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LECTURES
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WORKSHOPS
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AUTHOR RECEPTION
NOV. 7-10, 2013
READINGS
CENTRAL OREGON’S PREMIER LITERARY EVENT
(theNatureofWords) THE OFFICIAL GUIDE FOR 2013 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
EDUCATION PARTNERS GREETINGS FROM DR. BECKY JOHNSON
VICE-PRESIDENT, OSU-CASCADES At Oregon State University - Cascades we celebrate great writers and readers. We see them in our classrooms, among our faculty and staff, and throughout Central Oregon and Oregon. Great writers teach and inspire. Great readers understand the complexities of the world around them. This year, we also celebrate our new Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing. OSU-Cascades is proud of its long association with The Nature of Words. Reading and writing are at the foundation of our efforts as educators within a university, and central to the contributions our undergraduate and graduate students make on a daily basis. We congratulate the NOW staff and volunteers who make the annual Festival and writing programs possible. OSU-Cascades has been a leading sponsor of The Nature of Words since it was founded in 2005.
GREETINGS FROM DR. JAMES MIDDLETON PRESIDENT, CENTRAL OREGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship,” wrote British author Philip Pullman, “stories are the things we need most in the world.” At Central Oregon Community College, we believe teaching students about great writing and great writers is the key to inspiring their own writing. Each year, The Nature of Words brings that effort into the community with the annual Literary Festival. We are proud to be an ongoing partner, helping to bring exceptional authors and strong year-round literary arts programming to the Central Oregon community. Congratulations to The Nature of Words on hosting another outstanding group of authors and presenters this year. And to everyone—enjoy the festival.
THE MISSION OF THE NATURE OF WORDS is to strengthen and support the literary arts and humanities in the Central Oregon high desert region through community interaction with acclaimed authors and through creative writing programs for students and adults.
(theNatureofWords) SAVE THE DATES! (See complete schedule on Page 8) Multicultural Lecture................................................................................................Thursday, Nov. 7 Rising Star Awards ...................................................................................................Thursday, Nov. 7 Reading & Reception with James Prosek .......................................................................Friday, Nov. 8 VIP Reception ...............................................................................................................Friday, Nov. 8 Guest Author Readings/Book Signings .........................................................................Friday, Nov. 8 Author-led Workshops & Lectures ........................................................................... Saturday, Nov. 9 Fireside Author Reception, Flash Author Readings ................................................... Saturday, Nov. 9 Second Sunday Author Reading & Open Mic .......................................................... Sunday, Nov. 10 BUY TICKETS: www.thenatureofwords.org Tickets to the Author Readings are available only at the Tower Theatre. Visit the box office at 835 NW Wall St., Bend, call 541.317.0700 or visit www.towertheatre.org.
Let the Readings Begin!
A Message from Amy Mentuck, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE NATURE OF WORDS Welcome to The Nature of Words’ 2013 Literary Festival – Central Oregon’s Premier Literary Event! This year, we celebrate our ninth consecutive festival with six renowned guest authors and poets who inspire us with words that strengthen our understanding of ourselves, our community and our world. The Nature of Words was established in 2005 and has evolved from an annual literary festival into a year-round literary arts organization. We provide outlets for creative self-expression through programs including The StoreFront Project and Words Without Walls; through contests such as the Rising Star Creative Writing Competition and SpeakNOW; through our annual anthology of student work and events such as Bookplate. The festival remains vital to raising awareness and appreciation of the writing craft, but also to generating knowledge of and funding for our year-round literary programs for youth and emerging writers of all ages. We’re thankful for the contributions from our individual, foundation and corporate partners and donors. I give special thanks to a talented team of staff, instructors, board of directors, festival and advisory committee members, and volunteers for their tireless efforts. Deep gratitude to founding director Ellen Waterston for her vision and years of leadership. We’re delighted to feature her as a guest author this year. We hope you enjoy the many options for engaging with this year’s slate of distinguished guest authors and poets. Your financial support helps ensure that our year-round programs and annual events continue to thrive. Thank you for your support of the literary arts.
