Bold Coffee & Books - Portland, OR

Portland Paper Club

Thursday January 8th

Every Thursday

Do you love paper crafts? We do too!

This group is for people seeking consistent time to practice paper arts and crafts in a small, low-pressure group setting.

***Space is limited. Please RSVP on Meetup here.***

Rose City Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Weekly Write-In

Friday January 9th

Every Friday

Join us for a writing/discussion group. This is a co-working meeting. If you are looking for feedback or critique, there are other meetings for that. The format is social chat for 15 minutes, silent write for an hour, chat for 15 minutes, repeat.

Hosted by Rose City Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers at BOLD Coffee & Books.

Author Reading: Lori Kunkel, Judy Schiller, and Brynne Hicks, The Purple Nest: A Groundbreaking Remain-at-Home Care Model for Elders with Dementia, in Conversation with Niki Tucker, Things to Remember Before I Forget

Friday January 9th

BOLD is honored to host a reading with Lori Kunkel, Judy Schiller, and Brynne Hicks, co-authors of The Purple Nest: A Groundbreaking Remain-at-Home Care Model for Elders with Dementia, in conversation with Niki Tucker, author of Things to Remember Before I Forget.

Join co-authors Lori Kunkel, Judy Schiller and Brynne Hicks for an evening discussing their book inspired by Lucy, a woman with Alzheimer’s who received exceptional, daily care from a dedicated team in her SE Portland home. The authors were moved by the quality of care and hope to inspire and guide others to implement the care model. They’ll be joined by Niki Tucker, author of Things to Remember Before I Forget, a fill-in-the-blanks book that helps elders document their wishes and life stories, offering guidance for those who may need to care for them in the future.

Lori Kunkel was part of a team of companions for Lucy. Though her previous experience was solely with taking care of family elders with memory challenges she had never been a professional care giver. The two and a half years she spent working with Lucy brought her unexpected joy and fulfillment! 

Judy Schiller became involved in Lucy’s life in 2016 helping with bookkeeping and taxes. Over the next two years her role in facilitating positive life changes for Lucy increased exponentially. Through what she would call – chasing rabbits down rabbit holes – she discovered the system we now call, “The Purple Nest Model”.

Brynne Hicks, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in geriatric care, in private practice focused on seniors and individuals, including those with dementia, mental illnesses, brain injuries, and developmental disabilities. Brynne managed medical care for Lucy, leading to the development of the Purple Nest Home Care Model. 

Niki Tucker holds an MSW degree, and is a licensed social worker and certified care manager.  She owns SeaStar Senior Services, a Portland agency that provides in-home care and care management to vulnerable adults. She and her daughter Jenna wrote this journal to help people plan ahead for their own care needs.

 Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Children's Storytime

Saturday January 10th

Every Saturday

Join us every Saturday morning for children’s storytime! Whether an author is here to read their book or our staff is reading a favorite, we’ll feature stories that spread compassion, awareness, and positivity.

Children will get a coloring page or sticker to take home too!

The shop carries juice, snacks, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and other items for kids—and adults, we hope you enjoy a delicious coffee or tea drink while your child is entertained.

*****

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Publishing Industry Social, Cohosted by Creative Branches, Rose City Book Pub

Saturday January 10th

Publishing Professionals Social: Join us for a fun and casual social to bring the Portland area’s book editors, designers, marketers, digital specialists, and more into one room. Open to professionals and students alike. 

 Brought to you by BOLD Coffee & Books; Indigo: Editing, Design, and More; Creative Branches; and Rose City Book Pub.

Silent Reading Party

Tuesday January 13th

Monthly on every second Tuesday

Remember how great silent reading time was in elementary school? The melting away of distractions while you lost yourself in a great book? Now you can get that as an adult too!

Join us at BOLD for a silent reading party. Bring your book or buy one here. Grab a drink or pastry, and lose yourself in those pages.

Arrive around 5:00 if you want to meet other readers and share about the book you’re reading. The background music switches to classical and the reading begins at 5:30 p.m. More book talk afterwards, at 6:30.

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write

Wednesday January 14th

Every Wednesday

Every Wednesday

No more procrastination! Bring your work in progress and join other writers for some dedicated time to get your words down.

Every Wednesday 5:00–5:30 Arrive, get comfortable, meet your fellow writers, and chat about your projects 5:30–6:30 Time to shut up and write!

Cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books (

https://boldcoffeeandbooks.com

) and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More (

https://www.indigoediting.com

). 

The Great BOLD Write-Off

Friday January 16th

In this snappy writing contest, we give the writers four writing prompts and set the timer for 30 minutes. When the time is up, they read their stories and the judges select a winner—all right there on the spot. There’s no time to hesitate, second-guess, or hold back. Then the winner takes home prizes! All writers are welcome, from published professionals to newborn novelists.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m

*****

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Author Reading: Steve Arndt and the Spanbauerians

Saturday January 17th

BOLD is thrilled to host an author reading with Steve Arndt and the Spanbauerians! Author and instructor Tom Spanbauer had a profound effect on many writers in the Portland area and beyond. Indeed, there are generations of Spanbauer writers who have gone on to publish, lead other writing groups, teach, and most importantly, continue the legacy of community and craft. Spanbauerian Steve Arndt leads the charge for this reading series, curating a selection of Spanbauer authors to read each quarter at BOLD Coffee & Books. 

