Hoffman Center Blog

Author Robert Pyle

The “En Plein Air” workshop at the Alder Creek Farm Conservation Site led by award-winning author Robert Michael Pyle still has room.  Sign up this week and take the opportunity to study with a master, to spend a day that will combine lecture with observation, writing and “workshopping” your words.

Click here http://hoffmanblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/en-plein-air-registration.pdf to print off and complete your registration form and order your lunch. 

 “Imagination and the interior life are all very fine,” says Pyle, “but we should not neglect the fact that we live in a sensual and sensory wonderland whose close observation can only enrich every story, poem or essay.”

Pyle has published hundreds of essays, stories and poems along with fourteen books, including Wintergreen, Where Bigfoot Walks, Walking the High Ridge, and Sky Time in Gray’s River. His latest book, Mariposa Road, is due out later this year. Pyle has his Ph.D. in conservation biology from Yale. He’s won numerous awards to include the John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Nature Writing, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Harry B. Nehls Award in Nature Writing, and the National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature.

 Alder Creek Farm is a 52-acre conservation site preserved as open space by the Lower Nehalem Community Trust. You’ll have a chance to wander the property for your observations, with views of the bay, an estuary, permaculture gardens, lots of wildlife, and often a herd of elk.

 The workshop will run from 9am to 3pm. The fee is $95, $85 for LNCT members, and includes a box lunch. There is space for 20 participants.  For additional information, or to give us a ‘heads up’ that you’ll be coming, email vwildauer@gmail.com.

 This workshop is a collaboration between the Hoffman Center’s Manzanita Writers’ Series and the Lower Nehalem Community Trust.  To become a member of the Lower Nehalem Community Trust, go to www.nehalemtrust.org.

Author Jim Lynch

Jim Lynch will read from his latest novel Border Songs at the Manzanita Writers’ Series at 7 pm on Saturday, June 19, at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.

Border Songs was picked as one of six finalists for American Booksellers Award for best fiction of 2009. It was also picked as among the Best Books of 2009 by The Washington Post, The Toronto Star, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, and The Oregonian.

One of his many glowing reviews reads:

“Although I think Border Songs is in a class by itself, I’d also like to offer just a couple of comparisons that give the feel of what a great read this really is. It’s The Big Chill of life on the border, and a cross between The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and T. C. Boyle’s Budding Prospects. Finding a novel that is at once pure fun but literary, and humorous with outstanding character development, can be hard to come by. But Jim Lynch has wrapped it up tightly in this incredible story of life in a border town near British Columbia. All in all, a wonderland of growers, dealers, smokers, and birders! Fantastic!” —Linda Grana, Lafayette Books, Lafayette, California

His first novel, The Highest Tide, won the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, appeared on several best-seller lists, was adapted for the stage and has been published in eleven foreign markets.

Jim Lynch lives with his wife and their daughter in Olympia, Washington. As a journalist, he has received the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, among other national honors.

Following the author reading and Q&A, the popular Open Mic session will provide opportunities for the audience to hear nine local writers read from their original work. Interested writers sign up at the door to read; first come, first to read.

Writers interested in reading should check out the Open Mic guidelines at hoffmanblog.org <http://hoffmanblog.org <http://hoffmanblog.org> > and come prepared to read your original piece of work in five minutes or less.

The series is a program of the Hoffman Center and will be held at the Hoffman Center (across from Manzanita Library at 594 Laneda Avenue.) The building will be set up in a café style with coffee/tea and snacks available. Admission fee is $5. For further contact Kathie Hightower, 503-739-1505; kathie@jumpintolife.net).

Anthony Gilmore, Magician

Magician Anthony Gilmore will perform at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 5 at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.  Admission will be $10.

Gilmore has been performing magic for 30 years, in Portland, Spokane, Upstate New York, and even in Germany where he met his wife.  Some people may remember when he opened for evening jazz performances at the Brasserie Montmartre in Portland for five years.  Now he mostly performs for private events. Gilmore is also currently working on a project with Senior Living Communities.

The show is aimed at adults, not that it’s ‘blue’, but it’s sophisticated and includes elements like audience participation and mind-reading, and a startling effect where he seems to swallow razor blades. “Rest assured,” said Gilmore via email,  “the magic I perform is for nothing more than entertainment purposes… If you like to be entertained, come and enjoy the show, it will be fun.”

Magic has been a lifelong obsession, starting when he was eight years old and a friend showed him how to perform a trick with nothing more than a coin and a handkerchief.  “I was pretty much hooked,” says Gilmore.

Gilmore’s performance is another offering in the Hoffman Center’s new “dell’Arte Series” program. The series features appearances by a wide variety of performers, including musicians, magicians, comedians, clowns, and just about anything else.

The Manzanita Film Series is proud to present the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director – “The Hurt Locker” on May 22^nd at 7p.m. at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.   Admission will be $6.  We will be offering Free admission to all Veterans.

