Central Multnomah Library (pictured here) is hosting many readings and lectures this winter with authors Kevin Renner, Joe Sacco, and Richard Meltzer.

Snowstorms and downpours, winter has arrived in full force and what better way to get out of the rain and fight off the winter blues than to attend some local literary events. Here is a list of readings, exhibits, and guest speakers going on in upcoming weeks around town. (I’m sure that I’ve left some out so please leave any that you know of in the comments!) In addition to this list, we will soon post events for our spring 2012 title A Very Minor Prophet by James Bernard Frost. Stay tuned!

“The Envious Tooth of Time”: Early Printed Works from the PSU Library Special Collections
When: January 13 – March 23, 2011
Where: Millar Library, 1st Floor Elevator Lobby on PSU Campus
Summary: This exhibition highlights original printed works from the Portland State University Library Special Collections, ranging from the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries.

First Wednesday Guest Speaker- Ed Edmo
When: Wednesday, February 1, at 7:00pm
Where: Oswego Heritage House, 398 10th St., Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Summary: Come hear Ed Edmo, a Shoshone-Bannock poet, playwright, performer, traditional storyteller, tour guide and lecturer, talk about Pacific NW Indian culture and storytelling throughout history.

Writers Talking – Kevin Renner
When: Saturday, February 4, 1-2:30pm
Where: Central Library, Multnomah County Library, U.S. Bank Room, space is limited.
Summary: Kevin Renner speaks about his recently published book. The event will be a lecture with a reading and discussion.

The Moth Mainstage-Walk the Line: Stories of Balancing Acts
When: Tuesday, February 7, 7:30pm
Where: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Fee: Tickets range between $25 – $60 order at ticketmaster.com
Summary: One of the most loved radio shows returns to Portland for another round of true! Featuring storyteller Lisa Lampanelli and event host Mike Daisey.

Molly Gloss Presentation: “The Community of the Book: Where Writers and Readers Meet on the Page”
When: February 11, 10:00am
Where: Oswego Heritage House, 398 10th St., Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Summary: Portland author Molly Gloss will talk about how her work has been shaped by the books she has read throughout her life; and by her readers, who collaborate in storytelling whenever they open one of her novels.

Writers Talking – Joe Sacco
When: Saturday, February 18, 2-4 p.m.
Where: Central Library, Multnomah County Library, U.S. Bank Room
Note: Space is limited. Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program.
Summary: Joe Sacco’s most recent book is Footnotes in Gaza. The event will be a lecture with a reading and discussion.

An Evening with Poet Ger Killeen and Author Brian Doyle
When: February 22, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Streff Gallery in the Shoen Library at Marylhurst University, 17600 Pacific Hwy # 43
Summary: Poet and Gaelic teacher Ger Killeen joins Mink River author Brian Doyle for an evening of reading from their works.

NW Author Series: The Essential Elements of Storytelling with Bill Johnson
When: Sunday, February 26, 3:30-5:30pm
Where: Oak Room – Wilsonville Public Library, 8200 SW Wilsonville Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
Fee: $5 dollars at the door
Summary: In this presentation, Bill Johnson will discuss the essential elements of storytelling.

NW Author Series: How to Write Biography with Pamela Smith Hill
When: Sunday, March 18, 3:30-5:30pm
Where: Oak Room – Wilsonville Public Library, 8200 SW Wilsonville Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
Fee: $5 dollars at the door
Summary: Biographer Pamela Smith Hill will discuss practical tips for writing biographies and share ideas to help you research fiction or nonfiction and write with confidence.

And please don’t forget Powell’s monthly author readings, book groups, and literary events.

Hawthorne Books publisher Rhonda Hughes with a literary gift that keeps on giving at this year's Small Press Love Fest downtown at Portland's Central Library.

Although we may have been hearing jingly pop renditions of “The Little Drummer Boy” for at least a month already, the final countdown to the holidays is officially here now that we’ve hit December.

So if you’re still struggling to find those unique gifts that don’t involve a dreaded trip to the mall, might we suggest some literary themed presents that nurture the mind and soul and—even better—support small retailers, independent publishers and local authors. Rejoice in presents of the mind!

Books, Books and More Books!

Whether grabbing Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot at your neighborhood independent bookstore or looking for a local author’s debut foray into publishing, options abound in Portland. Here at Hawthorne, our fall titles continue to fascinate and garner praise. David Rocklin’s The Luminist explores the early stages of photography in a haunting historical novel set in 19th century India. Scott Nadelson’s new collection of short stories, Aftermath, explores the space in between loss and acceptance with both humor and heartbreaking reality.

