News

Writers of all levels are invited to gather inspiration, sharpen their skills and connect with fellow creatives at the annual Compose Creative Writing Conference on Saturday, May 17, hosted by the Clackamas Community College English Department.

This year's keynote speaker is Stephen Graham Jones, the New York Times-bestselling author of nearly 40 novels, short story collections, novellas and comic books, including “The Only Good Indians,” “My Heart is a Chainsaw,” “Mongrels,” “Earthdivers” and “I was a Teenage Slasher.” Jones is one of the most prolific authors in publishing and among its most decorated. He is a National Endowment for the Arts recipient and has won many awards for his fiction and graphic novels. He is the Ivena Baldwin Professor of English at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

In addition to the keynote address, the conference will feature a full day of workshops and panels, including:

• Panel discussion with Jones, Rene Denfeld and Terry Blas
• YES, AND keep writing: First draft as improv with Curtis Chen
• Writing and drawing: Starting a career in comics with Terry Blas
• Finding the enchanted: How to bring the poetic to your writing with Rene Denfeld
• Walking off the page: Crafting compelling characters with Rachel Attias
• Uncovering/recovering your story, your vision, your voice with Gina Ochsner
• Radical revision with Matthew Dickman
• Unwinding the line: Contemporary poetry and dissent with Jennifer Pons
  

Participants can customize their day by choosing sessions that best match their interests and creative goals.

Event details:

• Date: Saturday, May 17
• Time: 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
• Location: Clackamas Community College, Oregon City campus
• Registration: $25 general admission | $10 CCC students
  

Register online at www.clackamas.edu/register-compose. For more information about the event, visit www.clackamas.edu/compose. To learn more about the college’s English Department and offerings, visit www.clackamas.edu/english. Clackamas Community College is located at 19600 Molalla Ave., Oregon City.