List of fiction set in Oregon

The following are authors, filmmakers, musicians, and other performers, and their products, associated with Portland, Oregon. A separate list of artists and art institutions is also available.

Literature

Authors

Children's author Beverly Cleary set many of her stories in Portland, and used many references to the city in them. Henry Huggins, for instance, lived on Klickitat Street, while Ramona Quimby was named for Quimby Street.^[1]
Katherine Dunn came to Portland to attend Reed College and lives there still. Her novel Geek Love is partially set in Portland.^[2]
Ursula K. Le Guin, Grand Master author of speculative fiction, has lived in Portland since 1958. The Lathe of Heaven, one of her most renowned novels, is set in a future Portland.
Author Jean Auel currently lives in Portland with her husband. She attended both Portland State University and the University of Portland.^[3]
Author Chuck Palahniuk wrote Fight Club, often regarded as a milestone for both Generation X and Generation Y. He also wrote an alternative travelogue of the city titled Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon.^[4]

Books

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller – a semi-autobiographical book by a Portland author, concerning Christianity and "…[drawing] heavily on Portland's deep pool of oddballs"^[5]
Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon by Chuck Palahniuk
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M. Auel
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and other children's books by Beverly Cleary
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin – a novel set in Portland.^[6]
Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson
Dies the Fire and sequels by S. M. Stirling – science fiction novels set in the Willamette Valley and other parts of the Pacific Northwest^[7]
Violence of Action by Richard Marcinko

Film

Filmmakers

Director Gus Van Sant has achieved commercial and critical acclaim for his films, including My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy, Good Will Hunting (which earned Van Sant a best director Oscar nomination) and Elephant (which won the Palme d'Or and a best director award at the Cannes Film Festival).^[8]

Will Vinton Studios, a famous producer of animated films (especially clay animation); noted for the feature film Return to Oz, the California Raisins television commercials of the 1980s, Eddie Murphy's television show The PJs.^[9]

Films

Are We There Yet? (2005) - Ice Cube
What the Bleep Do We Know?!(2004) - Filmed in the Pearl District, the MAX tunnel and various areas of Downtown Portland
Antitrust (2001) - Story takes place in Portland, with many shots done in downtown Portland
Bandits (2001) - Bruce Willis
Body of Evidence (1993) - Madonna
Bongwater
Closed Mondays (1974) - produced in Portland by Will Vinton and Bob Gardiner winner of the Academy Award for Animated Short Film
Drugstore Cowboy - Directed by Gus Van Sant
Elephant - Directed by Gus Van Sant
Feast of Love - Based on the novel by Charles Baxter, currently in post-production
First Love (1977) - filmed on the Reed College campus
Five Easy Pieces (1970) - Jack Nicholson
Foxfire (1996) - filmed in part at Lincoln High School
Free Willy
Hear No Evil (1993)
The Hunted (2003) - the city-shots were all filmed in Portland.
Jackass (the film and much of the TV show)

The Last Innocent Man (1987) - TV movie
The Lathe of Heaven - PBS TV movie based on the novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. Features the Portland Plaza Condominiums as a futuristic building.
Love at Large (1990)
Me and You and Everyone We Know - Set in Los Angeles, but with many references to Portland locations and institutions
Men of Honor
Mona Lisa Descending A Staircase (1992) - produced in Portland by Joan C. Gratz, winner of the Academy Award for Animated Short Film
Mr. Holland's Opus - filmed around Grant High School
My Own Private Idaho - Directed by Gus Van Sant
Paranoid Park - Directed by Gus Van Sant, currently in pre-production.
Say Uncle
Short Circuit (1986) - filmed in large part in Astoria, Oregon, with some scenes in West Portland
The Temp
Untraceable - Starring Diane Lane and Colin Hanks. Currently in post-production.
Zero Effect - filmed in large part in Portland, small part in Forest Grove

Television

Matt Groening, who graduated from Portland's Lincoln High School, is responsible for creating two of the most popular animated television series of the last two decades, The Simpsons and Futurama. Many of the character names in The Simpsons are taken from street names in Portland (Flanders, Rev. Lovejoy, etc.)^[10]
Nowhere Man - filmed largely in and around Portland, Oregon
In an episode of Lost it is discovered that Juliet has been on the island for over two years after she accepted a job in Portland, only to discover at the end of the episode that the job was actually not in Portland, but on the island.
The animated series Mission Hill was set in a neighborhood located in Portland.
The second season premiere of The OC was set partially in Portland where Seth Cohen had run away to from Newport beach.

