PDX 25

Recovery In Practice PDX - October 24-25

Please join The Alano Club of Portland, The Bodecker Foundation, and VCUarts for Recovery in Practice - Portland at the Alano Club of Portland and The Bodecker Foundation from October 24th-25th, 2025!

Recovery in Practice PDXJoin The Alano Club of Portland, The Bodecker Foundation, and VCUarts for Recovery in Practice - Portland.

Schedule:

October 24th, 2025

Afternoon Workshop Series:

Time: 1:00 - 5:00PM

Venue: The Alano Club of Portland

12pm -The Story of Yourself: A 2-Hour Generative Writing Workshop with Chelsea Bieker

Every writer carries an inner narrative—not just the stories we put on the page, but the story we tell ourselves about who we are as writers. These self-stories shape our confidence, our creative process, and our capacity to grow. Some of them lift us up, while others quietly hold us back.

In this two-hour generative workshop, we will investigate the story of you as a writer. Through guided writing exercises, discussion, and reflection, you’ll illuminate the emotional identities you’ve internalized around your creative life and uncover the self-limiting beliefs that may be shaping and prohibiting your work. Together, we will clarify which stories no longer serve you and begin to write new, empowering ones that align with your vision and creative integrity, and define the stories you actually want to be writing.

This workshop is designed for writers of all levels who want to deepen their self-understanding and connect with their creative energy. By the end, you’ll leave not only with new pages in your preferred genre, but with a refreshed, more intentional narrative of who you are—and who you are becoming—as a writer.

2pm - Maintaining Conscious Contact: Movement, Meditation, and Herbalism in Recovery with Krissy Shields
3pm - Zine-Making Workshop with Erin Williams
4pm - Creative Coalition with Ella Floyd

The Creative Coalition, a mutual-aid support group hosted by Ella Floyd, offers a platform for creative expression as a means of connection, healing, and empowerment, inviting community members to collaborate on a long-term project of creating a recovery banner. By showcasing your talents and strengths through creative practice, this group aims to act as a tool for growth and self-discovery, allowing us to break down social stigmas and develop a greater understanding of ourselves and the support we may need. Participants of this workshop will be asked to explore how they can tell their stories through various images, colors, senses, feelings, and shapes, rather than intellect alone, and the opportunity to create a small fabric square that will be sewn into the next recovery banner.

Evening Keynote Event and Free Hot Supper:

Time: 5:00 - 9:00PM

Venue: Bodecker Foundation

5-6pm - Social Hour / Coffee

Try the Alano Club’s new Recovery Roast collaboration with Dear Francis

6-7pm - Free Ice Water — John Freyer in Conversation with Carvell Wallace

John Freyer & Carvell Wallace - 60 Minutes - This opening event will begin with a conversation between Carvell Wallace and John Freyer about how their experiences in recovery shape and inform their current creative practice. Audience members will then have their own 20-minute one-on-one “Free Ice Water” conversations about turning points in their lives. The event will end with a brief Q&A and the completion of the audience’s Free Ice Water jars for display during the conference.

7pm - Free Hot Supper — Dinner prepared by Ben’s Friends PDX

Free Hot Supper is a simple supper for invited guests, including individuals who participated in Recovery in Practice programming, and additional guests from the broader recovery community, including persons who belong to or provide services for communities affected by addiction. Dinner will be coordinated by the Portland members of “Ben’s Friends,” a support network for food and beverage industry professionals who struggle with substance use and addiction, to develop a simple, locally-sourced menu, served in an environment with communal seating that allows for participants to dine and engage in dialogue.

October 25th, 2025

Entire Day Sunday:

Time: 11:00AM - 8:00PM

Venue: Bodecker Foundation

11am - Recovery in the Service Industry — Hailey Hosler, Gregory Gourdet, Jason Alley
12pm - PUSH Movement Skate / Coffee Tasting (Dear Francis)
1pm - Ghost In the Machine — John Freyer, Carvell Wallace, Bernadette Murphey, Anna Godberson

Does regular exposure to recovery narratives in mutual aid recovery meetings impact writers’ ability to develop full bodied characters on the page. In this first of its kind panel, we hear from three writers with lived experience in recovery, with active personal/professional creative practice who also write/work as ghost writers.

