In Other Words

I love In Other Words. The events they have are fun and interesting, and they have a great selection of books. One of my favorite PDX spots.

A bit of a disappointment in my opinion. I walked in and asked the person behind the counter about a specific item… she was extremely monotoned and uninterested in helping much at all. She then went onto tell me that the item i was looking for was «old». As the partner of a local small business owner, I can honestly say this is the last type of person I would want to represent my store. My favorite part was I said, «I noticed you are taking donations for an event. I have four books in my car that I was going to give to the library. Would you be interested?» She was awkward and lengthy in her response without even asking, «what type of books are they… what’s their condition?!» Nothing. And one minute later I walked out thinking, «forget it!»…weird.

Warning!!! This is a very shady and strange place. It is not a bookstore and not even sure what it is. Reviews are totally misleading and lie. Be careful in this area and would advise not going at all.

The Volunteers were great and willing to answer any questions that people came in with. even the extremely obvious ones.
I would have loved to just stay and relax with one of their many good books for lend or for sale.

This place is so much more than «as seen on Portlandia». There’s a lot of soul here, it’s warm and extremely welcoming, ran by thoughtful sweet people. During my first visit, there was a B.Y.O.B (Bring Your Own Brunch) Feminist Meet Up and Discussion Group. I tried not to eavesdrop, as I browsed for a book to purchase, and I didn’t hear anything that was said, but the tone of the meeting sounded so warm, and open– I will definitely be back to participate one day soon.
Aside from books to buy or check out, there are a number of zines, knitted goods, art, jewelry, planners– really cool place to get a unique gift. You won’t find a vagina pillow for sale (only on display!) but I did see and purchase some other art, a necklace, in particular. If you’re looking for a place to donate books, try here! I’m going to check out their yoga class one of these Tuesday afternoons, and if you’re interested in the Feminist Meet Up, Brunch and Discussion Group it is held on the second Saturday of every month from 12:30p-2:00p. «Eat, drink, and bash patriarchy with fellow feminists!»

I learned about this store through the tour guide. I was excited as he made it seem like there were unique books geared towards feminism… that’s not the case. There were books you could find in any normal bookstore, and the normal knickknacks here and there. I thought it was a huge waste of my time, especially because I was only in Portland for two days.

Great book store. Lots of local artists and writers. Definitely worth checking out. Friendly staff and very pleasant atmosphere.

Yes, we visited In Other Words because it’s the site and inspiration of Women and Women First from the show, Portlandia. Needless to say, we are big fans!
In Other Words (what a great name!) is fun! We shopped, bought a book and a signed by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein poster, and we participated in a personal growth yoga class as well as a dream discussion group. It’s well worth the visit!

Dear IOW: I love you. I feel happy, safe, and invigorated in your store. There is an amazing vibe inside. It’s welcoming as hell. Plus, you have a really great selection of books and lots of other fun products, jewelry, zines, etc. I got my sister the best gift I’ve ever gotten for her at IOW. (She’s queer, she’s training to be a midwife and she’s obsessed with mermaids, so the sparkly labia necklace and the lesbian mermaids greeting card was PERFECTION). I will be back. Often.

What an awesome volunteer-​run community center! Worth checking out if you’re passing through Portland or live in town. IOW has a lot of neat things you can purchase (cards, jewelry, vagina pillows), a free lending library filled with past & present feminist thought, & some comfy couches if you’re wanting to hang out and soak up the vibe. Lots of ways to get involved /​teams to join /​feminist work to be done! Thankful for this awesome spot on Killingsworth.

This is a great place to buy or borrow a variety of feminist and queer stuff or attend a fantastic event from a spectacular calendar! If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you can ask them to order it for you. Almost entirely volunteer run, and everyone is super friendly and helpful.

Everybody living in Portland or visiting should check out In Other Words. This feminist community center opens its arms to everyone and anyone. As a nonprofit, they always offer classes, groups, a place to sit and read, educational pamphlets and brochures, as well as a venue for local artists to sell their wares. The staff and volunteers are always friendly and enthusiastic about their causes. They are a nonprofit, so when you stop by, be sure to pick something up there– a unique DIY t-​shirt, knitted hats, notebooks, etc, as well as a huge variety of books that you can either buy or check out and return later.
Very Portland.

This is an amazing bookstore! Their selection is pretty great, and they also have a library component as well. Anyone who considers themselves a feminist (I believe) would LOVE it too!

