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When Portland is feeling difficult to love, borrow a page from Ross Gay.
The Philadelphia poet and professor popularized a joy-enhancing technique in 2019′s The Book of Delights. In that book of essays and its 2023 sequel, the author argues there is something to treasure every day for those who pay attention. Gay delights in topics as varied as babies, tomato seedlings, fireflies and train travel.
Consider the “Reasons to Love Portland” issue a list of 24 reasons to delight in the Rose City, coming at you in a winter month when it can be difficult to conjure them on your own (and in a newspaper that more often reflects on problems).
You know about Portland’s wounds and its political divides, its twin crises of homelessness and fentanyl. But we ask you to consider a futsal club that serves professional athletes, city commissioners, and 3-year-olds alike, and a plus-size clothing resale boutique named—delightfully—I Want Seconds.
There’s a music store that hand-makes the cables that rock stars covet, a community space for candlelit yoga, cello sound baths, and tea ceremonies, and a pub at the base of Mount Tabor that combines Dungeons & Dragons with craft beer. Or perhaps you’re just curious which independent theater Gov. Tina Kotek favors (trick question, all of them).
So stop. Look around. Therapy llamas in little outfits are roaming the airport. Delight.
—Rachel Saslow, WW Arts & Culture Reporter
