April 6, 2023

Oregon's Poet Laureate Program: One Hundred Years and Counting

Join Oregon’s Poet Laureate, Anis Mojgani, to celebrate one hundred years of the Oregon Poet Laureate Program! Anis will be joined by two of Oregon’s previous poets laureate, Kim Stafford and Paulann Petersen Jennifer Alkezweeny, Oregon Humanities' Program Director, will speak about the history of the Poet Laureate program in Oregon, followed by poetry readings from Anis, Kim, and Paulann. A brief Q&A session will conclude the event.

7:00 to 8:30 p.m., Lake Oswego Public Library, Lake Oswego

May 9, 2023

Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani

Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani leads a writing workshop.

5:00 p.m., Southern Wasco County Library, Maupin

May 10, 2023

Writing Workshop with Anis Mojgani

Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani presents a writing workshop for National Poetry Month.

4:00 p.m., Wille Hall at Central Oregon Community College, Bend

May 10, 2023

Poetry Performance by Anis Mojgani

Anis Mojgani performs his work for National Poetry Month.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Central Oregon Community College -- Bend Campus, Bend

May 19, 2023

Raymond Carver Writing Festival

The Raymond Carver Festival is celebrated each year in Clatskanie, where the celebrated short story-writer was born. The 2023 festival will be kicked off with a reception in the ballroom of the Clatskanie Cultural Center with Oregon's poet laureate, Anis Mojgani. On Saturday, May 20, workshops will be held celebrating poetry for beginners and seasoned poets alike. 

Visit the Raymond Carver Festival website to learn more.

6:00 p.m., Clatskanie Cultural Center, Clatskanie

June 2, 2023

The Most, the All of It: New Music, New Spoken Word

Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (PJCE) and Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani team up to curate an evening of music and spoken word that sets the artists free to inspire, to rejuvenate, and to provoke reflection. Mojgani and PJCE will pair Portland-based performing poets and composers to work with the 12-member jazz ensemble in a concert featuring a cross-section of composers representing many corners of the Portland poetry and jazz scenes. The title of the show comes from an essay about jazz by Langston Hughes on jazz who said:

“Jazz is a great big sea. It washes up all kinds of fish and shells and spume and waves with a steady old beat, or off-beat. And Louis must be getting old if he thinks J. J. and Kai—and even Elvis—didn’t come out of the same sea he came out of, too…The sun pulls the moon. The moon pulls the sea. They also pull jazz and me. Beyond Kai to Count to Lonnie to Texas Red, beyond June to Sarah to Billy to Bessie to Ma Rainey. And the Most is the It—the all of it.” 

Learn more about this event and buy tickets at PJCE's website.

7:30 p.m., The Old Church, Portland