Local Events

Saturday, September 29 & Sunday, September 30
Fourth Anual Stumptown Comics Fest
Where: Doubletree Hotel (Lloyd Center), 1000 N.E. Multnomah St.
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $5
http://stumptowncomics.com/event_schedule

Monday, October 1
Oregon Author, Murray Oxman, Leads Seminar: How to Easily Handle Difficult People
Where: Multnomah County Library (Northwest branch), 2300 N.W. Thurman St.
When: 12-1 p.m.
Cost: Free

Monday, October 1
Poems from Guantanamo Includes Twenty-two Poems by Seventeen Detainees; Features Local Poets Leanne Grabel, Paulann Petersen, and Peter Sears
Where: Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Tuesday, October 2
Local Zinesters, KT Crud and Nickey Robo, Read from Their Works. Come Discuss the Topic of Humuliation!
Where: Multnomah Country Library (North Portland branch), 801 S.W. 10th Ave.
When: 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Cost: Free

Tuesday, October 2
Judith Barring, Author of Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art, Discusses the Art of Writing Memoirs in Her Mini-Workshop
Where: The Willamette Writers' meeting at The Old Church, 1422 S.W. 11th Ave.
When: Socializing and networking at 6:30 p.m. Workshop at 7 p.m.
Cost: Free for members. $5 for guests of members. $10 for non-members.
(E-mail whiskers16@comcast.net for more information)

Tuesday, October 2
Zakes Mda Presents Cion
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Wednesday, October 3
Jenny McPhee Presents A Man of No Moon
Where: Annie Bloom's Books, 7834 S.W. Capitol Hwy.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Wednesday, October 3
John W. Dean Presents Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Thursday, October 4
Forget-Me-Not: Reading Frenzy's Favorite Artists Present Work in Remembrance of a Person or Animal, or Place or Thing
Where: Reading Frenzy, 921 S.W. Oak St.
When: 6 p.m.
Cost: Free (you are invited to bring a small photo or drawing to add to their temporary altar)

Thursday, October 4
Jonathan Kozol Presents New Novel, Letters to a Young Teacher
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Thursday, October 4
Marina Lewycka Presents Strawberry Fields
Where: Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Thursday, October 4
Budding Portland Artist, Mark James Gunderson, Shows New Body of Work
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Thursday, October 4
Local Artist, Deborah Dewit Marchant, Promotes In the Presence of Books
Where: Twenty-Third Avenue Books, 1015 N.W. 23rd Ave.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Friday, October 5
David Blume Presents Alcohol Can Be a Gas!:Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century
Where: Powell's Technical Books, 33 N.W. Park Ave.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Friday, October 5
Peter Yarrow Retells the Story of Puff and His Adventures in Picture Book, Puff, the Magic Dragon (Includes Audio CD)
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Friday, October 5
Ellen Bass's Fifth Poetry Collection, The Human Line
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

New Release Spotlight: Louder than Words

Louder than Words by Jenny McCarthy

Louder than Words is Jenny McCarthy’s story of her journey through the world of autism. After her two and a half year old son Evan started seizing unexplainably, Jenny’s life turned completely upside down as she searched for answers to why it happened. After many more seizures, sleepless nights, an absent husband, and countless frustrations with the medical staff, Jenny finally learned the answer: her son had autism.

From beginning to end, Jenny’s story captivates you; her story is heart-breaking yet inspiring. You will quickly find yourself emotionally invested in her story—crying one minute and laughing the next. She writes, “I know being a total bitch does not help any situation, but when your baby is sick, other people’s stupidity is unacceptable.” Her frankness may not mix well with the medical staff, but it will win your admiration and increase your respect for Jenny McCarthy.

Like many loving Moms, she is fearless and relentless when it comes to protecting her child. As she takes you through her long and tumultuous journey, her determination and courage will astound you. It cannot be stressed enough—autism is not a dead-end diagnosis. She adamantly states, “If there was a 1 percent chance of saving my son, I was going to use all 110% of it.” We should all develop this attitude—no matter what hardship we are facing or obstacle we are overcoming.

