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
Suzanne Simard in Conversation With Ferris Jabr (Powell’s City of Books)
Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., Portland, OR 97209 | $42
Simard will be joined in conversation by Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth: A Journey Through the Hidden Wonders That Bring Our Planet to Life.
Art and Conversation: The Art of Mark Rothko with Sara Krajewski
(Portland Art Museum)
Thursday, April 2, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Portland Art Museum, Mark Building, 1119 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR | FREE
Start your morning with free coffee, pastries, and a conversation led by Sara Krajewski, Eichholz Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Consider This: What Democracy Needs with Hélène Landemore (Oregon Humanities)
Tuesday, April 7, 7:00 p.m. | Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211 | Various prices
Join Oregon Humanities for a conversation with Hélène Landemore, author of Politics Without Politicians, on what democracy must become to meet the complexity, speed, and scale of today’s world. Landemore will be joined in conversation by Adam Davis, executive director of Oregon Humanities.
Willy Vlautin (Powell’s City of Books)
Monday, April 13, 7:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St. Portland, OR 97209 | FREE
The acclaimed Willy Vlautin returns with a heartbreaking and tender novel about two young brothers, the vicissitudes of fate, and unexpected connection — a beautiful and bittersweet portrait that illuminates the power of friendship and how it can save lives in multiple ways.
The Pursuit of Happiness (Oregon Humanities)
Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. | Silver Falls Library District, 410 S. Water St., Silverton OR 97381 | FREE
The most famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Why did the founders include “the pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration? What did they mean by this phrase? What does it mean to us today?
What Does It Mean to Be American? (Oregon Humanities)
Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 p.m. | Ledding Library of Milwaukie, 10660 SE 21st Ave., Milwaukie OR 97222 | FREE
This conversation will explore when and how we define ourselves as an “American.” Does knowing the Constitution make us American? Does living on land controlled by the United States of America make us American? Through conversation and nonverbal exploration, we will share what “American” means to us individually and within the communities we belong to or came from, and what perspectives shaped our understanding of American identity and who is included in “We the People.”
Consider This Watch Party: Labor, Farmworker Organizing, and Histories of Indigenous Communities in Oregon (Oregon Humanities)
Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 p.m. | (Willamette University) Putnam University Center, 935 Mill St. SE, Salem OR 97301 | FREE
Join the Office of Civic Engagement at Willamette University for a watch party of our Consider This conversation Labor, Farmworker Organizing, and Histories of Indigenous Communities in Oregon, streamed live from Mt. Angel.
2026 HeART of Portland: A Portland Public Schools K-12 Arts Showcase Opening Celebration
(Portland Art Museum)
Wednesday, April 15, 6:30–8:00 p.m. | Portland Art Museum, Mark Building, 1119 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR | FREE
Celebrate the extraordinary work of student artists and over a decade of citywide funding for K-12 arts education! The Portland Art Museum is proud to partner with Portland Public Schools to host the 2026 HeART of Portland: A Portland Public Schools K-12 Arts Showcase. This annual event kicks off with an evening of student dance, music, and theater performances as well as the opening of the student visual art exhibition, including over 100 works and highlighting the diversity of arts offerings across PPS. Guests will also experience the student collaborative art project Windows of Our Future, inspired by the Portland Art Museum’s new Rothko Pavilion and the exhibition David Hockney: Works from the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.
Pickles, Pickles, Pickles with Dillon T. Pickle (PAM Cut)
Thursday, April 16, 6:30 p.m. | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202 | $15
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.
Tough Shit with Oregon Humanities (PAM Cut)
Friday, April 24, 7:00–9:00 p.m. | PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202 | $15
Tough Shit is an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing. We’ll bring together four people with very different experiences of and perspectives on the city to talk through some shit with help from the audience and a moderator. The questions will be tough, and this shit will not be resolved in one night; We expect to leave with more questions than answers, plus some renewed hope for the future. And if not, well….
The conversation will be moderated by Adam Davis of Oregon Humanities, and speakers will be announced soon!
Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series: Megan Kate Nelson (Oregon Historical Society)
Tuesday, April 14, 7:00–8:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205 | Various prices
For over 25 years, the Oregon Historical Society has presented the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series, bringing together the nation’s top historians and award-winning authors for thought-provoking evenings of history.
