Calling All Portland Writers!

Tonight is a very special night. My friend/fellow scribe, Jeffrey Selin, is realizing one of his dreams by opening Writer's Dojo in Portland. And tonight is the launch party.

It's a sanctuary for writers: part sacred creative space, part lush clubhouse, part wifi coffee bar. Think bamboo floors, loft, garden, cozy conversation pit... along with amenities like a kitchenette and showers.

Other cities have writers' rooms, so why not Portland? Jeff was influenced by places like The Writers Room in New York, The Loft in Minneapolis, and The Grotto in San Francisco.

If you go to their website, you'll see they will soon be offering interviews, podcasts, parties, blogs, essays, artwork, workshops, and more.

The first podcast they produced (on their home page) is a a conversation between old friends Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) and Chelsea Cain (author of Hearstick). Very soon, you'll get to hear Lipstick and erotica writer/poet Shanna Germain (we're also great friends) discuss the writing life and how very differently we approach the page.

Stay tuned for more on that, but in the meantime, if you're not busy tonight, come on by the Writer's Dojo and check it out. This evening, there will be finger food, wine, music and special readings by some of Portland's finest: Chelsea Cain, Kim Stafford, Tom Spanbauer, Alison Clement, and James Bernard Frost.

And be sure to wear cute socks! The Dojo is a sanctuary so no shoes allowed.