Avel Gordly to Read from Memoir

We hope you can join us on Tuesday, May 3, to hear Avel Gordly -- the first African-American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate -- read from her memoir Remembering the Power of Words: The Life of an Oregon Activist, Legislator, and Community Leader, co-written with her Portland State University colleague Patricia A. Schechter and recently published by Oregon State University Press.

Avel Louise Gordly was born in Portland shortly after WWII, to a father who was a Pullman porter with the Union Pacific Railroad and a mother who had worked in the shipyards during the war. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in the Administration of Justice from PSU and has completed the Program for Senior Executives at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

She began her working life operating business machines for Pacific Northwest Bell, and, after earning her bachelor's degree, worked as an adult parole and probation office for the Oregon Department of Corrections. She then worked as the Director of Youth Services for The Urban League and as the Community Liaison for the Multnomah County Health Department.

In 1991 the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners appointed Gordly to fill a vacancy in the Oregon House of Representatives, beginning a long career in the Oregon legislature. She won the general election in 1992 and re-election in 1994 before winning a Senate seat in 1996. She served three terms in the Senate. In 2007, the city officially honored her many years of public service as a state legislator with an official proclamation from then-Mayor Tom Potter.

Currently, Gordly is an associate professor in the Black Studies Department at PSU. She has made numerous trips to African nations during her career and led an official mission to increase trade between Oregon and South Africa. She has received numerous awards and honors for her work over the years.

Gordly has earned a reputation as a bridge builder who puts principles above politics, consistently forming bipartisan coalitions to work on key issues. In 2006 she officially switched her party affiliation from democrat to independent. She is a long-time advocate for pre-school and for quality education for all children; a tireless worker on environmental, economic, and social justice issues; and someone who believes in the need for transparency in government. Not too surprising -- and music to our ears -- she is also an avid reader.



In her memoir, Gordly addresses the challenges she faced growing up Black in Portland in the '50s and '60s, as well as her long career as a legislator and community activist. "If you ever wondered how a principled woman lives a public life, read Remembering the Power of Words," writes professor and author Nell Irvin Painter. "Writing as a black female pioneer, she combines the personal with the political in a fascinating way that speaks to all of us."


We hope you can join us for what is sure to be an inspiring and interesting evening. The fun begins at 7 pm.

It's Raining Back Up at Broadway Books

Please join us Tuesday, April 26th, at 7pm for a free performance of poetry and music entitled Raining Back Up.  Local poet John Sibley Williams has coordinated a multi-media blend of contemporary poetry and experimental music that includes Anatoly Molotkov, David Cooke, Ragon Linde, and Carrie-Ann Tkaczyk.

John Sibley Williams is a poet and agent/publicist in Portland. He has two Master’s Degrees (Creative Writing and Book Publishing) and has served as Acquisitions Manager of Ooligan Press and as freelance agent/publicist for Three Muses Press, Carpe Articulum Literary Review, HoboEye, and individual authors. He has also worked with organizations, such as the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

Williams’ poetry was nominated for the 2009 Pushcart Prize and won the 2011 Heart Poetry Award.  His debut chapbook, A Pure River, was published in 2010 by The Last Automat Press.  Anatoly Molotkov is a writer, composer and co-founder of the Inflectionist poetry movement (Inflecionism.com).  He is the author of several novels and short story and poetry collections and won the 2010 New Millennium Writings and the 2008 E.M. Koeppel Awards for fiction.  Carrie-Ann Tkaczyk has recently finished her second book, Only Ghosts, about the clash of the mystic and the modern in Nepal.  David Cooke’s debut poem, Edges, won the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize and was nominated for the 2010 Pushcart prize.  Ragon Linde is a musician specializing in eclectic jazz and has played in a wide range of musical groups over the last 35 years.

Oregon Book Awards Were Rockin'!

Last night's Oregon Book Awards kicked off with a performance by novelist and singer/songwriter Willy Vlautin, an especially appropriate way to launch an evening in which Willy took home two awards: The Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and the first-ever Readers' Choice Award, sponsored by The Oregonian, in which more than 4000 Oregonians voted for their favorite of the books across all categories.

The event was hosted by Kurt Andersen, host of NPR's Studio 360 and the author of the novels Heyday and Turn of the Century, as well as the nonfiction book Reset: How This Crisis Can Restore our Values and Renew America. He is also one of the founders of Spy magazine and the co-founder of the "Portland Brooklyn Project," which nurtures connections, partnerships, and new opportunities for the arts, education, and private businesses between Portland and Brooklyn.

