Reading Frenzy ~ An Independent Press Emporium

MISSION

Founded in 1994, Reading Frenzy is devoted to supporting, promoting and disseminating independent and alternative media, with a focus on arts, culture, politics, comics, girl's stuff, queer notions, and quality smut. We stock thousands of hard to find titles from around the country, host dozens of literary and art events every year, and support local community organizations who share our goals of fostering freedom of speech, information and creative expression.

HISTORY

In the early days, Reading Frenzy occupied a tiny space in what was formerly the office of an auto body shop. The adjacent rare bookseller had a performance space in back that we occasionally used. Several months into our first year we expanded -- from 150 sq ft. to 300! -- but six months later when torrential rains threatened to flood the tightly packed storefront I knew it was time to move.

In spring of 1996 we relocated to downtown Portland on what was then a fairly desolate block, albeit cattycorner from Powell's City of Books. The Acorn Block (named for it's Oak St. locale, and the fact that it's shaped like an A) rapidly evolved into a hub of cool, independent businesses and is where we remain today. It's true there was a little scuffle over our lease in the late 90s, when a fastfood chain that will remain unnamed, tried to lease our space out from under us, but due to public outcry we prevailed. Luckily for us, the building was purchased soon after by an amazing local property developer, who's devoted to supporting independent businesses, building community and historic preservation.

In 1996 we hosted our first art opening, Dishwasher Pete's collection of Macaroni & Cheese boxes. Since then we've gone on to show dozens of unknown, emerging and established artists, as well as unusual collections. Including, but not limited to Rachel Denny, Bwana Spoons, Martin Ontiveros, Isabel Samaras, Tae Won Yu, Cynthia Connolly, Mike King,  Fawn Gehweiler, Art Chantry, Alicia Justus, Nikki McClure, Stella Marrs, Khaela Maricich and Kalah Allen.

A couple of years later Rebecca Gilbert and I combined our resources, rented a small office upstairs, and began a project that would eventually evolve into the Independent Publishing Resource Center. As a co-founder I served on the board until January 2001, when I took leave to focus on impending parenthood.

In 2005 I realized a long held dream of launching a small press. Show & Tell Press is the proud publisher of Crap Hound -- A Picture Book for Discussion & Activity, and we have other titles in the works including a Reading Frenzy Anthology, a Show & Tell Annual, and lots of other tantalizing titles involving words and pictures.

EVENT HISTORY

This is an almost comprehensive list of our events. Have we left something out? Please contact us.

1994

  • Reading Frenzy opens September 1st in SE Portland
  • Kevin Sampsell and John Dooley

1995

1996

  • Reading Frenzy moves downtown
  • Coos Bay City Rollers play our grand re-opening party
  • Dishwasher Pete: Mac 'n' Cheese Box Collection
  • Stella Marrs: The History of Fashion
  • Rachel Denny
  • Bwana Spoons: Exhibit
  • Kill Zinesters Summer Vacation Tour
  • Flatter Fest!
  • The School of Secret Knowledge: Sex and Obscenity with Teresa Dolce
  • The School of Secret Knowledge: Anti-Authoritarians Anonymous with Tad Kepley
  • The School of Secret Knowledge: Fair Use/Copyright Infringement with Mark Hosler and Kohel Haver
  • The School of Secret Knowledge: Kooks, Cults and Conspiracies with Donna Kossy and Adam Parfrey.
  • Amy Lynn Parker: 13 Page
  • The School of Secret Knowledge: How to Fire Your Boss
  • Lisa Crystal Carver: Dancing Queen
  • Donna Barr: Desert Peach
  • Diamanda Galas: The Shit of God
  • 1st Annual Cheap Art Show

1997

1998

  • Scott Gregory: Magic Boxes
  • 2nd Annual Valentine's Invitational 
  • Pander Brothers and Matt Wagner: Oni Double Feature #1
  • Rebecca Gilbert: Exhibit
  • Maurice Vellekoop: Vellevision
  • Joe Sacco and Jim Woodring: signing
  • Martin Ontiveros: Monsters, Robots, Freaks and Fire
  • Kristan Kennedy and Topher Sinkinson: 1000 Polaroids
  • The Great Lease Debacle
  • Robert Williams: Malicious Resplendence
  • Tae Won Yu: I Like to Look
  • Michael Moynihan: Lords of Chaos
  • Ducky DooLittle: exhibit
  • James Yu: exhibit
  • Isabel Samaras: Exhibit
  • Stella Marrs: Community Print
  • Amber Gayle, Jamie Schweser, Ed Gray and Roy Tinsel
  • Steve Diet Goedde: The Beauty of Fetish
  • Amy Lynn Parker: Doll Show
  • Michelle Tea: The Passionate Mistakes and Intricate Corruption of One Girl in America
  • 3rd Annual Cheap Art Show
  • Paul Joannides: Guide to Getting It On

