Lake Oswego Reads Author Explores Earthquake Anxieties and Resilient Infrastructure

Emma Pattee's novel 'Tilt' draws from her own experiences as a pregnant Oregonian worried about a major earthquake.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 3:56am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a lone figure walking down a city street, with only hints of buildings and streetlights visible through soft, warm pools of light, conceptually representing the emotional experience of a protagonist navigating a natural disaster.A pregnant woman navigates the aftermath of a major earthquake in a novel that explores the psychology of disaster preparedness.Lake Oswego Today

Author Emma Pattee's novel 'Tilt' follows a pregnant protagonist navigating the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake in the Portland metro area. As the marquee event of the Lake Oswego Reads program, Pattee will discuss the book and its themes of emergency preparedness and infrastructure resilience with fellow author Henry Latourette Miller.

Why it matters

Pattee's novel has resonated far beyond the Pacific Northwest, sparking important conversations about the collective action and leadership needed to address the region's earthquake risks, especially in vulnerable public buildings like schools.

The details

Pattee drew inspiration from her own experience of being seven months pregnant and feeling anxious about a potential earthquake while at an IKEA store. The novel uses a stream-of-consciousness style to explore themes of cognitive bias and dissonance as the protagonist assesses the scale of the disaster on foot. Pattee also incorporated realistic details about infrastructure vulnerabilities, including the seismic reinforcement conditions of Portland schools.

  • Pattee's novel 'Tilt' was published last year.
  • The Lake Oswego Reads event featuring Pattee is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2026 at 7 p.m.

The players

Emma Pattee

Author of the novel 'Tilt' and a journalist who has reported extensively on natural disasters and climate change.

Henry Latourette Miller

Author of the Pacific Northwest Disaster Guide, who will discuss 'Tilt' with Pattee at the Lake Oswego Reads event.

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What they’re saying

“I think we'll probably talk a lot about earthquakes and a lot about the psychology of preparedness and the psychology of disaster. I think that probably we'll talk a little bit about, like, the mindset of trying to write a book that will change minds.”

— Emma Pattee, Author

“I have a lot of familiarity with cognitive bias and cognitive dissonance and I think I find it really interesting. It's something I've written about a lot in a climate context, and so, to me, this was sort of the most natural way that I could write about something that I have so much interest in already, but in a way that is a little bit more grounded.”

— Emma Pattee, Author

What’s next

The Lake Oswego Reads event featuring Emma Pattee and Henry Latourette Miller is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the Lakeridge High School auditorium. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance.

The takeaway

Pattee's novel 'Tilt' has sparked important regional conversations about the need for collective action and resilient infrastructure to address earthquake risks, especially in vulnerable public buildings like schools in the Pacific Northwest.