You can read about all of the finalists at our previous blog posting or at the Literary Arts site, sponsors of the Oregon Book Awards. Here are last night's winners:

As previously mentioned, Willy Vlautin took home the prize for fiction (presented by our very own Roberta Dyer!)  for his novel Lean on Pete (Harper Perennial), about fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson and a failing racehorse from Portland Meadows named Pete. Willy, who lives in Scappoose, is the author of two previous novels: The Motel Life (which has just been made into a movie starring Emile Hirsch and Dakota Fanning) and Northline (which comes with its own CD soundtrack). Willy is the lead singer/songwriter for the band Richmond Fontaine, which has a new CD coming out this summer.

The Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry went to David Biespiel for his collection The Book of Men and Women, published by the University of Washington Press. David is the founding director of the Attic Institute ("a haven for writers") and was the editor of Poetry Northwest from 2005 to 2010. His most recent book, Every Writer Has a Thousand Faces, published by Kelson Books, cracks open the creative process and takes a fresh look at the mysterious pathways of the imagination.

Paul VanDevelder from Corvallis won the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction for his book Savages and Scoundrels: The Untold Story of America's Road to Empire through Indian Territory (Yale University Press), a "profound dismantling of the whole mythical edifice surrounding the westward expansion that shaped the republic." Paul's previous book, Coyote Warrior: One Man, Three Tribes, and the Trial that Forged a Nation, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award.

John Daniel, who lives in the foothills of the Coast Range outside of Eugene, won his third Oregon Book Award by winning the Sarah Winnemucca Award for Creative Nonfiction for his book of essays, The Far Corner:  Northwestern Views on Land, Life, and Literature. He previously won for The Trail Home and Looking After (the "momoir" accompaniment to his "popoir," Rogue River Journal -- two of my favorite books).

The Angus L. Bowmer Award for Drama went to Susan Mach of Portland for her play, The Lost Boy. Susan teaches writing and literature at Clackamas Community College and has had plays produced by Theatre for the New City in Manhattan, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Portland Repertory Theatre, and Icarus Theatre Ensemble.

The awards for books for younger readers went to a debut novelist and a five-time Oregon Book Award winner. Scott William Carter received the Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature for his debut novel, The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys. His second novel, a fantasy called Wooden Bones chronicling the untold story of Pinocchio, is scheduled to be published in 2012. Scott lives in Salem.

Winning his fifth Oregon Book Award -- a record for individuals -- was Graham Salisbury for his book Calvin Coconut: The Zippy Fix. Before he started his Calvin Coconut series, which targets middle readers, Graham's previous books were written for young adults. Graham grew up in Hawaii, where the Calvin Coconut books are set, but now lives in Portland.

George Hitchcock was a poet, teacher, playwright, and painter who was born in Hood River and who died last September in Eugene at age 96. George was the founder of Kayak magazine and served as its editor for twenty years, publishing the early work of Raymond Carver, James Tate, and Philip Levine. He received the C.E.S. Wood Distinguished Writer Award from Literary Arts in 2003. Last night Joseph Bednarik of Copper Canyon Press read a tribute to George, who lived quite the life (I'm linking to his NY Times obit here so you can see for yourself) . His long-time companion Marjorie Simon was also in attendance.

The Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award went given to The Children's Book Bank of Portland, a nonprofit that strives to  improve the literacy skills of low-income children by giving them books of their own before they reach kindergarten. The Book Bank also administers the Leading for Reading program, an internship program for high school students.

The Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award, which is presented to a person or persons in recognition of outstanding long-term support of Oregon's literary community, was awarded to John Laursen of Portland, with John Daniel doing the presenting. Most recently John is probably best known for the book he produced with the late Terry Toedtemeier, Wild Beauty: Photographs of the Columbia River Gorge: 1867-1957, one of the most gorgeous books I have ever seen. John is a designer, typographer, writer, editor, and publisher. For four decades he has run Press-22, a studio specializing in the design and production of high-quality books and text-based public art projects. His design imprint can be found throughout the Portland area.

Also acknowledged at last night's gala were the recipients of Literary Arts' most recent fellowships: the writers Jennifer Richter, Crystal Williams, Michelle Penaloza, Brenden Willey, Gretchen Icenogle, Michael McGregor, Claire Willett, and Barbara Liles and the publishers The Grove Review and Octopus Books, both of Portland.

A big round of applause for Literary Arts for another great awards show but especially for all of the wonderful and important work they do in our state. Since 1987, Literary Arts has distributed $680,000 and honored more than 574 writers -- and counting! Keep up the good work. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists. We've got copies of most of the books -- some of them signed -- at the store, in case you weren't able to make it to last night's event.

