Spokane: Where the Weather is Horrible and the Writing is Amazing

When people think of vibrant arts communities, they usually think of New York, LA, Seattle--cities on the coastlines. But in Spokane, if you were to pull out a calendar and put your finger on a random date, you'd probably land on a reading. To name a few, we have: Auntie's, DANGER! Live Writers, Naked Lunch Break, Broken Mic, Beacon Hill, Spokane Poetry Slam, EWU's Visiting Writers Series, and the magnificent Get Lit! Festival (this isn't journalism, bias is permissible).

It's kind of insane, really, how lucky us Spokanites are. So, let's take a minute and forget about the deadly ice-pavement we've been careening over for weeks, and the fact that we live somewhere that has "Stagnant Air Advisories," and bask in the knowledge that our writing community is better than their writing community, whoever they may be.

On a less narcissistic note, take a few minutes to look at the amazing work Spokane writers have been producing. Then forward the links to your friends in the Midwest and gloat.

Mari Hunt: 

You might remember Mari Hunt from the 2011 Inlander Short Fiction Contest, which she won with the story "Her Daughter." Now her story "In the Shadow of Elizabeth Smart" is being featured in the literary journal YARN.

From "In the Shadow of Elizabeth Smart":

Three years ago, when I was fourteen, I waited for my mother to pick me up from a department store downtown. Katie Rennert and I spent Saturday afternoon shopping, but she had to leave early. Her mom called while we were in Women’s Shoes saying she had to go out to dinner with her grandmother—or maybe it was her aunt—I can’t remember anymore. The point is, I waited for my mom by myself at the department store between two sets of doors. One set led outside, where my mother didn’t want me waiting alone, and the other led into the store. The space in between, the space where I waited, is called a vestibule. It’s a nothing space. Like being nowhere, like being fourteen.

Get the full story here.

Kevin Taylor:

Kevin Taylor spent 7 years writing for the Inlander before leaving in 2011 to pursue freelancing. No surprise here, freelancing looks good on him. His piece “Haiti: Home of Her Heart,” just won a Gold Award in the Individual Features or Feature Articles category of the 2013 CASE District VIII Communications Awards, which is a long way of saying that his feature writing is the best of the best in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Western Canada. Read more about it here.

From "Haiti: Home of Her Heart":

In Cité Soleil [site so-lay, Sun City] the poorest slum in Port-au-Prince, the chaotic capital of Haiti, Analiesse Isherwood (’11, Behavioral Neuroscience) came bearing gifts for the Christmas toy giveaway in the church. Boy. She saw the boy on the dirt street in Cité Soleil, naked but for a scrap of undefinable cloth. Plastic bottle on a string. Sitting in the passing tap-tap with her mission team, Analiesse Isherwood had the sack filled with toys – real, American toys – she had spent all her spare dollars on. 

Get the full article here.

The Inlander Short-Fiction Contest 2012

 Do you like The Inlander? Would you like it even better if you were in it?

The Inlander is still accepting submissions for its 2012 Short-Fiction Contest. Submissions should be stories fewer than 2,000 words and in some way related to this year's theme, "The End." Winning entries will be published in their December 20th issue.

The submission deadline is November 22nd, 11:59 pm.
Email submissions to Luke Baumgarten at luke@inlander.com

So, get writing! And if you need inspiration, here's some of what the internet as to say about "The End..."

1. NASA's take on the end of the world


2. Remember the 90s? When the end of the world would just be one giant jelly-bean boom?

3. The Simpsons' Escalator to Nowhere, anyone?

4. And of course...

Happy writing!

Bedtime Stories

You may be familiar with the annual Bedtime Stories, the Humanities Washington gala that promotes storytelling, critical thinking and conversation. During the event, Northwest authors take over the stage to fundraise for Humanities Washington's efforts, sharing works that spin off of the gala's main theme, as well as engaging each other and the audience in noteworthy conversation. This year, the Bedtime Stories theme is Red Eye and will be taking place in Seattle, Washington on Friday, October 12. The author line-up includes Kathleen Flenniken, Charles Johnson, Kevin O'Brien, Amy Wheeler, and Nancy Pearl will be running the mike as the event's emcee.

For those literary lovers who would be interested in going, but feel that Seattle is a couple too many hours across the way, we have good news: for the first time, Humanities Washington will be holding Bedtime Stories here in Spokane, Washington as well. The opening Spokane roster features local writers like Kim Barnes, Jim Lynch, Shann Ray, and Nance Van Winckel. Our very own Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins, will take over the stage as the evening's host.

In addition to the brain-storming and thought-provoking conversation, Bedtime Stories will be offering food for hungry writers, and various types of wine to wet those parched throats. Spokane's Bedtime Stories will be held on Friday, September 28 at 6:15pm in Skyline Ballroom, Red Lion Hotel at the Park. Individual tickets will be going on sale this summer. For more information on either event about remaining tickets, event sponsorship, or purchasing a table, reach Kari Dasher at 206.682.1770 x103, or email her kari@humanities.org.

The Port Townsend Writers' Conference

Some people are new to writing, discovering for the first time the trance that writing down one's thoughts brings. Others have been writing for years, filling journals, publishing books, and running blogs in an effort to share themselves with the world. Whatever your level of skill, the Port Townsend Writers' Conference works to provide the connections and resources you need to help you grow as a writer.

Running from July 8-22 at the Fort Worden State Park, this writing conference has been an annual event since 1974, catering to writers and aspiring writers in the Pacific Northwest. Every year since its founding has seen more and more people attend, lured by the workshops, creative freewrites, vibrant readings, and knowledgeable lectures. Various writers and poets make up the 2012 conference faculty, offering their experience and advice on how to keep your thoughts moving and the pages filled.

Mornings will see conference goers engaged in workshops with faculty members assigned to their groups; afternoons workshops are taught by both faculty members and visiting writers that focus on specific topics regarding writing. In the evenings, two faculty members will present their lectures at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater, available to all participants.

Entrance into the Port Townsend Writers' Conference does cost a fee, ranging from $50-$695, depending on how much you register for. However, scholarships and tuition assistance are available.

Success has followed this conference for 39 years, watching writers disperse with new knowledge. Whether you're here to create new work and hone existing skills, or relax and lose yourself in a writing retreat, the experience you'll gather here is unparalleled to any other. For more information, check out the Port Townsend Writers' Conference informational webpage.

Are You Writing a Novel?

If you have a completed draft of your novel, we've got just the workshop for you. Cheryl Klein, the executive director of Arthur Levine Books/Scholastic, will be presenting a master class on plot in Spokane on March 3, 2012. The workshop is presented by the Inland Northwest chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, but the workshop's focus on plot and pacing will apply to all novel writers, not just those geared toward the YA/middle-grade market.

Here's the official description: "In this INTENSIVE master class, we will examine the care and feeding of a plot, including a number of techniques authors employ to control pacing, tension, character development and reader reaction. We'll look at the DNA of action and emotional development in a novel, and the uses of subplots. You'll learn methods for analyzing your own plot to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and tips for completing a thoughtful and effective revision."

Mari Hunt, member of the local SCBWI chapter, says that Cheryl Klein "is a gifted editor and phenomenal teacher...we're fortunate to have the opportunity to bring her to our area."

Registration for the class is open now, but the registration deadline of January 31 is already approaching.

More details can be found on the SCBWI Facebook page.