First Draft Writers’ Series
Third Thursday of each month, always FREE

Ursula LeGuin reading at First Draft.

The First Draft Writers’ Series brings authors and poets of note to the Pendleton stage to share new work. On the third Thursday of each month people who love the written word gather at the PCA’s Pearson Auditorium to hear our featured authors as well as three to five minute open mic readings by local emerging writers.

“Truly, [First Draft] was one of the best adventures of my writing career, right up there with winning the PNBA awards and being interviewed by Studs Turkel.”   – Craig Lesley

Our Open Mic readers add incredible life to First Draft. Whether you’re a professional, emerging literary artist, amateur or just get a burst of inspiration to write one thing, we’d love to have you read your original 3-5 minute piece for the audience. Up to ten people can sign up each month to share their work after the featured author and a quick Q&A. Just send us a note in the Zoom chat that you’d like to read.

NEXT: Join us for a reading with Laura Winter

Thursday, March. 20, 2025
7:00 p.m. ZOOM ONLY

Zoom link Here
(Having trouble with the link? Text or call Roberta at 541-310-7413 and she’ll send it to you directly.)

Laura Winter lives in Portland Oregon with visual artist, Brad Winter and Kinta, an orange tabby cat. Laura is a past vice president for Oregon Community Foundation where she worked for 30 years. Winter is author of poetry collections, broadsides and performance projects. Her poems have been translated into several languages. Winter’s recent book, noble scratch, roughly spoken, features visual artist Brad Winter.

Improvised music is an influential factor in how Laura considers the use of the page and language. She performs with musicians, nationally and internationally, using language as an instrument.  When performing her poetry, the music of words is brought to the forefront for a captivating rendition of meaning.

Winter’s US-Mexico borderlands collaboration with photographer Terri Warpinski, Liminal Matter: Fences and Liminal Matter: Traces is in numerous special collections such as Stanford University Library, Amherst College and Yale University.

Winter occasionally publishes TAKE OUT, a bag-a-zine featuring visual art, writing and music.

Pine Meadow Ranch, Playa at Summer Lake, and Caldera Arts are a selection of residencies that have provided solitude to pursue her writing.  Learn more about her work at LauraWinterPoet.

Q&A with Laura:

Are there specific themes that run through your work? A sub-genre that you work within? 

General themes found in my poetry include an abundance of nature/natural environment references. However, anything and everything may be used in my poetry!  I am passionate about our collective human relationship with every nonhuman being and how our connectivity shapes us as a whole and as individuals.   My work echoes the celebratory spirit of the circle of life.

I write poetry that springs from the tradition of Imagism.  Imagist poetry emphasizes precision, clarity of expression and simplicity.  Stanzas are often strung together like linked haiku.  Through the economical use of language, I build the visualization of an image and emphasize the sound/song of language.  We each have a unique song that is heard when we speak language out loud.  Our pronunciation, enunciation and dialect all inform the songs of language.

Any interesting anecdotes that would give a feel for your point of view? 

When I was 5 or 6 a childless couple next door to my family befriended me.  I would often visit them after school.  He was very ill.  I sat beside him as he read me stories and poems from all over the world.  French authors, Shakespeare, Poe, Dickinson and more.  He especially loved to read the poetry.  As you can imagine, most of this was beyond my 6 years.  He read to me twice a week until I was 12 years old.  I was transported by the sound of the language, the rhythm and music of the sentences or stanzas were captivating, and I announced that I was going to be a writer.

When I write, I write out loud.  I speak the poems as I work the language into place on the page and discover what the poem wants to become.  I read poetry and other writing from around the world, enjoying the variety of voices living amongst us.

In terms of the frequent references to music –

I helped run a nonprofit organization that brought musicians from all over the world to Oregon. These musicians practiced the art of improvisation.  This was a ten-year commitment and one that was extremely rewarding.  Improvisors typically do not work from written music but perform spontaneous creations amongst their group, each using their unique voice on their respective instrument to contribute to the whole.  Often the result is sublime and sometimes it does not work.  Each time a group performs together, the creations are new.  The art of improvisation is of the moment and, in my opinion, best heard live.   I found a kindred creativity in how the music was constructed “out loud”.

Why should someone who doesn’t know much about poetry, or thinks they don’t care for it, experience your work? 

I perform my work in a way that most people have never experienced.  The music I referred to is brought to life during my readings which helps the accessibility of the poetry.  I pepper my readings with anecdotal stories that invite people into the intimacy of the poems.

Check out the list of esteemed writers who have headlined First Draft since 2013.
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