Each month, Literary Arts staff will round up news, events, and more happening in Portland, and beyond. Let us know if you have any events or news to share.
EVENTS
“Including You” Conversation Series: Desmond Spann (Chehalem Cultural Center)
Thursday, May 26, from 6:00–7:30 p.m.
In person at Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E Sheridan St, Newberg, OR
The “Including You” Conversation Series at the Chehalem Cultural Center, in partnership with Providence Newberg, A-Dec, and George Fox University is dedicated to helping people approach equity in the community through creativity. Each conversation features an Oregon artist who will share their creative work as an entry point to conversations about equity and community – encouraging us to join them in being curious, listening to understand, and building a collective community that works together toward greater inclusion in our town. Tickets are free, but pre-registration is requested.
In-Person Reading: Emiko Jean: Tokyo Dreaming (Annie Blooms)
Tuesday, May 31, from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
In person at Annie Blooms, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR
Annie Bloom’s welcomes Pacific Northwest author Emiko Jean for an in-store reading from Tokyo Dreaming, her sequel to Tokyo Ever After. This in-store reading is first come, first served. Seating is limited. Please be mindful of any store health policies that might be in effect on the night of the reading.
Take Heart Book Launch with Kathleen Dean Moore and Bob Haverluck (Spring Creek Project)
Wednesday, June 1 at 6:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
With Bob Haveluck’s savagely funny drawings and Kathleen Dean’s inspiring encouragement, this books helps us to collect our thoughts, confront our dismay, obliterate our obstacles, gather our courage, summon our communities, and reclaim our laughter and joy for the work ahead. Fear and fury may bring us to the task, but it’s our love for the beautiful Earth we live on that will empower our voices in its defense! Come join this beautifully thoughtful reading hosted by the Spring Creek Project and co-sponsored by OSU Press, Grass Roots Books & Music, OSU’s Environmental Arts and Humanities Initiative, 350 Seattle, 350 Eugene, Corvallis Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Safina Center, the Post Carbon Institute, and McKenzie River Trust.
Book Launch of Take Heart: Encouragement for Earth’s Weary Lovers (Oregon State University Press)
Wednesday, June 1, at 6:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom | Register here
We may be tired, we may be discouraged, but the assaults on a just and sustainable planet keep coming. So let’s celebrate the launch of Take Heart: Encouragement for Earth’s Weary Lovers (Oregon State University Press), a book of essays by Oregon Book Award winner Kathleen Dean Moore with art by Bob Haverluck. Kathleen and Bob will join each other in a discussion about how to keep showing up and doing good work for the world. Register for the event and a book giveaway here.
Nell Zink in Conversation with Justin Taylor
Thursday, June 2, at 5:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Nell Zink is the author of The Wallcreeper which was named one of 100 most notable books of 2014 by the New York Times. Her newest book, Avalon, is a profound and singular story about a young woman searching for her place in the world with exceedingly rich, ecstatically dark, and delivered with masterful humor. This irresistible story of one teenager’s reckoning with society at large and her search for a personal utopia is captivating. Zink will be joined in conversation by Justin Taylor, author of Riding with the Ghost.
Storytelling Environmental Justice – Experimentations in Writing as Anticolonial Praxis (Portland State University)
Friday, June 3, from 10:00–1:30 a.m.
Online via Zoom
In this Bill Gray speaker series talk, Dr. Pavithra Vasudevan reflects on her evolving relationship with writing, performance, prose, and poetry in seeking to narrate capitalism’s intimate and illegible violences. Inspired by Black and Women of Color feminist approaches to scholarship as worldmaking, they approach intellectual work as a creative, embodied and relational intervention. Dr. Vasudevan will begin by discussing an ethnographic play they wrote and produced titled “Race and Waste in an Aluminum Town.” She will then talk about how her writing practice has shifted in the course of working on her manuscript, Toxic Alchemy: Race and Waste in Industrial Capitalism. Dr. Vasudevan is an Assistant Professor at the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies and Center for Women’s and Gender Studies at The University of Texas who builds on the work of anticolonial philosophers whose writings explore not only the theoretical conceits, but also the creative modes of radical politics that transform critique into catalyst.
Spring 2022 Issue (Pop-Up Magazine)
Saturday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m.
In person at Revolution Hall, 1300 Southeast Stark Street, Portland, OR
Pop-Up Magazine the acclaimed “live magazine” show, featuring original and unforgettable true stories, art, music, and performances from Oscar-winning filmmakers, New York Times bestselling authors, popular radio and podcast voices, and internationally-renowned artists—accompanied by illustration, animation, film, photography, and an original score performed onstage by their musical collaborators, Magik*Magik Orchestra. You won’t want to miss this once in a lifetime performance of the Spring 2022 Issue at Revolution Hall. Tickets on sale now (use code LITERARYARTS for $5 off)!
