Classes at the Attic

APPLY NOW: Atheneum Master Writing Program for 2025-2026

Portland's Best Alternative to the MFA

Contact us about applying to the Atheneum for the 2025-2026 year. We always like to invite a few more writers during the summer. At this point in the year, fiction writers only are welcome to apply.

An annual certificate program, the Attic Atheneum melds independent study under close faculty supervision, student receptions, public readings, and other special Atheneum events created around good food and great conversation, dialogue, and literary community.

What do you experience? Writing salons. Genre meetings. Monthly private, one-on-one conferences with published writers. Writing Partners. Manuscript Readings. Public Reading. Revision Retreat. Publication Strategies. Community. Feedback. Literary friendship.

Running for just under a year, the Atheneum is designed to advance your writing and seed literary life in the city. Atheneum Fellows form a unique community of literary artists and citizens.

Learn more

 

APPS DUE: Sep 10 | Poets Studio for 2025-2026

Become a Member of Poets Studio

Poets Studio is based on the idea that focusing on goals is the key to lasting growth as a poet. Poets Studio is a weekly workshop that will run from Sep 22 - May 18 for 30 weeks. It is designed to give form and focus to your poetry writing. The Poets Studio is open to applications from all poets. Poets join the Poets Studio as members and attend for the entire session. This creates the Poets Studio's special experience: a steady, supportive, and comprehensive study of your poetry among other poets.

Read more about the Poets Studio.

To Apply: Please send ten (10) pages of poems and a 250 words "Statement of Goals" to the Attic Institute.

APPLY NOW

Teacher: 
Workshop Day: 
Time: 
Mondays, Sep 22, 2025 - May 18, 2026, 5:30-7:30pm, 30 weeks
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill, Suite 405, Portland, OR 97205
Total Fee: 
$2250. Installment plans available upon request.

The Art of Prose Poetry Workshop with Craig Brandis | July 10 - Aug14 | Zoom

Have you been wondering how to make exciting poems that combine the best elements of poetry and prose? The secret to prose poetry lies in layering cadences within narrative verse. Let's focus on building layers of rhythm, emotional resonance and imagery within storytelling. We will then apply those lessons to your own poems.  Watch your poems start to blossom with new depth and vitality.  Reading list: poems from Carolyn Forché, Charles Baudelaire, Claudia Rankine, and other innovators in the form help light the way. Share your work in an environment of acceptance and exploration. Come join us! Give your poems fresh cadence and depth in a new form, merging the best of poetic and narrative traditions.

Register for this workshop

 
Teacher: 
Time: 
Thursdays, July 10 - Aug 14, 6:30 - 8pm, Pacific Time
Location: 
Via Zoom
Total Fee: 
$249
Deposit: 

Writing from Joy w Paige Thomas | Aug 16 | 9am -12pm

Let Joy Lead to New Writing

In this three-hour intensive, we will intentionally spend time with joy — to write from it and write about it. Concentrating on two craft techniques that can reenergize a narrative (and ourselves), everyone will end the morning with something new and with thoughtful, joyful momentum.

Register for this workshop

Teacher: 
Workshop Day: 
Time: 
Saturday, Aug 16, 9am -12pm
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St., Suite 405
Total Fee: 
$75

Poets Studio: Summer Session w David Biespiel | Aug 23 - 24

Open to All Poets

Whether you're simply looking for a late summer poetry tuneup or want to check out the Poets Studio experience prior to applying by September 10, Poet Studio's summer session is open to all poets. Poets Studio is based on the idea that focusing on goals is the key to lasting growth as a poet. It is designed to give form and focus to your poetry writing. Poets Studio Summer Session is a blast -- you'll get to write new poems, revise old ones, and learn ways of making poetry you can use for years.

Register for this workshop

Teacher: 
Time: 
Sat - Sun Aug 23 - 24, 10am - 3pm, 10 hours
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill, Suite 405
Total Fee: 
$275.00

The A.M. Memoir Workshop w Laura Moulton | Sep 22 - Oct 27

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: 
Workshop Day: 
Time: 
Mondays, Sep 22 - Oct 27, 10 - 11:30am
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill St., Suite #405
Total Fee: 
$249

The Writers' Lab w Lee Montgomery | Sep 16 - Oct 21 | Zoom

A generative workshop for both fiction and nonfiction writers

 

Frank Conroy, the long-time director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop once said, In good writing, you can feel a soul pressing up against the narrative. The question is how do writers discover that “soul” and translate it into good storytelling? We’ll first focus on finding the soul that’s pushing you to write by offering a true laboratory, a safe place to inspire and experiment with new ideas generated by in-class prompts and exercises. We will talk about the craft of narrative, as well. Students will be required to read assigned essays and memoir excerpts outside of class to get a sense of the forms and techniques of narrative. The hope is students will be well on their way with a map for a new project by the end of class. The Writer’s Laboratory is ideal for beginning writers but also for more established writers seeking to generate new lively autobiographical material. | Maximum: 12 writers 

