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BIPOC Reading Series- October
We’re back! And better than ever!
Starting this month, the BIPOC Reading series will meet in-person at the Literary Arts event space in downtown Portland. We are also welcoming a new cohost, Kyle Yoshioka.
This bimonthly reading series is intended to prioritize the safety, creativity, and stories of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color.
Come listen to our featured readers, or sign up to share your work in our open mic. Readings will be followed by a short community discussion.
The theme for October is “Uncertainty/Suspense.” Our featured readers are kim thompson and Philip Runia.
This event is open to everyone, but only people who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color will be invited to read. If you have any questions, please contact our hosts Jessica Meza-Torres at jessica@literary-arts.org and Kyle Yoshioka at kyle.yoshioka@gmail.com.
Kyle Yoshioka
Kyle (they/he) is an apologetic Californian and 14-year resident of Portland who thinks and writes a lot about belonging. Their work and voice have appeared in various publications and podcasts. Kyle is the editorial director of Provecho, a multilingual publication exploring the intersection of food and identity.
@yearofthekyle | @provecho.magazine
kim thompson
kim thompson (she/her) is a queer Korean-American adoptee and interdisciplinary artist based in Portland, OR, after 25 years in Europe, South Korea, and Minneapolis. A recipient of the 2023 Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship and other state and national grants, including the 2008 Jerome Travel Grant, kim’s work “the year of the wood rabbit” appeared in Brink (2024), where she now serves as Fiction Editor. Her essay “Dear Mia*” appears in In Our Words, a South Korea–published adoptee anthology (2024). Her work has been featured at Literary Arts, Constellation, and in Minneapolis at Pillsbury House Theatre, the Loft, and the Playwrights’ Center, as well as in Seoul-based media.
Philip Runia
Philip Runia is a writer and editor based in Portland, OR. Their work has been published in the Daily Iowan, Little Village Magazine, and Fools Magazine. They enjoy serving literary reviews; they were Fiction Editor for Earthwords and are currently Associate Fiction Editor of BRINK. As an editor, they find purpose in facilitating the shine of underrepresented and innovative writers while growing in their own writing. Philip's writing focuses on ideas of generational trauma and belonging, affectation, and the awkward balance between individual planes of existence. Their poetry debut Curses & Prayers is available with major retailers online.
