English Department

Ooligan Press 20th Anniversary

Ooligan 20th Anniversary Logo
Ooligan Press banner

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Ooligan Press

The Graduate Program in Book Publishing at PSU was started in 2001 by Dennis Stovall, combining traditional academic study with hands-on experiential learning. Twenty years later, there are over 500 book publishing alumni and Ooligan Press has published 60 books.

Ooligan

The only student-run commercial trade press in the U.S.

60

Books Published

16

Book Awards Won

20

Years

62

Current Students

95%

Grads Employed in Publishing

Head shot of Porscha Burke

Hear from Porscha Burke, a member of the Ooligan Press Advisory Board

Ooligan Press Advisory Board member Porscha Burke, who also serves as Assistant Publishing Director and Senior Editor with the Clarkson Potter, Ten Speed Press, and Harmony / Rodale imprints at Random House, recently joined the podcast Minorities in Publishing (MiP) to discuss her experiences in publishing.

Listen to the Podcast

Meet Ooligan Press Alumni

Sarah Currin-Moles

We're pleased to introduce Sarah Currin-Moles, a 2014 grad and recipient of the Dennis Stovall First Edition Award. Sarah now works as a technical editor at Anchor QEA and a freelance editor with Indigo. They also just finished their first term as an adjunct instructor of book editing at PSU. Sarah had this to say about the program: "Ooligan offers so much more than an education in publishing; it provides a network, both professional and personal, to every one who spends time in the program, no matter where you come from or where you're going. That ability to forge friendships, launch careers, and find meaning with others is a magical thing..."

Scott Parker

Scott Parker graduated from the program in 2009 and still finds himself working on book projects today. He is currently editing a collection of interviews with Dave Eggers that will be out next year. He has this to say about his time in the program: "When I think back on those two years, what I remember is the good feeling of discovering that there were other people who loved books as much as I did. We loved different books sometimes, and we loved them differently, but deep within all of us was the love of books. That was our bond. It still is."

Give $20 on the 20th

For the past 20 years Oolies have been bonding over their love of books and sharing that love with the PNW community. Donors and supporters like you are the reason we have been able share the joy of literature with the PNW. Please consider donating during our PSU Day of Giving to show your support and love of books! 

  • A donation of $20 could help cover: 
    • The cost of student lab fees for one quarter.
    • The cost of Adobe CC for an Ooligan staff member.
    • Shipping costs for a few Ooligan books.
    • The cost of printing a few galley copies for reviewers.
    • The monthly Mailchimp fee for Ooligan newsletters.
    • The printing cost of collateral like bookmarks or postcards.
  • A donation of $100 would cover the cost of a book award application for one book.
     
  • A donation of $250 would help cover the cost of publicity and marketing for one book.
     
  • A donation of $500 would help cover the printing cost for one book.

You can also help by sharing our $20 for 20 campaign with 20 friends on social media to help us reach a larger audience and achieve our goal! Tag your friends in the comments, or share it on your own social media and @ooliganpress in your post!

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Past Events

Empowering Yourself and Others in Publishing
Wednesday, February 24 | 12 noon | Zoom

Paths to publishing careers are so varied that it's impossible to say there is a "traditional" path. Members of the new PSU Book Publishing advisory board will share their career paths and challenges, mentors who shaped them, and ways that they have mentored others. Get advice from seasoned professionals who took many different paths to end up where they are today.

Featuring:

  • Leah Altman, Developmental Manager of Native Arts & Cultures Foundation
  • Seth Dellon, Director of Strategic Development at Publishers Weekly
  • Michele Cobb, Forte Business Consulting, PubWest, and Audio Publishers Association
  • Brian O'Leary, Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group
  • DongWon Song, Literary Agent at Howard Morhaim Literary

View Recording of Empowering Yourself and Others in Publishing.

Career Possibilities in Publishing
Friday, March 5 | 4 PM | Zoom

Training in book publishing can lead to a variety of many different and rewarding careers. Alumni from the PSU Book Publishing program share their experiences that led them to entrepreneurship, Big 5 employment, academic publishing, and more.

Featuring:

  • Jenny Kimura, Designer at Little, Brown
  • Dory Athey, Founder of a boutique marketing firm 
  • Lisa Hein, Production Coordinator at University of Chicago Press
  • Kate Barnes, Ebook production at W. W. Norton

View Recording of Career Possibilities in Publishing.

Comics Publishing
Friday, April 9 | 5 PM | Zoom

What does a career in comics publishing look like? Join alumni from the PSU book publishing program and comics certificate as they talk about comics publishing in Portland: their career trajectories, thoughts on the latest developments in comics, and time as students at PSU.

Featuring:

  • Jenny Blenk, Assistant Editor at Dark Horse
  • Melissa Gifford, Content Manager at Image Comics
  • Konner Knudsen, Assistant Editor at Dark Horse Comics
  • Erika Schnatz, Senior Production Artist at Image Comics

View Recording of Comics Publishing.

Past Events

Queer Identity in Publishing
Thursday, May 6 | 5 PM | Zoom

For Ooligan's 20th anniversary, we are celebrating queer Ooligan alumni, building community, and talking about queer representation and support in the publishing industry. The Lee and Low 2019 Diversity Baseline Survey reports 97% of respondents are cisgender and 81% are straight/heterosexual, illustrating the lack of queer representation. This panel of alumni will share their experiences of queer identity in the publishing industry.

Bridging the Racial Diversity Gap in Book Publishing
Friday, May 7 | 9:30 AM to 3 PM | Zoom

This one-day workshop is for BIPOC students and alumni wanting to work in the book publishing industry as well as the publishing professionals looking to support, empower, mentor, and hire them. Representatives from organizations such as People of Color in Publishing, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and University Career Center will present to provide perspectives, resources, and training.

Featuring:

  • Christine Hung, Chair of People of Color in Publishing
  • Leah Altman, PSU Book Publishing Alumna and Development Manager Native Arts and Cultures Foundation

Queer Identity in Publishing-Adjacent Careers
Friday, May 7 | 5 PM | Zoom

In a second panel of alumni focused on Queer Identity, this event will feature alumni who work in publishing-adjacent careers. For Ooligan's 20th anniversary, we are celebrating queer Ooligan alumni, building community, and talking about queer representation and support in the publishing industry. The Lee and Low 2019 Diversity Baseline Survey reports 97% of respondents are cisgender and 81% are straight/heterosexual, illustrating the lack of queer representation.