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Hear from Cascadia writers in Seattle this Friday
We’re thrilled to organize a night of public readings and discussion from writers published at Cascadia Magazine! Join us this Friday, Sept. 13. at The Rendezvous Jewelbox in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood at 7 pm for what will be a fascinating mix of presentations from journalists, writers, and poets. You’ll hear from:
Shin Yu Pai, a formally inventive poet whose poem “Enso” explores mortality and the creation of poetry at the intersection of cultures. Her book of the same name is being released from Entre Rios Books in October.
Sarah Myhre is a paleoceanographer at the University of Washington and a national thought leader in the field of climate science communication. She’s an unapologetic defender of feminism and social justice in the sciences. Read her essay published last year at Cascadia Magazine, “Why Women, Why Science, Why Now?”
Martha Silano is a Seattle-based poet who’s written five collections of verse and teaches at Belllevue College. Cascadia Magazine published her poem “In the Little Wenatchee Drainage.”
Karin Jones is a journalist based in Bellingham, WA and a sex and relationship columnist. Her feature “Polyamory in Pacific Northwest” takes a detailed look at the rising popularity of consensual non-mongamy and polyamory in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver.
Robert Lashley is a 2016 Jack Straw Fellow, Artist Trust Fellow, and nominee for a Stranger Genius Award. His “OG Bird Rescue Man” is a brilliant look at a broken neighborhood where an old gangster becomes a magical, would-be savior.
Seattle-based poet Susan Rice is the author of five books, and her poem “Tricks a Girl Can Do” explores the life and work of the groundbreaking 19th century photographer Hannah Maynnard, who lived and worked in Victoria, and was an early experimenter in surrealism and collage.
The event is free, though a $10 donation is appreciated.
Find out more about the Friday event here. And you can RSVP at our Facebook event page.
First Nations & unions call for action on dwindling salmon
The Globe & Mail reports that British Columbia First Nations and unions are calling for action during what is looking to be the worst commercial salmon fishing season in 50 years. In related news, KNKX reports that BC and Washington state fisheries officials are examining whether a rise in harbor seal and sea lion populations is to blame for low salmon return numbers this year, Never mind that habitat loss is often cited in reports such as this one from the EPA about what’s causing drops. And a great example of habitats returning? Beavers creating salmon-friendly estuaries on the Elwha River, site of a dam removal on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Lynda Mapes at the Seattle Times observes.
Will Vancouver build low-cost modular housing in all neighborhoods?
The Vancouver Sun notes that Vancouver city councilor Christine Boyle is proposing to allow Vancouver’s experiment building low-cost modular housing in all neighborhoods across the city, “I think it’s critically important that we … build mixed neighbourhoods, where we live in close proximity to people who are not like us. That builds healthier and stronger neighbourhoods,” she said.
Broken lock on Columbia River halts barge traffic
After finding cracks in the concrete in a lock at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia, officials have halted all barge traffic on the river--a big concern for wheat growers who depend on the barges to get their products to Asia after the harvest.
Indigenous wildfire practices may make a comeback
For millennia, Indigenous people in Cascadia have used fire to keep forests healthy, and those practices may now be revived in Washington, Crosscut reports. A detailed feature looks at the long history of controlled burns, and interviews a variety of tribal members, including Emily Washines of the Yakama Nation, Ernesto Alvarado of the University of Washington, & Cody Desautel of the Federated Tribes of the Colville.
Women and people of color shaking up Oregon’s arts organizations
Willamette Week’s Fall Arts Preview looks at how some of Oregon’s most prominent arts organizations are recently under new direction–and profiles the women and people of color who are taking charge at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, NW Film Center, the Portland Biennial, and Portland Opera.
“The Dog,” poetry by Gabrielle Bates
Oh, this poem by Seattle-based poet Gabrielle Bates online at The Offing is a gut-punch. It’s called “The Dog,” and I won’t ruin it by saying much. Just read it.
“He didn’t want to tell me. He almost didn’t.
It was luck much more than gut that made me ask.”
The full poem can be found here.
That’s today’s collection of news, arts and culture from around the Cascadia bioregion. If you’re in Seattle, be sure to join us Friday, September 13 at The Rendezvous Jewelbox Theater for our Words & Ideas reading beginning at 7 pm. It’s going to be a great mix of readings and discussion from poets, writers, and journalists.
Photo credits: Nataki Garrett courtesy Oregon Shakespeare Festival, photo by Bill Geenen