The second annual 10-day Portland State of Mind celebration has come and gone. This year, Portland State University hosted more than fifty events, kicking off with a downtown Portland scavenger hunt and ending with a day of community service. The Simon Benson Awards Dinner, Alumni Beer Launch Party, Food Week Carnival, OIT Technology Talks Series, and Viking football were just a few events that took place, including a preview of the upcoming 2014 Write to Publish conference.
People of varying ages attended the hour-long, informational presentation of Write to Publish at the Smith Memorial Student Union on October 23, 2013. Write to Publish is a writing conference that demystifies the publishing process for writers and others interested in the publishing industry. In the past, Write to Publish has focused on genre fiction and non-fiction, and has offered workshops that broached topics such as self-marketing and small-press publishing. Held at Portland State, the forthcoming, sixth-annual conference will focus on the New Adult genre, a recently emerged area of publishing that targets the 18–24 age demographic and addresses the issues faced when becoming an adult. The conference invites all ages of the public to explore the meaning of new adult, listen to authors, share in their experiences, and gain information about an industry that is ever-changing. This year, Write to Publish will feature several prominent authors and publishing professionals. Authors and professionals in attendance include:
- Jamie Rich, author of Bobby Pins and Mary Janes
- Jen Violi, author of Putting Makeup on Dead People
- Stacy Wallace Benefiel, author of Zellie Wells
- Kelly Williams Brown, author of Adulting: How to Become A Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps
- Aron Nels Steinke, author of Neptune
- Jen Van Meter, author of Hopeless Savages
- Karelia Stez-Waters, author of Dysphoria
- Allison Moon, author of Hungry Ghost
- Chris Roberson iZombie
- Jemiah Jefferson St*rf*ck*ng
- Fiona Kenshole, literary agent at Transatlantic Agency
- Angel Punk
Write to Publish will present key-note speakers and offer workshops. Various vendors will be in attendance and the conference will provide catered food from Anna Bannanas Café. The conference will be held February 15, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; registration for the all-day event will open December 1, 2013 For more information, visit Write to Publish’s website at or stay up-to-date with their Facebook page.