An AI generated image of a bunch of cartoon books with eyes sitting on a bridge with Mt hood in the distance.

2026 Humanities of Portland

2026 Humanities of Portland Book Club

Humanities of Portland: 2026 Reading List

Events Moderated by Tanya Lyn March, PhD

Welcome to our 2026 season! This year, our curriculum exclusively features the work of women authors, highlighting diverse perspectives on the history, culture, and landscape of the Pacific Northwest.

Meeting Details:

  • When: The second Thursday of each month.
  • Where: Friendly House (1737 NW 26th Ave, Portland, OR 97210).
  • 5:00 PM: Doors open for tea and social time.
  • 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Book discussion led by the author or Dr. March.
  • 6:30 PM: Clean up & Book signing (when the author is available).
Book cover of Tilt by Emma Pattee. The cover features a stark, tilted design highlighting the book's title in bold, fragmented lettering, reflecting the themes of a catastrophic earthquake in Portland. There is a Bird with a red breast.

January

Tilt by Emma Pattee

A gripping debut novel set in a post-Cascadia earthquake Portland, this book follows a pregnant woman on a harrowing journey through the ruined city to find her husband. A meticulously researched and tense read that explores themes of motherhood, survival, and the future of the city. Annie’s role in the narrative interweaves her memories of husband Dom via a conversation with her unborn child “Bean” while interacting with other victims in world where everything and everyone has changed.

February

A Peculiar Paradise by Elizabeth McLagan

This comprehensive history chronicles the experiences of Black Oregonians from 1788 to 1940, revealing how they overcame legal and social barriers to build communities in the state. Elizabeth McLagan’s work reveals how in spite of those barriers, Black individuals and families made Oregon their home and helped create the state’s modern Black communities. A longtime resource for those seeking information on the legal and social barriers faced by people of African descent in Oregon, the book is available again through this co-publication with Oregon Black Pioneers, Oregon’s statewide African American historical society.

Book Cover "A Peculiar Paradise" A Black Cowboy riding a bucking horse author listed Elizabeth-McLagan
Lost Restaurants of Portland-Oregon under a large block of image for the title that resembles a restaurant sign are four images of lost restaurants they are very cropped Lower left is a steam boat lower right you can see the a round building with the word Henry's it was once on NW 23rd building is also lost

March

Lost Restaurants of Portland, Oregon by Theresa Griffin Kennedy

Take a nostalgic culinary tour through Portland’s past with this book that chronicles the history of the city’s most beloved, but long-gone, restaurants. This book is a delicious blend of history, personal memories, and even some recipes, making it a perfect read for foodies and history buffs alike.

April

The Ground At My Feet by Ann S. D. Stinson

Ann S. D. Stinson a former school teacher, she is president of the Family Forest Foundation and is on the board of the Washington Farm Forestry Association. A deeply personal memoir that combines family history, ecology, and loss as the author returns to her family’s tree farm in southwestern Washington. Tour of the family forest is this summer.

Back Ground is of a section of a tree cut showing tree rings Title is in white text The Ground at My Feet by Ann Stinson
Sweet Cakes Long Journey Book Cover there is a late 1800s Black and white piture or a four Chinese children walking down a street in Chinatown in Portland Oregon there is a hitching post to there left a dirt road with a cat a other pedestrians and store fronts

May

Sweet Cakes Long Journey by Marie Rose Wong

A deeply researched history that chronicles Portland’s Chinatowns from the 1850s until the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in the 1940s. Drawing on exhaustive primary sources, it reveals the enforcement of Exclusion Laws and the innovative ways Chinese immigrants built one of North America’s largest Chinatowns, highlighting a critical and often overlooked part of the city’s urban and ethnic history.

June

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

Set in 1888 Portland, this gripping historical novel follows a half-Chinese woman who awakens in the city’s notorious Shanghai Tunnels after being abducted for forced labor. As she fights to escape and protect those she loves, the story unearths dark secrets of Portland’s past, including the real-life Hells Canyon Massacre and the underground labyrinth of the city’s early history.

The Girls of Good Fortune Kristina McMorris in gold font a striking crimson or deep read background ornate floral on silk maybe pattern
Book cover Timber Beasts : a sage Adair Historical Mystery S.L. Stoner features a moody vintage inspired illustration sketch of a man a logger standing in front of a dense forest of trees he is wearing a hat

July

Timber Beasts by S.L. Stoner

Set in the early 1900s, this historical mystery dives into the rugged and often dangerous world of Oregon’s timber industry. It’s a gripping tale of labor rights and corporate greed.

I was not able to track down author. I will be solo in July. – Tanya March

Thursday September 11, 2026

Beyond the Ripple by Dede Montgomery

A poignant memoir that navigates the layers of family secrets and the healing power of the Oregon landscape. Montgomery explores how the “ripples” of our ancestors’ lives continue to shape our own identities in the Pacific Northwest.

book cover showing A green bottle floating on a still blue ocean might have a note in it. words in wavy fog like font Beyond the Ripples a novel by Dede Montgomery
This is a book cover for On the Ragged Edge of Medicine by Dr.-Patricia Kulberg and is dark in weathered hands holding what is possibly a "cup" for grinding medicine to beg possibly for coins AI says it is a photograph that is worn and weathered, in a palette of grays and browns very gritty

Thursday October 8, 2026 by Dr. Patricia Kullberg

Ragged Edge of Medicine: Doctoring Among the Dispossessed 

Dr. Kullberg provides a raw, compassionate look at her fifteen years practicing medicine in Portland’s public health clinics. This collection of stories offers a vital human perspective on the city’s most vulnerable populations and the challenges of the healthcare safety net.

Thursday | November 12, 2026

Near Flesh Stories by Katherine Dunn

A collection of early fiction and journalism from the legendary author of Geek Love. These works showcase Dunn’s singular, gritty voice and her deep connection to the darker, more eccentric corners of Portland’s soul. Katherine Dunn lived in Nob Hill and worked at Earth Tavern.

Book cover of Near Flesh Stories Katherine Dunn there is a blur hand looks unnatural the first two words and author's name are in a sickly yellow font storoes is in black font
Book Group 2026 PDFDownload

FYI For our August 13, 2026 gathering the group is reading articles about the rise of Women Sports in Portland and visiting a Woman Sports Bar.

Join us December 6th at “Holiday Cheer: Celebration of Oregon Authors” at Oregon Historical Society where authors bring their newest releases and we request their contact information. You can offer up books at our Thursday December 10, 2026 5pm meeting where we select next year’s books. Moderator often preselects January Book because of timing.