Attention: Poets in the Portland, OR area!

A public service announcement from me. :) I know the organizers of this conference (waves to M and Steve!) and if I were anywhere near the left coast, I'd so be there!

Please spread the word!

OREGON STATE POETRY ASSOCIATION
SPRING 2009 CONFERENCE

April 24 & 25, 2009
Portland, Oregon

Come by car, train, bus, or plane, but do come to the OSPA Spring 2009 Conference in Portland on April 24 & 25. Our theme is Open Roads. There will be poetry workshops, guest readings, open mic poetry readings, the Spring 2009 Poetry Contest winners presentation, and more.


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LOCATIONS

Friday, April 24
Powell’s City of Books
Burnside & 10th, Portland
6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Mistress of Ceremonies: Sage Cohen, Author of Writing the Life Poetic

Saturday, April 25
The Native American Center at Portland State University
710 S.W. Jackson Street, Portland
8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.


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CONFERENCE WORKSHOP LEADERS

Paul Hunter
Author of Breaking Ground, 2004 Washington State Book Award Winner

Workshop: Liftoff & Touchdown – Oral Poetry in Public Presentation
Borrowing some ruthless thinking and timeless tricks from the theater, we are going to discuss how to pick what to read, how to gauge your audience, and how to serve up your work so that it makes the greatest impact. How to help the poem and the whole reading take flight and land right where you want it. This will be a frank discussion, offering useful tips, with practical implications for all working writers who read in public.


John C. Morrison
Author of Heaven of the Moment, 2008 Oregon State Book Award Finalist

Workshop: Models, Memories, & Mayhem – The Play of Generating Poetry
What might be a few sure-fire ways to ignite the imagination and generate juicy, compelling drafts? Jumping from prompts presented by sample poems, trolling a guided memory for inspiration, and engaging in a frenetic wordplay exercise, we'll explore and refine pathways to a poem. After an open, dynamic exchange, you will leave the session with some enticing beginnings you'll want to pursue at your desk.


Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
Author of poemcrazy and Foolsgold: Making Something From Nothing

Workshop: Poemcrazy – Freeing Your Life with Words
Dipping into our hearts as well as diverse books of poems, we’ll bring forth a colorful group word pool (using every color ink). From there we move into “dreamsense” and our own gatherings of words to explore who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going.


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CONFERENCE SPECIAL EVENT

Sharon Wood Wortman
Author of The Portland Bridge Book
will lead a Portland Bridge Walking Tour
Friday, April 24 at 2:00 p.m.

Tour the operator’s tower in the 1926 Burnside Bridge and walk to some of the city’s big Willamette River bridges, with stops at ODOT Region 1 to visit a hands-on bridge museum. We also ride MAX, conduct a test for synchronous vertical excitation on a very flexible tied arch, and more. Participants are invited to bring a favorite bridge poem to share. Total distance walked: ½ to 1 mile on level ground (ADA accessible).


Registration & Details at: www.oregonpoets.org

$45 Members
$55 Non-Members
$25 Students
$20 Bridge Walking Tour