A Requiem for Reading Frenzy
Spring 2016
Dear Readers,
After 22-years of indie, comic, and zine selling, Reading Frenzy closed its doors on December 31st, 2016. This event was precipitated by the election of Your Faithful Proprietress to Portland City Council, but to be honest, it was a long time coming. The rising housing costs and changing demographics in Portland over the past ten years had made it increasingly difficult to stick to our mission and keep our doors open. And when Chloe found out the day after the election that she couldn't own a business after taking office, she had only seven weeks to figure out what to do. Multiple options were explored, but in the end, she didn't have the time or resources to come up with a workable plan, so the decision was made to close the brick and mortar store and transfer ownership of the business. This means that Reading Frenzy still exists as a legal entity, under a new owner, but the future of the shop is hazy.
We want to thank our patrons and the thousands of artists, writers, and publishers who have been an integral part of this venture these past two decades. We're proud to have supported the work of so many incredible creators over the years and to have had a hand in shaping Portland's literary landscape. We're also pleased to see zines, and movements like Riot Grrrl being paid their due and recognized as the culturally significant forces that we always knew them to be.
If you have questions about your account, please contact nikki(at)readingfrenzy(dot)com.
Keep Reading!
Reading Frenzy Management
Punk
- The Truth of Revolution, Brother: An Exploration of Punk Philosophy by Lisa Sofianos, Robin Ryde & Charlie Waterhouse
- Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes from the DC Punk Underground (79-85) by Cynthia Connolly, Leslie Clague and Sharon Cheslow
- Please Kill Me: the Uncensored Oral History of Punk 20th Anniversary Edition by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
- The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band by Michelle Cruz Gonzales
Graphic Novels/Art
- Bad Dads: Art Inspired By the Films of Wes Anderson
- Butter and Blood by Weissman
- Patience by Daniel Clowes
- The Adventures of TinTin: Break Free
Feminism
- The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People by Mary Mahoney & Lauren Mitchell
- Tom Tom Magazine - A magazine for female drummers
- We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to Covergirl, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement by Andi Zeisler
- Anarchism: The Feminist Connection by Peggy Kornegger
Activism
- Demand the Impossible!: A Radical Manifesto by Bill Ayers
- The Revolution Starts at Home: Confronting Intimate Violence Within Activist Communities by Ching-In Chen, Jai Dulani & Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- Crass Reflections by Alastair Gordon
- Rewild or Die by Urban Scout
Resist
- Capitalism: What it is and How Can We Destroy It? by Shahin
- The ABC of Socialism edited by Bhaskar Sunkara
- Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect?: Police Violence and Resistance in the United States by A Truthout Collection
- We Want Freedom: A Life in the Black Panther Party by Mumia Abu-Jamal
February 09, 2016: As a radical bookstore, we carry the work of women, people of color, and other marginalized groups throughout the year, but we're proud to have these notable books and zines in our shop this February in celebration of Black History Month.
- March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell — A graphic novel memoir that goes behind the scenes of the some of the Civil Rights Movement's most pivotal moments.
- Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle a Obsession edited by Elizabeth Benedict – A surprising, insightful, and at times funny collection of essays that examines every aspect of women's lives.
- The Hip-Hop Board Book by Martin Ander — A charming, colorful picture book featuring events and objects relating to hip-hop culture.
- A de Activista by Martha E. Gonzalez and Innosanto Nagara — A Spanish ABC board book made for the next generation of progressives!
- Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl — A great all-ages book highlighting influential and groundbreaking women, from Angela Davis to Zora Neale Hurston.
- Understanding Mass Incarceration: A People's Guide to the Key Civil Rights Struggle of Our Time by James Kilgore — A comprehensive yet accessible overview of the new Jim Crow and America's criminal justice system.
- We Too Sing America by Deepa Iyer — A leading racial justice activist sheds light on the ongoing, state-sanctioned persecution of a range of American minorities.