Not only does Jenny’s story provide you with valuable life-lessons, it raises awareness and gives you a better understanding of autism. While autism takes on many different forms, the characteristics include: problems with language development and usage, difficulties with understanding how to interact socially, and insistence of rituals and repetitive behaviors. Autism now affects one in a hundred and fifty children, and early intervention is critical. Jenny stresses the importance of not giving up hope and faith. She discusses the value of speech and behavioral therapy, supplementation, and diet. Jenny also touches on some controversial theories, such as the link between vaccines and autism.

For those who have a loved one with autism, read this book. For those who don’t personally know someone with autism, I would still recommend this book. You will fall in love with Evan as you watch him struggle through the basics, and progress emotionally and mentally—all thanks to a mom who “believed anything was possible and never stopped looking for answers.” Jenny McCarthy won’t let you down.

Review by Valerie Zogas, Indigo Editing, LLC

Louder than Words
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN: 978-0-525-95011-0
Hardback, $23.95

How well do you C?

I can't help but wonder what Cing someboy entails.













Do I really want the truck driver to C me?

Local Events

Saturday, September 22
Children's Author, Daniel Kirk, Presents Library Mouse
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 1 p.m.
Cost: Free

Monday, September 24
Jim Peterson Presents Why Don't We Listen Better?
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Monday, September 24
Gregory Kramer, Cofounder and President of Portland's Metta Foundation, Presents Insight Dialogues
Where: Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Monday, September 24
Jess Walter Presents His New Novel, The Zero
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Tuesday, September 25
Local Zinesters, Erika Moen and Sarah Oleksyk, Read from Their Mini-Comic Zines
Where: North Portland Library, 512 N. Killingsworth St.
When: 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Cost: Free (space is limited, so first-come, first-served)

Tuesday, September 25
Aaron Raz Link Reads from His Memoir, What Becomes You
Where: Kennedy School, 5736 N.E. 33rd Ave.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Tuesday, September 25
Dexter's Spoken Mic: Inspire Others with Your Writing
Where: In Other Words, 8 N.E. Killingsworth St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 26
Amy Bloom Presents Her New Novel, Away
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 26
Oregon Poets, Dan Kaplan and B.T. Shaw, Read from Their Works
Where: Northwest Library, 2300 N.W. Thurman St.
When: 7-8 p.m.
Cost: Free (space is limited, so first-come, first-served)

Wednesday, September 26
Deborah DeWit Marchant Presents In the Presence of Books
Where: Annie Bloom's Books, 7834 S.W. Capitol Hwy.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 27
Robert Fulghum Presents What on Earth Have I Done?
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 27
Sam Hamhill Presents His Poems in Measured by Stone
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Friday, September 28
Alice Walker Presents Her Picture Book, Why War is Never a Good Idea
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 S.W. Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Friday, September 28
Steven Pinker Presents The Stuff of Thought, a Book on Language and Human Nature
Where: McMenamin's Bagdad Theater, 3702 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $21 (includes admisison and a copy of the book)

Friday, September 28
Greil Marcus Presents The Shape of Things to Come
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

Read for the Record September 20, 2007

Multnomah County Library is trying to break a world record for the most people reading the same book at the same time. If you're in Portland September 20, check out the event. Some branches of the library will read the story in both English and Spanish.

Save the Date—A Celebration of Grace Paley's Life and Work

Grace Paley's writing and political activism are being commemorated around the world. In Portland, Oregon, our celebration will be on the evening of her 85th birthday, December 11, 2007, at Broadway Books in NE Portland. In New York and Vermont, the places she lived, and anywhere/everywhere else she's been important to readers, writers, and activists struggling to be conscious, to make real art out of what we know as real life—people are mourning her death by celebrating her life.

More info coming this fall about the event, which will feature Oregon activists and writers talking about Grace and reading from her poems, stories, and essays, with audience participation—and birthday cake!

Contacts: jarcana@earthlink.net or lapaglia@q.com or miriambudner@hotmail.com

New Release Spotlight: Getting a Grip

Getting a Grip, by Frances Moore Lappé

Bestselling author Frances Moore Lappé has created another inspiring book that shows how powerful each of us really can be. Getting a Grip defines the biggest issue impairing societal advancement, explains its root, and motivates us to make a difference.

