Portland Book Festival Cover to Cover: Literary Trivia with Oregon Humanities and Buckman Publishing

Oregon Humanities and Buckman are pairing up for a night of literary-themed games at Dear Sandy! Come celebrate the deep literary history of our city, win prizes, and learn a bit of new trivia to take home. We’re highlighting the ways that Portland’s unique culture, geography, and history have shaped some great writing. This is an event for all book lovers, not just those who are deep into the lore of the region.

Event is free and open to the public!

Save the date! The inaugural Portland Poetry Confluence is happening this fall. In collaboration with other rad poetic comrades from around town, the two-day festival will feature readings, performances, panels, and more. Buckman will be leading a water-inspired workshop on Saturday, October 4th from 11:30am - 12:45pm.

More details on both days of programming are forthcoming. Check out Confluence’s website in the mean time.

Save the date! The inaugural Portland Poetry Confluence is happening this fall. In collaboration with other rad poetic comrades from around town, the two-day festival will feature readings, performances, panels, and more. Buckman will be leading a water-inspired workshop on Saturday, October 4th from 11:30am - 12:45pm.

More details on both days of programming are forthcoming. Check out Confluence’s website in the mean time.

“Come celebrate the official book launch of Choice Cuts: Disposable Camera Archives by Corbin C, a book published by Portland’s own Buckman Journal. It chronicles the photography of Portland-based photographer and filmmaker Corbin C, who will be presenting his photos and HI8 music videos, dishing anecdotes and behind the scene tales. HE WAS THERE. Leading the way is MC/Host with the most, Karma Rivera, who rose through the DIY ranks and now resonates as one of Portland’s leading musical talents. Live music provided by the quirky and entertaining Dim Wit. Special appearances by wrestlers from the NW Wrestling Alliance, the CornCon instigators, and more! See the people snapped in the photos live, retelling their stories of Portland DIY, and how you can join the scene that may be happening in your neighbor’s backyard, and maybe someday yours! It’s pure Portland!”

Doors 6:30 pm, Show 7:00 pm

Runtime: 160 min

Tickets: $25 - Purchase here

The 14th installment of Buckman Journal comes out July 8th (pre-orders available now!) with a launch party the following weekend. This issue abounds with local creativity, featuring the work of over 25 PNW artists and writers workin in many mediums. Please join us to celebrate for an afternoon reception on Sunday, July 13th from 3:00pm-6:00pm in the outdoor area of Honey Latte Cafe, located at 1033 SE Main St. (97214) in the Buckman neighborhood (on the Salmon St./parking lot side of the building.)

This is an unstructured open-house style event, so feel free to stop by, roll through, or hang out the whole time. It’s an opportunity to meet and mingle with the journal contributors and the Buckman crew, peruse our other books, and meet other literary and artistic folk. All are welcome so please bring your people along. We'll celebrate with drinks, snacks, cake, and a special discounted price on all issues of Buckman Journal: Trance purchased during the event. See you there!

• Note: Buckman is currently mid-move, split between two spaces--hence the summer events at two different locations. We’ll keep you posted when we’re fully settled in at our new home base.

Do you stop to smell the roses? Smell them until you sneeze? Do you wait for the forsythia? Have a favorite shade of rhododendron? Well, we’ve got the goods for Portlanders and all those who hold a poetic love for plants with The Odd Guide to the Flowers of Portland.  

Join us to celebrate the launch of this surrealists’s pocket guide to flowers and get a sneak peek at the new Buckman building at our first book party in the new space! We’ll have snax, plenty of bevs, writing prompts in response to selected blooms, readings from the book, and an interactive group art-making project that uses plants to make a DIY organic sculpture together. 

Come check out new space, honor our floral companions, pick up your copy of Odd Guide, and herald the onset of summer with us -bring your crew and some greenery with you! Free and open to all. Our new space is much bigger so the more the merrier! 

• Note: we are currently still moving between the old Buckman Mothership and our new one. This is a just-moved-in empty apartment style party with a full-on grand opening of the space pending later this year.

“Public Nature is a nomadic multi-disciplinary performance series curated by Danielle Ross. May 23 at PWNW. 4pm doors / 7:30 show. Featuring Emmi Greer (text), Helen Spencer-Wallace (sound) and Hannah Krafcik + Emily Jones (movement).”

