Literary Arts
Bookstore & Cafe

Filled with over 14,000 books for readers of all ages, interests, and tastes, the Literary Arts Bookstore and Cafe hosts author readings, community events, story times, and more each week. We are open everyday at 7:00 a.m. for coffee and food and the bookstore opens at 10:00 a.m. We close at 8:00 p.m. all days except Sunday (7:00 p.m.).

VISIT US AT:
716 SE Grand Ave,
Portland, OR 97214

Browse our bookstore online then pick up in store.

SHIPPING NOW AVAILABLE! Visit our FAQ to learn more.

Filled with over 14,000 books for readers of all ages, interests and tastes, the Literary Arts Bookstore and Cafe hosts author readings, community events, story times, and more each week. While our inventory leans toward literary fiction, we host events and carry books in all genres and categories.

The Literary Arts Bookstore & Cafe is located at the newly opened Literary Arts headquarters at The Susan Hammer Center in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial District. This vibrant hub for the community, contains not only the Bookstore & Cafe, but also has classrooms for writing workshops and seminars, a podcast studio, staff offices, and a flexible event space that has a seated capacity of 75 with additional standing room for 25-40 more.

Opening Hours

Literary Arts is open for coffee and pastries at 7:00 a.m. everyday! Our bookstore is open from 10:00 a.m. (although you may purchase a book off the shelf at the coffee counter). We close at 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and at 7:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Bookstore & Cafe FAQ

For information on events and more, click here to view our FAQ.

Map & Directions

Literary Arts is located at 716 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214 in Portland’s Buckman neighborhood. Just around the corner from the Morrison Bridge, our building’s Central Eastside location makes us easy to find, whether you travel by car or public transit.

PUBLIC TRANSIT


Bus: The closest bus stops to Literary Arts include SE Morrison & Grand, SE Grand & Belmont, and SE M L King & Morrison. Bus routes 15 and 6 will bring you closest to the building. Other nearby bus routes with connections to SE Grand include the 701412, and 19.

Max Light Rail & Streetcar: The Max Rail connects to the Portland Streetcar at Oregon Convention Center. Nearby streetcar options include the A & B Loop: Streetcar A (exit at SE M L King & Stark Stop ID 13613) and Streetcar B (exit at SE Grand & Belmont Stop ID 11484).

Bus & Max fares: $2.80 for adults; $1.40 for youth & honored citizens.

Streetcar fares: $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for youth & honored citizens.

For more information on transit schedules, routes, HOP cards, etc. contact TriMet customer service at 503-238-7433 or visit www.trimet.org.

DRIVING AND PARKING


From the north: Follow OR 99-E S/NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, turn left on SE Morrison St, and then take another left on to SE Grand Ave.

From the south: Follow OR 99-E N/Mcloughlin Blvd past Powell, where it becomes SE Grand Ave.

From the east: Heading west on SE Morrison St is the most straightforward route, before turning right on SE Grand Ave.

From the west: For the fastest route, take the Morrison Bridge eastbound across the river, and then make an immediate left on SE Grand Ave. Other nearby bridges that connect to SE Grand include the Burnside Bridge (to the north) and the Hawthorne Bridge (to the south).

Parking

The parking lot located directly behind our building at 721 SE 6th Ave has over 20 parking spaces and is open to the public, with a convenient pay by phone option.

On-street parking in the Central Eastside is either metered (paid + time limit), time limit (free + time limit), or permit parking (free + 2-hour time limit for non-permit holders).

There is 2-hour metered parking available surrounding our building, with the closest metered parking available on SE Morrison, SE Alder, and 6th Street. The closest disability parking is located at 6th and SE Morrison.

Get in touch

503-227-2583 (opt. 1 for the Bookstore, opt. 2 for general inquiries, and opt. 3 for the cafe)
General inquiries: la@literary-arts.org
Bookstore inquiries: bookstore@literary-arts.org

If you are interested in having your event at the Literary Arts Bookstore, please review and fill out this form for consideration. Thank you!