According to Lappé, Thin Democracy has set in, allowing citizens to believe that others—corporations and politicians, or “they”—have all the power and our actions don’t matter. In her words, Thin Democracy is the “unworkable mental map that cannot come to grips with local-to-global crises.” But Lappé is not content simply to define the problem. She’s out to make a difference, and she starts by explaining that the root of Thin Democracy is simple: culture. Our cultural beliefs lead us to internalize that there is a “lack of goods and goodness.” Lappé illustrates this in her Spiral of Powerlessness that leads to the “they” mentality.

Lappé’s first step in breaking this Spiral of Powerlessness is to create a new vision: Living Democracy. She shows how rhetoric can affect societal belief and redefines common words: free market becomes fair market, taxes become membership dues or the price of civilization, and power becomes the capacity to act. Suddenly, these concepts become empowering instead of limiting. And with this new vision, we can see the good that is already coping with local-to-global crises: a solar park in Spain that generates a surplus of electricity and the Education for Sustainable Living Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, which grew from eight to three hundred students in just four years.

With all these world-changing stories at hand, we can still feel powerless, though, unable to give up our jobs to live for advocacy. So Lappé gives us entry points to Living Democracy, small actions we can take that make a difference and inspire others to do the same. They include empowering kids with the knowledge that what they do matters and “power shopping” to empower companies supporting sustainable living and fair market. That’s not such a far stretch. This builds a Spiral of Empowerment that gives each of us the capacity to act. Finally, Lappé provides a discussion and action guide to help us Get a Grip together.

Printed in the United States with soy ink on acid-free recycled paper, this book and its author live their mission: to inspire readers to incorporate Living Democracy into our daily lives.

Review by Ali McCart, Indigo Editing, LLC

Getting a Grip
Publisher: Small Planet Media
Release date: October 2007
ISBN: 978-0-9794142-4-4
Paperback, $14.95

Watch for Frances Moore Lappé in Portland in October! She will be speaking on October 26th and 27th at Portland State University's Alumni Weekend.

Automatic Teller Machine Machine

Frequently people make editing goofs without realizing they're doing it. I think this one's pretty apparent, though.

And yet, I see it everywhere.

Local Events

Sunday, September 16
Portland Opera Preview: Carmen
Where: Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave., in the Collins Gallery (3rd floor)
When: 2-3pm
Cost: Free (space is limited, so first-come, first-served)

Monday, September 17
Rock Photographer Pat Graham Presents His First Book, Silent Pictures (Features Subjects such as Modest Mouse, Ted Leo, Bikini Kill, Fugazi, and the Shins)
Where: Ace Hotel, 1022 SW Stark St.
When: Cocktails and socializing at 5:30. Discussion starts at 6.
Cost: Free

Monday, September 17
CoHo Productions Presents a Staged Reading of Donald Margulies' Play, Sight Unseen
Where: CoHo Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh
When: 7pm
Cost: $5

Tuesday, September 18
Local Independent Publishers, Natalie Yager and Sarah Contrary, Read from their Zines
Where: Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave., in the U.S. Bank Room
When: 6:30-7:45pm
Cost: Free (space is limited, so first-come, first-served)

Tuesday, September 18
Marvin Bell Reads from His Latest Collection, Mars Being Red
Where: Lewis & Clark College, Manor House, Armstrong Lounge, 0615 SW Palatine Hill Rd.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Tuesday, September 18
Portland Arts & Lectures Series Preview
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 19
The Back Room: A Night About Friendship with Local Authors Bill Ray and Christoper Zinn
Where: Podkrepa Hall, 2116 N Killingsworth
When: 6:30pm
Cost: $45 (includes dinner and drinks)

Wednesday, September 19
Barnes & Noble Kicks Off New Poetry Reading Series with Poets from the Northwest: Don Colburn, Paulann Petersen, and Margareta Waterman
Where: Barnes & Noble, 1317 Lloyd Center (in the gift section)
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 20
Randal O'Toole Presents Best-Laid Plans: How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future
Where: Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 20
Brock Clarke Presents An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Friday, September 21
Kate Christensen Presents The Great Man
Where: Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Friday, September 21
Vincent Lam Presents His Collection of Short Stories, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

The 2007 Quill Book Award Winners

The 2007 Quill Book Awards is set to air on NBC October 27th. Readers can still participate in voting for the Book of the Year at http://www.quillsvote.com/. Voting ends October 10th.

