Christopher Luna’s Spring 2019 Creative Writing Workshops

Follow your bliss this Spring. Take a writing workshop with Christopher Luna.

christopher by alisha jucevic
Christopher Luna in his office/studio by Alisha Jucevic for the Columbian

Christopher has an MFA in Writing and Poetics from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, where he received training in literary community outreach from Jack Collom, and two decades of teaching experience. He served as the Poet Laureate of Clark County, WA from 2013-2017. In 2004 he founded the popular Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic, which he co-hosts with his wife Toni Lumbrazo Luna. Christopher and Toni co-founded Printed Matter Vancouver, which publishes local poetry and provides coaching and editing services to Northwest writers.

Darlene Zimbardi had the following comments about her experience in Christopher’s poetry and memoir writing classes: “I love taking classes with Christopher. From the moment you walk into the room, you see and feel his passion for literature. His zest transfers to his students. It doesn’t matter where you are on your writing path, he encourages and challenges you. Christopher holds a safe space for writers to share their work.”

Rae Latham, a writer in Christopher’s Monday morning workshop at Multnomah Arts Center, comments: “Christopher is the poetry alchemist who helps us discover gold.”

Below you will find several creative writing workshops throughout the region sponsored by Multnomah Arts Center, Clark College, Niche Wine Bar, and Angst Gallery. Hope you can join us.

Contact printedmattervancouver@gmail.com or christopherjluna@gmail.com for more information.

Multnomah Arts Center

MAC_logo_withTransparency

7688 SW CAPITOL HWY • PORTLAND, OR 97219 • 503-823-2787 • FAX 503-865-3487

Poetry Writing
Age 16 & up

Explore poetry as a means of expression, discovery, and generating compassion. Write poetry in response to prompts and read a variety of published poems that you can use as
inspiration. Read and respond to one another’s work in this supportive setting, paying close attention to revision.

Monday 10:00am-12:30pm April 1 to June 3, 2019

$225 [9 Classes] 1095190 Christopher Luna

Monday 1:00-3:30pm April 1, 2019 to June 3, 2019
$225 [9 Classes] 1100630 Christopher Luna

Registration for the spring term begins Monday, February 25 at 5:30am online, and at 9am in person or by phone at 503-823-2787. The Arts & Culture Spring Review Guide, with exciting programs from all of PP&R’s Arts & Culture department, will be available around mid-February on the MAC website. Spring term begins Monday, April 1.

Clark College Memoir Writing

500 Broadway Street, Suite 200 Vancouver, WA 98660
Metered Parking: $ 0.50 / hr

Everyone has a story to tell. Each person’s life is filled with adventure, mystery, trouble, and triumph. Memoir is a powerful way to demonstrate the interconnectedness of all human beings. See yourself as a part of history, documenting the story of your life.

TUESDAY CLASS

Register for Tuesdays 

Downtown Campus
9411
Tuesdays 4/9/2019- 6/11/2019
1:00PM- 3:20PM
$259
CCE 208

THURSDAY CLASS

Register for Thursdays

Downtown Campus
9412
Thursdays 4/11/2019- 6/13/2019
1:00PM- 3:20PM
$259
CCE 208

THE WORK

The Work 2017 Make Poetry Your Life

“Well, while I’m here I’ll do the work — and what’s the work?
To ease the pain of living. Everything else, drunken dumbshow.”
― Allen Ginsberg, from “Memory Gardens” (Fall of America, City Lights)

The Work is a drop-in poetry writing workshop for beginners as well as more experienced writers. Beginning in January 2019, we will meet three times per month: on the second Saturday afternoon of each month at Niche Wine Bar, and the second and fourth Monday evening at Angst Gallery, unless otherwise noted. Please check Facebook for more frequent updates.

Saturday Afternoons

Poetry encourages empathy and compassion, and sparks the shifts in consciousness which can lead to healing, personal growth, and an interest in fighting for progressive social change. I look forward to sharing my passion for poetry with you.

We will read and discuss poetry, and write several new poems together from 12:00 until 2:30. Doors open at 11:30 so that participants can settle in and purchase coffee, tea, or other non-alcoholic beverages.

Niche is located at 1013 Main Street, right next door to The Kiggins Theatre, Vancouver’s landmark movie house in the Vancouver Arts District.

$20 suggested donation; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Bring a poem to share as a way of saying hello.

Shareable snacks are also welcome and very much appreciated.