- Citizen by Claudia Rankine — A bold account about being black in modern America.
- The Prince Zine by Joshua James Amberson — Everything you need to know about the activist, musician, and Artist Formerly Known as Prince.
- Hell is a Very Small Place: Voices From Solitary Confinement by Jean Casella, James Ridgeway, and Sarah Shourd — A dozen firsthand accounts about life in solitary confinement.
- When We Fight, We Win!: Twenty-First-Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World by Greg Jobin-Leeds and AgitArte — A vivid, creative, and inspiring book about hard-fought battles for social change with tips for activists to build powerful movements.
- Taking Sides: Revolutionary Solidarity and the Poverty of Liberalism edited by Cindy Milstein — Thirteen insightful essays that serve as a toolbox for honing strategies and tactics of resistance in the face of white supremacy.
December 15, 2015:
Nikki's Favorite Books from 2015:
Nikki's Favorite Zines and Mini Comics from 2015:
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Working it 1-4, edited by Red Bickers
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The Lesbian Lexicon by Stevie Anntonym
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Bloody Pussy: A Feminist Rag by the Blood Sisters
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Chicago Haunts by Jillian Barthold
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A Miniature Bestiary by Sera Stanton
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The Swan the Vulture by Anna Vo
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All of Them Brujas by Rebecca Artemisia
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Astrology for People who Hate Themselves and Everyone Else by CC Teakell
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The Prince Zine by Joshua James Amberson
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That's Not Okay: Boundaries for the Conflict-Avoidant by Breeane Boland
Books That Helped Me Smash the Patriarchy in 2015:
Ian's Favorite Comics and Books from 2015:
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Mowgli's Mirror by Olivier Schrauwen
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Megahex by Simon Hanselmann
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Crickets #4 by Sammy Harkham
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Fante Bukowski by Noah Van Sciver
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Dressing by Michael Deforge
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Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
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Black River by Josh Simmons
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Step Aside Pops by Kate Beaton
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Super Magic Mutant Academy by Jillian Tamaki
Adam's Top Ten Books for Fighting Creative Block:
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DIY Magic: A Strange and Whimsical Guide to Creativity by Anthony Alvarado
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Women Street Artists of Latin America by Rachel Cassandra and Lauren Gucik
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Found Magazine: The Early Years
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Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater by Eric P. Nash
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Drawing is Magic by John Hendrix
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Creative Block: Advice and Projects from 50 Successful Artists by Danielle Krysa
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Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon
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Beautiful Birds of the World by PIE Books
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Map Mania by PIE Books
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Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World by Ella Frances Sanders
Nicolette's Favorites from 2015:
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The Wilds by Julia Elliott
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M Train by Patti Smith
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The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
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Illuminating the Stars Coloring Book by Alicia Justus
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The Typewriter: A Graphic History of the Beloved Machine by Janine Vangool
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Beyond the Dark Veil: Post Mortem and Mourning Photography from the Thanatos Archive
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Gift by Lizz Lopez
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Sullen Girl: Poems About Fiona Apple by Kiki Nicole
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Ghost Guide by Rebecca Artemisa
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Selfish Vol. 1 & 2
This Small Business Saturday, Reading Frenzy celebrates the 3rd annual Indies First by hosting local authors as special guest booksellers throughout the day!
This year our honorary booksellers will be Delphine Bedient and Michelle Overby (Two Plum Press) from 11-3, Joshua James Amberson (Antiquated Future) and Sara Renberg from 3-5, and Nicole J. Georges (Invincible Summer, Calling Dr. Laura) and Ponyo the chihuahua from 5-7! We're also hosting the release party for Nicole Georges' Invincible Summer calendar from 5-7 — and yes, Ponyo will be available for petting and photos!
Each guest bookseller will have their own books for sale as well as hand-picked recommendations. To learn more about Indies First, check out this year's spokesperson Cheryl Strayed's letter to authors.
We hope to see you on Saturday!
CART
