You know what's great about Portland? Me.

Here in Portland, we have a mayor's race underway. One of the candidates is Charlie Hales, a gentleman who has an essay in today's Oregonian. (His article is in response to a previous opinion piece by Dave Lister.) Hales' essay starts this way:

Like many readers, I was disappointed, if not surprised, by Dave Lister's latest broadside attacking smart growth, transit, East Coast transplants, urban renewal, bicycles, myself and most other things that are great about Portland.

Did you see that? By using the word "myself" at the end of the list of things that are great about Portland, Mr. Hales has explicitly stated that HE is one of the things that is great about Portland!

I love it. I also think this is a fine campaign slogan:

Charlie Hales: One of the great things about Portland.

Addendum: I'm voting for Hales. Seriously. Not because of this, though.

Addendum II: It's official.

This Just In: Bookstores are good.

I have an incredibly persuasive essay on bookstores in today's Oregonian. Just follow the previous link.

Uh-oh, I might be in trouble.

Over at the Oregonian's website, I have an essay up titled "Children's Authors Are Awful People."

It's a bit of satiric fun, but at least one commenter wasn't very taken with it:

Did you see that? The essay totally worked!

New Banner Link

You may feel a crackling new energy here at Unexpectedly Bart. After all, we've been asked to join the mighty Oregonian News Network. What does that mean for you?

Why, nothing. Nothing at all!

See a writer in his unnatural habitat!

Over here is a story in the Oregonian about my upcoming writing gig in the window of a bookstore. Check it!

"Try Signing an E-Book"

The "Books" section in the Oregonian features my "humorous" essay about the challenges 21st century authors face.

Take a peek through the link, or blow up the print version below.

Multi-Tasking in the Oregonian

The Sunday Oregonian's "Books" section has a piece of mine about micro-literary criticism and Twitter. As the headline above shows, the formatting of the piece is spot-on.

But I also bring sad news: The author's photo accompanying the on-line article reveals me as both insufferably smarmy AND blurry around the edges. (Smarmy and blurry? Hmm, that's actually not half-bad...)

I Want to Put a Smart-Aleck Book in Your Pocket TODAY!

The Oregonian’s Books section has a piece today by Katy Schneider on The Pocket Guide to Brilliance.

I Done Got Excerpted

What do you call a person who takes exceptional pride in his state? “Patriot”? Too big. “Homey”? Too localized. “Regional enthusiast”? Too dry!

Anyway, when you come up with the right term, apply it to Matt Love who edited and published the Oregon anthology Citadel of the Spirit all on his own. It was an act of love and devotion that garnered notice in today’s Oregonian:
… and hey! I done got excerpted from the piece I wrote on Powell’s City of Books: