Multnomah County Library Podcasts

How would you describe Oregon through poetry? Do you have a favorite Oregon poet? Have you written a nature poem about Oregon?  Liz Nakazawa, editor of the anthology "Deer Drink the Moon," read from her book, which features the works of 33 esteemed poets of Oregon. She also invited audience members to share their favorite Oregon nature poems. 

Three local crafter-writers discuss their writing in the context of the followng questions:  1. How did each of you become crafty authors?  2. What is your best advice for someone who aspires to write a craft book?  3. Name a favorite craft book and/or a local resource for craft supplies.  4. How do you go about searching for interesting craft materials?

Susan Beal is a non-stop crafter and writes the blog, West Coast Crafty. She is the author of Button it Up : 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects for Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, Housewares & More; Beadsimple : 150 Designs for Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, and More :  Essential Techniques for Making Jewelry Just the Way you Want It; and Super Crafty : Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects.  Diane Gilleland is the author of Kanzashi in Bloom : 20 Simple Fold-and-Sew Projects to Wear and Give, and the blog, CraftyPod.  Alicia Paulson is the author of Stitched in Time : Memory-Keeping Projects to Sew and Share and the blog, Posie Gets Cozy.  The audience question and answer period is included.

Oregon Reads 2009 is a community reading program that took place in nearly every public library and in every county in Oregon during the state's sesquicentennial, January through April of 2009. Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson was selected as a title for younger readers for the Oregon Sesquicentennial. In this talk, Hopkinson talks about Oregon's state symbols and what makes a writer. She also shares the stories from her books Apples to Oregon, Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, and the forthcoming Stagecoach Sal.

Oregon Reads 2009 is a community reading program that took place in nearly every public library and in every county in Oregon during the state's sesquicentennial, January through April of 2009. Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff was selected as a title for younger readers for the Oregon Sesquicentennial. In this talk, Wolff shares some of her inspirations for the book and illuminates her writing process. At the beginning of this event, a group of sixth grade girls from Metropolitan Learning Center act out a reader's theater presentation excerpted from Bat 6.

Jon Scieszka’s many books have won awards and sold over 11 million copies. Scieszka is also the founder of Guys Read, a nonprofit literacy organization. In 2008 the Library of Congress chose Jon Scieszka to be the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a two-year position in which Scieszka’s mission is to get kids excited about reading. In his lecture, Scieszka talks about the cool stuff he has acquired since becoming an Ambassador, tells stories about his books and his childhood growing up as the second oldest of six brothers, and answers questions from kids in the audience.

Date of Event: Monday, April 20, 2009
Target Audience: Everybody

An evening with Randy Shaw, author of the new book Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century . In "Beyond the Fields," Shaw reveals the untold story of how the spirit of "Sí Se Puede" that began with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers in the 1960s still sets the course for today’s social justice movements. Shaw finds that the influence of Chavez and the UFW has ranged far and wide: in labor campaigns like Justice for Janitors, in the building of Latino political power, in the fight for environmental justice, in the growing national movement for immigrant rights, and even in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. SEIU Executive Vice-President Eliseo Medina praises Shaw’s book as a "stirring account of how the UFW transformed people’s lives," and LeRoy Chatfield of the Farmworkers Documentation Project says it is a "must read" for former UFW volunteers.

Jean Johnson reads and presents no-fuss recipes from her book, Cooking Beyond Measure: How to Eat Well without Formal Recipes.

Demonstrations included simple no-cook recipes — like sliced pears dipped in flax meal laced with cardamom, cottage cream and raspberries with homemade whole grain muesli, or roasted garlic on whole-grain bread.

LeAnn Locher writes the popular Portland blog, LeLo in NoPo. She'll talk and share photos of her 3-year experience of creating and growing her blog, how it began as a personal journey and self exploration, and what she found along the way. Blogging creates connections to people, issues, cultures, and even social change, and has led to real-world connections, clients, and friends. She'll share a case study of blogging a topic that grew into a quick community action, with a flurry of news throughout the blogosphere and local media outlets. With writers now blogging and bloggers now writing, is there a place for the two to meet?

Kristian Williams, a journalist and a member of Rose City Copwatch, is the author of Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America and American Methods: Torture and the Logic of Domination. Jules Boykoff teaches political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove and is the author of Beyond Bullets: The Suppression of Dissent in the United States. The authors discuss their books and answer questions from the audience.