Over at Tin House, our fellow Portland publisher, grab something truly different with their new release Moby Dick in Pictures: One Drawing for Every Page by Matt Kish. The gorgeous and mind-bendingly creative work offers a completely new approach, with images crafted from torn pages, pen and ink, marker, crayon and watercolor—one for each page of the 552-page classic. Or, offer inspiration to the aspiring writer on your list with Tin House’s writer series gift pack, including four books covering topics like plot, crafting essays and insights from other authors.

If you’re unsure about what the discriminating reader in your life might enjoy, there’s always the fail-safe option of a gift certificate to one of Portland’s many independent bookstores. Here’s just a few to check out:

Annie Bloom’s Books
7834 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97219
503-246-0053

Broadway Books
1714 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232
503-284-1726

In Other Words
14 NE Killingsworth
Portland, OR 97211
503-232-6003

A Children’s Place Bookstore
4807 NE Fremont St.
Portland, OR 97213
503-284-8294

Murder by the Book
3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97214
503-232-9995

Powell’s
1005 W Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-4651

St. John’s Booksellers
8622 N Lombard St.
Portland, OR 97203
503-283-0032

The Gift of Inspiration

For the spouse who’s longing to write a novel but doesn’t know how to get started, or the blogging best friend who’s stuck in a rut, the gift of a writing workshop could provide the perfect support and inspiration. A wealth of local groups and organizations offer writing assistance, from one-day workshops to multi-week classes. Check out groups like PDX Writers, the Attic Institute, Write Around Portland, and the Writers’ Dojo.

For a regular dose of literary stimulation that arrives conveniently in the mail, give a subscription to a literary publication. From the most well known magazines like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Ploughshares and Harper’s to local editions like The Portland Review and The Grove Review, nothing delights the reader and inspires the inner author like truly phenomenal writing.

Dinner and a Show

Alright, so the dinner part is optional, but for the best in local literary events, check out the Portland Arts and Lectures series. Sold by subscription only, the lecture series features some of the world’s most influential and celebrated modern authors, historians and journalists. Presented so far this season have been Pulitzer Prize-winners Annie Proulx and Stacy Schiff, with upcoming lectures by journalist and filmmaker Sebastian Junger, best-selling author Abraham Vergese and MacArthur genius grant-winner Chimamanda Adichie. Subscription levels vary, so check out the Web site for dates and prices. Have a very merry (and literary) holiday season!

The Wordstock hot seat from the 2010 festival.

Only a few weeks away!

We love Wordstock here at Hawthorne Books. We have all sorts of events slated for this year’s festival and I’ve laid them all out for you here. Every year we have a booth at the Book Fair in the main hall and that’s where you’ll find publisher Rhonda Hughes, senior editor Adam O’Connor Rodriguez and myself for a large part of the weekend. Hawthorne Books authors will also be joining us at different times on Saturday and Sunday to chat with folks and sign books too so please come by and say “hello.” See you at Wordstock!

Wordstock readings and workshops with Hawthorne Books authors:

David Rocklin — 2pm Sunday reading with Anna Solomon; 4:30pm Sunday writing workshop the How and Where: On Setting as Character in Fiction.
Scott Nadelson — 1pm Saturday reading with Rahul Mehta; 3pm Saturday workshop In the Beginning: Crafting Compelling Story Openings.
Lidia Yuknavitch — 12pm Saturday panel My Censor Myself with Ben Moorad, Kerry Cohen and Lynn Connor; 11am Sunday panel What’s with America’s Sexual/Literary Hang-up with Steve Almond, Cheryl Strayed and Viva Las Vegas; 4pm Sunday reading with Lisa Wells.
Monica Drake — 1pm Sunday screening and talk about Georgie’s Big Break with Andy Mingo, Brian Lindstrom.
&
Rhonda Hughes, Hawthorne Books publisher — 11am Saturday panel How to Win Over Agents and Editors.
Liz Crain, Hawthorne Books editor — 2pm Saturday panel Every Book is a Start Up.

Wordstock blog posts with Hawthorne Books authors:

Scott Nadelson’s guest blog post and Q&A.
David Rocklin’s guest blog post and Q&A.

Wordstock 2011
October 6-8 at the Oregon Convention Center
www.wordstockfestival.com

Check out this year's Write to Publish!

Ooligan Press is hosting its third annual Write to Publish conference!

Ooligan is a student run, non-profit trade press, operating in conjunction with PSU’s Master in Writing and Publishing programworkshops and lectures from published authors who are chalk-full of sage advice. Speakers will include Oregon Book Award winners David Biespiel and Willy Vlautin, as well as Hawthorne’s own Loretta Stinson!