“The Hurt Locker” is an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team, he surprises his two subordinates by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

Ekahni Books will be on hand selling books about film and military history at a 20% discount.

The Manzanita Film Series is a program of the Hoffman Center in Manzanita, Oregon. Films are shown on the 4^th weekend of the month throughout the year.  Admission is $6 and theater concessions, as well as beer and wine, will be available for purchase.

Hoffman Center is an Oregon nonprofit 501(c)3 organization which supports and encourages artistic, cultural and educational activities in north Tillamook County by providing facilities, funding, promotion and other assistance.  Hoffman Center is located at 594 Laneda Ave in Manzanita. Call 503.368.3846, or visit www.hoffmanblog.org.  Please contact Franz Hasslacher for more info on film and film-making, and for volunteer opportunities.

Bryan Harnetiaux

Playwright Bryan Harnetiaux will read from a number of his plays at the Manzanita Writers’ Series at 7pm on Saturday, May 15, 2010, at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.
 
He will also conduct a playwriting workshop during the day Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hoffman Center. Harnetiaux’s play Vesta will be performed at the Hoffman Center on Friday, May 14, at 7:30 pm as a staged reading with local resident and national actor Liz Cole directing and acting in the title role.
 
Harnetiaux, playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre, has written over 30 plays, 13 of which have been published, including commissioned adaptations for Dramatic Publishing Company of the stories of Ernest Hemingway (The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Killers) and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Long Walk to Forever). 
 
Harnetiaux’s most recent published play, National Pastime (Playscripts, Inc., NYC) has received professional productions on the West and East coasts.  His cycle of plays on end-of-life (Vesta, Dusk and Holding On ~ Letting Go) are now specially licensed for productions in clinical settings by Duke University’s Institute on Care at the End-of-Life and have been performed throughout the country; these plays have also enjoyed mainstream theater productions. Harnetiaux is an associate member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
 
Following Harnetiaux’s reading and Q&A, the popular Open Mic session will provide opportunities for the audience to hear nine local writers read from their original work. Interested writers sign up at the door to read; first come, first to read.
Writers interested in reading should check out the Open Mic guidelines at hoffmanblog.org <http://hoffmanblog.org <http://hoffmanblog.org> > and come prepared to read your original piece of work in five minutes or less.

Local resident, Liz Cole, is directing and plays the title role in Vesta

The Hoffman Center will present a staged reading of Bryan Harnetiaux’s play VESTA, with local resident and national actor Liz Cole directing and acting in the title role. The play will be held at 7:30pm on Friday, May 14 at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. Admission is $10.  Listen to an interview with Liz Cole on KTIL about Vesta and Hoffman Center, on KTIL May 12.

VESTA is an intimate 90-minute drama that examines with humor and warmth an ordinary family’s struggle with end-of-life issues. The title character, Vesta Pierson, is a grandmother confronting her inexorable loss of independence as her health declines. Together, Vesta, her daughter, and granddaughter face a series of complex medical, economic, and personal issues associated with this challenging time of life.

VESTA received its first professional production in 2008 at the Capitol Hill Arts Center (CHAC) in Seattle, where it received wide critical acclaim. Currently Duke University’s Institute on Care at the End of Life licenses the play in the clinical world.

The Friday night reading will be directed by Manzanita resident Liz Cole, who will also read the title role. Liz Cole, whose professional name is Megan, has enjoyed a career that has taken her to repertory theaters across the United States. Perhaps most famously, she created the role of Vivian Bearing in the original stage productions of WIT for which she was awarded the L.A. Drama Critics’ Circle Award and the DramaLogue Award. Television credits include Seinfeld, The Practice, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek:Deep Space Nine, L.A.Law and ER, among others. For more information and a link to a demo video, go to megancole.net.

On Saturday, May 15, Bryan Harnetiaux, the playwright of Vesta, will present both a playwriting workshop and reading as part of the Manzanita Writers’ Series May Event.

Bryan Harnetiaux to lead playwriting workshop.

Playwright Bryan Harnetiaux will conduct a playwriting workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. Registration will be limited to ten people.

Have you ever wanted to write a play, or possibly turn your short story or novel into a play? Here’s your chance. The playwriting workshop will focus on the art of playwriting, the process of playwriting, and the business of playwriting. It will also include a brief writing exercise designed to focus on the elements of playwriting.

Harnetiaux, a playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre, has written over 30 plays, 13 of which have been published, including commissioned adaptations for Dramatic Publishing Company of the stories of Ernest Hemingway (The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Killers) and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Long Walk to Forever).

