Each month, Literary Arts staff will round up news, events, and more happening in Portland, and beyond. Let us know in the form below the blog if you have any events or news to share.
EVENTS
Free First Thursday (Portland Art Museum)
Thursday, August 1st, from 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. | Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR | FREE
Enjoy the final weeks of Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks with Free First Thursday, offering free Portland Art Museum admission for the community all day. Thanks to generous support provided by the Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All Program, Museum admission is free on the first Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and programs at the newly opened PAM CUT Tomorrow Theater in Southeast Portland are also free.
Our Untapped Treasures: Children and Elders are Problem Solvers too (Oregon Humanities)
Saturday, August 3rd, at 2:00 p.m. | Estacada Public Library, 825 NW Wade St., Estacada, OR | FREE to attend
There are many reasons why people fail to invite children and elders to the table when it comes to solving problems: “They’re too young.” “They need to be protected from hearing about serious issues.” The more serious the issue, the less likely it is that a child or elder will be helping to come up with a solution. We were all children once, and sometimes we had great solutions to problems that adults didn’t have. If we’re fortunate, we’ll all become elderly, and we will have a wealth of experience and accumulated wisdom to share. The goal of this conversation is to encourage people to approach problem solving in a more inclusive manner and ask elders or children to share their ideas.
Writing Night (Independent Publishing Resource Center)
Sunday, August 4th, from 4:00–5:30 p.m. | IPRC Classroom, 318 SE Main St., Ste. 145, Portland, OR | FREE to attend
Bring your favorite notebook and pen or pencil, and join the IPRC for a monthly drop-in creative writing community event, with light facilitation, creative writing prompts, and opportunities to share your work. Free and open to the public.
Jade International Night Market (Jade District)
Saturday, August 10th, from 3:00–10:00 p.m. | Portland Community College – Southeast Campus, 2305 SE 82nd Ave, Portland OR | FREE to attend
Eat your way through the world, find treasures from local artisans, and experience dance and music from around the globe! The Jade International Night Market is a crucial tool to help support local small businesses in the Jade District neighborhood. This summer event provides a space to celebrate and recognize the diversity and culture of the communities who live and work in the Jade District and sheds light on the issues impacting a neighborhood in transition.
Making Comics to Change the World (Multnomah County Library)
Wednesday, August 14th, from 3:00–4:30 p.m. | Rockwood Library, 17917 SE Stark Street, Portland, OR | FREE to attend
Comics are a great way to tell stories and make people laugh, but did you know they can also bring positive change to the world? Join Wildfire cartoonist Breena Bard for this workshop demonstrating the basics of making comics, designing characters, and writing a script. Then put your skills to work to write a one-page comic about an issue you care about! Let’s change the world, one comic at a time.
Jay Ellis in Conversation With Renée Watson (Powell’s)
Thursday, August 15th, at 7:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR | FREE to attend
Jay Ellis, star of HBO’s Insecure, tells the story of growing up with an imaginary best friend you will never forget — part Dwayne Wayne from A Different World, part Will Smith from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — in his hilarious, vulnerable love letter to only children. As imaginary friend morphs into adult consciousness, Ellis charts an unforgettable story of looking within yourself for guidance to some of life’s biggest (and smallest) challenges, told in the roast-you-with-love voice of your closest homie.
At Home and Abroad in Japan and India: Poems and Memoir (Chaparral Books)
Saturday, August 17th, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. | Chaparral Books, 5210 S. Corbett Avenue, Portland, OR | FREE to attend
A reading and discussion by Marilyn Stablein (who will read from a new book of poems, Tantric Song Lines: A Hybrid Sutra and excerpts from her memoir Houseboat on the Ganges & A Room in Kathmandu). Joining her will be Leah Stenson (author of Life Revised, a hybrid memoir, and Everywhere I find Myself., Poems.)
Deb Miller Landau in Conversation With Kimberly A. C. Wilson (Powell’s)
Thursday, August 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR | FREE to attend
In A Devil Went Down to Georgia, award-winning writer and Literary Arts writing class instructor Deb Miller Landau details the shocking events following the 1987 murder of Lita McClinton Sullivan, including the surprising lack of evidence, racial bias in the justice system, and the international manhunt for Lita’s killer. Full of twists and turns, legal battles, and the McClinton family’s unrelenting dedication to justice, Landau’s rigorous investigation is the first complete account of this tragic American crime.
Pan African Festival (Pan African Cultural Foundation)
Saturday, August 24th, from 12:00–8:30 p.m. | Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR | FREE to attend
The Pan African Festival is an annual festival that includes live entertainment, cultural foods, arts and crafts, and much more. Pan African Festival emphasizes promoting health equity, economic development, providing employment and educational opportunities and building community awareness. These are essential components to empower Pan Africans (Africans, Afro Latinix, Caribbeans and African Americans) and their allies to pursue societal changes which shift social and other determinants of health. Pan African Festival is dedicated to providing the necessary space to talk about, and fight for, social justice.
