I kind of can't believe I have 48 of these things. At the same time, it really feels like this is the 48th. All I want to do is list the two new things I did this past week, upload a photo and call it a day. My reluctance to elaborate or dig deeper just... Continue Reading →
week thirty-four: unchaste
Work your way past the brightly lit pool tables and sports-filled TVs of The Rialto and go down into the basement, into The Jack London Bar. It's better down there. It's very dark and kind of cozy and the bartender is nice. I discovered this on Tuesday when I went there to attend the Unchaste... Continue Reading →
week twenty-two: a brief exhibition
The Associated Writing Programs (AWP) annual conference took place in Seattle this past week. I went to the conference years ago in Chicago and decided the chaotic shmooze-fest was something I only had to do once. People attend for different reasons, but I imagine many attend to connect with other writers and pursue relationships with... Continue Reading →
week eleven: an accumulation
The weak sun starts to set around 3 these days. By 4:30 it's dark. Until the light comes back, I'll follow up my afternoon naps with nine hours of sleep. I'll avoid festive gatherings in exchange for a pile of blankets, a long movie, a good book, a lapful of cats. For me, this time... Continue Reading →
week ten: noir at the bar
Portland could have found a seedier bar for their inaugural Noir at the Bar, a literary event that's been happening in cities all over the country since 2008. I was kind of hoping to settle into a night of readings by noir writers inside the sad, sketchy misery of The Matador on W. Burnside. Instead,... Continue Reading →
week one: poetry, booze and pillsbury doughboys
Almost every day, I walk by the East Portland Eagle Lodge, a mural-wrapped one-story building sitting in the corner of a block-sized parking lot. On Thursdays there's a flea market in the lot. Once a month there's a twilight rummage sale indoors where you can drink a beer and browse through people's crap. I've been... Continue Reading →
Tracy Burkholder 