Category Archives: Uncategorized

Film Series Presents “Ecstasy of Order”

The Manzanita Film Series will present “Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters” Sunday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.

Directed by Adam Cornelius and written by Chris Higgins, the award-winning 2011 documentary follows a selection of the greatest world record Tetris players as they prepare for the 2010 Classic Tetris World Championship in Los Angeles.

The film explores what made the Soviet video game a worldwide hit. It also shows people trying to push the limits of their own rational ability to sort out the answers to a puzzle.

The running time is 93 minutes, and admission is $7. Refreshments will be available and a discussion follows the film.Ecstasy_of_Order_Poster

 

 

 

 

Natalie Serber is Featured Author for Manzanita Writers’ Series May 18

natalieauthor (2)Natalie Serber will read from her book Shout Her Lovely Name at the Hoffman Center at 7pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013.

In Shout Her Lovely Name, mothers and daughters ride the familial tide of joy, pride, regret, loathing, and love in these stories of resilient and flawed women. Emotionally generous, achingly real and beautifully written, these unforgettable stories lay bare the connection and conflict in families.

Serber has her MFA in fiction, has been awarded the John Steinbeck Award, Tobias Wolff Award, and H.E. Francis Award, and was short listed in Best American Short Stories. She’s been published in The Bellingham Review, Inkwell Magazine, Third Coast, Fourth Genre, and Hunger.

“Shout Her Lovely Name joins the ranks of the finest books ever to address relations between daughters and their mothers – equal parts love and sandpaper. — Robin Black, author of If I Loved You I Could Tell You This

Shout her Lovely Name is not only beautifully written, it absolutely sizzles with the electric shocks of family life, no matter whose family and what their circumstances. — Huffington Post

Take my word: Shout Her Lovely Name will reach inside readers, and squeeze. On second thought, don’t take my word. Read these lovely stories. — San Francisco Chronicle

Following Serber’s reading and Q&A, we’ll have our popular Open Mic where up to nine local writers will read 5 minutes of their original work.

Admission for the evening is $7.

Register Now for Beach and Bay Poetry Weekend Workshops

beach and bay headerIn honor of National Poetry Month the Manzanita Writers’ Series and Bay City Arts Center present a weekend dedicated to the joys of poetry. Beach and Bay Poetry Weekend will take place April 6 and 7, 2013.

Two workshops and a public poetry reading will take place at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita on Saturday, April 6. Cost is $30 per workshop or $50 for both.

In the morning from 10 a.m. to noon, poet Stephanie Lenox will present “Other Shoes,” a workshop to help you learn to embody the voices of your characters. This workshop is for poets of all levels, as well as fiction writers interested in developing authentic characters through poetic experimentation. Learn to see the world from a different perspective in this dynamic workshop that will explore the use of characters and encourage playful impersonations through guided exercises and writing prompts.

Stephanie Lenox’s chapbook, The Heart That Lies Outside the Body, won the 2007 Slapering Hol Chapbook Contest. She received fellowships from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Oregon Arts Commission and recently published a full-length collection of poetry, Congress of Strange People.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., poet John Morrison will present the workshop “Re-Vision,” geared to the practicing poet. Learn how to take a shimmering first draft, or a cranky problem child, to a deeper level. You’ll study and apply both radical and pragmatic principles of Re-Vision to see your work in a fresh way and follow your drafts to new discoveries. Bring a draft that’s stuck who knows where, a finished poem that may yet have another life, and a notebook and pen.

John Morrison has taught poetry for the University of Alabama, Washington State University, and the Literary Arts Writers in the Schools program. His book, Heaven of the Moment, was a finalist for the 2008 Oregon Book Award in poetry.

At 3:30, Lenox and Morrison will read from their own poetry, followed by a Community Open Mic. The event is free to workshop participants and $7 to non-workshop attendees.

On Sunday, April 7 the Bay City Arts Center will host a Scrumptious Lunch and Poetry Open Mic, with the by-donation lunch starting at 12:00 noon. All poets, student poets, wannabe poets, and those who think they don’t “get” poetry are encouraged to attend this community celebration of the oldest written form.  Nancy Slavin, local writer and poet, will host the event, which also will include brief writing prompts for the launching of new poems.  Door prizes and copious applause will be given to those who read their new work at the Open Mic.   For more information, email Nancy at nancyslavin@mail.tillamookbay.cc or call the Bay City Arts Center at 503 377 9620.  The Arts Center is located on the corner of 5th and A Streets in Bay City.

Click here to register for the workshops.   Or, call 503.368.3846.