Why I support (theNatureofWords) KRISTIN KOVALIK, PRESIDENT Through the Words Without Walls and Storefront programs The Nature of Words offers youth the opportunity for self-expression and personal growth while learning important writing skills. It is an honor to be involved with this organization and help foster the literary arts in Central Oregon. Last Book Read: City of Veils by Katya Hijazi and Nayir Sharqi
2 | The Nature of Words 2013 • Official Guide
CHRISTINE COFFIN, VICE-PRESIDENT It’s amazing the impact of such a small organization. That impact shines at readings, when a high school student steps in front of a microphone. ... The young woman and her fellow writers help us remember ourselves at that age, and remind us of our humanity. The Nature of Words gives students a voice, and authors of all kinds, an audience. Last Book Read: Bossypants by Tina Fey
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HOT OFF THE PRESSES NOW Releases This Year’s Anthology of Student Writing “A book like this is filled with boys and girls and men and women…thrashing after stories with bone and salt and swing and laughter,” writes Brian Doyle in the preface of Lost and Found, this year’s anthology of writing published by The Nature of Words. For the past four years, The Nature of Words has compiled an anthology of work selected from NOW’s Storefront Project and Words Without Walls programs, along with winning submissions to the Rising Star Creative Writing Competition, to showcase the stories and voices of Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Each anthology is given a different title, and this year’s title, Lost and Found, connects an evocative thread running through many of the selections. “Many of our featured authors write about loss and longing—for faith, for love, for answers—and find themselves through their writing,” said Mary Heather Noble, Programs Director of The Nature of Words. Lost and Found captures that transformation for the writer…and the reader.” “It’s a brave book,” Doyle continues, “[One] where schoolkids and prisoners and teenagers popping into a storefront and men and women…write stories that matter, stories that get their hearts out through their fingertips, stories of hard grace and courage under duress and hope against all evidence and sense.”
From left to right: Kristin Kovalik, Chuck Mohler, Max Merrill, Jerry Barron, Sue Fountain, Gail Kinsey Hill, Christine Coffin, Penny Nakamura and Broc Stenman.
The Board of Directors
is proud to present (theNatureofWords) Literary Festival. The festival, and NOW’s creative writing programs, are possible due to the dedication, vision and support of the Board of Directors.
Lost and Found is $15 and will be on sale throughout the festival or available at The Nature of Word’s Literary Arts Center at 224 NW Oregon Ave. All proceeds support NOW’s youth and adult writing programs.
Thank You
The Nature of Words was just awarded a $25,000 grant for capacity building by the Meyer Memorial Trust. The funds will be used to improve and enhance NOW’s ability to achieve its mission and sustain the organization.
Why I support (theNatureofWords) SUE FOUNTAIN, SECRETARY The true nature of words is that they possess the potential for stories, songs, poems, and dramatic works. Offering this potential to the community carries a strong message of belief in the growing cultural life of Central Oregon. Last Book Read: Border Songs by Jim Lynch
JERRY BARRON, TREASURER The value of creative thinking and expression is invaluable and truly vital for a free society. Last Book Read: Just One Catch by Tracy Daugherty
GAIL KINSEY HILL, BOARD MEMBER I support NOW because I have always been crazy about books, about the words they contain, and the explorations they promise. I became involved with NOW because I wanted to share this passion with others and work to make literacy in the high desert as sweet and deeply rooted as sage. Last Book Read: Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey The Bulletin • The Nature of Words 2013 | 3
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2013 Guest Authors Jim Lynch (Fiction)
Lawson Inada
Lawson Inada is a former Oregon Poet Laureate and currently professor emeritus of writing at Southern Oregon University. He will be honored with the 2013 Caldera Award from The Nature of Words, in recognition of his body of work. He is the author of five books including Legends from Camp, a volume of poetry which won the American Book Award. He also is a winner of the Governor’s Arts Award (1997), the Oregon Book Award (for Drawing the Line, 1997), and the Pushcart Prize (1996) for poetry. Other titles include In This Great Land of Freedom, Just Into/Nations and Before the War. Professor Inada has won two Poetry Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and his work has appeared in The Best American Poetry. He was the narrator for PBS specials on “Children of the Camps” and “Conscience and the Constitution.” He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2004 and has been recognized by the President of the United States, appearing at the White House in “A Salute to Poetry and American Poets.”
