Events

Independent Bookstore Day Spirit Week 

Dress up with us all week to show your bookstore spirit! 

Monday, April 20: Silly Sock Day 

Tuesday, April 21: Plaid Tuesday 

Wednesday, April 22: On Wednesdays We Wear Bookstore Shirts 

Thursday, April 23: Book Character Dress-Up Day 

Friday, April 24: BOLD Spirit Day! 

And be sure to come on Saturday, April 25 for deals, events, and fun!

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

). 

Runs until Friday, April 24th, 2026

Independent Bookstore Day Spirit Week 

Dress up with us all week to show your bookstore spirit! 

Monday, April 20: Silly Sock Day 

Tuesday, April 21: Plaid Tuesday 

Wednesday, April 22: On Wednesdays We Wear Bookstore Shirts 

Thursday, April 23: Book Character Dress-Up Day 

Friday, April 24: BOLD Spirit Day! 

And be sure to come on Saturday, April 25 for deals, events, and fun!

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.***

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.

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Adam Strong, author of Bella Vista  from Running Wild Press, in conversation with Anne Gudger, author of The Fifth Chamber.

Come out and celebrate the release of Adam Strong's Bella Vista with a bonus reading of favorite lines from various Dangerous Writers in loving tribute to Steve Arndt and Tom Spanbauer.

Bella Vista, in the end, is about fatherhood. About fathers and sons. It’ s about one father, Frank Pershall, how he went from a dope smoking car aficionado to a businessman. About how this businessman hatched a scheme to pry his son, Jay away from his Mom, who was developing a habit of drugs and staying out late, and generally being out of it most of the time, and how that father convinced his son to move down to Florida with him.

But as soon as they get there, all that high and mighty “ I’ ll be a better father to you” breaks down because the first day they arrive at this house at this vision his father has for life known as Bella Vista, only then does he choose to turn the care of his son over to his Limo Driver, Cliff. Yes, all of a sudden Dad has all of this money that he tells his son comes from venture capitalists and this new business he is starting. Cliff drives people around for a living, and it is in this Limo Jay learns to carve out a life for himself away from his father, and to finally live life on his own terms.

Adam Strong is a High School Digital Arts Teacher, a multimedia artist and a novelist. His novel, Bella Vista was released on March 3rd. He is the founder of SongbookPDX. He lives in PDX with his wife and children.

Anne Gudger is a Portland writer who loves language and space on the page. She writes about love and loss and how we get from there to here. She’s fascinated with the heart and its metaphorical fifth chamber that holds more love, that holds shadows. She’s been published in Newsweek, Real Simple Magazine, The Rumpus, Slippery Elm, NAILED Magazine, Entropy, Tupelo Press, Atticus Review, The Timberline Review, Columbia Journal, Sweet Lit, Cutbank, Cutthroat, The Normal School, The Los Angeles Review, and elsewhere. It’s been said that Anne eats books and has since she first decoded words.

Her debut memoir, The Fifth Chamber, was published September 2023 with Jaded Ibis Press. Kirkus Review called The Fifth Chamber, “An emotionally riveting memoir, raw and inspiring.”

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.

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2026 at BOLD Coffee & Books! 

Saturday, April 25 

 Independent Bookstore Day is a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores! More than 1,600 bookstores across the country are celebrating. Come join the fun at BOLD Coffee & Books!

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Children’s Storytime with Cathe Lieb, reading Trouble Dog, and cupcake decorating! These cupcakes are exactly the kind of treat that a “trouble” dog would get into. Let’s show some love for dogs and books…and CUPCAKES!

2:00–4:00 p.m.: Lesbian Poets Society Popup! Check out these amazing poets for a chapbook sale and sign up for their new podcast! If you love queer poets, support this brand-new, very cool podcast cohosted by Portlander Andrea Deeken!

6:30–8:30 p.m.: Bookbinding 101: Paperback-to-Hardcover Conversion Workshop with Neil Cochrane. Create your own special editions of your favorite books! Bring a paperback book no larger than 6” wide and 9” tall. All other materials and tools will be provided. Leave with a custom special edition of your book! Space is limited. Registration for the event is $85/person at 

https://tinyurl.com/boldbookbinding101

All Day Deals!

Find the 

Libro.fm

 Golden Ticket for a year's subscription of audiobook!

Buy 2 Books, Get: • 1 Book Half Off • 1 Free Tote Bag (while supplies last) • 1 Free Small Drink

It's Independent Bookstore Day!

Help us celebrate with Storytime with Cathe Lieb, reading Trouble Dog and Everyday Bean. Join us for sweet and fun stories of adorable animals.

Plus, we'll have special coloring and activity books just for YOU for spending Independent Bookstore Day with us!

Next up is sweet and fun for YOU! Decorate a cupcake to celebrate with us.

Check out our other Independent Bookstore Day events and deals too. It's going to be a blast!

Cathe Lieb is the author of the forthcoming The Girl of Spirit Creek. She's also a dog lover and an avid fan of children's books. 

As always, children's books are 20% during storytime, and hot chocolate is $1 off.

Create your own special editions of your favorite books! Students will learn how to measure a text block, create a hardcover case, and “case in” the text block to turn a paperback book into a beautiful hardcover! 

 Students should bring a paperback book no larger than 6” wide and 9” tall. All other materials and tools will be provided. 

 Registration for the event is $85/person.

Neil Cochrane is a queer, trans author and artist based in Portland, Oregon. He writes speculative fiction that centers queer characters overcoming obstacles and building community. His art is focused on illustration and traditional crafts such as weaving and bookbinding.

