Literopolis: A Weekly Look at Portland Literary Events, June 15-21

Monday, June 15, 2015

Emily Goldman, GoLocalPDX Contributor

This Friday and Saturday brings to you Portland’s Spring/Summer Poetry Press Week, a showcase of new works of poetry by new and established local poets. Rather than read the pieces themselves, poets will be choosing “models” to present their work. The event will showcase the following poets: Carl Adamshick, Tyler Brewington, Zachary Cosby, Andrea Hollander, Robert Lashley, A.M. O’Malley, Alicia Jo Rabins, Timmy Straw, Drew Scott Swenhaugen, and Stacey Tran. All readings will take place at the Disjecta Contemporary Art Center. 8371 N Interstate Ave., 7pm, FREE

MONDAY
The IPRC will be celebrating the release of the anthology Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, a collection of stories inspired by the late, influential science fiction author Octavia Butler in which the authors use specualtive fiction to envision a better, more just world. The evening will feature readings from co-editor Walidah Imarisha and contributors Gabriel Teodors, David F. Walker, and Mumia Abu Jamal (audio only). 1001 SE Division St., 7-9pm, FREE

Joseph Kim will be at Powell's City of Books reading from his book Under the Same Sky, an account of his childhood in North Korea and his escape to China and later to the United States. 1005 W Burnside St., 7:30pm, FREE

At Powell’s on Hawthorne, Evelyn Hess will be sharing how her and her husband’s experiences of living in a tent and trailer near the Oregon coast for 15 years with no electricity or running water and a desire to retain the lessons learned from sustainable living later influenced their construction of their own house, all of which is chronicled in her book Building a Better Nest: Living Lightly at Home and in the World. 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 7:30pm, FREE

TUESDAY
At Annie Bloom’s Books, Kathleen Cremonesi will be presenting her book Love in the Elephant Tent, a true-life account of Cremonesi’s adventures in an Italian circus as a dancer and animal tamer. 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, 7-8pm, FREE

Bitch Media will be celebrating the release of their “Blue” issue of the magazine at the North Portland bar The Waypost, featuring a raffle and tasty desserts donated by local bakeries. This event is sponsored by GladRags. 3120 N Williams Ave., 7-10pm, $4 suggested donation. All ages until 8pm and 21+ after

The Unchaste Readers will be hosting a special Pride reading at the Local Lounge. Reading will be Samiya Bashir, Rhiannon Dexter Flowers, Lisa Galloway, Kate Gray, Kelly Jeske, Katie Kaput, Mari Shepard-Glenn, Brenda Taulbee, and Sara June Woods. 3536 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 7:30pm, FREE

It’s an evening for fantasy authors at Powell’s Books. First up is Terry Brooks at Powell’s at Cedar Hills presenting The Darkling Child, a stand-alone in his long-running fantasy epic the Shannara series. 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., 7pm, FREE

At Powell’s City of Books, NYT-bestselling author Lev Grossman will be presenting the conclusion to his fantasy trilogy The Magician’s Land in which Quentin Coldwater, cast out of the magical land of Fillory he dreamed of entering as a child, seeks to find a way to reconcile with his past set things to rights. 1005 W Burnside St., 7:30pm, FREE

WEDNESDAY
Cosmic Monkey will be hosting cartoonist Mark Russell, who will be doing a signing in honor of the release of the first issue of his new comic series Prez#1, a reboot of a 1973 DC title, about the first teenaged President of the United States. 5335 NE Sandy Blvd., 6-8pm, FREE

At Powell’s at Cedar Hills, April Henry will be reading from the second book of her Point Last Seen series titled Blood Will Tell about a boy who’s part of Portland’s Search and Rescue team accused of the murder of a woman found in a park due to his seemingly violent hobbies and interests. 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., 7pm, FREE

Vendela Vida will be at Powell’s City of Books presenting her novel The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty about a woman travelling in Casablanca, Morocco who feels compelled to reinvent herself following the theft of her wallet and passport, an urge she acts upon by inhabiting the life of a famous film star. 1005 W Burnside St., 7:30pm, FREE

THURSDAY
Loise Leveen will be at Annie Bloom’s Books presenting her novel Juliet’s Nurse, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet from the point of view of Juliet’s trusted nurse, entrusted with the secrets of one of Verona’s most powerful families. 7834 SW Capitol Hwy, 7-8pm, FREE

Another Read Through will be hosting Lori L. Lake, co-editor of the recently-released crime anthology Lesbians on the Loose, as well as a couple of its contributors, for a reading and Q&A. 3932 N Mississippi Ave;, 7-8pm, FREE

At Broadway Books, Sue Schafer will be reading from her debut novel Now I Am Here Doing This, set in the Pacific Northwest in 1984 about an artist mother attempting to reconnect with her daughter. 1714 NE Broadway Ave., 7-8pm, FREE

Investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist Bryan Denson will be at Powell’s City of Books sharing his book The Spy’s Son, the account of Jim Nicholson, one of the CIA’s top officers and a purveyor of national secrets to Russia. Following his arrest and conviction, he had his son Nathan take up where he left off. 1005 W Burnside St., 7:30pm, FREE

Powell’s on Hawthorne will be hosting Colin Winnette, author of the novel Haints Stay, the story of two bounty hunters named Brooke and Sugar and the unexpected addition of a boy named Bird as they travel from town to town across the American desert searching for a sense of belonging and justice. 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 7:30pm, FREE

SATURDAY
Glyph Cafe will be hosting a release party for Eric Tyler Benick’s poetry chapbook Fox Hunts. 804 NW Couch St., 3:30-4:45pm, FREE

Kevin Maloney will be celebrating the release of his debut novella Cult of Loretta at Post 134. Also reading will be Cameron Pierce, Tiffany Scandal, Derrick Martin-Campbell, Santi Elijah Holley, and Matt Sailor. 2104 NE Alberta St., 7-9pm, FREE