Launch of Paperback Edition of What Strange Paradise (Broadway Books)
Tuesday, June 7, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
In-person at Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR
Oregon Book Award winner Omar El Akkad will be debuting the paperback edition of their novel What Strange Paradise at Broadway Books! What Strange Paradise is the story of two children finding their way through a hostile world. But it is also a story of empathy and indifference, of hope and despair—and about the way each of those things can blind us to reality. Paperback edition currently available for preorder at link above!
Yuvi Zalkow in Conversation with Joanna Rose (Powell’s Books)
Tuesday, June 7, at 7:00 p.m.
In-person at Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR
Yuvi Zalkow will be coming to Powell’s to discuss his newest book I Only Cry With Emoticons. This quirky comedy follows tech guy Saul as he struggles to communicate with those he loves most. This story reveals the cost of being disconnected — even when we’re using a dozen apps on our devices to communicate — and an awkward man’s search for real connections, on and offline. Zalkow will be joined in conversation by Joanna Rose, author of A Small Crowd of Strangers.
Consider This with Jelly Helm and Nataki Garrett (Oregon Humanities)
Wednesday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m.
In-person at Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR
Join a conversation about storytelling and yearning with Nataki Garrett, artistic director of Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Jelly Helm, founder of the branding agency Studio Jelly. Participants will talk about how stories shape culture in advertising and theater alike. This program is part of the 2022 Consider This series, “American Dreams, American Myths, American Hopes.” This is an in-person event. Oregon Humanities and the Alberta Rose Theatre will follow all local, state, and federal safety guidelines for public gatherings. The conversation will also be streamed live, for free, on YouTube.
Maria Adelmann in Conversation with Steve Almond (Powell’s Books)
Thursday, June 9, at 5:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
In partnership with Rediscovered Books and the Elliott Bay Book Company, Maria Adelmann will be coming to Powell’s to discus her debut book, How to Be Eaten. This dark, edgy, and wickedly funny story takes our coziest, most beloved childhood stories, exposes them as anti-feminist nightmares, and transforms them into a new kind of myth for grown-up women. Adelmann will be joined in conversation by Steve Almond, author of All the Secrets of the World.
Virtual Event with Ellen Bravo and Larry Miller and their book Standing Up (Broadway Books)
Tuesday, June 14, from 6:00–7:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Broadway Books welcomes Ellen Bravo and Larry Miller in conversation with moderator Margaret Butler, former director of Jobs with Justice and activist in the environmental justice movement, to discuss their book Standing Up. Taking inspiration from their five decades organizing for labor and social justice to craft, this novel is dedicated to the people who clean bloody hospital sheets, forge parts for sewer pipes, arrange flights, or process checks, all while caring for kids, holding relationships together, and wrestling with multiple forms of oppression. As the characters stand up, slow down, form unions, leave an abusive relationship or just stir up good trouble, they entertain and enlighten and encourage us to love deeply, that we may continue the fight for justice.
“Including You” Conversation Series:Dana Lynn Louis (Chehalem Cultural Center)
Thursday, June 16, from 6:00–7:30 p.m.
In person at Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E Sheridan St., Newberg, OR
The “Including You” Conversation Series at the Chehalem Cultural Center, in partnership with Providence Newberg, A-Dec, and George Fox University is dedicated to helping people approach equity in the community through creativity. Each conversation features an Oregon artist who will share their creative work as an entry point to conversations about equity and community – encouraging us to join them in being curious, listening to understand, and building a collective community that works together toward greater inclusion in our town. Tickets are free, but pre-registration is requested.
June Poetry Practice Space (IPRC)
Thursday, June 16, from 6:00–7:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Poetry Practice Space is a monthly gathering for poets and writers held by the Independent Publishing Resource Center. Writing materials, readings, and prompts for generative writing will be provided. Come share a space to talk about your writing practice and current writing projects, bemoan rejections, celebrate acceptances, share writing resources, and write together! Consider Poetry Practice Space the calisthenics for your poetics. Donations are suggested, no one turned away for lack of funds. Free for IPRC members.
Freadom Festival (Prose Before Bros)
Saturday, June 18, from 12:00–6:00 p.m.
In person at Peninsula Park
Prose Before Bros is an all star group of women of color who are book lovers and community builders dedicated to creating spaces for underrepresented readers to enjoy literature together. This year, they are hosting the first annual Black Book Festival, Freadom Festival! The core tenet of this event is to create an inclusive and accessible place to fellowship with a community of fellow book lovers, support Black businesses, and celebrate Juneteenth, literacy, and liberation! This free event is open to all!
