Four Books, One Night: A Reading & Celebration
Come celebrate Christopher Rose, Caitlin Dwyer, Lara Messersmith-Glavin, and Elissa Minor's new books at Up Up Books
Join us for a special night of readings and celebration! Christopher Rose, Caitlin Dwyer, Lara Messersmith-Glavin, and Elissa Minor will read from their newly released books, with poet Jessica E. Johnson moderating the evening.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Meeting One)
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron's Artist's Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability.
Start your writing project. Create a practice that lasts.
Whether you're a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron's Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It's her Artist's Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we'll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what's coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Details:
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Dates: November 1 – December 6
Where: Up Up Books, 1452 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
Duration: 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
Cost: $100 (includes a copy of Write for Life, a $20 value)
How the Gathering Works:
First Session: We'll start by walking through Cameron's core tools, and diving into chapter one together. No need to read ahead, but if you'd like a head start, pick up your book early and read the introduction.
Weekly Sessions: Every Sunday, we'll gather for one hour to review key takeaways from Write for Life, discuss insights and challenges, and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Daily Practice: Throughout the week, you'll write Morning Pages, work on your project a little each day with a small quota you set yourself, take a daily walk, and go on a weekly Artist Date.
Midweek Check-ins: You'll get a couple of inspiring texts from me each week to keep your momentum going with your pages, your quota, and your Artist Dates.
Community Support: This gathering is about having a supportive community. You'll be part of a group of writers, all working on their own projects, with space to share what's coming up in their writing practice.
Note: November 29 falls on Thanksgiving weekend. If you're traveling, you can do that week's reading and exercises on your own and jump back in on December 6.
Brooke Willow - Book Release Party
Join us in celebration of Brooke Willow's debut book of photographs, HOLDING ON
HOLDING ON is the debut photography book by interdisciplinary artist Brooke Willow. It grew out of Brooke’s community photography project at the Portland Art Museum, where they photographed participants’ hands as they talked and shared stories. Brooke’s photographs explore how our hands carry experiences of care, memory, labor, grief, love, and connection.
So join us for a conversation with Brooke, followed by a Q&A, book signing, and celebratory refreshments on Sunday, November 1st.
Literary Show & Tell with Oregon Humanities and Constellation Reading Series
What’s the book that made you say books are for me?
On November 4, Oregon Humanities and Constellation Reading Series are teaming up to ask Portland writers this exact question.
Inspired by Oregon Humanities magazine’s Works Cited section—where authors unpack the foundational texts that shaped their lives—we’re gathering a stacked lineup of OH contributors and Constellation alums for a night of literary show-and-tell. Featuring flash readings from Lydia Kiesling, Eric Tran, Aleksandr Chernosov, Jae Nichelle, Christopher Rose, and Tim Lane—plus a lightning-round where you can step up to share the book that started your literary origin story.
Join us as part of the Portland Book Festival's Cover to Cover series and celebrate the reading life!
Corey S. Pressman - Book Release Party
Celebrate the release of Corey S. Pressman's debut poetry collection, A Thousand Flames published by Verdant Publishing
Join us as we celebrate A Thousand Flames, Corey S. Pressman’s debut poetry collection. His poems explore secular devotion, where a bird feeder can stand as the axis mundi and the bees have a god of their own. Across twelve sections, they travel from a Rockland County childhood to a hilltop in the fog, and as far back as the rooftops of Neolithic Çatalhöyük. Each poem asks you to slow down and stay a little longer than expected.
Corey S. Pressman is an artist, writer, and teacher living in the Pacific Northwest. His poems, essays, academic works, and stories have appeared in journals, magazines, and bound collections including Orion Magazine, Gastronomica, Santa Clara Review, Critical Public Health, and the Anthropology and Humanism journal. His visual art practice centers on abstract works made with natural powdered pigments, paper, and handmade wax medium. Pressman's teaching often explores the relationship between art, attention, imagination, and wellbeing. He is faculty at the University of Portland and has led creative workshops at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology and Esalen Institute.
Verdant Publishing nurtures creative voices rooted in nature, ecology, and personal transformation. They support artists, writers, and interdisciplinary storytellers by publishing thoughtful, visually rich, and emotionally resonant works that reflect a deep connection to nature, curiosity, and community. They are committed to equitable partnerships, accessible publishing pathways.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Meeting Two)
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron's Artist's Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability.
