http://slyoyster.com

Turns out there isn’t much of a difference at all, according to Maud Newton, who made this realization while on his book tour stop in Portland.

As we were walking back to my hotel, it occurred to me that strippers and writers aren’t very different. Both of us demonstrate our skill for the benefit of others, never knowing exactly how we will be repai… No, no. It didn’t occur to me. That’s ridiculous. Strippers and writers are nothing alike, except for their common humanity, and their outsized expectations, and their sadness when those expectations aren’t met, and their essential fragility. I hope her finals go well.

It’s also worth reading because he manages to succinctly sum up what I love about Portland, why it’s so magical if you will.

There at the coffee shop, I heard two things about Portland that would condition the rest of my time there. The first was from an older woman talking on her phone. “It’s beautiful here,” she said, even though there it was pouring rain outside. An optimist. The second was from a young guy talking to a friend of his. “Portland has tons of strip clubs,” he said. Also an optimist.

You won’t really understand unless you live hear, but no one here in Portland really wants that.  So you’ll just have to trust us when we say this is the best city in America.