Hoffman Center Blog

Jennie Shortridge at the first Manzanita Writers' Series event in June 2008

Get ready for another fascinating line-up for the Manzanita Writers’ Series in 2010.  We’re welcoming back Jennie Shortridge to kick off the year on January 16 with her new book–When She Flew.  It’s a suspenseful and heartwarming story inspired by the true story of a man and his daughter who were living in Portland’s Forest Park.

On February 20, we’ll feature three finalists from the Oregon Book Awards.  Gina Ochsner will be reading from her novel The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight; Bonnie Henderson will read from her non-fiction work Strand: An Odyssey of Pacific Ocean Debris; and Carmen Bernier-Grand will be reading from her young adult book Diego: Bigger Than Life.

On March 20, Seattle author Stephanie Kallos will be reading from her new book, Sing Them Home.  Her first novel, Broken For You, was a big hit with Northwest book clubs.

Click on the Manzanita Writers’ Series 2010 Schedule to see the other authors we have coming this year.  If you’re a writer, be sure to check out the wide array of writers’ workshops we’re offering.

Karen Karbo shared her extensive research on fashion icon Coco Chanel

Prior to Karen Karbo’s presentation on November 21st, I hadn’t thought much about Coco Chanel.  I had equated the designer with those little suits that Nancy Reagan wore.  But after the evening was over, I had a whole new picture of Coco Chanel.  She was a resourceful, innovative, and determined woman, whose story is an inspiration to anyone with an ‘impossible’ dream.

Karbo’s new book, The Gospel according Coco Chanel–Life Lessons From the World’s Most Elegant Woman, takes an unusual approach.  It’s not a biography, although you’ll learn all sorts of things about Coco’s life, but rather a sort of philosophy book.  On Style:  ”Anything that’s got simple lines, skims the body, is easy to move in, and affords the loading on of a lot of jewelry is Chanel.” Nothing quirky or trendy or cheesy.  And it doesn’t have to cost a lot.  I guess I can finally get rid of those uncomfortable, low-cut, acid-washed designer jeans.

On Self-Invention: “Chanel had several things going for her–not the least of which was the sting of necessity, which forced her to inventory her modest advantages and figure out how to leverage them.  Her list was short, but would serve her in good stead for the rest of her life:  a. Her looks, b. Her mind, including her powers of observation, c.  Her ability to gallop a horse through the forest.”

Okay, so maybe Chanel’s list was a little longer, but it was great fun listening to Karbo weave her tale.  Everybody loves to hear someone’s path from literal poorhouse to the glamorous world of Paris and fashion.  It certainly did a lot more for me than watching one of those horrible reality shows.  Not that I do.  Hey, I don’t even have cable.

Matt Love read from his collection --Super Sunday in Newport-- and quizzed the audience on Oregon facts.

The highlight of the Dark & Stormy Book Weekend was Saturday night’s evening author reading.   Author and publisher, Matt Love read from his new book Super Sunday in Newport and was followed by the Open Mic.  Over 70 people came to listen and/or to read.

Love engaged the audience immediately with his “true Oregonian” contest and prize. He started the group standing up, telling people to sit down when they could not answer yes to one of his questions.

“Have you visited Crater Lake?’

“Have you sat on the beach by a bonfire?”

“Have you been to the Country Fair?”

The questions continued until only one person was still standing.

Sharlene Hanlon of Olympia won the True Oregonian prize.

Local audience member Karen Reddick Yurka was quick to point out that Hanlon was raised in Klamath Falls and lived in Portland for a long time before moving to Olympia to care for her dad, so the rumor that a Washingtonian won the prize isn’t quite true.

Love is founder and publisher of Nestucca Spit Press, an independent press that exclusively publishes books about Oregon. He has published several hundred Oregon writers in his anthologies, as well as Old Nehalem Road, a collection of poems by Manzanita’s Travis Champ. This year Oregon Literary Arts presented Love with the Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award, “in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s literary community.”

It was appropriate that he was the featured author for the first literary weekend and that he read from his new book, Super Sunday in Newport, because that book evolved from pieces he wrote and read weekly at an Open Mic at Café Mundo in Nye Beach.

Love drew extra applause when he mentioned a recent conversation he had with a writer from a certain publication.

“He asked me what was the best book town along the Oregon Coast,” Love said, “I told him it was Manzanita — the community supports two independent bookstores and they support Open Mic evenings like this one, in force. Other towns have events but they are not as well-attended.”

After Love’s readings, the Open Mic session triggered lots of laughter and applause, with writers from as far as Astoria reading their pieces.

The event continued past that evening into the rest of the weekend, in at least one instance.

Tobi Nason of Overboard read to much delight at the Open Mic. On Sunday, she had two different people walk into her store to ask her to read her piece to them because they’d missed it.

“Then I closed my shop and stopped in at Vino,” she adds, “Sarah asked me to read it again since Dixie had to miss the reading.”

Nason and another local writer who read at the event, Holly Lorincz, said they were inspired by their experience reading to commit to writing a piece for every monthly Open Mic.

We look forward to it!

Local writers get creative with Susan Wooldridge

When it comes to getting creative, there are few writers that haven’t picked up an exercise or two from Susan Wooldridge’s book poemcrazy.  There’s at least one writing group in town that regularly uses that resource in its weekly writing sessions.  But, just ask anyone who was in the workshop on Sunday, November 8, and they’ll each say having the author lead the exercises was even better.

“The impact was so much bigger than just reading the book,” said Kathie Hightower, co-founder of the Manzanita Writers’ Series.

In addition to creating a group ‘word pool’,  doling out her famous ‘word tickets’ , pages from an old dictionary, and books by other poets, Susan also passed around postcards of paintings and paint chips from a hardware store to inspire participants and trigger new ways of expressing themselves.