Yuvi Zalkow’s latest novel (I Only Cry with Emoticons,Red Hen Press) is about a tech guy struggling to disconnect from his devices and to connect with the people in his life. His debut novel (A Brilliant Novel in the Works, MP Publishing) is about a guy named Yuvi who can’t write a novel.

Joe Rogers teaches writing at Portland Community College. He lives in town with his twin brother, Murphy.

Kathleen Lane is the author of two anxiety-inspired books for middle grade — The Best Worst Thing and Pity Party — and Founder of the nonprofit OK YOU (okyou.org), which develops creative practices for engaging youth in navigating big emotions and staying connected to their OK selves. She has also published a number of short stories in obscure publications, and is currently at work on a novel.

Once upon a time, Laura Stanfill lived in a New Jersey house filled with music boxes, street organs, and books. She grew up to become the publisher of Forest Avenue Press and the author of Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary. Her short-form work has appeared in Shondaland, The Rumpus, Catapult, The Vincent Brothers Review, Santa Fe Writers Project, and several print anthologies. She believes in indie bookstores and wishes on them like stars from her home in Portland, Oregon, where she resides with her family and Waffles the dog.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Martin Luther King Day

Monday January 19th

We just wanted to wish everyone happy MLK day!

Valentine-Making Party with Positive Charge! PDX

Monday January 19th

BOLD is honored to host a Positive Charge! PDX Valentine-Making Party.

Positive Charge! PDX's family-friendly tradition of creating sweet valentine cards for our senior friends served by the Meals on Wheels People is back! Create hearts and hugs for seniors with us! Do something with love and to amplify kindness in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his birthday weekend.

Stop in and make valentines. Bring your favorite art supplies or we’ll have some for you. Not able to make it to the event? You can also drop off handmade valentines at BOLD or other event partner locations Jan. 1­­­–31.

Find full event details here.

Learn more about Positive Charge! PDX here.

Author Reading and Mini-Workshop: Jenny Forrester, Love: The Art of Cherishing the World

Monday January 19th

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading and min-workshop with Jenny Forrester, author of Love: The Art of Cherishing the World.

Join Jenny Forrester at BOLD Coffee & Books for a conversation and mini-workshop celebrating her new book, Love: The Art of Cherishing the World. Blending political memoir with intimate observation and raucous storytelling, Forrester explores the current state of the Anthropocene. Together we’ll discuss love as a political practice and writing as an ethic of solidarity, with prompts for noticing, naming, and reimagining what we owe one another. Q&A and book signing to follow.  

Jenny Forrester's the author of Narrow River, Wide Sky: A Memoir; Soft Hearted Stories: Seeking Saviors, Cowboy Stylists, and Other Fallacies of Authoritarianism, a Colorado Book Award Finalist; Brilliant: The Art of Literary Radiance, a Writing Manual and Manifesto; and Love: The Art of Cherishing the World.

 *****

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Book Publishing Q&A

Tuesday January 20th

Monthly on every third Tuesday

Join us for a monthly Q&A about all things publishing and books!

Join Ali Shaw—co-owner of BOLD Coffee & Books and owner of Indigo: Editing, Design, and More—for an in-person Q&A about the publishing process, the business of writing, and the book world in general. If you have questions about how to start your publishing journey, bring them! If you’ve always wondered about something more obscure, like how to tell if an antique book is a first edition or what librarians do at trade shows, bring those too!

Free and open to the public.

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Author Reading: Gigi Little, Who Killed One the Gun?, in Conversation with Erin Hall, Dear Sylvia, Love Jane

Friday January 23rd

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Gigi Little, author of Who Killed One the Gun?  (Forest Avenue), in conversation with Erin Hall, author of Dear Sylvia, Love Jane, a BOLD Coffee & Books best-seller.

These two Portland authors have put their own spins on a much-beloved genre. Gigi Little is a longtime bookseller and sought-after freelance book designer. In addition to writing, Erin Hall teaches classes in fiction and memoir writing, offers marketing coaching to small businesses and entrepreneurs, and also works a day job as a digital content marketing manager.

Who Killed One the Gun?

Private eye One the Gun and his right-hand dame Two the True Blue are on the trail of the killer of Five the No Longer Alive. But as the numbers and the clues stack up, One the Gun realizes that today is exactly like yesterday—in fact maybe actually is yesterday—and he’s pretty sure that at the end of yesterday he was shot to death. It’s a dilly of a pickle as time continues to loop back on itself, one murder case becomes two, and the gumshoe races against the clock to smoke out his own killer—before that killer can stop his clock for keeps. Gigi Little’s noir-soaked and delightfully surreal debut pays homage to the radio classics of the forties and fifties while investigating themes of greed, sexism, and the consequences of unchecked power.

