With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morning

so this is the sound of you
here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is
where we have come with our age
our knowledge such as it is
and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible

— To the New Year by W. S. Merwin

While winter settles in and a new year takes hold, Oregon’s literary community is heating up. This bright, new month features thoughtful gatherings, author readings, and engaging community discussions with local authors. Whether you’re drawn to starting 2026 with a contemplative, quiet book or ready to celebrate the written word with a lively party, January’s calendar is full and inviting, with events for every Oregonian.

In the Portland area, Multnomah County Library’s Everybody Reads community reading program invites readers to share in an exploration of Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson, American Supreme Court justice. Participants are encouraged to read the book and take part in free book discussions from Jan. 6 through Feb. 29. Events for all ages include storytelling, music, and crafts. Everybody Reads kicks off Friday, Jan. 9, with the Black History 101 Mobile Museum at Midland Library in Southeast Portland, where more than 15,000 artifacts of Black memorabilia will be on view. Khalid el-Hakkim, educator and curator of the museum, will speak at 4 p.m. (The program’s finale, “An Evening with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson” on March 12 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, is sold out.)

In Enterprise, Fishtrap Reads launches its annual community reading celebration Friday, Jan. 9, with The Bear by Andrew Krivak. The novel considers the vastness of the natural, telling of an Edenic future where nature has reclaimed the world. The opening event, from 5 to 7 p.m., will transform Fishtrap headquarters, 107 W. Main St., into an interactive space where readers can learn about navigating by constellations, animal tracking, native fish, local wildlife, and wilderness survival skills. Throughout January, participants are encouraged to join book discussions, story times, and nature‑themed programs, culminating in a grand finale event featuring Krivak on Jan. 29, at Fishtrap. Tickets to that event, which will also be available online, are $15 general and $12.50 for Fishtrap members.

For poetry lovers, the Milwaukie Poetry Series presents Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the Ledding Library. Waterston, author of We Could Die Doing This, will share her works — rooted in desert landscape imagery and the emotional terrain of experience — in an evening of poetry that intertwines memory, place, and voice.

In other poetry news, the Friends of William Stafford mark the 112th anniversary of the beloved Oregon poet’s birth with readings Jan. 8 in Ashland and Jan. 31 in Newport, as well as The Stafford Challenge, a commitment to write a poem a day for a year that begins Jan. 17 in Lake Oswego.

Week 1: Jan. 1-7

Reading: Sandra Freels: Anneke Jans in the New World
Presented by Annie Bloom’s Books
7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6
Annie Bloom’s Books
7834 S.W. Capitol Hwy., Portland
Free

Sandra Freels, Slavic languages and literatures scholar and former Russian program head at Portland State University, will read from her debut novel, Anneke Jans in the New World. The book, based on true events, tells the story of a young mother in 17th-century New Amsterdam who flees the Old World in search of a better life. One of the few women in the colony, Anneke arrives with her husband and daughters, finds herself in difficult circumstances and political turmoil, and soon realizes she will need to make her own rules to survive.

Emma Pattee in Conversation With Willy Vlautin
Presented by Powell’s Books
7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7
Powell’s City of Books
1005 W. Burnside St. Portland
Free

Emma Pattee, climate journalist and author, will discuss her novel Tilt (review). Set over the course of a single day after a massive earthquake devastates Portland, the story follows Annie, a pregnant woman navigating a fractured city in search of her husband while confronting her past, relationships, and hopes for the future. Pattee will talk about the power of storytelling and the urgent, human themes at the heart of her disaster novel with Willy Vlautin, author of The Horse and The Night Always Comes.

Paul Susi in Conversation With Omar El Akkad
Presented by Powell’s Books
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8
Powell’s City of Books
1005 W. Burnside St. Portland
Free

Paul Susi, writer, theater artist, and director of the vendor program at Street Roots, will discuss his debut book, Character Work, which draws on Susi’s experiences in theater, mutual aid, and frontline social service work. Susi will talk about identity, community, and the human stakes at the center of his work in conversation with Portland writer Omar El Akkad, author of One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, winner of the 2025 National Book Award for nonfiction

Week 2: Jan. 8-14

Portland Book Launch & Reading: Chen, Hasegawa, Macarty & Zdeb
Presented by Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10
Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
715 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland
Free

Ching-In Chen, Jennifer Hasegawa, Jami Macarty, and Nicole Alston Zdeb will celebrate their respective new poetry collections, Shiny City, NAOMIE ANOMIE: A Biography of Infinite Desire, The Long Now Conditions Permit, and The End of Welcome. The authors will read from their books and discuss the personal and political themes present in their works during the community-centered evening.

Author Talk: Amy Bowers Cordalis
Presented by Jackson County Library Services
3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10
Ashland Library, Gresham Room
410 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland
Free

Join Amy Bowers Cordalis, Ashland resident, fisherwoman, lawyer, and a member and former general counsel of the Yurok Tribe, for a discussion about her new book, The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family’s Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life. Cordalis will talk about her personal, family-centered narrative about Indigenous efforts to protect ancestral lands and waterways, and discuss themes of environmental stewardship and cultural heritage in her work.

Author Reading: Leni Zumas
Presented by Broadway Books
6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14
Broadway Books
1714 N.E. Broadway St., Portland
Free

Leni Zumas, novelist and author of The Listeners, will discuss her newest release, Wolf Bells. Called “essential” and “audacious” by author Miriam Toews, the novel chronicles an intergenerational group-home run by an ex-musician who aims to make it into a caring home, taking on the topic of America’s failing care systems. Zumas will talk about themes in her book including family, community, and the ways individuals seek connection and belonging in contemporary life.

