About Us

CONTACT US: info@writearound.org

PHONE: 503.796.9224

FAX: 503.295.7767
ADDRESS: 917 SW Oak St. #406, Portland, OR 97205-2838 [Map]

We are within a few blocks of the Portland Street Car, Max

and many Trimet bus lines. There is also metered street

parking and a Smart Park lot nearby.

Staff

Robyn Steely - Executive Director
Dawn Thompson - Program Coordinator
Sara Guest - Program Coordinator
Beth White - Development Director
Adelaide Brown - Intern
Jennifer Furl - Intern

*New* Brochure for organizations interested in holding a Write Around Portland workshop for their constituents

History

Founded in 1999 by Liza Halley and Ben Moorad, Write Around Portland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives and building community through writing. Write Around Portland has provided more than 300 writing workshops for nearly 2,000 participants, published 25 anthologies, trained over 170 volunteer workshop facilitators and partnered more than 125 community organizations, social service agencies, the state, county and public schools. Write Around Portland has served as a model for writing programs in Seattle, Utah, New York, North Carolina and Arizona and has inspired workshop participants to complete their GEDs, attend college, stick with treatment programs, transition back to our community after incarceration and break cycles of abuse.

Write Around Portland believes:

Everyone can be a writer and benefit from and contribute to their community through the literary arts.
Writing is a powerful tool for individual and societal transformation, self-expression, healing and the realization of the dignity of one’s self and others.
Writing and sharing stories helps us access our common humanity and connects individuals and groups who are often separated by age, race, income level, gender, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, health status, education level and the geographic and social boundaries of neighborhoods.
In any life, especially one lived in poverty or isolation, there is a vital need for art, community, and joy.

Write Around Portland:

Provides high quality, skillfully facilitated workshops in safe, accessible and respectful environments for people to write and share in community
Holds community readings to promote the exchange of stories
Publishes anthologies to connect writers and readers.

Write Around Portland in the Media:

Volunteerism: We're Eager to Help - Workshop facilitator Margaret Malone shares why she gives her time to Write Around Portland, The Oregonian, 5/5/08

Support Writing Programs - Mateo Hoke advocates for Write Around Portland in a letter to The Oregonian, 2/28/08

Surviving Breast Cancer: A Poet is Born - Write Around Portland writer Yvonne Ingram is featured in Humana Outlook Magazine, Winter 2007

Words Promote Inner Healing - The Portland Observer features Write Around Portland writer Wilma Alcock, 1/30/08

Write Around Portland Anthology Features Hispanic Writers/La Nueva Antologia de Write Around Portland Presenta Ocho Escritores Hispanos - El Hispanic News features writers from our 25th anthology and our community reading

Skidmore Prize Success Story - The Willamette Week features Write Around Portland and Executive Director Robyn Steely, 11/14/07

The Old Plucked Chicken or the Okay Senior? - The Sellwood Bee features Write Around Portland writer Helena Silberstein, our summer workshops and reading 11/07

Write Around Portland Benefits from Lizzy's Houseparty - Workshop facilitator and "Lizzy Dishes Portland" Blogger Elizabeth Fuss hosts a wonderful night of readings and community

Write Around Portland Brings Voice to the Table - Workshop facilitator Kevin Fann writes for 247townhall.org about community, connection and our new workshop space

Write Around Portland & Girl Scouts Beyond Bars - Oregonian column featuring writing from our workshop with Girl Scouts whose mothers are incarcerated, 4/07

The Power of the Pen - Lifestyles Northwest: For Baby Boomers & Beyond features Write Around Portland writers in their 2/07 edition

Write Around Portland - Centrum Experience magazine profiles Write Around Portland and Co-Founder Ben Moorad on page 11 of their 2/07 edition

Write Around Portland Offers Creative Outlet - and More - Participant Jared Llund shares his workshop experience and his poetry in the 11/26/06 Poetry column of the Oregonian

Written Prescription - All about Write Around Portland in the 11/8/06 edition of Willamette Week

Oregonian Editorial Board member and workshop facilitator Susan Troccolo talks about why she volunteers for Write Around Portland

Views from the RAD Writings from our workshops by youth in a secure residential drug and alcohol treatment program

