A group of four authors will lead workshops at the University this Sunday as part of its whirlwind seven-stop tour of the Northwest.
“Writing Queer,” an event featuring interactive workshops, readings and free food, will touch on topics including gender and gay eroticism.
Author Trebor Healey, who organized the tour, said he is most excited about speaking in Eugene because he will have the opportunity to host workshops as well as read from his book, “Through it Came Bright Colors.”
“When I was young, becoming a writer was this big mystery,” he said. “I want to encourage people who are writing, and for those who aren’t writing, I want to get them to read — to give them some real-world knowledge.”
Healey and presenting authors Dan Boyle, Marshall Moore and Jim Tushinski met through their joint publisher, The Haworth Press, Inc. The tour begins Saturday in Olympia, Wash., and ends Feb. 16 in Bellingham, Wash. Tushinski said the University is the only stop where authors will host workshops and give readings.
“It gives us a chance to try a number of things, which is kind of fun,” Tushinski said. “I am interested in hearing what other people have to say.”
Tushinski will lead a workshop with Boyle entitled, “Genre: Memoir vs. Fiction.” He said he is looking forward to examining differences
between memoir and fiction and helping writers examine their perceptions of gender.
“How easy is it to write in a point of view of gender or from a gender that doesn’t even exist?” he said. “That makes you look at gender very differently because you are thinking outside the box.”
Healey, who has hosted workshops at the University of Georgia and Kent State, said he wants to stretch common perceptions of genre so authors don’t feel trapped in one style of writing.
“Gender is something we should get people thinking about,” he said. “I want to take erotica into new areas and deal with it in a way that isn’t so obvious.”
Boyle, author of “Huddle,” a novel about nine gay flag football players, said the event’s themes revolve around serious social issues.
“Gay fiction isn’t just pulpy fiction about gay men having sex,” the University alumnus said. “I am going to discuss how to make a novel so it is erotic and not pornographic.”
Boyle added that although his writing falls under the genre of “gay fiction,” he avoids labeling himself as one specific type of writer.
“I don’t consider myself a gay novelist,” he said. “I consider myself an Irish Catholic person who grew up in the Pacific Northwest who happens to be a gay writer.”
Workshops begin at 3 p.m. Sunday in the EMU River Rooms, followed by readings and a question-and-answer session at 6 p.m. in the EMU International Lounge. The event is free, and an RSVP is requested by calling 346-1134.