For the fourth time, the Southern Oregon Guild will present a unique writing workshop, “Let’s Write! – A Different Kind of Writing Experience.” This day of creativity takes place in person at the Guild Gallery in Kerby, on Saturday, May 21, from 9 am to 5 pm. This year’s theme is “The Art of Language.”
The focus is on participants actively generating their own writing, triggered by prompts and ideas rather than passively listening to “how-to” advice from others. The facilitators will energize new writing, utilizing what they have learned from their own experiences.
The keynote speaker is Amy Miller, whose latest book Astronauts won the Chad Walsh Chapbook Prize. She is a past recipient of an Oregon Literary Fellowship.
In addition to her keynote, Miller will be presenting “Mosaic Land: Using Postcards to Write Poems of Place.”
“I’ve been writing poems on postcards for the past 10 years,” says Miller. “And I’m always amazed at how liberating it is to write in a very small space, with only a few lines at your disposal. The result is a highly concentrated, power-packed little poem. Put a few of them together, exploring some large topic from different angles, and you end up with a very interesting series of poems. Maybe even a book.”
Following the keynote will be three 90-minute sessions, each with a choice of two separate workshops, for a total of six different presentations. Facilitators will provide inspiration and support while guiding attendees to create their own fresh writing.
Author, community builder and Black cultural expert Kokayi Nosakhere will present “Capturing ‘Voice’: Translating Experiences Through History and Journalism.” Using primary historical documents from African American history, participants will learn how to communicate the voice and style of yesterday in terms readers can appreciate today, while avoiding the common mistakes of cultural appropriation and colonialism.
Nosakhere notes, “Word choice and colloquialism shift from time to time and place to place. Being able to translate the flavor of a turn of phrase in 2022 from 1915 or 1875 is a valuable skill for non-fiction writers.”
Additional presenters and workshops include H. Ní Aódagaín with “From Harry Potter to Hannibal Lecter: The Importance of Character Building in Your Story or Memoir”; Laura Mancuso with “News Writing 101”; Miles Frode with “Another Way In”; and Eliot Feenstra with “Listening to Place: The Neighborhood Poetry Project.”
Lunch is included, as well as an afternoon cookie break. The day will conclude with an Open Mic, in which participants can share the work they created throughout the day.
Further information, including author bios and workshops descriptions, can be found on the guild website, www.southernoregonguild.org.
Fees are on a sliding scale from $35 to $55. Student fee is $20. Register online by 11:59 PM Pacific, on Wednesday, May 18 at www.southernoregonguild.org. To register or for financial hardship information, you can also email [email protected] or call 541-659-3858.
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