Register for this workshop

Teacher: 
Time: 
Tuesdays, 6 - 7:30pm, Sep 16 - Oct 21, 6 - 7:30pm | 6 weeks
Location: 
Zoom
Total Fee: 
$249

Movement in Poetry Workshop w Lila Cutter | Sep 17 - Oct 22 | Zoom

Any moment can be moving with the right tools, and poetry does it best: elevating the mundane and letting us linger in an experience. But how does it move us? In this generative workshop we will explore how formal aspects of poetry like line breaks, stanzas, and sound, work together to create an immersive experience. Through readings, discussion, and engaging writing exercises we’ll discover how to use form to shape content, making poems ripple beyond the page. No prior knowledge of poetry is needed for this generative workshop, just curiosity and an excitement to write.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Time: 
Wednesdays, Sep 17 - Oct 22, 10:30am - 12pm
Location: 
via Zoom
Total Fee: 
$249

Reimagining Poetry Forms Workshop w Craig Brandis | Sep 18 - Oct 23 | Zoom

You know those poems we grind on?  One way to reinvent and revitalize a poem is to recast it into a form. Forms can help quiet the mind’s intention and open up new realms of discovery. Let’s look beyond traditional forms to see how some modern masters are updating and reinventing poetry forms to suit their needs. We will then apply those lessons to our own poems. Share your work in an environment of acceptance and exploration. Discover how your poems start to take on new vigor and vitality. Reading list: poems from Jericho Brown, Dianne Seuss, Wendy Xu and others. Come join us!

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Time: 
Thursdays, 6:30 - 8:00pm Pacific Time, Sep 18 - Oct 23 (6 weeks)
Location: 
via Zoom
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

Monthly Poetry Gathering w John Morrison | Sep 21 - Jan 18

If I write, the dark shadows move away from my desk." ~ Donald Murray
“Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries.”  ~ Theodore Roethke

Here’s a workshop that can flow with the longer rhythms of your writing. A Sunday afternoon for five months, we’ll gather and share poems in a comfortable but focused fashion. You choose the poem to share based on what feedback you are looking for; the poems could range from one you want ready to submit for publication, to an experimental piece that needs a supportive but critical eye, and any type of draft in-between. Along the way we’ll talk about craft and how to establish and sustain a fulfilling practice with playful tricks, deep reading, and the company of fellow poets.  Come ready to share your poems and insights and to carry generous feedback home to your writing desk.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Time: 
1 - 3pm, third Sunday of the month, 9/21, 10/19, 11/16, 12/21, & 1/18
Location: 
Attic Institute, 1033 SW Yamhill, Suite 405, Portland, OR
Total Fee: 
$275

Tiny Windows: The Art of the Short Story Workshop w Wayne Gregory | Sep 21 - Oct 26 | Zoom

“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” ~ Neil Gaiman

Tiny Windows: The Art of the Short Story is a dynamic, six-week workshop for anyone curious about the short story form—from total beginners to seasoned writers ready to sharpen their skills. Through a mix of discussion, reading, and generative writing, we’ll explore how short stories work from the inside out. Each week focuses on a different craft element—like scene-building, POV, character development, dialogue, structure, or revision—and includes short readings and exercises that demystify how great stories are made. This craft-based class will make every effort to personalize the experience to each writer’s needs. Students will begin or continue working on a short story, with the goal of finishing a draft (or portion of one) by the final session. You’ll leave with new tools, greater confidence, and—most importantly—a deeper love for the storytelling process. No prior workshop experience required.

Register for this workshop.

Teacher: 
Time: 
Sundays, Sept.21 – Oct. 26, 10:30am – 12pm
Location: 
via Zoom
Total Fee: 
$249

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

I Contain Multitudes Workshop w Matthew Dickman | Oct 19 - Dec 7 | Zoom

Writing the sequential poem

In this generative class, we will explore the sequential poems of Michael Dickman, Louise Glück, Lucille Clifton, Richie Hofmann, Li-Young Lee, and Katie Peterson, ultimately writing your own 5-part poem. Sequence: October 19: Intro, Sequential poem, Free write | October 26: Group A: Part One | November 2: Group B: Part One | November 9: Group A: Part Two and Three | November 16: Group B: Part Two and Three | November 23: Group A: Parts Four and Five | November 30: Group B: Parts Four and Five | December 7: Both groups read and share their final drafts | 12 students maximum

Register for this workshop

Teacher: 
Time: 
Sundays, Oct 19 - Dec 7, 10am - Noon | 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: 
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: 
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: 
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: 
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: 
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.