Karen Finneyfrock
(Slam Poetry/Young Adult Fiction) Karen Finneyfrock’s debut young adult novel, The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, was published by Viking Children’s Books in 2013. Her second book of poems, Ceremony for the Choking Ghost, was released on Write Bloody Press in 2010. She is a former Writer-in-Residence at Richard Hugo House in Seattle and teaches for Seattle Arts and Lectures’ Writers-in-the-Schools program. Finneyfrock has competed in four National Poetry Slam teams and was honored as a “Slam Legend” at the National Poetry Slam in 2006. In 2010, Finneyfrock traveled to Nepal as a Cultural Envoy through the US Department of State to perform and teach poetry.
James Prosek
(Creative Nonfiction)
James Prosek is an artist, writer and naturalist who made his authorial debut at 19 with Trout: an Illustrated History, featuring 70 of his watercolor paintings of the trout of North America. Prosek has written for The New York Times and National Geographic Magazine and won a Peabody Award in 2003 for his documentary about traveling through England in the footsteps of Izaak Walton, the seventeenth-century author of The Compleat Angler. Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World’s Most Amazing and Mysterious Fish, was a New York Times Book Review editor’s choice, and was the subject of a documentary for the PBS series “Nature” that aired in April 2013. Prosek’s latest book, Ocean Fishes, is a collection of life-sized paintings of 35 Atlantic fishes. Prosek co-founded a conservation initiative called World Trout in 2004 with Yvon Chouinard, the owner of Patagonia clothing company, which raises money for coldwater habitat conservation. Last year, Prosek received the Gold Medal for Distinction in Natural History Art from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Currently, he is working on a book and on an article for National Geographic on how we name and order the natural world.
Photo by Grace Lynch
(Poetry/Oregon Poet Laureate 2006-2010)
Jim Lynch is the author of three novels set in Western Washington. His most recent title is Truth Like the Sun, released April 2012, which New York Times reviewer Janet Maslin picked as one of her 10 favorite books of 2012. The novel is also a finalist for the Dashiell Hammett Prize, given to the best literary crime fiction in North America. Lynch’s first novel, The Highest Tide (2005), won the Pacific Northwest Bookseller Award. His second novel, Border Songs, 2009, was adapted to the stage and won the Washington State Book Award, as well as the Indie’s Choice Honor Book Award. The film rights have been sold for The Highest Tide and TV rights for Border Songs. Lynch grew up in the Seattle area and graduated from the University of Washington before working as a reporter for newspapers in Alaska, Virginia, Washington and Oregon. His national honors include the George Polk Award, the H.L. Mencken Award and Livingston Young Journalist Award for National Reporting.
Ellen Waterston (Poetry) Ellen Waterston’s verse novel, Vía Lactéa, is based on her walking the Camino de Santiago in 2012. This work is Waterston’s third collection of poetry. Others include Cold Snap, released in 2011, and Where the Crooked River Rises, which was published in 2010. She was the winner of the 2008 Northwest Perspectives Essay Contest and will judge that competition in 2013. Her memoir, Then There Was No Mountain, was rated one of the top 10 books by the Oregonian in 2003 and earned her an appearance on Good Morning America. Recent awards include two WILLA awards in poetry for her collections Between Desert Seasons and I Am Madagascar, the Obsidian Prize in Poetry, an Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, an Oregon Arts Commission Career Opportunity Grant, a Literary Arts Oregon Literary Fellowship and Fishtrap’s Werner Fellowship. She served on the 2012 faculty of Summer Fishtrap and gave the keynote at the 2013 Northwest Poets’ Concord. The founder of The Nature of Words and director for 11 years, today Waterston focuses on her own writing and on the Writing Ranch, founded in 2000, which offers creative writing workshops and retreats for emerging writers in central Oregon, Mexico and Europe. She lives in Bend, Ore.
Emily Carr (Poetry) Emily Carr has been a finalist in seven national book contests, most notably The National Poetry Series 2011. Her second book of poetry, 13 Ways of Happily: Books 1 & 2, was the winner of the 2009 New Measures Poetry Prize. Another book of poetry, directions for flying, was the winner of the 2009 Furniture Press poetry prize. Carr has received fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Jack Kerouac House, Writers in the Heartland, and Camac Centre d’Art, France. She has authored a six-volume series of artist books. Carr’s experience teaching music to Quaker children encourages her to think of writing workshops as laboratories: spaces for exploration, writing together, sharing what we’ve written and thinking about what happens in these writing moments. She received her Ph.D. from University of Calgary in 2010. Carr is the director of the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing at OSU-Cascades In Bend, Ore.
