Classes at the Attic

Reclaiming Attention: The Power of the Notebook Workshop w Laura Moulton | Sep 24 - Oct 29

“To take back your focus, to make art – is a radical act. To take all of that scattered energy and send it in a single direction is no small thing. It is revolutionary to take back your mind..” – Sarah Sentilles

Writing in the age of distraction and dire news often requires a Herculean effort to stay focused. What does it mean to reclaim our attention and what kind of revolutions can we mount with a pen, a notebook and renewed focus?  In this workshop we’ll pay attention to what we pay attention to, retool our writing practices and cultivate the concentration needed to do deep work. All genres welcome.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Laura Moulton
Time: 
10 - 11:30am, Sep 24 - Oct 29
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St., Suite #405
Total Fee: 
$249

Writing the Short Story: A Workshop w Lee Montgomery | Oct 18 - Dec 13 | Zoom

“Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short.” – Henry David Thoreau

 

The short story is one of the oldest, most flexible and interesting forms of storytelling. From flash fiction to experimental to more traditional the short story gives writers a wide latitude to explore the many possibilities of narrative. This class will combine seminar and workshop. Ideally students should be prepared to workshop their work at least once. Students will be required to read assigned stories outside of class and be prepared to lead discussions about issues surrounding techniques such as form, voice, point of view, plot and character. By reading the work of a variety of accomplished short story writers, my hope is you will explore both traditional and nontraditional narrative structures to help find an effective frame work the feelings that serve as the original impetus for your creativity. This workshop is open to anyone but is ideally suited for students with a few stories under their belt. | No class Nov 29 for Thanksgiving

Register for this workshop

 

Time: 
Saturdays, 10am - Noon, Oct 18 - Dec 13 | 8 weeks
Location: 
via Zoom
Total Fee: 
$445

The Poetry of Parenthood Workshop w Bobby Elliott | Nov 1 - Dec 13

Writers have often debated whether having children is at odds with their ambition and creative practice. In this workshop, we will take up another, far more affirming question: What can the subject of parenthood open up for our poems? Diving fully into this work together, we will read and write poems that bear witness to the transformative powers of parenthood, from the sleepless newborn days to the here-before-we-know-it empty nesting days. Whether you're already deep into this work or are eager to take it on, this generative workshop will aim to remind us not of what parenting forbids but what it makes possible - on the page and beyond. 

Register for this workshop

Teacher: 
Bobby Elliott
Time: 
Saturdays, 12:30 - 2pm, Nov 1 - Dec 13 | 6 weeks | No class Thanksgiving weekend
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St., Suite 405
Total Fee: 
$249

The A.M. Memoir Workshop w Laura Moulton | Nov 3 - Dec 15

Writing the Self

 

Using prompts, short readings, and discussion, this generative nonfiction workshop will focus on mining our personal histories and crafting them into the form they deserve. We’ll also explore the ways we sometimes get in the way of our own stories — and how to use that to break through and write around the blocks. CNF, personal essays, journaling...all are welcome. Open to all writers.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Laura Moulton
Time: 
Mondays, Nov 3 - Dec 15, 10 - 11:30am (no class Nov 17)
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St., Suite #405
Total Fee: 
$249

Reclaiming Attention: The Power of the Notebook Workshop II w Laura Moulton | Nov 5 - Dec 17

“To take back your focus, to make art – is a radical act. To take all of that scattered energy and send it in a single direction is no small thing. It is revolutionary to take back your mind..” – Sarah Sentilles

Writing in the age of distraction and dire news often requires a Herculean effort to stay focused. What does it mean to reclaim our attention and what kind of revolutions can we mount with a pen, a notebook and renewed focus?  In this workshop we’ll pay attention to what we pay attention to, retool our writing practices and cultivate the concentration needed to do deep work. All genres welcome.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Laura Moulton
Time: 
Wednesdays, 10 - 11:30am, Nov 5 - Dec 17 (no class 11/19)
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St., Suite #405
Total Fee: 
$249

Writing through Time Workshop w Lila Cutter | Nov 5 - Dec 10 | Zoom

Writing has the power to transport us through time. With a few words, we can return to childhood, suspend a moment, see into the future or perhaps write a better one. In this generative workshop, we will practice movements through time based on readings and creative prompts like writing off personal photographs and noticing patterns of change. This workshop encourages writers from all genres and all skill levels. Open to all writers in all genres. A generative morning workshop.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Lila Cutter
Time: 
Wednesdays, Nov 5 - Dec 10, 10:30am - 12pm
Location: 
via Zoom
Total Fee: 
$249

Craft of Poetry: Voice and Vision Workshop w Craig Brandis | Nov 6 - Dec 11 | Zoom

Have you been wondering how to move your poetry practice to the next level? Leveling up means expanding your vocabulary of poetry moves. “For me, meaning arrives, almost unbidden, from an accumulation of details,” says Ted Kooser, and we're going to study how some modern masters make their poems work by focusing on details: physical, emotional and temporal, and their use of literary devices and motifs. We will then apply those lessons to our own poems. Reading list: poems from Arthur Sze, Mary Ruefle, Li-Young Lee and others. Come join us! Discover how your poetic voice and vision emerge, change and grow.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Craig Brandis
Time: 
Thursdays, 6:30 - 8pm Pacific Time, Nov 6 - Dec 11
Location: 
via Zoom
Total Fee: 
$249

A Statement of Our Values

The Attic Institute of Arts and Letters opposes the legitimation of bigotry, hate, and misinformation. As a studio for writers, we do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. We embrace and celebrate our shared pursuit of literature and languages as essential to crossing the boundaries of difference. To that end, we seek to maintain a creative environment in which every employee, faculty member, and student feels safe, respected, and comfortable — even while acknowledging that poems, stories, and essays delve into uncomfortable subjects. We accept the workshop as a place to question ourselves and to empathize with complex identities. We understand that to know the world is to write the world. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to literary pursuits and shared understanding by affirming diversity and open inquiry.