Donor support helped Moss and others write through hardship together Last Fall, Moss Bittner wrote in our creative writing workshop hosted with the Legacy Oregon Burn Center. It was his second Write Around Portland experience, driven by a growing passion for creative writing. Moss has been unable to work in recent years due to his […]

Last fall, we partnered for the first time with All Good Northwest. They operate five low-barrier shelter programs in the Portland metro area.    One of those shelter programs is Multnomah Safe Rest Village (MSRV) – a cluster of thirty tiny homes designed as temporary housing solutions. Participants in the shelter program have access to holistic

Writing comes up on a lot of New Year’s Resolution lists. Is it on yours? For some it’s a recommitment to their writing practice. For others it’s a tool for self-care or an effort to make more space for creativity and connection. Whatever your reasons, we welcome you to register for one (or more!) of

“Tomorrow I Will” by Ron Boyd “Each workshop I’ve become a better writer,” says recent writing workshop participant, Ron Boyd. “Writing and listening to other peoples’ writing has helped me overcome shyness and have a better understanding on how writing your thoughts helps you in your life.” Ron wrote with us Fall 2023 at Home

A writer overcomes stage fright at our Spring Reading At our Reading and Book Launch last spring, one of our writers (pictured at left, who wishes to remain anonymous) was very excited to read their work. However, quite understandably, they were nervous in front of the crowd. Their volunteer workshop facilitator, Sarah Bourscheid, supported this

We recently sat down with workshop participant Barbara Bushong, a retired nurse living in a low-income housing building. Like many of us, Barbara felt isolated long after pandemic restrictions lifted.   When Write Around Portland and the housing agency partnered up to bring writing workshops to her building, Barbara was thrilled.  She had seen the workshop

We are thrilled to be partnering with 10 communities this Fall: Are you interested in bringing a creative writing workshop to your organization? We have several programs that might be right for you and your community. Our agency workshops are only possible with donor support. Thank you!

As part of the Write Around Portland experience, every participant gets their very own journal. We always write by hand in our workshops, and journals provide each person with a private space to be creative and vulnerable. Participants are also welcome to take the journal with them and keep it after the workshop ends. We

Since Write Around Portland began in 1999, we have published 60 professionally designed and printed books of workshop writing. Each time a book is published, participants who submitted get a free copy. We also distribute copies to local booksellers (such as Powell’s and Broadway Books), and we place recent copies on the website for purchase.

For our traditional writing workshop programming, it takes two! Organizations, that is. Each year, we collaborate with around 20 social service agencies to bring our creative writing workshops to the people they serve. While our workshops usually run for 10 weeks, every partner has different needs – which means our workshops can take on dramatically