More info here!

Friday May 23, doors 7:00 pm, show 7:30 pm

donations accepted at door / $5-15 recommended (all the money goes to the artists!)

This panel discussion brings together Portland authors Frances Badalamenti, Chelsea Bieker, and visual artists Anya Roberts-Toney and Franny Capone to share how they conceive of mothering in their work through both written and visual means. This generative conversation will explore what makes a mother in these artists’ works and address engendered modes of representation, social obligations, and mothers as both a concept and an archetype. There will be light snacks, tea, and time for a Q&A.

Saturday May 10th 4 - 6pm

Tickets $8 — Purchase here

Unfortunately, the building for Deep Waters is not ADA accessible. Entrance is on Knott Street, the space is shoes off please! Seating will be provided. Masking at the event is optional.

The Warmer Half: An interactive evening of poetry and guided writing

We’re joining forces with fellow Buckman neighborhood operation, House Nine Wellness, to co-host a community night of poetry and writing to celebrate spring! We’ll start with tea & readings by local poets Lila Cutter, dodie davey, Emmi Greer, and Edy Guy; followed by writing and reflection time featuring seasonally-inspired writing exercises.

Bring along a notebook and pen, and a foraged flower or any other artifact you’d like to add to an ephemeral community altar that we’ll assemble to welcome the warmer half of the year. 

Thursday May 1st 7:00 - 8:30pm at House Nine. More Info + Register here. Thursday May 1st 7 - 8:30pm at House Nine

$5-$30 sliding scale (NOTAFLOF) - Registration herE

E-mail emmi at buckmanpublishing.com with additional questions. Hope to see you there!

Beloved local reading series, Constellation, and Portland indie publisher, Buckman Journal are joining forces for the April installment of the series. Featured readers include Charlie J. Stephens, Carolyn Supinka, Stephanie Victoire

Constellation is a once-monthly, multi-genre literary reading series, featuring three scheduled readers per event. We intend to create a warm, inclusive community space for those who love the written word, build a long-running Portland institution that centers unrepresented writers, and provide a regular opportunity to connect with each other around literature. Each reading will be anchored by Portland-based writers, though we will host visiting writers. We are committed to justice and inclusion and will prioritize BIPOC writers and writers with identities underrepresented in institutional spaces. Constellation is organized by Jessica Johnson and Joon Ae Haworth-Kaufka, two Portland writers and community organizers who met while teaching at Portland Community College.

COVID Policy

Masks are required in the downstairs reading space. Readers may unmask while reading. Tin House has a upstairs space for socializing where masks are optional. We ask that you enjoy Constellation from home via livestream if you have symptoms or are testing positive for COVID. 

Access

At this time, the indoor reading space is accessible by stairs and by ramp. There are no wheelchair-accessible restrooms. 

Readings will be livestreamed with YouTube automated captions, and we will ask readers to provide text copies for accessibility purposes on request. If you need an accessibility copy, please request it 48 hours in advance by emailing: constellationreading[at]gmail[dot]com.

“Join Portland-based comic book author, musician, and filmmaker Amanda Berlind and co-director/musician Austin Stolz for an incredible lively evening of music, film, and comics! The evening begins with a musical performance by Fantasy Sam & the Mystery Dogs, a musical experience of performance art made up of the film’s cast and writers/directors Amanda Berlind and Austin Stolz performing songs from Amanda’s latest freaky magical live musical show and comic book fantasy performance HAL. Following the performance, Amanda and Austin present their celluloid-shot feature film Houndsville, based on Amanda’s comic book of the same name. Come early to check out some comic books that will be for sale as well. Following the film there will be a Q&A with the directors. “

Doors 6:30 pm, Show 7:00 pm

Runtime: 135 min

Tickets: $15 - Purchase here

Smallpresspalooza #14

To celebrate Small Press Month, Powell’s presents the fourteenth annual marathon reading of small press authors, Smallpresspalooza, hosted by Powell's small press champion, Kevin Sampsell. Hear from many authors in all different genres, including Buckman Author, Frances Badalamenti!

