Amid false narratives of urban collapse, the homegrown nonprofit Literary Arts is investing in Portland’s renaissance, one book at a time. I wrote this article for Fast Company on Oct. 9th, 2025. The bookstore cafe at Literary Arts’ new headquarters in Portland, Oregon was a hive of activity on a recent weekday morning. A few 20-somethings gathered for coffee in a corner, while at a nearby table, New Yorker  cartoonist Tom Toro discussed his new book, And to Think we Starte