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Michael Pollan

Keller Auditorium 222 SW Clay St, Portland, OR, United States

The ARK Series presents author Michael Pollan in conversation with Nick Powers, PhD at the Portland'5 Keller Auditorium on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 8pm. For the past 25 years, Michael Pollan, author of five New York Times bestsellers (including The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore’s Dilemma), has been writing about the places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and, now, in the plants and fungi humans use to alter consciousness. Pollan’s unique and elegant blend of science, history, travel writing, and first person reportage has inspired millions of readers to look at familiar experiences in a whole new light while sparking vital national conversations about our relationship to the natural world. In a talk based on…

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$45 – $150

Book Club @ The Stacks

The Stacks Coffeehouse 1831 N. Killingsworth St, Portland, OR, United States

Join us for book club! Everyone is welcome, and we will be discussing The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner. Book Club @ The Stacks is a free event, open to all, and hosted by the Beach Elementary School PTA. Hope to see you there.

Free

Jill Biden

Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR, United States

Growing up, Jill Biden had wanted two things: a marriage like her parents' – strong, loving, and full of laughter – and a career. An early heartbreak had left her uncertain about love, until she met Joe. She soon found herself falling in love, learning to balance life as a mother, wife, educator, and political spouse. Through the challenges of public scrutiny, complicated family dynamics, and personal losses, she grew alongside her family, and she extended the family circle at every turn: with her students, military families, friends and staff at the White House, and more. The former Second Lady’s new memoir, Where the Light Enters (Flatiron), is a candid, heartwarming glimpse into the creation of a beloved American family, and the life of a…

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Free

Less of More: Pursuing Spiritual Abundance in a World of Never Enough

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

The Constitution guarantees the right to the pursuit of happiness. But for most Americans, what this means is the pursuit of more – more money, more prestige, more stuff. Far from offering happiness and satisfaction, this relentless pursuit has only left us exhausted, isolated, miserable, and wondering if there is a better way. Pastor Chris Nye’s Less of More (Baker) exposes the American pursuit of more for what it truly is: an attempt to satisfy our souls with the temporary instead of the eternal.

Free

Sunnyside Streetcars: The Streetcars of Southeast Portland

Powell's Books on Hawthorne 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, United States

Streetcars played a key role in the frenzy of development that followed the completion of the first bridges across the Willamette River in Portland in 1887. In 1889, Southeast Portland residents raised their own money to fund one of the first electric street railways in the country. By 1891, rival companies had merged to form the largest streetcar system in the West. Richard Thompson’s Sunnyside Streetcars (America Through Time) traces the history of streetcars in Southeast Portland.

Free

Pico Iyer

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

For years, Pico Iyer has split his time between California and Nara, Japan, where he and his Japanese wife, Hiroko, have a small home. But when his father-in-law dies suddenly, calling him back to Japan earlier than expected, Iyer begins to grapple with the question we all have to live with: how to hold on to the things we love, even though we know that we and they are dying. In a country whose calendar is marked with occasions honoring the dead, this question is more urgent than anywhere else. Iyer’s Autumn Light (Knopf) is a far-reaching exploration of Japanese history and culture, and a moving meditation on impermanence, mortality, and grief.

Free

Apricot Irving in Conversation with Sony Ton-Aimé

Broadway Books 1714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR, United States

Apricot Irving will read from her memoir The Gospel of Trees, the story of her childhood as a missionary’s daughter in Haiti during a time of upheaval. The book has just been released in paperback. She will be joined in conversation by poet Sony Ton-Aimé, who grew up in Haiti. Irving was six years old when her missionary parents decided to move to the north of Haiti. She fell in love with the country almost as soon as the plane landed. Less than ten years later, following coup after coup and the threat of the missionary compound being burned down, the family left Haiti and moved to Oregon. Irving returned to Haiti in 2010 to cover the earthquake for This American Life. What had they…

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Free

Oregon Humanities presents Think & Drink with Danielle Allen

Alberta Rose Theatre 3000 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR, United States

Join Oregon Humanities for an onstage conversation with Danielle Allen and Adam Davis. Allen is a professor at Harvard University who has written about education, citizenship, and justice. Her 2017 memoir, Cuz , explores the life of her cousin Michael and how the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and other forms of racial violence contributed to his early death. • General Admission • Price: $10 • Conversation Starter • Price: $20 Ticket sales do not cover the full cost of producing this event. If you’re able, please consider helping us keep ticket prices low by paying the full cost of your seat. Oregon Humanities uses income from Think & Drink ticket sales to pay for venue rental and honoraria for our guests. • No Cost…

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Free – $20

Adam Savage

Revolution Hall 1300 SE Stark St, Portland, OR, United States

Adam Savage – star of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters and one of the most beloved figures in science and tech – shares his golden rules of creativity, from finding inspiration to following through and successfully turning your idea into reality. In Every Tool’s a Hammer (Atria), Savage weaves together vivid personal stories, original sketches and photographs from some of his most memorable projects, and interviews with many of his iconic and visionary friends in the arts and sciences to demonstrate the many lessons he has picked up from a lifetime of making. Please note: Tickets for this event, $37, include admission and a copy of Every Tool’s a Hammer and are available at the Revolution Hall box office, revolutionhall.com, or by calling Ticketfly at 877-435-9849. Books…

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$37

Save Yourself – Julie Grandstaff

Annie Bloom's Books 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR, United States

Imagine what it would feel like if you had enough money to survive a medical emergency or a short time out of work, or if you had enough money set aside to pursue your dreams or retire without worrying about money. Save Yourself: Your Guide to Saving for Retirement and Building Financial Security will show you how to take control of your finances and build the confidence and security you’ve been wanting. It is a comprehensive guide to saving for retirement and shoring up your financial security so you can do whatever it is you want. Through the stories of real people, it shows you exactly how you can make the changes that will allow you to save for a long and secure retirement so that…

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Free
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