2026-2027 Readings and Lectures Series

Fiction Writer John Carr Walker, Tues. Oct. 6, 5:30-6:30, UP Bookstore

John Carr Walker is the author of Repairable Men: Stories. His new work of fiction is Spearwood, OR (Propeller Books, Sept. 2026). Set in a fictional Pacific Northwest town, told through the gossip and grievances of its residents, Spearwood, OR examines the impacts of place, inherited narratives, and generational traumas on a community in 72 very short stories. Walker’s essays and short fiction have been appearing in literary journals for two decades. Since 2022, he’s written the Substack John Carr Walker Sitting In His Little Room. He lives in St. Johns and teaches fiction at The University of Portland.

Novelist Renée Watson, Thurs. Oct. 29, 7-8pm, Buckley Center Auditorium

Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writer Series. Author of over 20 works of fiction that have sold over a million copies, Renée Watson was named a 2026 Visionary by Time in honor of her commitment to helping young people reach their full potential. She has spent her career writing about Black girls and women finding their power, about communities rebuilding after loss, and about the quiet dignity of being seen. Her middle-grade novel All the Blues in the Sky won the Newbery Medal, and Piecing Me Together received a Coretta Scott King Award. Her latest YA novel is Everything New Again. Watson’s debut adult fiction novel skin & bones (2024) was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year. For over twenty years, Watson taught creative writing and theater as a writer-in-residence in schools and community centers across the country. She has given keynotes and readings at the United Nations, the Library of Congress, US embassies, and was among the first authors invited to read at the Obama Presidential Center. Watson splits her time between Portland and New York City.

There will also be an open Q&A with the author from 4:30 to 5:30 in DB 131.

Book Launch of a new collection by Brian Doyle, Wed. Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m., Buckley Ctr Aud

A special event celebrating the posthumous release of Brian Doyle’s latest work, Wonder is a Lovely Place to Be: 365 Days of Wit, Wisdom, and Irrepressible Imagination (Ave Maria Press, Aug. 2026). The collection honors Doyle’s lyrical voice, humor, and enduring reflections on faith, nature, and the human spirit. For over 20 years, Doyle served as editor of UP’s Portland magazine, leading to it being ranked among the best university magazines in the country. He authored many books of fiction, essays, and poems, including his novels Mink River, The Plover, Chicago, and Martin Marten, for which he won a 2016 Oregon Book Award. He died in 2017 at age 60, and is survived by his wife Mary Doyle and three children. 

Sponsored by the Garaventa Center