Writing

Poetry

Kirsten Rian’s writing has appeared in international literary journals and anthologies, including Not A Muse; Rhino; and Upstreet; and was recently nominated for inclusion in the Best New Poets anthology. She teaches extensively in the Pacific Northwest, working with regional organizations like Multnomah County Library, Literary Arts as a poet-in-residence through the Writers in the Schools program, Saturday Academy, Fishtrap, and Portland State University. National foundations have sent her to locations such as post-war Sierra Leone to lead writing workshops using poetry as a tool for literacy and storytelling with former boy soldiers, young mothers kidnapped by rebel forces during the war, the amputee community, and village tribal elders. She has written with homeless communities in San Francisco, across the ocean in Finland at refugee relocation centers where she conducted poetry writing workshops with displaced women from 12 different countries. She was a poet-in-residence at Atkinson Elementary, a Spanish immersion school and worked with five different multi-language classes, resulting in 850 poems and a school anthology. She spent a summer teaching to low-literacy at-risk 7th graders through the I Have a Dream Foundation. She has held poetry workshops with relocated refugees stateside, working with ngos like The International Rescue Committee and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization. She has been an invited speaker at conferences such as the ORTESOL (Oregon Teachers of English as a Second Language) statewide event, speaking on the ties between literacy, language development, and poetry.

She co-authored the anthology, Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass (Urban Adventure Press), and is the author of  the recently published, Kalashnikov in the Sun (Pika Press) in early 2010. She is poetry editor of  the literary journal Writersdojo.org. Also an independent curator and writer, she has coordinated more than 375 exhibitions, and served as picture editor or writer for 75 books and catalogues. She most recently curated the permanent exhibition for the new Mercy Corps international headquarters. She is a freelance writer.

Selected Publications

  • Monograph introduction, Hiroshi Watanabe Findings, 2007, CMPL.
  • Monograph introduction, Ann Ploeger Untitled, 2007, Franklin Beedle.
  • Editor and co-author, Walking Bridges Using Poetry As Compass, a collection of contemporary poetry including such regional luminaries as Dorianne Laux, Paulann Peterson, Lawson Inada, and Walt Curtis, and internationally-recognized names as Seamus Heaney, Ted Kooser, and Stephen Dunn, 2007, funded in part with a grant from Regional Arts & Culture Council.
  • Editor: Sixth Street poets anthology, San Francisco, 2006; Could I Be A Poet? anthology, Atkinson Elementary, 2007; Reflecting Hope, Unspoken Reality, Unraveled, Duck and Cover anthologies, Open Meadow High School, 2006 – 2008.
  • Poetry published in literary journals nationally, including RHINO Literary Journal, Chicago, IL, Spring 2005; Upstreet Literary Journal, Boston, MA, Spring, 2007; Jefferson Monthly, Ashland, OR, Fall, 2008; On The Issues Magazine, Fall, 2008.
  • Poetry published in anthology of Oregon Poets Against the War, Rainy Day Press, 2004.
  • Poetry published in international anthology, Not A Muse, 2009.
  • Top-25 winner in Glimmer Train Journal poetry open, 2004.
  • Monograph, San Francisco Center for the Book, 2007.
  • Work nominated for inclusion in the 2008 Best New Poets anthology.

Selected Readings

  • Featured poet, William Stafford Peace Symposium, 2009.
  • Featured poet, Verse in Person series, Multnomah County Library, 2008.
  • Featured poet, Wordstock Literary Festival, 2008.
  • Featured poet, Annual William Stafford Memorial Poetry & Potluck event, September, 2007.
  • Featured poet, San Francisco Center for the Book, Poets Pulling Poems series, funded in part with a grant from Poets & Writers, July, 2006. Limited edition letterpress broadside produced at event.
  • Featured poet, Second Sundays Series, Stayton, OR, November, 2007.
  • Featured poet, Portland Bridge Walk, Portland Parks & Recreation, July, 2006.
  • Invited lecturer to Portland State University practicum linguistics students in Spring, 2005; Fall, 2006; Winter, 2006; Winter, 2007; Fall, 2007; Winter, 2008; poetry as a tool for literacy and healing with alternative populations.
  • Invited presenter, ORTESOL conference, Fall 2005, presented seminar on use of poetry in a workshop setting with refugee and immigrant communities to foster literacy and the sharing of language and stories.

Freelance Grantwriting and Project Management

Rian is a freelance development consultant, grant writer and editor for creative and arts organizations, with past clients including the Portland Art Museum, Oregon College of Art & Craft, & Wild Salmon Center/Ecotrust, PhotoAlliance, Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, New Space Artist Center, and individual artists, among others.

Teaching

Poet-in-Residence through the Literary Arts Writers-in-the-Schools program 2003-2009; ongoing: Portland State University; Multnomah County Library; Saturday Academy; Fishtrap, independent workshops and classes through various organizations regionally and internationally.