Why I support (theNatureofWords) MAX MERRILL, BOARD MEMBER I joined The Nature of Words Board because of my past association with Ellen Waterston and my love of reading. I felt this was a program that was meeting an important need in the area and I wanted to be a part of helping that effort. Last Book Read: The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism by A.C. Grayling 4 | The Nature of Words 2013 • Official Guide
CHUCK MOHLER, BOARD MEMBER Over the course of the past two years of involvement with NOW I have had the opportunity to see children and adults too shy to speak, too troubled to care, turn their lives around, all because of the written word. On a personal note, you need to find your passion, regardless of what that may be. Once found, in my case The Nature of Words, it gives me energy, something to look forward to and a source of inspiration. Last Book Read: The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
CANNED FOOD DRIVE Attending the Guest Author Readings and Signings at the Tower Theatre? The Nature of Words will conduct a canned food drive at the Tower in cooperation with NeighborImpact. Please bring a donation and drop it off at the collection site in the lobby. Thank you!
Honoring Emerging Writers
MEET THE WINNERS OF THE 2013 RISING STAR CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION FICTION
Rising Star Celebrates 8 Years
Laura Robson
T.K. Waits
POETRY
Joanna Elizabeth Lightly
Mercer Hanau
LITERARY NONFICTION
Scott Goodenough
Caylyn Sheldon
Evan Gabriel
Gail Bartley
Since 2006, the Rising Star Creative Writing Competition has been showcasing emerging voices in fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry. Open to writers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, the competition awards winners with a cash prize, a trophy created by local metal artist Ben Schade of Schade Steel, and a scholarship to attend a guest author workshop of their choice during the literary festival. In addition, winners are recognized at the Rising Star Awards Ceremony during the Festival.
FICTION
POETRY
LITERARY NONFICTION
Laura Robson started to write when she crafted her first story at age seven and never stopped. Since then she’s written four novels, numerous short stories and dabbled in screenwriting. She currently attends Summit High School.
Writing has been Mercer Hanau’s passion since elementary school. She draws inspiration from blending science and creativity, as well as the writing process itself. Mercer is a junior at Woodrow Wilson High School and currently leads her high school literary magazine.
Caylyn Sheldon is a sophomore at Sisters High School. As a little girl she would write stories to act out with her stuffed animals, but one day she hopes to become a published author and teach creative writing to other aspiring authors.
“It’s exciting—the competition has become a launch pad for emerging writers in the region,” said Amy Mentuck, Executive Director for The Nature of Words. “Past winners have gone on to win other competitions, establish themselves, even pursue publication. That’s why we believe it’s so important to support writers with regionally-focused competitions such as Rising Star. It’s another opportunity for writers in the Pacific Northwest to be recognized and contribute to the nation’s literary tradition.”
WINNING ENTRY: “Perhaps If”
All winning and honorable mention submissions will be included in this year’s annual anthology, Lost and Found, along with selected works from The Storefront Project, which offers student creative writing groups and adult writing workshops, and Words Without Walls, which provides writers-in-residence programs in Central Oregon schools and alternative education environments. Lost and Found is available for $15 at all festival venues and at The Nature of Words’ Literary Arts Center at 224 NW Oregon Avenue in Bend.
AGES 15-18 WINNER: Laura Robson, Bend, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Aloft”
HONORABLE MENTION: Daniel Wolfert, Tacoma, WA
AGES 19-25 WINNER: T.K. Waits, Bend, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Bar Nuts”
T.K. Waits is fascinated by alphabets. When he isn’t using the alphabet’s beauty to create art, he’s spending hours behind the pages of authors including Bukowski and Palahniuk, riding his Bianchi or playing his Hohner Harmonica.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ruth Hovekamp, La Grande, OR
WINNING ENTRY: “Snow White, Rose Red, Sea Green”
AGES 25+ WINNER: Joanna Elizabeth Lighty, Tacoma, WA WINNING ENTRY: “Sleepless”
Joanna Elizabeth Lighty earned her MFA from Pacific University, working with mentors such as Pam Houston, Bonnie Jo Campbell and Jack Driscoll. She believes in the impact of community and that no writer succeeds without the guidance and support of others.
