A former intern, Conner served as Portland Monthly's arts and culture editor from 2019 until 2022.

Theater Review

Profile Theatre's Appropriate Sees the Forest, the Trees, and a Whole Lot More

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' sharp, lacerating family drama shines in the hands of director Jerry Ruiz and a game cast.

05/11/2022 By Conner Reed

Pop Culture Deep Dive

Electra Heart 10 Years Later

Revisiting one of Tumblr-pop's most indefatigable outputs on its tin anniversary.

04/29/2022 By Conner Reed

Poetry

How Oregon's Poet Laureate Launched a Poem Hotline

Anis Mojgani's project features a poem a day from himself and his predecessors.

04/28/2022 By Conner Reed

Books

These Are the Winners of the 2022 Oregon Book Awards

Omar El Akkad, Dao Strom, Cynthia Whitcomb, and four others walked home with prizes on April 25.

04/26/2022 By Conner Reed

Biking

Biketown Rides Are Free This Weekend in Honor of Earth Day

Praise Gaia, ride a Nike bike.

04/22/2022 By Conner Reed

Film

Cinema 21 Is Popping Off with Limited-Engagement Flicks This Month

A hard-to-find Tilda title, queer Austrian favorite, and newly restored David Lynch rarity are all hitting the Northwest Portland theater in April.

04/22/2022 By Conner Reed

Visual Art

Rick Silva’s Peaking Makes a Stunning Visual Map of Our Overwhelming Age

The Eugene artist's new video installation is on view at Oregon Contemporary through June 26.

04/20/2022 By Conner Reed

Theater Review

History Has Its Eyes on Hamilton (and It Isn't Looking Great)

The national tour of the smash-hit musical runs at Portland’s Keller Auditorium through May 1.

04/15/2022 By Conner Reed

Visual Art

PAM’s Frida Kahlo Exhibit Is More Than a Study in History

To supplement the main exhibition, the museum is tapping a slew of local artists to generate new pieces that nod to Kahlo's legacy.

04/08/2022 By Conner Reed

Beer Staff Picks

Our Favorite Places to Grab a Beer in Portland

’Tis the season for sun, fun, and good brews. From St. Johns to Buckman to the Pearl, here are some staff picks for where to grab a pint.

04/07/2022 By Dalila Brent, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Michelle Harris, Rose Lee, Michael Novak, Margaret Seiler, and Conner Reed

Real Estate

Every Neighborhood in Portland in a Nutshell

From Alameda to Woodstock, St. Johns to Sylvan Highlands

03/30/2022 By Fiona McCann, Conner Reed, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

Pop Culture Deep Dive

The 2022 Oscars Were the Last Gasp from a Dying Civilization

Listicles, rage, weakly gestural activism—will horseman number four please stand up?

03/28/2022 By Conner Reed

Q&A

Jackpot! Recording Studios’ Larry Crane on Portland’s Music Scene, Past and Present

‘One person can walk in the room and make the record completely different, and that’s you.’

03/25/2022 By Conner Reed

Music

50 Oregon Albums That Define Our State

From Elliott Smith to Emancipator, Cool Nutz to Quasi, we’re running down the Beaver State’s most essential LPs.

03/23/2022 Edited by Conner Reed By Conner Reed, Gabriel Granillo, Karly Quadros, Katherine Chew Hamilton, Margaret Seiler, and Fiona McCann

Midday Meal

Let’s Do Lunch

In the new world—and especially in Portland—lunch refuses to be typecast.

03/23/2022 Edited by Katherine Chew Hamilton Photography by Thomas Teal By Karen Brooks, Fiona McCann, Michael Novak, and Conner Reed

Music

Portland Monthly’s Essential Spring 2022 Playlist

Fresh tracks from Portlanders old and new to spin this spring

03/22/2022 By Conner Reed

Movers & Shakers

Perfect Party: Spring 2022

From Dua Lipa to Ava Duvernay to a real clown, here's who we’re inviting to our dinner table.

03/21/2022 By Conner Reed

Performance

Portland Opera Brings The Central Park Five to Life

The 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner will run through the end of March at the Newmark Theatre.

03/18/2022 By Conner Reed

Arts News

Portland’s Arts Scene Is Undergoing a Massive Changing of the Guard

In the past year, a stunning number of Portland’s arts organizations have shuffled leadership at the highest levels. What now?

03/17/2022 By Conner Reed Illustrations by Álvaro Bernis

Theater Review

Shaking the Tree’s Chick Fight Is a Thrilling Live Wire

The Southeast Portland company returns with a devised play that's funny, fierce, and memorable.

03/17/2022 By Conner Reed