Workshop: The Nature of Words - Central Oregon (Nov. 1-4)

The Nature of Words -- Fostering an appreciation of the literary arts.

The Nature of Words, Central Oregon’s premier literary event, annually showcases acclaimed authors and poets whose writing deals primarily, but not exclusively, with the literal and metaphorical Western landscape. Scheduled for November 1-4, 2007, participants in the long weekend can choose from author readings, workshops, and panel discussions.

The Nature of Words showcases acclaimed writers in fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry. The festival also includes an awards event for winners of the Rising Star competition for high school- and college-age writers. Venues include:

Rising Star Creative Writing Competition Awards for Young Writers – October 31, 7:00 p.m., Central Oregon Community College (COCC) Library Rotunda – free to the public.
Guest Author Readings and Book Signings – November 1 and 2, 7:30 p.m., Tower Theatre.
VIP Reception – November 2, 6:00 p.m., Umpqua Bank, downtown Bend.
Guest Author Workshops – November 2 and 3, morning and afternoon, Oregon State University (OSU)/Cascades Campus and COCC Library.
Dinner and Guest Author Panel Discussion – November 3, 6:30 p.m., High Desert Museum.
Open Mic – November 4, 11:00 a.m., Deschutes Public Library, Brooks Room – free to the public.
The guest author line-up includes:

Fiction

Debra Magpie Earling, American Book Award author of Perma Red, and included in many anthologies including Song of the Turtle; Contemporary Short Stories Celebrating Women; Circle of Women; and Talking Leaves: An Anthology of Contemporary Native American Short Stories.

Craig Johnson, mystery writer and Wyoming rancher, author of Cold Dish; Death Without Company, selected by Booklist as one of the top-ten mysteries of 2006;, and Kindness Goes Unpunished, which went into its second printing on its release day, March 15, 2007.

Benjamin Percy, short story writer and former Central Oregonian, author of The Language of Elk, and the soon-to-be-released Pushcart Prize winning collection Refresh, Refresh, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the most anticipated books of the fall season.

Literary Nonfiction

Timothy Egan, National Book Award winner for The Worst Hard Time, author of The Good Rain and Lasso the Wind and national correspondent for The New York Times, where he was a member of a 2001 Pulitzer Prize winning team for a series on race in America..

Kathleen Dean Moore, 2005 Oregon Book Award for The Pine Island Paradox, and author of Riverwalking: Reflections on Moving Water and Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World..

Poetry

Ted Kooser, winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Delights and Shadows, immediate past US Poet Laureate, and author of The Poetry Home Repair Manual, Winter Morning Walks: 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison and Weather Central.

Pattiann Rogers, author of Firekeeper, Selected Poems, winner of the 2005 Lannan Award for Poetry, Generations, and Song of the World Becoming, New and Collected Poems, 1981-2001.

Guest author-led workshops will cover an array of topics including:

Timothy Egan – Of Time and Place
Debra Magpie Earling – Match Strike Stories: Lists and Story Scenarios
Heather Vogel Frederick – Borrowed Fire: Getting to the Heart of Character
Craig Johnson – Mapping the Novel: Location, Location, Location
Ted Kooser – Out of the Ordinary
Kathleen Dean Moore – The Nature Essay: Practicing the Osprey’s Art
Benjamin Percy – Voices
Pattiann Rogers – Writing Outside the Box

More information is available at www.thenatureofwords.org, via info@thenatureofwords.org or by calling 541.330.4381 or 541.480.3933.