Numb toes and the architecture of the novel

Hello Friends of Fishtrap,

Ursula Le Guin, Molly Gloss, and Tony Vogt brought three distinct but complementary voices to the 19th Winter Fishtrap Gathering this past weekend, as a record crowd of participants explored the theme "Learning from Women." We were especially pleased this year to have healthy representation by the under-30 crowd.

While Summer Fishtrap emphasizes the "good writing" part of Fishtrap’s mission, Winter Fishtrap has traditionally focused on the "clear thinking" aspect, functioning as more of a think tank than a writing workshop. Still, we continued last year’s experiment to include more writing at Winter Fishtrap, and were delighted with the especially strong open mic session on Sunday.

Thanks to all for helping to making Winter Fishtrap a success!

On the homestretch with the BIG READ

I got home from Winter Fishtrap on Sunday afternoon, went for a 30-mile bicycle ride to clear my head under sunny skies (which didn’t keep my toes from going numb), then joined Fishtrap staff and volunteers on Monday in welcoming former Billings, Montana police chief Wayne Inman, who spoke to adults and students on the "Not in Our Town" movement which arose in response to white supremacist hate crimes in Billings.

From Portland to Wallowa County, Oregon has its share too, and Wayne held about 100 middle school students’ attention as we discussed the need for communities to take responsibility for responding to hate crimes.

Join us on Thursday night, February 25, 7 pm at the Fishtrap house for a discussion led by Peace and Justice and Non-Violent Communication representatives Nick Lunde and Walter Smith, as we focus on solutions rather than problems.

Former La Grande librarian Jo Cowling will host a noon brown-bag lunch seminar at the Toma’s Conference Room in Enterprise on Friday, February 26 on the subject of "Citizen Diplomacy in Iran." This will be another example of people working together to overcome fear and stereotypes.

And we still have a few tickets to the Finale event on Sunday, February 28 at 5 pm. It’s a potluck dinner at the Hurricane Creek Grange Hall. Fishtrap will provide barbecued pork ribs, the Grange members will bake Southern desserts and their traditional pies, and we ask you all to bring a side dish, Southern if possible. Dinner will be followed by a talk by Mark Mathabane, author of the best-selling authobiography Kaffir Boy, about growing up in apartheid South Africa. Tickets are $10, available at the Bookloft, the Wallowa public library, Mt. Joseph Foods, and Fishtrap.

WHAT HOMESTRETCH?

The Big Read will soon be over, but there are plenty of Fishtrap events coming up, including one for which you don’t have to leave home. Join us Saturday evening, February 27, at the "Stay At Home and Read a Book Ball." It’s a creative fundraiser for Fishtrap – stay home, read a book, and send us a donation for the dinner and show you didn’t go to. Oh, and include the parking meter charge, too. Go to http://readabookball.blogspot.com/ to sign up and tell us all what you’re reading.

Our second Fishstock celebration of music, words, and art in The Dalles will be Saturday, May 15. How about Rosalie Sorrels, Dan Maher, Kate Power & Steve Einhorn, Heart & Hammer for music, and Robin Cody and Clem Starck with the words? And MC’ed by Jonathan Nicholas? Sounds like a fine time to me. Go to http://fishstockoregon.net/ for ticket information.

If you’re looking for a Fishtrap experience that’s a bit longer than one evening, check out one of these:

For five days guaranteed to generate lifelong memories, sign up now for our Writing on the River experience with renowned Montana writer and film producer Annick Smith. You’ll work with Annick every morning and evening, float the Snake River during the day, and enjoy fine food and company in the bargain. Fishtrap’s "Director Emeritus" Rich Wandschneider will be along, as will Hells Canyon naturalist Jan Hohmann. And we hope to rendezvous with Tracy Vallier, geologist extraordinaire. See http://www.fishtrap.org/rivertrip.shtml for details.

If you’re ready to give that novel inside you a chance to get out, we are accepting registrations NOW for the yearlong workshop "The Architecture of the Novel," with author Jane Vandenburgh. Says one of her students from the 2008-2009 class, "She’s a powerhouse, a wizard, the most generous teacher I’ve ever had." Learn more at http://www.fishtrap.org/yearlong.shtml. The deadline for manuscript submissions is May 1.

　

FISHTRAP FRIENDS

We were pleased to hear that former Fishtrap Fellow Jennifer Munro, former Fishtrap writer-in-residence Ellie Belew, and recent Fishtrap participant Ruby Murray were among 16 artists selected to participate in Artist Trust’s 2010 EDGE Professional Development Program for Writers. At the end of the program, the artists will present their work at Jack Straw Productions in Seattle, on Friday, March 26. See www.artisttrust.org for more info.

Winter Fishtrap participant Judith Johnson tells me that Sandra Steingraber, cancer survivor and author of the acclaimed book Living Downstream, will explore the environmental links to human cancers at a talk on March 4 at 7:30 pm at Chism Hall, Whitman College, Walla Walla.

That’s it for the moment. I won’t see you on Saturday night, as I’ll be home reading a book. Just finished Riding the White Horse Home, by Teresa Jordan (thanks, Molly Gloss, for that Winter Fishtrap suggestion). Think I’ll pick up Robin Cody’s new book, Another Way the River Has.

Cheers,

Rick Bombaci, Executive Director