AGES 15-18 WINNER: Mercer Hanau, Portland, OR WINNING ENTRY: “The Writer”
HONORABLE MENTION: Elizabeth Nesbitt, Bend, OR
WINNING ENTRY: “I Will Tell the Audient Void”
AGES 15-18 WINNER: Caylyn Sheldon, Redmond, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Vacant and Bare”
AGES 19-25 WINNER: Evan Gabriel, Portland, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Zagora and Beyond”
WINNING ENTRY: “Macro Kinesis”
Evan Gabriel has an affinity for linguistics and has been writing for five years. He received a B.A. in English Lit and German Studies from the University of Portland—“Zagora and Beyond” was an essay from his senior thesis.
AGES 19-25 WINNER: Scott Goodenough, Bend, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Iran Karapte”
AGES 25+ WINNER: Gail Bartley, Bend, OR WINNING ENTRY: “The Big Indian’s Last Stand”
HONORABLE MENTION: Mercer Hanau,
Portland, OR
Scott “Sage” Goodenough is a poet and currently interns at The Nature of Words. He loves writing, reading and teaching poetry but mostly loves Coca-Cola, his reason for existence.
AGES 25+ WINNER: Mara Ferguson, Bend, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Can’t Walk Away”
Native Oregonian Gail Bartley writes screenplays, fiction and essays. Her work has appeared in the Berkeley Fiction Review, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Inkpot, Carve Magazine (online edition) and The Source Weekly.
HONORABLE MENTION: Daniel Murphy, Redmond, OR
Poetry has always been the language of magic to Mara Ferguson. She’s written nearly 3,000 poems along with stories, essays and oddities. “Can’t Walk Away” was her first submission to a writing competition.
WINNING ENTRY: “In the Absence of Snowballs” HONORABLE MENTION: Liz Dunn, Bend, OR WINNING ENTRY: “Random Musings” Rising Star Competition sponsored by
HONORABLE MENTION: Erika Kightlinger, Bend, OR
WINNING ENTRY: “Tiny Bubbles”
Why I support (theNatureofWords) PENNY NAKAMURA, BOARD MEMBER I support The Nature of Words because I think everyone has a story to tell. What may seem mundane to you, can be extraordinary to someone else. Writing and sharing those ideas through novels, essays, and poetry is a beautiful gift. Think about all you’ve learned from other people who have shared their stories with you, either verbally or through the written word. In addition, to hear gifted young writers through the Rising Star program or the Store Front project would make anyone proud. I would invite the entire community to come hear our young writers read their essays and poetry. It is a phenomenal experience.
BROC STENMAN, BOARD MEMBER There is no other organization, anywhere, that so directly supports my passion for community-based literary arts and reading. This is absolutely essential to the place I call home. Last Book Read: The Son by Philipp Meyer
Last Book Read: The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson The Bulletin • The Nature of Words 2013 | 5
Workshops and Lectures THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Noon - 2:00 p.m.
Lawson Inada: Appreciating Diversity: A Literary Buffet (COCC Campus Center, Wille Hall) Lawson Inada, former Oregon Poet Laureate, will provide a fascinating look into the many racially diverse authors and poets who have shaped literature and poetry through the decades. He will discuss how these ethnic authors and poets bring their history and culture to the page. Mr. Inada will also speak about his own experience, and how it has influenced his work. A question and answer period will follow the lecture. Mr. Inada will also be available to sign books and videos after the Q&A session.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Lawson Inada BRINGING POETRY AND LITERATURE ALIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY (ROOM 117, OSU - CASCADES HALL) Lawson Inada will talk about his own writing process, and how he became interested in poetry. He will also delve into expanding literary and poetry programs for the general public, especially to those who have little or no access to what some critics believe to be a “high brow” experience. As one who is passionate about sharing poetry with diverse audiences, Mr. Inada will address how people can apply this information to their own writing, schools and community groups.
Jim Lynch LEARNING FROM BOOKS I’VE LOVED: MY ODYSSEY AS A READER AND A WRITER (ROOM 118, OSU - CASCADES HALL) At the heart of our reading and writing experiences are the books we’ve loved. They keep us reading and writing. Lynch will talk about some books that have inspired him as both a reader and a writer, and discuss how he returns to them to sharpen his own skills, style and ambitions. Whether you are a reader, a writer or both, this session may help you better understand your own preferences and why certain books move you.
