#AWP19 has descended upon Portland bringing with it some of the greatest literary minds alive (including many authors we’ve published). The best bits of the conference are the fabulous offsite events. But there are so many that there is no possible way a person can attend them all! So, if you are trying to decide where to go and what to check out, here are my top picks for readings and events as well as a few other recommendations as a local Portlander.
Thursday 3/28/19
5pm: Witches in the Woods
Sponsor: Ayuhuasca Publishing
Location: Secret Forest Books, 3561 SE Division
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
To celebrate conference weekend, Ayahuasca Publishing presents a very special offsite reading show: Witches in the Woods, hosted by Secret Forest Books! Featuring the talents of Hanna Tawater, Rios de la Luz, Katie Farris, and Lizz Huerta. There will also be tarot card readings available prior to and after the show. Join the coven and prepare for the ritual!
6pm: AWP Offsite Event: King Shot Press & Cameron Pierce Present
Sponsor: King Shot Press & Cameron Pierce
Location: Rose City Book Pub, 1329 NE Fremont St.
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
Join us at Portland’s Rose City Book Pub (that’s right folks, a bookstore/pub!!) for a power hour of drinks and live performances:
Chris Campanioni, Constance Ann Fitzgerald, Cody Goodfellow, Alexandra Kostoulas, Aubrey Lenahan, Anatoly Molotkov, Sam Slaughter, Patrick Wensink
7pm: Offsite From the Edges
Sponsor: Corporeal Writing
Location: Corporeal Writing Center, Southwest 3rd Avenue 510
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
Join us for an offsite reading in downtown Portland. We’ll be hosting an unforgettable lineup of readers, including Garth Greenwell, Carmen Maria Machado, Terese Mailhort, Alexander Chee, and Lidia Yuknavitch.
7pm: The Stoner Babes Reading and Coloring Party
Sponsor: Katie Guinn
Location: The Stacks Coffee House, 1831 N. Killingsworth St
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
Come join us for The Stoner Babes Reading and coloring party part deux.
We have a wonderful group of writers reading pieces about empowerment. Bring your book, or get one night of. Color pages of beautiful humans while absorbing these majestic voices. I am absolutely over the moon to have these powerful and inspiring humans reading for us. We will be at The Stacks coffee house on Killingsworth in Madrona Hill (now incorporated into Overlook). It’s a new wonderful space filled with books! The beauties are: Pamela Santos, Desiree’ Wright, Rios De La Luz, Edee Lemonier, Carol Fischbach
10 pm: Future Tense + Spork Press = <3
Sponsor: Future Tense Books and Spork Press
Location: Rose City Book Pub, 1329 NE Fremont
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
(w/ Monica Drake, David Welch, Dorothy Chan, Felicity Fenton, Tatiana Ryckman, and Daniel Altenburg. Hosted by Kevin Sampsell and Drew Burk)
Friday 3/29/19
5pm: Forest Avenue Press Small Press Showcase
Sponsor: Forest Avenue Press
Location: Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
Join Forest Avenue Press for a celebration of small presses! 10 small press authors from around the country–the world, even!–will be reading their poetry and prose.
Alex DiFrancesco, Tom DeMarchi, Wendy Fox, Casandra Lopez, D. Keali‘i MacKenzie, Ron Maclean, Angela Mitchell, Rheea Mukherjee, Liz Prato, Michael Shou-Yung Shum
7pm: Clash Books Offsite AWP Reading
Sponsor: Clash Books
Location: Eastside Delicatessen, 1109 S.E. Madison St.
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
CLASH Books gathers it’s finest writers for an extravaganza of literature on Friday, March 29th during the annual AWP lit festival in Portland, OR. Enjoy performances of poetry, fiction & nonfiction from some of the most exciting new & powerful voices on the scene. There will be books, there will be beer & there will be 6” sandwiches for $7. What more could you want! LET’S GET LIT
READERS: Brandi Homan, Anna Suarez, Monique Quintana, Jennifer Robin, Kim Vodicka, Lindsay Lerman, Francesco Levato, Chris Campanioni, Katy Michelle Quinn, Megan Coe, Autumn Christian, Shy Watson, Kevin Maloney, Noah Cicero, Kenning JP García, Damian Dressick, Devora Gray, Julia Laxer, Garrett Cook, Brian Alan Ellis, Leza Cantoral, Nathan Carson
8pm: Tin House AWP Partyyyyy
Sponsor: Tin House
Location: Holocene,
Cost: $5
Event URL: website
Join Portland publisher Tin House as they celebrate their 20th anniversary and welcome the literary conference to Rip City with an evening of poetry and dancing. Tin House Books authors Hanif Abrurraqib, Erica Dawson, Morgan Parker, and Tommy Pico will be reading from their latest collections, with DJ Mami Miami providing the after-reading dance party (until 1:00 a.m).
