Is this an incongruous face off between event and venue? Or does it simply make the whole thing a bit more interesting? Later this month I will be sharing stories that include two devout Oregon Territory Methodist Missionaries, a teetotaling grandmother, and an alcoholic father who stopped drinking at 50: all while an audience eats … Continue reading From Methodism to McMenamins
J.K. Gill, Chloe & William
Crazy politics: a time to write
Shortly after the November 2016 presidential election, I began a novel. Two factors intersected at virtually the same time. First, I had finished my final editing of My Music Man with the ultimate "send" of my manuscript to the publisher. But even bigger, was my obsessive brain becoming unhealthily addicted to the news. My spirit … Continue reading Crazy politics: a time to write
Government and secession: now and then
Moving through this emotionally charged 2016 Election Week, I am reminded of the book Ecotopia.When I read it as a Portland high school student in 1975, I was encouraged by what seemed progressive community thinking. This classic 1975 "cult" novel by Ernest Callenbach seemed to address my fears about environmental degradation of the land I … Continue reading Government and secession: now and then
On the eve of Wordstock….still talking about J.K. Gill
As you can tell, I'm often consumed with Oregon history. But I haven't stopped being surprised when I read discussions about the J.K. Gill Bookstore in Facebook groups like Dead Memories Portland or Forgotten Oregon. With the downtown store closing in 1991, you'd have to be 25 now to be alive when Gill's still had … Continue reading On the eve of Wordstock….still talking about J.K. Gill
Ode to Sybil
A few weeks ago I phoned Salem resident Sybil Westenhouse to learn more about our family history. Although we had never met or talked before, Sybil was friendly, and pleased to talk about old Oregon and Salem. Sybil Westenhouse comes from an old Oregon farming family, but grew up in Salem. On the phone, I … Continue reading Ode to Sybil
Winding and carving
All 187 miles of the Willamette River meander through Oregon on its journey to the Columbia, forming the Columbia River's largest tributary. My geologist husband was once incredulous some 35 years ago, when he learned that my only "C" grade ever was from Dave Alt's Introduction to Geology class at the University of Montana. I … Continue reading Winding and carving
Dede's Books and blog 