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!

Not good enough! – Leland Cheuk, Yuvi Zalkow, Michelle Fredette

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

Join Plonk for readings on aiming high and not quite making it. We're pleased to host , who's promoting his book, , , reading a short piece on being not good enough to even write about not being good enough, and on taking Roller Derby 101, and you know, not being a natural. Come on out for the readings and to learn about Create More, Fear Less, the organization that supports school kids who suffer from anxiety.

Free

The Devil You Know

Chapel Theatre 4107 SE Harrison St, Milwaukie, OR, United States

Hey, champ! Thanks for checking out Telltale. This is a monthly curated storytelling event for people that like to get vulnerable and take no shit. We are into genuine connection, laughter, heartbreak, poignant moments, and community building. We are now in our third season, and we are very excited for all the shows coming up this year. At Telltale, you can expect 8-10 performers sharing something with you, in the way that feels right to them--so there will be a mix of comedy, stories, music, essays, and more. Your evening will likely include honesty, swear words, enthusiasm, resistance, alcohol if that floats your boat, excellent pizza, dark humor, and some rad raffle prizes. You might make a new friend. You know how hard it is…

$8

The Tesla City Stories – Halloween Special 2019!

The Old Church Concert Hall 1422 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR, United States

A monthly night of vintage radio comedy and drama — live onstage in Portland, Oregon! Straight outta 1944! Laughs! Chills! Romance! Danger! Booze! Eats! Cash bar! Live Foley! 1940’s live music! Prizes! Audience participation! This month’s halloween special takes place in the beautiful confines of the historic Old Church Concert Hall deep in the arts district of downtown PDX. Enjoy the thrilling adventures of two episodes of the vintage horror classic, The 13th Floor! Since 2014, we at The Tesla City Stories have been presenting an evening of live “radio” theater derived from the recently uncovered archives of the ultra-obscure Tesla Broadcasting Company (1943-1945). It’s “pop archaeology” as performance art, or, more simply, a fun night of vintage entertainment! The shows of the TBC run…

$9 – $26

Confessions of a True Crime Addict: James Renner

Curious Comedy Theater 5225 NE MLK Blvd, Portland, OR, United States

James Renner celebrates our obsession with true crime and shares weirdly funny stories about his life hunting serial killers and hosting crime shows. His job often places him in compromising situations - from being scammed into buying crack for his neighbor to accepting rides in cars from strange men at crime scenes. He explores the big questions behind our guilty pleasure, such as why is true crime so popular and whether killers are born bad or made that way. From Serial to Making a Murderer, Renner takes us through the absurd world of popular crime and finds the humor at its heart. James Renner is a journalist from Cleveland, the author of True Crime Addict, and the host of Discover ID's Lake Erie's Coldest Cases.…

$20

Astral Somatica Book Release and Signing Event

Two Rivers Bookstore 8836 N Lombard Street, Portland, OR, United States

The ground-breaking activity/textbook entitled *Astral Somatica 1* offers a modern-day exploration into long lost methods of astro-physical analysis. As you, the reader, explore the curious nature of astro-physical analysis, may your interest be piqued to embody these concepts passed along by our fathers of modern medicine from antiquity until today. Many have consulted the astrological chart to understand the cyclical nature of health–following the pattern of the seasons…etc. Join the authors, Andrea Gehrz and Casey Cardoso for the official release and book signing event for Astral Somatica.

Free

For Colored Folks

Ruby Receptionists 805 SW Broadway, Portland, OR, United States

WHAT IT IS: A book club geared to cultivating joy and empowerment for people of color. The book lists will include non-fiction written by POCs and some fiction as well. Donations are not required to attend, but if you'd like to donate to contribute to snacks and beverages that we bring feel free to Cash app me at $BriaunaMcKizzie or venmo me at brigirl ABOUT THE SPACE: The meetings will be held at my job, Ruby Receptionists, which is located on the 9th floor of the Fox Tower. Free parking on the street after 7:00 PM. It's also located like 5-7 minutes from the max. Carpooling would be great, too. I live on the west side and would be happy to have other West siders…

Free

Submission Deadline: Oregon Humanities: Spring 2020, “Union” Issue

The Internet 001 SE Cyberspace Lane, Portland, OR, United States

We are now accepting submissions for the Spring 2020 issue of Oregon Humanities on the theme “Union.” Share an experience of coming together or pulling apart, of being a whole or a piece. Tell us about the possibilities or challenges of institutions, things, or people joining or splitting. Explore a historical or current event that shows the effects of merging, association, coalition, separation, or partition. We’re looking particularly for stories that relate to challenging questions, diverse perspectives, and just communities. Tell us something we’ve never heard before. Show us something from a different angle. Make us feel, see, hear, smell the world anew. We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing, including all forms of essays and journalism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books.…

Free

So You Wanna Be A Writer Workshop w Wayne Gregory

Attic Institute 4232 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR, United States

You know you have a story to tell and you want to tell it, but you’re not sure how to get started. You write but it never feels like you’re getting where you want to go. Or, you want to write, but you find that life seems to get in the way. There are a lot of obstacles to interfere with emerging writers. But, it’s not lack of time, lack of skill, nor lack of things to write about. The biggest problem is lack of self-confidence. This workshop is designed for those who want to be writers, but are not sure they can be. If you have never published anything or even successfully completed a work of fiction or non-fiction, this class will help you…

$210 – $237

Small Press Residency – Perfect Day Publishing

Rocking Frog Cafe 2511 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR, United States

Rocking Frog Cafe & NovaPDX present our Small Press Residency program starting this October. Every month, meet the people from local small press publishers involved in making great books. During the residency you can purchase the featured press’ books at Rocking Frog Cafe and meet the people behind them. This month our featured press is Perfect Day Publishing (www.perfectdaybooks.com). Join us on Thursday, October 24th with our guests Mohamed Asem, Alissa Hattman & Jack Lewis. ~ Mohamed Asem Mohamed Asem is the author of the memoir Stranger in the Pen (Perfect Day Publishing, 2018). His work has appeared in Oregon Humanities, Eunoia Review, the anthology What Lies Beneath (selected by Hilary Mantel and Bonnie Greer), and elsewhere. He has an MFA in creative writing from…

Free

Drag Queen Storytime with Poison Waters

Books Around the Corner 40 NW 2nd Street, Gresham, OR, United States

We are proud to present a kid-friendly all ages Drag Queen storytime welcoming back the fun, entertaining, and fabulous Poison Waters. She will read stories about diversity and inclusion and follow it up with a dance party. There will also be time for Q&A and photos! Wearing/bringing of dress up accessories such as feather boas, tiaras, and wings is encouraged! DONATIONS WELCOME!

Free