WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR

From Literary Arts’ 2023/24 Annual Report

Dear Friends,

There’s been a lot of discussion about our community getting “back to normal” or “making a comeback” in the past year. I understand the sentiment and am excited about the very significant work so many are doing in these challenging times, but I also want us to talk more about moving forward, rather than “back.” Nostalgia is a powerful and dangerous force, and we should all be skeptical of the idea that previous eras were good for everyone (or that a rerun of previous eras would even be possible, let alone good for everyone).

The thrust of the programs of Literary Arts are forward, to build on the work that was good, and contribute to a bright, more informed, empowered, engaged, and equitable community that will be different than before. These efforts join the work of many others whose broad goals we share. You will find throughout the pages of this report many details about how we are deeply investing in the people of this community, including: inspiring thousands of youth who need support to find their true voice; hosting Portland Arts and Lectures and Portland Book Festival in downtown and welcoming thousands into dialogue with the most accomplished authors and thinkers of our time; supporting new and risky work by writers from all over the state; travelling hundreds of miles across Oregon to host readings and workshops; or broadcasting statewide both our current public programs, and the great events from our past, on our OPB radio show and podcast, The Archive Project. For each aspect of our mission—engaging readers, supporting writers, and inspiring youth—you will find details on how we strive to make our work more equitable. We have lots of work to do, of course, and are always searching for ways to improve. Our commitment to you is to continue to make as much progress as we can, and to keep this value front and center in all our work.

We are also making another kind of deep investment in this community. This year marked significant progress on two long-held goals of the organization. The Campaign for Literary Arts, which has its roots as far back as 2016, is a $22.5 million capital campaign that will create a new permanent home for the organization and, more importantly, build a new cultural space for community members of all ages to meet, talk, read, share their work, and hear each other’s stories. Our new home, located at 716 SE Grand Avenue in the core of Portland, will include a bookstore, café, more classrooms, more event space, a recording studio, and new offices for our growing staff. The Campaign for Literary Arts will also transform the home of Ursula K. Le Guin into a writers residency program, in accordance with her wishes, which were finalized in conversations with Literary Arts in 2017. These together, with our current programming, will make Literary Arts one of the largest organizations of its kind in the United States, allowing us to bring more resources to the vital work of community members to tell their stories, to be heard, and to experience the transformative impact of literature. We look forward to opening our doors to you, very soon.

In gratitude,
Andrew Proctor
Executive Director
Literary Arts

Read the full report below.

Click here for a PDF version of the report.