SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE NEWSLETTER
Cascadia Magazine’s first journalism award!
We’re pretty excited that one of Cascadia Magazine’s feature articles has been selected by the Western Washington chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists as a winner of an Excellence in Journalism award! The places and complete awards will be announced at Optimism Brewing in Seattle on July 1.
The honored feature is Paul Lask’s “Coring the Forest,” in which the Portland-based writer accompanied an all-female crew as they took core samples of trees in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. It’s a detailed, character-rich piece that looks at how climate change and fires suppression have changed the ecology of forests across Cascadia.
Congratulations to Paul, who’ll be working on another in-depth environmental feature for us this summer.
If you appreciate great reporting like this, please take a moment to contribute to our Spring Fund Drive. We need to raise $10,000 by the end of June so we can continue to publish the great writing you find online at Cascadia Magazine.
“Ensō,” new poetry by Shin Yu Pai
Now online at Cascadia Magazine, take some time to read “Ensō,” by Seattle-based poet Shin Yu Pai, a rich meditation on mortality, living between cultures, and… squid.
“there is no separation between
her and obliteration when she watches
a juvenile squid, logilo opalescens
expire in the weathered palm of
the retired smokejumper”
Read the full poem online here.
Harm reduction prevented 3,000 overdose deaths in BC
CBC highlights a new report that finds that BC’s opioid overdose crisis would have been much worse if not for supervised injection sites, naloxone kits, and other harm reduction measures. The various approaches are estimated to have saved 3,000 lives. Despite the evidence, the RCMP shut down a pop-up overdose prevention site in Maple Ridge, BC in the Fraser River Valley. Meanwhile, Seattle’s mobile safe injection site, which has a $1.5 million budget, is still on hold.
OR House passes campaign finance limits
The Oregon House passed limits on campaign spending in statewide races and legislative campaigns, which would end its run as one of only five states without any campaign spending controls. Oregon also voted to become the 16th state in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in which states agree to assign their electoral votes in US presidential elections to the winner of the overall popular vote.
WA will seek consent from tribes on major projects
Crosscut reports on Washington attorney general Bob Ferguson’s announcement that the state will seek consent from tribes on projects that will have an impact, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Meanwhile an alliance of First Nations in Alberta is trying to make a bid to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline across British Columbia.
Seattle’s new seawall helping migrating salmon
Hakai Magazine looks at the global movement to fix city seawalls to increase habitat for fish–and central to the profile is Seattle’s new $400 million project, which is helping salmon and other sealife. The Seattle Times has more on the new seawall, which lets in more sunlight.
An interview with Richard Chiem
At the online magazine Write or Die Tribe, you’ll find an extended interview with Seattle author Richard Chiem, whose debut novel is King of Joy. In conversation with Kaily Brennan, Chiem talks about embracing sadness, finding inspiration from films, and creating your own literary canon.
Meet Tacocat!
The Seattle-based synth-pop group Tacocat is profiled at the Inlander, in an interview that touches on taking care of a dog on tour, musical influences (including Portland’s Carly Rae Jepsen) and singer Emily Nokes’ participation in the Shout Your Abortion anthology. Their latest album is This Mess is a Place and you can purchase it on Bandcamp. Watch them perform Saturday June 8 at Seattle’s Showbox, and Wednesday June 12 at The Bartlett in Spokane. Check out their single Grains of Salt on YouTube.
That’s today’s assortment of news, arts, and culture from across the Cascadia bioregion. Have a great evening and an even better tomorrow. –Andrew Engelson Photo credits: crew taking tree core samples by Katya Davidson,