“Maybe that was what the change was. Cracking open our shields and letting a glimpse of our true selves drip out.”
WHAT:
December Rainbow Reads: Messy Roots by Laura Gao
It’s a truly magical season, and Rainbow Reads is delighted to showcase a truly spectacular graphic novel: Messy Roots, by Laura Gao.
The story is a memoir written by Laura Gao about her childhood experiences growing up in Wuhan, China before immigrating to Texas. In Wuhan, Laura rode water buffalo for fun! In Texas, Laura seeks to join the girls’ basketball team. Throughout her journey between past and present, China and the United States, she must also cope with the global COVID-19 pandemic, which sees her hometown Wuhan thrust into global headlines. And in the midst of all of the woes of growing up and facing a global pandemic, Laura eventually finds the right words to describe her feelings for other girls.
Join Rainbow Reads on Dec. 12 to discuss Gao’s book and celebrate a year of wonderful books shared amongst friends!
“This is the Wuhan I knew. Infinite rice paddies…peaceful lily pad ponds…and my cousins and me, with no internet and too much energy.”
For those new to Rainbow Reads: Rainbow Reads is a young adult LGBTQIA2S+ book group for teens facilitated by Ben Lilley and Becca Hawkins for Wordcrafters in partnership with the Eugene Public Library. The group meets monthly to discuss young adult literature for queer teens, by queer authors, and/or about queer teens. All teen readers across the gender and sexuality spectrum are welcome.
Readers can pick up a FREE copy of each month’s book by visiting the teen reception desk in the Eugene Public Library. If the library runs out of physical copies, you can get an ebook or audio book by filling out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFmIRqqAb7am2VFdMJpKl1vFdRoJOTU1256E1jI4voDMHETw/viewform
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 12, 4:30-6:00 PM
WHERE: Eugene Public Library, Downtown, 100 W 10th Ave, Eugene OR, 97401
COST: Free
INFO: https://wordcrafters.org/rainbowreads/
“Every time I struggled to fit into the world around me, I thought if I flew far enough away, like Chang’e, the perfect home would magically appear. But when your roots are tangled up across so many different places, that perfect world may not exist.”
Upcoming classes you might enjoy
Nap-a-thon: a fundraiser for people who are tired. Which, statistically, is everyone.
Nap Ambassador sign ups close Sept 30.
Napping and fundraising happens Oct 1-31.
Come share a meal with other writers and talk shop—craft, process, money, motivation, publishing, rejection, weird writing habits, and whatever’s currently living rent-free in your brain.
Friday, Sept 18 | Noon–1:30 pm
Ages 18+
Get your novel out of your head and onto the page in this 6-month novel-writing cohort with Daryll Lynne Evans.
Begins October 5 | Ages 18+
A 4-week writing accountability and co-working group to help you make real, steady progress on your writing.
Wednesdays 3-4:30 pm | In person or online | Next cohort starts Oct 7, facilitated by Daryll Lynne Evans | Age 16+
Share your words in sweet community at our monthly open mic emceed by spoken word poet Jorah LaFleur.
Second Thursdays, September through June | Age 14+
Join us for an atmospheric, fun-filled writing retreat where you’ll write and revise a short story—ghostly, strange, quiet, or otherwise—in the company of other writers.us for a spooky, fun-filled writing retreat where you’ll write and revise a short ghost story in the company of other writers.
October 15 -18, 2026
Learn more! Into the Veil: A Writers Weekend at the Oregon Coast