Saturday 3/30/19
7pm: Literaoke at AWP
Sponsor: Kaya Press, Asian American Writers Workshop, Kundiman, The Asian American Literary Review, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Location: Chopsticks Karaoke Bar, 3390 NE Sandy Blvd
Cost: Free
Event URL: website
It’s time for another epic evening of singing, reading, and joy! Kaya Press, Kundiman, AAWW, AALR, and the Smithsonian APA Center are bringing together an amazing, diverse line-up of performers who will sing one minute of their favorite karaoke banger and then read from their own work. Don’t miss it!! Come for the performers, and stay after and perform your own favorite song!
FEATURING: Helene Achanzar, Camari Carter, Andrés Cerpa, Jee Koh, Amy Lam, Shayla Lawson, Mimi Lok, Angel Nafis, Teraya Parametha, Anastacia Renee, Juan Carlos Reyes, Hiram Sims, Sokunthary Svay, Adeeba Talukder, Esmé Weijun Wang, Yanyi
8pm: Nasty Vol. 2 Launch Party
Sponsor: King Shot Press
Location: My Father’s Place, 523 SE Grand Ave
Cost: Free
A night of bold readings from fierce women. Also, drinks and merch!
Live readings from: Tara Dublin, Kim Vodicka, Rocket, Constance Ann Fitzgerald, Rios de la Luz, Jennifer Robin, Leza Cantoral, Autumn Christian, Devora Gray, Violet LeVoit
Other events of interest:
Fri & Sat 5pm-10pm: Snack Fest
Sponsor: Not a literary event
Location: Portland Night Market, 100 SE Alder Street
Event URL: website
A food obsessed market with your favorite treats, drinks and things you never knew you needed. Free + all ages
Sunday 11am: Drag Queen Brunch
Sponsor: Not a literary event
Location: Night Light Lounge, 2100 SE Clinton St, Portland
Event URL: website
The best brunch in Portland!
Every Sunday, join us at the Night Light Lounge for a morning of fresh mimosas, delicious food, and a rotating cast of Portland’s best Drag Queens.
Per OLCC regulations, all attendees must be over the age of 21.
Thur- Sun 11 am: Mad Hatter Tea Party
Sponsor: Not a literary event
Location: Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium, 12408 SW Broadway St, Beaverton
Cost: $40
The Tea Room will again be transformed into Wonderland with we are creating as wonderful menu to go with this theme. Tea will be served on the hour at community tables of 10, remember Alice sat with Strangers for Her tea Party, so we feel its all in the fun of the event for our guest to do so as well.
What to Expect: Community Tables, Hat/costume Contest, Table Games, Great food and A Amazing time!!
More local spots to visit:
Powell’s Books
The World’s Largest Independent Bookstore. If you are in town for AWP, this is a must!
Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
Another great shop specializing in used, rare, and vintage books.
Floating World Comics
One of the best comic book shops in town. Minutes away from AWP across the river. Check out The Willows by Nathan Carson and Sam Ford while you’re there!
Ground Kontrol
The West Coast’s premier classic arcade
Cosmic Monkey Comics
Another of our favorite comic book shops. Check for Eraserhead Press books in stock.
Glowing Greens Blacklight Miniature Golf
Super fun indoor blacklight mini golf!
Peculiarium
Novelty shop and outsider art gallery. One of the weirdest places in a town known for weirdness. Definitely worth a visit!
Food Carts!
They’re everywhere and they are awesome.
Enjoy the weekend! We hope to see you around. Feel free to hit me up if you want any other recommendations!
Love,
Rose O’Keefe, Publisher
