Margaret Seiler helps keep Portland Monthly clear, readable, and grammatically correct. She also writes about local politics, history, sports (from the Thorns to Tonya Harding), and her hobby of extreme transit. The native Kentuckian landed in Oregon after youth-hostelling her way around the continent (before cell phones!) and worked at Willamette Week and the Portland Tribune before joining Portland Monthly in 2010. She lives in North Portland with her brewer husband and their two children.

Checklist

I Spy! Look for These Landmarks in the Columbia River Gorge

How many of these can you check off on your next Gorge trip?

03/17/2022 By Gabriel Granillo and Margaret Seiler

Soccer

At Last, the NWSL 2022 Regular Season Schedule Is Here

The Challenge Cup begins March 18, and the Portland Thorns open the regular season at Providence Park on April 30.

03/16/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Shopping Road Trip

Shop Stops in the Columbia River Gorge

Hood River’s Oak Street and its counterparts in Bingen and White Salmon make these connected Gorge towns a stealth shopping destination.

03/11/2022 By Gabriel Granillo, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

In Memoriam

5 Reasons Bud Clark Was Portland’s Most Unforgettable Mayor

The pub owner turned two-term mayor, who bucked convention and exposed himself to art, died this week at age 90.

02/02/2022 By Fiona McCann, Conner Reed, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

In Memoriam

Oregon-Born Actor Howard Hesseman Dies at 81

A very brief run with the University of Oregon’s theater department set the Lebanon-born, Silverton-raised college student on a new course.

01/31/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Money & Politics

Who Is Donating in Portland City Council Elections?

With contributions capped, big players with names like Goodman, Kafoury, and Jubitz are writing small checks to candidates for city commissioner.

01/25/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Scandal!

Portland Pickles Let Mascot Do a Twitter Takeover—Hilarity Ensues

Um, what is that green shaft popping up in our feeds?

01/13/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Satire

What Is Residency, Really?

Nicholas Kristof’s bid for Oregon governor makes us wonder.

01/07/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Film

The 50 Essential Oregon Films

From The Goonies to Twilight and (way) beyond, these are the flicks that define the Beaver State.

12/23/2021 Edited by Conner Reed By Conner Reed, Margaret Seiler, Cami Hughes, Karly Quadros, Gabriel Granillo, Fiona McCann, Katherine Hamilton, Julia Silverman, Jacob P., and Rich Reece

Shopping

Shops Worth the Drive

Bookstores at the beach, German groceries next to the world’s largest oyster, and kitchen finds in Eastern Oregon

12/21/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Shopping

Cigars to Light Bulbs, We Love These Portland Retail Classics

Some of the shops we’ve come to rely on, whether they’ve been around a decade or a century

12/20/2021 By Fiona McCann, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

Soccer

What Do NWSL Deals and Drafts Mean for the 2022 Thorns Roster?

The 2022 Challenge Cup starts March 19, but the Thorns will be without Simone Charley, Tyler Lussi, and Christen Westphal.

12/19/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Soccer

Timbers Fall in Penalty Shootout as New York CIty FC Wins MLS Cup

A last-seconds goal from Felipe Mora sends the game to extra time, but New York City FC wins on penalties.

12/11/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Soccer

What Happens When Your City Hosts the MLS Cup

From Morrison Bridge lights to custom Voodoo Doughnuts, it’s beginning to look a lot like Timbers all over Portland.

12/09/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Staycation

History on the Walls at Old Town’s Society Hotel

New artwork at the Society Hotel celebrates Old Town-Chinatown’s history.

12/09/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Soccer

Timbers in the MLS Final & Thorns Announce New Coach

It was a pretty good week in Portland soccer news.

12/07/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Light a Fire

How 4 Nonprofits Stepped Up in the Pandemic

Vaccine clinics, mental health hotlines, hot meals, business support—these groups got help to those who most needed it.

11/30/2021 By Julia Silverman and Margaret Seiler

Grocery Stores

Every Portland-Area Trader Joe’s, Ranked

Think every Trader Joe’s is the same? Yep, they are. And also, they’re not, from mascots to parking-lot masochism. We break it down.

11/19/2021 By Cami Hughes, Margaret Seiler, and Katherine Chew Hamilton

Baseball

Baseball's Portland Pickles Open a Team Store Downtown

Find pickle juice, game-worn jerseys, Dillon bobbleheads, and more at the Pickle Jar.

11/15/2021 By Margaret Seiler

Education

Enrollment at the State's Biggest School District Is Down 4.1 Percent

Kindergarten enrollment stays flat, and the majority at the PPS Online Learning Academy are students of color.

11/15/2021 By Margaret Seiler