The conference is a great resource for anyone interested in the industry. The goal is different from other conferences in that it doesn’t seek to workshop the creative act of writing, but to assist writers in the often daunting task of finding a publisher. Workshops will cover ideas such as marketing yourself as a writer, developing a relationship with an agent, and understanding industry trends.

Write to Publish is May 21st and 22nd at PSU. Purchase a full pass to Day One and you get free admittance to Day Two. You can also enroll in workshops on an individual basis.

Ooligan Press’ Write to Publish conference
www.ooliganpress.pdx.edu/w2p
Sat.-Sun., May 21st-22nd @ PSU
Register here

Lidia Yuknavitch with KLCC's Laura McCandlish after a recent recorded interview about The Chronology of Water.

Thursday, 05 May 2011 :: 7.00 pm
Elliott Bay Book Company | 1521 10th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122. T: (206) 624-6600 :: Lidia Yuknavitch reads from The Chronology of Water.

Monday, 09 May 2011 :: 7.00 pm
The Rumpus :: Lidia Yuknavitch and Cheryl Strayed to read from their work for The Rumpus Monthly Reading Series.

Thursday, 02 June 2011 :: 7.00 – 8.00 pm
Broadway Books | 1714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 T: 503-284-1726. :: Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Thursday, 09 June 2011 :: 7.00 – 8.00 pm
Richard Hugo House | 1634 11th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122-2419 T: (206) 322-7030 :: Lidia Yuknavitch, Rebecca Brown and Stacey Levine read together. Not to be missed!

Tuesday, 21 June 2011 :: 7.00 – 8.00 pm
St. Helens Book Shop | 2149 Columbia Blvd, St Helens, Oregon – (503) 397-4917 :: Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 :: 7.30 – 8.30 pm
The Press Club | 2621 SE Clinton, Portland, OR 97202. T: (503) 233-5656. :: Mountain Writers Series at The Press Club. Scott Nadelson and Lidia Yuknavitch read from their work.

As review copies go out, reviews come in!

This Friday is the big day — The Chronology of Water launch date. We have so many fantastic reviews for this one already out there and plenty more lined up for the near future. There are also loads of great books events coming up for The Chronology of Water as well including the Portland launch party. Here’s the scoop…

SOME RECENT COVERAGE FOR THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER
OPB’s Think Out Loud
Addl. coverage Think Out Loud
Eugene Magazine
HTMLgiant
Science+Religion Today
The Rumpus

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
The Chronology of Water launch party
9-11pm, Friday, April 8th
Mississippi Pizza Pub
More details here

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, 31 March 2011 :: 4.00 pm
Lake Forest College | Meyer Auditorium, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045. T: (847) 234-3100 :: For the Lake Forest Reading Series Lidia Yuknavitch and Andy Mingo together. Lidia talks about her work and reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water. Andy Mingo will show his film Georgie’s Big Break based on a Monica Drake short story as well as the book trailer he created for The Chronology of Water.

Saturday, 02 April 2011 :: 7.00 pm
Outer Space Studio | 1474 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL :: Red Rover Series {readings that play with reading} Featuring:Cris Mazza, Davis Schneiderman, and Lidia Yuknavtich Suggested donation $4

Monday, 04 April 2011 :: 7.00 – 8.00 pm
Barbara’s Bookstore | 1218 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607. (312) 413-2665. :: For the Uncalled For Reading Series Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Wednesday, 06 April 2011 :: 7.30 – 8.30 pm
Powell’s Books | 1005 W. Burnside, Portland, OR 1005 97209. (503) 228 4651. :: Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Friday, 08 April 2011 :: 9.00 – 11.00 pm
Mississippi Pizza Parlor | 3552 North Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR.T: (503) 288-3231. :: Join us for the book launch of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, The Chronology of Water. Pizza, beer, entertainment!

Saturday, 16 April 2011 :: 7.00 pm
Avenue 50 Studio | 131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042. T: (323) 258 1435 :: As part of the Strophe Reading Series Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water

Thursday, 05 May 2011 :: 7.00 pm
Elliott Bay Bookstore | 1521 10th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122. T: (206) 624-6600 :: Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Monday, 09 May 2011 :: 7.00 pm
The Rumpus :: Lidia Yuknavitch and Cheryl Strayed to read from their work for The Rumpus Monthly Reading Series.

Thursday, 09 June 2011 :: 7.00 – 8.00 pm
Richard Hugo House | 1634 11th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122-2419 T: (206) 322-7030 :: Lidia Yuknavitch, Rebecca Brown and Stacey Levine read together. Not to be missed!

