“Water For Life”

9^th-12^th graders

500 word essay about water.

Write about the thing that we know best about in Portland : Water, Water Everywhere!

Write about an adventure, a moment of reflection, an injustice, a happy experience, a tragedy, or anything you want to write about, as long as it’s nonfiction and related to water.

Deadline: Wednesday, March 31^st, 2010

Rules at:

http://www.nps.gov/lewi, click onto “2010 Youth Nature Writing Contest”

Questions: call NPS Ranger Will George at 503-861-2471, ext. 220

New York to Portland

by: Sarah Daus

Moving from New York City to Portland on a whim was pretty exciting but also scary. I didn’t really have a plan. I had been interning at The Overlook Press in Manhattan, and one of their editors, Aaron Schlechtor, gave me the names of people I should try to get in touch with in the literary scene once I got here. Through a chain of e-mails from different helpful people, I discovered Literary Arts.

In September, I began my stay with them, working mostly with Mary Rechner and the Writers in the Schools program. My first day, I rode in a car with Wally Lamb to Madison High School to watch him talk to the kids. It was pretty amazing to begin my time in such an exciting way, especially since one of my college graduation gifts was a copy of I Know This Much Is True.

During my time at Literary Arts, I was able to learn a ton about nonprofit organizations, and began to really appreciate how much work done by people who are so passionate about writing and reading. I attended numerous readings, from published authors to teenagers just beginning to crack open their imagination with writing. I was inspired by Lydia Davis’ unapologetic non-conformity, Turiya Autry’s fiery stage presence, and the passionate determination of Wilson High School’s ESL students.

After being in Portland for a few months, I decided to apply to some Creative Writing MFA programs for fall of 2010. So far I’ve been accepted at Naropa University and The University of New Orleans, but I’m still waiting to hear from my first choice, PSU.

Overall, my experience with Literary Arts has been informative and fun. As I  learned new things, I was also getting more excited about writing, and going back to school to work on my craft. The people here are wonderful and what they do is so important. I’m glad to have been a part of something so great for the past five months.

Against the Indigo Sky, Swing Set, and Rumble into Eternity are designed to showcase the creative work students produced during the sixty writing workshops WITS writers taught in Portland Public high schools during the 2008-2009 school year.  (WITS serves all the Portland Public high schools and several alternative programs each year with creative writing workshops, author visits, mentoring, and public readings).

The digital chapbooks are companions to the WITS print anthology, A Whole New Subject which is available at independent bookstores Broadway Books, Annie Bloom’s and Powell’s.

Poet, WITS writer, and PSU MFA student Chris Cotrell designed the chapbooks. Each season, a new chapbook will be released. Stay tuned.

Chris Cottrell

January 28, 2010 7:30 PM Powell’s City of Books, Pearl Room.

WITS Writers Matt Zrebski and Amy Minato read at Annie Bloom’s Books on January 7, 2010 along with students from Wilson High School who participated in semester long writing workshops.  Aaron Goodstein, featured above, read two versions of his morning routine: one filled with good food and warm water, the other with stale bagels and a crick in his neck.  Students from Grant High School will read at Broadway Books at 7 pm on February 2, and students from Madison High School will read at the BiPartisan Cafe at 7 pm on February 4.

Spend five to ten minutes writing from the prompt. When you are finished, head over to our Submit page and send it to us. On Friday we will feature the results that have been submitted to us on this blog. Be sure you keep it appropriate and follow the Guidelines.

Writing Prompt: What is the oddest present you’ve received? How old were you? Who gave it to you? What was your reaction?