LitPDX seeks to amplify marginalized voices, and welcomes all, their ideas, their events, and their words.

For details regarding specific events please contact the organizers or venues. If you are an organizer or venue and would like to reach out to us please feel free to contact us or submit an event using our submission form. We’d love to hear from you!

Nights Since Chapbook Release

Rocking Frog Cafe 2511 SE Belmont St, Portland

The first volume of Nights Since chapbooks has arrived. Join me on Friday, May 31st for a reading from this book and general hoopla of poetry. More details to come. If you ordered a book, you could pick up your copy in person.

Free

Young Adult Book Club (Burnside)

Powell's City of Books 1005 W Burnside Street, Portland

The Young Adult Book Club is a safe place for teens to talk about books. You pick the books and Powell’s brings the snacks! We meet monthly to discuss strong stories with diverse characters. This month we meet to discuss Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. Join us!

Free

This Will Destroy You – Pedram Navab and Janice Lee

Mother Foucault's Bookshop 523 SE Morrison St, Portland

Come to the shop on Friday, May 31 at 7 pm to celebrate the launch of This Will Destroy You, a new novel by Pedram Navab. With special guest Janice Lee.  Pedram Navab is a neurologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine who currently resides in Los Angeles. Educated at Brown and Stanford, he holds both a graduate degree in English/Modern Culture and Media and a JD. His debut novel, Without Anesthesia, was published in 2015 (Jaded Ibis). In his spare time, he acts and makes short films. Janice Lee is the author of KEROTAKIS (Dog Horn Press, 2010), Daughter (Jaded Ibis, 2011), Damnation (Penny-Ante Editions, 2013), Reconsolidation (Penny-Ante Editions, 2015), and The Sky Isn’t Blue (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2016). She writes about the filmic long take, slowness, interspecies communication, the apocalypse, and asks…

Free

Whitman at 200: Words of Resistance

Roll-Up Studio + Gallery 1715 SE Spokane St, Portland

Leaves of Resistance, Secret Society of Book Artists Show Closing GALA Friday, May 31 7 PM Celebrating Walt Whitman’s 200th Birthday with Animation and Poetry Readings, in Partnership with Passages Bookshop • Animation by Gratz, Zornado, Jetten, Kuehn, Tetenbaum & Others • Whitman political readings by David Abel & Friends • Projection performance by Devon Damonte • Birthday cake Secret Society of Book Artists Dawn Banker Anita Bigelow Marian Christensen Mary Elliott Ellen Fortin Joely Helgesen Judilee Fitzhugh Deanna Lautenbach Megan Leftwich Ilsa Perse Kathy Karbo Kathy Kuehn Bernie Smith Gay Walker Marilyn Zornado See exhibition page here.

Free

Future Prairie Screening + Q&A

Multnomah Arts Center 7688 SW Capital Highway, Portland

Please join us for a free screening and showcase of recent interdisciplinary work by Future Prairie artists, followed by a Q&A. Founded in January 2018 by Joni Renee Whitworth in Portland, Oregon, Future Prairie is a 501c3 non-profit organization and artist collective led by women and queer creatives. We develop and mentor emerging and under-represented artists. We also produce a monthly podcast, host a quarterly variety show, and curate exhibitions, panels, performances, and published works. When we say "under-represented artists", we are specifically referring to creatives of different abilities, races, gender identities, national origin, religion, and age. We serve historically-marginalized groups such as women, disabled, racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities, and low-income individuals. This event is free to attend and open to the public.…

Free

Do You Have Kids? Life When the Answer Is No

Powell's City of Books 1005 W Burnside Street, Portland

A savvy and validating guide to what might be in store for growing numbers of childfree and childless adults worldwide, Kate Kaufmann’s Do You Have Kids? Life When the Answer Is No (She Writes Press) takes on topics from the shifting meaning of family to what we leave behind when we die. Weaving together wisdom from women ages 24 to 91, with both her own story and a growing body of research, Kaufmann brings to light alternate routes to lives of meaning, connection, and joy.

Free

Booklover’s Burlesque: As You Tease It

Crush Bar 1400 Southeast Morrison Street, Portland

Lacy Productions presents... Booklover's Burlesque: As You Tease It (Shakespeare Edition) Friday, May 31st, 2019 on the Crush Bar stage in Portland, Oregon! Booklover's Burlesque is the Pacific Northwest's sexiest literary salon which matches titillating, inspiring, and empowering book readings with burlesque performances all in one show! Professional readers, actors, and/or local authors & writers read aloud a three to five minute piece of poetry, fiction (from any genre), memoir, non-fiction, etc, which is then followed by a burlesque performance inspired by the piece. Hosted by the illustrious Hyacinth Lee Starring: The Infamous Nina Nightshade Sandria Dore Mandy Flame (Seattle) The Mad Marquis Bayou Bettie Miles Wilder T L Ford & Fannie Fuller Princezz Monochokeme Our readers include members of Speculative Drama, Lily Le Fauve,…

$18 – $30