Start your writing project. Create a practice that lasts.
Whether you're a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron's Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It's her Artist's Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we'll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what's coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Details:
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Dates: November 1 – December 6
Where: Up Up Books, 1452 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
Duration: 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
Cost: $100 (includes a copy of Write for Life, a $20 value)
How the Gathering Works:
First Session: We'll start by walking through Cameron's core tools, and diving into chapter one together. No need to read ahead, but if you'd like a head start, pick up your book early and read the introduction.
Weekly Sessions: Every Sunday, we'll gather for one hour to review key takeaways from Write for Life, discuss insights and challenges, and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Daily Practice: Throughout the week, you'll write Morning Pages, work on your project a little each day with a small quota you set yourself, take a daily walk, and go on a weekly Artist Date.
Midweek Check-ins: You'll get a couple of inspiring texts from me each week to keep your momentum going with your pages, your quota, and your Artist Dates.
Community Support: This gathering is about having a supportive community. You'll be part of a group of writers, all working on their own projects, with space to share what's coming up in their writing practice.
Note: November 29 falls on Thanksgiving weekend. If you're traveling, you can do that week's reading and exercises on your own and jump back in on December 6.
Karen Holmberg and Carolyn Supinka - Reading & Conversation
Poetry reading and conversation with Karen Holmberg and Carolyn Supinka
Join us for a reading and conversation with Karen Holmberg and Carolyn Supinka
Karen Holmberg won the 2025 Cider Press Review Editors’ with Reckless Shelter. Reckless Shelter was published iAugust, 2026. Holmberg’s two poetry volumes are The Perseids (winner of the Vassar Miller Prize/University of North Texas Press) and Axis Mundi (winner of the John Ciardi Prize/BkMk Press). In addition to poetry, she publishes lyric essays and art criticism, appearing in At Length, Tupelo Quarterly, and the Notting Hill Editions Prize anthology. Recent poems have appeared in Southern Poetry Review, and were featured in the spring issue of High Country News. Her first young adult novel, The Collagist, won the 2021 Acheven Prize and was published by Regal Press/Fitzroy Editions in the spring of 2024. She teaches British Literature, poetry writing, and letterpress printing at Oregon State University, where she is on the MFA in Creative Writing faculty.
Carolyn Supinka (she/her) is a visual artist and writer living in Portland, Oregon. She received her MFA from Oregon State University and BA from Carnegie Mellon University. Her poetry comics have appeared in Gigantic Sequins, Ecotone, HAD and Redivider. Her poetry has appeared in DIAGRAM, The Boiler, Sixth Finch, and Passages North. She creates zines with and is a co-editor of Conjunction Press.
Her first full-length book of poetry and poetry comics, Metamorphic Door, is out now from Buckman Publishing.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Meeting Three)
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron's Artist's Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability.
Start your writing project. Create a practice that lasts.
Whether you're a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron's Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It's her Artist's Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we'll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what's coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Details:
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Dates: November 1 – December 6
Where: Up Up Books, 1452 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
Duration: 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
Cost: $100 (includes a copy of Write for Life, a $20 value)
How the Gathering Works:
First Session: We'll start by walking through Cameron's core tools, and diving into chapter one together. No need to read ahead, but if you'd like a head start, pick up your book early and read the introduction.
Weekly Sessions: Every Sunday, we'll gather for one hour to review key takeaways from Write for Life, discuss insights and challenges, and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Daily Practice: Throughout the week, you'll write Morning Pages, work on your project a little each day with a small quota you set yourself, take a daily walk, and go on a weekly Artist Date.
Midweek Check-ins: You'll get a couple of inspiring texts from me each week to keep your momentum going with your pages, your quota, and your Artist Dates.
Community Support: This gathering is about having a supportive community. You'll be part of a group of writers, all working on their own projects, with space to share what's coming up in their writing practice.
Note: November 29 falls on Thanksgiving weekend. If you're traveling, you can do that week's reading and exercises on your own and jump back in on December 6.
