Featured Writers

Leslie Rose

Writing workshop participant in our first-ever group for adult family and friends of people who are serving or who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan military campaigns

Leslie Rose is 53 years old. She was born and raised in SE Portland. She is happily married with three great children. Leslie loves walking, gardening and photography, and she feels blessed with a wonderful circle of friends and family. Leslie's writing and an interview about her experience in the workshop follow.

This Place Too is Left Behind

by Leslie Rose

He’s trying to settle in. He’s trying to fit in, get work, find some meaning in his new civilian life. Home doesn’t seem like the place he left behind. Sure, his beautiful old Chevy pickup is parked in the driveway, still wrecked from the short leave before his second deployment. But Portland’s become too loud, full of untrustworthy traffic and suspicious thoughts.

He’s moved the TV onto the patio and attempts to sleep outside on the rattan couch, even though it’s winter. We’re not quite sure what to ask him this time, leaving space for him to tell his story, if he wants to. He doesn’t say much. One day, though, he takes a plastic water bottle and bowls it across the concrete. This is how incoming sounds, he tells us. We watch as the basement becomes his own private little explosion: cammies, boots seeping Iraqi sand, tattered maps and ragged letters, old candy, books. To get to the laundry room, we would have to walk across his dress blues, if we didn’t hang them up in a quiet closet.

One quick day, he grabs a few items from the floor, throws them into his backpack, and rushes from the city....

READ THE FULL PIECE

Interview with featured writer Leslie Rose

Biography writer and interviewer: Rachel Bandock Write Around Portland volunteer, pictured above with Leslie

What brought you to writing?

I’ve kept a journal for 40 years. But I’ve never shared my writing. I heard about this workshop through [the organization] Military Families Speak Out. When I read about what Write Around Portland does, it sounded like a safe place, an exciting place, to share my writing and listen to other people’s stories.

This was Write Around Portland’s first writing workshop for military family members. Tell us about your experience.

Being in a military family can be isolating, especially in Oregon. My family is opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to be in this workshop because I hoped our commonality of experience, whatever our political views, would help us support each other through this difficult time. And that is exactly what happened. We had such a great group. I miss the weekly meetings. The structure of the workshop helped create this bond and sense of community with strangers, who I now consider friends.

What did you get out of the workshop? What does writing give you?

The workshop enhanced my life. I came away amazed at how observant, complex, and wise each person is. I write to reconnect with myself. Writing takes me deeper. The act of writing causes me to notice and usually brings me to a place of peace and gratitude.

Can you tell us a little about your piece in North of North, the Write Around Portland anthology? (“This Place Too is Left Behind,” above)

The agreement of the group was to receive every piece of writing as fiction. While there is truth in the piece, the struggle returning veterans have re-entering civilian life, this writing allowed me to share a returning veteran’s story without it being quite so personal and revealing. The workshop gave me that freedom.

How was your experience writing in a group? Sharing with others? Hearing other people’s stories?

Every participant in the group, including our [volunteer workshop] facilitator, Allison [Davis], has such stunning stories within them. Their pieces were intelligent (which made us think), funny (we laughed a lot), heartbreaking (we cried).

After listening to each participant share, there was an exhalation of awe. Never having written in a group before, I could experience the power of our voices.

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

That it is okay to reveal your unique perspective of the world. That I want to take another workshop and keep writing.

Would you recommend Write Around Portland workshops to others?

Oh, yes!

Is there anything you would like to tell your readers?

I would like to encourage them to support military families and returning veterans. There are many ways. Almost 3,000 Oregon National Guard troops were recently deployed. Be there for them and their families.

I’d also like to thank Write Around Portland for this opportunity. I think what they do is great in concept, structure and execution. I wish them success because they are doing something amazing.