Week 3: Jan. 15-21

Sonya Lea in Conversation With Rene Denfeld
Presented by Broadway Books
6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15
Broadway Books
1714 N.E. Broadway St., Portland
Free

Sonya Lea, author and essayist, and will talk about her book, American Bloodlines: Reckoning With Lynch Culture, a combination of memoir and cultural criticism. “In the urgent fight against historical amnesia, American Bloodlines does the heavy lifting…. demonstrates that taking responsibility for past atrocities is an ethical obligation,” author Anna Badkhen says of the book. Lea will talk with Rene Denfeld, prize-winning Portland author of novels including Sleeping Giants, about history, memory, and the ways individuals and communities deal with and combat America’s legacy of racial terror.

Author Reading and Book Release: Sangamithra Iyer
Presented by Literary Arts
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20
Literary Arts
716 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland
Free

Sangamithra Iyer, environmental planner, engineer, and author of The Lines We Draw, will discuss her debut memoir, Governing Bodies: A Memoir, a Confluence, a Watershed. The book weaves together stories of family, legacy, conservation, and the natural world through a series of letters that explore the connectedness of human, animal, and planetary lives. Iyer will also talk about systems of harm and care, personal and collective histories, and the search for meaning and connection across landscapes and generations.

The Moth: Thin Ice
Presented by The Moth and OPB
8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20
Holocene
1001 S.E. Morrison St., Portland
$20 (21 and over)

The Moth StorySLAM is back with Thin Ice, an open-mic storytelling competition in which presenters share a true, personal 5-minute story on the night’s theme. This month’s theme is about taking significant risks, sidesteps, learning to tread lightly, flirting with catastrophe, and anything else being on “thin ice” means to you. Early sign-up is recommended to secure your spot.

One Book, One Beaverton: Book Discussion
Presented by Washington County Cooperative Library Services
6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20
Beaverton City Library
12375 S.W. Fifth St., Beaverton
Free

Join Beaverton library staff for a book discussion of Rough Sleepers by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder. The nonfiction work chosen for the 2026 One Book, One Beaverton event tells the story of Dr. Jim O’Connell and his decades of dedicated care for people experiencing homelessness in Boston, offering a humane and nuanced look at resilience, compassion, and community. Library staff will guide a conversation about the book’s key themes and consider the challenges and possibilities of addressing homelessness in America. Kidder will not be in attendance.

Everybody Reads: Handwriting the Constitution
Presented by Multnomah County Library Services
3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21
Gresham Library
385 N.W. Miller Ave., Gresham
Free

Celebrate National Handwriting Day with an event that invites community members to come together to quietly copy the U.S. Constitution by hand. This event is an opportunity for reflection on the meaning and content of the foundational document of self-governance in the United States. Free copies of the U.S. Constitution will be available to all participants in the spirit of spreading knowledge and awareness. A free “Handwriting Tips” informational sheet will also be available. Bring a writing tool and paper. The program repeats at 3:30 p.m. Friday Jan. 23 in the Hillsdale branch library and 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Albina branch library.

Week 4: Jan. 22-31

Author Reading: Bob Welch
Presented by Tsunami Books
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22
Tsunami Books
2585 Willamette St., Eugene
Free

Bob Welch, 50‑year Oregon author, columnist, and writing teacher, will read from his latest book, Writer: How to Craft Nonfiction Stories That Touch Your Readers’ Hearts, Souls & Funny Bones. The written guide blends practical writing advice with insight, humor, and encouragement based on Welch’s experience as a columnist and teacher. He will talk about key approaches to nonfiction, including mindset, obstacles, tools, and process, offering ideas to inspire both new and seasoned writers.

NW Authors Series Presents Zoë Bossiere
Presented by Cannon Beach Library
2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24
Cannon Beach Library
131 N. Hemlock, Cannon Beach
Free

Join Zoë Bossiere (interview) in a discussion of their book, Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir, a chronicle of their experiences growing up as a trans boy in an Arizona trailer park. The event will be livestreamed to Facebook.

Poet Ralph Salisbury Centennial Celebration and Poetry Reading
Presented by Tsunami Books
2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25
Tsunami Books
2585 Willamette St., Eugene
Free

A tribute reading will honor the life and work of Ralph Salisbury (1926-2017), Oregon poet, author, editor, and teacher. Salisbury, professor emeritus at University of Oregon and former editor at Northwest Review, wrote more than a dozen books of poetry, fiction, and memoir that reflect his Cherokee, Shawnee, English, and Irish heritage. The event will feature readings by friends, former students, and community members Barbara Drake, Cecelia Hagen, Roger Moody, Frank Rossini, Maxine Scates, Kim Stafford, Mark Thalman, Ingrid Wendt, and Ken Zimmerman.

Dear Debbie Release Garden Party
Presented by Powell’s Books
7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27
Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton
$27, preregistration suggested

Powell’s will hold a garden party to celebrate the launch of Frieda McFadden’s new thriller, Dear Debbie. McFadden is a physician and New York Times-bestselling author of the psychological thriller The Intruder. The festive evening will feature games, giveaways, and themed activities to celebrate Dear Debbie’s release.