Making the Cut! - Collage Workshop
A collage workshop with Kevin Sampsell
Collage art has been enjoying a vibrant resurgence lately and one reason why is because it's accessible, fun, and expressive. It can also be groundbreaking and wild.
Portland author and artist Kevin Sampsell has been one of the leaders in bringing the joys or cutting, tearing, and gluing to the people. In this two-hour workshop, Kevin will share a myriad of styles, approaches, and ideas and help guide you in making your own collages.
Materials (paper, old magazines, glue, scissors, etc) provided, but feel free to bring your own.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Meeting Four)
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron's Artist's Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability.
Start your writing project. Create a practice that lasts.
Whether you're a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron's Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It's her Artist's Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we'll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what's coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Details:
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Dates: November 1 – December 6
Where: Up Up Books, 1452 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
Duration: 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
Cost: $100 (includes a copy of Write for Life, a $20 value)
How the Gathering Works:
First Session: We'll start by walking through Cameron's core tools, and diving into chapter one together. No need to read ahead, but if you'd like a head start, pick up your book early and read the introduction.
Weekly Sessions: Every Sunday, we'll gather for one hour to review key takeaways from Write for Life, discuss insights and challenges, and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Daily Practice: Throughout the week, you'll write Morning Pages, work on your project a little each day with a small quota you set yourself, take a daily walk, and go on a weekly Artist Date.
Midweek Check-ins: You'll get a couple of inspiring texts from me each week to keep your momentum going with your pages, your quota, and your Artist Dates.
Community Support: This gathering is about having a supportive community. You'll be part of a group of writers, all working on their own projects, with space to share what's coming up in their writing practice.
Note: November 29 falls on Thanksgiving weekend. If you're traveling, you can do that week's reading and exercises on your own and jump back in on December 6.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Meeting Five)
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron's Artist's Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability.
Start your writing project. Create a practice that lasts.
Whether you're a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron's Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It's her Artist's Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we'll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what's coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Details:
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Dates: November 1 – December 6
Where: Up Up Books, 1452 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
Duration: 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
Cost: $100 (includes a copy of Write for Life, a $20 value)
How the Gathering Works:
First Session: We'll start by walking through Cameron's core tools, and diving into chapter one together. No need to read ahead, but if you'd like a head start, pick up your book early and read the introduction.
Weekly Sessions: Every Sunday, we'll gather for one hour to review key takeaways from Write for Life, discuss insights and challenges, and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Daily Practice: Throughout the week, you'll write Morning Pages, work on your project a little each day with a small quota you set yourself, take a daily walk, and go on a weekly Artist Date.
Midweek Check-ins: You'll get a couple of inspiring texts from me each week to keep your momentum going with your pages, your quota, and your Artist Dates.
Community Support: This gathering is about having a supportive community. You'll be part of a group of writers, all working on their own projects, with space to share what's coming up in their writing practice.
Note: November 29 falls on Thanksgiving weekend. If you're traveling, you can do that week's reading and exercises on your own and jump back in on December 6.
Write for Life: Show Up for Your Writing, Every Day (Meeting Six)
A 6-week gathering based on Julia Cameron's Artist's Way for writers, with daily practices, weekly exercises, and accountability.
Start your writing project. Create a practice that lasts.
Whether you're a beginner or experienced writer, Julia Cameron's Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer will help you start, stay committed to, and show up for your writing project. It's her Artist's Way program, made for writers. During our six weeks, we'll provide structure and community to support you, with weekly check-ins, group discussions on what's coming up for us, and time to complete the writing exercises at the end of each chapter together as a group.
Details:
When: Sundays, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Dates: November 1 – December 6
Where: Up Up Books, 1452 NE 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97232
Duration: 1 hour per week for 6 weeks
Cost: $100 (includes a copy of Write for Life, a $20 value)
How the Gathering Works:
First Session: We'll start by walking through Cameron's core tools, and diving into chapter one together. No need to read ahead, but if you'd like a head start, pick up your book early and read the introduction.
Weekly Sessions: Every Sunday, we'll gather for one hour to review key takeaways from Write for Life, discuss insights and challenges, and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Daily Practice: Throughout the week, you'll write Morning Pages, work on your project a little each day with a small quota you set yourself, take a daily walk, and go on a weekly Artist Date.