*****

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

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.

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

). 

BOLD is thrilled to celebrate the book launch for Miranda's Garden by Johnnie Mazzocco with an author reading.

Miranda's Garden has finally bloomed. Join us on May Day to celebrate Johnnie Mazzocco’s debut novel for an evening as thoughtfully tended as the story itself. Wander among fresh flowers, discover the folklore and medicine held in each plant featured in the novel, and carry a little of Miranda's world home with you.

Johnnie will read excerpts and reflect on what it means to tend a place, oneself, and a life, followed by a Q&A and book signing. 

Miranda's Garden

On a quiet New Moon in May 1991, Miranda and her classical composer husband, Len, arrive in the remote mountain town of Tyler, Colorado. Their destination: a neglected log cabin surrounded by towering Douglas firs and mountain silence. “This place is gonna change everything,” Len says.

While Len wrestles with a fierce creative block, Miranda throws herself into establishing their new life. But when heartbreak comes, she must navigate a landscape of grief, deep introspection, and the lingering echo of who she used to be. As she coaxes a garden to life in unforgiving soil, Miranda begins to uncover a different kind of power—one rooted in memory, earth, and quiet resilience.

Lush with lunar rhythms and botanical lore, Miranda’s Garden is a transformative story of inner awakening, unfolding courage, and the slow but persistent grace of healing where the natural world and the inner world grow together. An ideal read for fans of literary and upmarket fiction, conjuring the earthy magic of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic and the bold vulnerability of Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle.

A Word Witch at heart, Johnnie Mazzocco is a fiction writer, screenwriter, and former adjunct professor who belongs among trees. Published in So to Speak, roofbeam, and Narrative Northeast, she writes from the city with her feline familiar, Iris, and a persistent longing for Colorado. Miranda's Garden is her debut novel.

RSVP for the event is available here: https://partiful.com/e/KavraJyGf8evkSjLHziW

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.

Join us if you’re looking to break through a block, need content to work into a project, or want to explore your writing voice. This generative session is designed for writers of all levels looking to be inspired in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Carefully designed prompts to trigger free, uninhibited writing followed by optional share time, then repeat.

Sara Bednark has been a part of WriteAroundPortland, Voicecatcher, and The Pinewood Table. She’s had pieces published in some cool on-line publications, and is working on pulling together her second novel. The bulk of her material has come through a variety of generative writing practices in classes and online with some truly amazing teachers.

*****

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

BOLD is thrilled to host the next installment of Bold Coffee & Books Club!

Join us every first Tuesday of the month for a cozy book club celebrating BIPOC and other marginalized authors across all genres. For this installment, we’re reading The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor–available for purchase right here at Bold Coffee and Books.

This group is hosted by Jana Corbett. This is a warm, welcoming space to share coffee, conversation, and community. Come get cozy this winter and spring with us! 

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!

BOLD is thrilled to host a reading with Erin Clarke, author of Absolutely Always.

Come join us for a reading of Absolutely Always, a brand new collection of poetry from Erin Clarke, proudly published by Friendly Monster Press. The new collection is centered around love and family, and organized in a way to give each aspect of family life its own space to be considered. Erin's first book of poetry, (Im)perfect Blooms, will also be available. She might even read something from that as well.

Absolutely Always: Poems About Love offers a touching, immersive look at how love fills a home and the ways it can be organized and examined. It’s the second collection of poetry from Portland poet and linguist, Erin Clarke, following up her debut chapbook, (Im)perfect Blooms.

With this small collection, the author explores moments and years of love with her husband and two young sons, while also recognizing her own place in the world and the ways she’s learned to love herself.

Erin’s voice is playful and honest, ever optimistic, studying her life with the curiosity of a philosopher and scientist, reminding us that we are just squishy dream things in a magical world. From the quiet contentment of sharing a partner’s company that feels like “relieved molten freedom” to an ode to blisters as “participation awards”, Erin guides us through a world of gratitudes, where struggles persist, but love is enough, absolutely always.

Erin Clarke is a poet, linguist, and massage therapist. Her first book, (Im)perfect Blooms was published in 2023, and her writing has been featured in Wellspring Literary Magazine, The Pointed Circle, Bellwether Review, and elsewhere. She resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband, their two children, and a very floofy cat.

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 is thrilled to host a special children’s storytime and Go Spellfish Play Day with Eye Write It!

This extra-special storytime will feature a game called Go Spellfish. Dive into a sea of letters and fun with Go Spellfish. Perfect for the little wordsmiths. This traditional 52-card deck of playing cards also plays ANY card game. Promotes spelling and cognitive skills through engaging play. Transform family game night with Go Spellfish, where learning meets laughter. Watch your kids excel and enjoy every spelling triumph. Go Spellfish is published by Eye Write It, and Bold will be joined by cofounders Layne Maheu and Chris Satterlund for some awesome activities. It will be fun for all ages.

Layne Maheu is the author of two literary novels, Song of the Crow, 2006, Unbridled Books and Man of the World, 2021, Chatwin Books. After decades of working as a carpenter, he’s turned his love of books into a love of teaching and now works in education.

Chris Satterlund has been in the bookselling and publishing business for forty years, twenty-six spent as an independent bookseller and owner in two stores and fifteen years with Scholastic as a field rep. Her passion has always been children’s books. It’s where a person learns who they are in the world by reading.

*****

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

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.

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.

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.