1999

  • Art Chantry: exhibit
  • The IPRC officially opens!
  • 3rd Annual Valentine's Invitational, benefit for the IPRC
  • Toby Hardman: 2 Sides to Every Boxcar
  • Amber Bell: The Perfect Wardrobe
  • Keith Crowe:  I Hate Myself...For Loving You
  • Kim Hamblin: exhibit
  • Martin Ontiveros: Sharp, Prickly, Cute and Cuddly
  • Reading Frenzy Scrapbook: exhibit
  • Hothouse 1999: Ariel Gore, Teresa Dolce, Debbie Stoller, and Chloe Eudaly
  • Sonja Ahlers: Temper, Temper
  • Edith Abeyta, Bob Tower, Vanessa Renwick, and Kalah Allen: exhibit
  • Jane Graham and Jennifer Blowdryer: Floozy and White Trash Debutante
  • Kelly Newcomer: exhibit
  • 4th Annual Cheap Art Show

2000

2001:

2002

  • 4th Annual Valentine's Invitational
  • Shelly Gerik: Thirteen
  • Camden Joy: reading
  • Adrian Tomine: Optic Nerve
  • Muffie White: Correspondence Course
  • Dave Eggers: You Shall Know Our Velocity
  • Alicia Justus: exhibit
  • Eric Drooker: Blood Song
  • Ron Sokalsky: Surrealist Subversions
  • Anti-Capitalism Reader: Joel Schalit and John Brady
  • Past Due Tour: Jim Munroe, Andy Healey and Paul Ash
  • Monica Nolan: Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories
  • 7th Annual Cheap Art Show
Reading frenzy storefront illustration by nate beaty

Illustration by Nate Beaty

2003

  • Copy and Destroy: Joe Biel, Alex Wrekk, Harmony Heartson, The Urban Hermit
  • 5th Annual Valentine's Invitational
  • Jenny Davidson: Heredity
  • Dame Darcy: Frightful Fairytales
  • Daniel Higgs: The Doomsday Bonnet
  • Jason: Sshhhh!, Hey, Wait..., and The Iron Wagon
  • Fly: Peops
  • US=/>THEM: Margart Pao, Paul Ash, Rose O'Keefe and Carlton Mellick
  • Stacy Wakefield and Amber Gayle: Not for Rent
  • Gallery of Words: Moe Bowstern and Mark Russell
  • David Lasky: Urban Hipster
  • Gallery of Words: Kate Schwab and Mark Russell
  • David Greenberger: Duplex Planet
  • Paul Shiek: Diptych
  • Robbie Conal: Artburn
  • Amanda Stern: The Long Haul
  • Kelly Campbell: September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
  • Jeneve Parrish and Iris Porter: exhibit
  • Joe Sacco: The Fixer
  • The Harper's Arrow: Sarah Dougher
  • 8th Annual Cheap Art Show

