The latest from the Prose City Community
Photo: Taken by Iris on August 3 at 8pm in SE Portland.
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the new Prose City Post! If you’re seeing this, save it as it may be a collector’s item someday. 😉 But in all seriousness, this is going out to a relatively small group, so thank you for being part of our community and our story in this first year of the Prose City grassroots literary community! When I talk about Prose City, I’m thinking of each of you.
Inside our very first Undercurrent Salon
On Thursday night, the Farmhouse filled with warmth, laughter, and curiosity as we gathered for the inaugural Undercurrent Salon — what some of you may remember from our early conversations as the “Grand Salon.” Fifteen of us circled up with snacks, drinks, and music, ready to dive into our theme for the evening: unanswerable questions.
Each person slipped their question into a bowl — small mysteries, big dilemmas, whimsical wonders…
What’s happening?
In addition to continuing to produce and host our own Prose City gatherings and events, we are going to start gathering and curating a list of upcoming literary events in the greater Portland, Oregon area that we might be of most interest to our community. From small, local bookstores to indie presses and publications, Portland offers something every day for the literarily inclined.
If you know of an event that you want to be certain we feature, please send it our way via whatever channel works best for you. You can also send to: dear (at) prosecity.org
Let’s make a scene!
We have also started a new feature on the website that we call simply The Scene. As we note there, in our algorithmically hyper-curated, overly strategized and commercialized world, we aim for The Scene to be an open window onto a world of prose, poetry, and the occasional visual snapshot: breezy, alive, maybe a little unruly, and full of humanity and soul. A gorgeous turn of phrase, a breathtaking first line, a stunning photo… we’re open to whatever moves us — or you. So please send found gems our way. We can’t guarantee we’ll be able to publish everything we receive, but we’ll receive it gladly and enjoy sharing it with you. Watch for regular updates.
Calling all readers and writers!
Iris will be starting their next chapter of grad school soon, and with that comes (even more) reading and writing—and a busier schedule. One way to make that more enjoyable? Spend time with the Prose City community while reading and writing! With that in mind, we’ll be resuming our Co-Reading Club (silent reading) and Co-Writing Club (bring your own writing projects and write in company). Watch for forthcoming announcements on these.
Let’s (thoughtfully) expand the circle!
Do you know someone who you think would enjoy being part of the Prose City community? Please pass this along!
Thanks for being you in the world. Let’s continue to make and appreciate literature and art of all kinds, and share that with one another in community.
Talk with you soon, friends! Iris & Cricket
