Wednesday Jul 16top

Katharine Salzmann, Willa Schneberg, Matt Schumacher

Poetry-lovers, this one is for you. A trio of Oregon’s best poets (Katharine Salzmann, Willa Schneberg and Matt Schumacher) will share their poems at this reading. Salzmann’s newest chapbook of poetry, Prayer Ceremony, was published in 2007 with Persian Pony Press. In 2002, Schneberg won the Oregon Book Award in poetry for her collection titled In The Margins of the World. Schumacher, winner of this year’s Willamette Writers Kay Snow Prize, released his first collection of poetry, Spilling the Moon, in March 2008. Barnes & Noble-Lloyd Center, 1317 Lloyd Center., 249-0800. 7 pm. Free. Map

Mountain Writers Series

This month’s installment of the Mountain Writers Series features readings by two esteemed Portland-based poets. Dan Raphael is a big dog on in the poetry scene. His performances are sometimes funny, sometimes deep and sometimes everything in between. Raphael travels throughout the Northwest and performs at events like Wordstock and Bumbershoot. Joining Raphael is James Grabill, who has authored 12 collections of poetry, most recently An Indigo Scent After the Rain and October Wind. The Mountain Writers Series is held the third Wednesday of every month at Portland’s literary wine cafe, the Press Club. Press Club, 2621 SE Clinton St., 233-5656. 7:30 pm. Suggested $5 donation. Map

Thursday Jul 17top

Destination DIY (formerly DIY, Portland)

If there’s one thing cooler than riding bikes for an hour, it’s learning about bikes for an hour via an amazing local radio show. This month’s installment of Destination DIY (which recently changed its moniker from DIY, Portland) is all about Portland’s favorite form of human-fueled transportation. Producer Julie Sabatier has collected stories from some of the characters in Portland’s bike scene. We’ll hear about the Community Cycling Center, Recyclery, unicycling, bike commuting and other quirky stories about our bike community. This event is a listening party for Destination DIY’s new episode, the show’s 30th installment since 2006. The Waypost, 3120 N Williams Ave., 367-3182. 7 pm. Free. Map

Heather Hansen

With deforestation, global warming and over-consumption running rampant, our globe’s natural wonders are becoming an endangered species. In Disappearing Destinations, authors Heather Hansen and Kimberly Lisagor have written 37 essays about some of the world’s most fascinating places that are in danger of devastation. Glacier National Park, Machu Picchu, and biobays in Puerto Rico are just a few places in peril. Hansen, a freelance journalist who won the Harper’s magazine award for Distinguished Magazine Writing in 1999, will do this reading solo. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-0540. 7:30 pm. Free. Map

Saturday Jul 19top

Tin House Summer Writers Workshop

Hey kids, come learn a thing or two. Local lit mag Tin House's Writers Workshop is a prestigious summer program held at Reed College that features two or three panels, seminars or readings each day facilitated by literary greats. Prepaid registration is not required; you can come and go to whichever events you’d like. Highlights include Steve Almond and Aimee Bender talking about being the offspring of therapists, and a panel titled “The Impulse Toward Memoir,” which will hopefully reveal the shortcomings of people’s self-indulgent tendency to write about themselves. Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd., 771-1112. Individual readings in Cerf Amphitheater, $5. Individual panels and seminars in Vollum Lecture Hall, $15. Full pass, $200. Map

Teri Brown

Imagine a version of the movie Mean Girls where Lindsay Lohan is a lip-reading deaf chick instead of an awkward foreigner. In a nutshell, that’s what local author Teri Brown’s new novel, Read My Lips, is about. Serena, lip-reader extraordinaire, gets swooped up by the popular crowd, which then uses her to read people’s mouths and learn their dirty secrets. Needless to say, Serena soon realizes the error of her ways and repents as best a teenager can. Read My Lips is Brown’s first teen novel. Barnes & Noble Tanasbourne, 18300 NW Evergreen Prkwy., Beaverton., 645-3046. 1 pm. Free. Map

The Hollywood Librarian

Think you know what a librarian does all day? Odds are you’ve got no flippin’ clue. And while a lecture on the topic would be a total snooze, a movie about it could be pretty fantastic. The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film is the first full-length documentary about the work and lives of librarians. The film includes interviews and insight into some of America’s greatest librarians, as well as video clips of librarians from popular movies, such as The Shawshank Redemption, Philadelphia and It’s A Wonderful Life. This film was written and directed by Ann M. Seidl, who owns a library consulting business and has a master's in library and information services from the University of Denver. Capitol Hill Library, 10723 SW Capitol Hwy., 988-5385. 3 pm. Free. Map

Sunday Jul 20top

Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer is famous for writing Artemis Fowl, a series about a 12-year-old criminal mastermind that has taken fantasy lovers by storm. Colfer’s series does not have the same earth-shattering fan following as Harry Potter, but Artemis Fowl is a big deal. And, after a string of sold-out performances at London’s West End, Colfer is bringing his one-man live comedy show, Fairies, Fiends and Flatulence, on tour to the United States. Colfer’s performance at the Bagdad Theater will be followed by a book signing. Bagdad Theater & Pub, 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 236-9234. 3 pm. $5. Map

Monday Jul 21top

Geoff Hollister

Waffle Racers, Air Jordans, Air Force Ones. Alex Rodriguez, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods. These icons and the clothing they wear make Nike the most dominant company in the sports world. But it all had to start somewhere, and in his new book The Inside Story of How Nike Marketed the Culture of Running, Nike's third employee, Geoff Hollister, chronicles the company's rise from humble roots to its current multibillion-dollar bankroll. Hollister and Phil Knight, track teammates at University of Oregon, sold the first pair of Nike sneakers out of the trunk of Hollister’s car. That was 33 years ago, and it has been a wild ride, so come hear about it. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-0540. 7:30 pm. Free. Map

Tuesday Jul 22top

Tyler Colman

Ever wonder how your wine made it into your glass from start to finish? Well, it’s not as simple as pick, squish, bottle and serve. Wine has some dark secrets. In his new book, Wine Politics, acclaimed wine blogger Tyler Colman illuminates the deeply political twists and turns in wine's journey from vine to table. By comparing the travels of Napa versus Bordeaux wines, Colman, who teaches at NYU and the University of Chicago, is able to contrast the politics tied to different wines. His blog, DrVino.com, won “Best Wine Blog” at the 2007 Wine Blog Awards. Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton., 228-4651. 7 pm. Free. Map