2007 Quill Book Award Winners by category:

Debut Author Of The Year
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
Written by Diane
Published by Atria

General Fiction
The Road
Written by Cormac McCarthy
Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Romance
Angels Fall
Written by Nora Roberts
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons

Audio
To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by Harper Lee
Read by Sissy Spacek
Published by Caedmon Audio

Religion/Spirituality
Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - And Doesn't
Written by Stephen Prothero
Published by Harper One

Graphic Novel
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
Written by Scott McCloud
Published by Harper Paperbacks

Poetry
For the Confederate Dead
Written by Kevin Young
Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Cooking
Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition
Written by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker
Published by Scribner

Health/Self-Improvement
How Doctors Think
by Jerome Groopman, M.D.
Published by Houghton Mifflin

Biography/Memoir
Einstein: His Life and Universe
Written by Walter Isaacson
Published by Simon & Schuster

Sports
The Kings of New York: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Geniuses Who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team
Written by Michael Weinreb
Published by Gotham Books

Humor
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
Written by Amy Sedaris
Published by Warner Books

History/Current Events/Politics
The Assault on Reason
Written by Al Gore
The Penguin Press

Business
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't
Written by Robert I. Sutton, PhD
Published by Business Plus, Grand Central Publishing

Mystery/Suspense
What the Dead Know
Written by Laura Lippman
Published by William Morrow

Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One)
Written by Patrick Rothfuss
Published by DAW Books

Children's Picture Books
Flotsam
Written by David Wiesner
Published by Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin

Children's Chapter/Middle Grade
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Written by Brian Selznick
Published Scholastic Press

Young Adult/Teen
Sold
Written by Patricia McCormick
Published by Hyperion Books for Children

New Release Spotlight: Starting at Sea Level

Starting at Sea Level, a memoir by Terry Noble

Throughout his memoir, Terry Noble imparts to readers what life was like as a young boy growing up near the Chesapeake Bay during the 1950s-1960s. The novel immediately lures you in with a lighthearted story of Terry and his father out on the river; however, there is obvious conflict between father and son, and a hint that Terry’s adventurous spirit may have gotten him in more trouble than he expected.

Noble grew up at a time when oyster wars afflicted the Bay and his dad was Captain—a true hero who protected the oyster beds and risked his life to save others. Surrounded by men who were either watermen or farmers, Noble talks in depth about the oyster and agriculture industries. Reading this book will definitely extend your knowledge on (and increase your appreciation for) these industries.

Nearly 300 pages long, Starting at Sea Level is a fairly quick read due to its short chapters and its ability to keep you wondering what will happen next. The novel is full of vibrant characters, yet the focus is primarily on the men of the community and how they affect the kind of man Noble will become. Noble respects and learns valuable lessons from these men, but the person he tries hardest to impress is his father, a man who doesn’t give compliments easily and believes in tough love. Noble writes, “From the time I was nine, Dad seemed determined to accomplish two things: teach me to work so I would become a productive member of society and keep me under control to prevent me from embarrassing the family.”

Will Noble rise to the challenges he’s up against or will his daring nature ultimately land him in prison? Noble will have you eagerly turning the pages to see whether he follows in the footsteps of the men around him, and if he will finally win his dad’s approval. Though his dad teaches him the value of working hard and being self-reliant, Noble continuously rebels against him and manages to have fun at the same time. The novel is rich with humorous tales of Noble’s boyhood, such as setting his dad’s motorboat engine on fire, using gasoline to get rid of rats eating his corn, and pulling pranks with his friends. And though he constantly finds himself in trouble, he also manages to redeem himself—and win your admiration.