Bookbinding 101 (Two Rivers Bookstore)
Thursday, April 16, 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Two Rivers Bookstore, 8836 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203 | $80
Create your own special editions of your favorite books! Students will learn how to measure a text block, create a hardcover case, and “case in” the text block to turn a paperback book into a beautiful hardcover! Students should bring a paperback book no larger than 6” wide and 9” tall. All other materials and tools will be provided.
Get Lit at the Beach-A Gathering for Readers (Get Lit)
Friday, April 17–Sunday, April 19 | Cannon Beach, OR | $85-120
Get Lit at the Beach~A Gathering For Readers is one of only a handful like it in the entire country – a literary festival that brings together authors and readers to celebrate a mutual love of books and reading. Most festivals offer classes that teach writing and publishing. Many talk about craft and experience. But few exist solely for the pleasure of listening to writers talk about their work and sharing conversations and thoughts about the importance of reading.
“Portland’s Chinatowns” Book Talk (Oregon Historical Society)
Saturday, April 18, 3:00–4:30 p.m. | Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave Portland, Oregon 97205 | FREE
For over 25 years, the Oregon Historical Society has presented the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series, bringing together the nation’s top historians and award-winning authors for thought-provoking evenings of history.
National Poetry Month! Freewrite: In-Person Writing Circle (Write Around Portland)
Wednesday, April 22, 6:00–8:00 p.m. | Dovetail Cellars 404 E Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98660 | $25–75
Create and share poetry in this all-levels writing circle during National Poetry Month! Enjoy guided prompts and strengths-based feedback in the relaxed atmosphere of Dovetail Cellars. Charcuterie, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks will be available for purchase!
Collage and Freewrite: In-Person Writing and Crafting Circle (Write Around Portland)
Saturday, May 16, 1:00–3:00 p.m. | BOLD Coffee & Books, 1755 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97205 | $40–80
Create small collages from a collection of provided images, paper, and assorted media! Start each collage process with a moment of generative writing to get you thinking about the colors, textures, and scenes you’ll be handling for your artwork. Flex your skills in sensation and imagery by trying something tactile and new! This 2-hour session is balanced in both art and (literary) craft. Enter a creative flow (and stay in it!) as each activity you do seamlessly leads to the next. All supplies and materials are provided.
Tributaries Writing Retreat (Write Around Portland)
May 28–May 31 | Menucha Retreat and Conference Center, Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, OR 97019
We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Write Around Portland to offer a creative writing program at Menucha. This transformative experience taps the healing energy of our retreat setting, allowing participants to explore personal growth through writing in community. No writing experience required! Only a desire to put pen to paper, allowing the words to tell a story, describe the beauty of the surroundings, or process your thoughts. Write Around Portland’s skilled facilitator will help participants create a space in which you’ll be able to unlock your creativity, build or maintain a writing practice, and get some writing done. The retreat will consist of writing, sharing (as desired, not required), and giving strengths-based feedback to each other. You’ll also have time for walks, shorts hikes, observing nature. Menucha is home to lots of moss, birds, old-growth trees and views that let you take a long look down the Columbia River Gorge.
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
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.
Prompt at Powell’s City of Books – Creative Writing Class (Write Around Portland)
Wednesdays, April 8–May 27, 6:00–8:00 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209 | $295
Prompt is an 8-week writing group full of freewriting, listening, and strengths-based feedback, hosted behind-the-scenes at Powell’s City of Books! With accountability and community built in – as well as a huge selection of books for inspiration – you’ll be sure to come away with tons of new ideas.
First Fruit: Origin Story Explorations & Experimentations w/ Charity Yoro (Corporeal Writing)
April 12, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom | $33
From the cultural to the cosmic, one’s origin story can be one of personal, historical, or universal significance—and one that can also be, for many reasons, a tender place from which to write. “maybe ain’t no home,” Nate Marshall writes, “except for how your beloveds cuss or pray or pronounce.” As writers with control, if not of our individual or collective stories of origin, at least our respective narratives of them, what might we excavate from the process of (re)writing our histories, mythologies? In this two-hour generative workshop, we will explore our own origin stories, drawing inspiration from poets such as Jenny Xie, Sarah Ghazal Ali, Rick Barot, Nate Marshall, and others, and moving through guided exercises in sensory writing, naming (reclaiming), etymology play, and more.
