Suzette Smith

Suzette Smith

Suzette Smith is the arts & culture editor of the Portland Mercury. Go ahead and tell her about all your food, art, and culture gripes: suzette@portlandmercury.com. Follow her on Twitter, Bluesky, and Letterboxd.

Recent Articles

Going Deep on Bottoming for Jesus

Michael Holt's first solo show is both "a send up and a love letter" to his years as a closeted gay in the Mormon Church.

Photos: Thousands of Portlanders Fill Pioneer Square on May Day 2025

Sandwiched between two other pro-worker, anti-Trump rallies, the square drew the day's largest gathering.

Protest, Organize, Celebrate: May Day 2025 in Portland

The federal government’s attacks on workers, immigrants, and marginalized people make May Day all the more relevant and important.

Books Apr 29 1:00 PM

Oregon Book Awards: Literary Arts Recognizes Genre Standouts and Reading Advocates

Portlanders Kimberly King Parsons and Charity E. Yoro are among the 2025 winners.

City Guide 2025 Apr 24 3:38 AM

Four Kinds of Dive Bars You'll Find in Portland

Categorizing beloved drinking institutions for fun and arguments.

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Spring Arts 2025 Mar 13 4:00 AM

Great Alliances Within the Mercury’s 2025 Spring Arts Guide

We've got your spring planned out—or at least one thing you'll like!

Spring Arts 2025 Mar 13 3:56 AM

What's Happening With the Live Nation Development in Portland's Central Eastside?

The next stage in the fight might be "throwing things at it to see what sticks."

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Spring Arts 2025 Mar 13 3:42 AM

Portland's Unexpected Book Corridor

Two of the city's most beloved literary institutions—Literary Arts and Mother Foucalt's—just opened bookstores across the street from one another on SE Grand.

Spring Arts 2025 Mar 13 3:40 AM

Swiftly Tilting Portland

Climate journalist Emma Pattee wrote a funny fiction novel that unfolds like a non-fiction nightmare.

Theater & Performance Mar 3 11:30 AM

Theater Review: The Spectrum According to Sapience

Artists Repertory Theatre's new play is as much a romantic love triangle as it is a charming interplay of intelligent apes and autism spectrum. 

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Photo Feb 14 2:00 PM

Portland Sledding Photos With Sound Effects

Sweet jumps, fluorescent ski jackets, and adorable children being dragged around on sleds after the city's 2025 snowstorm.

Comedy Feb 7 1:05 PM

Gender Ordeal Is a Trans Power Trio Comedy Tour

The Gender Reveal podcast tour is a variety show featuring the star power of show-host Tuck Woodstock, cartoonist Mattie Lubchansky, and author Calvin Kasulke.

Theater & Performance Jan 31 3:00 PM

PETE Presents Faena—a Good-Time Comedy About Bullfighting

A new gender-swapping, bilingual play by Dylan Hankins feels like history's most deeply-researched sketch comedy premise.

Theater & Performance Jan 24 1:30 PM

A Streetcar Named Desire at Imago Warms up as It Goes

Tennessee Williams' tragedy foretells the doom of living in a dream.

Music Jan 7 2:06 PM

Where's Portland Music Month This Year?

MusicPortland put the annual celebration on pause for 2025, citing complications from the election and a desire to expand its vision.

Culture Dec 30 1:00 PM

The Mercury's Favorite Culture Moments of 2024

Doing something stupid in Ladds, dressing up for the movies, and finding catharsis at live shows, et al.

Books Dec 24 7:00 AM

The Mercury's Favorite Books of 2024

On this list, revolutionary writings share space with Portland zombies and memories of the Barefoot Contessa