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Photo + text at Cascadia Magazine
We’re big fans of photo essays at Cascadia Magazine, especially ones that combine the power of photography with texts, poetry, or music. You’ll find the most recent example online in “On an Open Field,” by Portland multimedia artist Dao Strom, a mix of photos, music, and text that explores what it means to live between the cultures of Vietnam and America. You can also read an interview with Dao by Portland journalist and musician Lauren Kershner.
Previously at Cascadia Magazine, we’ve paired the poems of Kathleen Flennicken with Dan Hawkin’s photos to create “The Uranium Files,” a look at the legacy of nuclear sites in Washington. You’ll find a mix of photography and video by Roland Dahwen Wu alongside poems by Portland’s Samiya Bashir. And if you haven’t already, check out the amazing work of Vancouver photographer Jackie Dives– whose images of a supervised injection site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside were accompanied by Kelsey Hamlin’s feature on safe injection.
If you appreciate all the great photography we publish, consider becoming a supporting reader of Cascadia Magazine. You can make a contribution at any level you’re comfortable with by visiting our donate page.
Online now at Cascadia Magazine: BC’s basic income study
British Columbia’s government has tasked economists– including UBC’s David Green– to investigate the pros and cons of paying a basic income to all the residents of the province. While Green is an “agnostic” on the idea, supporters say it can provide stability and encourage people to start news businesses or train for a new career. Critics question costs and effectiveness. A feature by Geoff Dembicki now online at Cascadia Magazine looks at whether British Columbia will lead Cascadia in pursuing a basic income plan. Read more here.
British Columbia budget would boost assistance to families
CBC reports on the NDP’s proposed provincial budget for British Columbia, which includes new tax rebate for families, elimination of interest on student loans, and according to The Tyee, a new $10 million “rent bank” to assist people who miss a rent payment. Meanwhile, Alaska governor Michael Dunleavy announced his proposed state budget, which will slash funding for education, universities, and the state ferry system. And in Oregon, Willamette Week notes that two legislative bills could potentially add new housing to the market by banning single-family zoning statewide, and requiring high density near transit stops.
Racism in policing of Portland’s bars and nightclubs
Leah Sottile, writing for High Country News, has a detailed look at the problem of racial profiling in policing of Portland’s black-owned bars and nightclubs — as a well as look at the long history of state-sanctioned racial restrictions in Oregon. Meanwhile, tensions between Portland mayor Ted Wheeler and the police union grew after it was revealed that officers had been in communication with and supporting alt-right groups during protests in the city.
Will Oregon & Washington ban plastic bags?
OPB reports that bills in both the Washington and Oregon state legislatures would ban the use of plastic bags in stores, in an effort to reduce plastic pollution. Grist reported several years ago that bag bans are OK but have much less of an impact than say, reducing how much meat you eat. In other environmental news, a bill that would create a 650-yard buffer zone around orcas was introduced in Washington. And a new report finds that a cap-and-trade climate bill in Oregon would only slightly raise energy prices and boost jobs and the state’s economy.
Social media fuels anti-vax sentiment in WA’s Russian communities
KUOW reports that Russian and Ukranian communities in Clark county Washington — where a measles outbreak has occurred — are increasingly anti-vaccine because of misinformation spread in videos on social media. In related news, the measles outbreak in WA and OR has now spread to British Columbia as well, CBC reports.
A guide to Cascadia words & pronunciation
If you’ve always been flummoxed about how to say “Puyallup” or “geoduck” head over to The Stranger and read their guide to pronouncing all sorts of Seattle-related words (Sequim is “skwim,” in case you were wondering). Meanwhile, the Loop has similar guide to phrases you’ll only find on the west coast of Canada, including “back East,” “saltchuck,” and “skookumchuck.”
Chelene Knight on black community in Vancouver’s literary scene
In her new column for Open Book, Vancouver writer Chelene Knight recalls a recent a literary event in Vancouver that finally defied the norm of being one black writer in a sea of white faces. For more by Chelene Knight, read her essay “I’ll Never Own a Home in Vancouver” online at Cascadia Magazine.
Alex Gallo-Brown talks about grief, labor, and masculinity
The South Seattle Emerald has a great interview with Seattle-based poet, writer and labor activist Alex Gallo Brown, whose first book of poems dealt with grief after the death of his father, as well as exploring notions of masculinity. His upcoming book will be a multi-genre look at the idea of labor (as a worker, father, and artist).
That’s today’s selection of arts, news, and environmental reporting from all around the Cascadia bioregion. Have a great evening! –Andrew Engelson
Photo credit: Skookumchuck River sign by Robert Ashworth via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0