I sit quietly in an ornately decorated Portland church, hands in my lap, surrounded by the smell of incense, colorful stained glass windows, and the solemn but soaring crystalline melodies of a choir singing Fauré’s Requiem in Latin: Fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam (Grant them, O Lord, to pass from death to … Continue reading
Us native Oregonians joke amongst ourselves sometimes, that people visiting our fair state in winter probably find themselves here on the one sunny day we have between November and June. Unbeknownst to them, Oregon likes to play tricks in the winter to convince out-of-towners that rain is a rumor here. A couple times throughout the … Continue reading
You can never tell with them. Dangerous and riveting creatures altogether. Best to avoid them because they can do and will bring you [pain]…but they are so utterly fascinating, so unpredictable, so allowing, that you find yourself drawn to them almost against your will, against your better judgment, against all sense and sanity, day after … Continue reading
A Saturday morning in December. Drizzly. Cold. Steel-like. The sidewalks are slick but I’m out running, breathing in the cold air like I’ve never breathed before. My hands are clammy with rain, clutching my house keys desperately. I urge my legs to go faster, wanting to feel them straining, wanting to feel my lungs hurt. … Continue reading
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street. -Oh the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss- I wouldn’t put it … Continue reading
Portlanders, as a whole, have been defined and stereotyped by many iconic actions, most publicly in recent months by the IFC show “Portlandia.” In my experience, acting like a “Portlander” is more of a feeling, an abstract state of mind, than concrete actions, but nevertheless, there are many things that most Portlanders have been identified … Continue reading
in the midst 