The Mid-Willamette Valley’s premier literary event, The Magic Barrel: A Reading to Fight Hunger, is held each fall in Corvallis, Oregon, to raise funds for Linn Benton Food Share. This unique event which began in 1993 is named after Bernard Malamud’s short story collection, The Magic Barrel, and features writers from around Oregon sharing their fiction, poetry, and works of nonfiction in brief readings.
2019 line-up: Barry Lopez, Mosley Wotta, Apricot Irving, George Estreich, Lauren Kessler, Suzy Vitello, Wendy Willis, Keith Scribner, Joe Wilkins, Sterling Cunio
The evening begins and ends with live music, beer, and wine, with all proceeds benefiting Linn Benton Food Share. The audience enjoys readings by novelists, poets, short story writers, and nonfiction writers. Courtesy of Corvallis’ local bookstore Grass Roots Books and Music, the authors’ books are made available to buy at the event, with all proceeds donated to Linn Benton Food Share.
The event is supported by a major contribution from the OSU Center for the Humanities at Oregon State University, where Malamud once taught, and is organized by a group of Corvallis writers and readers.