Every year, America’s most literate cities are ranked (according to newspapers, bookstores, magazines, education, libraries and the Internet). Portland is always in the top 10 (or 10ish). This year, Flavorwire looked at the top 10 and what books each resident should read.
For Pittsburgh, it would be Mysteries of Pittsburgh: A Novel (P.S.). I met Michael Chabon 20 years ago (how time flies!) back when I was just impressed to even be in the same room with someone who was published. (This event looms large in my life - not so large in his.)
And for Portland it would be Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love: A Novel. I met her at Wordstock in 2009. She said she was an admirer of mine. I have no idea what that meant - it could even have referred to my newspaper reviews - but the for the next two weeks I walked around on a cloud.