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
Holiday Story Hour with Thomas Lauderdale (Powell’s City of Books)
Sunday, December 22nd, 9:00 p.m., | Powell’s, 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209 | FREE
Thomas Lauderdale of the iconic Portland-based band Pink Martini will be sharing a special reading of a chapter from one of his all-time favorite books, Bambi: A Life in the Woods. After the reading, stick around for a chance to meet Thomas in person, get his autograph, and capture a memorable photo! Plus, don’t miss the opportunity to grab exclusive Pink Martini merch to round out your holiday shopping list. Treat yourself to delicious cookies from Novel Cookies, paired with hot cocoa and coffee for the perfect cozy afternoon. We can’t wait to see you there!
Ring in the New Year with Grand Gesture Books (Grand Gesture Books)
Tuesday, December 31st, 9:00 p.m., | Grand Gesture Books, 814 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205 | Tickets are $20
I guess the rest of your life starts December 31st…😉🥂 To ring in the New Year, we will be throwing a party to celebrate love, friends, and iconic lines #illhavewhatsheshaving. We will start When Harry Met Sally at exactly 10:30:28 to time it perfectly with the countdown to 2025 because this grand gesture stands the test of time ⏰. Come one, come all in your festive sleep ware. Tickets are limited but it’s sure to be a wonderful and joy-ish time. (Copy pulled from @grandgesturebooks instagram)
Matilda Reading Party Hosted by Books With Pictures (Tomorrow Theater)
Sunday, January 5th, 4:00–6:00 p.m., | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., Portland, OR | Tickets start at $5
Reading party before a movie about the power of reading! We can’t promise that you’ll be able to levitate objects after this session, but reading will certainly unlock new horizons. Doors and socializing from 3 – 3:30 p.m.; followed by 30 minutes of silent reading until 4 p.m. After the reading session, there will be a discussion about the reading and the film, Matilda (102 min).
Basic Tutor Training (Portland Literacy Council)
Saturdays, January 25th & February 1st , from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., | Portland Community College Southeast, 2305 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97216 | $50
For those interested in teaching/tutoring English to adult learners, this 2-part workshop provides essential tools to get started or to refresh your knowledge and skills.
Bard Bingo (Wonderwood Springs)
Tuesdays, 7:00–9:00 p.m. | Wonderwood Springs, 8811 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203 | FREE
Bard Bingo at Portland Artist Mike Bennett’s Wonderwood Springs is a lively bingo event hosted by a traveling bard’s musical musings. Held every Tuesday night, this event features four exciting rounds with cards priced at $5 each. It’s cash-only, offering chances to win various prizes such as original artwork, stickers, gift cards, lawn signs, and the coveted jackpot.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Sci-Fi / Fantasy Writers’ Group (Rose City Book Pub)
Friday, December 27th, 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Rose City Book Pub, 1329 Northeast Fremont Street, Portland, OR, 97212 | FREE
Connect with fellow writers. Do you write high adult fantasy, horror, children’s sci-fi video games, magical realism? Are you looking for a critique? Maybe you want to run your magic system by fellow storytellers, or build a DnD character.
Worlds Within Words: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Multimedia Memoir (Oregon Humanities)
January 13–March 20 | Various times | Online via Zoom | FREE
Memoirs and personal narratives are stories, told from the perspectives of the authors, about important parts of their lives. This course explores the vast, rewarding potential of these expressive storytelling forms through reading, writing, podcast, and film.
The Detour live with Anis Mojgani (Oregon Humanities)
Thursday, January 16, at 7:00 p.m. | Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., Portland OR 97202 | $15
Oregon Humanities and the Tomorrow Theater present a live recording of The Detour podcast with poet and visual artist Anis Mojgani. Anis and host Adam Davis will dig into what it means to be an artist, fulfill a Governor-appointed, public role, and be a politically engaged individual, too. We’ll explore the relationship between art, art-making, and politics, maybe especially when one’s art is not overtly political.
Worlds Within Words: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Multimedia Memoir (Oregon Humanities)
January 13–March 20 | Various times | Online via Zoom | FREE
Memoirs and personal narratives are stories, told from the perspectives of the authors, about important parts of their lives. This course explores the vast, rewarding potential of these expressive storytelling forms through reading, writing, podcast, and film.
FOR KIDS / TEENS
BOLD Children’s Storytime (Bold Coffee and Books)
Saturdays, at 10:00 a.m. | Bold Coffee and Books, 1755 SW Jefferson St. Portland, OR 97201 | FREE to attend
Join Bold Coffee and Books every Saturday morning for children’s storytime! Whether an author is here to read their book or on of their staff members is reading a favorite, they will feature stories that spread compassion, awareness, and positivity. Children will get a coloring page or sticker to take home too!
Bookworm Baby Playgroup (Literacy Kid Lounge)
Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. | Literacy Kid Lounge, 2200 SE Oak Grove Blvd
Oak Grove, OR 97267 | $10
Connect with other fantastic families and build lasting friendships in this Literacy Baby Playgroup! There is also a lot of crawling over each other and interactive play with toys and books.
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
1993: Julie Mancini Bibliophile burnished Portland’s literary star and shot it to the moon. (Willamette Week)
Everything you need to know about Orbital by Samantha Harvey, winner of the Booker Prize 2024 (The Booker Prizes)
Opinion: Portland’s monuments should include the writers who inspire us (The Oregonian)
Portland Book Festival: Environmental concerns loom large in appearances by Richard Powers, Cara Giaimo, Julie Beeler, and an owl named Hans (Oregon ArtsWatch)
Powell’s City of Books Is Reorganizing Its Space (Willamette Week)
Gift Guide for Bookworms (Willamette Week)
RECOMMENDED READING
Powell’s Picks of the Month (Powell’s)
25 Women Writers to Read Before You Die (Powell’s)
Finding Calm in Chaotic Times (Multnomah County Library)
Read with PRIDE: Two-spirit and Indigiqueer voices, for adults (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!
