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
Everybody Reads: Gospel w/LaRhonda Steele, Toni Hill & Co (Multnomah County Library)
Sunday, March 1, 1:00–2:30 p.m. | North Portland Library, 512 N Killingsworth Street, Portland, OR 97217
Experience an uplifting afternoon of gospel music and storytelling with two of the Pacific Northwest’s most soulful voices, Toni Hill and LaRhonda Steele. In Songs of the Spirit: A Gospel Celebration, this concert celebrates the spiritual power of gospel as both a musical form and a cultural legacy that has carried generations through struggle, faith, and freedom. This event includes a short presentation on the history of gospel music in America, tracing its journey from African spiritual traditions and the deep south to its influence on soul, R&B, and hip hop.
Everybody Reads: Unjust, the Scarcity of Black Lawyers (Multnomah County Library)
Sunday, March 1, 2:00–3:00 p.m. | Albina Library, 205 NE Russell Street, Portland, OR 97212
Why has the percentage of Black attorneys barely increased in decades? Join Lewis & Clark Law student Jessica Napoleon Stackhouse as she delves into the systemic barriers, historical context, and pipeline challenges that contribute to this persistent underrepresentation in the legal field. Gain a deeper understanding of the hurdles faced and help explore solutions needed to create a more equitable profession.
Everybody Reads: Finding Your Roots screening (Multnomah County Library)
Sunday, March 1, 2:00–3:30 p.m. | Gregory Heights Library, 7921 NE Sandy Boulevard
Portland, OR 97213
Join us for an inspiring journey into the past! Finding Your Roots is a documentary series that explores the ancestry of remarkable individuals, uncovering hidden family histories and powerful stories that connect us all. Presented and written by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Everybody Reads: A Lovely Discussion (Multnomah County Library)
Wednesday, March 4, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Gresham Library, 385 NW Miller Avenue
Gresham, OR 97030
Let’s talk about Lovely One by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, this year’s Everybody Reads book. Everybody Reads is a community-wide project that promotes shared reading and discussion around a single book. This discussion will be moderated by library staff, but informed by you.
Everybody Reads: A Lovely Discussion (Multnomah County Library)
Wednesday, March 4, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Gresham Library, 385 NW Miller Avenue
Gresham, OR 97030
Let’s talk about Lovely One by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, this year’s Everybody Reads book. Everybody Reads is a community-wide project that promotes shared reading and discussion around a single book. This discussion will be moderated by library staff, but informed by you.
Portland Small Press and Art Book Fair (Pacific Northwest College of Art)
Thursday, March 5–Saturday March 7, 7:00 p.m. | Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), 511 NW Broadway Portland, OR 97209
Portland’s Small Press and Art Book Fair is a print-forward celebration of independent publishing, highlighting risograph books, photo zines, small edition art books, and experimental printed matter. The curated fair will center Portland-based small presses, independent artists, and PNCA’s student and faculty-led publishing projects, creating an accessible and inclusive space to foster connections among Portland’s vibrant print and independent publishing community.
Everybody Reads: Roots & Reverence with Ancestral Altars (Multnomah County Library)
Saturday, March 7, 1:00–2:00 p.m. | Midland Library, 805 SE 122nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
Join Shalonda Menefee for a transformative workshop designed to guide you through the sacred process of creating an ancestor altar—a powerful tool to honor, connect, and remember your ancestors. In this workshop, you’ll learn the significance of ancestor altars, the symbolism behind various altar elements, and practical steps to create your own personalized space for ancestral connection and reflection. This workshop is for teens and adults. Space is limited, registration is required and opens February 14.
Everybody Reads: Representation, Government & Constitution (Multnomah County Library)
Saturday, March 7, 3:00–4:30 p.m. | Hillsdale Library, 1525 SW Sunset Boulevard, Portland, OR 97239
Dive into all things zine with Outlet PDX! In this workshop we’ll explore the history and different types of zines. We’ll also talk about where to find and share them along with different zine formats. We’ll also spend some time actually DEFINING what a zine is for those who are new to this amazing medium! We’ll give tons of prompts, tips, and inspiration so you can take ideas and turn them into a tangible lovely THING. Make a zine with us!
