Poets & Writers Theater

Poets & Writers Live was at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, on October 17, 2015, for a program on independent publishing, featuring Barry Lopez, Matthew Dickman, Elena Passarello, Leni Zumas, Tom Spanbauer, Michael Wiegers, Mindy Nettifee, and many other authors, editors, agents, and literary professionals. More information about this and other Poets & Writers Live events can be found at pw.org/live.

Kevin Sampsell, publisher of Future Tense Books, talks with the editors of some of the Pacific Northwest's most successful independent presses about the kind of work they publish, along with practical advice for writers looking to submit their work. Panelists include Heidi Broadhead, managing editor of Wave Books; Natalie Garyet, managing editor of Tavern Books; Rhonda Hughes, publisher of Hawthorne Books; and Michael Wiegers, editor in chief of Copper Canyon Press.

Publishing veteran Debra Englander gives an overview of the self-publishing process, followed by a conversation with self-published author William Hertling, editor Jessica Page Morel, and book publicist Jessica Glenn about the opportunities available to independent authors as well as the challenges they face.

Dana Isokawa, assistant editor of Poets & Writers Magazine, talks with the editors of some of Portland's most exciting literary magazines about the kind of work they're looking for, the relationships they cultivate with their authors, and the balance between publishing traditional work and developing new and innovative ideas for both print and digital literature. Panelists include LeAnna Crawford of Gertrude, Cheston Knapp of Tin House, Travis Meyer of Poor Claudia, and Kim Winterheimer of Masters Review.

Fiction writer Leni Zumas delivers the craft talk "In Praise of Debris: On Using Shards, Dregs, and Detritus in Fiction" during Poets & Writers Live Portland.

Poet Matthew Dickman discusses "Skinheads, Suicide, and Government Assistance: Why Subjects Don't Make Poets Into Heroes."

Essayist Elena Passarello presents the craft talk "Point Sublime: Research and Uncertainty in the Literary Essay."

Award-winning author Barry Lopez delivers an inspiring talk about the origins of storytelling to kick off Poets & Writers Live Portland in October 2015.