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Writing from Real Life: Everyone Has a Story

The First Congregational United Church of Christ 1126 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR, United States

Join us for our first Portland Chapter meeting of the new year on January 7, 2020 with New York Times Bestselling novelist, Rene Denfeld. With years of hard work and sacrifice, Denfeld went from unknown writer to award-winning, bestselling novelist. Join us as she explores how to tell your own story, with tons of practical publishing and writing advice. Rene Denfeld is the bestselling author of The Butterfly Girl, The Child Finder, and The Enchanted. Her novels have won numerous honors, including a prestigious French Prix, an ALA Medal for Excellence in Fiction, a Carnegie listing, an IMPAC listing, Oregonian best book of the year and more. A longtime death row investigator, Rene has won awards for her justice work, including a Break the Silence…

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Free – $5

Astrology for Real Relationships

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

When it comes to friendship, family, and romance, we all want the same things: to love and be loved, to communicate, to fight fair, and to feel okay in our own skin. Jessica Lanyadoo’s Astrology for Real Relationships (Ten Speed) is a modern, practical guide that will help you understand your blind spots, blocks, and fears so you can make choices that leave you happy and fulfilled. Full of real talk about attraction, dating, sex, frenemies, self-love, and more, this book will help you build and maintain strong connections and get what you really want in relationships, not what you think you should want.

Free

Book Launch Party: The Companion by Kim Blakemore [SOLD OUT]

Rose City Book Pub 1329 NE Fremont, Portland, OR, United States

SOLD OUT You are cordially invited to celebrate the launch of award-winning author Kim Taylor Blakemore's new historical mystery, The Companion. Publisher's Weekly calls it a "captivating tale of psychological suspense". Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. The reading and Q&A are free and open to the public, but due to seating limitations, please RSVP via this Eventbrite invite . Kim Taylor Blakemore is the author of the novels The Companion , Bowery Girl , and Cissy Funk . She has been honored with a Tucson Festival of Books Literary Award, a Willa Award for Best YA Fiction, and Regional Arts & Culture Council grants. Please visit her at kimtaylorblakemore.com

Free

Portland Correspondence Co-op

IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) 318 SE Main Street #175, Portland, OR, United States

PDXCC is a monthly gathering where participants make and share analog correspondence in the great mail art tradition of Ray Johnson and Anna Banana: art and conversation through the mail. This uniquely democratic, DIY art form incorporates writing, drawing, collage, rubber stamps, faux postage, decorative tape, typewriters – anything goes, as long as it goes through the mail. Hang out, skill share and send the glorious results through the mail. Monthly events hosted by the Portland chapter of the Correspondence Co-op and Niko Courtelis. Basic materials will be on hand (scissors, glue sticks, envelopes’85), but you’re encouraged to bring whatever materials fuel your creative spirit. Free and open to the public, every third Tuesday of the month

Free

James X Preview

Literary Arts 925 SW Washington Street, Portland, OR, United States

Corrib Theatre will give a sneak preview of their upcoming play James X by Gerard Mannix Flynn, which plays February 13 – March 1, 2020 at New Expressive Works (corribtheatre.org) Plaintiff James X confronts the defendants, Church and State, for injustices they perpetrated throughout his childhood. While awaiting his trial, James examines his confidential state files compiled over the previous 45 years, and takes us on a journey through the schools, courts, health boards, industrial schools, psychiatric hospitals, and prisons. Artistic Director Gemma Whelan will introduce the play, actor Todd Van Voris will read a short scene, and then Gemma , Todd and special guest Rene Denfeld will discuss issues raised by the play and invite questions and comments from the audience.

Free

Art of the Full Length Play with Matthew B. Zrebski

Portland Center Stage 128 NW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR, United States

This class meets for Four Saturdays 2/1 – 2/29 no class on 2/15 Great plays need to strike hard, fast, and powerfully, never letting an audience off the hook. Exploring both no-intermission and multi-act formats, this intensive introduces exciting techniques that help to quickly engage an audience, successfully build to a satisfying climax, and conclude so as to spark dialogue long after the curtain has fallen. By the end of class, students will have a strong outline as well as two to three fully written scenes.  They will leave ready and confident to complete a full draft.  No preparation is required.  All material will be developed and written in class.  Bringing an electronic device that can connect to the internet will be helpful so as…

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$130

Booklover’s Burlesque: Erotica Edition

Crush Bar 1400 Southeast Morrison Street, Portland, OR, United States

It's time to celebrate smutty books as Lacy Productions presents... BOOKLOVER'S BURLESQUE: Erotica Edition Saturday, February 1, 2020 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 erotica for this edition of Booklover's Burlesque, which is then followed by a burlesque performance inspired by the piece. Burlesque Artists for this chapter of Booklover's Burlesque include: Sandria Dore BeeBee Sanchez Resa La Revv (Theresa Hanson) Paige Rustles Luz de la Concha Whisper DeCorvo MissDoe Chanterelle Charm Velveteen Sweets Readers for this chapter of Booklover's Burlesque include…

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$18 – $32

Mount Readmore Story Time

Rose City Book Pub 1329 NE Fremont, Portland, OR, United States

In celebration of Sabin Elementary’s reading initiative, we are having a story time hosted by Book Publican Elise. Anyone who comes dressed as a book character will receive a free hot cocoa. Any adult who comes dressed as a book character can also receive a free hot cocoa, but they have to pay for any spirits they want added to it.

Free

African American Read-In

Multnomah County Library - North Portland Meeting Room 512 N Killingsworth Street, Portland, OR, United States

Celebrate Black History Month with Black literature! Join us as community leaders, teachers, students and local celebrities read from their favorite works by African American writers. Fiction and nonfiction for children, teens and adults will be featured in a special gathering of good words from great writings. Community members are also encouraged to come and share words from their favorite works.

Free

Lance Olsen in Conversation With David Naimon

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

Set on a single day in 1927, Lance Olsen’s My Red Heaven (Dzanc) imagines a host of characters – some historic, some invented – crossing paths on the streets of Berlin. Drawing inspiration from Otto Freundlich’s painting by the same name, My Red Heaven explores a complex moment in history: the rise of deadly populism at a time when everything seemed possible and the future unimaginable. Olsen will be joined in conversation by David Naimon, host of the Between the Covers podcast.

Free
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