books intern, a hopeful future book editor, a person with an English degree, and a self-proclaimed bibliophile, it is embarrassing for me to admit, but I don’t always have time for books. Don’t get me wrong, I always have time for books as an idea, as a conversation topic, as a table decoration, but between my busy work schedule, my social life, and my attempts to go to the gym, I don’t always have time to read them.

I am not proud of this. In fact, more times than I can count, I have been poised with the question ‘what book are you reading?’ and have had to stammer my way through some excuse or lie, while the person opposite of me (who will undoubtedly tell me that they were able to get through five Bible-sized books within the last month) looks at me with contempt. I am one of those people, they think. I can’t quote Joyce, I don’t know Russian literature, and I am currently- gasp!- reading nothing.

I am, on paper, a horrible book-lover.

So a few of months ago when a friend of mine invited me to join a book club she had recently started, I said yes, thinking this would be a great way to force myself into being a better reader. If the pressure of a looming weekly discussion weighed over me, I figured, my sheer desire to seem somewhat intellectual would force the pages to turn. And I was right– for book one. But then book two was slow, and book three was boring, and the author of book four seemed like a jerk…and there I was again, not making time for books. And truth be told, I thought about quitting. I thought, maybe I should just stop going; tell them I am too busy for books.

Give it once last chance, my friend pleaded with me (club attendance was dropping dangerously low, turns out a lot of people don’t have time for books), read at your own pace; don’t worry so much about keeping up. Stop, she told me, making reading a chore.

A chore? A chore?! Had I made reading a chore? Yes. I realized I had. I had made reading (before, and during the book club) into this large looming task. READ SOMETHING, I would demand of myself, in the same way I told myself to clean the kitchen and start doing daily sit-ups. I had started to put pressure on myself to be well-read, and in the meantime, forgotten how much I truly enjoyed reading.

And so I took her advice. I stuck with the club. And guess what? I hated book five. I got half way through it and gave up. But that’s OK, my friend told me. Reading, she reminded me, is not about the end goal it is about the process.

And she was right. We started the sixth book, Lit by Marry Karr, last week and though I am still horribly behind everyone else in the club and I still can’t quote Joyce, I am starting to remember why I used to make time for reading, why I chose a life and career that involves literature. And this week’s book club was the best yet, I admitted to everyone I am a S-L-O-W reader, I stopped trying to pretend I was full of insight about every passage, and I just let myself enjoy the story, the company, and the wine, without pretense. So what if only can squeeze in a few pages per night while others can down 300? Who cares if I get bored, or distracted, or put it down and never pick it up again? There is no reading police, and there is no such thing as too busy for something you love. Because when I stopped making reading a to-do, it became enjoyable again.

For more on book clubs in Portland, check out this February Oregonian article.

Let’s face it: we’re lucky to live here. It seems that Portland’s enormously rich literary landscape just keeps expanding, and the latest addition to a long list of amazing industry resources is a brand new community center for the arts. Crow Arts Manor, located in NoPo’s Milepost 5 art community, opened its doors this April 10th.

A non-profit in the tradition of LA’s Beyond Baroque and Seattle’s Richard Hugo House, Crow Arts Manor seeks to promote literary arts, fine and graphic art, and music.

Classes begin this June—college level workshops in writing, fine and graphic arts, comics, and bookmaking. In addition to classes, Crow Arts will host reading and music performances, and is in the process of building “one of the country’s largest collections of literary journals and books from independent presses,” with the goal to have the space open thirty hours a week for the public to come and read. The manor will also feature a gallery space and invite local artists to hang their work.

Sid Miller, the founder and editor of The Burnside Review, serves as the director of Crow Arts Manor. The board of advisors includes many notable Portland literary and artistic figures, including Kevin Sampsell, Paulann Peterson, Paul Collins, and Michele Glazer. Hawthorne connect: instructors include Hawthorne Books authors Monica Drake and Lidia Yuknavitch (hooray!) among many other terrific writers and artists.

Crow Arts Manor believes that on-going arts education should be accessible and that’s why each six-week course is offered at the reasonable cost of $95. As of now, classes are scheduled through the summer, offering unique and often specific curriculum such as Zachary Schomburg’s course, “The Narrative Prose Poem.” You can check out the classes online.

GO CROW ARTS!

Crow Arts Manor
850 NE 81st Ave., #114
Portland, Oregon
www.crowartsmanor.org
info@crowmanor.com

Check out this year's Write to Publish!

Ooligan Press is hosting its third annual Write to Publish conference!

Ooligan is a student run, non-profit trade press, operating in conjunction with PSU’s Master in Writing and Publishing programworkshops and lectures from published authors who are chalk-full of sage advice. Speakers will include Oregon Book Award winners David Biespiel and Willy Vlautin, as well as Hawthorne’s own Loretta Stinson!

The conference is a great resource for anyone interested in the industry. The goal is different from other conferences in that it doesn’t seek to workshop the creative act of writing, but to assist writers in the often daunting task of finding a publisher. Workshops will cover ideas such as marketing yourself as a writer, developing a relationship with an agent, and understanding industry trends.

Write to Publish is May 21st and 22nd at PSU. Purchase a full pass to Day One and you get free admittance to Day Two. You can also enroll in workshops on an individual basis.

Ooligan Press’ Write to Publish conference
www.ooliganpress.pdx.edu/w2p
Sat.-Sun., May 21st-22nd @ PSU
Register here