Category Archives: Workshops

En Plein Air Painting at the Alder Creek Farm August 24th

bjorn in natureThis is your chance to study plein air painting methods with Bjorn Lundeen at the Lower Nehalem Community Trust’s beautiful Alder Creek Farm (ACF).  Bjorn has brought a resurgence of interest in plein air painting and looks forward to sharing his techniques for using water based oil paints.

Alder Creek Farm is a 54-acre former dairy and is now conserved open space featuring a five-acre community garden, orchard, greenhouse and 49 acres of creeks, wetlands, uplands and beautiful views of the estuary, bay and ocean.  Plan to spend the day painting in this beautiful environment—a sanctuary for native plants and wildlife of all kinds.

Topics covered:  Introduction to water based oils; rendering the landscape; how to create atmosphere and distance; creating compositions; capturing light, shadow and color; responding to the landscape.

Materials provided: Drawing surfaces, charcoal pencils, water based oil paints, mediums, brushes, painting surfaces. It is highly recommended to bring outdoor easels and chairs if you have them.

Bjorn Lundeen is a representational impressionist artist with an extensive background in figure drawing, portraiture, and plein air painting. He has worked as an assistant figure drawing teacher at Humboldt State University before graduating with a BFA in 2006.

He is a regular painting instructor at the Hoffman Center.

For more information about the workshop, contact hoffmancenter@nehalemtel.net or call 503.368.3846.

Date: Saturday, August 24, 2013

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Alder Creek Farm, at the end of Underhill Lane off of Highway 101

Price: $65, includes box lunch from Bread and Ocean.  $50 for Lower Nehalem Community Trust members. 

Limited to 20 attendees so register now.

Fiction Workshop with Natalie Serber

natalieauthor (2) “I just keep trying to make something out of words that you’d think couldn’t be made out of words.” ~ Deborah Eisenberg

Natalie Serber will lead a fiction workshop on Saturday, May 18th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoffman Center, 594 Laneda Avenue in Manzanita.

In this supportive and generative one-day workshop for all levels of writers, participants will make things out of words. By sampling some fiction and prose poetry, the group will discuss what creates sparks on the page, how tension and thwarted yearnings bring stories to life. Then, through multiple prompts writers will explore language, character, conflict and action.  Finally, everyone will share their work and by the end of this workshop, should be well on their way with a new story.

Tuition for the workshop is $60.  To register, click here.

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.  She currently leads fiction classes for Literary Arts in Portland.

Natalie Serber  will read from her short story collection, Shout Her Lovely Name, at 7 p.m. as featured author for the Manzanita Writers’ Series.

More Poetry on April 7 at Bay City Arts Center

beach and bay poetry picCome celebrate poetry on Sunday, with our Beach and Bay Poetry Weekend partners at the Bay City Arts Center.  Prizes, Poetry, and Eats!

A by-donation lunch starts 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.

If you’re on Facebook, check out the event page here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/420545581365585/

Poetry Workshops (Nearly) Full; Reading Open to the Public

beach and bay header

It’s true that the early bird gets the worm, because the Re-Vision workshop with John Morrison is full, and the morning session with Stephanie Lenox has just one more spot open.  Click on the post below to find out more about Stephanie’s session.

http://hoffmanblog.org/http:/hoffmanblog.org/register-now-for-beach-and-bay-poetry-weekend-workshops

Even if you’re not participating in a workshop, be sure to join us at 3:30 pm, when Stephanie and John will read some of their work.  Plus, there will be a community Open Mic, where anyone can read for 5 minutes from their original work.  See you there!

Admission for people not attending the workshops is $7 for the reading.

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.

Oregon Book Awards Author Tour In Astoria and Lincoln City

oba workshopsWe wanted to pass along this information from our friends at Literary Arts–

The Oregon Book Awards Author Tour brings three writers to Astoria and Lincoln City in February, for free writing workshops and readings.

Ismet Prcic, Carter Sickels and C.S. Whitcomb will appear at the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria (10 Basin Street)  on Saturday, February 16.  Three free writing workshops will be offered at the hotel, with the following schedule:

10:30 a.m. Writing Life As Fiction, taught by Ismet Prcic. Participants will take part in exercises to help them discover ways to express their own stories.

1:00 p.m.   Starting the Big Project, taught by Carter Sickels. For writers at all levels, a hands-on class that will explore different approaches to writing a book, including novels and non-fiction.

2:30 p.m.   Writing Love Stories: The Anatomy of the Heart, taught by C.S. Whitcomb. For writers at all levels: an exploration of love and the stories we tell.

Workshops are free but space is limited and participants are asked to register by emailing Susan Denning at susan@literary-arts.org.

Following the day of workshops, there will be a brief panel discussion with all three authors, followed by a reception and book signing.

The writers will also appear on Sunday, February 17th at 3:00 p.m. at the Driftwood Public Library in Lincoln City. The writers will read, answer questions, and discuss the role that place plays in their work.

About the Authors Appearing in Astoria and Lincoln City:

Ismet Prcic immigrated to the US from Bosnia in 1996. His novel, Shards, is a 2013 Oregon Book Awards finalist. It won the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction and the L.A. Times Art Seidenbaum Award.

Carter Sickels has taught creative writing classes at IPRC, Gotham Writers’ Workshop and Hugo House. His book, The Evening Hour, is a 2013 Oregon Book Awards finalist.

C.S. Whitcomb’s plays have been produced at Portland Center Stage and Artists’ Repertory Theatre. For television, she created roles for Ellen Burstyn, Jason Robards, Anjelica Huston and many others. Her play, Lear’s Follies, is a 2013 Oregon Book Awards finalist.

