The founder of Crooked House Books & Paper passed away unexpectedly on August 26, 2022. 

Rachelle Markley was born November 19, 1962 in Piqua, Ohio. She was raised in Phoenix and graduated from Phoenix College. She worked in mental health care for several years, then managed a bakery where she explored her love of cooking. In 2003, she moved to Portland and started working in the book industry. Over the next twenty years, she worked in new books, she owned a small used bookstore, and she eventually opened Crooked House Books & Paper, an antiquarian shop which specialized in books by, for, and about women. She was the organizer of the Rose City Book and Paper Fair and one of the key members of Cascade Booksellers Association, serving as its first president. 

The Rachelle Markley Memorial Fund at Lewis & Clark College is for the acquisition of books by, for, and about women. From cookbooks to publishers’ bindings to women authors, Rachelle was always keenly aware of the role of women as authors, artists, publishers, booksellers, and readers. She felt that all aspects of books provided opportunities for women: broadening horizons, creating communities, allowing self-expression, or offering financial independence. 

Your donations are 100% tax-deductible, please follow this link to donate: 

https://engage.lclark.edu/register/?id=19334fc3-b7cc-41bd-a17a-fc3e74d7d6db