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!

Abby Lawlor in Conversation With Vanessa Veselka

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

Rules to Win By: Participation and Power in Union Negotiations (Oxford) is a book for anyone who wants to understand how to build the power required to effectively challenge and reverse income inequality and attacks on democracy. Drawing insights from recent hard-won unionization and contract negotiation fights, Abby Lawlor (and co-author Jane McAlevey) uses lessons from some of the toughest fights today — preparing a durable, all-out strike in a union-hostile environment — to provide a master class in participatory social change, indispensable both within and beyond the workplaces where we spend half of our waking lives. In an era of polarization, big lies, and massive legislative setbacks, changemakers in every arena need to learn the skills and lessons honed in pitched battles against experienced…

Free

Eli Francovich in Conversation With Erica Berry

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

The gray wolf has made an astonishing comeback in Washington. Nearly eradicated by the 1990s, conservationists and environmentalists have cheered its robust return to the state over the last two decades. But Washington ranchers are not so joyous. When wolves prey on livestock, ranchers view their livelihood as under attack. In The Return of Wolves (Timber Press), journalist Eli Francovich investigates how we might mend this divide while keeping wolf populations thriving. He finds an answer in the time-honored tradition of range riding and one passionate range rider, Daniel Curry, who has jumped directly into the fray by patrolling the rural Washington landscape on horseback. Curry engages directly with farmers, seeking to protect livestock from wolves while also protecting and proliferating wolf populations. In The…

Free

Max Miller in Conversation With Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

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

What began as a passion project when Max Miller was furloughed during Covid-19 has become a viral YouTube sensation with a million followers amassed in just two years. The Tasting History with Max Miller channel has thrilled food enthusiasts and history buffs alike as Miller recreates a dish from the past, often using historical recipes from vintage texts, but updated for modern kitchens as he tells stories behind the cuisine and culture. From ancient Rome to Ming China to medieval Europe and beyond, Miller has collected the best-loved recipes from around the world and has shared them with his fans. Now, with beautiful photographs portraying the dishes and historical artwork throughout, Miller’s new cookbook, Tasting History (S&S/Simon Element) compiles over 60 dishes such as: Tuh’u:…

Free

Anastacia-Reneé in Conversation With Jamila Osman

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

Anastacia-Reneé’s Side Notes from the Archivist (Amistad Press) is a preservation of Black culture viewed through a feminist lens. The Archivist leads readers through poems that epitomize youthful renditions of a Black girl coming of age in Philadelphia’s pre-funk ’80s; episodic adventures of “the Black Girl” whose life is depicted through the white gaze; and selections of verse evincing affection for self and testimony to the magnificence within Black femme culture at-large. Every poem in Side Notes elevates and honestly illustrates the buoyancy of Blackness and the calamity of Black lives on earth. In her uniquely embracing and experimental style, Anastacia-Reneé documents these truths as celebrations of diverse subjects, from Solid Gold to halal hotdogs; as homages and reflections on iconic images, from Marsha P.…

Free

Independent Bookstore Day!

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

Come join the party! We're celebrating the tenth anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day and indie bookstores across the country, and of course we are celebrating YOU, who have kept this little neighborhood bookstore thriving for more than thirty years of slinging books and sharing stories. We will be providing more details about the party in the weeks to come, but you can be assured it will involve a BIG sale, live music, the spinning wheel of magical joy, and, of course, tote bags. Please come join us to celebrate all things book-ish!

Free

Ram Shankar Siva Kumar & Hyrum Anderson

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

In Not With A Bug, But With A Sticker (Wiley), adversarial machine learning researchers Ram Shankar Siva Kumar and Hyrum Anderson deliver a riveting account of the most significant risk to artificial intelligence systems: cybersecurity threats. The authors take you on a sweeping tour — from inside secretive government organizations to academic workshops at ski chalets to Google’s cafeteria — recounting how major AI systems remain vulnerable to the exploits of bad actors of all stripes. Siva Kumar and Anderson outline the different ways any AI system — from Alexa to Tesla — can be manipulated by adversaries. Their book is aimed at a general audience, and, in playful language and anecdotes, attempts to answer a multitude of questions: How to subvert these AI systems?…

Free

Maartje Hensen’s ‘Pride Atlas!’

Bishop & Wilde 2601 NW Thurman Street, Portland, OR, United States

Come celebrate the publication of writer and influencer Maartje Hensen’s new book, “The Pride Atlas!” Space is limited, so register for the event here! Order the book now at bishopandwilde.com or add your name below to reserve a copy for pickup the day of the event.

Free

The Moth: StorySLAM: Pride

Holocene 1001 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR, United States

PRIDE: Prepare a five minute story about being proud. The confidence and glory of owning your talents, embracing your identity or, perhaps, flying too close to the sun. Lion-hearted valiance for a job well-done or the stubborn sting of unburied hatchets or unspoken apologies. Staying faithful to values, swallowing pride or admitting you ain't too proud to beg. COVID Requirements: See Holocene's COVID Policy for details. We will not be selling any tickets at the door. This venue is 21+ *Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. Media Sponsors: OPB and Literary Arts

$15

Constellation #14 (4/11): Kiesling, Patel, Wong

Tin House 2617 NW Thurman Street, Portland, OR, United States

After an amazing and special BIPOC Adoptee showcase at the Armory in March, we're back to our regularly scheduled programming at Tin House/Bishop&Wilde (NW 26th and Thurman)! On Thursday April 11th, we're excited to host local luminaries Lydia Kiesling and Ami Patel and welcome Jane Wong who is traveling from Seattle to be with us.  Lydia Kiesling (she/her) is a novelist and culture writer. Her first novel, The Golden State, was a 2018 National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree and a finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her second novel, Mobility, a national bestseller, was named a best book of 2023 by Vulture, Time, and NPR, among others. It is a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her essays and nonfiction have…

Free

graft union reading + open mic #3

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

a monthly event for sharing creative writing, food, drink, and community featuring student writers from PDX academic institutions and beyond! highlighting students + alumni from PSU, UoP, PCC, PNCA, Lewis & Clark University, Reed College + local writers 7-9 pm, Friday, August 16th doors 6:30 @ Literary Arts 925 sw Washington hello! we’re excited to announce our third event (and last of the summer) on Friday, August 16th, 7pm at @literaryarts in Downtown Portland. We hope to see you there + here your words >> use links in bio to sign up as a reader or to get involved in future events >> DM us with any questions, comments, or to get on our ethereal mailing list xo GU

Free