Reading Frenzy ~ An Independent Press Emporium

We Made It!

January 2009

Dear Readers,

It's time to reset the clock and close the books on the old year. I know 2008 was a year that many of us cannot say goodbye fast enough to, there were some highlights though. Here are some of ours:

  • 2008 saw the release of the first new issue of Crap Hound -- #8: Church & State -- in several years. We sold half the print run before it landed from the printers.
  • The revival of the Triple Dare Reading Series featuring Vendala Vida, Randy Walker & Jenny Shainin, Skye, and Shelley Short. Shelley's beautiful album, Water For the Day has been in heavy rotation at the shop all year long.
  • Unmarketable reading with Anne Elizabeth Moore.
  • Side by Side by Sarah Landwehr. Sarah is a good egg and a great artist.
  • Triple Dare Reading Series with Kevin Sampsell, Suzanne Burns, Jim Blashfield and Michael Johnson. Ask Kevin to talk to you in "the cat voice", then you might understand part of why this was a special night.
  • On the Lower Frequencies by Erik Lyle with special guest Moe Bowstern. Every once in awhile we have an event at the shop that feels like old times and this was one of them.
  • The evil twins, Amber Gayle and Stacy Wakefield, stopped by for a visit!
  • Sophisticated Menagerie by Ryan Berkley. It was such a treat to have Ryan's creatures grace the shop for the month of July -- I still miss them.
  • A Timeline of Prints by Kristine Virsis. Kristine came all the way from NYC to install this show! We loved it so much we kept it up for two months!
  • Alien Boy Film Benefit with Tender Forever, Calvin Johnson, and Ah Holly Fam'ly. Although we could have fit several hundred more people in the Wonder Ballroom, it was a great show and so many people donated their time, energy and talents to make it happen. Plus, I got to share french fries with Ian Svenonius, who was an inadvertent inspiration for Reading Frenzy in the early 90s.
  • I met Fred Armisen when he and Carrie Brownstein came by to film a sequel to their short Feminist Bookstore and later the same night I had a surprise encounter with Michelle Williams, who sang the praises of our children's book section.
  • Bike Frenzy! Pete Jordan returned to Portland to give us a sneak preview on his next book about Dutch bicycle culture. Rounding out the evening were Nickey Robare, The Sprockettes and Baby Dollars.
  • I took the Writing the Unthinkable with Lynda Barry during the Wordstock Festival! I was sick as a dog but Lynda's amazing healing energies and forcefield of goodness kept me afloat. Highly recommended and returning to Portland in the spring!
  • Barak Obama is our new president!
  • Reading Frenzy/IPRC/Half & Half Holiday Party at The Cleaners featuring Young & Innocent, Rich & Strange, Toad Stories by Grandma Gallant, and Tiny Vinyl.

I joke about having sacrificed my youth -- and most everything else -- to Reading Frenzy, but it's been a great place to grow up. I hope this year will bring many great "things that have never been" for all of us.

Keep Reading!

Your Faithful Proprietress,
Chloe

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The Return of the Handmade Bazaar!

November 28, 2008: Announcing : Winter Handmade Bazaar!

Handmade Bazaar
Sunday, December 14th

@ p:ear
338 NW 6th Ave.
Portland, Oregon

sale runs from 12noon-5pm.

See you there!
Meredith + Katie, Handmade Bazaar

New Co-Frenzy Members!

  1. Amazing Portland artist and animator Rose Bond became our first Co-Frenzy subscriber of 2008! Thanks, Rose!
  2. None other than our pal Ralf Youtz. We miss you Ralf!
  3. One of our favorite local artists, Ryan Berkley!
  4. Writer and rabble-rouser Bee Lavender -- who lives in the UK now -- renewed her membership!
  5. Fellow fancy cocktail sipper, disability advocate and all around pal Stephanie Hunter!
  6. Sweetheart, attorney and art cop, Kohel Haver!
  7. One of the smartest, funniest and kindest men alive, George Meyer!
  8. Portland artist and filmmaker, Zach Margolis!
  9. Cartoonist, humorist, self-publisher, and my former Triple Dare co-conspirator, Mark Russell!
  10. Karaoke master, musician, and friend for the ages, Jason Mitchell!
  11. Jaina A. Davis aka Rainbow Spice, artist, performer, art patron, long-time supporter of Reading Frenzy, and bosom friend!
  12. Former Left Bank Books collective member, Matthew King, who I haven't seen for forever found us all the way over in Amherst, Mass.!
  13. One of our favorite artists in the whole wide world -- Carson Ellis!
  14. Could it possibly be someone I don't know? Thanks to Lola Milholland!
  15. Old timer and state hopper, Tim Becker brightened my day with some kind words and cold hard cash!
  16. Dame about town and all around do-gooder, Kay Hutchinson!
  17. Local zinester and excellent conversator Katie Crud!
  18. Now that's devotion! Reading Frenzy volunteer, Jeffrey Diteman, is now a Friend of Reading Frenzy!
  19. Vance Yoakum, 2nd time Friend of Reading Frenzy superhero who possesses the generosity of five men!

Reading Frenzy Releases: First three artists announced!

November 15, 2008: Reading Frenzy is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a limited edition line of t-shirts, tote bags and prints, inspired by our love of the printed word. The first release (due out February 2009) will be a silk-screened poster by Carson Ellis! Future releases will feature artwork by Julianna Bright and Nicole J. Georges! We can't wait!

Cultural Exchange Opportunity!

November 15, 2008: Hello there! My name is Bea and I'm a theater and writing student from England. I've come to Portland for a month (through mid-November) to make zines and investigate lo-fi culture. I will base the content of these zines on my experiences of the city and also the experiences of people form Portland who I interview. I will also be using parts of the zines as text for performance when I return to England.

I'm very keen to meet as many people as I can, so if you would like to be interviewed or talk to me about the project, I would love to hear from you, email me at corrupted_corey@hotmail.com

I will be distributing the zines that I make at Reading Frenzy.

Bea

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Upcoming Events

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8th, 6PM

Meeting Modernity

Found Photography from Japan

The Meeting Modernity series of found photographs is the focus of Neojaponisme's first traveling exhibition. Recently unearthed outside of the city of Sano in Tochigi-ken, this series of pictures documents Japan as it engaged with modernization and commercial photography in the Meiji and Taishō Periods. The series is comprised of portrait photography in particular.