Midweek Check-ins: You'll get a couple of inspiring texts from me each week to keep your momentum going with your pages, your quota, and your Artist Dates.
Community Support: This gathering is about having a supportive community. You'll be part of a group of writers, all working on their own projects, with space to share what's coming up in their writing practice.
Note: November 29 falls on Thanksgiving weekend. If you're traveling, you can do that week's reading and exercises on your own and jump back in on December 6.
Graft Union Chimera 2 - Zine Launch Party
>>> ONE YEAR LATER…
The BEAST has grown another head.
One year ago, Graft Union released the first issue of CHIMERA, our anthology contributor zine built by our community--the artists who have participated in past GURS-ES--the lifeblood. And now… she returns.
CHIMERA II will be RELEASED into the world on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, and we simply need you there to help us celebrate its arrival!!
< < CHIMERA II LAUNCH PARTY
> > THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15
< < UP UP BOOKS 1452 NE 28 AVE
> > 7–9 PM
Come hear readings from the new issue and join us for a lowkey listening party to the 2-DISC LIVE ALBUM tucked inside the zine (!!), featuring FEMME CELL and AS ABOVE recorded at Reed Chapel. The CDs also contain four poetry audio tracks from past GURS <3!
The whole thing was risograph printed at Secret Room and assembled with an unreasonable amount of love, attention, and other mysterious forces. There is much more we could tell you, but we would rather put the zine in your hands. It belongs there! (in your hands!)
COME CELEBRATE WITH US!! Come hear the work, hear the music, see the creature, and GET YOUR COPY OF CHIMERA II!!
<<< One zine. Two discs. Many heads.
SEE YOU THERE 🐍
xoxo,
GRAFT UNION
poster by @cozycupofchamomile and @julia.soft.animal
Grand Opening Party!
Join us at the PALS (Portland Arts & Literary Society) building to celebrate the opening of our multi-use space and the launch of the current issue, Buckman Journal: Shed. We will have snacks, drinks, cake, and crafts to share. Visual art from the contributors of Buckman Journal: Shed will be on view in Yikes! Gallery and Up Up Books will be open for shopping. This open-house style event is free and open to all, come help us ring in this new chapter! Note: while the building entrance does have two steps, we will have a portable ramp set up for ADA access.
From 4pm-6pm we will be hosting Meg Hayertz offering free Literary Tarot Readings. Expect a gentle conversation with the cards to nourish your writer self, invite possibility, and gain clarity about story and/or craft within a new or in-progress writing project. 15 minutes each, first come, first served. Sit down with her and the cards, and you’ll feel at ease in your practice. Together, you'll melt a creative block, deepen a character, or fill a plot hole. Insightful and uplifting, Meg's readings center your wisdom and life experiences. You'll leave feeling more connected with yourself and excited to write!
CreativeMomentum.art
IG @ creative_momentum
Meg Hayertz (she/they) is the author of Tarot for Beginners (Althea Press) and the founder of Creative Momentum, where she helps writers free their voice, nourish their practice, and finish their project. She holds an MFA from California Institute of Integral Studies and her fiction has appeared in The Louisville Review, CALYX, Press Pause, and elsewhere.
Cover & Reveal: A Zine-Making Workshop & Poetry Reading
Join us at local Buckman neighborhood spot, Up Up Books for a two-part event to celebrate the launch of Metamorphic Door by Carolyn Supinka. Part one is an interactive workshop led by Conjunction Press editors Carolyn Supinka and Karah Kemmerly. Using prompts, collage, found text and poetry, participants will be guided through the process of putting together a zine in collaboration with other artists. Everyone will receive a copy of the zine created during the workshop, which will take place in the workshop back room of the bookshop space from 5:30-6:30pm. Spots are still open for the workshop (RSVP is preferred to help us know the proper amount of supplies to bring. E-mail emmi@buckmanpublishing.com to claim your spot!)
This will be followed by a reading by local poets Karah Kemmerly, Darla Mottram, Harper Quinn, and of course, Carolyn Supinka. Books will be for sale with the author standing by to autograph your copy. Free and open to all with light refreshments served. Hope to see you there!
Up Up Books is ADA-accessible.