Cascadia Daily, May 15, 2018 | Cascadia Magazine

Get a little radical this May…

Interested in something a little revolutionary this month? Need a break from global capitalism? Then check out the full selection of talks in Seattle’s Red May event, a mix of politics, poetry, panel discussions, and activism.
It’s a time to learn about free bus passes, how Vienna created tons of affordable public housing, the future of the left in North America after Bernie Sanders, the role of Black Lives Matter in the fight against neo-liberalism, and much more. There are a number of rad poetry & resistance events, too — including events every Sunday through May 27 at Vermillion on Capitol Hill. For a complete schedule, check out the Red May website.

And in Portland, there’s a really cool project called De-Canon, which is dedicated to breaking up the old canon of literature and highlighting talented writers, artists, and poets of color. Events run through June. One worth noting is this Friday May 18, at 5:30 at the Portland Art Museum, featuring five creative artists engaging with issues of displacement and immigration: Stephanie Adams-Santos, Neil Aitken, Samiya Bashir, Alyssa Ogi, and Dao Strom.
Find a complete schedule of events at De-Canon’s website.

Cascadia Magazine original: When home is a parking spot

Thanks to high rents, more than 2,000 people in Seattle sleep each night in a vehicle, RV, or camper. It’s a dangerous existence on the margins where finding a bathroom or shower is difficult and the threat of eviction constant. Great reporting for Cascadia Magazine by Will Sweger, with fantastic photos by Nia Martin.

Seattle passes business tax to fund housing, homeless services

After a contentious city-wide debate, the Seattle city council passed a per-employee tax on large businesses, generating $50 million each year in new affordable housing and services for the homeless. Amazon pulled back on its threat to stop building its Seattle HQ, but Knute Berger at Crosscut says Seattle should wave bye-bye to Bezos. Meanwhile the Seattle Times reports on a new village of tiny homes designed specifically for women at risk of homelessness.

Flooding wreaks havoc in eastern BC & WA

Heavy melt of snowpack is causing record flooding in northern British Columbia, including Grand Forks’ worst floods since 1948, the Star Vancouver reports. As eight rivers in central and eastern Washington hit high levels, governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.

Squamish Nation chief to run for Vancouver mayor

Shaking up the race for Vancouver mayor, Squamish Nation chief Ian Campbell announced he’s running. If Campbell, who’s a member of current mayor Gregor Robertson’s center-left Vision Vancouver party, wins, he’ll be the first Indigenous mayor in the city’s history. The Georgia Straight has more on the crowded field. Meanwhile ballots are due May 15 for the Portland city council primary, and there’s also a primary in Idaho, where Democrats are hoping to run viable candidate for governor.

The activist who helped unionize Burgerville

Willamette Week has a detailed profile of Olivia Katbi Smith, the Democratic Socialist activist who successfully led the battle to unionize Burgerville, the Vancouver, WA-based chain. It’s the first time in North America that workers in fast food chain have formed a union. “People in their early- to mid-20s don’t have preconceived notions about the word socialism” Katbi Smith says.

Portland artist Sherrie Wolf on the freedom of still life

Writing for Oregon Arts Watch, Paul Sutinen interviews realist painter Sherrie Wolf, whose magnificent, detailed still lifes are part of a 2,000-year old tradition. “I like to have multiple layers of vision—if it can reflect or bring some part of another world into it that’s even more interesting to me. If I have a shiny object, you can see what’s behind you or see me occasionally. “

Poetry by Quenton Baker

Seattle-based poet Quenton Baker has a poem, “Untitled: [erasures]” online at Poetry Northwest. Taking a document (clearly an old text, but not named) Baker blacks out all but a few words, creating a work of mysterious power…
“it has been impossible for me
the mutiny and murder
of
knowing”
Read the poem in full here.

That’s all today’s news and culture from across Cascadia. ?? –Andrew Engelson