In Other Words Feminist Community Center
| Company type | Non-profit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bookstore, Community center |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Johanna Brenner, Kathryn Tetrick, Catherine Sameh |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Portland , United States |
Area served | Portland, Oregon |
| Products | Feminist books, queer studies, transgender topics, consignment items from regional artists |
Number of employees | 1 (paid accountant), plus volunteers |
In Other Words Feminist Community Center operated as an autonomous non-profit feminist bookstore, community hub, and event venue located in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1993 by Johanna Brenner, Kathryn Tetrick, and Catherine Sameh, its mission was to foster feminist solidarity and promote social justice until it ceased operations in 2018.
Early years
Originally named In Other Words Women's Books and Resources, the center emerged following the shutdown of Portland’s sole other feminist bookstore, A Woman's Space. Initially situated in the Hawthorne District, it functioned as a space dedicated to celebrating women's literature, culture, and community engagement.
NE Killingsworth
In February 2006, escalating rental expenses prompted a move to Northeast Portland near Alberta Street. The center secured premises on NE Killingsworth Street owned by the Albina Women's League, a location formerly occupied by the Albina Art Center, which focused on nurturing local intellectual and cultural initiatives. This relocation ignited conversations around gentrification and critiques of white feminism within the local community.
Current operation
By 2011, In Other Words was among only nine feminist bookstores still operating in the United States. Confronted with diminishing sales, the organization transitioned from a retail-focused model to one emphasizing its role as a feminist community center, prioritizing grassroots activism. It organized programming related to art, literature, feminist theory, and queer activism while continuing to retail books covering feminism, queer studies, transgender topics, and consignment items from regional artists. That year also saw the introduction of a free public lending library.
The center operated primarily through volunteer efforts with just one paid accountant on staff and was overseen by a board of directors alongside volunteer committees.
In Other Words served as inspiration for the fictional feminist bookstore depicted in the television series Portlandia and was utilized as a filming site. Nevertheless, by 2016 the founders openly criticized the show’s representation of critical issues, labeling it "diametrically opposed to our politics and the vision of society we're organizing to realize," leading to a severance of ties with the production.
During autumn 2014, financial strain nearly forced closure. A fundraising effort provided temporary relief; however, the store ultimately shut down permanently in June 2018. The building was planned to be repurposed as a community center by Critical Resistance Portland.
See also
- List of companies based in Oregon
- Women Making History in Portland (2007), a mural project coordinated by In Other Words