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.

Cafe Menu

We have a full food and beverage menu, including a rotating selection of beer and wine. Breakfast and lunch, including soup, salad, and sandwiches are available from 7:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., and a selection of “night bites” are available from 4:00 p.m. until close. Click here to view the full menu.

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.

FAQ

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

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

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

Upcoming Events at Literary Arts

December 16, 2025
December Write-In: Jane Austen
February 17, 2026
Karina LeBlanc: A Kid’s Book About Purpose

All Literary Arts events & classes

November 22, 2025
Literary Matchmaking: Speed Dating Event with Queer Cute PDX
November 24, 2025
Poetry of Observation: Starting and Keeping a Commonplace Book
December 2, 2025
BIPOC Reading Series
December 3, 2025
One Page Wednesday – December
December 6, 2025
Ways In: Starting Your Memoir
December 9, 2025
The Moth Mainstage in Portland
December 16, 2025
December Write-In: Jane Austen
December 18, 2025
Slamlandia
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 10, 2026
Truing the Narrative: A Revision Magic Trick
January 11, 2026
Hope in Dark Times: the last works of Virginia Woolf
January 12, 2026
Writing Comic Fiction Workshop
January 12, 2026
Advanced Memoir
January 14, 2026
Yallah! Muslims Write:New Year, New Writing
January 15, 2026
Get Writing 2026: New Prompts for the New Year
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
January 24, 2026
Unreliable Historians: Reclaiming Truth and Agency in Creative Writing
January 26, 2026
So the Story Begins
February 7, 2026
Writing in Scenes: Bringing Your Story to Life
February 10, 2026
W.G. Sebald: Narratives of Trauma, Trauma of Narrative
February 10, 2026
The Art of Fiction
February 11, 2026
The Shape of a Life: An 8-week Memoir Intensive
February 12, 2026
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Imani Perry
February 17, 2026
Poetry and Obsession
February 17, 2026
Karina LeBlanc: A Kid’s Book About Purpose
February 21, 2026
Thomas Pynchon: Mason & Dixon
February 23, 2026
Pushing Through: Carrying Your Manuscript Over the Finish Line
February 25, 2026
The Waste Land in Our Time
February 26, 2026
Feminist & Queer Approaches to Creative Writing
March 12, 2026
Everybody Reads 2026: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
March 14, 2026
Every Force Evolves a Form
April 23, 2026
Portland Arts & Lectures 2025–26: Patrick Radden Keefe
April 30, 2026
Verselandia! Youth Poetry Slam Championship 2026