North Portland's The Waypost has some great lit. events coming up this spring.

Spring is in the air! (Well, it will be soon.) Here’s a list of readings and other literary events coming up in the next few weeks that might just get your mind off of the blatant lack of sunshine.

Friday, March 4th at The Alberta Rose Theatre
Doors 6:30pm; Show 7:30pm
Live Wire! Radio presents Wesley Stace, Chrstine McKinley, Grant Lawrence, Kurt Reighly
Musical Guests: The Thermals and Chevrona
Advanced – $18
Day of Show – $20
Reserved Seats (sold online and at box office until 5:30 until day of show) – $30

Friday, March 11th at The Waypost
7pm
Grace Krilanovich reads from her novel, The Orange Eats Creeps.
Jarret Middleton reads from his novel, An Dantomine Eerly.
Schedule of events.
$5 Suggested Donation

Sunday, March 13 at The Waypost
7pm
The Spare Room Writing Collective presents Robert Fernandez, Ish Klein, and Joshua Edwards from The Canarium
Publishing House.
Local poet Dan Kaplan.
$5 Suggested Donation

Sunday, March 13 at the Wilsonville Library Oak Room
3:30-5:30pm
Northwest Author Series presents “Empowering Writers: Produce Yourself, Partner, & Prosper”
with Christina Katz
$5 at the door

Thursday, March 17 at Broadway Books
7pm
As part of their new author series, Comma, Broadway Books presents Brian Doyle and Ger Killeen.
$5 Suggested Donation

Friday, March 18 at The Albert Rose Theatre
Doors 6:30pm Show 7:30pm
Live Wire! Radio presents Bill Rauch, Andrés Dubus III, Matt McCormick
Musical guest: Tony Furtado
Advanced- $18
Day of Show- $20
Reserved Seats (sold online and at box office until 5:30 until day of show) – $30

Thursday, March 24 at The Mission Theatre
7:30pm
Back Fence PDX presents their March Storytelling Show. Amazing storytellers tell true stories
based on the theme of “Broke–Bones, Wallets, & Hearts.”
Reserve tickets for $12.00 or $15.00 at the door.
To reserve tickets and find out more: http://backfencepdx.com/

Sunday, March 27 at The Waypost
7pm
The Spare Room Writing Collective presents poets Barbara Henning and Bill Owen
$5 Suggested Donation

Saturday, April 2 at The Alberta Rose Theatre
Doors 6:30pm Show 7:30pm
Live Wire! Radio presents composer Eve Beglarian and the Third Angle Ensemble, and Emily
Chenoweth
Musical Guests: Rocky Votolato, Ages and Ages
Advanced- $18
Day of Show- $20
Reserved Seats (sold online and at box office until 5:30 until day of show) – $30

Sunday April 17, at the Wilsonville Library Oak Room
3:30-5:30pm
Northwest Author Series presents Fund Your Projects: Grant Writing for the Literary Artist
with Gigi Rosenberg
$5 at the door

Friday, April 29 at The Alberta Rose Theatre
Doors 6:30pm Show 7:30pm
Live Wire! Radio presents Matthew Dickman, Mike Sacks, and Susie Bright
Advance- $18
Day of Show-$20
Reserved Seats (sold online and at box office until 5:30 day of show)- $30

Sunday, May 15 at the Wilsonville Library Oak Room
3:30-5:30pm
Northwest Author Series presents The Short Story: Write It & Sell It in 90 Minutes with Eric M. Witchey
$5 at the door

And, of course, here’s a link to Powell’s readings where you’ll find Hawthorne Books folks often. Stay tuned for more Hawthorne Books spring literary events. We’ll post about them here soon.

One of Portland's many writing resources...

While larger institutions such as Borders bear the brunt of a recession and the rise of e-books, Portland’s independent literary community remains strong.

Classic hands-on resources for local writers, such as Southwest Portland’s Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC), are thriving through member support, volunteers and a strong creative community. IPRC offers a full schedule of workshops and how-to sessions, alongside readings and other events hosted by local zinesters, writers and other creative types.

The IPRC isn’t the only resource for local writers; here’s a list of a few more Portland writing staples:

Writer’s Dojo
www.writersdojo.org
503.706.0509
7518 (and 7506) N. Chicago Ave.
Portland, OR 97203

A thriving literary community for writers, readers and whatever’s left in-between. On the website you’ll find everything from basement writing workshops, blog listings and event postings to detailed advice on the query and submission game.

