Carol Hendrickson

Carol Hendrickson, Assistant to the President

Assistant to the President of the Attic Institute of Arts and Letters

Carol Hendrickson was the Executive Assistant to the Dean of the OGI School of Science and Engineering at OHSU for eight years and supported six consecutive Presidents of Oregon Graduate Institute (OGI) prior to its 2001 merger with OHSU. She has studied at Utah State University, the University of Utah and Portland Community College, where her love of everything green and growing led her to Landscape Architecture. She is a long-time student of the Portland Chapter of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Carol’s literary activities include five years of Women’s Life Writing classes by Marie Buckley through Hillsboro Parks & Recreation. Since joining the Attic in 2011 she has participataed in numerous Attic workshops. Her additional creative activities include Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arranging), gardening and ballroom dancing.

Upcoming Classes

FREE: Consult about Your Writing

The Attic Experience

"When I started the Atheneum, I had made a commitment to doing whatever I needed to do to pursue my writing dreams. As an emerging writer, I have often dealt with insecurity about whether I was good enough as a writer and whether or not I could actually make this dream come true given how competitive and daunting the writing/publishing world can be. The Atheneum seemed like the perfect opportunity to take my writing life to another level. I had no idea how perfect it would turn out to be. From the start, the mentors in this program accepted all of us as peers and colleagues more so than students. The feedback and counsel I got from my individual meetings with my two mentors in the fiction group was very helpful and encouraging. Also, our group sessions and informal discussions provided opportunities for learning and sharing on a level much different than the typical classroom context. After nearly a year in the program, I feel like I've been accepted into a community of writers and have forged connections that will continue long after my time in the program is over. And best of all, I think now I can make this writing life happen for me. I'm grateful to the Atheneum program for helping me get here."

Wayne Gregory, Atheneum class of 2011

The Classic Book for Writers, Updated and Revised

EVERY WRITER HAS A THOUSAND FACES

"This book has been in print forever because what it offers works for people." — Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club

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"Biespiel offers a number of best practices—not just for writing...but for living a creative life." — The Rumpus

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.