STeven Christiansen
Steven Christiansen is the author of the forthcoming young adult novel The Blue Line Letters.
He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he loves mass transit, tennis, and reading.
This is his first novel, which is being published by Portland’s own Ooligan Press in April of 2025.
Pre-order a copy from Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other retailers.
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Read Multnomah County Library’s Interview with Steven by clicking here
Watch the author “unbox” his book for the first time
Read a review of the book from Booklist Online, the American Library Association’s reviewers
Read the Gresham Outlook’s News Article about the upcoming book
Read the Portland Tribune’s News Article about the upcoming book
The Blue Line Letters
by Steven Christiansen
Colorful locals, a smart girl from school, and an enigmatic character known as the Prophet. Seventeen-year-old Ty is stuck riding Portland’s MAX Blue Line every day of the summer before his senior year, but what could be a boring commute turns into a discovery of human nature, an exploration of Ty’s own inner thoughts, and opportunities to make new friends. Equipped with official summer assignments—to read Jane Eyre and write about what he learned over the summer—Ty also picks up a few unofficial assignments, including making astute observations about his fellow MAX riders and the colorful world around him, and recording what he sees in a series of letters addressed to his teacher Ms. Warne. Now, if he could only capture the attention of his high school classmate Janie who also rides the Blue Line.
From Cleveland Avenue in Gresham to Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro, from old wounds to new love, and all the stops in between, Ty gains a deeper understanding of human behavior, community, and even the inner workings of his own heart. Blue Line Letters is a coming-of-age story, a love letter to Portland, and a comical, heartfelt ride that readers won’t want to disembark.
Pre-Release Reviews
“Seventeen-year-olds live with surprises. Exhilaration and fumbles, comfort and queasiness, and the messiness of life all happen, usually without warning. Meet Ty Clark, who makes 50 round trips on MAX's Blue Line to and from his summer job, and writes their story for all of us to read.
Ty's fellow riders--the grouchy, the prophetic, the guys with knives, and the woman who gives birth between Old Town and Skidmore Fountain--are his human landscape, and standing out among them is the quietly intriguing Janie. Listen to Ty's evolving insights as he ponders great big questions because he has the opportunity to.
And there's a pair of otters, too.
How better to spend 100 MAX rides than practicing the fundamental, complicated, human art of paying attention? “
-Virginia Euwer Wolff, author of National Book Award winner True Believer and native Oregonian
“This book’s fun formal choices, strong narrative voice and conversational style make this a great choice for teens (or adults!).”
— Library Writers Project Selection, Multnomah County Library
“ty, the high school narrator, has an endearing voice. His ruminations on the idiosyncrasies of the Portland-Metro area will ring true for those that live (or have lived) here, but his unwavering belief in the goodness of people provides a universal interest.
A refreshing, funny, and real reading experience wrapped up in a creative structure. Highly recommend.”
— Jeff Mellema, Author & AP Literature Teacher
“Steven Christiansen’s “The Blue Line Letter” is a lovely homage to public transportation, to how reading and writing change the world, and to the Rose City itself. Ty Clarke is an immensely sweet and touching protagonist in the style of Charlie from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and his daily observations and wry insights endear him to the reader instantly. The brief, punchy chapters are often self-contained little gems of short stories and poetry, and supporting characters Omar and the Prophet are so compelling, you may hope they get their own spin-off sequels. It’s a remarkable achievement to set a novel almost entirely within the confines of a MAX train car that somehow feels this free and breezy. YA maestro John Green would be proud of this novel.”
—Dean Backus, Author of “Darts and Flowers”
“The Blue Line Letters is a crackling-good adaptation of the epistolary novel. In revealing and introspective letters to his English teacher on his daily commute to a summer job, 17-year-old Ty invites readers into his world as he ponders (and complains about) Jane Eyre, life, school, and his very own Janie. Ty’s witty and authentic voice will resonate with teen readers, as will his interactions with—and reactions to—the menagerie of people he observes every day on Portland’s MAX Blue Line. One of the most engaging coming-of-age novels I’ve read in years, it’s sure to be a hit with YA readers—and their teachers.”
—Chris Crow, Author of Mississippi Trial, 1955 and Professor of English at BYU
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