As part of the Library Writers Project, the library will accept e-book submissions from local authors through October 31. Enter your book for consideration to be added to the library’s collection.
Submissions will also have the potential to be published in print by Ooligan Press. Located at Portland State University, Ooligan Press is a nonprofit, student-run publishing press with national distribution. One 2023 Library Writers Project submission, The Blue Line Letters, is in the process of being published by Ooligan Press.
We spoke with the author, Steven Christiansen, to learn more about his book.
Pictured is author Steven Christiansen on a rainy day. Photo taken by Joe Gray.
Q: What inspired you to write The Blue Line Letters?
SC: Like the main character in the book, I rode the MAX from one end of the Blue Line to the other end for a summer job. While riding one day, I came up with the idea to incorporate all of the various things you might see riding the MAX every day. There are so many different stories occuring on the MAX that I realized, this could be a really fun and engaging book.
Q: Are the characters and events based on real people or are they fictional?
SC: Some of the events in the book actually happened and others are totally fictionalized. Same goes with the characters — some are based on actual people I met on the MAX and others are products of my overactive imagination. Part of the fun of reading the book is guessing which things are made up and which might have actually happened.
Q: What was the process of working with Ooligan to publish the book in print like?
SC: I love that Ooligan is publishing this book. On a lot of levels, this story is a love letter to Portland. So it's fitting that a press based in Portland is publishing The Blue Line Letters. The students and staff at Ooligan that have been working with me on the book have helped make it much better than it originally was. They deserve tons of credit.
Q: What do you hope readers take away after reading this book?
SC: I really hope readers take away the importance of community and the value of connection and relationships. Even if it's in a public space, like the MAX, the possibility for connection and being a part of something bigger is ever-present. We just need to take advantage of these possibilities.
Q: What prompted you to share this book with The Library Writers Project?
SC: I'm a huge fan of Multnomah County Library. It's like my home away from home. The Library Writers Project seemed like a natural place for me to submit my book and see what might happen. It's been an amazing ride to see the novel be picked and now be published by Ooligan.
Q: What’s next for you after having this book published?
SC: I don't want to spoil one of the amazing things that's happening when the book is published in April of 2025, but watch for some big news in the spring. I've also got another book and a play that are rattling around in my head and are starting to appear in draft form. I'm excited to finish writing those. They're very different from The Blue Line Letters and both are challenging me to grow as a writer.
Look out for The Blue Line Letters coming to your local library this April 2025!