Mr. Harnetiaux’s most recent published play, National Pastime (Playscripts, Inc., NYC) has received professional productions on the West and East coasts. His cycle of plays on end-of-life (Vesta, Dusk and Holding On ~ Letting Go) are now specially licensed for productions in clinical settings by Duke University’s Institute on Care at the End-of-Life and have been performed throughout the country; these plays have also enjoyed mainstream theatre productions. Harnetiaux is an associate member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Harnetiaux’s play Vesta will be performed at the Hoffman Center on Friday, May 14, at 7:30 pm as a reader’s theater with local resident and national actor Liz Megan Cole directing and acting. On Saturday evening, Harnetiaux will read from his play National Pastime and answer questions at the Manzanita Writers’ Series.

The workshop is a program of the Hoffman Center and will be held at the Hoffman House Studios Classroom at 595 Laneda Avenue (next to the library). Admission fee is $50.  Click here to print the registration form.

Sage Cohen’s two-part workshop on Saturday, April 17, has been moved to the Center for the Contemplative Arts in Manzanita, which is located at the Underhill Plaza on the corner of Manzanita Avenue and Division.  The workshop will cover the creativity and the business of poetry.
 
Poetry: From Pen to Page to Published, will run from 1pm to 3:30pm.
 
Have you always wanted to write a poem, but don’t know how to begin? Are you already writing poetry and want to connect with your muse more often? Spend the first half of this lively workshop to get your poetic juices flowing with a mix of inspiration, craft tips, and exercises.
 
After a break, get down to the business of poetry. Participants will learn to develop the skills, tools and systems they need to publish their poetry:
How to identify the right publications, contests, prizes and residencies for your poetry.
How to establish a submissions tracking system that keeps you moving forward.
How an online presence can help you get in the public eye, and stay there.
Sage is the author of Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry (Writers Digest Books, 2009), The Productive Writer: Tips & Tools for Writing More, Stressing Less and Creating Success(Writer’s Digest Books, forthcoming in 2010) and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World.
Sage won first prize in the Ghost Road Press poetry contest, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was awarded a Soapstone residency. She is a columnist for Read Write Poem and publisher of the Writing the Life Poetic Zine.
Sage holds an MFA in creative writing from New York University and a BA in comparative literature from Brown University. She teaches, lectures and reads widely at writing conferences, libraries, universities, bookstores, as well as the popular online class “Poetry for the People”. Learn more about Sage and her books at www.sagesaidso.com <http://www.sagesaidso.com> . 

The workshop is a program of the Hoffman Center.  Admission fee is $25, $25 for students. Download a registration form at http://hoffmanblog.org/manzanita-writers-series/workshops or contact Kathie Hightower, 503-739-1505; kathie@jumpintolife.net.

Lori Dillon with a couple of her recent works.

Lori Dillon, local artist, will lead a three-day workshop called “Exploring Embedded Imagery.”

“I’ll help you combine your own stories and symbols with a variety of materials,” she says.  “It’s a multi-media workshop that will change the way you think about your visual art.”

Lori’s love of the outdoors and color show in her artwork. Art classes through high school and a two-year vocational Graphic Arts course honed her skills. More recently, she has attended several classes at the Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology in Otis, Oregon. This resulted in her current passion for mixed media pieces.

Dillon has participated with and displayed artwork at CART’M’s annual Trash Bash, the Manzanita Creative Arts Council’s (MCAC) Annual Summer Show, and the Tillamook County Arts Network’s (TCAN) many events. This past December she had a successful month-long display of mixed media works at Manzanita News and Espresso.  You can also see samples of her work using embedded imagery technique at the 4th Street and Sea Level galleries in Manzanita, and at the Harrison Cafe’ in Wheeler.

Active in the arts community, Dillon serves on the boards of the MCAC and TCAN. Both groups promote local artists.

“Although I have shared my techniques with friends on an informal basis, this will be my first formal class. We are going to have fun!”

The class will be held over three days, Tuesday, April 27, through Thursday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Students will be working on several pieces at a time and by the end will go home with 3 to 5 completed works.  Most supplies will be included in the $120 tuition, but students will be given a list upon registering.  Have a question?  Call Lori at 503.368.6153.  Limited to 6 participants, so register soon!

To register, print and fill out this registration form.

The Manzanita Film Series is proud to present “Food, Inc.” on April 24th at 7p.m. at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. This Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary explores and exposes factory farming and genetically modified food and how Americans are suffering the consequences of these practices.

We are fortunate to have representatives at the screening of this film from R-evolution Gardens, Lower Nehalem Community Trust’s Alder Creek Farm, and Mother Nature’s Natural Grocery to provide some good information on how we can find, grow and purchase local and organic food and help us answer any questions that this film raises.

Ekahni Books will be on hand selling books about film and farming at a 20% discount.

The Manzanita Film Series is a program of the Hoffman Center in Manzanita, Oregon. Films will be screened on the 4th weekend of the month throughout the year. Admission is $6 and theater concessions, as well as beer and wine, will be available for purchase.