Can Portland become a city of literary culture?

Listen to this City Club of Portland Panel Discussion on Portland's literary culture

Attic director David Biespiel joins writers Matthew Stadler, Sallie Tisdale, & David Oates to address the City Club's Friday Forum on the state of Portland's literary past & potential. Listen to the December 15, 2006 podcast. Plus: Read David Santen, Jr.'s review of the event in The Oregonian.

The Attic Experience

"What a great class the Essentials class on revision was! Previous classes gave me the tools for revising my writing. But there was never a satisfactory explanation as to when to use the different tools. David Biespiel's explanation about the different bridges we cross when reviewing our writing makes sense. Understanding that will help me in the future. Tonight was, as C. S. Lewis once wrote, like expecting one joy and receiving another. Thank you."

~ Roger Scarborough, writer and poet

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

"Finally, an anti-bullsht book on creativity!"* — James Marcus, former editor of Harper's

"Does for the creative process what Strunk and White did for our approach to grammar and style. Indispensible." — Marjorie Sandor, National Jewish Book Award winner

"Buoyant...unorthodox...A provocative and anti-intuitive manual for making fresh art." — Kirkus Review

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

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Take a Workshop

APPS DUE: May 16: Atheneum Master Writing Program for 2021-2022

FREE: Consult about Your Writing

SPRING Online: Seeing the Story with Fresh Eyes: Revision Workshop w Thea Chacamaty | Apr 19

SPRING Online: Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop w Ruben Quesada | Apr 20 - May 18

SPRING Online: So You Wanna Be a Writer Workshop w Wayne Gregory | Apr 22 - May 20

SPRING Online: Monthly Poetry Gathering and Workshop w John Morrison | Apr 24 - Aug 21

SPRING Online: Generative Fiction Workshop: To Hell and Back w Thea Chacamaty | May 4 - June 1

SPRING Online: Writing a House: A Generative Fiction Workshop with Elinam Agbo | May 20 - June 17

SPRING Online: Craft of Memoir w Brian Benson | May 25 - June 22

SPRING Online: Writing in New Poetic Forms Workshop w Ashley Toliver | May 25 - June 22

SPRING Online: A Writer’s Toolkit: How to Get Started As A Writer w Wayne Gregory | May 27 - June 24

Faculty

David Biespiel

Merridawn Duckler

Matthew Dickman

Carol Hendrickson

Wendy Willis

Whitney Otto

Wayne Gregory

Emily Whitman

Brian Benson

Paige Thomas

Edward Derby

Ashley Toliver

Lee Montgomery

Joanna Rose

Philip Kenney

Zahir Janmohamed

Elinam Agbo

Thea Chacamaty

Ava Cozzetto

Ruben Quesada

A Statement of Our Values

The Attic Institute of Arts and Letters opposes the legitimation of bigotry, hate, and misinformation in today's cultural and political environment. As a studio for writers, we do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. We condemn all acts of racism, sexism, ableism, classism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia. We embrace and celebrate our shared pursuit of literature and language 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. We accept the workshop as a place to question ourselves and to empathize with diverse identities. We understand that to know the world is to write a better world. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to literary pursuits and shared understanding by affirming social justice, diversity, and open inquiry.