Writing Events, Resources, and Opportunities for Writers and Poets in Vancouver, WA and beyond!

​

​

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic

 

***Stay tuned for the featured poet at Ghost Town on May 8th, 2025!*** 

​

Location: Art at the Cave, 108 E Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98660

 

Date & Time: Second Thursdays of each month from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (arrive early to sign up to read!)

 

• Featured readers with open mic

• LGBTQ+ friendly, pro-science, anti-fascist, pro-choice, all ages, and uncensored since 2004

• Suggested donation: $5.00 made in person or through Christopher Luna’s PayPal account (christopherjluna@gmail.com); include a memo stating that your payment is for Ghost Town Poetry

• Contact Christopher Luna and Morgan Paige, hosts, at christopherjluna@gmail.com

• Visit https://printedmattervancouver.com/ and  https://www.facebook.com/GhostTownPoetryOpenMic/

​​​​

​​​

First Friday Poetry Night!

 

***The featured poet is Morgan Paige on May 2nd, 2025!*** 

​

Location: Birdhouse Books, 1001 Main St, Basement, Vancouver, WA 98660
 

Date & Time: First Fridays of each month from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

 

• A poetry series featuring an ever-changing slate of talented local poets in the heart of the Vancouver Downtown Association Art Walk (no open mic)

• Drop by early to browse books, soak in the art, and pick up some delicious treats upstairs at Short & Sweet before the show

• Contact Christopher Luna, host, at christopherjluna@gmail.com

• Visit https://www.facebook.com/birdhousebookstore

• More info can be found here: https://birdhousebooks.store/events

​​

​​​​​

The Work - Saturday Poetry Workshop with Christopher Luna

​

Location: Birdhouse Books, 1001 Main St, Basement, Vancouver, WA 98660
 

Date & Time: Saturday, May 10th, 2025 @ 2 pm – 5 pm

​

Date & Time: Saturday, May 24th, 2025 @ 9 am – 12 pm

 

• A poetry workshop series lead by Christopher Luna with example poems, prompts/questions, generative writing time, sharing, and constructive feedback with fellow writers and poets

• There is a suggested $25 donation to attend. People will not be turned away for lack of funds.

• More info can be found here: https://birdhousebooks.store/events

​​

​

Willamette Writers: Community. Craft. Career.​​

​​​​

***Stay tuned for more info!*** 

​

Where: Three Creeks Community Library: 800 NE Tenney Rd, Vancouver, WA

When: Monday, May 12th, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 7:45 pm​

​

***Our Vancouver Chapter meets the Second Monday of the month, except for August and December.***​​

​​

About your chapter meetings

Willamette Writers meetings are open to all writers, 18 and up. Young writers are encouraged to join our Young Willamette Writers meetings. Guests are welcome to make a donation to help support the cost of the meeting (we believe in paying our speakers for their time and skills). This meeting is run by volunteers. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Willamette Writers is the largest writers organization in the Pacific Northwest. Willamette Writers Chapters are local writing communities where writers improve their craft and acquire the career skills required in today’s publishing world.

 

The Vancouver Chapter meets at: Three Creeks Community Library, 800-C NE Tenney Road, Vancouver, WA 98685

 

Vancouver Willamette Writers meets monthly, online and in-person at the Three Creeks Community Library. Please make sure you check the events calendar for meeting details, as they are subject to change. We welcome members from other chapters and all writers aged 18 and older (unless otherwise stated).

 

Become a Willamette Writers Member today to enjoy membership benefits and discounts.

 

Our Vancouver Chapter meets the Second Monday of the month, except for August and December. Check our events calendar to confirm any changes.

 

Vancouver Chapter website: https://willamettewriters.org/vancouver/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​

​

The Timberline Review: A Literary Magazine from Willamette Writers

 

https://www.timberlinereview.com/

 

The Timberline Review is an all-volunteer literary journal published by Willamette Writers. Our focus is on showcasing emerging talent. We are proud to share our new issue of the Timberline Review, available now at Bookshop.org and Amazon.

​

​​

The Ephemerists! Collage Workshop

​

Location: Birdhouse Books, 1001 Main St, Basement, Vancouver, WA 98660
 

Date & Time: Friday, May 16th, 2025 @ 5 pm – 7 pm

 

• Calling all Paper Artists! We have an art group that meets on the 3rd Friday of every month, 5-7pm, The Ephemerists!

• We'll be making journals, doing collage, making washi tape, all sorts of fun stuff.

• If you are looking to join a community of people that love paper art and want to work together (on independent or group projects!) then join The Ephemerists!

• Each meeting will have a $5 materials cost for glue, paper, and other materials.

• BYOS (bring your favorite pair of scissors ).

• Visit https://tinyurl.com/Ephemerists to RSVP.

• Source: https://birdhousebooks.store/events/the-ephemerists-collage-workshop-2s5l5-xclzb-j2yal-rzce7-a3naf-jkx65-s9tz6

​

​

Shut Up & Write - Vancouver, WA ​

​​

SU&W Vancouver Meetup Webpage: https://www.meetup.com/shutupandwritevancouverwa/?eventOrigin=your_groups

​

Location: Vancouver Community Library, 901 C Street, Vancouver, WA 98660 (we meet on the 4th floor in the Klickitat Meeting Room)

​

Date & Time: Every Tuesday each week from 5:15 pm to 6:45 pm PST

​

Host: Leela Ha, with Co-Hosts: Jacob D. Salzer, Tyler Wickstrom, Christiana, and Armin Tolentino

​​

Vancouver Community Library - Downtown: https://www.fvrl.org/loc/vancouver

​

​

Poetry Writing Workshops - at the Cascade Park Community Library

​

Location: Cascade Park Community Library, 600 NE 136th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98683

 

Date & Time: Saturday, May 17th, 2025 from 11 am to 12 pm

 

This poetry workshop is held in the Community Room with Clark County Poet Laureate Susan Dingle.​

​​​

Cascade Park Community Library: https://www.fvrl.org/loc/cascade-park​​

​

​​​

Humble Poets (open mic)

 

Location: The Stacks Coffee House, 1831 N Killingsworth St., Portland, OR 97217

​

Date & Time: Sunday, May 25th @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

​

Humble Poets open mic is on the last Sunday of every month.

