Portland Shout-Out

I just returned from a long weekend in Portland, Ore., aka the left coast feminist Mecca. Portland has a rich history of progressive politics. Recent years have seen an influx of feminist artists, activists, musicians, writers, and small business owners blossoming in the City of Roses. Here's just a brief list:

Bitch Magazine
Ariel Gore and Hip Mama Magazine
In Other Words Womens Books & Resources
Sarah Dougher
The Blow
Rock n Roll Camp for Girls
2 Grlz Quarterly
Portland State University Women's Studies
Soapstone Women Writers Retreat

And that's just to name a mere few of the fabulous and interesting women's community highlights in PDX. If only it wasn't so damn rainy soggy cloudy and gloomy there! You think it's been bad around the Jackson area lately? Yikes. The way the clouds and the barometric pressure pressed down on my eyelids, cheeks, and mood was nearly unbearable. No wonder the coffee shop per resident ratio is nearing 1:1! No wonder I moved out of there a few years ago!

I welcome any additional feminist tips about Portland, as well as any tips on how the hell to survive a grey-sky visit there.
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From the Teton County Library Events schedule:

"Thursday, March 20 200812:00pm -
1:30pm
What’s News? Discussing the Papers with the Editors
Guest speaker
Mary Sheridan-Rabideau, a University of Wyoming professor who studies popular
and media culture, joins this monthly brown-bag luncheon. Presented by the
Wyoming Humanities Council, Teton County Library, Jackson Hole News & Guide
and Planet Jackson Hole. Coffee provided; no preparation necessary. Cost: Free.
Location: Conference Room. Contact: Adult Program Coordinator, 733-2164 ext.
135."

Mary Sheridan-Rabideau is the author of Girls, Feminism, and Grassroot Literacies: Activism the Girlzone (SUNY Series in Feminist Criticism andTheory) and a co-editor of Feminism and Composition: A Critical Sourcebook.

Sheroes Author Coming to Town!

We just got word from the Teton County Library that young-adult fantasy author Tamora Pierce will be here March 14. For those unfamiliar with Pierce, you’re in for a treat! She fashions female heroes of the kind she wished she could read about in her favorite books as a kid. With encouragement from her father, she started writing when she was in 6th grade. Now she has 25 novels under her belt and is one of the genres most beloved authors.

Here are a few more details from the library about Tamora Pierce: “Often set in the fantasy realm of Tortall, the stories boast strong, courageous girls who, according to School Library Journal, meet ‘success through perseverance, hard work, and skill.’

Pierce's own success as a fantasy novelist for teens has landed her numerous awards including multiple ALA Best Book for Young Adults honors, as well as #1 book debuts on the New York Times bestseller list. She cofounded www.SheroesCentral.com, a discussion board about female heroes and remarkable women in fact, fiction and history.

One of her most recent books White Tiger (September, 2007) is a graphic novel written with her husband Timothy Liebe for Marvel Comics. Her next books are due out in 2009. To learn more about Pierce's many stories or read her blog, go to www.TamoraPierce.com.

An Evening with Tamora Pierce takes place on Friday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the library's Ordway Auditorium. Sponsored by Teton County Library Foundation, seats will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Valley Book Store will have books on hand for a signing following Pierce's talk.