Upcoming Saturday afternoon workshops will take place on February 9, March 2, April 13, and May 11.

Second and Fourth Monday Evenings

The Work will also take place at Angst Gallery (1015 Main Street) from 6 – 8:30 on the second and fourth Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted.

Upcoming 2019 Monday evening workshops will take place on January 14 & 28, February 11 & 25, March 11 & 25, April 15 & 29, May 13, June 10 & 24.

The Work 2017 Stein

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic Featuring Tim Whitsel at Angst Gallery February 14, 2019

ghost town poetry open mic flyer february 14 2019

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic
Hosted by Christopher Luna and Toni Lumbrazo Luna of Printed Matter Vancouver
Featuring Tim Whitsel

7 pm
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Open mic sign up begins at 6:30 and closes at 7
FREE

Angst Gallery
1015 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
angstgallery.com

Food and libation provided by Niche Wine Bar, 1013 Main Street
Sound provided by Briz Loan & Guitar: http://briz.us/
LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY, ALL AGES, AND UNCENSORED SINCE 2004

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Tim Whitsel believes in the power of dogwood blossoms. He may have migrated west on a solitary bicycle at the age of nineteen. He remembers the cheekbones of the first girl he kissed. He studied with David Waggoner, James Welch and Stanley Plumly at the University of Washington. For six years he curated the Windfall Reading Series at the Eugene Public Library. His poem “Mudflat Allure” won first prize at the 2013 Northwest Poets’ Concord. We Say Ourselves appeared in 2012 from Traprock Books and Airlie Press published his full-length collection Wish Meal in 2016.

GRIMACE

A cabin on a snowy river made
lonelier by threadbare conifers.

French doors, three glass teeth
facing the direction of the storm.
Everyone is away for the day.

Cinching their ballcaps snug
for a comfort they don’t feel.

Blowing on their hands one at a
time so their placards don’t fall.
Follow the Money, Hear ME

unwilling to be fenced like cattle
or fly south like trumpeter swans.
Tim Whitsel
May 10, 2018

Printed Matter Vancouver is Accepting New Clients

Are you ready to take control of your writing goals? Do you have a manuscript that needs polishing before being submitted for publication? Printed Matter Vancouver can help. We are accepting new clients now.

2018 was a great year for Printed Matter Vancouver. We had the privilege of working with an impressive group of creative individuals at various stages in their writing journey. We are humbled by their grace, talent, and perseverance. They entrusted us with their precious poems, essays, stories, fiction, articles, and commentary. We provided guidance, editing, formatting assistance, critique, and revision. Witnessing the growth and commitment of these writers is incredibly satisfying. To say this year has been astounding would be an understatement. We are grateful to those who have put their trust in us. These inspiring individuals have an unflinching determination to do the work that is necessary to grow and improve as a writer.

christopher and toni at sam and kelly wedding by julian nelson
Printed Matter Vancouver Co-founders Christopher Luna and Toni Lumbrazo Luna at Sam Mackenzie and Kelly Keigwin’s wedding. Photo by Julian Nelson.

If you are considering working with an editor, compiling a chapbook, or further developing your writing skills, contact us for an initial consultation at no cost to you. We can be reached via printedmattervancouver@gmail.com. Let’s explore your writing together!

With sincere appreciation to all for a great year,
Christopher Luna and Toni Lumbrazo Luna

Here are a few of the projects we worked on during 2018:

• Editing and formatting a debut book of poetry.
• Editing of a historical memoir.
• Critique, review, and editing of a significant collection of poetry.
• Editing Book #1 of a fiction series.
• Editing a full-length book of haiku.
• Coaching a poet mining decades of journals to create a series of chapbooks.

LOGO CONTEST

Printed Matter Vancouver
LOGO CONTEST
DEADLINE March 1, 2019

christopher and toni at sam and kelly wedding by julian nelson
Printed Matter Vancouver co-founders Christopher Luna and Toni Lumbrazo Luna (photo by Julian Nelson) 

How would you like to win two hours of professional editing time? Use your creative skills to design a logo for Printed Matter Vancouver.

YOU COULD BE A WINNER!

What you will win: two hours of editing that includes a professional critique of 5 poems OR 3 pages of prose with suggested edits of word choices, line breaks, format and content, valued at $110.

Check out our website to see what Printed Matter Vancouver is all about. Submit your design as a jpeg with a minimum 300dpi to printedmattervancouver@gmail.com.

DEADLINE March 1, 2019