Hello Fishtrap Friends,
Dr. Suess had a birthday on March 2nd, and the high point of my week was getting asked into the elementary school to read to a roomful of 4th and 5th graders. You’re supposed to wear a hat and tie. So I did. “Looks like Mars,” said my young hostess, Breanna. We read a couple of my favorites – How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin and The Beginning of the Armadillos.
Registration opens for Summer Fishtrap at 9 am on April 1. (If you say, “Just kidding” on April Fool’s Day, are you serious?) Seriously. you can go online right now at www.fishtrap.org/sft2010.htm to view the great lineup of workshop faculty and Gathering presenters. Brochures will be mailed this Friday. Note that this year we are returning to the time honored tradition of taking registrations on a “first come, first served” basis.
We have SEVERAL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE for young people and working women to attend Summer Fishtrap (www.fishtrap.org/sft2010.htm)
The application is simple. People who are under 30 should apply for a Frank Conley or Bryn Lunde scholarship (criteria are the same for both, and any application for one will be considered for the other as well). Working women should apply for a Sally Bowerman Scholarship. Get scholarship info at www.fishtrap.org/scholarships.
BIG READ home stretch ... really ... truly
Our Big Read finale was extremely powerful, with Mark Mathabane, author of the autobiography Kaffir Boy, about growing up in apartheid South Africa, holding a full house of 100 folks spellbound as he argued, in carefully chosen words, how important it is for people, in order to be fully human, to treat others as human. More than one member of the audience told me afterwards that it was one of the best Fishtrap presentations they had ever seen. Ever. The next day, Mark spoke to students in Enterprise School District, with similar results.
There is one more very special event that is part of our Big Read. The Mid-Valley Theatre group, headquartered in the Greater Lostine Metropolitan Area (pop. 230), will be performing To Kill a Mockingbird on the weekends of April 9, 10, 11 and 16, 17, 18. Sorry, I can't get ahold of Kate Loftus for show times and ticket arrangements. Sunday performances will be matinees.
And here’s one more note if you came to Winter Fishtrap, on the theme “Learning from Women.” Two more authors you might want to explore are Peggy McIntosh's writings on race and privilege (she's at the Wellesley Centers for Women) and Linda Hogan’s Solar Storms.
If you haven’t checked out board member Kathy Hunter’s “Fishtrap Storytime” on KWVR radio (92.1 FM, downtown Enterprise), you should tune in at 7 pm on Sunday evenings. She’s been having some great shows. For children of all ages.
Our “Director Emeritus” Rich Wandschneider has continued to work hard behind the scenes, assembling an impressive advisory board for the Alvin and Betty Josephy Library of Western History and Culture at Fishtrap. (We usually just call it “the library.”) Cataloging is ongoing of about 2,000 volumes of Alvin Josephy’s work, plus books by many past, present, and future Fishtrap faculty. Thank you to our many volunteers, especially Shannon Maslach, for all of your hard work! And the library is NOW OPEN, 10-1 on Saturdays.
If you’re in Wallowa County think about joining us for our second Little Italy Food Fest (OK, I made the name up) at Lear’s Restaurant in Enterprise on Sunday, April 11. The rumor is we’re serving lasagna this time around. Show up between 4 and 7 pm. Proceeds from this evening of Mediterranean High Culture will benefit the Fishtrap College program, which provides college level classes to Wallowa County high school students.
Did you know that since 1990, Fishtrap has awarded over 100 Fellowships to Summer Fishtrap? Fellows receive a free ride for the entire week, and the submission process is fair and free. It doesn’t get much better than that. We’ve just finished judging Fellowship submissions for 2010, and will announce those winners soon.
In the meantime, if you’re anywhere near the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area (pop. 2.2 million) on April 17, come to our Wine and Cheese Social at the Writers’ Dojo in St. Johns. Hosted by Molly Gloss, the event will include Kim Stafford and former Fishtrap Fellows Vicente Guzman-Orozco, Barbara Dills, and Ceiridwen Terrill. Seating is limited, so you must RSVP to attend. Please contact Fishtrap’s development director, Kathy Sewell, at kathy@fishtrap.org. It’s a fundraiser for the Fellows program, so bring your pocketbook.
And FISHSTOCK 2010 is coming on May 15 in The Dalles (pop. 12156)! Robin Cody, Clem Starck, Jonathan Nicholas, Rosalie Sorrels, Kate Power and Steve Einhorn, Dan Maher, Heart and Hammer. Tickets $25 at www.fishstockoregon.net.
FISHTRAP FRIENDS
Julie Weston began work on her book, The Good Times Are All Gone Now: Life, Death and Rebirth in an Idaho Mining Town (we usually just call it "the book") at Fishtrap’s Imnaha Writers’ Retreat. Julie recently appeared as a Literary Lion at the King County (pop. 1.8 million) Library System gala. Congrats to Julie! See her work at www.juliewweston.com.
Fishtrap friends Mark and Kathy participated in Fishtrap’s Big Read South. Said Mark,
“Hi Rick. Even though we are out of the county, we are reading To Kill a Mockingbird too. We also got the DVD from the library and watched it, and enjoyed the bonus features with interviews with the actors. Attached is a picture of Kathy engrossed in her reading.” Somehow, I don’t think they’re in Wallowa County.
This is the last you’ll hear from me for a couple of weeks. I’ll be riding the “Coast Starlight” to visit my daughter. One nice thing about Amtrak – they still believe in catchy titles. There’s the California Zephyr, and the Heartland Flyer, the Sunset Limited, and, of course, The City of New Orleans.
That’s plenty for now. Hope you’re enjoying Spring.
Cheers,
Rick Bombaci
Executive Director
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