Featured Writer

Howard Robinson

Howard Robinson, 57, lives in Oregon City. He is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy and is a personal historian, helping people collect stories from their lives and put them into book form. During a rather uninspiring stint as a clerk, Howard started writing a page a night of creative writing and now he writes mostly short fiction. He has been volunteering with Write Around Portland since 2008.

Howard recently participated in our workshop in partnership with FolkTime, an organization that promotes the lives of individuals who are committed to mental health recovery by providing meaningful opportunities that enrich their lives. You can read Howard's writing and an interview with him below.

Darkness Into Light

by Howard Robinson

She opened her eyes in a dark room; she was lying on a bed. To her left and her right she saw light splashing in. It was half an hour before sunrise. She realized this was the room from her childhood. She reached for the lamp on the nightstand of the bed. She tried to turn it on but it wouldn’t light. She realized this was a dream because the light should always go on when she turns the switch. She rose from the bed and walked to the window on the right. She saw the highway that crossed the property. There was a logging truck on the highway moving almost silently with its lights turned off. She decided to leave the room to go downstairs. She made her way down the staircase, opened the door and sees that the lights are on. She calls out to see if anyone else is in the house but the rooms are empty. She goes into the kitchen. It looks like someone has been here recently. She can tell this because there is coffee sitting in the warmer. She wonders where everyone has gone. The light outside by the garage is lit, and there is someone there, standing. She leaves the house, crossing through the yard to the fence. She opens the gate and walks to the light.

Interview with Featured Writer Howard Robinson

Interview by Write Around Portland volunteer David Zenaty

Photo by volunteer Bonnie Caton

How did you first learn about Write Around Portland? Why did you start volunteering?

A friend of mine mentioned Write around Portland to me. He had gone through one of the workshops, and his writing was really good. I wanted to get volunteering again, and I put two and two together. I thought I’d try it.

What did you get out of the workshop?

I got this sense of excitement about writing that the people there shared. Sometimes it feels like a drudgery to sit down and write. I don't have a schedule for writing; I write when the spirit moves me, but I think about it all the time. The other people made writing something that I want to do more often. It made me want to go and write on my own outside the workshop. What amazed me most was that people could produce such high quality writing in such a short time. We had five or ten minutes and everyone in the group produced beautiful writing.

The thing that really impressed me is that the Write Around Portland staff went out of their way to accommodate my visual problems. They arranged for a volunteer scribe to assist me, which was very helpful. I met face to face with the scribe a little away from the rest of the group so our dialogue wouldn’t affect them. I dictated to her what I wanted to go on paper. She listened and wrote down my words. That’s how the stories came together. When the time came to share with the group, I let her do the reading because I still had trouble reading it on the page. That was a tremendous help. I couldn’t have done it without her. It was an excellent solution.

What was your experience writing in a group?

It makes you realize that good writing isn't limited to people who publish. You don't have to be an established author to write quality pieces. There is a real value in amateur writing. Also, sharing with the group was very reinforcing. You share your writing and the group lets you know they like it, and it gives you self-confidence about what you’re doing.

The workshop facilitator sent out postcards every week to affirm our work and the quality of what we had written the previous week. That was very helpful.

What did the workshop help you learn about others? About building community through writing?

It's not as hard as you'd expect to get a sense of belonging when you’re with a half-dozen other people because you are with these people every week. It doesn't matter what kind of background you come with. It's all good, whether it's people who have been writing for a long time or not.

Had you written much before you joined the Write Around Portland workshop?

Over the years I have. I've written quite a few short stories. The other writing I do is editing. When I am working on editing someone else's memoirs, I am mostly thinking about sentence structure and timing and the workshop made me realize that that is important.

What did the workshop help you learn about yourself as a writer?

It kind of surprised me that Darkness Into Light was chosen [to be published in the Write Around Portland anthology]. I hadn't put much thought into it. But I realized that it really was the core of what I was writing. It just didn’t sound professional, I guess. It was one long paragraph and it had the word “she” over and over again.

But I guess one of the things you learn is that it doesn't matter if it’s professional looking or not, because if it comes from you, it's real. I liked getting up there and reading at the anthology release party.

What can you tell me about Darkness into Light, the piece that is featured in the new anthology?

Darkness Into Light is the second chapter of a novella that I am writing. At the workshop I wrote the skeleton of it, which is what I read at the anthology release party. I sat down later and fleshed it out.

Would you recommend Write Around Portland workshops to other people?

Oh yeah, yeah. The thing I liked about the workshop is that you come together with people who are [writing] as a hobby. It isn't like the other workshops where people come with their finished manuscript. There are real advantages to writing something short and manageable.

Also, it's good to get to share with so many people. And to hear other's read their pieces, too. That is the best part. If you've read their piece ahead of time, putting a face with a piece of writing makes it very special.


