Around the Sun: A Blog About Saving Money in Portland, Oregon, and beyond

Fun Times at My First Book Launch Party

November 29th, 2007

I went to a book launch party for the first time last night. The revelry took place at 23 Sandy, a small gallery in NE Portland. The star of the show was a book called You Have Time For This: Contemporary American Short-Short Stories published by Portland State University’s Ooligan Press.

I’ve been to book readings in the past, which I realized are quite different from book parties. At a book reading, you sit down, and the author reads a little of the book and answers audience questions. Then you leave, or you line up to get your book signed. I’ve been to a number of readings (from indie poets to Chuck Palahniuk), and they were orderly and low-key.

In contrast, a book party is a book reading with (as the name suggests) more of a party atmosphere. I got to 23 Sandy at the party’s start time, 7:00 pm, and the place was already crowded. By 8:00 pm when the readings were scheduled to begin, the windows were fogged up, and the noise level was at shouting. I’m not sure what the capacity of the space was, but I’m sure we maxed it. There were no chairs, but there were snacks and alcohol, which I’ve never seen at a book reading. 

The readings were lovely (the authors of the book couldn’t make the party, so Ooligan had winners of its flash fiction contest read). And it was a lot of fun to be able to socialize with classmates outside of class. (If you don’t already know, I’m a part-time master’s student.)

If you love books, rubbing elbows with authors, and chatting with other book lovers, I would recommend checking out a book launch party. The Ooligan party was free, and I’ll be sure to post other free ones in my weekend round-ups. You can also find out about book events (both readings and parties) by checking the websites of publishers, bookstores and literary organizations.

Here are just a few:

Publishing companies

• Beyond Words Publishing
• Ink & Paper Group
• Ooligan Press  
• Timber Press

Bookstores

• Annie Bloom’s Books
• In Other Words
• Looking Glass Bookstore
• Murder by the Book
• Powell’s Books
• Reading Frenzy
• Twenty-Third Avenue Books

Libraries

• Clackamas County 
• Multnomah County
• Washington County
• Southwest Washington

Also

• Literary Arts

Entry Filed under: Books,Events,Free,Frugal living,Portland