WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR

When 8,500 people show up for the Portland Book Festival, there is the shared joy of discovery and a celebration of the way stories connect us. There is also a sense that we can, as a community, defend free speech and uplift the arts in a way that will lead to our city’s revival. When thousands gather in downtown Portland, it’s an expression of values at a civic level, and it signals a protective gesture for writers in our community and nationwide. 

Last year, Literary Arts opened The Susan Hammer Center, one of the largest centers for literature in the United States. It’s a statement of our values, and sends a strong message about who we aspire to be. More than seven hundred adults spent their evenings and weekends here in writing workshops and seminars; over four thousand high school students engaged in our events and workshops; and tens of thousands of readers gathered in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, park blocks, and bookstore to hear from remarkable storytellers from all backgrounds and walks of life. 

Literary Arts remains committed to building community through literature, and to doing so by meeting you where you are. Whether it’s at our largest concert hall, connecting one-on-one at a bookstore event, or broadcasting our events to a national listening audience, we will continue to create joyful programs, as well as space for serious conversations about our most complex challenges. 

Thank you for being a part of our work. 

Andrew Proctor 
Executive Director