Review by Valerie Zogas, Indigo Editing, LLC

Starting at Sea Level
Publisher: Foggy River Books
ISBN: 978-0-9793603-0-5
Hardback, $24.95; Paperback, $16.95

New Release Spotlight: Girls of Riyadh

Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea

There are stronger ways to describe a book than by comparing it to another work, and a book shouldn’t be recommended based on anything other than its writing. Yet Rajaa Alsanea’s first novel, Girls of Riyadh, demands both.

This is the Saudi Sex and the City (which is also a favorite show of one of the book’s main characters), following the lives—mostly the loves—of four female members of the elite “velvet class,” Gamrah, Sadeem, Lamees, and Michelle, and of the anonymous narrator, also of that station, who posts these stories in a Yahoo! group. Each chapter is short—sometimes snappy in its brevity, sometimes leaving the reader with questions—but by the end of the book, the reader has a good picture of a life few (if any) Sex and the City watchers know and about which all Westerners should be more aware.

Fortunately this book has more to recommend it than its setting. The narrator’s voice is strong and consistent throughout, painting a funny, smart, and curious young woman who observes Islamic holidays and quotes the Qur’an and who also paints her lips bright red before writing each post and who eats pickles and chili and lime chips, to keep her “reminded of the sharp flavor” of what she is about to write. Her introductions to the posts are some of the best parts of the book, as she shares not only details about herself but about the many people writing in to praise or condemn her characters, her telling of their stories, or both.

The book is difficult to connect with at first, but in hindsight that’s appropriate. The narrator is growing used to both her voice and her audience, and the reader rightly feels closer, more included, in later entries. It’s also important to remember that this wasn’t written for a Western audience—Alsanea originally published it two years ago in Lebanon. While a few footnotes explain some things—Arabic words or who a famous person referenced is—they don’t fill in all the gaps. The women eat at an Italian restaurant—what’s that like in Saudi Arabia? Gamrah meets her husband’s mistress and alternately refers to her as Japanese, Chinese, and Filipina. Is her confusion due to ignorance or fury, or does it say something larger about the view upper-class Saudis have toward Asians?

For the most part, though, the reader will be caught up in the story rather than in asking questions. There’s a lot of unique territory—from what Saudi Internet chat rooms are like to how much of an affect homosexuality, adoption, and tribalism have on social situations to what a wedding ceremony is like—covered in this book, but the universality is also clear: love and loss, forgiveness and revenge, humor. At one point, for more than a page, Sadeem talks to herself about a relationship gone wrong. Though some of her thoughts are clearly specific to her circumstances, the self-doubt and stream-of-consciousness questioning is very Young Woman, no matter where she lives.

The only question a reader should demand this work of chick lit have answered more fully is this: Who is Riyadh? The Saudi capital city aches to be a character: it’s in the title, and the characters are very aware of what city or region each comes from. What does Riyadh look like, smell like, taste like? Just as New York City sets a very distinct tone to Sex and the City, so Riyadh should for its Girls.

Review by Kristin Thiel, Indigo Editing, LLC

Girls of Riyadh

Publisher: Penguin Press

ISBN: 978-1-59420-121-9

Hardback, $24.95

Local Events

Monday, September 10
Jules Boykoff's In Beyond Bullets: The Suppression of Dissent in the United States
Where: Powell's on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Monday, September 10
Local Author Lee Montgomery Reads from Her Memoir The Things Between Us
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Monday, September 10
CoHo Productions Presents a Staged Reading of Donald Margulies' Play Sight Unseen
Where: CoHo Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh
When: 7pm
Cost: $5

Tuesday, September 11
Seattle Author Sherman Alexie's First Young-Adult Novel, The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 12
Young Readers' Club: Middle and High School Readers Discuss Ophelia by Lisa Klein
Where: Multnomah County Library/Sellwood-Moreland, 7860 SE 13th Ave.
When: 7-8pm
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 12
Laura Moriarty Presents The Rest of Her Life
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 12
Vicki Leon, Author of the "Uppity Women" Series, Presents Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside St.
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 13
Bitch Off the Page Magazine Release Party of the Singular/Plural issue
Where: In Other Words, 8 NE Killingsworth St.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Friday, September 14
PICA Presents Time-Based Art Festival 2007: Elevator Repair Service's "Gatz"
Where: Imago Theater, 17 SE 8th Ave.
When: 4pm
Cost: $30 ($25 for PICA members)