Attic Institute
www.atticinstitute.com
503.236.0615
4232 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97215

The Attic Institute is home to all sorts of writer’s resources and programs and the website is a go-to spot for newsletters and other member info.

Northwest Writer
www.nwwriter.com

Northwest Writer’s mission statement is, “Making Portland the Best Place on Earth to be a Writer.” Check out the website for advice on submitting work, and blog posts aimed to keep your literary knowledge and lingo as current as your workload permits.

Ooligan Press (at PSU)
www.ooliganpress.pdx.edu
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207

More than just a typical University Press, Ooligan offers writing contests and other publishing opportunities. Whether you’re a PSU student or a no-school-strings-attached writer Ooligan has something for you.

Literary Arts—Portland Arts & Lecture Series
www.literary-arts.org/pal
503.227.2583
224 NW 13th Ave. Suite 306 

Portland, OR
 97209

Literary Arts is priceless for authors, readers and budding writers as is its Portland Arts and Lecture Series. The Literary Arts website has all the details you need for local literary event listings and various writer resources.

Don’t limit yourself to this list. The best advice for both seasoned and emerging writers is to support your local literary community. Whether you do that by buying a book from a small press, attending a reading, or giving a local author you’ve never heard of a chance, Portland is, and always has been, a fantastic literary city.

Sending out reviewer postcards for The Chronology of Water...

Events are stacking up for Lidia’s spring book tour for The Chronology of Water. Here’s what we’ve got so far but there are a few pending that we’ll be adding in upcoming weeks. Also, we’ll have a time/date for the book launch party any day now and we’ll keep you posted.

Wednesday, 09 March 2011 :: 11.30 am – 1.00 pm
Lewis & Clark College | The Gender Studies Program is located in Miller Center for the Humanities. T: (503) 768-7378. :: 30th Annual Gender Studies Symposium. Roundtable: Beyond Housewives and Whores: The Future of Women’s Literature. Liz Prato, Cheryl Strayed, and Lidia Yuknavitch.

Thursday, 31 March 2011 :: 4.00 pm
Lake Forest College | Meyer Auditorium, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045. T: (847) 234-3100 :: For the Lake Forest Reading Series Lidia Yuknavitch and Andy Mingo together. Lidia talks about her work and reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water. Andy Mingo will show his film Georgie’s Big Break based on a Monica Drake short story as well as the book trailer he created for The Chronology of Water.

Friday, 02 April 2011 :: 7.00 pm
Outer Space Studio | 1474 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL :: Red Rover Series {readings that play with reading} Featuring:Cris Mazza, Davis Schneiderman, and Lidia Yuknavtich Suggested donation $4.

Monday, 04 April 2011 :: 7.00 – 8.00 pm
Barbara’s Bookstore | 1218 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607. (312) 413-2665. :: For the Uncalled For Reading Series Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Wednesday, 06 April 2011 :: 7.30 – 8.30 pm
Powell’s Books | 1005 W. Burnside, Portland, OR 1005 97209. (503) 228 4651. :: Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Saturday, 16 April 2011 :: 7.00 pm
Avenue 50 Studio | 131 N. Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA 90042. T: (323) 258 1435 :: As part of the Strophe Reading Series Lidia Yuknavitch reads from her memoir, The Chronology of Water.

Monday, 09 May 2011 :: 7.00 pm
The Rumpus :: Lidia Yuknavitch and Cheryl Strayed to read from their work for The Rumpus Monthly Reading Series.

Now's the time to lend a hand to Wordstock 2011, 2012 and beyond.

We’re so sorry that we’ve been negligent here with the blog. It’s been a busy summer and we had to focus on our authors, books and book tours. Now that it’s officially fall we’ll do our best to stick to the weekly blog schedule. Please remind us scold us if we don’t.

This year’s Wordstock was filled to the brim with fantastic workshops, readings, panels and more and between all of us here at Hawthorne we managed to play a part in just about every type of event Wordstock offered.

We really liked where we were in the book fair this year — sandwiched between the Attic and Tin House — great company. We also liked the fact that our authors did some great panels and readings.

Here’s a bit of what we saw and did last weekend at the 6th annual Wordstock. Cheers to everyone who volunteered for and helped organize this year’s Portland literary extravaganza aka Wordstock. You rock.

Kate and Adam at the booth looking lovely despite Convention Center fluorescence.

Rhonda on her Brave New World panel hosted by Richard Meeker with Lauren Kessler and Kevin Smokler.

Our lovely friend who stopped by and refused a tote for her magnificent stash of bought books.

The Wordstock hot seat.

See you at Wordstock next year!

Wordstock
www.wordstockfestival.com