I so badly want to patronize this place, but my past experience was not good. I had been wanting to read a specific, newer (but not brand new) title on Riot Grrl, and had a night to myself where I planned to curl up with said book for some frivolous «me» reading. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to support this business. I popped in with my son, and the young woman at the counter told me that according to the computer, two were in stock. Yay! The newbie woman (who was sooo nice and tried hard to be helpful) informed me that they had just rearranged the whole store, and so it might take her a bit to find the right section. We wandered around for quite some time and never even found the section that might contain the book.
She enlisted the help of the veteran volunteer at the counter, who was not so friendly. She informed us that the computer system was incorrect, and that they did not have my title in. Still wanting to support the business, still wanting to read about Riot Grrl, I asked for assistance finding ANY book on the topic that I could purchase. The less friendly began browsing around, and I followed, thinking that she was looking for a title for me. I followed her around for a while, and she seemed annoyed. It donned on me that she was not looking for any book title for me, and so when I said, «So, no titles on Riot Grrl? » she said no and good day. It was so awkward and bizarre. A half hour wasted, and I left empty handed.

I believe it’s still the last remaining not-​for-​profit feminist bookstore in the United States. Okay, so the locals of course will no that this is prominently featured in Portlandia. They have some great events… check out Dirty Queer (yes, it’s dirty — in a good way) for some phenomenal Open Mic. Some of the poetry is really amazing. The store also has a great selection of books and awesome crafts.

I give this place 5 stars just because it’s a feminist bookstore! Support your local feminist bookstore! They have awesome books, zines, and accessories relating to feminism and Portland. In addition to being a feminist bookstore, it’s also a really great space for community events and shows. The place is always trying to cater to the needs of the community and its patrons.
I think that anyone who is quick to criticize this place should remember that it’s a board of entirely volunteers and the majority of the people working there are also volunteers.

WOMEN AND WOMEN FIRST!
ok, ok, ok, let’s give them at least a pat on the back for apparently being the «only» non-​profit feminist bookstore in all of the great united states of ANARCHY. (really? there isn’t another?) running a non-​profit is hard. especially when you don’t really sell any books. kidding! i’m sure they run a good barter and exchange system for lonely cat ladies such as myself. barter, since capitalism suxxx, it’s a system of the MAN. kidding again! hey, i have a women’s studies degree with a minor in not getting a real job… i get to make fun, right?
they do have a lot of feminist, radical, and queer literature, but as kind of a thriftmeister… fyi, bitch magazine has their own feminist library on 29^th and alberta, and the multnomah county library has its own impressive feminist, queer, and radical literature collection as well (it is portland, duh). so, if you have a real job and believe in supporting the cause, you might as well buy a book and join the femi-​nest! but otherwise… it’s okay if you’re a meanie since there are tons of other free resources in the city.
in other words is also an event space. so if you need a spot for your cool new radical feminist club consisting of only white women talking about the critical race issues in portland (true story), or a violence-​free place for your cool new gender neutral punk band to play a quiet and respectful show (hypothetical story), you might wanna check it out.

Having a degree in Women’s Studies, I was really excited to learn about the existence of In Other Words and was anxious to visit after relocating to Portland. Months ago, I visited the store and was given a pretty strong stink-​eye by several people, both working and shopping. I can only assume that I received the weirdo vibes because I don’t look like a radical-​much-​of-​anything. I’d like to think that any woman, a subscriber to a more ‘radical’ lifestyle or not, should feel welcome and safe in this type of environment. I most likely won’t be back. So sad.

In Other Words Bookstore is some kind of wonderful. I’ve enjoyed it since before it moved to its new location, and can honestly say that as a community resource it has only gotten better with time.
It is one of the last surviving non-​profit feminist bookstores, and before you get your knickers in a twist about the exclusive space that «feminist» can sometimes mean, let me assure you that I’ve never seen a more inclusive and welcoming space. As a visibly trans and queer person who has been a regular of IOW for years, I have never felt anything but welcomed, and never had anything but a spectacular time there.
Let’s talk entertainment for a moment: they’ve got books, yes, but where In Other Words really shines is the entertainment and community space. Pretty much every night of the week there’s something going on, whether it’s a book club, yoga for all levels, a craft night or activist meeting, an open mic or musician, the variety is staggeringly diverse. The bathroom is non-​gendered, the stage is accessible to all bodies, and the volunteers are all genuinely helpful and authentic.

For those of you who saw the event for Dirty Queer but were like «meh…»
It was awesome. It wasn’t as dirty as one might think, it was funny and romantic as well.
Above all it was high energy for all walks of life, gay, lesbian, transgendered, straight– whatever, that’s the point of this bookstore and the point of the poetry reading. It’s just fun.
I recommend if you have never been.