“I want you to steal words,” she exclaimed.  ”Be a thief!”  And that’s just one way she gets writers to get off their regular track.  She also exhorted participants to lie.  ”Lie to tell the truth,” is how she puts it, again to encourage writers to stretch beyond their usual writing habits. Along with the writing, Susan had the group laughing and dancing.

If you don’t already have poemcrazy, there are still some signed copies at Cloud & Leaf Bookstore in Manzanita.  Plus, Susan’s new book Foolsgold:  Making Something from Nothing (and freeing your creative process) is also available.

Local writers Garry Gitzen, Judy Crandall, and Marko Smith at the Self-Publishing Workshop

Local writers got an in-depth look at all the options available for publishing their work.  Print-on-demand technology has opened the door for a lot of writers who might otherwise not get their work in print.  According to Helen Gallagher, author of Release Your Writing, there are many writing projects that lend themselves very well to the self-publishing model.  If you have a very specialized topic that’s aimed at a narrow audience, need the book to establish your professional credentials, have a collection of essays or articles, or want to release a book that has gone out of print, you’ll be well-served to explore your options.

In the past, self-publishing meant you had to contract with a printer on your own and then ended up with a garage full of books to sell.  That’s still an option–especially for books where the paper quality or images are especially important.  However, now you can upload your book to a variety of print-on-demand publishers and order books just as they’re needed.  Several will also make your book available at online retailers and in the databases regular retailers use to order books.

Just because you can easily get your book into print, though, doesn’t mean you can forego important key elements.  The cover has to be well-designed and compelling, and solid editing is mandatory.  And once your book is available online, it’s all the more important to focus on marketing it.

For more information and resources, go to Helen’s web site www.releaseyourwriting.com, or pick up her book at Ekahni Books in Manzanita.

Diana Abu-Jaber signs books at the intermission

At the last Manzanita Writers’ Series event, Diana Abu-Jaber read excerpts from her latest book, Origins.  ”I never planned to write a mystery,” she confessed.  ”I just couldn’t get this character out of my mind.”  In her previous works, Ms. Abu-Jaber primarily wrote on the theme of immigration and how the cultures of homeland and newly chosen home can clash.  Her protagonists had been of Middle Eastern descent and Origin’s main character, Lena, also struggles with where she came from (in entirely unexpected way–but we won’t spoil it for you.)

Locals agree with the reviews that Abu-Jaber successfully blends a gripping mystery with a style and language that will satisfy the literary fiction reader as well.

Between readings, Abu-Jaber charmed the audience with anecdotes of being a writer and a new parent.  ”I had this idea that I’d be holding my baby on my lap, while typing along on my next chapter.”  Parents and grandparents in the audience had a good laugh about that.  She also cited some of the benefits of living in two places–Miami and Portland.  ”I find the Northwest in winter is the perfect place to write.”  We couldn’t agree more.

Brian Doyle, essayist and editor of Portland, the University of Portland’s magazine, prefers not to read from his published books.  ”I like to read you things that you can’t find in books already,” he told the audience at the Hoffman Center on September 19.

And so he did.  Stories he’s picked up from his own experiences as husband, father, brother, and son, as well as from other people.  Like the story he captured from a nurse about naming babies who are stillborn or died shortly after birth.

After moments that brought tears to both audience and storyteller–from laughter as well as a heartbreaking tale– he closed his part of the evening with a story about his encounter with the Dalai Lama.  They argued about sports, of all things.  With an ending that’s too great to mention here, because that would just spoil it.   The next time he’s in town be sure to make a point of going.

On August 22, authors Lauren Kessler and Tom Hager (who also happen to be married), read from their work.  Both are non-fiction authors with some 16 books between them.

Author Tom Hager reads from his new book The Alchemy of Air

Tom Hager started the hour reading from his new book The Alchemy of Air, which tells the surprising story of how nitrogen came to be the widely used fertilizer today.  He read excerpts from the most thought-provoking sections of his book–illustrating that while without nitrogen, the world would have faced widespread starvation, it is now a major pollutant changing the earth’s ecosystem.

Author Lauren Kessler reads from her book Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer's

Lauren Kessler’s book brought the conversation to a more personal level.  Her book, out in paperback as Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s, tells the story of when she took a job in an assisted living facility as a resident aide.  For 5 months, Lauren did the hard work of caring for her ‘neighborhood’ of residents.  It’s a fascinating book that will change how you look at Alzheimer’s and the people who live with it.

Thirty-one writers gathered on Saturday, August 22, for a day-long workshop on the publishing process, presented by Lauren Kessler and Tom Hager. Participants came from all along the North Oregon coast, as well as from Portland and as far away as Medford, Oregon and Rosburg, Washington.

Held at the Contemplative Arts Center (because there was a Cassie the Crab performance going on at the Hoffman Center at the same time), the workshop was the first full-day writing workshop sponsored by the Manzanita Writers’ Series and the Hoffman Center.

The veteran authors and husband/wife team spelled out some of the harsh realties of today’s publishing business. They also covered specifics on the steps to getting your book published, from book proposal to approaching an agent. read more »

Phillip Margolin at the Hoffman Center

Over 75 people attended the Manzanita Writers’ Series event on Saturday, July 18.  

Phillip Margolin, legal thriller author from Portland, entertained the crowd with anecdotes about his writing life.  The story of how he connected with his agent made the aspiring authors among us groan.  As fate would have it, he re-connected with a buddy from law school–actually his next door neighbor in the dorms.  It turns out he worked as legal counsel for the largest literary agency in New York and connected Margolin with an apprentice agent at the firm.  He’s still with the same agent today.
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