Let’s Make a Zine! with Outlet PDX (Multnomah County Library)
Saturday, March 7, 3:00–5:00 p.m. | Northwest Library, 2030 NW Pettygrove Street, Portland, OR 97209
Talk about the Constitution’s creation, trace major changes to its interpretation, and examine its current structural limitations. You’ll learn about some myths and develop a perspective that helps evaluate their meaning more thoughtfully.
Screening: El Camino de los Pueblos Maya a Oregon / The Journey of Mayan Communities in Oregon (Oregon Humanities)
Saturday, March 7, 3:30 p.m. | Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202
Join filmmakers Caty Lucas and Elizabeth Lucas-Lucas for a screening of their new documentary “El Camino de los Pueblos Maya a Oregon,” followed by a Q&A.
Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration (Oregon Historical Society)
Saturday, March 7, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. | Various locations | FREE
Join the Oregon Historical Society in partnership with the Portland Chinatown Museum to welcome the Year of the Horse at the 10th Annual Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration. Local lion dance teams and community performers will kick off the celebration on NW Third and Davis Street in Old Town Chinatown in downtown Portland.
Everybody Reads: An Evening with Dr. Randall Horton (Multnomah County Library)
Tuesday, March 10, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Albina Library, 205 NE Russell Street, Portland, OR 97212
Join the library for a reading and discussion with professor, musician, and award winning author Dr. Randall Horton. Dr. Horton creates art at the intersection of justice, racism, and incarceration.
Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America (Oregon Historical Society)
Tuesday, March 10, 7:00–8:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway Avenue Portland, Oregon 97205 | Various prices
Luo published his first book, Strangers in the Land: Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America, in April 2025. It tells the story of a people who, beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century, migrated by the tens of thousands to a distant land they called Gum Shan — Gold Mountain. Americans initially welcomed these Chinese arrivals, but, as their numbers grew, horrific episodes of racial terror erupted on the Pacific coast. In a captivating debut, Luo follows the Chinese from these early years to modern times, as they persisted in the face of bigotry and persecution, revealing anew the complications of our multiracial democracy.
Everybody Reads Book Discussion (Broadway Books)
Tuesday, March 10, 6:00–7:00 p.m. | Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway St Portland, OR 97232 | FREE
Join a for a discussion of the Multnomah County Library Everybody Reads 2026 selection Lovely One: A Memoir by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Jackson’s Lovely One: A Memoir is the 2026 pick for the Multnomah County Library’s signature community reading project that promotes shared reading and discussion around a single book. On the evening of Friday March 12th at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Justice Jackson will speak and discuss Lovely One, concluding months of engaging library programs and events surrounding the book and its themes such as identity, ambition, and resilience, highlighting the importance of mentorship and perseverance through professional and personal challenges.
Always Here Bookstore 1 Year Anniversary Party! (Always Here Bookstore)
Saturday, March 14, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Always Here Bookstore, 4555 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97217 | FREE
Celebrate the 1 year anniversaru of local bookstore, Always Here Bookstore!
Words and Wine: A Book Fair Pop Up (Hip Hop Chicks Do Wine)
Saturday, March 14–Sunday, March 15 | Hip Hop Chicks Do Wine, 4510 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202
Join Words and Wine, a two-day celebration of books, wine, and small business at Hip Chicks do Wine. This pop-up style event will feature 30 local authors plus one local independent bookstore offering both new and used books.
Creative Writing & Tarot Imagery (IPRC)
Sunday, March 15, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | Various locations
In this generative workshop, leverage serendipity and curiosity to spark your imagination and jumpstart fresh ways into our writing. Look at different ways to use imagery and archetypes as starting points for deeper exploration and inquiry. Writers will leave with several beginnings of new work, plus tools and tips for bringing these approaches into their creative writing practices. No experience with tarot or oracle cards necessary!
Jeff Boyd in Conversation With Omar El Akkad (Powell’s City of Books)
Monday, March 16, 7:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St. Portland, OR 97209
Boyd will be joined in conversation by Omar El Akkad, author of One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.