2:30pm - Visual Artists — John Freyer, Erin Williams, Lisa Congdon, Ariel Dunitz-Johnson

A panel discussion featuring artists John Freyer, Lisa Congdon, Erin Williams, and Ariel Dunitz-Johnson will focus on their experiences navigating recovery and artistic journeys. The panelists will share impactful moments, discuss their artistic processes, and explore the various ways recovery plays a significant role in their creative practice.

4pm - Remote Recovery: Communities of Care Outside the IRL

This panel explores the online communities of care established during the 2020 pandemic that often had no geographical home & included members from all over the US. Advocacy groups like Ben’s Friends and small anonymous recovery groups built and sustained communities that are currently serving folks in recovery today. What does it mean to be in a community where you can’t share a cup of coffee or tea, or give someone a hug after a difficult share? And what does it mean for some of the panelists to meet each other for the first time this week at Recovery in Practice?

5pm - Social Hour

Drinks provided by Ghia, snacks provided by the Alano Club of Portland

6pm - Rax King and Chelsea Bieker in Conversation with Kasey Anderson

Register Now for #RiP_PDX @ Alano Club - 24-25 OCT 2025:

Speakers:

Anna Godbersen

Anna Godbersen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Luxe series for young adults. Her subsequent novels reflect an enduring interest in historical fiction and coming-of-age narratives. She was born in Berkeley, California and moved to New York to attend Barnard College. After graduating she worked in the literary department of Esquire magazine. She holds an MFA in fiction from New York University, where she was the Axinn Foundation Writer-in-Residence and NYU Veterans Writing Workshop Fellow. She has taught creative writing at NYU, the Bard Prison Initiative, the Hotchkiss School, Sackett Street Writers Workshop, and Catapult Classes and has written on artists, writers and creatives for Departures, Upstate Diary and Liber. She lives with her family in the northwest corner of Connecticut.

Bernadette Murphy

Author/essayist, “Harley & Me” + others. NYT bestselling collaborative writer. First/bio mom, advocating for reproductive justice.

Jason Alley

Jason Alley is a person in long term recovery from substance use disorder and the restaurant industry. After 35 years in kitchens, and owning restaurants for 20, Jason has found himself in the position of “Policy Advisor for the Opioid Crisis Response” in his adopted hometown of Richmond, VA.

Jason’s wife of 27 years, Mercedes Schaum, is a theater set designer and clearly patient person. They have 4 wonderful children together and are always grateful when everyone is in the same space.

Jason is a Peer Recovery Specialist, active in the Richmond chapter of Ben’s Friends (bensfriendshope.com), and still finds time to play drums occasionally. This year, Jason has enrolled in the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School for Addiction Counseling and is working towards a Master’s in Addiction Counseling.

Carvell Wallace

Carvell Wallace is a writer and podcaster who has contributed to The New Yorker, GQ, New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, MTV News, and Al Jazeera. His debut memoir, Another Word For Love (MCD, 2024), explores his life, identity, and love through stories of family, friendship, and culture and is a 2024 Kirkus Finalist in Nonfiction. He was a 2019 Peabody Award nominee, a 2022 National Magazine Award Finalist, a 2023 winner of the Mosaic Prize in Journalism, and a 2025 UCross Fellow. He lives in Oakland.

Erin Williams

Erin Williams is the author and illustrator of ten books, including What's Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine, Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame, How to Take Care and the Big Activity Book series (250k+ in print). Her writing and art have also been featured in publications including MoMA Magazine, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Believer. She has over a decade of experience in healthcare, specifically data analysis and scientific research. She teaches illustration at Parsons School of Design and creative writing at Hunter College in New York City.

Ella Floyd

Ella Floyd is the Communications Coordinator at CARITAS, a nonprofit based in Richmond, Virginia, working to create safe spaces to heal and rebuild from houselessness and substance use disorders. Originally from Southwest Virginia, Floyd brings a strong storytelling sensibility shaped by her Appalachian roots and background in the arts. She earned her BFA in Photography + Film from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in 2024.

