One of our partners, Literary Arts, Inc., was recently featured in an article by Amy Wang of the Oregonian/Oregon Live:
“If this year’s Wordstock literary festival had a theme, it would be “ambition.”
More than 100 authors, compared with 88 last year. Eight stages in buildings spread throughout the South Park Blocks, compared to two stages in one location last year. A book fair with 90 booths representing booksellers, publishers, literary magazines, writing studios and more, up from 70 booths last year. Dozens of events: Panel discussions, pop-up readings, writing workshops and kids activities, not to mention related events from partners such as Back Fence PDX, Live Wire Radio, Literary Death Match and Litquake, which will put on a downtown Portland Lit Crawl the night before the festival.
“We really try to program something for everybody,” said Amanda Bullock, director of public programs for Literary Arts, the 32-year-old Portland nonprofit that took over the festival in 2015.
Literary Arts is anticipating a corresponding upsurge in attendance for this year’s festival, which takes place 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. Last year’s Wordstock drew more than 8,500 attendees; the nonprofit plans to offer 10,000 tickets this year.
…Literary Arts is hoping readers will see more value in attending. Wordstock is in the second year of a three-year “guarantee to the community,” made possible largely by funding from the James L. and Marion F. Miller Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust and M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. “After that we have to evaluate it every year, make sure we can raise the money,” Proctor said. “What we’re seeing in terms of community response has been very encouraging. … We’re going to make sure that we are loudly and clearly talking to those in a position to fund the festival (about) why it matters.”
Read the full article here
