Nature of Words New Classes!

The Storefront Project at The Nature of Words will take a break for the month of December. But new classes and instructors will be ready for young writers starting January 3, 2011. All classes will be held at The Nature of Words literary arts center, 224 NW Oregon Ave. in Bend. Middle- and high-schoolers are welcome to drop in free of charge.

In January, Jeb Barton will offer workshops in haiku and haiga, combining haiku with Zen painting, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Jeb has pursued a meditation practice of the classical Zen/Taoist writing of haiku poetry and zenga brush painting for many years. In 1997, he received the Merit Book Award from the Haiku Society of America for his haiku poetry. In 1999, he was selected as one of six American haiku poets to be published in Japan’s premier annual literary journal. In 2009, he received the Nautilus Book Award, Silver Medal, for a three volume publication of his life’s work in haiku poetry.

February brings Mick Green and a month of songwriting workshops from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Mick, a native of New York City, is an accomplished musician and songwriter who spent more than 20 years in London with a multitude of British R&B groups. Then, after seven years in Scotland, Mick returned to the States, settling in Vermont, where he made music with that state’s great players. In Bend, he is director of sales for the Bend Radio Group, and continues to write music. Mick was honored last year when Kansas covered his tune, The Moment, on their Native Window CD.

Also starting in February, Storefront instructors will be available from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Thursday to offer writing tutoring.

For more information about The Storefront Project classes, call 541.647.2233 or email info@thenatureofwords.org.