At CARITAS, Floyd assists in communications strategies that amplify recovery-based initiatives across the Commonwealth, including content development, brand/social media management, and multimedia storytelling. With a commitment to representing Virginia culture and substance use recovery with nuance and dignity, her work highlights the voices and lived experiences of individuals navigating housing and addiction challenges.

Her creative practice—focused on identity, regional narratives, and media representation—continues to inform her communications approach, bridging visual storytelling with advocacy. Outside of work, she finds renewal near rivers, waterfalls, and any place that offers slowness and reflection.

John Freyer

John Freyer is an Associate Professor of Cross Disciplinary Media at Virginia Commonwealth University. Freyer serves on the Advisory Committee for Rams in Recovery and is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist. His projects include the Free Narcan Bike, All My Life for Sale, Free Ice Water, Free Hot Coffee and Free Hot Supper. Freyer’s practice engages accidental audiences in galleries, museums, and public spaces. Freyer is a Fulbright Scholar, a Macdowell Fellow, an Artist in Residence at Light Work & the Fannon Center, Doha. Freyer has brought his social practice projects to the TEDx stage, has exhibited at Mixed Greens Gallery in New York, the Liverpool Biennial Fringe in Liverpool, UK and was a 2018 Tate Exchange Associate at the Tate Modern in London.

Kasey Anderson

In his own words, Kasey is a “gradually retiring songwriter” whose songs have been covered by Counting Crows, Star Anna and others.

In addition to his work at the Alano Club, Kasey has continued to write and record music — most recently working at Jackpot! Studios in Portland on an album to be released in September 2024 — and holds a Master of Arts in English and Literature and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. He is currently finishing another graduate program to receive a Master of Arts in Critical Studies. He promises that will be his last graduate degree. Probably.

Krissy Shields

Krissy Shields, founder of Maha Mama, is a wellness expert, artist, and activist who has spent over 20 years empowering women and families through accessible movement, spiritual herbalism, and mindfulness.

Rax King

Rax King is a James Beard award-nominated bitch. She is the author of Tacky (Vintage 2021) and co-host of Low Culture Boil. She lives in Brooklyn with her toothless pekingese. She isn’t sure how to make this photo of herself less embarrassingly huge without jacking up the page formatting, but she wants you to know she knows it’s too big. Her second essay collection Sloppy is forthcoming from Vintage in 2025.

Hailey Hosler

With over 15 years in the hospitality industry, including opening bars in multiple countries and starting her own craft cocktail consulting and design agency (Heart & Honey). Hailey is now incredibly passionate about revolutionizing the F & B industry and seeks to create an inclusive, supportive, healthy space for all.

Hailey currently resides in her hometown of Portland, OR where she co- chairs the Portland Ben's Friends chapter. She also works in the non-alcoholic beverage industry (Athletic Brewing Co.)

In her spare time, you can find her longboarding through the city, traveling to beautiful beaches, or hunting for a great dance party.

Chelsea Bieker

Chelsea Bieker is the California Book Award winning author of three books, most recently the national bestselling novel, Madwoman, a Book of the Month club pick the New York Times calls “brilliant in its depiction of the long shadows cast by domestic violence.” Named a best book of the year by NPR, Oprah, and Elle, Madwoman was a finalist for the WILLA Literary Award and was longlisted for the Aspen Words Prize. Her first novel, Godshot, was longlisted for The Center For Fiction’s First Novel Prize and named a Barnes & Noble Pick of the Month. Her story collection, Heartbroke won the California Book Award and was a New York Times Best Book of the year. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Marie Claire UK, People, The Cut, Wall Street Journal, No Tokens, and others. She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship, as well as residencies from MacDowell and Tin House.

Raised in Hawai’i and California, she now lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children where she is the co-creator of The Fountain with the writer Kimberly King Parsons, writes about creative practice at her substack, Make Up Your Life, and is at work on a new novel.

Gregory Gourdet

Gregory Gourdet is a three-time James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef, best-selling author, and television personality. He is best known for his award-winning cuisine, bevy of TV appearances, and trendsetting role in the culinary boom of Portland, Oregon.