Sunday, March 16th @ 4 – 8pm (PST)

Powell’s City of Books (in the pearl room)

Reading Schedule:

4:00: Alex Behr (Grief Stick, Picture Frame Press)*

4:15: Jason Arias (Nostradamus 2032, Broadstone Books)

4:30: Kurt Baumeister (Twilight of the Gods, Stalking Horse Press)

5:00: Aditi Machado (Material Witness, Nightboat Books)

5:15: Frances Badalamenti (Many Seasons, Buckman Publishing)

5:30: Colin Keating (Smoking at Disneyland, self-published)

6:00: Rin Stone (Everything Is Closed on Sunday, Deep Overstock)

6:15: Raki Kopernik (No One's Leaving, Unsolicited Press)

6:30: Roberto F. Santiago (Like Sugar, Black Lawrence Press)

7:00: Joshua Escobar (Demons of Eminence, Publication Studio Hudson)

7:15: Rachel Lee-Carman (Digging #19, Antiquated Future)

7:30: Amanda E. K. (The Risk It Takes to Bloom, self-published)

7:45: Joshua Pollock (Narcan Incantations, Garganta Press)

*Alex Behr has a poem forthcoming in Issue 015 of Buckman Journal.

Come celebrate the launch of The Pinnacle, a novella by Benjamin Kessler. There will be readings! Party sub sandwiches! Giant Jenga! Good times!

Buckman Publishing is located inside of Honey Latte Café in Suite 4. The space is ADA accessible and the event is free and open to all!

Let's get out and celebrate the (almost!) end of winter with a magazine mixer and swap. Grab a beverage, chat about the state of independent magazines in 2025, meet the editors, and bring a favorite issue (of any magazine) to swap. There will also be recent issues of both magazines available to take and to purchase. No RSVP required. Read more about our co-hosts below.

KITCHEN TABLE MAGAZINE connects inquisitive cooks, enthusiastic eaters, and imaginative creators in a fresh and tasty publication that investigates not only the how-tos but also the whys of eating. Through a mix of in-depth stories paired with delectable illustrations and photography, our print and digital content endeavors to be an inclusive celebration of food and community.

Named after the nefarious Inner Southeast neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, BUCKMAN PUBLISHING makes a twice-a-year anthology alongside books of all genres. Sending scouts deep into the local literature and arts scene, Buckman finds the best to present. Delivered with grit and cunning design, the printed medium is very much alive in Buckman.

OREGON HUMANITIES is a magazine about the experiences, ideas, and beliefs of Oregonians. In each issue, Oregon writers, artists, and readers explore diverse perspectives and challenging questions relating to the place we live and the people who live here.

Wednesday March 12th 5:00 to 7:00 p.m

Inside the Coffee Lounge located AT Steeplejack Brewery

All Ages + Free. No donation expected. Oregon Humanities magazine is free for all Oregon residents. Issues of Buckman Journal and Kitchen Table will be for sale.

Join us for the live musical performance of Hal, the latest comic book from the mind of Amanda Berlind. 

Saturday, February 8th at Echo Theater

Doors 7:00pm, Show 7:30pm

Tickets $10 - link to ticket sales here! More info from Echo Theater here!

Join us for a reception celebrating the latest issue of Buckman Journal! There will be an art show on displau featuring artists from the journal including multimedia work from Michael Espinoza, Ashley Sophia Clark, one of Melissa Monroe’s textile creatures from the cover and more! We’ll be serving snacks and drinks featuring your favorite moldy, fermented, and preserved libations.

Buckman Publishing is located inside of Honey Latte Café in Suite 4. The space is ADA accessible and the event is free and open to all!

The theme for this issue is TRANCE. Consider the trance and lay your own one on us. The word and the state it references is mysterious, with many possible meanings and applications, show us how you take it. Think of trance not just in content, but form—how can your language or characters weave one? How can your visuals spellbind us?

We are seeking artists showcasing 2D and 3D works in any medium (so long as it's documented suitably for print). Artists can submit up to four images, formatted as .tif or .jpg files, CMYK color profile, and at least 300 DPI at a 6" x 9" size. Please label files as: LAST NAME_TITLE OF WORK. Work can be new or pre-existing, or a combo! Please keep your cover letter brief—just let us know where you live and include a short artist's bio or statement about your work. You can also tell us your thoughts on condiments, if you desire.