​​​

We are encouraging poets and storytellers to come share their works, and musical accompaniments are welcome as well. The address is 1831 N. Killingsworth (between Interstate and Denver). And even though poets are generally quite wealthy, this event will be free, with only a suggested donation for those who can. Hope to see you all there!

​

Website: https://oregonpoets.org/events/humble-poets-open-mic/

​​​​​​

​​

Poetry Street PNW (featured poet + open mic) – The Camas Public Library (2nd floor)

​​

***Stay tuned for the featured poet at Poetry Street PNW on May 28th, 2025!*** 

​

Location: Camas Public Library, 625 NE 4th Ave., Camas, WA 98607

 

Date & Time: Every fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:15 pm to 7:45 pm

 

• A Poetry Open Mic Where Every Voice Is Heard

• Read Aloud Your Original or Favorite Work, and Listen to Monthly Featured Poets.

• All Ages Welcome. Family Friendly.

• Hosted by our Clark County Poet Laureate, Susan Dingle and her co-host Julie Sparling

​

Library website: https://www.cityofcamas.us/library

 

Event calendar: https://camaspl.librarycalendar.com/events/

​

​

Spring Writing Event at Clark College

​

Location: Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663 (Penguin Union Building) PUB

 

Date & Time: Saturday, May 31st, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm

 

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clark-college-spring-writing-workshop-tickets-1075675828359​

​

There are only a few tickets left!

​

List of authors who will be leading session at the 2025 Writing Workshop:

​

• Jeff Alessandrelli - Publishing & Poetry  (https://jeffalessandrelli.net/)

• Emme Lund - Fiction (https://emmelund.net/)

• Elena Passarello - Non-fiction (https://www.elenapassarello.com/)

• Selah Saterstrom - Fiction/Hybrid (https://www.selahsaterstrom.org/)

• Dao Strom - Multi-Disciplinary (Oregon Book Award for poetry in 2022) (https://www.daostrom.com/)

• Ed Skoog - Poetry (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ed-skoog)

• Jane Wong - Memoir/Poetry (https://janewongwriter.com/bio)

• + Clark Faculty

 

The Clark College Writing Workshop is an annual creative writing festival that takes place spring quarter every year. It is comprised of author readings and writing workshops and invites Clark students and the Vancouver and surrounding communities to come together to celebrate writing and practice craft. Workshop facilitators include renowned writers as well as Clark faculty. For more information, please email creativewriting@clark.edu.

​

Clark College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship, immigration status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal in its programs and activities. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds. If you need an accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Clark College’s Human Resources Office by phone 360-992-2105, or email hr@clark.edu.

​​​​

Source: https://www.clark.edu/academics/programs/dept/english/writingworkshop.php

 

​

Support Your Local Bookstores!

​

White Oak Books (in uptown Vancouver, WA): https://whiteoakbooks.net/

​

Birdhouse Books (in downtown Vancouver, WA): https://birdhousebooks.store/

​

Autumn Leaf Books (in Camas, WA): https://autumnleafbookstore.com/see-the-store

​

​

The Portland Haiku Group

​

We will meet on Saturday, May 17th from noon to 2 pm to watch a haiku film!

 

Location: Sellwood Community House (SCH), 1436 SE Spokane St, Portland 97202 

 

Our mission is to provide a respectful, fun meeting for all people where we can come together to share our haiku and other short poems and support each other in the further development and appreciation of poetry forms frequently originating from the Japanese culture.

 

Date & Times: ​We meet in-person on the 3rd Saturday of the month from noon to 2 pm at the Sellwood Community House (SCH), 1436 SE Spokane St, Portland 97202 

​​

• The Sellwood Community House charges $3 to attend.

• To join our mailing list, please contact Shelley Baker-Gard at: sbakergard@msn.com

• Sellwood Community House website: https://www.sellwoodcommunityhouse.org/

• We also have bi-monthly Zoom meetings (for HSA* Oregon poets and others). 

• Regarding the bi-monthly Zoom meetings, please contact Tanya McDonald at: tanyamc1375@gmail.com for details.

 

For more information, please contact Shelley Baker-Gard at: sbakergard@msn.com 

 

*HSA = Haiku Society of America. To become an HSA member, please click here. (more information is below)

 

The Portland Haiku Group Website: https://jsalzer.wixsite.com/portlandhaikugroup

 

​

The Haiku Society of America

 

“The Haiku Society of America is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1968 to promote the writing and appreciation of haiku in English. Membership is open to all readers, writers, and students of haiku.”

 

Website: https://www.hsa-haiku.org/index.htm

 

Frogpond: The Journal of the Haiku Society of America

https://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/index.html

 

Frogpond Submissions: https://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/submissions.html

​

To become an HSA member: https://www.hsa-haiku.org/join.htm

​

​

Western Washington Poets Network

 

An online listing of 91 poetry and critique groups in 28 cities and 125 venues for poets each month!

 

https://www.westernwashingtonpoetsnetwork.org/home