Featured Writer

Pat Kiser

Pat Kiser was born in Oregon. She went to 10 different schools as a child growing up around the Salem and Portland areas. The first book she got was from a book mobile, and she picked the biggest one, even though she couldn't read it yet. The first thing she wrote was a letter to a boy who lived next door to her aunt and uncle’s berry farm in Damascus.

Pat will tell you she’s shy, and she prefers to speak her own language sometimes. She plans to decode it all one day in a book she will call The Dictionary of Pat-itudes.

She participated in our writing workshop at the Portland Art Museum’s as part of their special exhibition called “Object Stories." Her writing appears in our Fall 2010 anthology Look Out On Your City/Mira tu ciudad.

Watch a video of Pat and read her poem and interview below:

The Taste of Dirt

by Pat Kiser

I stood awhile, aware of the taste

of dirt in my mouth.

Why should I be feeling

such calm and contentment

instead of sputtering out

the invading grit?

Slowly, a hazy tingle as memory forms

of old times as a small child...

and the dirt road my brother and I wandered...

aimlessly, playing...or just being...

in the country fields all around.

Not obvious to most...I enjoy the taste

that old dirt road takes me back to....

A smug smile to myself

at the look on my brother’s face

as he tasted my dirt pie.

© Pat Kiser & Write Around Portland

Interview with Featured Writer Pat Kiser

Interview and audio link presentation by Write Around Portland volunteer Kevin Fann.

When did you first get involved with Write Around Portland?

My story started with [Portland Police] Officer Pickett. He's my guardian angel. He pulled me over on a bicycle once and--he didn't give me a ticket--but he gave me his card and seemed nice.

So later on, I called him because I was losing the place I was living. I said, “I'm being forced to move suddenly, and I don't have enough money. What can I do?" I had a job; I just didn't have money.

Officer Pickett referred me to JOIN. He knew they helped keep people off the streets. That was May, last year.

So it was a partnership between the police department, JOIN and Write Around Portland?

After JOIN helped me move, a guy at JOIN came by to help a neighbor, actually. He saw my books on my shelf and said, "Are you a writer?" I said I used to write 20 years ago.

He came back, phone-in-hand with Write Around Portland on the line, handed me the phone, and that's how I got here. (Laughs.) I couldn’t back out.

And now you are in your third Write Around Portland workshop?

Yes. I really like the open-mindedness of this workshop setup. That it can draw from you whatever you let it draw. And I'm really looking forward to working with the resource center downstairs [Independent Publishing Resource Center].

I'm feeling more comfortable with the writing direction I seem to favor. And that it's okay to write some "ugh" stuff to get those gems. At first I wanted to savor every word, but I found it cluttered my mind.

Any specific writing exercises that have helped you get past the clutter?

I remember one that we did at the Portland Art Museum "Object Stories" workshop. We brought our own object to write about. I brought in a stack of prisms, looked inside and wrote about what I saw. The first piece was light and humorous.

Then we went through and marked phrases that were key to us and used them to write a second piece. When I read that second one, I had to regain my composure. I almost started crying towards the end. I go, "Oh, where did that come from?" Everyone just sat there going, "Wow."

There's power in touching other peoples’ souls where something resonates as, “This feels right." Without Write Around Portland, I'd be stuck on wondering: "Could I?" "Would I?" "Do I have it in me?" "Are there others out there like me?"

I feel really privileged that I'm poor enough to qualify [for Write Around Portland]. (Laughs.) I'm glad. Because if I earned more money, I'd probably still be going, "Ugh." And if not in the words I’ve written, it has helped me speak to people, to tell them that they can do stuff they may not think they can do.

That sets a good example, you know.


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TAKE A Writing Workshop SIGN UP for Write Around Portland News WRITING RESOURCES	Publications & Writers Featured Writer Pat Kiser Pat Kiser was born in Oregon. She went to 10 different schools as a child growing up around the Salem and Portland areas. The first book she got was from a book mobile, and she picked the biggest one, even though she couldn't read it yet. The first thing she wrote was a letter to a boy who lived next door to her aunt and uncle’s berry farm in Damascus. Pat will tell you she’s shy, and she prefers to speak her own language sometimes. She plans to decode it all one day in a book she will call The Dictionary of Pat-itudes. She participated in our writing workshop at the Portland Art Museum’s as part of their special exhibition called “Object Stories." Her writing appears in our Fall 2010 anthology Look Out On Your City/Mira tu ciudad. Watch a video of Pat and read her poem and interview below: The Taste of Dirt by Pat Kiser I stood awhile, aware of the taste of dirt in my mouth. Why should I be feeling such calm and contentment instead of sputtering out the invading grit? Slowly, a hazy tingle as memory forms of old times as a small child... and the dirt road my brother and I wandered... aimlessly, playing...or just being... in the country fields all around. Not obvious to most...I enjoy the taste that old dirt road takes me back to.... A smug smile to myself at the look on my brother’s face as he tasted my dirt pie. © Pat Kiser & Write Around Portland Interview with Featured Writer Pat Kiser Interview and audio link presentation by Write Around Portland volunteer Kevin Fann. When did you first get involved with Write Around Portland? My story started with [Portland Police] Officer Pickett. He's my guardian angel. He pulled me over on a bicycle once and--he didn't give me a ticket--but he gave me his card and seemed nice. So later on, I called him because I was losing the place I was living. I said, “I'm being forced to move suddenly, and I don't have enough money. What can I do?" I had a job; I just didn't have money. Officer Pickett referred me to JOIN. He knew they helped keep people off the streets. That was May, last year. So it was a partnership between the police department, JOIN and Write Around Portland? After JOIN helped me move, a guy at JOIN came by to help a neighbor, actually. He saw my books on my shelf and said, "Are you a writer?" I said I used to write 20 years ago. He came back, phone-in-hand with Write Around Portland on the line, handed me the phone, and that's how I got here. (Laughs.) I couldn’t back out. And now you are in your third Write Around Portland workshop? Yes. I really like the open-mindedness of this workshop setup. That it can draw from you whatever you let it draw. And I'm really looking forward to working with the resource center downstairs [Independent Publishing Resource Center]. I'm feeling more comfortable with the writing direction I seem to favor. And that it's okay to write some "ugh" stuff to get those gems. At first I wanted to savor every word, but I found it cluttered my mind. Any specific writing exercises that have helped you get past the clutter? I remember one that we did at the Portland Art Museum "Object Stories" workshop. We brought our own object to write about. I brought in a stack of prisms, looked inside and wrote about what I saw. The first piece was light and humorous. Then we went through and marked phrases that were key to us and used them to write a second piece. When I read that second one, I had to regain my composure. I almost started crying towards the end. I go, "Oh, where did that come from?" Everyone just sat there going, "Wow." There's power in touching other peoples’ souls where something resonates as, “This feels right." Without Write Around Portland, I'd be stuck on wondering: "Could I?" "Would I?" "Do I have it in me?" "Are there others out there like me?" I feel really privileged that I'm poor enough to qualify [for Write Around Portland]. (Laughs.) I'm glad. Because if I earned more money, I'd probably still be going, "Ugh." And if not in the words I’ve written, it has helped me speak to people, to tell them that they can do stuff they may not think they can do. That sets a good example, you know.	"[Write Around Portland] has helped me speak to people, to tell them that they can do stuff they may not think they can do." --Pat Kiser Donate Now Provide a writer with a writing journal, pen, bus tickets, and an anthology. Featured Writer Pat Kiser Click here for archive of past featured writers