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A warm welcome in Spokane
Many thanks to the writers, journalists, and arts world folks who agreed to meet and talk with me during my recent visit to Spokane. The creative scene there is thriving, and it has a welcoming, supportive character that’s very refreshing. Sure, it doesn’t have the critical mass of places like Seattle, Vancouver, or Portland… but it makes up for it in inclusiveness and a network of support that sets high standards.
If you haven’t already, check out out the work of novelist Sharma Shields (who has a new novel due early next year), poet Ellen Welcker, novelist & journalist Shawn Vestal, bestselling author Jess Walter, poet Maya Jewell Zeller, poet Laura Read, columnist and comic artist Chelsea Martin, and novelist Alexis M. Smith. And if you haven’t read Spokane journalist and writer Kevin Taylor’s harrowing essay “One Year After the Fire,” at Memoir Magazine, it’s definitely worth your time.
I developed a small crush on Spokane during this visit– despite the smokey haze from British Columbia’s wildfires, the city was charming: fun, fascinating people, great food (Ruins which takes eclectic to new heights, Boots vegan cafe, and Santé were standouts) and more than a few delicious cocktails at Bon Bon (part of the classic Garland Theater), Volstead Act, and Hogwash Whiskey Den, a basement hideout in the amazing renovated Washington Cracker Factory, which is also home to the Terrain festival of arts, culture, and community coming up on Oct. 4-5.
Stay tuned for a feature on Spokane’s burgeoning arts scene forthcoming at Cascadia Magazine. —Andrew Engelson
Cascadia Magazine original:
Get Outside! Lightning Lake Loop
The latest column from hiking expert Craig Romano at Cascadia Magazine offers an easy hike for all ages: Lightning Lake Loop in British Columbia’s Manning Provincial Park. It’s a short, pleasant walk to a lovely lake, with views to surrounding peaks. Check out the full write up with route description and driving directions online here.
More homes being built in Cascadia areas prone to wildfire
As hundreds of wildfires continued to burn in British Columbia and spread smoke across Cascadia, OPB looks into a disturbing trend: since 1990, more than 60 percent of new homes in California, Oregon and Washington were built in the wildland-urban-interface, a region increasingly subject to wildfires. More on the current wildfire haze in OR & WA here and health warnings in BC here.
What next to protect endangered orcas?
After the mother orca known as Tahlequah finally stopped carrying a stillborn calf in an act of apparent grief, many people across Cascadia are asking: what is to be done to protect these whales? According to the Seattle Times, an environmental group is filing a lawsuit to get the federal government to declare most of the Cascadia coast critical habitat since orcas from the southern resident pod spend some of their time feeding at the mouth of the Columbia. Seattle Weekly reports on steps that need to be taken, from reducing marine vehicle noise to reducing pollution runoff into the Salish Sea. And CBC reports on stop-gap efforts to feed a starving orca live salmon.
Seattle critical of BC logging plans
In a great example of how environmental issues cross national borders in Cascadia, the Seattle Times reports that the city of Seattle has formally criticized the British Columbia government’s decision to allow logging in the Skagit River headwaters. On the US side of river, the city is responsible for watershed health because of dams on the river it manages. Meanwhile the Bend Bulletin reports on restoration of a trout stream in the Ochoco National Forest.
Release from prison often traumatic
Over at the Inlander, Samantha Wohlfeil does some incredibly empathetic reporting on a man named Randy Mora, who, after 19 years in prison, found his life of freedom in Spokane after release was extremely difficult.
Oregon a hotspot for “biohacking”
Willamette Week reports on an increasing number of Oregonian tech geeks into biohacking: doing self-surgery to implant all manner of electronics in their bodies. “It is quite literally an extension of my body. You don’t have to remember to screw your feet on in the morning.”
Vancouver art festival: art and nature
The Georgia Straight reports on the upcoming Vines Art Festival in Vancouver, featuring performances and installations connecting art and nature at Trout Lake Park Aug. 17-19. Included will be the 58 Oceans Project, a 3-D assemblage of poetry and photography in which Charlotte Priest and Anna Kraulis immersed themselves in the Salish Sea for 29 days in a row to better understand salmon life cycles. More info here.
“Into the Air Like an Owl,” poetry by Michael Schmeltzer
Seattle poet Michael Schmeltzer has a wonderful poem online now at Poetry Northwest: “Into the Air Like an Owl.”
“There are things you should know about me.
Once when I was a child I sleepwalked
out of our nylon tent and off
the camping trail…”
Read the full poem here. And you can read Michael Schmeltzer & Meghan McClure’s hybrid memoir /essay “And the Peals of Empty Bottles Sound Almost Like Laughter” online at Cascadia Magazine.
That’s today’s curated collection of news and culture from across the Cascadia bioregion. –Andrew Engelson
Photo credits: 58 Oceans Project courtesy of Anna Kraulis and Charlotte Priest