David J. Roxburgh: Ethics and Aesthetics in Baysunghur’s Books (Portland State University)
Friday, June 24, from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
In-person at PSU Art Building, Room 200, 2000 SW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR
The PSU School of Art + Design presents David J. Roxburgh, their inaugural Mary Ausplund Tooze Endowed Visiting Professor of Islamic & Ancient Art. Prof. Roxburgh is the Department Chair and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor of Islamic Art History in the Department of History of Art + Architecture at Harvard University. This lecture is titled “Ethics and Aesthetics in Baysunghur’s Books: Art and Literature in 15th-Century Herat.”
Summer Series: Recycled Paper Making (IPRC)
Sunday, June 26, from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
In person at Independent Publishing Resource Center, 318 SE Main St., Ste. 155
This course will focus on simple paper making that you can do at home using an ordinary kitchen blender, picture frames, knitting hoops, and recycled paper such as test prints and junkmail. Participants are encouraged to bring dried plants, seeds, yarn, and thread if they would like to add it to their paper. Please wear shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting messy! This is a fun and eco-friendly process good for all experience levels and backgrounds. Tickets are on a sliding scale of $10-55. Class capacity is eight.
In-Store Reading: Trudy Ludwig: Brave Every Day (Annie Bloom’s Books)
Tuesday, June 28, from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
In person at Annie Bloom’s Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR
Trudy Ludwig is a nationally acclaimed speaker and award-winning author of numerous children’s books including The Invisible Boy, a School Library Journal Best Picture Books Selection, and a recommended back-to-school book by USA Today and Scholastic Instructor. Her new picture book, Brave Every Day, is a beautiful tale about managing anxiety and finding the courage to stand up for yourself and others. This in-store reading is first come, first served with limited seating. Please be mindful of any store health policies that might be in effect on the night of the reading.
Livestream Reading: Travis Williams and Marina Richie (Annie Bloom’s Books)
Thursday, June 30, from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Annie Bloom’s welcomes Oregon authors Travis Williams and Marina Richie for a presentation of their new books from OSU Press. Marina Richie is a nature writer based in Bend, Oregon and the author of the children’s books Bird Feats of Montana and Bug Feats of Montana. Her newest book Halcyon Journey is an inviting introduction to the mythic and mysterious belted kingfisher that explores tribal stories of the kingfisher as messenger and helper. Travis Williams is the executive director of the environmental nonprofit Willamette Riverkeeper. He was awarded the Helping Hand Award by the Spirit Mountain Community Fund for his work. His book Willamette River Greenways combines personal narrative about his experiences on the river with nuanced consideration of the controversies and challenges of the Greenway Program. Williams also sheds light on current land stewardship practices, revealing the institutional and leadership failures that endanger the river’s water quality and habitat, and looks to the program’s future.
Pickathon
Friday, August 5–Monday, August 8
In person at Pendarvis Farms, 16581 SE Hagen Rd, Happy Valley, OR
Pickathon is the deep-cut, genre agnostic lineup Portland’s been dreaming of! With a curation focus on new movements in music, this four day outdoor festival in beautiful Pendarvis Farms is sure be an unbelievable event. Check out the full 2022 lineup!
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Fiction Award (Elixir Press)
Deadline: May 31
A prize of $2,000, publication by Elixir Press, and 25 author copies are given annually for a short story collection or a novel. This year’s judge will be author Anthony E. Varallo. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 120 to 500 pages with a $40 entry fee by May 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
First Novel Prize (Writer’s Center)
Deadline: May 31
FREE ENTRY. A prize of $3,000 and a feature in The Writer’s Center Magazine is given annually for a first novel published in the previous calendar year. Publishers or authors may submit three copies of a novel published in 2021 by May 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
LitUp Diverse Women Writer’s Fellowship (We Need Diverse Books)
Deadline: May 31
This writer’s fellowship is for unpublished, underrepresented women. Powered by The Readership, LitUp will provide five emerging writers with an all-expenses-paid retreat, a three-month mentorship with a published author, and marketing support from Reese’s Book Club. LitUp is a journey and they’d like to be with writers every step of the way!
Fiction Prize (Salamander)
Deadline: June 1
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Salamander is given annually for a short story. Author Jamie Quatro will judge. Jamie Quatro’s story collection, I Want To Show You More, was a New York Times Notable Book, NPR Best Book of 2013, and was chosen as a favorite book of 2013 by James Wood in The New Yorker. Submit a story of up to 30 pages with a $15 entry fee between May 1 and June 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Emerging Poets Contest (Boulevard)
Deadline: June 1
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a group of poems by a poet who has not published a poetry collection with a nationally distributed press. The editors will judge. Submit three poems of any length with a $16 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Boulevard, by June 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Annual Writing Competition (Writer’s Digest)
Deadline: June 6
A prize of $5,000, an interview in Writer’s Digest, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference held in New York City during July is given annually for a work in categories including poetry, short story, and essay. Five prizes of $1,000 each and publication on the Writer’s Digest website are also given for a rhyming poem, a non-rhyming poem, a short story, a genre short story, and a personal essay. Using only the online submission system, submit a poem of up to 40 lines, a story of no more than 4,000 words, or an essay of up to 2,000 words by June 6. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Poetry Chapbook Contest (Omnidawn Publishing)
Deadline: June 13
A prize of $1,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 100 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Poet and professor of English at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Ruth Ellen Kocher will judge. Submit a manuscript of 20 to 40 pages with an $18 entry fee by June 13. For an additional $2, entrants will receive one chapbook of their choice from the Omnidawn catalogue. Visit the website for complete guidelines and details about more Omnidawn contests.
