Pop Culture Deep Dive

Mid-Year Pop Culture Report

From Big Thief to Marcel the Shell to a kinetic new take on Chekhov, these are the 2022 cultural nuggets that have spoken to us most directly.

07/08/2022 By Conner Reed

Books, Books, Books

Portland's Flagship Downtown Library Is Getting a Face-Lift—And Closing for 3 Months!

The Multnomah County Central Library building will be closed to the public from August 1 to November 1.

06/21/2022 By Julia Silverman

Events

6 Can't-Miss Speakers at TEDx Portland 2022

An anonymous poet, a Meow Wolf cofounder, a stripper-slash-writer, jazz drummer, and plenty of others will grace the Moda Center on May 28.

05/24/2022 By Conner Reed

Literary Road Trip

New Mural in Clatskanie Celebrates Writer Raymond Carver

A free festival this weekend shows off the mural, which is nearly complete, and includes a poetry contest and Birdman screening.

05/20/2022 By Margaret Seiler

New Normal

Portland's Libraries Are Open Again, But in Person Events Are Slower to Return

In particular, non-virtual programming for ages 0-6 is not likely to resume before fall of 2022

05/05/2022 By Julia Silverman

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

Books

American, Us is a Genre-Bending Chapbook That Explores Incarceration and Latinx Lives

Published by Morpheus Youth Project, the book—anchored by work from Emilly Prado and Andres Mendoza—is the Portland nonprofit’s final project.

04/13/2022 By Michelle Harris

Q&A

Portland Author Chelsea Bieker Returns with a New Short Story Collection

The Oregon Book Award–nominated writer's latest book hits shelves April 5.

04/04/2022 By Karly Quadros

Books

Literary Arts Announces 2022 Oregon Book Award Finalists

The winners will be announced in a ceremony on April 25 at the Armory.

03/07/2022 By Conner Reed

Books

Dolly Parton and James Patterson Team Up with Powell's for a Virtual Event

The two megawatt stars will promote their new jointly written book at this tickets-only online event.

02/17/2022 By Fiona McCann

Pop Culture Deep Dive

What We Talk About When We Talk About Hanya

The author of A Little Life has just published her third novel. It’s not very good, but that’s hardly the end of it.

01/20/2022 By Conner Reed

Pop Culture Deep Dive

2021 Was the Year of Millennial Ambivalence

Lorde’s Solar Power and Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You are polarizing explorations of a major 2021 theme: processing devastation by turning away from absolutes.

12/31/2021 By Conner Reed

Books

The Best Oregon Books of 2021

From crying in H Mart to folding paper stars to tracking tigers in Japan-occupied Korea, these Beaver State books took us places we were more than happy to go.

12/31/2021 By Fiona McCann, Conner Reed, and Karly Quadros

Q & A

Shea Ernshaw’s New Novel Explores the ‘Line between Paradise and Madness’

‘A History of Wild Places’ follows a string of missing people to a reclusive community buried deep in the forest.

12/15/2021 By Karly Quadros

Year in Review

The Best Oregon-Made Movies, Books, Music & Art of 2021

From Shrill’s finale to Third Angle's Sanctuaries to Nicolas Cage's Pig, it was quite a year.

12/08/2021 By Conner Reed, Julia Silverman, and Fiona McCann

Books

Portland Author Juhea Kim Looks to Korea in Dazzling Debut Novel

Beasts of a Little Land is set against the backdrop of the country’s independence.

12/01/2021 By Fiona McCann

Q&A

Michelle Nijhuis on Changing the Conservation Narrative

The White Salmon–based writer talks her latest book, the problematic history of the conservation movement, and what living off the grid taught her.

11/18/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Pomo Picks

Top Things to Do in Portland This Week: Nov 11–17

Hasan Minhaj hits the Schnitz, a Kurosawa film festival rolls on at the Clinton, the in-person Book Festival returns, and more

11/11/2021 By Conner Reed

Books

The Coolest In-Person Events at the 2021 Portland Book Festival

After a five-day virtual fest, PBF will gather downtown for the first time in two years on November 13. Expect nerdy bacchanalia.

11/11/2021 By Conner Reed

Books

Staying Home This Year? Check Out These Virtual Portland Book Festival Events

From Brandon Taylor to Maggie Nelson, these are the must-hit items you can stream from the comfort of your home.

11/08/2021 By Conner Reed