Lines & Vines
A Day of Poetry Craft in the ApplegateSATURDAY, APRIL 25 | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!
Join Us for a Poetry Mini-Conference
in Southern Oregon
VISTA 222
222 MISSOURI FLAT ROAD, GRANTS PASS
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 | 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Celebrate National Poetry Month with Lines & Vines, a one-day poetry mini-conference hosted by Rogue Writers Collective in the beautiful Applegate Valley. Featuring Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston and a distinguished lineup of poets, the event offers an inspiring day of workshops, readings, and conversations about the craft of poetry. Designed for poets of all experience levels, the conference includes a large group session followed by smaller breakout workshops where participants can explore new approaches to writing and connect with fellow poets.
The Day’s Events
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Arrival, Check-in, Light Lunch, Socializing
11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Welcome, Introductions
12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Opening Session with Ellen Waterston
Join Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston for an inspiring 60-minute talk on poetry, creativity, and the writing life. Throughout the session, Ellen will offer short writing prompts to encourage fresh ideas and new poems. The presentation will conclude with a 15-minute Q&A with the audience.
1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Break 1
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Breakout Session 1
You’ll have the chance to attend one of these two sessions
Session A: Reaching the Edge – Building Metaphors that Border the Unknown with Armin Tolentino
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Break 2
3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Breakout Session 2
You’ll have the chance to attend one of these two sessions
Session A: I’ll Have What She’s Having – Writing Erotic Poetry with Dale Champlin
This generative workshop will delve into erotic poetry. If you prefer not to “out” yourself, feel free to write anonymously in the form of persona poetry. We will read and discuss many famous poetic works, some erotic and some downright raunchy! We will explore break-up poems as well as getting-to- know-you poems. This class will encourage poets to reject their inhibitions and divulge their wisdom on the topic of sex!
Session B: The Volta – Finding the Turn with Jennifer Rood
The volta, or poetic turn, is where a poem pivots—emotionally, intellectually, or imaginatively. In this session, Jennifer Rood will explore how the volta can transform a poem, creating tension, surprise, and new insight. Through discussion, examples, and writing prompts, participants will experiment with crafting their own poetic turns.
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Poets Gone Rogue
We hope you’ll stick around for a lively poetry open mic, Poets Gone Rogue, at Wild River Pub in Grants Pass! We’re inviting the community to join the celebration of poetry and storytelling. And if you’re brave enough to stand up at the mic, Wild River is offering $6 off a drink! This is also a fundraising event for Rogue Writers Collective. Buy a raffle ticket for prizes and join in more fun as we raise money to bring you more programming, such as Lines & Vines.
More Details
Age Requirements
While we love our young writers, this event is for those 18 years and older. Thank you for understanding.
Refreshments
A light lunch and refreshments (including water and lemonade) will be served throughout the day. Want to enjoy a nice glass of Applegate Valley wine? Vista 222 offers a terrific cash bar offering wine, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks. Feel free to enjoy a nice glass during the event. Vegetarian and gluten-free food options will be available.
Pricing
Rogue Writers Collective strives to keep our programs affordable and accessible while still fairly compensating the presenters who make our events possible. Registration for Lines & Vines is $50 for RWC members and $65 for nonmembers. The reduced member rate is part of our effort to encourage participation in our literary community while keeping costs low enough for most writers and poetry enthusiasts to attend. Ticket revenue helps offset event expenses, including instructor honoraria, venue costs, and materials, allowing us to continue offering high-quality literary programming in Southern Oregon. Interested in being an RWC member? Find out more here: https://roguewriterscollective.org/membership
Accessibility
Rogue Writers Collective is committed to making our events as accessible and welcoming as possible. The venue for this event offers accessible features, including designated handicapped parking, step-free entry, and spaces designed to accommodate guests with mobility needs. We strive to ensure that everyone in our community can participate comfortably. If you require additional accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, please let us know in advance, and we will do our best to make arrangements. Contact us at hello@roguewriterscollective.org.
Our Presenters
Ellen Waterston
Oregon Poet Laureate
Ellen Waterston was named Oregon Poet Laureate in August 2024 for a two-year term. Also in 2024, Ellen received the Stewart H. Holbrook Award and the Soapstone Bread and Roses Award.
Ellen Waterston is a poet, educator, and speaker living in Bend. She is the author of several books, including Walking the High Desert, Encounters with Rural America along the Oregon Desert Trail; the essay collection Where the Crooked River Rises; the memoir Then There Was No Mountain; and four poetry titles: Hotel Domilocos, Between Desert Seasons, I Am Madagascar, and Vía Láctea, A Woman of a Certain Age Walks the Camino.
Armin Tolentino
Oregon Literary Arts Fellow
Armin Tolentino is the author of the poetry collection We Meant to Bring It Home Alive(Alternating Current Press) and coauthor of the children’s book Mythwakers: The Manananggal (Hope Well Books). He served as poet laureate for Clark County, WA, from 2021 to 2023. He earned an MFA at Rutgers University-Newark and is a former Oregon Literary Arts Fellow, Carolyn Moore House Writer-in-Residence, and Atticus Hotel Artist-in-Residence. He is a phenomenal clapper, a passable ukulele player, and a bumbling, but enthusiastic, fisherman. More info at www.armintolentino.com.
Amy Miller
Oregon Literary Arts Fellow
Amy Miller’s Astronauts won the Chad Walsh Chapbook Prize from Beloit Poetry Journal and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award, and her full-length poetry collection The Trouble with New England Girls won the Louis Award from Concrete Wolf. Her poems have appeared in Copper Nickel, The Missouri Review, North American Review, Prairie Schooner, Terrain, and ZYZZYVA. She lives in Ashland and works as a communications editor for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Dale Champlin
Acclaimed Poet & Artist
Dale Champlin, an Oregon poet with an MFA in fine art, has published in The Opiate, Triggerfish and CatheXis. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Timberline Review. In 2023, Dale won the Banta Award from Oregon Poetry Association. Her poetry collections include: The Barbie Diaries, Callie Comes of Age, Isadora, Andromina, A Stranger in America, Victims of Desire, and Medusa, an illustrated collection of poetry.
Jennifer Rood
Award-winning Poet
Jennifer Rood is the author of Present and Speaking Everywhere: A Collection of Found Poetry and Art and What the Heart Says. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Willows Wept Review, Willawaw Journal, The Literary Hatchet, GreenPrints, and many others, and her 1st place poem “Breaking” appeared in the Oregon Poetry Association’s journal Verseweavers. She is a former Artist in Residence at the Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, President of the Oregon Poetry Association, and a high school English, art, and history teacher. Happily retired now, she currently serves as poetry editor for The Rapids: A Literary & Art Journal of Southern Oregon and as a Master Gardener.
We have a running joke at RWC that I have “poetry trauma” going back to a few author events I did with poets that went south…fast. But the truth is that I’ve always felt intimidated by the art form. This event is sure to change that! I’m looking forward to overcoming that fear and trying something new.
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