LITERARY ARTS ANNUAL REPORT 2016 2017 At Literary Arts, we seek to foster a lifelong love of literature, WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR WHO WE ARE as well as to strengthen our community of artists who make it. Literary Arts Staff Bob Speltz Andrew Proctor, Executive Thomas Wood Director The stories we tell about ourselves define who we Patron Advisory Council Maggie Allen Together with our staff, volunteers, partners, and donors, Amanda Bullock Susan Hathaway-Marxer, are. The stories we read or listen to help to define our Co-chair Jae Choi Co-chair worldview. When people are given the time and the Lydah DeBin James Reinhart, Literary Arts served more than 20,000 Oregonians last year. Megan Gex Seth Alley resources to tell their own stories, they are empowered. Jennifer Gurney Nancy Bragdon Readers engaged in rich literary experiences at the concert India Hamilton Marian Creamer When they are given an audience, we strengthen our Hunt Holman Ann Emmerson Ramiza Koya Sara Guest community through shared experience. Marshall Miller Phillip M. Margolin hall, in our community space, and on the radio. Students Susan Moore Carolyn McKinney Alex Ney Vanessa McLaughlin Denver Olmstead Deidra Miner were inspired by teaching artists, visiting authors, and Tens of thousands of people take part in our Liz Olufson Katherine O’Neil Chelsea Querner Corrine Oishi programming each year. They are of all ages and come Mary Rechner Nancy Ponzi volunteer mentors. Local writers received support through Joanna Rose Dru Rosenthal from all over the state. Their large numbers remind Dao Strom Barbara Sepenuk Mel Wells Roslyn Sutherland grants, awards, and residencies. us that we live in a place in which literature makes a Kyle White Kristi Wallace Knight Carl Wilson difference every day. It deepens our understanding of Literary Arts Board Mort Zalutsky of Directors Oregon Book Awards Jacqueline Willingham, Chair the world and the people around us—not just locally, & Fellowships Advisory Jill Abere Council but with people from all over the country and the globe. Betsy Amster Chair Mike Barr Jon Raymond, Amy Carlsen Kohnstamm Tom Booth At a time of great—and sometimes dangerous— Ginnie Cooper Nancy Boutin Alice Cuprill-Comas Karyle Butcher OUR MISSION IS TO ENGAGE READERS, SUPPORT upheaval, our goal is to build a stronger community with Rebecca DeCesaro Julie Dixon Amy Donohue Rhonda Hughes the power of literature. Literary Arts has important Theo Downes-Le Guin Cecelia Huntington WRITERS, AND INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION Marie Eckert Linda Leslie work before us. Thank you for being a partner in our Betsy Henning Meghan Moran WITH GREAT LITERATURE. Karen Karbo Tony Perez mission, and for finding your story here. Deidra Miner Dennis Steinman Katherine O’Neil Sonja Thomas Ramón Pagán Armin Tolentino Amy Prosenjak Youth Programs Advisory Jon Raymond Council James Reinhart Ginnie Cooper, Chair IN THIS REPORT With appreciation, Bob Speltz Carmen Bernier-Grand Amy Wayson Jacque Dixon Thomas Wood Joan Fondell From the Director 3 Inspire the Next Generation 10 Strunk & White Society Diana Gerding An honorary society of Andre Goodlow • Writers in the Schools Residencies distinguished advisors Jonathan Hill 3 Susheela Jayapal Who We Are • Student Readings Gwyneth Gamble Booth Bart Eberwein Joaquín Lopez Introduction to Our Programs 5 • Students to the Schnitz Brian Gard Manuel Mateo Diana Gerding Nancy Sullivan • College Essay Mentoring Project Molly Gloss Catherine Theriault Engage Readers 6 • Verselandia! Carrie Hoops Kristin Walrod Andrew Proctor, Executive Director Tracey Wyatt • Portland Arts & Lectures Cecelia Huntington [email protected] Ursula K. Le Guin Sharon Wynde • Wordstock: Portland’s Book Festival Development & Financial Activities 12 Barry Lopez Wordstock Advisory Council Julie Mancini Karen Karbo, Chair • The Archive Project Our Supporters 14 Brenda Meltebeke Neil Aitken • Everybody Reads Diane Ponti Sarah Carlberg Michael Powell Liz Crain • Delve Readers Seminars A Look Ahead 18 Halle Sadle Rachel Fershleiser Steven Taylor Jennifer Abel Kovitz Steve Wynne Support Writers 8 Find Your Story 19 B. Frayn Masters Development Council J.S. May • Oregon Book Awards Jacqueline Willingham, Chair Susan Moore Amy Carlsen Kohnstamm Olivia Olivia • Oregon Literary Fellowships Joan Cirillo Steph Opitz • Oregon Book Awards Author Tour Ginnie Cooper Sarah Rothenfluch Amy Donohue Heidi Schulz • Writing Classes Bob Geddes Rob Spillman • @LiteraryArts Events Betsy Henning Dao Strom Jessica Mozeico Alicia Tate Jan Oliva Ashley Toliver Andrew Proctor Jon Raymond 2 3 EACH YEAR, THE PROGRAMS OF LITERARY ARTS INSPIRE MORE THAN 20,000 OREGONIANS. Over the past five years, we have expanded the breadth of our programming to better