The events are a collaboration of the Hoffman Center’s Manzanita Writers’ Series and Bay City Arts Center.

Community Talent Showcase Returns January 19

will w didgeThe Hoffman Center in Manzanita will host its fourth Community Talent Showcase Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. The event will feature a variety of acts put on by local citizens.

“These events are so much fun and the audiences really enjoy themselves,” said Center president David Dillon. “It’s amazing the variety of talent we have among us.”

Auditions will be held Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Center to select 12-15 acts for the show. The acts should be suitable for all ages and last no more than five minutes.

Admission to the Jan. 19 show will be $10. All proceeds will go to support the Center’s general operating fund.

Performer registration forms are available here.  Simply bring the completed form to the audition.

New Photo Salon to Start September 4th

Local photographers are starting a Photo Salon to be held at the Hoffman Center, the first Tuesday of every month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The salon will focus on fine  art photography intending to be a support to those doing photography and also to others who are fascinated by the medium and collectors. The format of the salon is fluid at this point but here are three components to start:a presentation by one of the salon members (or guest) that would  involve teaching something photo-related–technique, aesthetics, culture, politics, motivation, history, sales; a critique by the salon of a member’s work, typically a set of  prints on the wall but could also use HC’s digital projector for those who don’t print; and some time for socializing.

Later the salon could support creating/making available shared resources like a photo editing/printing workstation, photo blogging, wide format and b&w ink jet printer access, darkroom, lighting, studio, model sessions, joint projects, etc. The salon may also provide a core group to spin off a filmmaking salon along similar lines.

At this point the first presenters will be Gary Seelig with photos and Kathleen Ryan talking about street photography.

Call Gene Dieken 503 368 3090 with questions.

Strong Voices Workshop Publishes Literary Magazine

The ‘Strong Voices’ writing workshop for young adults has published a literary magazine of selected writings.  The workshop, held in July 2012, focused on honing voice and message with the guidance of local writer/teacher Holly Lorincz.

A handful of writers, ranging from 12 to 20 sat in a hot room, smelling the Pacific Ocean steaming under a July sun.  Instead of swimming, they hoisted cheap pens, covering page after page of spiral notebooks with ink, spilling a wide range of emotions and ideas into the open.  The outcome?  A truly inspired collection of writing.  Click here to read the work of some of those students.

Photo:  Teacher Holly Lorincz (center of back row) and writers from the Strong Voices workshop.

 

Annual Book Sale on Saturday, May 26th

The Annual Manzanita Library Book Sale will be held on Saturday, May 26th from 9am to 4pm. We have a wonderful selection of books this year. Most books are priced $1-4.  Proceeds from the sale benefit the Manzanita Branch of the Tillamook Library.

The Hoffman Center will house non-fiction books including biography, cookbooks, history, politics, psychology, self-help, religion, philosophy, science, nature, humor, reference and coffee table books. The Pine Grove will house fiction including mystery, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, video and vintage – plus children and young adult books. The half-price sale will begin at 2pm this year.

 

 

Hoffman Center Welcomes New Board Member

 

Sharon Borgford joins Hoffman Center Board

Sharon Borgford, a resident of Manzanita and Lake Oswego, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.

Borgford grew up in Lincoln City and Salem and spent most of her adult years living in Hillsboro and Lake Oswego. With college degrees in speech pathology and audiology, and in education, she taught for nearly 30 years in grades one through six.

In her classroom she incorporated art throughout the curriculum on a daily basis. A past member of the Oregon Writing Project, she joined her students in their writers’ workshops. Sharon retired from Hillsboro Schools in 2005 following 17 years of teaching sixth grade.

“I have an enduring appreciation for what people make by hand and the endless spin that can be put on familiar materials to create something totally new,” said Borgford.

Her classroom art activities included mask making, decorative paper techniques and bookbinding, ceramics, mosaics, papier-mâché, Science Design Technology, reader’s theatre, and audio and videotaping of student presentations and performance.

“We were very pleased that Sharon was interested in joining our board,” said president David Dillon. “She’s full of great ideas and is eager to get more involved – particularly with new and varied art classes and workshops.”

Borgford and her husband Rob built a home in Manzanita in 2009. Early on they marveled at the array of activities available throughout the community and particularly at the Hoffman Center.

The Hoffman Center is actively expanding its board to include a broader range of skills and experience as it develops more programs and strives to achieve long-term sustainability. Persons interested in learning more about the Center, including volunteer opportunities, are asked to contact board president Dillon at 503-368-3846 or hoffmancenter@nehalemtel.net.