Featured Writers

Steven Hager

Participant in our summer 2009 workshop at Independent Living Resources for adults with traumatic brain injuries.

Steven Hager moved to Portland from Vancouver, Washington three years ago. He and his wife now share a home with their friend in Sellwood. Steven has two major passions aside from writing: woodworking and 1960's muscle cars. He used to work in a woodworking shop and still remains enthusiastic about working with wood. Growing up in the 1960's, Steven developed a passion for muscle cars and drag racing. He loves to attend drag races and plans to visit the racetrack in Woodburn very soon.

Steven learned about Write Around Portland through his Brain Trauma Group at Independent Living Resources (ILR) and participated in a summer workshop. In January 2005, Steven was rushed to the emergency room after collapsing at home. Doctors were able to save his life by removing a hemorrhaging Arterial Veinous Mass which had been growing undetected on his brain since birth. He is grateful for the skilled doctors and for his wife who has been his dedicated companion and greatest advocate throughout.

Autumn

by Steven Hager

My shadow is long now. It is late in the afternoon and the sun is moving low in the sky. The air is crisp as it is a gorgeous fall day. Squirrels are scurrying about, burying nuts and other food items to be stored for a later time when little else can be found.

As I walk down the quiet little street past many old homes, I come to a lot where an old house had been demolished and a new one is being raised. The buzz of busy workers plying their trades, combined with the incessant barking of the golden retriever next door, assaults my ears. He informs the workers of his disapproval of the goings-on next door, which he has done since the day work began back in March. The workers are quietly annoyed, tired of telling him to shut up.

Out in the street some boys are kicking a soccer ball and playfully yelling obscenities at each other. The boulevard trees are very tall and wide and cast a shadow so deep on the street below that the boys are playing nearly in the dark...

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL PIECE

Interview with featured writer Steven Hager

Biography writer and interviewer: Lauren Wessler, Write Around Portland intern, pictured above with Steven

This was your first workshop with Write Around Portland. How was your experience overall?

Excellent. For me, it was not so much about gaining writing skills, as I already had lots of writing experience, but it was much more about the social aspect. I experienced a brain trauma in January 2005 and since have been challenged socially as an aftereffect. So the writing group and my meetings at ILR are my first real social experiences since then.

Had you written much on your own prior to the workshop?

I started writing when I was 12, for school and also to deal with all the garbage of my life. I lived a very traumatic life as a child and have used writing as a way to deal with the many issues that came out of that for me. I was also a minister for 20 years, so I wrote and delivered all of my own speeches.

I used to write poetry before my brain trauma. In fact, I wrote two poems to my father just before he passed away and one was read at his funeral. That part of me, the part that writes poetry, has since gone into hibernation, but I would like to wake it up sometime soon. It is something I will have to work on.

How did the experience of writing in a group change your writing?

That's a hard one. It helped me socially. I don't know many people here and it helped me get back into a place where I can be around people. I especially enjoyed hearing other people's stories and encouraging them. I really wanted to hear what the others had written and to be able to commend them on what they had done, not that I am special or have something they don't, but everyone needs encouragement now and then, and this was a group of people that also had their own brain traumas so I felt a great deal of compassion for each one.

Tell me a little bit about your piece Autumn from the new anthology The Cracks in the Paint. How did you choose it as your favorite?

Oh yeah, that piece was totally trumped up. My wife and I selected the pieces I would submit to the anthology together. We sat down and looked through my pieces and decided which ones we both thought were the best.

What sort of feedback did you get from the group?

They loved it. They were very enthusiastic.

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

It helped wake up the capacity that never went away but wasn't being used much for many years. I very much enjoyed the opportunity this group gave me to reconnect with people as I truly love them all.

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

Everyone has their own writing style and topics of interest, so I loved hearing the diversity of topics in the members’ writings. Our group facilitator always had curious and interesting writing prompts for us to work with and most of us used them. A couple among us chose their own path to create writings for the project.

Would you recommend Write Around Portland workshops to other people?

Absolutely! This could be a wonderful experience even for a person who thinks they are not interested in writing. I sort of believe that every person has some capacity for writing that lays latent for many. I would say to them 'just do it. Don't think about it until you've signed up [for a workshop] and even after that don't think about it. It's something you just have to commit to and you'll be glad.'

Is there anything you would like to tell people about your writing?

As I see it, writing is just one art form and as far as I am concerned everyone needs a creative outlet to express themselves. I am very saddened when I think about how the arts got taken out of the school systems because the government considered the arts non-essential. I vehemently disagree.

I personally like to write in order to give expression to what I feel, and I strongly recommend it to virtually everyone.


