August 06, 2003
The Other Portland Stories
Inspired perhaps by Chuck Palahniuk's Fugitives and Refugees, today's Willamette Week presents observations from eleven local authors. Here are a few of my favorite excerpts.
Richard Meltzer, on Portland:
It helps, no doubt, that what we have here is basically a backwater beyond the main currents of recent history, one where so many ripples of designated past-tense etcetera remain present-tense all the way: beatnik, hippie, punk, Wobbly...hey: the rock-roll '50s, the mom-and-pop '40s. Chronological diversity is nothing to sneeze at. Sure, yuppie-like beings, entrepreneurs and consumers alike (you know who you are), are fucking with the water, but they ain't come close yet to destroying the place--as they have everywhere else--and they certainly haven't overturned the space-time NATURE of things Portland.
Kevin Sampsell, on religion:
If religion were all about lush greenery, singing birds, waterfalls, cool statues and letting 50 cents slide off the price of things, I might let myself relapse into the faith. But being an ex-Catholic who still has Mass memorized, I know there's more to life and religion and how they relate to each other. Not to mention that it's really easy and fun to be a heathen in Portland. Our beloved city has never been known for its churchgoing. People here like to come to their own ideas about faith, not like in, say, Arkansas, where I lived before moving here in the early '90s. In places like that, you can catch religion off toilet seats. Nowadays, I visit places like the Grotto on Northeast 85th off Sandy just because it's really fucking cool.
Crystal Williams, on the future:
And artists...well, artists are publicly and privately funded because somewhere along the line the community said, "Yup, the arts are important, we want writers and dancers and actors and singers to do their thang. Plus, why should Minneapolis be the best arts-funding city this side of the Mississippi?!" And the funding isn't inextricably linked to grunt work like teaching in the schools or pseudo "public" performances. Funding is granted simply because every now and again we provide something really important, like a mirror into the heart of this very beautiful place.
Rochell Hart, on race:
I hate to throw the race card, but as a black performance artist in Portland, it is hard not to. A native of this city, I have been a published author, motivational speaker and performance spoken-word artist (a.k.a. poet) for quite some time. Throughout the years, I have performed on countless stages across America, including such artistic hot spots as New York and Chicago. After carefully sifting through my opinions about life in Portland, I am convinced that as a minority artist, this is one of the hardest cities to survive in.
Zoe Trope, on Portland:
And Portland, baby, I'm sorry for all the disservice I've done to you by cutting you down to your cold bare bones in these nervous descriptions. How can I possibly sum you up in a few sentences to a girl who's never bounced on the Crystal Ballroom floor or wiped Rocco's pizza grease off her chin? Yes, you've got that bookstore and that river and these freeways scarring your heart. But you've got to understand that I love you for everything you are and everything you could be.
On second thought, perhaps the Willamette Week wasn't inspired so much by Palahniuk's latest as much as by their recent "Best Of" selection of Stephen Voss' Portland Stories site. I've plugged it before, and I'll plug it again. You've read the words of eleven local writers, now go offer some of your own.
Comments (1)
Mac Diva on 07 Aug 2003
Read the material and mainly agree. However, I do wonder if Portland is as weird as Chuck P. and some other writers imply. Maybe that is why I haven't written any fiction set here.
One reason I oozed over to your blog was to ask if you are aware of any still functional Portland bloggers groups. Lemme know via email.
And, drop by my blog sometimes. I try to do at least one Portland story per week. Yesterday's was on Vera, who we take for granted, but is really remarkable.