Prize in Flash Fiction (Lascaux Review)
Deadline: June 30
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Lascaux Review online and in print is given annually for a work of flash fiction. Previously published stories are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three stories of no more than 1,000 words each with a $15 entry fee by June 30. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Dear Stranger (Oregon Humanities)
Deadline June 30
Dear Stranger is a recurring letter-exchange project that connects Oregonians through the mail to share experiences, beliefs, and ideas. Since 2014, more than 1,000 people have exchanged letters through the project. Everyone is invited to participate—no matter the age, place of residence, or circumstances, Dear Stranger wants to hear from you! To participate, just write a letter addressed “Dear Stranger,” fill out the participation release form, and mail your letter to the address provided.
Writing the Unloved: A Hands-On Literary Exploration of Great Basin Reptiles (PLAYA)
July 21–25
Lead by author and biologist Tom Titus, this 5-day guided residency will provide a hands-on opportunity to experience the biology of Summer Lake reptiles and learn to write deeply about your relationship with reptiles, as well as expand this literary exploration to the “others” that lie outside our zone of comfortable familiarity. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or certified medical exemption with negative COVID-19 test, will be required to participate in all 2022 programming at PLAYA.
Artist Registry (Oregon Arts Commission)
As a tool for sharing funding opportunities, the Oregon Arts Commission partnered with The Ford Family Foundation to create the Oregon Artist Registry. Professional artists are strongly encouraged to sign up for the registry by completing a brief survey about themselves and their artistic practice.The goal is to reach and connect with as many Oregon artists as possible, including those who haven’t previously accessed funding programs. Read the full release.
Call for Guest Speakers (Salem Art Association + Bush Barn Art Center)
Reviewed on a rolling basis
In honor of their centennial year, Salem Art Association and the Bush Barn Art Center introduce a new event called “Arts in Our Lives”—a series of presentations promoting an appreciation for creativity in the visual, literary, and performing arts. “Arts in Our Lives” is accepting applications for individual or group presentations. An academic degree is not necessary and there are no age restrictions. Stipends are available. Email David Wilson, Gallery Director, at david@SalemArt.org with a letter of introduction, a one-page proposal on your topic, a resume or CV, and a list of three references.
FOR KIDS/ TEENS
I Matter Poetry Contest (National Youth Foundation)
Deadline: July 23, 2022
Students in grade K–12 are invited to submit original poetry or art creation on the topic of Black Lives Matter. The contest is open to residents of the United States, as well as to international students. The winning entry will be posted on their social media pages by September 2022 (@NYFUSA).
Makerspace Minikits Available at All Multnomah County Libraries
Through Summer 2022
Makerspace minikits are STEAM-based activities in a bag, free to pick up at any Multnomah County library beginning Dec. 11. The minikits are designed for teens but are appropriate for ages 8+ with assistance. Kits will be available through Summer 2022. Makerspace programming is made possible by gifts to The Library Foundation.
IN THE NEWS
34 Books You’ve Got To Read This Summer (Buzzfeed News)
This article features upcoming titles from Abdulrazak Gurnah, Patrick Radden Keefe, Jules Ohman, and Cecily Wong!
Poet Q&A: Dao Strom, winner of the 2022 Oregon Book Award for Poetry (Oregon Artswatch)
The Best Book Places in the U.S. (2022 Data) (Clever)
Portland, OR was named the 10th best book city in the US!
OSU Prof Wins Oregon Book Award (The Corvallis Advocate)
Here’s Who Won the Oregon Book Awards (The Oregonian)
Journalist Amy Wang gives a great breakdown of the Oregon Book Awards Ceremony held on April 25, 2022
Omar El Akkad’s ‘What Strange Paradise’ wins Oregon Book Award for fiction (Oregon ArtsWatch)
The Glorious Comeback of Northwest Review (The Oregonian)
RECOMMENDED READING
A Reading List for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 2022
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month! To celebrate Asian and Pacific Island culture, Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (clmp) curated this list of books by Asian American and Pacific Islander American writers.
The Moth Presents How to Tell A Story
The definitive guide to telling an unforgettable story in any setting, drawing on twenty-five years of experience from the storytelling experts at The Moth.