little tree
little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see      i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would,
only don’t be afraid

look      the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms
and i’ll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won’t be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you’re quite dressed
you’ll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they’ll stare!
oh but you’ll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we’ll dance and sing
“Noel Noel”

— [little tree] by e.e. cummings

Sponsor

The holiday season is here, and Oregon’s literary scene is flourishing with author readings, holiday fairs, and cookie decorating events for the whole family. Enjoy December’s front-heavy schedule with events from Powell’s Books, Mother Foucault’s Bookshop, Up Up Books, and others, then take some time to unwind and enjoy the peaceful beauty of the holidays as December winds down and the year comes to an end.

Shoppers can meet local authors at “Holiday Cheer,” the Oregon Historical Society’s 56th Annual Celebration of Oregon Authors, from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at the historical society in downtown Portland. The free event is open to the public and kicks off the holiday season by celebrating Oregon’s talented literary voices. More than 60 authors, editors, and illustrators will be signing books while attendees shop for holiday gifts and sip hot cocoa. Carla Axtman, Jonathan Bach, Leslie Barnard Booth, Tyler Bieber, Marc Carpenter, Jennifer Chambers, Celeste Colasurdo, Lois Colton, Richard Etulain, Jack Ohman, Tobias Read, June Reynolds, Rosemary Reynolds, Cynthia Sainz, Leah Sottile, and Susan Stoner are among writers scheduled to be at this year’s Holiday Cheer.

Week 1: Dec. 1-7

Megha Majumdar in Conversation With Lydia Kiesling
Presented by Powell’s Books
7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3
Powell’s City of Books
1005 W. Burnside St. Portland
Free

Megha Majumdar, National Book Award nominee and author of Burning, will talk about her newest book, A Guardian and a Thief, with Lydia Kiesling, author of Mobility. Set over the course of a week, Majumdar’s book tells two stories: one of Ma, a woman searching for the thief, and the other of Boomba, the thief driven by desperation to care for his family. Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families, each operating from a place of ferocious love.

Machine Nightmares
Presented by Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4
Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
715 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland
Free

Machine Nightmares is a forum featuring Portland-area artists, musicians, and writers exploring the potential ramifications of artificial intelligence in the arts, education, and the workplace. The evening will feature presentations arguing against the use of A.I. by Roger Peet, artist, printmaker, and writer; Lydia Kiesling, writer; Celeste Noche, photographer; Jennifer Ruth, educator; Callum Angus, writer, publisher, and teacher; Joon Ae Haworth-Kaufka, writer and community organizer; John Niekrasz, writer, musician, and composer; and Emme Lund, author and teacher.

A Reading, Conversation, and Celebration With Fonograf Editions
Presented by Up Up Books and Fonograf Editions
7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5
Up Up Books
1211 S.E. Stark St., Portland
$5-$20 suggested donation

Sponsor

Jaydra Johnson, New York and Portland-based visual artist and educator, and Jessica Pedrosa, author of Encircle, will hold a reading and conversation on the value of experimental art. They will also discuss the value of challenging art and argue that art should make viewers think and reconsider their beliefs. The evening will also celebrate the one-year anniversary of Fonograf Editions author Jaydra Johnson’s award-winning debut, Low: Notes on Art and Trash.

Fishtrap Fireside
Presented by Fishtrap and Wild Carrot Herbals
5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5
Fishtrap
107 W. Main St., Enterprise
Free

December’s Fishtrap Fireside event features three local readers, Larry Nall, Nick Neely, and Whitney Tayer. Nall’s experience involves running a forest inventory business, which gave him the opportunity to explore the wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest. Neely is the author of the essay collection Coast Range, a John Burroughs Medal finalist for natural history writing, and LA Times Bestseller detailing his 12-week trek from San Diego to San Francisco. Tayer is an outdoorswoman, nature enthusiast, and writer. The three will share their works and stories with audience members.

Annual Holiday Tea
Presented by Cannon Beach Library
1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6
Cannon Beach Library
131 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach
Free

Join Cannon Beach Library for its Annual Holiday Tea featuring tea, hot mulled cider, and home-baked cookies by the library fireplace and conversations about books and literature with community members. This event is community-sponsored and organized by volunteers and includes a holiday craft sale, all taking place before the city’s annual Lamp Lighting Ceremony across the street at Sandpiper Square.

The Moth Mainstage
Presented by Literary Arts
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 S.W. Broadway, Portland
$25-$95

“When’s the last time you did something… daring?” asks The Moth Mainstage and Literary Arts. This season’s night of storytelling features five performers exploring the theme of “daring,” where they will tell true stories on stage without notes. The bold event promises laughs, gasps, truths, and maybe even tears.

Sponsor

Week 2: Dec. 8-14

Author Talk: Life Along the Applegate Trail
Presented by Jackson County Library Services
2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13
Eagle Point Library Meeting Room
239 W. Main St., Eagle Point
Free

Linda Lochard, an Eagle Point-area author, will discuss her novel, Life Along the Applegate Trail: A Tale of Grit and Determination. The book was inspired by her research into the diaries of the 1846 Applegate Trail travelers and her own participation in the 51-day 1996 Applegate Wagon Train re-enactment. Copies of the historical fiction work will be available for purchase.

Week 3: Dec. 15-21

Christmas Party & Story Time
Presented by The Next Chapter Bookstore
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20
The Next Chapter Bookstore
1000 S. Hwy. 395, Suite C
Hermiston
Free

A Christmas-themed story time kicks off the event at the Hermiston bookstore, followed by Christmas and book-themed crafts, games, and goodie bags.

Slamlandia
Presented by Literary Arts
7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18
Literary Arts
716 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland
Free

Julia Gaskill, a slam poet featured on the YouTube channels SlamFind, Write About Now, and Button Poetry, author of weirdo, and co-creator of the Bigfoot Poetry Slam, will host this month’s Slamlandia. The event is a monthly poetry open mic and casual slam poetry competition at Literary Arts.

Week 4: Dec. 22-31

Winter Wonderland Cookie & Story Party at Literary Arts
Presented by Literary Arts
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23
Literary Arts
716 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland
Free

Sponsor

Bring the whole family to Literary Arts’ Winter Wonderland Cookie & Story Party in celebration of the holiday season. The kid-centered event will feature sugar cookies to decorate, a coloring and craft corner, and a cozy winter story time appropriate for all ages. Adults will be welcome to grab a snack at the cafe and participate in free gift wrapping for last-minute holiday shopping.