A native of Queens, NY, Gregory attended the Culinary Institute of America, becoming the school’s first student to land an internship with celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For nearly seven years, Gregory honed his culinary skills at three of Jean-Georges’ trailblazing restaurants, climbing the kitchen ranks to become one of his chef de cuisines. Gregory ran the kitchen at Portland’s Departure Restaurant + Lounge for 10 years, leaving in 2019 to focus on opening Kann.

An avid traveler and lifelong student of food and culture, Gregory has made a name for himself by infusing methods and ingredients from all over the world, balanced together with his Haitian heritage, and creating signature flavors adored for their seasonality, boldness, complexity, and spice.

He was named “Chef of the Year” by both Eater Portland and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and is a two-time Bravo Top Chef finalist.

In 2021, Gregory released his first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health, the ultimate guide to cooking globally-inspired dishes free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains. The book is a national bestseller and a 2022 James Beard Award winner for Best General Cookbook.

August 2022 brought about the opening of Kann, a live-fire dinner house that showcases traditional Haitian flavors alongside dishes inspired by the cuisines of the African and Caribbean diaspora. Kann was quickly recognized by Eater, The New York Times, and Robb Report as a “Best New Restaurant”; Esquire named Kann the #1 “Best New Restaurant in America.” Portland Monthly and The Oregonian also named it restaurant of the year. Kann was named the James Beard Foundation Awards 2023 “Best New Restaurant.”

In September of 2022, Gregory opened Sousòl, Kann’s subterranean sibling cocktail bar. Sousòl draws inspiration from the greater Pan-Caribbean for its food and drink menu. It also features a full zero-proof menu for an inclusive experience for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. In 2023, Sousòl was named one of Esquire’s “Best Bars in America.”

In 2024, Gregory’s culinary career was recognized by the James Beard Foundation Awards, which named him “Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific.” The same year, Kann was featured on the inaugural “25 Best Restaurants in Portland, OR Right Now” list by The New York Times and was featured on La Liste’s 2025 list of the world’s best restaurants.

In his role as Culinary Director of Printemps New York, opening March 2025, Gourdet will oversee five concepts, ranging from fine dining to a casual cafe—each a celebration of artistry, unparalleled quality, innovation, culture, and creativity.

Gregory sees food as nourishment and is committed to moving the restaurant industry forward sustainably and equitably. He is a member of the US State Department’s American Culinary Corp. He is also an ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council.

He spends his spare time trail-running in the woods for hours.

Gregory is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and openly gay. He is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and Ben’s Friends, a national recovery group for the restaurant industry.

Ariel Dunitz-Johnson

Ariel Dunitz-Johnson is an artist and freelance illustrator located in Portland, OR. Her work primarily focuses on realistic pen and ink work with a concentration in portraiture

Lisa Congdon

Lisa is best known for her colorful, graphic style and her exploration of themes of joy, liberation and inclusion. She makes art for clients around the globe, including The Library of Congress, Target, The U.S. Postal Service, Wired Magazine, Amazon, Google, Smith Optics, Warby Parker, Method, Comme des Garcons, Peets Coffee, REI and MoMa, among many others.

Lisa exhibits internationally, including solo shows at Saint Mary's College Museum of Art (California), Chefas Projects (Oregon) and Paradigm Gallery (Philadelphia), along with group shows at Hashimoto Contemporary in Los Angeles, Museum of Design Atlanta and The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

She is the author of ten books, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist and Find your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic.

Lisa is self-taught and didn’t achieve momentum in her career until she was nearly 40 years old. Despite her untraditional path, Lisa has achieved recognition, not just as an artist, but as a leader in the industry for her work in social justice, mentoring and teaching. In March of 2021, she was named “One of the 50 Most Inspiring People and Companies According to Industry Creatives” published by AdWeek.

Lisa and her team run a popular shop which you can visit here on her website or at Cargo Emporium in Portland Oregon.

When she's not making art, you can find her racing her bike around Oregon. She lives and works in Portland.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse