RICHARD HUGO HOUSE

Hugo House is a place for writers–connecting the West Coast to the larger literary conversation, nationally and internationally. It is our mission to be a place to read words, hear words, and make your own words better.

We provide the best readings and events possible, bringing in renowned writers from all over as well as featuring talented writers from the region. We have a lively and rapidly growing series of classes – over 200 each year – so we can help aspiring writers write better.

Thousands of people come through our doors annually to attend readings, panels, and craft talks; thousands more enroll in writing workshops. Hundreds of kids participate in our teen programs. Writers-in-residence are available for consultations and we nurture a cohort of four to six emerging writers each year with fellowships.

We commission new work, provide opportunities for collaboration, and explore the writing craft.

Writing, as our namesake Richard Hugo wrote, is hard work, a challenge that takes humility, honesty, and the courage to go deep enough to discover and reveal our common humanity. For anyone who takes on that challenge, Hugo House is that writer’s greatest ally.

Our two primary goals are:
• Help writers become better writers
• Link writers to the community

a. Help writers become better writers
1. Increase the number and quality of writing classes
2. Find satellite locations in which to offer classes
3. Nurture young writers and expand enrollment in youth programming
4. Provide scholarship opportunities for writers who can’t afford tuition
5. Improve evaluation process and systems to effect program growth and quality*

b. Link writers to the community
1. Annually present a strong series of events showcasing powerful writing, including fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction
2. Represent the best work of all different styles, from established traditions to the vanguard
3. Develop public profiles of writers by engaging them in public issues and in collaboration with other institutions
4. Identify the most talented writers and support their development
5. Establish and maintain strong connections to the larger literary world

Hugo House is a place for writers. At the center of our Programs is the understanding that writing is hard work, and the belief that by focusing on good writing in an inclusive, welcoming environment, we can add to the well of our understanding of the human condition. We believe that good writing can “construct a bridge across that abyss of human loneliness.”

Working with diverse communities is a priority in our programming. We’ve presented many writers from underrepresented communities, including Native American, African American, Asian American, Latino, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender writers. We form partnerships with groups that serve diverse constituents, such as Path with Art, an arts access nonprofit for homeless and disadvantaged adults. Scholarships are available for those would otherwise not be able to take classes.

• The Hugo Literary Series presents three writers and a musician or band commissioned to create new work on a theme. Artists include Sherman Alexie, Macklemore, Dorothy Allison, and Nick Flynn.

• Word Works: Writers on Writing is a craft-talk series featuring a notable writer on a specific topic, illustrated with close readings of their own work and examples from other writers. Writers include Pam Houston, Charles Baxter, Kay Ryan, and Mary Jo Bang.

• Writers Under the Influence celebrates the legacy of important writers. Each event features a group of writers discussing an author who has made a major contribution to literature. Topics include Franz Krafka, Flannery O’Connor, and Gertrude Stein.

• Cheap Wine & Poetry and Cheap Beer & Prose The Cheap Series is a popular, often standing room only reading series. Writers include Maria Semple, Rory Douglas, and Claire Dederer.

• Writers-in-Residence Writers are selected in a competitive process for a two-year term. The writers offer writing guidance to the general public free of charge. They also curate or participate in public programs, and work with populations who don’t normally have access to the arts.

• Scribes is a two-week summer creative writing program for middle- and high-school students led by professional writers.

• Stage Fright A monthly open mic for teen writers to share poetry, fiction, journals, and more.

• Write Time A free weekly group facilitated by a writer. Youth bring something they’re working on or just come ready to write.

• Made at Hugo House A fellowship program for emerging writers. Fellows complete a specific writing project and are given priority access to our writers-in-residence and a writing office.

• Other Readings & Partnerships Hugo House supports writers by hosting book launches, readings, and other literary events during the year. Events feature such writers as Tony Hoagland, Kevin Young, Brenda Peterson, and others. Partnerships include reading events with Favorite Poem Project, McSweeney’s, Red Hen Press, and others.

Hugo House is the writer’s greatest ally, and we’re proving that in many ways:
• We have a lively and rapidly growing series of classes – over 200 each year – so we can help aspiring writers make their words the best they can be
• We provide the best readings and events possible, bringing in renowned writers from all over as well as featuring talented writers from the region
• Over 12,000 people a year come through our doors to attend readings, panels, and craft talks; thousands more enroll in writing workshops
• Writers-in-residence are available for consultations
• Hundreds of teens, who are spectacular writers themselves, participate in our year-round youth programs
• Commission new works from authors and artists in our community
• Produce over 200 events (more than 80% are free)
• Provide more than $20,000 in scholarships to youth and adult students annually
• Provide over 100 writers, who are also stellar teachers, paid work though teaching
• Build programs for young and emerging writers, including the Hugo House fellowship program for emerging writers, a youth mentorship program (that pairs adult and teen writers), and the Youth Leadership Cohort