Dear Sylvia, Love Jane

It’s 1943, San Francisco. And Molly Malone has secrets. 

Between pretending to be the secretary of her own detective agency and late-night visits to her favorite gay club Whiskers (where a secret knock grants entry), Molly’s life is lived in the shadows.

But when distraught housewife Sylvia seeks help from a detective, Molly’s professional and personal life begin to merge. 

When an up-and-coming politician reveals his plan to shutter gay clubs like Whiskers, Molly is concerned. 

Then when bodies start appearing, Molly needs to act fast to save her friends and loved ones–old and new–from being the next victims.

Because Molly isn’t the only one with a secret. 

*****

Gigi Little is the author of Who Killed One the Gun?

Erin Hall is the author of Dear Sylvia, Love Jane.

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Author Reading: Prudence Brooks, SAVED

Saturday January 24th

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Prudence Brooks, author of SAVED.

Celebrate the release of SAVED! Join Prudence Brooks and a community of poets and readers for readings, book signings, and lively conversation with the author and publisher. We can’t wait to see you!

SAVED by Prudence Brooks is a powerful collection of poems by a half-orphan, former Catholic altar girl navigating life as a neurodivergent woman caught in the wreckage of religious dogma, patriarchal control, and chronic illness. In defiance of toxic positivity, these poems don’t seek to inspire; they seek to tell the truth. With fierce honesty and lyrical precision, this book bears witness to survival, refuses silence, and finds clarity in the brutal work of becoming.

Prudence Brooks (she/her) is a poet raised in rural Indiana, now residing in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of the poetry collections TRUCE and SAVED. Her work has appeared in Pile Press, Feral Journal,Eunoia Review,Querencia Press, Black Fox Literary Magazine, Grey Coven Publishing, and others.

 Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Writers Social

Tuesday January 27th

Monthly on every last Tuesday

Come meet other writers and enjoy a drink in this fun and informal setting to bond over the written (or still unwritten!) word.

5:00–7:00 p.m.

Drop in at your convenience. We'll be happy to see you and hear about your writing!

Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Meet Me at the Crossroads: A Progressive Discussion Group

Friday January 30th

BOLD is honored to host Meet Me at the Crossroads: A Progressive Discussion Group.

Where do we go from here?

We are heading into uncertain times, and learning to face these challenges as a community by putting names to faces, and leveraging what we can will be the foundation for the path forward. This is an event for those who burn for change but are unsure where to put that passion in such dark times. Meet others who feel the same, and find empowerment in each other as we share ideas, organize, and network. 

 We’ll start with introductions before heading into a roundtable discussion about issues we all face, before breaking into a social mixer. 

 The light is on. Come find your path forward. 

 Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

Author Reading and Book Release: Scott Cannon, The Newel Post, Book One: Nonrepresentational Card Panels, in Conversation with Adam Oyster-Sands, don’t call us punk because we hate that

Saturday January 31st

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading and book release with Scott Cannon, author of The Newel Post, Book One: Nonrepresentational Card Panels, in conversation with Adam Oyster-Sands, author of don’t call us punk because we hate that.

Scott Cannon has been making abstract art for more than 20 years. His first book is a selection of abstract card panels made between 2022-2025. The work is deeper than just the art though. It's family and connection, daily practice, an honest journaling without words. Join us for a conversation with the artist, a presentation, and limited edition prints available only at the event (free with any book purchase at BOLD while they last).

Scott Cannon lives with his partner and daughter in the evergreen city of Portland, OR. He draws, paints, does woodworking, plays piano, writes short fiction and poetry, and publishes whatever he feels like with his friends.

Adam Oyster-Sands is a high school ELA teacher and poet. His first chapbook, don’t call us punk because we hate that, was released in 2024 by Steel Toe Books. Adam can often be found with his partner Morgan running through forests or walking their dogs around their neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. 

Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to grab a snack or drink. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. 

 ***** 

 Event cohosted by BOLD Coffee & Books and Indigo: Editing, Design, and More.

BOLD Spoken Word Open Mic

Tuesday February 3rd

Monthly on every first Tuesday

We want your BOLD stories!

Come to our monthly open mic to share your latest work in progress or previously published piece. We welcome short stories, personal essays, poetry, slam, and other spoken word art forms.

10% off for performers!

Arrive at 5:00 to sign up and get your beverage. The mic goes on at 5:30 p.m. 7-minute time limit. No theme. 

BOLD is a safe place. We strive to uplift stories by and about people from underrepresented and diverse communities. We do not tolerate hate speech of any kind.

See you there!

Valentine's Day

Saturday February 14th

Join us on Valentine's Day for the perfect romantic evening!

International Women's Day

Sunday March 8th

Come celebrate International Women's Day with us - March 8th