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The origin of Powell’s Books is a tale of two cities—Portland and Chicago. In 1970, Michael Powell was a graduate student at the University of Chicago and opened a small bookstore in the Windy City. After a summer stint working alongside his son, Walter Powell decided to start his own used bookstore back home in Portland. By 1980, the two combined their efforts to create a space that offered both new and used books side by side and, more importantly, one staffed by bright, passionate book lovers ready to steer any reader to a brilliant story. They opened up shop in what’s still their current main location on West Burnside Street, Powell’s City of Books.
Today, Powell’s Books is considered the largest independent bookstore in the world, with more than 1 million books available between its locations and online selection. Powell’s City of Books is a full-block, multistory wonderland housing everything from local zines to a two-volume set of the 1814 Lewis and Clark journals that retails for $350,000. Powell’s Books has become a national landmark, bringing acclaimed authors into the Basil Hallward Gallery for readings (Hernan Diaz, George Saunders, and Ocean Vuong in 2023 alone, to name a few).
As Powell’s has grown through the decades, so has a wider literary community in Portland—Literary Arts (formerly Arts & Lectures) kicked off in 1984, then Tin House magazine launched in 1999. The city is home to loads of independent publishers, and organizations like the Independent Publishing Resource Center for writers to bind their own books and zines. “We didn’t set out to ‘shape’ anything; we’re here to inspire people to read and engage with our vital literary community,” says Emily Powell, the bookstore’s third-generation owner. “We exist to provide access to books and all the ideas, adventures, and inspiration they hold within their pages; the rest is up to Portlanders!”
The rest is how we move forward, which could be by attending the annual Portland Book Festival (you just missed 2024′s) or local readings at The Stacks Coffeehouse. And, of course, Powell’s has suggestions for any reader, hopefully for decades to come. “I think Powell’s without Portland is a little less Powell’s, and I think it is safe to say that Portland without Powell’s is a little less Portland,” Powell says. “Now more than ever, I think we need each other.”
Next chapter: Check out one of Powell’s frequent author events. (We’re stoked to see Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer next month.) And give yourself an extra hour to lose yourself in the stacks.
Next Story > 1981: Tony Hopson Sr.
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