Saturday, September 15
PICA Presents Young Jean Lee: Writing for Theatre (playwriting workshop)
Where: Pacific Northwest College of Art, 1241 NW Johnson
When: 9:30-11am
Cost: $15 ($10 for PICA members)

Saturday, September 15
Rebecca Harrison Discusses her Recent Book, Deep, Dark and Dangerous: On the Bottom with the Northwest Salvage Divers
Where: Central Library, 801 SW 10th Ave. In the U.S. Bank Room.
When: 1-2:30pm
Cost: Free

Portland Writers Room

Portland writer Jeffrey Selin suggests a scene and poses a question: "Imagine a shared office space that's quiet, literary, and beautiful. Paid membership is required, but the value of benefits to serious writers is superb. Other cities around the U.S. boast incredible writers' rooms. Should Oregon writers have their own space?"

Check out what's happening at his blog.

Events

Succeed with creative nonfiction, win literary prizes, and converge with other writers. Don't hesitate to check out these upcoming events:

Beyond Story: What Creative Nonfiction Can Do
September 14-16
Where: Colonyhouse, Rockaway Beach
Limit size: 6
Price: Oregon Writers Colony Members only $125. Non-members may register if they enclose a membership registration form and payment ($35) for membership in addition to the class registration.
Dorothy Blackcrow Mack, award-winning author, will lead a creative nonfiction workshop.
Click here for additional information and to reserve a spot: http://www.oregonwriterscolony.org/Writer-in-residence.htm

The Writer Mama Back-to-School Daily Giveaway
September 1-30
Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, is giving away a writing tool a day through her blog, The Writer Mama Riffs.
Check this link for more information on daily giveaways and how to participate:
http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/wmbts-giveaway-station-identification/

Join the editors of Poetry Northwest at the magazine's September Happy Hour
Friday, September 21, 5-7pm
Where: The Press Club, 26th & SE Clinton
Cost: Free
Meet other local poets and aspiring writers.
For further details, call Franny at 282-6957 or e-mail frannyfrench@gmail.com or visit www.poetrynw.org

Upcoming Classes at Ink & Paper Group

Check out these upcoming classes offered by Ink & Paper Group:

FROM WRITE TO READ: A Book Marketing and Promotion Guide for Authors
Saturday, September 8, 10am-4pm
Price: $300 (includes lunch)
Lake Boggan will teach you all there is to know about book marketing and promotion. http://inkandpapergroup.com/class_descript.html#from_write_to_read

WRITING ABOUT PLACE
Monday, September 10, 1-4pm
Price: $75
Debra Gwartney will discuss the use of place and how it adds to the overall meaning and experience of the story.
http://inkandpapergroup.com/class_descript.html#writingaboutplace

SELLING FOREIGN RIGHTS FOR YOUR BOOK
Wednesday, September 12, 6:30-9pm
Price: $55
Sylvia Hayse, a well-known foreign rights agent, will advise you on how to sell the foreign rights for your novel.
http://inkandpapergroup.com/class_descript.html#sellingforeignrights


To register for classes:
Call: 503.232.0103
Or mail a check and contact information to:
Ink & Paper Group
1825 SE 7th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214

New Release Spotlight: BedTimeStories: The Short, Long and Tall Tales of a Sleepwriter

BedTimeStories: The Short, Long and Tall Tales of a Sleepwriter by Barbara Worton

Do you ever experience nights when you’re ready for a deep, restful sleep but find yourself tossing and turning and your mind running? So did writer Barbara Worton, and one day she decided to act on it. In BedTimeStories: The Short, Long and Tall Tales of a Sleepwriter, Worton takes her readers on an adventure through a compilation of nightly thoughts that develop into short stories as she processes them in her mind, searching for clarity and a good night’s sleep. Each night at bedtime, Worton grabs a pen and paper, listens to her neurotic mind, and writes freely of the stories it tells her. But don’t let the title fool you; with each passage equaling roughly one page and a few being two to three pages in length, Worton’s stories are full of the honesty, insecurity, and humor that will have readers wide-eyed, intrigued, and wanting more with each story.

