Michael Schepps

Michael Schepps is a writer based in Portland, Oregon who focuses primarily on historical creative nonfiction. They hold a BA in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia and a MFA from Portland State University. He was the Nonfiction Editor for the Portland Review and the co-author of the Portland State Native American Student and Community Center's Art Catalog. Schepps is currently an editor at Kithe Journal, the author of the novella Split Aces and head publisher at Korza Books, an independent press. 

Author's Entries

  • Dan and Louis Oyster Bar

    Dan and Louis Oyster Bar is a family-owned seafood restaurant that has operated at the same location in downtown Portland for over a century. Known for its eclectic decor featuring hundreds of collectible plates, mementos, and nautical memorabilia, the restaurant has a clubby atmosphere. Historical artifacts include elements of the …

    Oregon Encyclopedia

  • Erickson's Saloon

    Erickson’s Saloon, sometimes called the Working Man’s Club or The Erickson Saloon, was a Portland establishment whose grandeur and notable size—epitomized by the 684-foot self-proclaimed “longest bar in the world” on its central drinking floor—ensured a national reputation that gave its glory years during the late nineteenth and early twentieth …

    Oregon Encyclopedia

  • Francis J. Murnane (1914–1968)

    Francis J. Murnane was a longshoreman, labor leader, writer, and preservationist. He was described in his obituary as the “cultural and historical conscience of Portland.” He was an advocate for leftist politics, fighting for the freedoms of immigration, speech, and association. He was also an advocate for historic preservation, …

    Oregon Encyclopedia

  • Huber’s Café

    Huber’s Café may be the oldest restaurant in Portland. Famous for its roast turkey, flaming Spanish coffees, and period décor, the restaurant is also known for the continuity of its ownership. Its history is inextricably connected to the Louie family, which has owned and managed the restaurant for over …

    Oregon Encyclopedia

  • Pomona Hotel Fire, 1975

    On the evening of July 7, 1975, fire broke out at the Pomona Hotel, at 23 Northwest Second Avenue in Portland, killing twelve people in what was the deadliest fire from arson in Oregon history. Roy Jennings Beard remains the primary suspect for the crime, but he was never …

    Oregon Encyclopedia

  • Seid Back (1851–1916)

    Seid Back was a Chinese immigrant, merchant, and labor broker whose reputation for honesty, philanthropy, business acumen, sense of community, and patriotic zeal made him among the most prominent Chinese Americans in early Oregon history. He provided a crucial source of labor for railroad construction, agriculture, and salmon canneries, serving …

    Oregon Encyclopedia

  • William Gale "Will" Vinton (1947–2018)

    Will Vinton, the first person born in Oregon to win an Academy Award, revitalized the art of clay-based stop motion animation using Claymation, as he called it, to achieve significant critical and commercial success. He created and designed some of the most enduring commercial mascots of the 1980s and 1990s, …

    Oregon Encyclopedia