Rose City Comic Con
Friday, September 6th–Sunday, September 8th, varying hours | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR | $50–92
Rose City Comic Con returns to the Oregon Convention Center September 6-8! Portland’s premier pop culture event, Rose City Comic Con is produced locally with a weird and wonderful vibe that is unique to the Pacific Northwest. Now in its twelfth year, the ultimate goal remains ever the same—to deliver the most rewarding, memorable, laughter-inducing weekend ever! This year, RCCC is partnering with Powell’s Books to present a Book Fair with author panels and signings— and, of course, a Literary Arts table!
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Soapstone Study Groups on Women Writers, Fall 2024 (Soapstone: Celebrating Women Writers)
Various dates, August–November, 2024
Soapstone offers a program of six study groups each year on women writers. Enjoy lively, friendly, in-depth conversations with other readers, skillfully led by writers and teachers. People of all genders and identities are welcome. No previous knowledge of the works discussed is necessary. Scholarships are available.
Call for Writers: International Dublin Writers’ Festival (International Dublin Writers’ Festival)
Friday, September 20th–Sunday, September 22nd | $45–$149
This event is an opportunity for all writers, everywhere, to connect with the literary culture of Dublin and to learn from experts and peers. Their mission is to help writers excel and to provide opportunities for writers to learn from key industry professionals, aiming to provide community, inspiration, and learning opportunities for authors in all genres. Their program includes sessions on editing, (self)publishing, and marketing for authors, and includes a varied panel of renowned authors and industry experts. The featured speakers this year include Doug Richardson (Screenwriter, Author, & Literary Consultant) and A. Keith Carrero (Award-winning Author & Educator).
Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award (Red Hen Press)
Deadline to submit: October 31st, 2024 | $25 entry fee
Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927–1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. The awarded collection is selected through an annual competition that is open to all poets. Winner awarded $3000 and $3000 book publication by Red Hen Press.
FOR KIDS / TEENS
The Little Prince Live (Northwest Children’s Theater)
Weekends, July 20th–August 4th, at 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm | The Judy, 1000 SW Broadway T-100, Portland, OR | Pay-what-you-will
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved book flies from page to stage in The Little Prince! Unlock your imagination and embark on a journey through the galaxy with two unlikely companions: The Aviator and the mysterious Little Prince. When his plane crashes in the desert, the disenchanted Aviator is desperate to repair his aircraft when the Little Prince, who is on their own extraordinary adventure, suddenly appears. Intergalactic stories of a very special flower on a tiny planet, a fox that wishes to be tamed, and a snake swallowing an elephant come to life, reminding us that “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.”
Emily Arrow Camp (Emily Arrow & Northwest Children’s Theater)
July 8th–August 9th | The Judy, 1000 SW Broadway St., & Rose City Park Methodist, 5830 NE Alameda St., Portland, OR | Scholarships available through June 14th
Join Emily Arrow for a series of week long camps for 4–8 year olds beginning July 8th. Themes are “Books! Books! Books!” and “Nature Sings!”. Camp registration includes four tickets to a special concert with Emily Arrow at The Judy on Sunday, August 11 at 1pm. During the concert, campers will have a chance to get on stage and perform one of the songs they learned in camp!
Toddler Storytime & Play (Sunrise Books)
Thursdays, at 10:00 a.m. | In person at Sunrise Books | FREE to attend
Join Sunrise Books every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. for toddler storytime! They’ll sing, dance, do a read aloud, and have a rockin’ good time. Perfect for ages 18 months–4 years. This storytime is free; however, they accept donations to keep it going.
Kids’ Story & Art Class at Awake Coffee & Art!
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:00 a.m. | In person at Awake Coffee & Art | $8
Bring your little ones Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. for a storybook reading and art session! They’ll have a hands-on art project after the reading. It could be watercolor painting, making and playing with play dough, or another creative project to engage the young artists’ talents! All materials included!
Kids’ Storytime (Powell’s)
Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. | Powell’s City of Books | FREE
Join Powell’s every Saturday for kids’ storytime.
IN THE NEWS
I Got My Name From Connie Chung. So Did They. (New York Times)
You Could Write in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Former Portland Home Studio (Smithsonian Magazine)
Mark Pomeroy’s New Novel, “The Tigers of Lents,” Was Inspired by Marshall High School Students (Willamette Week)
In ‘skin & bones,’ Renée Watson Writes for Her Devout Readers’ Parents (Portland Monthly)
Embracing intimacy and uncertainty: At work with Oregon’s poet laureate (OPB)
Portland nonprofit expanding with new Central Eastside headquarters (Portland Business Journal)
New Literary Arts headquarters will include bookstore and café in Southeast Portland (Oregon Live)
2024 Oregon Book Award Winners Announced (Willamette Week)
RECOMMENDED READING
Discover Literary Arts, From Multcolib (Multnomah County Library)
A Booklover’s Guide to Portland (Travel Portland)
10 New Books From Around the World (Powell’s)
Local Resources for Writers (Multnomah County Library)
Community News Submissions
Let us know if you have any events, news to share, or opportunities for writers for the In the Community blog and we will consider adding it to the next blog post!