Submissions window for art will be open December 15th-29th. We’re excited to see your art! Mesmerize us!

The theme for this issue is TRANCE. Consider the trance and lay your own one on us. The word and the state it references is mysterious, with many possible meanings and applications, show us how you take it. Think of trance not just in content, but form—how can your language or characters weave one? How can your visuals spellbind us?

We are seeking artists showcasing 2D and 3D works in any medium (so long as it's documented suitably for print). Artists can submit up to four images, formatted as .tif or .jpg files, CMYK color profile, and at least 300 DPI at a 6" x 9" size. Please label files as: LAST NAME_TITLE OF WORK. Work can be new or pre-existing, or a combo! Please keep your cover letter brief—just let us know where you live and include a short artist's bio or statement about your work. You can also tell us your thoughts on condiments, if you desire.

Submissions window for art will be open December 15th-29th. We’re excited to see your art! Mesmerize us!

Join Frances at fellow Buckman neighborhood resident, Up Up Books for this unique workshop to further your appreciation of personal fiction and your own writing practice.

Many Seasons and Writing the Self

Cost: $25.00/person. Includes a signed copy of the book. RSVP Required.

In accordance with the recent launch of the novel Many Seasons, this will be a workshop and process talk.

In this class, we will talk about the nuances of writing the self (sometimes known as autofiction) and what is involved with writing, editing and publishing a book of this kind. There will also be time set aside to practice writing the self (Frances will provide direction). We will discuss some of my favorite “writing the self” titles and they will also be available for purchase. Please note that this is not a traditional workshop and you will not get feedback on your work. 

Frances Badalamenti is the author of the novels I Don’t Blame You and Salad Days. Her most recent novel Many Seasons (Buckman Publishing, November 12th, 2024), explores the intersection of selfhood, motherhood and grief. Her essays, stories and interviews can be found at The New Yorker, The Believer Magazine, BOMB Magazine, Vol.1 Brooklyn, and elsewhere. She teaches writing workshops and works individually as a mentor for writers. Frances lives in Portland, Oregon. 

Space is limited to ten writers.

Register via Eventbrite here!

The theme for this issue is TRANCE. Consider the trance and lay your own one on us. The word and the state it references is mysterious, with many possible meanings and applications, show us how you take it. Think of trance not just in content, but form—how can your language or characters weave one? How can your visuals spellbind us?

Writing of all genres, styles, and lengths (up to 5,000 words) is welcome. Poets, please send no more than five poems, with each poem starting on a new page. Prose writers, please adhere to the 5,000-word limit. This total can include multiple interconnected or serial pieces. 

Please submit .docx or .pdf files only, use a readable font, and keep your cover letter brief—please just let us know where you live and include a short author's bio. When it comes to bios, we'd rather hear who you are than read a long list of prior publications, maybe tell us what your favorite condiment is (we're partial to Vegemite.) 

Submissions window for writing will be open December 1st-14th. We really look forward to reading your words! Entrance us! 

Join us at the Buckman Mothership (inside Honey Latte Cafe) to celebrate the launch of Rain or Coincidences, a visual novel by Xinyu Liu. There will be a short reading/performance of scenes from the novel accompanied by projections of the photography featured in the book. Our last book party of 2024!

The theme for this issue is TRANCE. Consider the trance and lay your own one on us. The word and the state it references is mysterious, with many possible meanings and applications, show us how you take it. Think of trance not just in content, but form—how can your language or characters weave one? How can your visuals spellbind us?

Writing of all genres, styles, and lengths (up to 5,000 words) is welcome. Poets, please send no more than five poems, with each poem starting on a new page. Prose writers, please adhere to the 5,000-word limit. This total can include multiple interconnected or serial pieces. 

Please submit .docx or .pdf files only, use a readable font, and keep your cover letter brief—please just let us know where you live and include a short author's bio. When it comes to bios, we'd rather hear who you are than read a long list of prior publications, maybe tell us what your favorite condiment is (we're partial to Vegemite.) 

Submissions window for writing will be open December 1st-14th. We really look forward to reading your words! Entrance us!