Upcoming Events at Literary Arts

October 9, 2025
What a Time to Be Alive: Jade Chang in conversation with Genevieve Hudson
October 11, 2025
Lit Mic presents: Murder in the Bookstore
October 14, 2025
I Am You: Victoria Redel in conversation with Kimberly King Parsons
October 15, 2025
October Write-In
October 21, 2025
Ghostly Encounters: Open Mic
October 28, 2025
The Big Dig x OPB’s Stop Requested LIVE: a conversation about what to do with Portland’s highways
October 30, 2025
Portland Parks Foundation presents: Green Dreams: Through the Eyes of the Elk
November 3, 2025
California Rewritten: John Freeman: in conversation with Deborah Miranda
November 6, 2025
Shay Mirk and Eleri Harris: Making Nonfiction Comics
November 18, 2025
Without Consent: Sarah Weinman in conversation with Sarah Marshall
November 19, 2025
November Write-In
December 16, 2025
December Write-In: Little Women

All Literary Arts events & classes

October 9, 2025
What a Time to Be Alive: Jade Chang in conversation with Genevieve Hudson
October 11, 2025
Lit Mic presents: Murder in the Bookstore
October 13, 2025
Writing Outside of the Self
October 13, 2025
Roberto Bolaño: 2666
October 14, 2025
ALBERT CAMUS: THE PLAGUE AND THE ABSURD HERO
October 14, 2025
I Am You: Victoria Redel in conversation with Kimberly King Parsons
October 15, 2025
Carl G. Jung: Memories, Dreams, Reflections
October 15, 2025
Yallah! Muslims Write: Three Months to Publication
October 15, 2025
October Write-In
October 16, 2025
Oregon Book Awards Author Tour Pendleton: Becky Ellis, Charlie J. Stephens and tina ontiveros
October 16, 2025
Slamlandia
October 16, 2025
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Elizabeth Gilbert
October 17, 2025
Oregon Book Awards Author Tour Enterprise: Becky Ellis, Charlie J. Stephens and tina ontiveros
October 18, 2025
Oregon Book Awards Author Tour Baker City: Becky Ellis, Rachel King, Steven Moore, Charlie J. Stephens
October 21, 2025
Tools for Nonfiction Narrative Writing
October 21, 2025
Ghostly Encounters: Open Mic
October 22, 2025
Five Decades of Short Stories: The 70s thru 2010s
October 23, 2025
Bookmark: A Benefit for Literary Arts
October 26, 2025
Halloween Story Time: with A.A. Livingston
October 28, 2025
The Big Dig x OPB’s Stop Requested LIVE: a conversation about what to do with Portland’s highways
October 28, 2025
Timothy Snyder in Conversation
October 29, 2025
BIPOC Reading Series – October
October 30, 2025
Memoir Foundations: Writing the Truth Without Losing the Thread
October 30, 2025
Building worlds of Wonder: Speculative Fiction
October 30, 2025
Portland Parks Foundation presents: Green Dreams: Through the Eyes of the Elk
November 1, 2025
Prompts and Play
November 2, 2025
Clarifying Your Nonfiction Concept
November 3, 2025
Starting the Short Story
November 3, 2025
California Rewritten: John Freeman: in conversation with Deborah Miranda
November 4, 2025
WRITING EKPHRASTIC POETRY
November 5, 2025
One Page Wednesday: A Cover to Cover Special Event
November 5, 2025
A Conversation with Kamala Harris (SOLD OUT)
November 6, 2025
Shay Mirk and Eleri Harris: Making Nonfiction Comics
November 7, 2025
Ready, Set, Submit
November 7, 2025
Readers Night: Celebrating Portland Book Festival
November 8, 2025
Portland Book Festival 2025
November 8, 2025
Hooked: How to Capture Reader Interest From the Start
November 8, 2025
PBF: Rebecca Yarros ONYX STORM
November 8, 2025
Speculative Fiction in 75 minutes (Teens)
November 8, 2025
Remember My Name Poetry Workshop (Teens)
November 8, 2025
Visual Poetry and Art
November 8, 2025
PBF: Stacey Abrams, CODED JUSTICE
November 8, 2025
Creating Suspense
November 12, 2025
Art of the Article Pitch
November 12, 2025
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Percival Everett
November 13, 2025
Ritual Dyes Crafting Circle
November 16, 2025
Every Force Evolves a Form
November 17, 2025
Stephen Crane: Three Novellas
November 18, 2025
Without Consent: Sarah Weinman in conversation with Sarah Marshall
November 19, 2025
November Write-In
December 9, 2025
The Moth Mainstage in Portland
December 16, 2025
December Write-In: Little Women
January 6, 2026
Early Works of Barbara Kingsolver
January 10, 2026
Digital Storytelling: Making Short Films
January 10, 2026
Writing with the Seasons: Winter
January 11, 2026
Hope in Dark Times: the last works of Virginia Woolf
January 12, 2026
Advanced Memoir
January 15, 2026
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Colm Tóibín
January 18, 2026
How to Start a Novel: and How to Finish It, Too
January 20, 2026
Your Novel’s First Pages
February 12, 2026
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Imani Perry
February 25, 2026
The Waste Land in Our Time
March 12, 2026
Everybody Reads 2026: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
April 23, 2026
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Patrick Radden Keefe
April 30, 2026
Verselandia! Youth Poetry Slam Championship 2026