It's a rainy Saturday in Portland. What could you possibly have to do today that would be more interesting than hopping on the MAX, getting off at the convention center and hitting up Wordstock, Portland's biggest annual literary event? Especially now that the 4:30 songwriting panel discussion (moderated by Portland recording legend and TapeOp Magazine [...]

Most of what is left is rendering video from Wordstock readings. And the Art section. Time for another break, and I'll start one or the other later today.

Many years ago, I used to bake break regularly. I even nurtured a very old sourdough starter. But I haven't baked for years -- until today, when on a whim I made a batch of peanut butter cookies. H's comment was "weird" -- though later I caught her eating one. So they did look a little non-commercial but they taste fine. Admittedly not my finest moment in the kitchen.

And I'm rendering video again, the last batch, readings from Wordstock.

And thinking about my projects. I made some editing changes on the mockumentary. It never ends.

Despite the thoroughly irritating website (flash splash screen and navigation, music that starts automatically?!), the Wordstock Book Fair this weekend at the convention center looks interesting (10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday). Wordstock is an annual festival of books, writers, and storytelling in Portland, Oregon. . . . Wordstock features ten author stages, a book fair [...]

WW correspondent Matthew Korfhage was nice enough to send us his musings on last week's Wordstock Festival. And because we're awful people, we haven't gotten the post up until today. Don't worry, it was worth the wait: The Oregon Convention Center, by dint of its sheer inhuman scale, can be a confusing place. It's never easy [...]

The fourth annual Wordstock Festival kicked off last night with the Superstar Poetry Slam Competition at the Baghdad Theatre. Don't worry if you missed it, you still have ample time to enjoy the festivities of this truly remarkable literary event.



Saturday, Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9 feature the centerpiece of the festival, the Wordstock Book Fair at the Oregon Convention Center. Come one day or attend both for only $5 each. Tickets are sold at the door. Events will begin at 10 a.m. and finish at 6 p.m. If you plan to stay all day, there will be food available to purchase or you can brown bag it.

Cover of Lance in France by Ashley Maceachern. Lance Armstrong is coming to the Wordstock Festival. Well, OK, not really. But Lance fans (especially little ones) still have a reason to get excited about Wordstock. That's because local author Ashley Maceachern tells us she'll be a featured author. Ashley is a friend [...]

Each week, WW writer John Minervini brings you the latest in book reviews, author Q&A's and Portland literary gossip. Click here to join the Tome Raider mailing list. When it comes to Wordstock (Nov. 6-9), bibliophiles are spoiled for choice. In fact, the geeky excitement of getting to meet all those novelists, poets, comic artists [...]