Opening Reception and Poetry Contest Award Ceremony
9:30-11:30am at the Clatskanie Cultural Center, Birkenfeld Theatre
Welcome to the Raymond Carver Writing Festival!
Featured presenter: Alice Derry (Port Angeles, WA)
Guest presenter: Marj Hogan (Portland, OR)
Award presentation and readings from the winners of the 2025 Poetry Contest in both youth and adult (over 18) categories.
Steal Time to Write (in community)
11:45am-12:45pm at Clatskanie Library and Fultano’s Pizza
Focused writing time at lunch! Pick up printed prompts from host locations and spend some time responding in community.
Poetry and Prose Reading
1-2pm at The Castle
Readers: Craig Brandis (Lake Oswego, OR), Jon Broderick (Cannon Beach, OR), Florence Sage (Astoria, OR), Tess Gallagher (Port Angeles, WA)
Writing Workshop
2:30-3:30pm at the Clatskanie Cultural Center, Ballroom
Presenter: Marj Hogan (Portland, OR)
To prepare for this workshop, you might: (a) create or find a transcript of you or someone else describing their daily work (paid or unpaid), (b) do nothing at all. When we get together, we’ll do a warm-up, generative exercise and then approach writing poetry about work using two different strategies. Some questions it might be fun to think about in advance: What have your various jobs given you? What have they taken from you? How has your body changed because of your labor? What language and skills do you have that someone outside of your work does not have?
Registration appreciated, but not required.
Parking Lot Poetry
4-4:30pm at the Carver Mural
Readers: Tess Gallagher … and you!
Tess will start us off by reading a selection of Carver and Gallagher poems and shared anecdotes. Then it’s your turn. Bring a poem to share (one that inspires you or one you wrote) and read to those assembled in the parking lot!
Prose and Poetry Reading
5-6pm at Flowers ‘n’ Fluff
Readers: Janet Ebert (Astoria, OR), Robert Michael Pyle (Grays River, WA), Gary Copeland Lilley (Port Angeles, WA)
Poetry and Pie Festival Finale!
at the Clatskanie Food Hub
6:30pm Dinner (reservations required)
Seasonal Farm-to-table food featuring locally grown savory delights. Non-alcoholic beverages supplied, beer and wine available for purchase. Reservations are required, cost is $20 per person. Purchase a ticket
7:30-8:30pm Open Mic Poetry Jam (free and open to all)
An opportunity for festival participants to share their words in a supportive and fun atmosphere, sign-ups will be available all day and on site in case of last minute inspiration.
ONGOING
Publishers & Writers Fair
9:30am-6pm at the Clatskanie Cultural Center, Lobby
Tables featuring presenting authors and regional writing organizations. A select assortment of Raymond Carver books will be for sale at the event. We’ll also have merch available from the Raymond Carver Writing Festival including commemorative posters, stickers, postcards, book bags and badges.
Steal Time to Write (self-guided)
9am (or venue open time)-6pm (or venue close time) at various locations in Clatskanie
Self guided. Pop in to sponsoring sites, pick up a keepsake print and spend a few minutes writing to short prompts from festival writers. A different printed prompt will be offered at each location, so plan on stealing time for all of them!