Every year, Literary-Arts honors Oregon’s best writers and their work with the Oregon Book Awards. The ceremony associated with these awards is usually held in November.

With one exception, I have attended this event. Last night, the 2005 awards were given out, and I was pleased to attend.

This year marked a new location for the OBA. Previously, the OBA was held at the Shriner’s Auditorium on Morrison Street next door to the Tiffany Center. But with the Shriner’s folks wanting more control over the event catering than Literary Arts was more comfortable with, the event was moved to the inarguably less majestic but far more hospitable and cozy Wonder Ballroom off MLK and Russell Street.

Pamela Houston, a Colorado and California-based short-story author known for “A Little More About Me,” “Waltzing The Cat” and “Cowboys Are My Weakness,” helmed the 90-minute event. She opened by telling a great story about why she loved Portland. When she flew in on Friday and took the MAX downtown to the Heathman, the person at check-out not only recognized her work, but said that he had been going for an MFA in the orbit of some of Houston’s peers.

The winners were all gracious- some humbled, some funny, many both. As in previous years, it seemed that winners routinely thanked spouses, parents, partners, etc. for showing faith in them while they conducted research, locked themselves away in a warren to write, etc.

As author of seven books myself, I cannot tell you how important it is to have a partner who not only believes in you and doesn’t nag you to “get a real job,” - but understands that you, the writer needs space to create and the fact that you need to be alone to finish another chapter tonight doesn’t mean you are rejecting them - like their asshole jerk ex-husband did.

Afterward, there was wine available for sale at the rear of the main floor as well as in the balcony. There was notably less food than in previous OBA post-ceremony bacchanalias in the basement of the Shriner’s, but no matter. I had bulked up before the awards ceremony at the Cafe Wonder, a cool, intellectually tinged burger bar in the Wonder Ballroom structure, but with its own separate entrance.

OK, enough of this. Now I have to resume writing my own book.

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