Parks and Power: The Role of Public Spaces in Civic Life (Oregon Historical Society)
Tuesday, March 17, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave Portland, Oregon 97205
A panel discussion with Catherine McNeur, David-Paul Hedberg, and Jason Brown, moderated by Judy Margles
Oregon Connections: Tribal Sovereignty and Civil Rights (Oregon Historical Society)
Thursday, March 19, 12:00–1:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom
A conversation with Roberta (Bobbie) Conner and Robert Kentta
Poetry book launch: Eric Fair-Layman (Rose City Book Pub)
Saturday, March 21, 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom
Cathartic Musings and DIY Revenge Poetry by Eric Fair-Layman
Ibram X. Kendi – TICKETED EVENT (Powell’s City of Books)
Sunday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. | Revolution Hall 1300 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97214
The National Book Award-winning historian of Stamped from the Beginning charts how “great replacement theory” has moved from the margins to become the most dominant political theory of our time — and what we can do to safeguard democracy from this insidious threat. Recall the words chanted in Charlottesville, Virginia, but heard around the world: “You will not replace us!” Recall the string of mass shooters around the world — in Oslo and Christchurch, Buffalo, El Paso, and Pittsburgh — who claimed their crimes were a defense against “White genocide.”
Be Gay Do Crime (Black History Month Edition!): LGBT Storytelling (A Fuse Theater Productiin)
Sunday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. | Fuse Ensemble Back Door Theater, Portland, 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215, USA | Sliding scale
Comics share stories of queer rebels, heroes, and villains of history.
Burn After Reading: Oswego Love Letters (A Fuse Theater Productiin)
Thursday, March 26, 7:00 p.m. | Museum of the Oregon Territory 211 Tumwater DriveOregon City, OR, 97045 | FREE
In 2020, a collection of love letters was discovered in the attic of a historic house in Lake Oswego. They revealed the story of a local man freshly back from World War I and the 306 love letters sent to him by multiple young women. Discover the voices of these women, the hardships they faced, and the love they shared, all the way from a Washington logging camp to a Portland hotel to an Oregon schoolhouse in a present-day ghost town. In this lecture by Kathryn Sinor, delve into the lives and perspectives that often get washed away to history, all through the eyes of an Oswego heartbreaker.
Civicus: What Does It Mean to Be a Citizen? (Oregon Humanities)
Saturday, March 28, 2:00 p.m. | Jacksonville Branch Library, 340 West C St., Jacksonville OR 97530
In the United States, most people would say they believe in democracy. But do we all understand the word in the same way? Where does the concept of democracy come from, and what makes “the rule of the people” work? This conversation will dig into the history, philosophy, and practical workings of democracy. We’ll look at the words of important political thinkers from the past, the US Constitution, and research on challenges to democracy in the present day. We’ll leave with a better sense of what we mean when we say democracy and how to participate in the democratic process locally and nationally.
Two Rivers Book Club: Drive You Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk (Weird Sisters)
Tuesday, March 31, 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Two Rivers Books, 8836 N. Lombard St. Portland, OR 97203 | FREE
Two Rivers Book Club is a friendly community gathering of friends and neighbors to who come together to talk books, share snacks, and be in community.
Consider This: The Changing Roles of Religious Spaces in Oregon (Oregon Humanities)
Tuesday, March 31, 7:00 p.m. | hq, 112 Depot St, La Grande, OR 97850
This conversation will explore how denominations around the state are finding creative ways to serve their communities and their missions.
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Muslim Storytellers Collective (Niyyah Ruscher-Haqq)
Application deadline: March 1
The Muslim Storytellers Collective will meet monthly through 2026. This is a RACC funded project which includes a writer’s retreat May 15-17, and a publishing opportunity. We meet monthly on Zoom to polish our stories and build community. This collective is open to anyone who identifies as Muslim. Fill out the form!
Corporeal Oracles Salon with Gerri Ravyn Stanfield (Corporeal Writing)
March 9, 4:00–9:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom
Celebrate the Corporeal Writing Oracles Deck! Each month in 2026, a different facilitator will host a two-hour Oracles Salon, diving deep into one randomly drawn card from the deck. Each salon will include a mix of group discussion about the oracle at hand (what does it bring up for each of us? what resonances or resistances do we feel?), an exploration of the card’s entry in the Oracles guidebook, and opportunities to write into different portals together, and then to share work. We’re excited to find out what different cards evoke in different writers in our community, and to hear what synchronicities and divergences emerge.
ArtWrite (Artist’s Rep)
First Sunday of the Month, 11:00 a.m. | Artists Rep, 1515 SW Morrison St. Portland, OR 97219 | FREE
Introducing a new monthly meet-up hosted by Artists Rep in partnership with the Dramatists Guild. Facilitated by E.M. Lewis and Sara Jean Accuardi. A little bit of writing, a little bit of sharing, a lot of connecting with other playwrights.