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TAKE A Writing Workshop SIGN UP for Write Around Portland News WRITING RESOURCES	Publications & Writers Featured Writers Leslie Rose Writing workshop participant in our first-ever group for adult family and friends of people who are serving or who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan military campaigns Leslie Rose is 53 years old. She was born and raised in SE Portland. She is happily married with three great children. Leslie loves walking, gardening and photography, and she feels blessed with a wonderful circle of friends and family. Leslie's writing and an interview about her experience in the workshop follow. This Place Too is Left Behind by Leslie Rose He’s trying to settle in. He’s trying to fit in, get work, find some meaning in his new civilian life. Home doesn’t seem like the place he left behind. Sure, his beautiful old Chevy pickup is parked in the driveway, still wrecked from the short leave before his second deployment. But Portland’s become too loud, full of untrustworthy traffic and suspicious thoughts. He’s moved the TV onto the patio and attempts to sleep outside on the rattan couch, even though it’s winter. We’re not quite sure what to ask him this time, leaving space for him to tell his story, if he wants to. He doesn’t say much. One day, though, he takes a plastic water bottle and bowls it across the concrete. This is how incoming sounds, he tells us. We watch as the basement becomes his own private little explosion: cammies, boots seeping Iraqi sand, tattered maps and ragged letters, old candy, books. To get to the laundry room, we would have to walk across his dress blues, if we didn’t hang them up in a quiet closet. One quick day, he grabs a few items from the floor, throws them into his backpack, and rushes from the city.... READ THE FULL PIECE © Leslie Rose and Write Around Portland Interview with featured writer Leslie Rose Biography writer and interviewer: Rachel Bandock Write Around Portland volunteer, pictured above with Leslie What brought you to writing? I’ve kept a journal for 40 years. But I’ve never shared my writing. I heard about this workshop through [the organization] Military Families Speak Out. When I read about what Write Around Portland does, it sounded like a safe place, an exciting place, to share my writing and listen to other people’s stories. This was Write Around Portland’s first writing workshop for military family members. Tell us about your experience. Being in a military family can be isolating, especially in Oregon. My family is opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to be in this workshop because I hoped our commonality of experience, whatever our political views, would help us support each other through this difficult time. And that is exactly what happened. We had such a great group. I miss the weekly meetings. The structure of the workshop helped create this bond and sense of community with strangers, who I now consider friends. What did you get out of the workshop? What does writing give you? The workshop enhanced my life. I came away amazed at how observant, complex, and wise each person is. I write to reconnect with myself. Writing takes me deeper. The act of writing causes me to notice and usually brings me to a place of peace and gratitude. *Can you tell us a little about your piece in North of North, the Write Around Portland anthology? (“This Place Too is Left Behind,” above)* The agreement of the group was to receive every piece of writing as fiction. While there is truth in the piece, the struggle returning veterans have re-entering civilian life, this writing allowed me to share a returning veteran’s story without it being quite so personal and revealing. The workshop gave me that freedom. How was your experience writing in a group? Sharing with others? Hearing other people’s stories? Every participant in the group, including our [volunteer workshop] facilitator, Allison [Davis], has such stunning stories within them. Their pieces were intelligent (which made us think), funny (we laughed a lot), heartbreaking (we cried). After listening to each participant share, there was an exhalation of awe. Never having written in a group before, I could experience the power of our voices. What did the workshop help you learn about yourself as a writer? That it is okay to reveal your unique perspective of the world. That I want to take another workshop and keep writing. Would you recommend Write Around Portland workshops to others? Oh, yes! Is there anything you would like to tell your readers? I would like to encourage them to support military families and returning veterans. There are many ways. Almost 3,000 Oregon National Guard troops were recently deployed. Be there for them and their families. I’d also like to thank Write Around Portland for this opportunity. I think what they do is great in concept, structure and execution. I wish them success because they are doing something amazing.	"Being in a military family can be isolating...the workshop helped create this bond and sense of community with strangers." Leslie Rose, Write Around Portland Participant Provide a writer with a writing journal, pen, bus tickets, and an anthology. Featured Writer Leslie Rose Click here to read about past featured writers.
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