Pierre Lecuire: livres de poète

May 2-June 12

"I want to write the poem and build a house for it," said Pierre Lecuire of his life's ambition. A poet and artist, Lecuire's stunning works illustrate his devotion to creating books for his poems. This Collins Gallery exhibition is the first major West Coast show of Lecuire's work and the first in the United States since 1994. 

History and Mystery of the Blues

A riveting performer and blues authority, Steve Cheseborough leads this class using a live performance, recordings, readings and discussion. Learn how blues emerged from sharecroppers' shacks and country jukes to become the dominant sound of the world's popular music.

Writers Talking: LeAnn Locher/LeLo in NoPo 

May 18

One of Portland's most popular bloggers, LeAnn Locher talks about the creation and evolution of her blog. Part journal and part public forum, blog writing has exploded, and Locher leads a conversation on the relationship between blogging and more traditional forms of writing.

Walking Portland's Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass

Using vignettes from her recent book, Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass: Poems About Bridges Real and Imagined by 70 Poets, with Directions for Five Self-Guided Explorations, author Sharon Wood Wortman shares some extraordinary facts about select Portland bridges. Her talks are followed by an optional bridge walk.

Making Friends the Old Fashioned Way: Through Self Publishing!

May 31

Local comic artist and zine maven Nicole J. Georges leads this workshop on how and why to self publish. Part of a series of workshops for beginning writers, this class focuses on personal zines and diary comics and culminates in the creation of your own comic.

College resources

Save yourself phone calls and travel expenses by researching colleges through the library's website. Find an array of information on colleges and graduate schools, and discover such resources as College Source, an online library featuring over 40,000 college catalogs and over 34 million course descriptions.

Finding a good read

Use the library's online reference service to find your next good read. Click on Ask Us! and, in the “information needed” box, tell us about a favorite author or title, type of story, setting or theme, and receive a personalized list of suggested reads.