Upcoming Courses

Offerings

The study of fiction invites us to enter imaginative narratives and confront the challenges of being human. English 104Z provides opportunities for the appreciation of fiction, including deeper awareness of craft and insight into how reading fiction can lead to self-enrichment. Students read a variety of types of fiction, from diverse perspectives and eras, and develop their skills in discussion, literary analysis and critical thinking. This is a non-credit Community Education class taken with credit students. You will not receive college credit.


March 31, 2026 to June 9, 2026 | 3:00pm-4:50pm PDT | Redmond
This course examines representative texts from the Romantic period through Contemporary literature. The romance of nature, industrial growth, urban experience, the rise of new class identities and alienation of the individual are themes in this period. Literary forms such as lyric and narrative poetry, short stories, the novel and the drama of social realism and literature of the absurd are studied. Explores relations between texts and their cultural and historical contexts. Need not be taken in sequence. This is a non-credit Community Education class taken with credit students. You will not receive college credit.


March 31, 2026 to June 11, 2026 | 6:00pm-7:50pm PDT | Prineville
If you are writing or have written your fiction novel or memoir and want to learn about the next steps toward publication, this course will show you what is needed to acquire an agent or publisher. You will learn how to write a pitch, query letter, long and short synopsis, potential back cover blurb and more.


May 7, 2026 to June 11, 2026 | 5:00pm-7:00pm PDT | Bend
This course is a cross-cultural study of travel as exploration, personal narrative, anthropological inquiry and social criticism of places and peoples represented as "other" or "exotic." Examines popular culture as depicted in genres such as travel memoirs, journalism, advertising, educational videos and feature films that critique touristic assumptions. This is a non-credit Community Education class taken with credit students. You will not receive college credit.


March 30, 2026 to June 10, 2026 | 10:00am-11:50am PDT | Bend
Substack is the newest trend to hit the publishing world. It is an easy, online way for anyone to make an income by writing. Many big-name authors, journalists and personalities have started their own Substack publications. The good news is that you don't have to be a big name, have a large following or be tech-savvy to get yourself started. All you need is you! In this class, learn how to start your own Substack publication, how to get paid to write and how to leverage this new platform for your creative dreams.


Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 5:00pm-8:00pm PDT | Bend
This course introduces the many forms and purposes of creative nonfiction such as science or nature writing, travel writing, memoir, biography and journalistic essay. Requires individual and collaborative workshop activities to develop skills in drafting and revision. Examines topics, purposes for writing and elements of craft, including voice, scene, description and structure. Requires creation of a portfolio of works reflecting various stages of their writing process. This is a non-credit Community Education course, taken with credit students. You will not receive college credit.


March 30, 2026 to June 10, 2026 | 10:00am-11:50am PDT | Prineville
Taught by experienced recipe creator, food and wine writer and restaurant critic, Dani Nichols, this class will help you write about the things you taste. Whether it is getting your mother's biscuit recipe out of your head and onto paper for future generations or reviewing a new hot spot in town for publication, this class will help you generate new ideas. Learn to pitch your food and drink pieces for publication and write descriptive, mouthwatering prose.


Tuesday, March 17, 2026 | 5:00pm-8:00pm PDT | Bend
Living in Central Oregon, we all have experience with nature, but sometimes it can be hard to capture: you don't want to interrupt a peaceful moment with a photo, or maybe there's an idea that you want to use nature to convey. In this class, you will learn what makes great nature writing, how to notice small things and describe them in vivid detail, how to bring your reader on a journey with you and how to translate your experiences outdoors to ideas inside. Bring your stories and inspiration to this workshop-style class, or just come ready to share your passion for nature in written form. Either way, you will leave with a renewed sense of wonder, and actionable ideas for writing about our world.


Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 5:00pm-8:00pm PDT | Bend
Whether you've traveled across the world or back to your hometown for the holidays, you have a story to share about travel: what you experienced, what you ate, and how it changed you. Learn to describe the food, environment, culture and experiences of the trips you've taken in this class. Through expert coaching and hands-on advice, learn how to create vivid travelogues for personal use or for publication with precise descriptions and captivating hooks. This is a hands-on, workshop-style class, so come with questions and ideas, ready to remember past adventures and prepare for the ones to come.


Tuesday, May 19, 2026 | 5:00pm-8:00pm PDT | Bend
In this course, learn essential building blocks for fiction and memoir, including plot, setting, theme, characterization, point-of-view and dialogue. What is the hero's journey and how does a writer develop a story concept into a page-turning bestseller? Award-winning author and college educator Kathryn Mattingly will inspire you to begin your novel, complete your first draft or reassess what you have written so far. Open to novel and memoir writers of all levels!


February 12, 2026 to March 19, 2026 | 5:00pm-7:00pm PST | Bend