Author Jeff VanderMeer, a new Oregonian, on walking, writing and why he loves Portland

Author Jeff VanderMeer, a new Oregonian, on walking, writing and why he loves Portland

June 18, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

Author Jeff VanderMeer discusses his experiences walking through Portland and how the city inspires his writing.

Author Jeff VanderMeer, best known for the creepy alien nature at the heart of his Southern Reach series, is suddenly engrossed in a different landscape completely: the neighborhoods of Portland. On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, VanderMeer, who recently moved to Oregon, talks about his long walks across the city, and all the things he’s discovered along the way. While far from the world of “Annihilation,” Portland has managed to captivate him like few other places have, he said, and the things he’s seeing on his long, sprawling walks across the city are inspiring his upcoming novels. It’s not just the beautiful parks, but the small discoveries on sidewalks and back alleys along the way. Here are some highlights from this week’s show: How VanderMeer first fell in love with Portland. His walks often go park to park, running through neighborhoods and reaching up to 10 miles at a time. VanderMeer highlights three of his favorite walks through Portland. How the author works on his books while walking through the city. Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

More episodes of Peak Northwest

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Peak Northwest podcast page.