This content was published: October 11, 2021. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC opens first community college writing residency in U.S.
Photos and story by James Hill
The main writer’s room at the house.
A first-of-its-kind program opened this fall at Portland Community College.
The Carolyn Moore Writing Residency is the first and only writing residency to be hosted by a community college in the United States. Located in Tigard near PCC’s Sylvania Campus, this residency program offers emerging writers time to focus on developing a written work while also providing students the opportunity to meet and interact with talented writers from across the country.
Established and emerging writers of all genres will be offered variable-length stays (typically 3-8 weeks) at the house to complete their projects. The writers will have the opportunity to visit a class or two per stay, as well as give a reading to the PCC community. In addition, there are plans to integrate the recently launched PCC Writer/Artist-in-Residency Program for college faculty with the Carolyn Moore Writers House programming.
“This residency is completely unique,” said Justin Rigamonti, who serves as the house’s coordinator and is a writing instructor at the Cascade Campus. “Usually programs like these only exist at elite universities.“This will be a game-changer for our vibrant creative writing program, which is full of highly-skilled and innovative writers who often lack resources and connections to the larger literary community,” he continued. “This will change that.”
Justin Rigamonti leads programming at the residency.
Since PCC is in a “sustained reopening” phase, all class visits will be virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and faculty will not be invited onsite for the fall and winter terms, except for the invited writers-in-residence, who will virtually visit one to two classes per visit, as well as provide a reading for the entire PCC community. Rigamonti hopes to hold a launch event in the spring of 2022 for students and staff at the house once college operations are back to normal.
In 2020, the 2,500-square-foot residency was gifted by the estate of award-winning poet and educator Carolyn Moore to the PCC Foundation and the college’s Humanities and Arts Council. The house features two wings and each has a bedroom, a living space and a kitchen. There is also a large octagonal great room, all wood, in which small groups of students will gather to speak with visiting writers post-pandemic.
“Moore’s interdisciplinary legacy as a creative writing, literature, and critical thinking instructor with an interest in science, along with her passion for social and environmental justice, are in keeping with PCC’s own focus on creativity, equity and sustainability,” Rigamonti said.
This fall, programming begins with the first cohort of writing residents – National Book Award winner Justin Phillip Reed and poet Taylor Johnson, winner of the Norma Farber First Book Award and the 2021 Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging Writers from Lambda Literary, as well as a Lambda Literary Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers. In January, current Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani will have a short stay at the house.
Rigamonti runs the residency’s operations, selecting visiting writers, making improvements to the house, and supervising the PCC Press, which will be releasing Carolyn Moore’s collected works, “The Great Uncluttering,” in spring of 2022. He has been teaching creative writing and publishing courses at PCC for the past decade. Rigamonti also has experience in publishing and non-profit literary event directing with Poetry Press Week and Fonograf Editions.
Rigamonti is also assisted by the Humanities and Arts Council Carolyn Moore Writing Residency Steering Committee members.
“Nothing like this has been done at PCC, so we’re working together to carve out a new reality here,” he said.
Construction on the house finished up on Oct. 1 where the kitchenette was brought up to ADA standards and the ?remodel of the library was completed. In addition, improvements to one of the decks, as well as various painting and cleaning, were finished. This was followed by the Humanities and Arts Council members hanging artwork around the house – all created by PCC faculty.
“This is an incredible development at PCC and not just in terms of the size of the gift, but also in terms of the opportunity it presents for students,” said Andrew Cohen, chair of the council and English instructor at PCC. “Opportunities that community college students typically don’t have access to.”
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »
Hard working and strong if you are a woman living on the frontier probably pretty tough women like independent- I was frequently surprised by how wonderful my Advanced Writing Teacher is in ABE GED very different in Zoom class. Taking care of everybody has to be an massive important job I love the cabin picture and good advice from my teacher and team work with similar students and classmates-
I am so excited to hear about your program. I have been seeking a writers retreat, to relax my thoughts and set forth to achieve. And instructors, too. Oh my. ?
Writing is as real as it gets. What lovely and humble lodgings to do lovely and humble work.
This opportunity is pretty amazing. That said, I was struck that the first cohort is NOT filled with new and emerging writers without awards or advanced credentials. Because these opportunities are so rare and sought after, I’m a little sad for those of us who might feel discouraged by the accolades of this first cohort. Best of luck to those of you who do apply.
Congratulations to Justin and all those who worked hard to launch this amazing program, and to the first two writers in residency, too! I look forward to reaching across the disciplinary aisle in the future to bring creative writing to even more students and faculty. I have some ideas brewing. I”ll be reaching out. (-:
That’s really cool