1. Events
  2. Venues
  3. Literary Arts

Events, Classes, and Seminars

Our events, classes, and seminars bring the community together to hear, learn, and discuss the most compelling issues and ideas of our day. We hope you will join us in our community space and bookstore at 716 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR, online, and at partnering venues across Portland and Oregon.

Saturday

Mar 22

Bookstore   Free Events  

Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Families are invited to join us weekly on Saturday mornings from 10:30-11:00 a.m. at the Literary Arts Bookstore for story time! Each week our booksellers will read from picture books we love and enthusiastically share our love of reading and play with our youngest community members. Every fourth Saturday of the month we're teaming up

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Wednesday

Mar 19

Bookstore   Free Events  

Incite: Queer Writers Read

Incite: Queer Writers Read

Incite: Queer Writers Read is a curated, bimonthly reading series for Queer writers. Incite’s hope is to create conversation, connection, and greater understanding both within the Queer community and with other communities. Hosted by Vinnie Kinsella and Jennifer Perrine. The featured readers for March are Eric Tran, Jessie Carver, and RJ Equality Ingram. This Month's Theme: Grounding

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Tuesday

Mar 18

Saturday

Mar 15

Bookstore   Free Events  

Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Families are invited to join us weekly on Saturday mornings from 10:30-11:00 a.m. at the Literary Arts Bookstore for story time! Each week our booksellers will read from picture books we love and enthusiastically share our love of reading and play with our youngest community members. Every fourth Saturday of the month we're teaming up

Find out more
Monday

Mar 10

Bookstore   Free Events  

Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Families are invited to join us weekly on Saturday mornings from 10:30-11:00 a.m. at the Literary Arts Bookstore for story time! Each week our booksellers will read from picture books we love and enthusiastically share our love of reading and play with our youngest community members. Every fourth Saturday of the month we're teaming up

Find out more
Wednesday

Mar 5

Saturday

Mar 1

In-person   WINTER 2025   Writing Classes  

The Art of Brevity: Crafting Short-short Stories

In flash fiction, the whole is a part and the part is a whole. The form forces the writer to question each word, to reckon with Flaubert’s mot juste, and move a story by hints and implications. Flash stories are built through gaps as much as the connective tissue of words, so what’s left out of a story is often more important than what’s included.

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Saturday

Feb 22

Bookstore   Free Events  

Bilingual (Spanish/English) Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Spanish Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore

Bring the whole family for a magical Story Time at the Literary Arts Bookstore! Sing, play, and dive into the world of Spanish storytelling hosted by Adventures in Spanish. Join us for a fun and engaging way to enhance your child’s Spanish skills through lively stories and interactive activities! Every fourth Saturday of the month.

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Thursday

Feb 20

Bookstore   Free Events  

Slamlandia

Slamlandia

Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry,

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Friday

Feb 7

Thursday

Feb 6

Wednesday

Feb 5

Tuesday

Feb 4

Thursday

Oct 3

For BIPOC Writers   Free Events   In-person  

BIPOC Reading Series

Rescheduled from September 25.  This monthly 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. Hosted by Kyle Yoshioka and Jessica

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Thursday

Sep 19

Free Events   In-person  

SLAMLANDIA

Slamlandia

Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry,

Find out more
Wednesday

Aug 28

For BIPOC Writers   Free Events   In-person  

BIPOC Reading Series – August

This monthly 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. Hosted by Kyle Yoshioka and Jessica Meza-Torres. The featured reader

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Friday

Aug 16

Free Events   In-person  

Graft Union Reading Series & Open Mic

Join us for the third installment of the Graft Union Reading Series—a monthly event for sharing creative writing, food, drink, and community, featuring student writers from PDX academic institutions and beyond! The Graft Union Reading Series is a community-driven collective for students and emergent writers in Portland with an emphasis on celebrating new voices. We

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Thursday

Aug 15

Free Events   In-person  

Slamlandia

Slamlandia

Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry,

Find out more
Saturday

Aug 10

Free Events   In-person  

First Matter Press Book Launch Party

Join Oregon Literary Publishing Fellowship recipient First Matter Press on August 10th as they launch their 2024 titles, greenhouse and Suspended In My Insecticide Jar.  The evening's festivities will include featured readings from Sophie Hall and Clara McAuley, original art for purchase from 2024 cover artist Alexandra Strenfel, and readings from our 2024 Ekphrastic Poem Contest selections.