Write Around Portland Comes to Helenview from the MESD Newsletter

Write Around Portland Participant receives Spirit of Portland Award

Writing in the Raw from the Portland Tribune

Write Around Portland Writer receives The Attic Poetry Scholarship

Kickin' Ass, Changin' Lives from Willamette Week's Gift Guide

Write Around Portland Director awarded Skidmore Prize

Write Around Portland Board of Directors:

Vic Trelawny, Board Chair, Asst. Vice President, The Standard
Kim Carlson, Board Secretary, Editorial Director, Culinate, Inc.
Miriam Sontz, Board Treasurer, CEO, Powell's Books
Susan Troccolo, Freelance Writer
Ben Moorad, Writer/Co-founder of Write Around Portland
Scott Stuart, US Bank
Crystal Williams, Poet, Reed College
Mary Hull, Partner, Stoel Rives, LLP
Natalie Serber, Writer and Educator
(employer/occupation for identification purposes only)

Write Around Portland Resource Council:

Liza Halley, Co-founder, Write Around Portland

Dave Eggers, Editor of McSweeney's, founder of 826 Valencia, and author of A Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Julie Mancini, Lyceum Agency

Holly MacArthur, Managing Editor of Tin House

Jennifer Allen, Oregon Council for the Humanities

Heather Barta, Brenden Hyde and Eddy Deane, Circletrianglesquare

Mike Lindberg, Former Portland City Commissioner

Paul Lipscomb, Options Consulting

Write Around Portland Major Foundation, Corporation & Organizational Funders

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Oregon Community Foundation
Trust Management Services
Wessinger Foundation
The Autzen Foundation
Equity Foundation
The Richard & Janet Geary Foundation
Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust
The Charlotte Martin Foundation
The Collins Foundation
Jackson Foundation
The Renaissance Foundation
Bland Family Foundation
Regional Arts and Culture Council
Work for Art
US Bancorp Foundation
Multnomah County Cultural Coalition
Oregon Cultural Trust
Oregon Arts Commission
Multnomah County Department of Community Justice/Reclaiming Futures
The Standard
Wessinger Foundation

Website design by circletrianglesquare.