2004

  • Paul Ash and Marissa Madrigal: What I Think About When I Go to the Job and 8lb. Gorilla
  • 6th Annual Valentine's Invitational, benefit for Rock and Roll Camp for Girls
  • Perpetual Motion Roadshow: Matthew Blackett, Frayn Masters, and Mykle Hansen
  • Shannon Buck: Souvenirs
  • Joey Keithley: I, A Shithead
  • Robert Newman: Fountain at the Center of the World
  • Ezra Clayton Daniels: The Changers
  • Comic Art Battle: Nate Beaty, Ezra Clayton Daniels, Aaron Renier and Alec Longstreth
  • Perpetual Motion Roadshow: Girls Who Bite Back with Emily Pohl-Weary, Sonja Ahlers, and Tamara Faith Berger
  • Melody Owen: 1000 Crowns
  • Perpetual Motion Roadshow: Corey Frost, Glenna, Shannon Wheeler, Keith Knight
  • Craig Thompson and James Kochalka: Carnet de Voyage and American Elf
  • Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End with Jeffrey Knutson, Justin Hocking, Jered Maher, and Dave Carney
  • David Boyer: Kings and Queens -- Queers at the Prom
  • Beastly Book Tour: Black Olive and Christopher
  • Avow Anthology: Keith Rosson, Nate Beaty and Dave Roche
  • Triple Dare Reading Series: Pecos B, Temple Lutz and Mark Russell
  • Meredith Leonard and Steve Mathews: Little Bits of Love
  • Triple Dare Reading Series: David Ohle, Mike Daily, Matt Love and Mark Russell
  • Freedom Frenzy 10th Anniversary Party and CAE Defense Fund Benefit at Nocturnal
  • Anne Elizabeth Moore: Hey Kidz! Buy This Book
  • Forget-Me-Not: Alicia Justus, Edith Abeyta, Jenny Hart, Cathy Pitters, Susan Beal, Jennifer Fogerty-Gibson, Jennifer Knapp, Christine Shields and Janet Julian
  • Triple Dare Reading Series: Alex Wrekk, Kate Lopresti and Mark Russell
  • Ted Rall: Wake Up, You're Liberal!
  • Bill Daniel: The Western Roundup
  • 9th Annual Cheap Art Show
  • Martin Ontiveros: Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot
  • Perpetual Motion Roadshow: Josh MacPhee, Jennifer Whiteford, Melissa Klein & Vladimir
  • Dame Darcy with Death by Doll: Meat Cake Collection

2005

2006

  • Nicole Georges: Owls and Other Animals
  • 8th Annual Valentine's Invitational
  • Quasi, Viva Voce, and Scuffle & Dustcough -- A Benefit for Reading Frenzy organized by Sam Coomes
  • And Then You Were Born: group show curated by Shawna Ferreira
  • Lawrence Weschler: Everything that Rises -- A Book of Convergences
  • Ethan Clark, Shelly Chainbreaker, Ammi Emergency, Janet Kent, and Dave M: Stories Care Forgot: An Anthology of New Orleans Zines
  • Mykel Board: Even A Daugher Is Better Than Nothing and I, A Meist
  • Zak Sally: La Mano West Coast Book Tour with Calvin Johnson
  • Hope Hitchcock: L'Appartement
  • Jon Langford: Nashville Radio with Scott McCaughey
  • Jessica Abel: La Perdida
  • Yoni Kiffle: photo exhibit
  • Chloe Eudaly: Stumptown Show & Tell at The Horse Hospital in London
  • Frank Portman: King Dork
  • Humiliation Nation -- A Benefit for the Portland Zine Symposium: Alex Wrekk, Gillian Beck and Shelley Pearson, Sarah Bartash, Nickey Robo, Jack Saturn, Katie Cercone, Joe Biel, Nicole Georges, Sarah Swingset, Lani Schreibstein, and Theresa Molter
  • Kristin Dickson: My Fair Summer Roses
  • Colin Channer, Chris Abani and Laila Lalami: Emigre Frenzy!
  • Donny Miller: Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings
  • Davy and Peter Rothbart: Found Magazine's Cavalcade of Thrills Tour "2006"
  • Agua Arte: A group show curated by Justin "Scrappers" Morrison to benefit Willamette River Keeper with Amy Morrison, Bwana Spoons, Martin Ontiveros, Nicole Thompson, APAK, John Izen, Reverend Benny Bob, and Brett Superstar
  • Teach Me Tonight! A Benefit for 826 Valencia
    Evany Thomas, Dustin Long, Lisa Brown, Zoe Trope, Stacy Bolt, Dr. Zomb
  • Meredith Butner: Florals
  • Hey Four-Eyes: Robin Chapman
  • Outlaws of America: The Weather Underground and the Politics of Solidarity: Dan Berger
  • BitchFest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine: Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler
  • I (Heart) Portland: A group show for our 12th anniversary
  • Artificial Light: James Greer
  • The Time is Now Calendar Release Party: Nikki McClure
  • OtherWorld: A group show curated by Christine Shields
  • Joe Meno, Todd Taylor, Todd Dills
  • Playing President: My Close Encounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton -- and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush: Robert Scheer
  • Stephen Elliott and Michelle Orange
  • Bugs Before Time: Cathy Camper
  • Animal Friends: Ayumi Piland