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TAKE A Writing Workshop SIGN UP for Write Around Portland News WRITING RESOURCES	Publications & Writers Featured Writer Howard Robinson Howard Robinson, 57, lives in Oregon City. He is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy and is a personal historian, helping people collect stories from their lives and put them into book form. During a rather uninspiring stint as a clerk, Howard started writing a page a night of creative writing and now he writes mostly short fiction. He has been volunteering with Write Around Portland since 2008. Howard recently participated in our workshop in partnership with FolkTime, an organization that promotes the lives of individuals who are committed to mental health recovery by providing meaningful opportunities that enrich their lives. You can read Howard's writing and an interview with him below. Darkness Into Light by Howard Robinson She opened her eyes in a dark room; she was lying on a bed. To her left and her right she saw light splashing in. It was half an hour before sunrise. She realized this was the room from her childhood. She reached for the lamp on the nightstand of the bed. She tried to turn it on but it wouldn’t light. She realized this was a dream because the light should always go on when she turns the switch. She rose from the bed and walked to the window on the right. She saw the highway that crossed the property. There was a logging truck on the highway moving almost silently with its lights turned off. She decided to leave the room to go downstairs. She made her way down the staircase, opened the door and sees that the lights are on. She calls out to see if anyone else is in the house but the rooms are empty. She goes into the kitchen. It looks like someone has been here recently. She can tell this because there is coffee sitting in the warmer. She wonders where everyone has gone. The light outside by the garage is lit, and there is someone there, standing. She leaves the house, crossing through the yard to the fence. She opens the gate and walks to the light. © 2011 Howard Robinson & Write Around Portland Interview with Featured Writer Howard Robinson Interview by Write Around Portland volunteer David Zenaty Photo by volunteer Bonnie Caton How did you first learn about Write Around Portland? Why did you start volunteering? A friend of mine mentioned Write around Portland to me. He had gone through one of the workshops, and his writing was really good. I wanted to get volunteering again, and I put two and two together. I thought I’d try it. What did you get out of the workshop? I got this sense of excitement about writing that the people there shared. Sometimes it feels like a drudgery to sit down and write. I don't have a schedule for writing; I write when the spirit moves me, but I think about it all the time. The other people made writing something that I want to do more often. It made me want to go and write on my own outside the workshop. What amazed me most was that people could produce such high quality writing in such a short time. We had five or ten minutes and everyone in the group produced beautiful writing. The thing that really impressed me is that the Write Around Portland staff went out of their way to accommodate my visual problems. They arranged for a volunteer scribe to assist me, which was very helpful. I met face to face with the scribe a little away from the rest of the group so our dialogue wouldn’t affect them. I dictated to her what I wanted to go on paper. She listened and wrote down my words. That’s how the stories came together. When the time came to share with the group, I let her do the reading because I still had trouble reading it on the page. That was a tremendous help. I couldn’t have done it without her. It was an excellent solution. What was your experience writing in a group? It makes you realize that good writing isn't limited to people who publish. You don't have to be an established author to write quality pieces. There is a real value in amateur writing. Also, sharing with the group was very reinforcing. You share your writing and the group lets you know they like it, and it gives you self-confidence about what you’re doing. The workshop facilitator sent out postcards every week to affirm our work and the quality of what we had written the previous week. That was very helpful. What did the workshop help you learn about others? About building community through writing? It's not as hard as you'd expect to get a sense of belonging when you’re with a half-dozen other people because you are with these people every week. It doesn't matter what kind of background you come with. It's all good, whether it's people who have been writing for a long time or not. Had you written much before you joined the Write Around Portland workshop? Over the years I have. I've written quite a few short stories. The other writing I do is editing. When I am working on editing someone else's memoirs, I am mostly thinking about sentence structure and timing and the workshop made me realize that that is important. What did the workshop help you learn about yourself as a writer? It kind of surprised me that Darkness Into Light was chosen [to be published in the Write Around Portland anthology]. I hadn't put much thought into it. But I realized that it really was the core of what I was writing. It just didn’t sound professional, I guess. It was one long paragraph and it had the word “she” over and over again. But I guess one of the things you learn is that it doesn't matter if it’s professional looking or not, because if it comes from you, it's real. I liked getting up there and reading at the anthology release party. *What can you tell me about Darkness into Light, the piece that is featured in the new anthology?* Darkness Into Light is the second chapter of a novella that I am writing. At the workshop I wrote the skeleton of it, which is what I read at the anthology release party. I sat down later and fleshed it out. Would you recommend Write Around Portland workshops to other people? Oh yeah, yeah. The thing I liked about the workshop is that you come together with people who are [writing] as a hobby. It isn't like the other workshops where people come with their finished manuscript. There are real advantages to writing something short and manageable. Also, it's good to get to share with so many people. And to hear other's read their pieces, too. That is the best part. If you've read their piece ahead of time, putting a face with a piece of writing makes it very special.	"You share your writing and the group lets you know they like it, and it gives you self-confidence about what you’re doing." --Howard White, Workshop Participant Donate Now Provide a writer with a writing journal, pen, bus tickets, and an anthology. Featured Writer Howard Robinson Click here for archive of past featured writers
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