Mr. Jones's Neighborhood

It's Forest Avenue Press day in the neighborhood! Our first guest is Joanna Rose, author of the new novel A Small Crowd of Strangers, published by Portland’s Forest Avenue Press, in conversation with Stevan Allred, whose most recent book is the novel The Alehouse at the End... Read more

We have a very special Mr. Jones's Neighborhood for you today, mainly because there's very little of Mr. Jones himself in this episode. After a brief rant intro, host Ken Jones (no relation) hands things over to Kent Russell and Karen Russell to talk about Kent's new book I... Read more

Since it's summer, there's no better time for a summer rerun. And it's a good one! Our guest today is the legendary audio theater producer, director, and writer Dirk Maggs. We had the privilege of talking with Dirk last year on the now defunct Holy Crowley Hour, a monthly K... Read more

Today's guest is Portland-based author, teacher, and mom, Karen Russell. I first talked with Karen last June, when her most recent book Orange World and Other Stories, came out in hardcover and digital editions. That was for KBOO’s Between the Covers program. And you can st... Read more

On today's show, we welcome Ty Curtis, Oregon born-and-bred singer/songwriter/guitarist, to the neighborhood, coming to us all the way from his home in Austin, Texas. This is Ty's fourth guest appearance on the show, usually to preview the annual Portland Waterfront Blues F... Read more

On today's show, we welcome Chelsea Bieker, author of the new novel Godshot, from Catapult Press. Chelsea is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writer’s Foundation Award and her fiction and essays have been published in Granta, McSweeney’s, Catapult magazine, Electric Literature... Read more

We're all sheltering in place in the neighborhood, and keeping our social distance. So today's show is originating from Mr. Jones's home, where there's more Passover matzoh than toilet paper. Fortunately, we have a microphone, an Internet connection, and a computer running ... Read more

Mr. Jones’s home city of Portland has one of the most talented, and supportive, literary communities in the country. It’s a little like Paris in the 20s, only with food carts, craft beer, and legal cannabis. On today’s show, we welcome four shining lights of that community,... Read more

On today’s show, we discuss the life and work of the late Grace Paley, one of the true masters of the short story form, and a great poet, essayist, and activist, as well. There’s no one better to talk Grace with than our guest Judith Arcana, author of the book Grace Paley’s... Read more

On this very special episode of Mr. Jones's Neighborhood, we celebrate Portland's independent bookstores. In the age of Amazon, we are blessed to have so many. It's a big reason we're one of the most literate cities in the U.S., with one of the most talented and supportive ... Read more