Literary Portland
Related Assets
From the cozy nooks of our own homes, books transport us to faraway worlds for a much-needed escape. A book town like Portland, though, lures bibliophiles to explore the literary treasures of the city outside of the mere words written on earmarked pages.
The independent bookstores of Portland are ongoing emblems of resilience, finding ways to creatively pivot and survive despite the obstacles from the likes of online giants like Amazon and a global pandemic keeping people from perusing the stacks. Luckily, readers of all kinds heard the rallying cry for support of Portland’s independent book sellers.
Powell’s Books , the world’s largest independent bookstore, has been an iconic fixture in Portland for over 50 years. Its flagship store in Portland’s Pearl District takes up an entire city block, offering 68,000 square feet of used, new, rare, and out-of-print books. Powells.com offers the combined inventory of its three retail locations and five warehouses, with approximately 3 million books in all.
Third Eye Books is a Black-owned bookstore that opened its brick-and-mortar location in June 2021. Owners Michelle Lewis and Charles Hannah are dedicated to being a resource for African-centered books and antiracist literature. They’ve done some exciting book signings this summer—such as with David Walker of The Black Panther Party graphic novel—as well as an Amplifying #Blackvoices Summer 2021 campaign.
Vivienne Kitchen & Pantry recently relocated to the buzzy Alberta Arts District neighborhood. The cozy shop includes a culinary bookstore fit for cookbook signings, chef demonstrations and cookbook-inspired classes.
Additional bookstores of note:
- Grand Gesture is a black-woman owned romance bookstore that just opened in downtown Portland later this year.
- Mother Foucault’s Bookshop lays on the whimsy with haphazardly laid vintage rugs, old and worn wood bookcases, green leather chairs, an old piano, and a space for literary salons.
- Bridge City Comics is owned by Dark Horse Comics publishing alumni Michael Ring and is a graphic novel paradise.
- Floating World Comics provides a home for underdog authors and little-known artists to sell their work.
- Monograph Bookwerks off trendy Northeast Alberta Street specializes in art books and ephemera.
- Green Bean Books on the hip Alberta Street has staff that can match a kid’s current obsessions with the most perfect book recommendations.
- Wallace Books feels like entering your kooky professor’s home with towers of wobbling books filling the charming yellow house with blue trim.
- Midslumber Media is a queer and women-owned horror-centric book and video store. A welcoming space that celebrates the diversity and creativity of horror’s ever-evolving subculture.
Literary Activities
Each November, the South Park Blocks—including the Portland Art Museum and Portland 5 performance venues—become part of the immersive literary experience of the Portland Book Festival. Author lectures, book signings, an indie book fair, writing workshops, and pop-up readings all over the city offer a welcomed sense of community and creativity for bookworms and creatives of all types.
The Literary Arts Center, located in the Central Eastside is one of the largest physical centers in the nation for literature and storytelling. The 14,000 square foot space serves as a community and cultural hub with a bookstore and café, as well as classroom and event space, writing areas, staff offices and a recording studio for the popular radio show and podcast The Archive Project.
Offering classes on letterpress printing, bookbinding, screen printing and graphic design, the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) is geared to lovers of books and creative expression. A mix of workshops, kids’ classes and free events like Open Collage Night make this Southeast Division resource center a progressive space for literary crafters of all stripes.
Literary Watering Holes
Rose City Book Pub combines two of Portland’s trademark passions: beer and books. Owner Elise Schumock kept the layout of the previous tenant—a cozy Irish pub—and simply infused her own bookworm appeal into the space. The 18 taps of local beers are surrounded by rows of bookshelves. As Schumock’s father used to interview authors on the local radio station, KBOO, there are lots of author-signed copies amidst the stacks and the book bar carries on his literary legacy.
A love of books, coffee and Portland’s Overlook neighborhood inspired owners Nathan and Mary to open The Stacks Coffeehouse. As a coffee shop and self-proclaimed community library, grab a book from the shelf to peruse while you sip brews from a local roaster. Anyone can sign up for a library card from the stacks, which runs on the honor system of patrons returning any books they borrow. The Stacks name comes from Mary’s childhood roaming the library stacks of her mother’s workplace at the University of Texas library.
Literary Lodging
The city’s Heathman Hotel has long been lauded as a literary hub. Its library spans over two-stories with a regal bookcase stretching the full height of the room. The 2,700 volumes included signed editions from Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winners, U.S. Poet Laureates, and politicians. From highbrow to something slightly more smutty, The Heathman is also known for being a noted location in the 50 Shades of Grey series.
Steps away from Pioneer Square, The Nines hotel has a cozy library lounge with colorfully-bound books and brown leather chesterfield sofas to read them upon.
The Duniway is named after the writer, suffragette, and Oregon pioneer Abigail Scott. Each meeting room at the hotel is named after one of her books. The feminist celebration continues with women-authored books throughout the hotel that are curated by the team at Powell’s Books.
