We have been busy getting into the swing of things as we brought on two new staff members while preparing and launching our fall writing season.
Brandy Bell (she/her) joined us in August as our half-time Admin. She is a novelist and facilitator. And Maya Friedman (she/they) joined the team in September. She is a Write Around facilitator and graduated from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland.
Recently, they took the time to answer our getting-to-know-you questions. Their answers are below so you can get to know them, too, and be sure to introduce yourself at the Winter Reading & Book Release!
Brandy Bell
What inspired you to join this organization, and what excites you most about your role?
I fell in love with the mission of Write Around Portland during my first Prompt in 2015 and have been involved ever since, becoming a facilitator in 2024. After joining Write Around as the Administrative Specialist, I can say I am most excited to be in a career where I can use both sides of my brain—and also my heart.
Can you share something unique about your background or experiences that shaped who you are today?
As a nature-lover that grew up in rural New Mexico and a forest-y town in Arizona, I have always been deeply connected with the environment. This background shapes my personal goals for sustainable practices in the office setting. Saving our natural resources is important to me and impacts how I navigate my role. I am serving Write Around Portland after over 20 years of admin support, office management, and customer service experience in the public and private sectors. These roles have engendered me for the non-profit sector—where environmentally conscientious thought is useful in protecting and maintaining our culture of writing, community, and respect.
How do you like to spend your weekends or free time outside of work?
I am a writer, visual artist, and I love to read (and I have used the em dash long before AI came along)! Summers are filled with reading in the hammock swing watching the cats (as we all watch the birds). I love cooking a delicious meal for friends and family, watching live music with my husband (he’s often playing the music), and being on the water.
Maya Friedman
What inspired you to join this organization, and what excites you most about your role?
I was seeking a writing community that felt inclusive and focused on process over product. After volunteering at a Write Around Portland anthology reading and seeing the depth of emotion and connection present at that event, I was motivated to become a facilitator. My facilitation experience affirmed to me the incredibly connective work these workshops achieve for everyone involved. I was inspired to join Write Around as Volunteer Coordinator because I believe deeply, based on my firsthand experience, in the work that we are doing together. The most exciting thing about my role is getting to collaborate with my community on something we all feel strongly about: writing together and offering a platform for people to share their stories.
Can you share something unique about your background or experiences that shaped who you are today?
I wrote stories all the time as a child but as I grew up, I thought I would be a scientist. In college I majored in Science, Technology and Society and realized that I was more interested in the stories of the scientists as people than the actual science itself. This fascination with storytelling fueled my interest in writing. After graduating, I worked in retail for six years before eventually going back to school for a creative writing degree.
How do you like to spend your weekends or free time outside of work?
Outside of work, I like to spend time resting, taking walks to Mt. Tabor or Laurelhurst Park, playing board games with my friends, visiting my parents’ dogs (and my parents), and feeling creative through writing, drawing, and crafting.