Home \| Events \| What We Do \| Donate Now \| Get Involved \| Publications & Writers
TAKE A Writing Workshop SIGN UP for Write Around Portland News WRITING RESOURCES	About Us CONTACT US: info@writearound.org PHONE: 503.796.9224 FAX: 503.295.7767 ADDRESS: 917 SW Oak St. #406, Portland, OR 97205-2838 [Map] We are within a few blocks of the Portland Street Car, Max and many Trimet bus lines. There is also metered street parking and a Smart Park lot nearby. Staff Robyn Steely - Executive Director Dawn Thompson - Program Coordinator Sara Guest - Program Coordinator Beth White - Development Director Adelaide Brown - Intern Jennifer Furl - Intern New Brochure for organizations interested in holding a Write Around Portland workshop for their constituents History Founded in 1999 by Liza Halley and Ben Moorad, Write Around Portland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives and building community through writing. Write Around Portland has provided more than 300 writing workshops for nearly 2,000 participants, published 25 anthologies, trained over 170 volunteer workshop facilitators and partnered more than 125 community organizations, social service agencies, the state, county and public schools. Write Around Portland has served as a model for writing programs in Seattle, Utah, New York, North Carolina and Arizona and has inspired workshop participants to complete their GEDs, attend college, stick with treatment programs, transition back to our community after incarceration and break cycles of abuse. Write Around Portland believes: Everyone can be a writer and benefit from and contribute to their community through the literary arts. Writing is a powerful tool for individual and societal transformation, self-expression, healing and the realization of the dignity of one’s self and others. Writing and sharing stories helps us access our common humanity and connects individuals and groups who are often separated by age, race, income level, gender, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, health status, education level and the geographic and social boundaries of neighborhoods. In any life, especially one lived in poverty or isolation, there is a vital need for art, community, and joy. Write Around Portland: Provides high quality, skillfully facilitated workshops in safe, accessible and respectful environments for people to write and share in community Holds community readings to promote the exchange of stories Publishes anthologies to connect writers and readers. Write Around Portland in the Media: Volunteerism: We're Eager to Help - Workshop facilitator Margaret Malone shares why she gives her time to Write Around Portland, The Oregonian, 5/5/08 Support Writing Programs - Mateo Hoke advocates for Write Around Portland in a letter to The Oregonian, 2/28/08 Surviving Breast Cancer: A Poet is Born - Write Around Portland writer Yvonne Ingram is featured in Humana Outlook Magazine, Winter 2007 Words Promote Inner Healing - The Portland Observer features Write Around Portland writer Wilma Alcock, 1/30/08 Write Around Portland Anthology Features Hispanic Writers/La Nueva Antologia de Write Around Portland Presenta Ocho Escritores Hispanos - El Hispanic News features writers from our 25th anthology and our community reading Skidmore Prize Success Story - The Willamette Week features Write Around Portland and Executive Director Robyn Steely, 11/14/07 The Old Plucked Chicken or the Okay Senior? - The Sellwood Bee features Write Around Portland writer Helena Silberstein, our summer workshops and reading 11/07 Write Around Portland Benefits from Lizzy's Houseparty - Workshop facilitator and "Lizzy Dishes Portland" Blogger Elizabeth Fuss hosts a wonderful night of readings and community Write Around Portland Brings Voice to the Table - Workshop facilitator Kevin Fann writes for 247townhall.org about community, connection and our new workshop space Write Around Portland & Girl Scouts Beyond Bars - Oregonian column featuring writing from our workshop with Girl Scouts whose mothers are incarcerated, 4/07 The Power of the Pen - Lifestyles Northwest: For Baby Boomers & Beyond features Write Around Portland writers in their 2/07 edition Write Around Portland - Centrum Experience magazine profiles Write Around Portland and Co-Founder Ben Moorad on page 11 of their 2/07 edition Write Around Portland Offers Creative Outlet - and More - Participant Jared Llund shares his workshop experience and his poetry in the 11/26/06 Poetry column of the Oregonian Written Prescription - All about Write Around Portland in the 11/8/06 edition of Willamette Week Oregonian Editorial Board member and workshop facilitator Susan Troccolo talks about why she volunteers for Write Around Portland Views from the RAD Writings from our workshops by youth in a secure residential drug and alcohol treatment program Write Around Portland Comes to Helenview from the MESD Newsletter Write Around Portland Participant receives Spirit of Portland Award Writing in the Raw from the Portland Tribune Write Around Portland Writer receives The Attic Poetry Scholarship Kickin' Ass, Changin' Lives from Willamette Week's Gift Guide Write Around Portland Director awarded Skidmore Prize Write Around Portland Board of Directors: Vic Trelawny, Board Chair, Asst. Vice President, The Standard Kim Carlson, Board Secretary, Editorial Director, Culinate, Inc. Miriam Sontz, Board Treasurer, CEO, Powell's Books Susan Troccolo, Freelance Writer Ben Moorad, Writer/Co-founder of Write Around Portland Scott Stuart, US Bank Crystal Williams, Poet, Reed College Mary Hull, Partner, Stoel Rives, LLP Natalie Serber, Writer and Educator (employer/occupation for identification purposes only) Write Around Portland Resource Council: Liza Halley, Co-founder, Write Around Portland Dave Eggers, Editor of McSweeney's, founder of 826 Valencia, and author of A Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Julie Mancini, Lyceum Agency Holly MacArthur, Managing Editor of Tin House Jennifer Allen, Oregon Council for the Humanities Heather Barta, Brenden Hyde and Eddy Deane, Circletrianglesquare Mike Lindberg, Former Portland City Commissioner Paul Lipscomb, Options Consulting Write Around Portland Major Foundation, Corporation & Organizational Funders Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Oregon Community Foundation Trust Management Services Wessinger Foundation The Autzen Foundation Equity Foundation The Richard & Janet Geary Foundation Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust The Charlotte Martin Foundation The Collins Foundation Jackson Foundation The Renaissance Foundation Bland Family Foundation Regional Arts and Culture Council Work for Art US Bancorp Foundation Multnomah County Cultural Coalition Oregon Cultural Trust Oregon Arts Commission Multnomah County Department of Community Justice/Reclaiming Futures The Standard Wessinger Foundation Website design by circletrianglesquare.	"Being a part of Write Around Portland makes me remember how strong I am." Shirley Hardy Write Around Portland Participant Sponsor a writer for a ten-week workshop. Click here to read our 2006 Annual Report. www.eringracephotography.com www.eringracephotography.com
Home \| Events \| What We Do \| Donate Now \| Get Involved \| Publications & Writers