4th Annual AAYC Terrroir Creative Writing Festival, April 27, 2013

4th Annual AAYC Terrroir Creative Writing Festival, April 27, 2013
Yamhill Valley branch of Chemeketa Community College

In 2010 when a small group of local writers and other supporters of literary arts got
together to talk about putting on a Yamhill County Creative Writing Festival, no one knew if
there would actually be interest in such an event. The Arts Alliance of Yamhill County agreed
to sponsor the festival and the Yamhill County Cultural Coalition gave a grant to help fund
the project. A variety of other local groups and individuals stepped up and made contributions
ranging from cash, cookies, and donuts to wine and table bouquets; Third Street Books offered
to be our festival bookstore; the McMinnville Community Center agreed to provide space. Soon
we were off and running. Registration was far beyond what we expected with more than 150
people attending that first year. In its fourth year the festival has definitely found a place in the
creative life of Yamhill County.

One aim of the festival is to build a stronger literary community in our area by
encouraging and spotlighting local writers while also making connections with the writing and
publishing community beyond. You don’t have to be a writer to attend. Anyone interested in
contemporary writing and writers will find something here to enjoy. Past speakers have included
visiting authors Ursula LeGuin, Molly Gloss, Jean Auel, and Willy Vlautin, as well as authors
from our area such as Lex Runciman, Phoebe Newman, Linfield graduate Molly Johnson, and
book artist Marilyn Worrix. With anywhere from 10-15 speakers each year, many outstanding
authors have shared the secrets of their craft, offered encouragement, and given readings from
their works.

This year’s Terroir Festival, to be held April 27, 2013, 9-5:30 at the Yamhill Valley
branch of Chemeketa Community College, will once again offer a mix of local and non-local
writers speaking, giving workshops, and reading from their own writing. Books by featured
authors will be available at the festival bookstore and authors will be available at a signing table
to sign their books and chat informally with festival attendees.

This year’s program will once again offer a wide variety of choices in genres and voices.
2013 fiction authors include Anna Keesey (Little Century), Heather Sharfeddin (Windless
Summer, Sweetwater Burning, and others), and Monica Drake (Clown Girl and The Stud Book).
Nicole J. Georges (Calling Dr. Laura) will bring a new angle to the festival by giving insights
into writing the graphic novel. Her recently published Calling Dr. Laura published by Houghton
Mifflin is receiving wide attention Another new genre included this year is writing for the
romance market. M.L. Bucher, author of eleven romance novels as well as science fiction will
speak on getting into the romance novel market. Journalist and biographer Peter Ames Carlin,
author of Bruce, the newly published biography of Bruce Springsteen, will share insights on the
art of researching and writing biography. Local author Steve Long will tell us how he used the
funding program Kickstarter to get his novel into print. Also dealing with publishing as well as

reading their poetry, will be Stephanie Lenox, Anita Sullivan, and Dawn Diez Willis of Airlie
Collective Press. Oregon Book Award winning poets Lex Runciman and Penelope Scambly
Schott will give workshops and readings. An open mic reading will take place at the end of the
afternoon and attendees are invited to bring short pieces of their original work. Whether on the
program or not, any author registered for the festival is invited to bring a representative copy of
his or her work to display on a table near the registration desk. Book artist and founder and
director of the McMinnville Book Arts Center, Marilyn Worrix, will once again offer her
popular handmade book workshop, pre-registration required.

The Festival is open to anyone from 7th grade through adults of all ages. Registration fees are as
follows:

Pre-registration $45. Day-of registration $55.

Students and Seniors 65+ Pre-registration $35. Day of registration $45.

Box lunches are available with pre-registration, $9.00.

Registration forms can be downloaded
at the festival website https://terroircreativewritingfestival.com/
or at the Arts Alliance website http://www.artsallianceyamhillco.org/
and submitted by mail to AAYC, PO Box 898, McMinnville, Oregon, 97128

Please note: We would like to offer this experience to as many people as possible, but space
may be limited so pre-registration is strongly recommended. Also, if teachers or others know of
someone who would be seriously interested and would benefit from attending but cannot afford
registration, please contact about possibilities for scholarships.

The Terroir Creative Writing Festival is sponsored by the Arts Alliance of Yamhill
County with support from the Yamhill County Cultural Coalition, Third Street Books of
McMinnville, and Chemeketa Community College.