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TAKE A Writing Workshop SIGN UP for Write Around Portland News WRITING RESOURCES	Publications & Writers Featured Writers Steven Hager Participant in our summer 2009 workshop at Independent Living Resources for adults with traumatic brain injuries. Steven Hager moved to Portland from Vancouver, Washington three years ago. He and his wife now share a home with their friend in Sellwood. Steven has two major passions aside from writing: woodworking and 1960's muscle cars. He used to work in a woodworking shop and still remains enthusiastic about working with wood. Growing up in the 1960's, Steven developed a passion for muscle cars and drag racing. He loves to attend drag races and plans to visit the racetrack in Woodburn very soon. Steven learned about Write Around Portland through his Brain Trauma Group at Independent Living Resources (ILR) and participated in a summer workshop. In January 2005, Steven was rushed to the emergency room after collapsing at home. Doctors were able to save his life by removing a hemorrhaging Arterial Veinous Mass which had been growing undetected on his brain since birth. He is grateful for the skilled doctors and for his wife who has been his dedicated companion and greatest advocate throughout. Autumn by Steven Hager My shadow is long now. It is late in the afternoon and the sun is moving low in the sky. The air is crisp as it is a gorgeous fall day. Squirrels are scurrying about, burying nuts and other food items to be stored for a later time when little else can be found. As I walk down the quiet little street past many old homes, I come to a lot where an old house had been demolished and a new one is being raised. The buzz of busy workers plying their trades, combined with the incessant barking of the golden retriever next door, assaults my ears. He informs the workers of his disapproval of the goings-on next door, which he has done since the day work began back in March. The workers are quietly annoyed, tired of telling him to shut up. Out in the street some boys are kicking a soccer ball and playfully yelling obscenities at each other. The boulevard trees are very tall and wide and cast a shadow so deep on the street below that the boys are playing nearly in the dark... CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL PIECE © Steven Hager and Write Around Portland Interview with featured writer Steven Hager Biography writer and interviewer: Lauren Wessler, Write Around Portland intern, pictured above with Steven This was your first workshop with Write Around Portland. How was your experience overall? Excellent. For me, it was not so much about gaining writing skills, as I already had lots of writing experience, but it was much more about the social aspect. I experienced a brain trauma in January 2005 and since have been challenged socially as an aftereffect. So the writing group and my meetings at ILR are my first real social experiences since then. Had you written much on your own prior to the workshop? I started writing when I was 12, for school and also to deal with all the garbage of my life. I lived a very traumatic life as a child and have used writing as a way to deal with the many issues that came out of that for me. I was also a minister for 20 years, so I wrote and delivered all of my own speeches. I used to write poetry before my brain trauma. In fact, I wrote two poems to my father just before he passed away and one was read at his funeral. That part of me, the part that writes poetry, has since gone into hibernation, but I would like to wake it up sometime soon. It is something I will have to work on. How did the experience of writing in a group change your writing? That's a hard one. It helped me socially. I don't know many people here and it helped me get back into a place where I can be around people. I especially enjoyed hearing other people's stories and encouraging them. I really wanted to hear what the others had written and to be able to commend them on what they had done, not that I am special or have something they don't, but everyone needs encouragement now and then, and this was a group of people that also had their own brain traumas so I felt a great deal of compassion for each one. Tell me a little bit about your piece Autumn from the new anthology The Cracks in the Paint. How did you choose it as your favorite? Oh yeah, that piece was totally trumped up. My wife and I selected the pieces I would submit to the anthology together. We sat down and looked through my pieces and decided which ones we both thought were the best. What sort of feedback did you get from the group? They loved it. They were very enthusiastic. What did the workshop help you learn about yourself as a writer? It helped wake up the capacity that never went away but wasn't being used much for many years. I very much enjoyed the opportunity this group gave me to reconnect with people as I truly love them all. What did the workshop help you learn about others? About building community through writing? Everyone has their own writing style and topics of interest, so I loved hearing the diversity of topics in the members’ writings. Our group facilitator always had curious and interesting writing prompts for us to work with and most of us used them. A couple among us chose their own path to create writings for the project. Would you recommend Write Around Portland workshops to other people? Absolutely! This could be a wonderful experience even for a person who thinks they are not interested in writing. I sort of believe that every person has some capacity for writing that lays latent for many. I would say to them 'just do it. Don't think about it until you've signed up [for a workshop] and even after that don't think about it. It's something you just have to commit to and you'll be glad.' Is there anything you would like to tell people about your writing? As I see it, writing is just one art form and as far as I am concerned everyone needs a creative outlet to express themselves. I am very saddened when I think about how the arts got taken out of the school systems because the government considered the arts non-essential. I vehemently disagree. I personally like to write in order to give expression to what I feel, and I strongly recommend it to virtually everyone.	"Write Around Portland helped me socially. I don't know many people here and it helped me get back into a place where I can be around people. I especially enjoyed hearing other people's stories and encouraging them." Steven Hager, Write Around Portland Participant Provide a writer with a writing journal, pen, bus tickets, and an anthology. Featured Writer Steven Hager Click here to read about past featured writers.
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