The Ripple Effect: Writing with the film The Chronology of Water (Corporeal Writing)
Friday, April 24, 12:00–2:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom | $75
This will be a generative creative lab over Zoom. We will be writing, excavating, and there will be some opportunities for brief sharing. Please note this will not be a Q&A. Let’s see what portals might be opened up for us when we write together.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
Backwaters Prize in Poetry (University of Nebraska Press)
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Entry fee: $32
Award: $2,000
The winner will be awarded a $2,000 cash prize and the honorable mention will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize. Both winners will be awarded the publication of their book by the University of Nebraska Press under its imprint, The Backwaters Press. The judge for the 2026 contest is Diane Seuss.
Montreal International Poetry Prize (Poetry Foundation)
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Entry fee: $18
Award: $20,000 (CAD)
The Montreal International Poetry Prize is committed to encouraging the creation of original works of poetry, to building international readerships, and to exploring the world’s Englishes. The Montreal Prize awards one prize of $20,000 CAD to a poet for a single poem of forty or fewer lines. A jury of internationally reputed poets and critics selects a shortlist of approximately sixty poems, from which a judge chooses one winner. The shortlist is published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology.
Autumn Online Workshop (McCormack Writing Center)
Deadline: June 3, 2026
Our Speculative Online Workshop features industry panels, craft lectures, generative writing sessions, agent meetings, affinity groups, social hours, and, of course, online 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!
Forest Storytime (World Forestry Center)
Wednesday, April 1, 11:30–12:00 p.m. | World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221 | $8+
On the first Wednesday of the month, join us in the Discovery Museum’s reading nook for Forest Stories. A storytime dedicated to forests and forest-themed books that connect adults and children and engage the imagination. Coloring pages are also available.
Little Nestlings Welcomes Author Nora Ericson (Little Nestlings Early Learning Center)
Saturday, April 4, 10:00–11:00 a.m. | Little Nestlings Early Learning Center, 19200 Willamette Drive West Linn, OR 97068 | FREE
Nora will read her delightful picture book The Bunny Ballet, a joyful story about friendship, imagination, and dancing bunnies. After the reading, families will have the opportunity to purchase copies of the book and have them signed by the author. Children are invited to stay and enjoy bunny-themed activities inspired by the story.
Weekly Bubbles + Books Storytime and Play (Literacy Kids)
Wednesday, April 8, 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!
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Up Theater)
April 8–19 | Mago Hunt Theater, Theater and Recital Hall, 5000 N Willamette Blvd, Portland, OR 97203 | $20
Demigod Percy Jackson has always struggled with fitting in. When his single mom must send him where she can’t follow, he ends up at a summer camp for kids like him – half Greek god, half mortal. Joined by a daughter of Athena trying to prove her worth and a satyr trying to make up for past tragedies, the trio journeys into the underworld and back to reclaim Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt and stop a war between the gods. With a whole host of mythological creatures chasing after them, can these unlikely heroes shoulder the fate of the world? Maybe Percy can finally find a place where he belongs…if he doesn’t die first. This electric coming-of-age story will resonate with anyone who’s had trouble finding the courage to stand strong in a world full of monsters.
Family Pictures Presents: THE WILD ROBOT (Hollywood Theatre)
Sunday, April 12, 3:00 p.m. | Literacy Kid Lounge + Bookshop, 2200 SE Oak Grove Blvd, Oak Grove, OR 97267 | $9+
After surviving a shipwreck, a robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) lands on an island inhabited by wild animals. Roz discovers her capacity for empathy when she meets an orphaned baby goose and starts raising him. This modern day children’s classic blends contemporary themes of technology with a timeless message of caring for your community and staying true to yourself. The film is based on the popular children’s book series written by Peter Brown and features a voice cast including Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, and Mark Hamill.
Earth Day themed Weekly Bubbles + Books Storytime and Play (Literacy Kids)
Wednesday, April 22, 3:30–4:30 p.m. | Literacy Kid Lounge + Bookshop, 2200 SE Oak Grove Blvd, Oak Grove, OR 97267 | $14+
This is a special Earth Day event collab with A+ Events and Childcare.
IN THE NEWS
Portland’s Renée Watson wins Newbery Medal for ‘All the Blues in the Sky’ (Oregon ArtsWatch)
RECOMMENDED READING
Prepare Your Shelves: Spring 2026 New Releases | (Multnomah County Library)
One Book One Coast: They Called Us Enemy | (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!