Music

See also Music of Oregon

Artists with Portland ties include:

Obo Addy
Agalloch
Dave Allen - former bassist for the post-punk band, Gang of Four and current member of the band Shriekback, currently based.
The Dandy Warhols - alternative rock band, originated and currently based.
Britt Daniel - co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas rock band, Spoon, currently based.
The Decemberists - indie pop band, originated and currently based.
Everclear, a popular nineties alternative rock band - originated.
Hazel (including Pete Krebs)
Helio Sequence
The Joggers - originated and currently based (not to be confused with Joggerz
The Kingsmen - originated
Kutless
Lifesavas
Storm Large - a Portland musician with a sizeable local and national following; was a contestant on Rock Star Supernova.^[11]
Stephen Malkmus - indie-rock musician, a former member of the bands Pavement and The Crust Brothers, and current member of the bands Silver Jews and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, currently based.
Scott McCaughey - leader of Seattle-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5, currently based.
The Minders - currently based.
Nu Shooz, a rock band popular in the 1980s.
Paul Revere and the Raiders - originated
Pink Martini - originated and currently based.
Poison Idea
Quarterflash, 1980s rock band, was once known as "Seafood Mama" due to performing in a local seafood restaurant.
Quasi - indie rock band, originated and currently based
The Dan Reed Network
Resist
The Shins, a popular indie rock band that originated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and relocated to Portland. Keyboardist resides in home formerly occupied by Elliott Smith.^[12]^[13]
Sleater-Kinney - based in Portland since early 2000s, moving from Olympia, Washington.
Elliott Smith, Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter - resided in Portland from age 14 until 1997. Has been described as a musical icon of Portland, embodying and contributing to its history.^[14]
Swords (also known as The Swords Project) was an American indie-rock band formed and based in Portland.
Talkdemonic - self-labeled folktronic hop band, originated and currently based.
The Thermals - punk rock band, originated and currently based.
Viva Voce - American indie-rock band formed by husband and wife duo Kevin and Anita Robinson formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, currently based.
Christopher Walla - guitarist and producer for the band Death Cab for Cutie, currently based.
M. Ward
Wet Confetti - art rock band, originated and currently based.
Whip
The Wipers

Songs with Portland ties include:

The song "Louie Louie" (1963 versions by The Kingsmen and Paul Revere and the Raiders)
"Hot Time" (1987) by Poison Idea references Old Town.
"I Will Buy You A New Life" (1997) by Everclear specifically mentions Portland's West Hills
The song "Portland Oregon" by Loretta Lynn
In the Decemberists' song "California One Youth and Beauty Brigade," Colin Meloy references the "Multnomah County Library," the library system of the county in which Portland is located.
The Sleater-Kinney song "Light-Rail Coyote" is about the city of Portland and its residents. Its title derives from a coyote that boarded a train in 2002.^[15]^[16]

Erotica

Portland's local punk/goth scene gave birth to SuicideGirls, an erotic website.

References

^ Beverly Cleary, Age 90 (2006 Newsweek Interview)
^ article in Willamette Week
^ article from LiteraryArts.org
^ JOHN MARSHALL (July 18, 2003). "Palahniuk paints a lovingly twisted picture of the not-so-rosy Portland". SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
^ Dundas, Zach (February 2nd, 2005). "Confessions of a dangerous mind". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2007-06-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Smith, Anderson. "Lathe of Heaven (Synopsis)". Science Fiction Museum.
^ Paul Di Filippo. "Dies the Fire (review)". SciFi.com/Off the Shelf.
^ DAVID WALKER (March 9th, 2005). "The camera man: how Gus Van Sant made Portland cool". Willamette Week. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ AARON MESH (June 20th, 2007). "Toon town". Willamette Week. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Hamilton, Don (2002-07-19). "Matt Groening's Portland". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ "Storm Large". msn.com. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
^ "The Shins:a new slang from Albuquerque". Lost at Sea.
^ Eliscup, Jenny (Jan 25, 2007). "Bruised Shins". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
^ "Elliott Smith (1969-2003)". Willamette Week. October 29, 2003. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
^ "Wandering Coyote Booted from Airport Hops a Train Instead". The Scoop. February 15, 2002. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
^ "WILY COYOTE TRIES TO TAKE A MAX RIDE". The Columbian. Associated Press. February 16, 2002. Retrieved 2007-06-22.

External links

"Reading Portland: The City in Prose", The Portland Mercury

[1] Beverly Cleary, Age 90 (2006 Newsweek Interview)

[2] rticle in Willamette Week

[3] rticle from LiteraryArts.org

[4] JOHN MARSHALL (July 18, 2003). "Palahniuk paints a lovingly twisted picture of the not-so-rosy Portland". SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

[5] Dundas, Zach (February 2nd, 2005). "Confessions of a dangerous mind". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2007-06-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[6] Smith, Anderson. "Lathe of Heaven (Synopsis)". Science Fiction Museum.

[7] Paul Di Filippo. "Dies the Fire (review)". SciFi.com/Off the Shelf.

[8] DAVID WALKER (March 9th, 2005). "The camera man: how Gus Van Sant made Portland cool". Willamette Week. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)

[9] AARON MESH (June 20th, 2007). "Toon town". Willamette Week. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)

[portlandtribune-10] Hamilton, Don (2002-07-19). "Matt Groening's Portland". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[11] "Storm Large". msn.com. Retrieved 2007-06-21.

[12] "The Shins:a new slang from Albuquerque". Lost at Sea.

[13] Eliscup, Jenny (Jan 25, 2007). "Bruised Shins". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-06-21.

[14] "Elliott Smith (1969-2003)". Willamette Week. October 29, 2003. Retrieved 2007-06-22.

[15] "Wandering Coyote Booted from Airport Hops a Train Instead". The Scoop. February 15, 2002. Retrieved 2007-06-22.

[16] "WILY COYOTE TRIES TO TAKE A MAX RIDE". The Columbian. Associated Press. February 16, 2002. Retrieved 2007-06-22.

[1]