Brian Benson

Senior Fellow at the Attic Institute of Arts and Letters

Brian Benson is the author of Going Somewhere (Plume, 2014), and co-author, with Richard Brown, of This Is Not for You (OSU Press, 2021). Originally from the hinterlands of Wisconsin, Brian now lives in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches at the Attic Institute, facilitates free Write Around Portland workshops, and is a Writer in the Schools instructor. His short nonfiction has been published or is forthcoming in Hippocampus, Off Assignment, Oregon Humanities, The Sun, and Hunger Mountain, among other publications.

Upcoming Classes

APPS DUE...SEP 23 | CNF Studio | Oct 3 - Dec 19 | In-person

Fall | Intro to Flash Nonfiction Workshop w Brian Benson | Oct 1 - Oct 29 | Online

The Attic Experience

"My Write Now! Creative Writing Renewal class was perfect for me. It gave me the jump start I needed to get writing again with lots of informative feedback. The no consequence approach really allowed all the students in class to discover something new about their writing and move forward. I loved it. What's more is I used what I learned in my classroom."

Peter Pommer, Clackamas High School

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

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.