Trailer for The Help

The  movie based on Water for Elephants premieres this weekend. Now here's the trailer for this summer's likely blockbuster-based-on-hit-novel: The Help, which premieres in August. Will you see these movies or stick to the written versions?

John Daniel and Ehud Havazelet for Comma

We're loving the Comma monthly reading series that local writer Kirsten Rian is hosting with Broadway Books on the third Thursday of each month. This month features John Daniel and Ehud Havazelet reading on Thursday, April  21, at 7 pm. Regional authors scheduled to join us for upcoming Comma readings include Barry Sanders, Bette Husted, Paulann Petersen, Paul Merchant, Molly Gloss, BT Shaw, and others. Comma readings offer an opportunity to hear two regional authors read from their work and engage in conversation about writing. You won't want to miss a one!

John Daniel's most recent book, The Far Corner: Northwestern Views on Land, Life, and Literature, is a finalist for the 2010/2011 Oregon Book Award in Creative Nonfiction. (Awards will be announced on Monday, April 25th.) The author of nine books of poetry, essays, and a memoir, Daniel won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, as well as two Oregon Book Awards and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ehud Havazelet is the author of two story collections and most recently the novel Bearing the Body, which won the Oregon Book Award for Fiction in 2008. Recent work has appeared in TriQuarterly, Ploughshares, Tin House, and The New York Times. He has been awarded fellowships from Stanford and the Guggenheim, Whiting, and Rockefeller Foundations. Havazelet teaches creative writing at the University of Oregon (but lives in Corvallis).

This is sure to be a great evening -- come early for a good seat!

Poet Jim Moore to Read Tuesday Night

Please join us Tuesday night (April 19th) at 7 pm to hear Jim Moore read from his newest collection of poetry, Invisible Strings, published by Graywolf Press. Moore is the author of six previous collections of poetry, including Lightning at Dinner, The Freedom of History, and The Long Experience of Love. His poems have appeared in American Poetry Review, the Nation, the New Yorker, the Paris Review, the Threepenny Review, the Pushcart Prize Anthology, and in many other magazines and anthologies.  He has received numerous awards and fellowships from the Bush Foundation, The Loft, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Moore grew up in Illinois and began writing in the mid 1960s. He spent ten months in prison during the Vietnam War for refusing induction. Currently he teaches at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and at The Colorado College in Colorado Springs, as well as online through the University of Minnesota Split Rock Arts Program.  He is married to the photographer JoAnn Verburg.  They live in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Spoleto, Italy.

The poems in his newest collection are brief, jagged, almost haiku-like. One reviewer called them "tricky masterpieces of revelation," and another said that Moore "elevates economy of phrase to an art." The author says the poems, which address "ordinary everyday kinds of moments and why they matter," came out of a time in his life when he was very busy, traveling a lot, with much disjointedness in his life. After his last book, Lightning at Dinner, which was a more narrative collection about the death of his mother, the author said he wanted to experiment with writing shorter, quicker pieces.

In a recent interview Moore said, "Oddly enough, I often feel more connected to the world (feel less distance from it) when I am in solitude than when I am with others."  Regarding the influences on his work, he said, "Anything that takes me out of myself is a major blessing and important  influence:  passion, love, nature, particular cities (Venice, Calcutta, New York, Spoleto) and places.  Blizzards work beautifully this way, as do mountains, the sea, the plains, certain rivers…anything that reminds me forcefully that my own ego is not the be all and end all.  Of course, poems by poets I love do that very well." 

We hope you can join us to hear Jim Moore read from and discuss his latest collection of poems. And don't forget that we're still celebrating National Poetry Month here at Broadway Books: For each book of poetry you buy at regular price, you can buy a second book (of equal or lesser value) for HALF PRICE! You can do this all month long, because we're nuts for poetry here. Or maybe we're just nuts.

Jennifer Egan Wins Pulitzer for Fiction

Winners of the 2011 Pulitzer Prizes have just been announced! Here are the winners in the book categories:

• Fiction: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (Alfred A. Knopf) 
• History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner (W. W. Norton & Company) 
• Biography: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow (The Penguin Press) 
• Poetry: The Best of It: New and Selected Poems by Kay Ryan (Grove Press) 
• General Nonfiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee (Scribner)

A Visit from the Goon Squad also recently won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. 

Finalists for the Pulitzers include The Privileges by Jonathan Dee (Random House) and The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee (Riverhead Books) in fiction and The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain by Nicholas Carr (WW Norton) and Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne (Scribner) in general nonfiction. You can read more about the winners and finalists, as well as about the other Pulitzer categories, at the Pulitzer site.