Interview with Lauren Weedman

In anticipation of Lauren Weedman’s upcoming show and workshops at Back Fence PDX, NW Writer scored an email interview with her. We would gush about how hilarious and awesome she is, but her writing speaks for itself
NWW: How did you hear about Back Fence PDX?

LW: Barb Klansnic is an old friend of mine from my Seattle days. She was my direct competition at a lot of auditions during that time.  We were always up for the same “deep voice angry blond funny girl” parts.  I was angrier so I got all the parts.  I’m kidding.  Kind of.

NWW: You seem to have strong ties to the Pacific Northwest: for example, your first play, Homecoming, initially toured with the Seattle Repertory Theatre, and your publisher, Sasquatch Books, is a regional press. Are there any particular reasons for your connections to this area?

Human Rights Poetry Reading

Many newcomers to the Pacific Northwest seem to be surprised by what a fantastic poetry community Portland boasts.  For a taste of just how incredible the local talent is, we’re highly recommending the Human Rights Poetry Reading taking place at 7 pm on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

Oregon writers will be reading their pieces from and inspired by the anthology I Go to the Ruined Place: Contemporary Poems in Defense of Global Human Rights published by Lost Horse Press.

The event will be held at Broadway Books and is free. (!!) Featured poets include Willa Schneberg, Francis Payne Adler, Patricia Bollin, Edith Mirante, John Paisley, Sandy Polishuk, and Kirsten Rian.

We’ll see you there.

Ooligan Editors’ Choice Fiction Contest

2009 Ooligan Editor's Choice

Writers rarely get an opportunity to have several trained editors go over their short stories. However, by entering the Ooligan Editors’ Choice Fiction Contest, your writing could be worked on by an entire graduate-level class of meticulous word-nerds. The top five stories, judged on their “originality, reader appeal, and writer’s craft,” will be published in Ooligan’s annual anthology.

It’s no secret that NW Writer is a fan of Ooligan Press, the local, student-run book publisher with a focus on sustainability and supporting the local literary community. After checking out past years’ winners, follow these guidelines to win yourself some publishing glory:

Submission Guidelines:

Theme: Making Monsters

Word count: 4,000

Deadline: May 1, 2010

Note: Stories must not have been previously published, there’s a limit of one story per person, and authors will retain copyright to their writing

Submissions should be formatted as a Word document (double-spaced and formatted in 12-point type) and e-mailed as an attachment to nancycdinzillo@gmail.com. In the body of your e-mail, be sure to include the title of your story, as well as your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. (No attribution, no glory.)

Good luck, and we look forward to reading your stories!

First Wednesday Readings at Blackbird Wine Shop

wine + books = omm

In our quest to share under-the-radar events for writers, NW Writer has found a gem: First Wednesdays.

Blackbird Wine Shop and the Oregon Literary Review host readings, performances, and wine tastings  every first Wednesday of the month from 7 to 9 pm. This is the perfect place for writers who would like to practice reading their work in an intimate space and prefer their audience to have a little, er, libations beforehand.

The submissions process is simple (only requiring an email sample of your work) and the instructions can be accessed here. Considering today’s date, you have plenty of time to submit and practice flaunting your stuff. Shall we see you there in May?

Image courtesy of Ted Nigrelli

Back Fence PDX: BUST

Perhaps you’ve already been seduced by Portland’s version of The Moth, but if not, prepare for the vertiginous, giddy sense of infatuation. With a slogan of “Alcohol. Food. True Stories.” Back Fence PDX is revitalizing live, local storytelling on a monthly basis.

This month Lauren Weedman is bringing her one-woman phenomenon: BUST. The show will run April 16^th and 17^th (that’s a Friday and Saturday night) at 8pm with drinks/food starting at 7pm. But here’s the real reason we’re flagging this: Weedman is hosting workshops.

With the titles “Give Your Life Some Effing Stage Time” and “The Process of Finding Your Effing Process,” how can a writer not be intrigued?

AWP 2010: We’ve got you covered.

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs is holding its annual conference in Denver, Colorado, from April 7-10, 2010. Not going? Don’t despair. At NW Writer we’ll be giving our readers plenty of behind-the-scenes coverage by our own correspondent, namely James Bernard Frost.

Prepare yourself for insightful commentary, uncanny observations, and perhaps a little trash-talk with those writers from the other Hipster Capitol of America: Brooklyn.

Stay tuned.

P.S. If you’re also at AWP, we’d love to hear about your experience. Just add comments on this post or send us a longer piece.