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A quick report from a literary shindig in Portland
Last week brought North America’s biggest conference for writers and publishers, AWP, to Portland. There were tons of events, panels, and thousands of writers invading the streets of Portland and discovering how amazing it is (the marquee on a local diner helpfully suggested to visiting writers: “DON’T MOVE TO PORTLAND.”)
Cascadia Magazine fiction editor Steve Genise and I made the trip to Portland to see what AWP had to offer, to attend the plethora of off-site readings and events, and to represent Cascadia Magazine at the Northwest Micropress Fair.
The fair was fantastic, with scores of rad small presses and literary journals from around the region in attendance, including Entre Rios, Scablands Books, Arq Press, Cascadia Rising Review, front//terra, Crab Creek Review, and Coast No Coast. Please check out their websites if you want to discover the amazing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction happening at indie presses across the Pacific Northwest.
The evening’s events didn’t disappoint, with a fun and talented group of readers at the NW Micropress after-party and reading. Among the highlights was Seattle-based poet Melinda Mueller reading from her collection Mary’s Dust, published by Entre Rios — an assortment of meticulously researched poems about thirty-two real-life historic women named Mary.
The Moss/Atelier 26 reading the night before was a great event, too– including a couple of writers we’ve published at Cascadia Magazine reading from new work: Jason Arias and Donna Miscolta.
And capping off AWP was the Bookseller’s Ball at the Star Theater, which was a raucous mix of music and literature. Among the readers, Seattle-based writer Sophia Shalmiyev read “outtakes” from her memoir Mother Winter, and the true highlight of the evening was hearing Seattle poet Robert Lashley’s ecstatic reading technique as he belted out a selection from his book The Homeboy Songs.
To those of you visiting the Micropress Fair who signed up for Cascadia Daily, welcome! We hope you enjoy reading this curated digest of news, arts, environmental reporting, and culture from across the Cascadia bioregion.
–Andrew Engelson
Online at Cascadia Magazine: Ode to a Crow
If you haven’t yet read Fiona Tinwei Lam’s poem “Ode to a Crow,” about Vancouver’s world famous crow known as Canuck, head over to Cascadia Magazine and read it online here.
“Dark star of the show,
prankster, terror, tease, bad boy,
you ride the Skytrain for free, dive-bomb letter carriers,
target cyclists’ backpacks between rest stops at McDonalds.”
In addition, you can read “Sea Star,” which alludes to a disease that’s killing off many of the sunflower sea stars on the coast of Cascadia. Read both poems here.
BC and Canada warming at twice global rate
CBC reports on a leaked Canadian government report that finds that Canada’s temperatures are warming at a rate twice that of the rest of the world, and that northern BC is warming at an even faster pace. In response to climate change, the WA legislature is pushing to mandate the state get all its electricity from clean sources by 2045, and according to Crosscut, Democrats are working to pass low-carbon fuel standards. Unfortunately, an LNG project at Jordan Cove, Oregon seems to be moving forward, and BC’s government is pushing through tax credits for LNG projects without support from Green party members in their coalition.
Second immigrant takes refuge in Seattle church
Lilly Fowler at Crosscut writes that a second immigrant, facing possible detention due to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, has taken refuge inside a church in Seattle. St Mark’s Episcopal is offering safe haven to a man who has been in the US for more than a decade and could potentially be separated from his wife and child, who are US citizens.
Will Oregon give 16-year-olds the right to vote?
Portland Tribune reports on several amendments to Oregon’s constitution making their way through the legislature (the first step before being put on the ballot). One would create a system of campaign finance restrictions and the other would give citizens as young as 16 the right to vote. Said once student who testified in a hearing: “At 16, people in America, they can drive, they can work, they can even pay taxes, but they still cannot vote. Our voices should be heard in conversations about our future. I should have a say in decisions affecting my life.”
Turns out orcas are insufferable gossips*
Hakai magazine has a fascinating feature about a new study at the University of the North Pacific in Victoria, BC that uses artificial intelligence to decode orca communication — and finds they like to talk about friends, food and sex (much like humans). Said one researcher: “They’re essentially saying, ‘I’m so great. Look at all the females I’ve mated with. I’ve got such a big tail. Your blowhole is tiny.'” In other environmental news, Forterra reports on a dangerous, hyper-aggressive species of Hedera helix spreading across Cascadia.*
Poetry by Ian Williams
Head on over to The Walrus to read Vancouver-based poet Ian Williams’ “Hair is Choking the Drain,” a sharp little poem about class dynamics in Africa.
“…My friend
in Africa has a cleaning lady. They are both Black.
He tidies up a little before she arrives. Not too
much…” Read the full poem here. Williams’ new novel, Reproduction, was published in January.
“Behind the Door,” memoir by Mercedes Eng
Vancouver-based poet Mercedes Eng has a powerful short memoir/poetry piece, “Behind the Door,” online at Geist– in which she recalls growing up while her father was in and out of prison. “…he gets out when I’m 2, but goes back because later I remember my mom saying I have a surprise for you and I think it’s a record player. but it’s my dad behind the door, home from jail…” Read the full essay here.
That’s today’s first-day-of-April assortment of news, arts, and culture from across the Cascadia bioregion. * Please note that the two articles online about gossipy orcas and human-eating invasive ivy are not true in the slightest but pranks created for April Fool’s Day. Have a lovely evening! –Andrew Engelson