Saturday’s Portland Book Festival is an annual celebration of writers. It’s the perfect occasion for all of us to pick out what to read next. Amanda Bullock, senior artistic director with the nonprofit Literary Arts, has recommendations for a book to read right now and for other author events to check out this weekend.
What should Portlanders read next?
“ I think the one book everyone on the planet should be reading is Omar El Akkad’s ‘One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This,’ which did come out this year, and Omar is in the festival this year, and he is a Portland area author.”
Why that one?
“The title is from a tweet that he made that went viral about Gaza. A lot of it is about someone who chose to live in this country reckoning with the false promises of so much of what we think America means. It's really well written. It's really smart. It's a tough read, but it should be.”
Illustrators competing at the Portland Book Festival. (Literary Arts)
⭐ Portland Book Festival Events to Check Out
Bullock also shared some of her favorite events happening this weekend:
Friday | 6 - 8 p.m. | Readers Night
The exhibits are open. There'll be drinks and ice cream and the Tamale Boy food truck outside. Plus, Ramona and other book-themed flash (real ink) tattoos will be available, starting at Readers Night.
Saturday | 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. | Illustrator Draw Off
Always a favorite event for kids and adults, the drawing competition features picture-book and middle-grade illustrators who compete for glory — though there’s no official winner.
Saturday | 11:45 a.m. | Nicholas Boggs: Baldwin: A Love Story
It’s “the first biography to really fully include Baldwin's queerness as part of his story,” says Bullock. “And Nicholas will be interviewed by Mitchell S. Jackson, who is one of my favorite interviewers on the planet.”
Saturday | Noon | Stacey Abrams: Coded Justice
Abrams, a political organizer and former Georgia politician, is also a romance novelist and the author of a series of thrillers, the latest of which she will discuss at this event.
Saturday | 3:15 p.m. | Written in the Waters: Tara Roberts
An explorer in residence at National Geographic, Roberts has written about scuba diving at the sites of sunken slave ships. “She's the first black woman explorer to be on the cover of Nat Geo,” says Bullock. "She is so cool.”
Saturday | 3 p.m. | Noodles & Scoops: Tyler Malek & Joshua McFadden
Two notable Portlanders from our food scene, Tyler Malek (of Salt and Straw) and Joshua McFadden (best known for Ava Jeans and Tusk) have new cookbooks out about their respective specialties.
Plus: Bullock recommends wandering through the Portland Art Museum to catch some of the pop-up events, including with local authors. (More events here.)
📲 Your turn: What’s one book Portlanders should read right now? If you have a recommendation, please respond to this email or click here. I’ll share your suggestions in an upcoming newsletter.