Local support for this tour comes from the Cannery Pier Hotel and the Driftwood Public Library.       This program was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH’s grant program.

Oregonians are passionate about books. And ideas, and great writing. Literary Arts shares this passion. Our mission is to engage readers, support writers and inspire the next generation with great literature. The programs of Literary Arts include: Writers in the Schools, Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships, Portland Arts & Lectures and Delve: Readers’ Seminars.

For more information about the programs of Literary Arts please contact us at 503.227.2583 or visit  www.literary-arts.org

Poets and Poetry Lovers: Save the Date April 6-7

stephanielenoxPoets & those who love poetry: Save the Date. Beach and Bay Poetry Weekend, April 6 & 7, 2013.

In 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. In the morning from 10 am 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. From 1 pm to 3 pm 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. Cost is $30 per workshop or $50 for both.John Morrison hat bw

At 3:30, Stephanie Lenox and John 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 at the Bay City Arts Center savor a “Scrumptious lunch, open mic, and poem launch” moderated by Nancy Slavin.  Enjoy a light lunch at noon followed at 1:30 with poetry prompts to launch new poems and an open mic opportunity to read the new work. Event will include door prizes, laughter, and poetry appreciation. Lunch is by donation and the open mic is free.

Click here to register for the workshops.  Or, call 503.368.3846 to leave a message. For information about Sunday events, call 503.812.4800.

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

Jen Violi Featured Author for Manzanita Writers’ Series on November 17

Jen Violi will read from her novel Putting Makeup on Dead People at the Hoffman Center on Saturday, November 17, 2012.

Violi’s heartfelt and funny debut novel is a story of transformation – how one girl learns to grieve and say good-bye, turn loss into a gift, and let herself be exceptional…at loving, applying lipstick to corpses, and finding life in the wake of death.  The novel takes the reader inside the world of morticians, funeral parlors and ritual.

“Jen Violi’s is an exciting, original new voice. Putting Makeup on Dead People is as witty and entertaining as it is heartbreaking.” Melissa Kantor, author of The Darlings are Forever    

     “A book that looks at death and reveals much about life.” Kirkus Reviews.

Putting Makeup on Dead People was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award’s Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature. Violi’s traditional theological background along with her study of ritual informs a book that’s classified as Young Adult but relevant to general audiences as well.

Violi is a book and writing coach, and also adjunct faculty for the Transformative Leadership Program at Tai Sophia Institute. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from University of New Orleans, an MA in Theological Studies and her undergrad degree in English and Communications with a Theater Concentration.

Following Violi’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.

Violi will also conduct a writing workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, November 17 at the Hoffman Center.  The workshop, called ‘Find Your Voice’, is both for new writers and writers seeking renewal. Bring yourself, paper/journal, and your favorite writing utensil.  Tuition is $50.

The workshop and evening reading are programs of the Hoffman Center and will be held at the Hoffman Center.  Further information and a registration form is available here or contact Tela Skinner at mactela@nehalemtel.net.

Find Your Voice Writing Workshop on November 17

Jen Violi will conduct a writing workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hoffman Center on Saturday, November 17, 2012.  The workshop, called ‘Find Your Voice’, is both for new writers and writers seeking renewal.

If you’re reading this, you probably love words.  You also have favorite writers who tell stories and wield words that you adore.  A good paragraph by that amazing novelist can make you swoon.  Delicious lines from a treasured poet leave you drooling.  You might think that a great writing strategy for you would be to sound just like those writers.

According to Jen Violi, author, writing coach and facilitator, the best thing for you to do is to sound like you.  The world needs the stories you were born to share, told in your unique writing voice.

In this workshop, you’ll write for fun and with a purpose, learning how to unleash the truest and best writing within you.  Come with a willingness to listen to and honor your singular voice, and leave with playful and practical tools to cultivate it.  Bring yourself, paper/journal, and your favorite writing utensil.  Tuition is $50.

Jen Violi is author of Putting Makeup on Dead People, finalist for the Oregon Book Award’s Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature.  She also mentors writers, helping them to bring forth the books they were meant to write. Over the last twenty years, she’s created and facilitated hundreds of workshops, retreats, and experiences for people seeking to know themselves, their own stories, and their creative potential on a deeper level. Jen enjoys making her life amidst the green and caffeine of Portland, OR.  Find out more at www.jenvioli.com.

At 7 p.m. the same evening, Jen Violi will read from her book for the Manzanita Writers’ Series, also at the Hoffman Center.

The workshop is a program of the Hoffman Center and will be held at the Hoffman Center (across from Manzanita Library at 594 Laneda Avenue.) Further information and a registration form is available here or contact Tela Skinner at mactela@nehalemtel.net

Novel Writing Workshop Rescheduled to Nov 3

The Novel Writing Workshop that was scheduled at the Hoffman Center this Saturday (9/15) has been canceled due to low registration numbers.

HOWEVER, the one-day workshop IS being RESCHEDULED for Saturday, November 3rd. This coincides with NaNoWriMo! National Novel Writing Month is a free national event, in which writers try to write a novel in one month, between the days of November 1 and November 30. http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/about/hownanoworks.

You don’t have to enter NaNoWriMo to take Holly Lorincz’s workshop, but what a fun way to start out the month of November!

If you are interested in the November 3, Novel Writing Workshop, 10-3 pm at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita, please pre-register at hollylorincz@gmail.com.