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Wednesday

Aug 7

Tuesday

Aug 6

Wednesday

Jul 31

For BIPOC Writers   Free Events   In-person  

BIPOC Reading Series – July

This monthly 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. Hosted by Kyle Yoshioka and Jessica Meza-Torres. The featured reader

Find out more
Wednesday

Jul 17

Free Events   In-person  

INCITE: Queer Writers Read – July

Incite: Queer Writers Read

Incite: Queer Writers Read is a curated, bimonthly reading series for Queer writers. Incite’s hope is to create conversation, connection, and greater understanding both within the Queer community and with other communities. Hosted by Vinnie Kinsella and Jennifer Perrine. The featured readers for July are David Ciminello, Shelley Gaske, and Charlie J. Stephens. The theme

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Tuesday

Jul 16

Delve Readers Seminars  

Gabriel García Márquez: The Scandal of the Century

Gabriel García Márquez began his writing career as a journalist & once referred to the profession as "the best in the world." While the international literary community celebrated him as one of the greatest-ever fiction authors, he never ceased writing journalism. The Scandal of the Century was first published in English in 2019, & this

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Wednesday

Jul 10

Wednesday

Jul 3

Wednesday

Jun 26

Monday

Jun 24

Free Events   In-person  

Letter Writing Social

Spend some time writing letters and catching up on your correspondence with like-minded writers and fans of the postal system. Some supplies, snacks, and typewriters will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorite stationery, pens and art supplies. Hosted by Squeezebox Press. Note: Due to construction on the street, please enter Literary Arts through

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Thursday

Jun 20

Free Events   In-person  

Slamlandia

Slamlandia

Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry,

Find out more
Wednesday

Jun 19

Saturday

Jun 15

Free Events   In-person  

2024 Bigfoot Poetry Festival

The Bigfoot Poetry Festival returns to Literary Arts with an all-day celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring poetry slams, a poetry market, open mics, and writing and performance workshops. All events are FREE and open to the public. Accessibility Note: The Poetry Market, Youth Poetry Slam, and New Sh*t Open Mic will take

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Friday

Jun 14

Free Events   In-person  

Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam (Prelims)

The second in a two-night series for the Bigfoot Poetry Festival, this event features poets from all over the Pacific Northwest (and beyond!) who will engage in a battle of words for the enjoyment of an audience. Teams of poets will compete with their spoken word at Literary Arts—the first bout starting at 5:00pm, and

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Thursday

Jun 13

Free Events   In-person  

Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam (Prelims)

The first in a two-night series for the Bigfoot Poetry Festival, this event features poets from all over the Pacific Northwest (and beyond!) who will engage in a battle of words for the enjoyment of an audience. Teams of poets will compete with their spoken word at Literary Arts—the first bout starting at 5:00pm, and

Find out more
Tuesday

Jun 11

Tuesday

Jun 4

Wednesday

May 29

Wednesday

May 29

Delve Readers Seminars   In-person  

Gustave Flaubert: Madame Bovary

Flaubert’s Madame Bovary is the quintessential modern novel. This is the paradigmatic “show don’t tell” writer who, by sheer force of talent, sweat, style, and restraint was able to turn a small, inconsequential notice in a provincial newspaper into one of the greatest stories of the Western tradition. Morally complex, ironic, insightful, and brilliant—if this

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Tuesday

May 21

Saturday

May 18

Thursday

May 16

Free Events   In-person  

Slamlandia

Slamlandia

Slamlandia is a poetry open mic and slam that meets every month, on the third Thursday. This mic provides a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all literary communities in Portland. We encourage poets new and old to come share their work. We strive towards a safe space for poets to read their own poetry,

Find out more
Monday

May 13

Thursday

May 9

Wednesday

May 8

Free Events   In-person  

Incite: Queer Writers Read – May

Incite: Queer Writers Read

Incite: Queer Writers Read is a curated, bimonthly reading series for Queer writers. Incite’s hope is to create conversation, connection, and greater understanding both within the Queer community and with other communities. Hosted by Vinnie Kinsella and Jennifer Perrine. The featured readers for May are Liz Asch, Aliya Bree Hall, and Sara Jaffe. The theme is

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Wednesday

May 1