11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Ellen Waterston A POET’S CAMINO: WRITING THE VERSE NOVEL (ROOM 117, OSU - CASCADES HALL) In this brown bag session, author and poet Ellen Waterston will discuss the genesis of her recently published verse novel, Vía Láctea (Atelier 6000, 2013), based on walking the Camino de Santiago in 2012. Selections from other verse novels will be distributed and discussed to illustrate both the flexibility and the challenges inherent in this exciting genre. Workshop prompts will focus on articulating participants’ verse novel ideas and the variety of verse forms available for the telling. Bring your own lunch to enjoy while you listen and learn.
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. James Prosek DRAWING AND WRITING: TANDEM PURSUITS (ROOM 118, OSU - CASCADES HALL) James Prosek spent his childhood and career making observations through painting and writing. He will describe how his process as an artist informs his writing and how making visual interpretations of the things he sees helps him create imagery through language. Participants may bring watercolors or graphite or any drawing materials. Karen Finneyfrock POETIC FORMS FOR THE FICTION WRITER AND MEMOIRIST (ROOM 117, OSU - CASCADES HALL) Poetic forms are useful to the prose writer in every step of the creative process. From conceptualizing the story to fine-tuning a chapter, poetry can unlock and improve our work in prose. No experience in poetry required!
WORKSHOP PARKING Please park in the Library parking lot across the street from OSU-Cascades Hall. No permit required.
Rising Star Judges Jane Kirkpatrick, fiction judge, is a New York Times bestselling author of 23 titles, including four nonfiction and 19 novels, most based on the lives of historical women. She has received numerous awards including The Distinguished Northwest Writer’s Award from Willamette Writers, the WILLA Literary Award from Women Writing the West, and the Caldera Award from The Nature of Words. Her 20th novel, One Glorious Ambition, based on the life of early mental health reformer Dorothea Dix, was released in April 2013. 6 | The Nature of Words 2013 • Official Guide
Jason Graham, poetry judge, is a poet, performer and painter better known by his stage name, MOsley WOtta. MOWO has played the Sundance Film Festival, MusicFestNW and TEDxBend. He was an invited speaker on The Nature of Words’ “Mixed Experience Panel,” and opened for influential hip hop acts including Gift of Gab, Tricky, Ice Cube, Talib Kweli and KRS-One. He received the “Arts Beautification and Culture Award” from the City of Bend in 2011 and was featured on OPB’s “Oregon Art Beat.”
Lily Raff McCaulou, literary nonfiction judge, is an award-winning journalist and author who has written about everything from professional mini-golfers to dogs trained to track down wild animal scat for science experiments. Her first book, Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner, has been featured in the New York Times and was chosen by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best books of 2012. Part memoir, part journalism, it examines what it means to be a hunter in America today.
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Educational Outreach Programs THE NATURE OF WORDS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO GROW
The Nature of Words’ (NOW) educational outreach programs provide creative writing opportunities for students and adults. Through these programs, participants explore their potential as writers, improve their use of language, and enhance critical thinking skills. Since their launch in 2008, NOW programs have grown in breadth and depth, in response to school budget cuts and the need for creative writing instruction in both traditional and alternative education settings.
THE STOREFRONT PROJECT
WORDS WITHOUT WALLS
FREE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS
BRINGING CREATIVE WRITING TO THE CLASSROOM
The Storefront Project offers free, drop-in after school creative writing classes twice weekly in NOW’s Literary Arts Center in downtown Bend. Middle- and high-school students focus on a theme, which changes monthly. Topics give students an opportunity to experience writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, nature essays, speculative fiction, slam poetry and ‘zines. In 2012, students also wrote and performed a one-act play about bullying at Cascades Theatrical Company. Launched in 2010, the Storefront draws students from across the spectrum of public schools, private academies, home schooled students and alternative programs. Your festival ticket purchase helps to support these year-round programs. Thank you!
“This program has changed my life! Thank you for allowing it to be free of charge.” — Ann “Thanks so much for having Storefront. It really inspires me.” — Shayna
• More than 200 young writers have participated in The Storefront Project since its inception in 2010.
