News

http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2010/06/katherine_dunn_willy_vlautin_d.html

Katherine Dunn ("Geek Love"), Paul Collins ("Not Even Wrong"), Peter Rock ("My Abandonment") and Willy Vlautin ("Lean on Pete") will discuss how and why they wrote their books in a writing class being offered at Portland State this summer. Literature of the Northwest: Writers at Work will emphasize reading and writing and will provide students with an opportunity to talk to authors about the creative process. Other writers including Lidia Yuknavitch (on Ken Kesey), Cheryl Strayed (on the personal essay) and Matt Love (on developing a writing and publishing career in Oregon) will share their insights into Northwest literature.

The class will be taught by Jeff Baker, The Oregonian's book editor, and is based in part on the Northwest Writers at Work series that has appeared in the newspaper the last 18 months. Besides the books listed above, the reading list includes "Ramona Quimby, Age 8" by Beverly Cleary, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian" by Sherman Alexie, and "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver.

The class meets at 3:30 p.m., beginning June 21. It is not necessary to be a Portland State student to enroll.