Ellen Waterston’s scheduled appearances as Poet Laureate
June 4, 2025. Unitarian Universalist Church, Bend, Oregon. 2:00 p.m.
June 5, 2025. Linfield University Words and Wine 2025, McMinnville, Oregon.
June 9, 2025. OLLI Life Long Learning, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
June 17-18-19, 2025. Ashland and Medford Libraries Author Talk, Southern Oregon. 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
June 21, 2025. Crook County Historical Society and Crooked River Roundup, Prineville, Oregon.
June 24, 2025. Touchmark at Mt. Bachelor Village, Bend, Oregon.
June 28, 2025. Cowboy Poetry Reading, Prineville, Oregon.
July 13, 2025. Studio Series Poetry Reading and Open Mic, Portland, Oregon.
July 20, 2025. Unitarian Universalist Church Sermon, Bend, Oregon.
September 9, 2025. In A Landscape, Roseburg, Oregon.
October 4, 2025. Oregon Poetry Association Annual Conference Keynote, Newport, Oregon.
October 18-19, 2025. Astoria Creative Writing Festival, Astoria, Oregon.
Sage Cabin at The Lodge at Summer Lake
Lost in Place
Intensive Writing Workshop
September 18-21, 2025.
Presented by
High Desert Museum Literary Series and the Writing Ranch
The Lodge at Summer Lake
Summer Lake, Oregon
Calling all writers and nature enthusiasts! For the fifth year, the Writing Ranch and the High Desert Museum are collaborating to offer a unique long-weekend writing intensive. This will be a weekend of exploration and creativity inspired by the breathtaking landscapes of the High Desert.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of High Desert flora and fauna as well as the region’s rich archaeological heritage thanks to morning field trips led by guest faculty.
Daily generative writing workshops will be informed and complemented by the morning field trips and evening discussions led by guest faculty. Prompts will focus on returning established and emerging poetry and prose writers to the page with renewed commitment and inspiration.
Faculty includes:
Jon Nelson, High Desert Museum curator and naturalist
Dennis Jenkins, University of Oregon archaeologist
Ellen Waterston, author, founder of the Writing Ranch, instructor at OSU Cascades Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing
Fifteenth Annual
Writing Down the Baja
February 14-22, 2026
serendipity boutique hotel
Todos Santos, BCS, Mexico
The fifteenth annual Writing Down the Baja promises to be an exciting, fun and, above all, productive week. The workshop officially begins with a reception at Serendipity at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, February 14. A final public reading by all participants will be held the evening of Saturday, February 21.
Drawing inspiration from generative prompts, supplementary readings and the Baja itself, the focus of morning workshops will be to improve craft, in both poetry and prose. Guest faculty will be announced soon,
“Manuscript Lab” afternoon sessions will be offered after lunch on select afternoons (TBD). These one-on-ones are for mapping a project, honing writing goals, or receiving critical feedback on a portion of a manuscript or collection of poems in development. A sign-up sheet will be posted. Poets, bring ten poems; prose writers, two chapters. There is an additional $65 fee per person per hour session.
To provide a sampling of local fare, some dinners will be off-site and are included in the retreat fee. Please email any dietary preferences.
The turtle hatchery on the beach fronting Serendipity may release turtles at sunset during the retreat week. On beach walks during the day, keep your eyes peeled for glimpses of migrating gray whales.
More details will be announced soon! For more information, email info@writingranch.com.