by Athena Lathos I may be one of those literary types who have perhaps exalted David Foster Wallace to a cult status he doesn’t always deserve. However, I will always believe that—iconographic aura aside—Wallace wrote a great deal of beautiful sentences about the power of art and writing to connect us to one another in…
The African American Read-In
by Ana Fonseca In celebration of Black History Month, the University of Portland will host its seventh annual African American Read-In and free cultural dinner on Thursday, February 19th at 5:30 PM in the Terrace Room. The African American Read-In is a national dedication to literary guests sponsored by the National Council of Teachers…
Life through a Sacramental Lens: An Interview with Fr. Pat Hannon
by Erika Murphy Our very own Father Pat Hannon will be reading from his newest collection, Sacrament: Personal Encounters with Memories, Wounds, Dreams, and Unruly Hearts, on February 10th at 7:30 in the Campus Bookstore. The title, Sacrament, may lead to certain expectations, but the book is one of diversions in many ways. Note that…
Environmental Writing Submission Opportunity for the New Terrain Award
Whole Terrain, a nationally renowned literary journal published by the Environmental Studies Department of Antioch University New England, is seeking environmental writing (fiction or non-fiction) from current undergraduates. The writer of the winning work will receive the New Terrain Award and $500 and have her or his work published in the next issue. The deadline…
Entering the World of “Professional” Writing
by Hope Dorman Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to become an author. I read voraciously and wrote many uncompleted short stories, waiting for the “big idea” to come along which would propel me to being on par with my favorite, J.K. Rowling. As I got older I still had the…
Summer Job for the Institute of Reading Development
Wondering what to do with your writing and analytical skills after graduation? Check out this great opportunity to earn good money by helping young people develop their reading skills….
Baby Steps: What Bob Wiley Taught Me About Life After Graduation
by Hannah Robinson When I was asked to write this post, I have to admit that my first thought was “Wait, am I even qualified to write about life after graduation?” And, at the risk of undermining what little authority I have, I must say that even after a few months out in the “real”…
Hill-Walking in Donegal: An Essay from Ireland by Ian Clark
Photo Credit: Ian Ostericher Ian and I ate our carrots at the base of the tower because it was too damn cold to do anything else. A wind was howling over the mountains of Donegal and, to the west, the sea was exploding against the cliffs of the Irish coast. It was a particularly…
“My French Momma”: Clare Munger’s Notes from Nantes
by Clare Munger My mom and I pinky promised each other we wouldn’t cry when we said our goodbyes. I broke my promise; she did too. I’d heard that typical French mothers were fancy, fussy, and often frigid–nothing like my own mom. In my taxi ride to the IES Nantes study abroad center, I was…
“The depth and texture of small moments”: An Interview with Robin Romm
by Danielle Childs The Hartford Courant had this to say in a review of The Mercy Papers: “Some people face great sorrow with saintly acceptance. Robin Romm is too human for that, and frank about admitting it.” Robin Romm’s memoir The Mercy Papers, a New York Times best book of the year, takes an honest…