In “Enough,” the author shares her deep desire to be complete—physically and mentally—for the one she adores. In “Merci,” readers get insight into Worton’s deep desire to hear from a lost loved one. And in “My Dinner with Barbara,” the writer sits down to a lovely dinner with two other writers who have more in common with her than a love for the well-written word.

BedTimeStories: The Short, Long and Tall Tales of a Sleepwriter will not only take readers on a whimsical journey through the author’s nocturnal thoughts, but will also inspire them to get out their own pen and paper, release their creative writing talents, and explore what their minds are telling them. As I did find the book uniquely entertaining, I do think the suggested $14.95 price tag is a bit high for the small paperback. The book is scheduled for release in October 2007.

Review by Jennifer Fields, Indigo Editing, LLC

BedTimeStories: The Short, Long and Tall Tales of a Sleepwriter
Publisher: Great Little Books
ISBN: 978-0-97-906610-8
Paperback, $14.95

New Release Spotlight: The Best of Friends

The Best of Friends
by Sara James and Ginger Mauney

Sara James’s and Ginger Mauney’s lives in The Best of Friends are at times so outrageous—spontaneously moving to the African bush with no more than $2,000 or reporting live from Iraq—that it’s hard to believe they’re real. Yet, witnessing these women’s journeys from back-to-back prom queens to trendsetters with little money and big dreams to renowned reporter and filmmaker, respectively, is inspiring and compelling to say the least.

Sara and Ginger were polar opposites when they were kids—one brainy, the other flirty. At a slumber party one night, they found their connection: the thirst for adventure and the fear of taking life for granted. But neither knew how far their friendship would go.

After high school, when Ginger loses herself in a man she thought would be her adventure but who turned out to be her heartbreaker and Sara is climbing the news channel ladder on her way to network television, Ginger looks to Sara’s independence for guidance. And the two jump into their mid-twenties with nights out on the town, guiltless dating, and ambitious job pitches. While Sara is getting settled in New York City, Gin hears an unexpected calling—to move to the African bush and make films.

Now on two continents with careers on opposite sides of the camera, Sara and Gin continue to support each other through broken relationships, job challenges, international travels, marriages, babies, war, and illness. While Gin nurtures a baby elephant back to health in Namibia, Sara reports on the conflict in Somalia. While Gin sells her films to National Geographic, Sara interviews Steven Irwin. And while Gin stares into a tiny TV screen to see the twin towers fall on the other side of the world, Sara watches ash descend on New York City.

The intertwining chapters of these awe-inspiring women break the frame of traditional friends down the street and juxtapose the city with the bush, art with news, and sweet with bitter. The characters come to life because they are life, and Sara and Gin invite us to share in their adventures and their friendship—the kind of adventures and friendship we should all hope to obtain in our lifetimes.

Review by Ali McCart, Indigo Editing, LLC

The Best of Friends

Publisher: William Morrow

ISBN: 978-0-06-077948-1

Hardcover, $24.95

Local Events

Monday, September 3
Lyricist Sage Francis Presents the Spoken Word
Where: Aladdin Theater, 3017 S.E. Milwaukie Avenue
When: 8pm
Cost: $15 adv., $17.50 dos

Tuesday, September 4
Sheldon Culver Presents Steeplejacking: How the Christian Right is Hijacking Mainstream Religion
Where: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Wednesday, September 5
OSU Writing Teacher Ehud Havazelet's novel Bearing the Body
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 6
A Show of International Illustrators: The Awesome but True Electrical Institute in Outfits
Where: Reading Frenzy, 921 SW Oak St.
When: 6pm
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 6
Local Painter William Rihel (First Thursday)
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside
When: 7pm
Cost: Free

Thursday, September 6
Local Poet Penelope Scambly Schott Presents A is for Anne
Where: Annie Bloom's Books, 7834 SW Capitol Hwy.
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free

Friday, September 7
George Saunders's The Braindead Megaphone Essays (On Literature, Travel, and Politics)
Where: Powell's City of Books on Burnside, 1005 W. Burnside
When: 7:30pm
Cost: Free