Writer-in-Residence program

Introducing our Writer-in-Residence Program

Writing has always been part of our story at The Stacks. When we imagined opening a coffee shop in our neighborhood, the dream always included space for Mary to write. Nathan loves to cook and talk, and Mary loves to write and read — and we both love coffee and breakfast tacos. What could that look like? We weren’t sure. A few years after Mary got her MFA in Fiction at Portland State University, we were eager for something new, and the beautiful old building which once housed our neighbor Dan Hall’s Machine Shop was available. Over drinks at a neighborhood bar, we decided to go for it. We had no idea what we were getting into, but somehow we put all the things we love into this space, and more than seven years later, here we are!

Mary is still writing — but as you might imagine, running a busy shop takes up a decent amount of time, and it’s hard to get too deep into a writing project when you might need to hop up to help out.

Our Writer-In-Residence Program is a way for us to nurture the heart of our dream. We will begin selecting a Writer-In-Residence each month. What’s included? A reserved seat at the shop*, coffee and tacos, and bragging rights.