serve a wider and more diverse audience. We build community around literature, books, and storytelling, and the essential ideas and issues they raise. Our programs are designed to work together, creating a crossroads for readers and writers of all ages both locally and nationally. The range of our programs offers a multitude of access points—from intimate @LiteraryArts events to large concert halls, and from highly participatory classes and workshops to online content that is available anywhere. “Literary Arts is the best of the best. Such a deep commitment to individual readers and entire communities is exactly the kind of medicine our divided Our literary lecture events brought 20,000 readers of all ages to the concert hall, including 1,816 students who received America desperately needs.” READERS tickets, transportation, and books ENGAGED from our Youth Programs. —Tracy K. Smith, United States Poet Laureate, 2016/2017 Portland Arts & Lectures Author Oregon Literary Fellowship Recipient Volunteer mentors met 2,000 Stephanie Adams- 4,000 with local students during Santos performed a College Essay Mentoring WRITERS before a Portland Arts YOUTH Project session at Franklin SUPPORTED & Lectures event. INSPIRED High School. 4 5 WORDSTOCK: PORTLAND’S BOOK FESTIVAL Wordstock: Portland’s Book Festival expanded to include six new partner venues, doubling the seating capacity. The author lineup featured a mix of more than 175 local and national writers such as Sherman Alexie, P.C. Cast, Alice Hoffman, Margaret Malone, Anders Nilsen, Gina Ochsner, Richard Russo, Solmaz Sharif, Colson ENGAGE Whitehead, and Kevin Young. More than 7,000 attendees. READERS 780 students received free admission. EVERYBODY READS “Wordstock feels like 2017 Literary Arts brought some of the world’s most coming ‘home’—to your In March, Literary Arts hosted Pulitzer Prize–winning tribe, to writers, readers, author and MacArthur “Genius” Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, celebrated authors to engage with our local and book people. It’s a for the culminating event of Multnomah County glorious, daylong reminder Library’s Everybody Reads. Desmond presented a lecture community. Our season of events featured more than that books really matter.” on homelessness and the housing crisis to an audience of over 2,000, and visited with students at Gresham and 200 authors whose lectures, readings, and discussions —Diana Abu-Jaber, 2016 Wordstock Author, Franklin high schools. Life Without a Recipe inspired more than 20,000 readers of all ages. 1,700 attendees. 600 students attended lecture and school visits. THE ARCHIVE PROJECT During our third season of The Archive Project, we expanded our content to include other facets of our programming, including the Verselandia! City-wide DELVE READERS Youth Poetry Slam and the reading series Liars’ League PDX. Listenership doubled over the past year, including SEMINARS PORTLAND ARTS our online audience and podcast subscribers on iTunes. Each year, we continue to experiment with the subject & LECTURES matter and format of our Delve Readers Seminars to 15,000 monthly listeners on the radio engage a community of passionate readers and seminar In addition to presenting to a sold-out audience at the and online. guides. This year, we hosted 19 seminars where students Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, our visiting authors read powerful books that inspired lively conversations on engaged with local writers and students in the community. 100+ episodes available for free. important social topics. In September, Béalleka guided a For example, award-winning writer Louise Erdrich, an seminar that discussed Toni Morrison’s Beloved and enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa contemporary representations of slavery with an intimate Indians, visited the Native American Youth and Family “It’s a wonderful reminder of the long and group of eight participants. Center. Erdrich spoke with students, teachers, and elders special relationship that Portland has with about her vision, writing process, and novels, many of which the written word.” 224 registrants. explore themes of justice. —Glen Brown, The Archive Project Listener “I loved this seminar. I like More than 2,500 annual subscribers. “Literary Arts is a model of community the diverse opinions and responsiveness that generates true perspectives and experiences. intellectual excitement.” And everyone was kind and —Louise Erdrich, National Book Award Winner generous with each view.” —Rukaiyah Adams, Toni Morrison’s Beloved Delve Participant 6 7 OREGON LITERARY FELLOWSHIPS Out-of-state judges selected this year’s diverse group of 11 recipients from more than 450 applicants. In 2017, for the second year, Literary Arts awarded a Fellowship for Writers WRITING CLASSES of