Leave it to the French to bring culture to the “out of doors.” And leave it to the rest of us to take cue from the French. En Plein Air writing takes place in the open air and captures a mood or a moment; fortunately for those of us in the Columbia Gorge, there is no shortage of inspiration.

For this year’s 6th Annual Plein Air Write Out, writers from all genres are invited to meet at five different locations over the course of five days: The Gorge White House, Timberline Lodge, Springhouse Cellar Vineyard in Mosier, The Dalles Mountain Ranch at Columbia Hills, and Downtown Hood River.

The only requirement is that you get creative and stay in the moment! The resulting submissions will be compiled into an anthology and there will be a public reading of selected works at the Columbia Center for the Arts on September 19. For more information, email literary@columbiaarts.org or visit the CCA website: http://www.columbiaarts.org. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 10!