NEWS AND NOTES from PoetsWest

Updated June 18, 2008

Tamara Sellman, director of MRCentral www.mrcentral.net announces the opening of the 2009 Magic Carpet Ride mentorship application.
This mentorship, an innovative one-on-one creative writing program, is the first of its kind to provide specialized instruction, direction, and motivation specifically for a writer of literary magical realism.
Qualification: Mentorship, valued at $1500, will be awarded annually, and on a competitive basis, to a single applicant who is able to demonstrate:
o a deep commitment to completing their work in progress
o strong writing skills
o a desire to learn and to succeed
o a good understanding of the magical realist nature of their manuscript
Applicants must fill out an online application, respond to a questionnaire, send a 10-page sample and pay application fee ($40 for members of MRCentral; $60 for nonmembers, which covers lifetime membership). Postmark deadline October 31, 2008 for receipt of all application materials for 2009 mentorship session. Email deadline for receipt of all application materials for the 2008 mentorship session is midnight [Pacific time] October 31, 2008. More info at www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/MRCentral/mentorship.html or contact magicalrealismmaven@hotmail.com.

The Northwest Author Series, sponsored by the Wilsonville Public Library, Wilsonville Arts & Culture Council & Friends of the Wilsonville Library, continues through June 2008, then picks up again in September. See blog for more information about NAS authors at http://northwestauthorseries.wordpress.com/. Hosted by Christina Katz christinakatz@earthlink.net. If you'd like to apply as a presenter for 08/09, please e-mail Christina Katz. Mailing address: Northwest Author Series / PO Box 1354 / Wilsonville OR 97070.

News from the Mukilteo Arts Guild:
Open Mic Night on Wednesdays from 6-8 pm
Whidbey Coffee and Café, 619-4th St., Mukilteo WA
Venue for musicians, bands and performers. Open mike. Free and open to all ages. Contact Steve or Christine Schmalz 425.423.0450 or theartworkshop7@aol.com. Open Mic Night is presented by the Mukilteo Arts Guild and co-sponsored by the City of Mukilteo.

Mukilteo Arts Guild and city of Mukilteo sponsor a number of activities.
Writers Group: A literary salon for writers and open to writers from all genres. Meets on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at The Art Building, Upper Level in The Art Workshop Studio, 724 1st Street, Mukilteo WA 98275. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact 425.423.0450.

Art Walk in Old Town Mukilteo seeks artists and artisans to participate in upcoming art walks on June 25,July 30, and August 27. Free and open to all artists in the Puget Sound region. Contact Debby McGehee 425.348.9134 or debbymcgehee@comcast.net.

The Mukilteo Arts Guild will have Master Pastelist Margaret Dyer in a 3-day workshop on August 15-17, 2008. See http://www.margaretdyer.com.

Summer Art Programs for Kids and Teens
The Art Workshop offers 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.

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 541-574-7708. Mailing address: 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.

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.