The Nature of Words’ Words Without Walls program brings much needed creative writing programs to traditional classrooms and alternative education environments. Each residency is taught by an experienced professional and curriculum is structured around the site’s goals and priorities. The curriculum applies proven principles from programs such as Literary Arts’ Writers In The Schools, and Common Core Standards established by the State of Oregon for literary arts instruction. Author instructors encourage and guide students as they hone their writing skills in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Students also have an opportunity to present their work in a public performance at the conclusion of the residency. Students can submit their writing for inclusion in NOW’s annual anthology. The 2012-2013 residences spanned Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson and Hood River counties.
“When a student realizes that not only does their opinion matter, but that they are now able to express themselves with confidence using poetry, is a tremendous joy to observe. To see that same student supported by an entire classroom, or even an entire school, because they took the risk and spoke up, is one of the best kinds of heartache I have ever experienced.” — Jason Graham, Creative Writing Instructor
• 28 classroom sites and approximately 1,000 students were served in the 2012 and 2013 academic years. • More than 500 additional students attended concluding readings and assemblies.
Please consider a donation to
theNatureofWords) Your gift supports year-round creative writing programs and great literary experiences. Supporting The Nature of Words is easy. Donate at www. thenatureofwords.org or mail a check to: The Nature of Words, P.O. Box 56, Bend, OR 97709.
Have questions or want more information? Call 541.647.2233 or email info@thenatureofwords. org. In downtown Bend, visit us at 224 NW Oregon Ave. The Bulletin • The Nature of Words 2013 | 7
EventsSCHEDULE More info: www.thenatureofwords.org
Thursday, November 7, 2013 Noon - 2:00 p.m.
Multicultural Lecture With Guest Author Lawson Inada: “Appreciating Diversity: A Literary Buffet.” Central Oregon Community College, Campus Center, Wille Hall. General Admission: $25. Advance student tickets free with valid student ID. Sponsored by Central Oregon Community College (COCC) Office of Multicultural Activities, Penny Nakamura & Hal Koyama and Max Merrill & Grace Kennedy.
Hitchcock Auditorium. Emcee: Jason Graham, a.k.a. MOsley WOtta. Free to the public. Sponsored by Echo Fund.
Friday, November 8, 2013 3:00 p.m.
Reading & Reception, with Guest Author James Prosek Confluence Fly Fishing Shop, Old Mill District. By invitation. Sponsored by The Trust for Public Land, Deschutes River Conservancy, Trout Unlimited – Deschutes Chapter and Old Mill District.
5:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Rising Star Creative Writing Competition Awards Ceremony & Reception Plus book Launch for Lost and Found, NOW’s 2013 anthology of student writing. Central Oregon Community College, Pioneer Hall,
VIP Reception Umpqua Bank, Downtown Bend. By Invitation. Sponsored by Umpqua Bank.
7:00 p.m.
Guest Author Readings & Book Signings Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend, $30 Readings by (in order of appearance): Lawson Inada, James Prosek, Karen Finneyfrock, Jim Lynch. Emcee: Jane Kirkpatrick. Sponsored by The Bulletin and Starview Foundation. Please bring a donation for the canned food drive.
Saturday, November 9, 2013 Guest Author Workshops & Lectures OSU-Cascades Campus, Cascades Hall
9:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Workshops, $45 Lawson Inada (lecture) or Jim Lynch (workshop)
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – $35 Ellen Waterston Brown Bag Lunch Workshop
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. – Workshops, $45 James Prosek (workshop) or Karen Finneyfrock (workshop) Sponsored by OSU-Cascades and Central Oregon Community College.
7:00 p.m.
Fireside Author Reception Aspen Hall, Shevlin Park, Bend. $50 Guest author flash readings and Spoken Word by Jason Graham, a.k.a. MOsley WOtta.
Sunday, November 10, 2013 11:00 a.m.
Second Sunday Author Reading and Open Mic. Reading by Dr. Emily Carr. Bend Public Library, Brooks Room. Free to the public. Sponsored by OSU-Cascades
(theNatureofWords) Sponsors & Donors Laureate:
Ex Libris:
Dana and Gerald Barron
Best Seller: Priscilla & Dan Wieden in Honor of
Sue and Mike Hollern FamilyFund of
Fred W. Fields Fund of
Ball Janick LLP | Eriksen Wall Properties | Herbert A. Templeton Foundation | Juan Young Trust | Julia Kennedy Cochran PGE Foundation | Kristin Kovalik & Damien Nurre | Sally Russell | The Starview Foundation
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The Nature of Words is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.
The Nature of Words is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Council for the Humanities.