Resonate: A BIPOC Writing Circle (Write Around Portland)
2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month | 4:00–5:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom
Led by a Write Around Portland facilitator of color, Resonate consists of writing, sharing, and giving strengths-based feedback to each other. No preparation or experience in writing is required! Resonate is a great way to unlock your creativity, build or maintain a writing practice, and get some writing done! REGISTER HERE.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships (Poetry Foundation)
Deadline: March 2, 2026
Entry fee: $0
Award: $27,000
The Poetry Foundation awards five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships annually. Among the largest awards offered to young poets in the US, the $27,000 prize is intended to support exceptional US poets between 21 and 31 years of age. The fellowships were established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly and expanded in 2013 with a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund.
First Novel Fellowships (James Jones Literary Society)
Deadline: March 15, 2026
Entry fee: $33
Award: $12,000
The James Jones First Novel Fellowship, in the amount of $12,000, is awarded annually to an American writer of a novel-in-progress who has not previously published a novel. The Fellowship is co-sponsored by the James Jones Literary Society and the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing of Wilkes University.
Spring YA Workshop (McCormack Writing Center)
Duration: May 29-June 1, 2026
Cost: $1,100
This Spring YA Workshop takes place over a long weekend, featuring curated, intimate workshops (no more than six participants per class), craft lectures, generative exercises, and readings. There will also be plenty of opportunities for mingling, sightseeing in Portland, and, of course, karaoke.
FOR KIDS & TEENS
Children’s Storytime (Bold Coffee & Books)
Saturdays from 11:00–11:30 a.m. | Bold Coffee & Books, 1755 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97205 | FREE
Whether an author is here to read their book or our staff is reading a favorite, we’ll feature stories that spread compassion, awareness, and positivity. Children will get a coloring page or sticker to take home too!
Native Family: Native Friends and Family Storytime (Multnomah County Library)
Friday, March 3, 6:30 p.m. | Holgate Library, 7905 SE Holgate Boulevard, Portland, OR 97206 | FREE
Children ages birth to six, along with their families and friends, are welcome to enjoy Native culture through singing, movement, crafts, and stories. Everyone is welcome! Presented by Native library staff. Attendance is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Weekly Bubbles + Books Storytime and Play (Literacy Kids)
Wednesday, March 4, 3:30–4:30 p.m. | Literacy Kid Lounge + Bookshop, 2200 SE Oak Grove Blvd, Oak Grove, OR 97267 | $14+
Join Literacy Kids Lounge + Bookshop for story, music and movement and play at the Literacy Kid Lounge + Bookshop. This is a weekly drop in event with tickets required. If you have ever wanted to be part of a playgroup, but cant commit, this is for you!
Queer Teens Book Club (Always Here Bookstore)
Thursday, March 5, 5:30 p.m. | Always Here Bookstore, 4555 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97217 | FREE
This teen book club is led by a local YA author’s teen and supervised by AH staff! Meetings will take place monthly, on first Thursdays @5:30 p.m. These book clubs are meant to be a place to find community and it’s totally okay if you just want to come hang out with other queer folks 🙂
Which Guide Lied?: A Murder Mystery Party for Teens (Lake Oswego Library)
Saturday, March 7, 2:30 p.m. | LLake Oswego Public Library, 706 4th St Lake Oswego, OR 97034 | FREE
Every Teen Guide promises to do their best and the members of the Griffin Patrol are certainly no exception. The patrol is famous for their fun activities and camaraderie. This weekend is one of the highlights of the calendar – a weekend away camping. Everyone was thoroughly enjoying themselves until Peg Puller didn’t show up when the dinner bell sounded. Where could she be? When was she last seen? It seems that something here is not quite right…
IN THE NEWS
The Arts Community Has a Head Cheerleader (Willamette Week)
Literary Arts Announces 2026 Oregon Book Award Finalists (Portland Mercury)
Portland’s Renée Watson wins Newbery Medal for ‘All the Blues in the Sky’ (Oregon ArtsWatch)
RECOMMENDED READING
Everybody Reads 2026: Lovely One by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson | (Multnomah County Library)
Women authors, 50+ | (Multnomah County Library)
Discover Northwest Children’s Theater: Alice in Wonderland | (Multnomah County Library)
Staff Picks | (The Literary Arts Bookstore)
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!
