First Friday Frenzy

Portland has something called the First Friday Art Walk: all the art studios downtown in the "Arts District" have open houses.
I walked into town (I'm trying to get past thinking of the walk as a workout, but it burned calories), met Meg and friends at the Intown Grill for Geary's Pales and appetizers, then hit an open house for another Geary's and a snack. Healthy body, cultured artistic sensibility, fogged mind, and home before nine, as the sleet turns to icy snow.

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Racial Injustice: The Case of Walter Lett Inspired Harper Lee

Chronology: The case of Walter Lett influenced Harper Lee in writing To Kill a Mockingbird. Here are the events of the case, and its connection to Harper Lee. The case began in November 1933. "On Thursday, November 9, 1933, the Monroeville Journal reported that Noami Lowery told authorities that Walter Lett had raped her the previous Thursday.” ( "Lee, Harper: 1926 - 2016"). Just as in To Kill a Mockingbird , the accusation alone was enough for most citizens to assume guilt. Writing for Time magazine, Daniel Levy asserts, “Such an accusation was a death sentence for an African American man. ‘Rape was the central drama of the white psyche,’ says Diane McWhorter, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution.” Lett was captured on Saturday and jailed in another town out of fear he’d be lynched. The legal system operated quickly. “On March 16, 1934, Lett was arraigned ...

Reflections from the Last Few Days

I’ve concentrated these posts on the travel & walking, shortchanging some other cultural observations, like food, drink, etc. As we are now headed back to Lisbon, those things may get more attention. Events elsewhere have colored our experience here. This next part is personal. Some reader may find it interesting, or in the future we may appreciate the reminder of these things. Jan & Bruce have been particularly concerned about the impact of Hurricane Helene the last few days. A couple weeks before we left & just before his 96th birthday, my dad began hospice care. We went to see him on his birthday. It was not at all clear that he was any closer to death. On our first day here we were shocked to learn that a beloved friend since college died due to consequences of cancer. Our thoughts the first two days were on Terry, her family, and our mutual friends. She was active, adventurous, loving, fun, and until last spring, healthy. She’s on the left in this photo. Thursday, Dad’...

Pease Air Show - Wings of Hope

I'm getting excited about the Wings of Hope show, and thought that, even though it is nominally off-topic, I wanted to blog about it. First, here's the web address: http://www.peaseairshow.com/ And here's the schedule: 9:00-11:00 Civilian Air Craft Rides (limited) 11:00 Opening Ceremonies (Saturday Only) 11:35 Flag Drop "Silver Wings" US Army Jump Team 11:45 American Air Power B-25, P-40, P47, TBM Avenger Noon Jet Car and Rob Holland Act 12:15 L-39 Demonstration - Dan McCue 12:30 Red Star Formation Team 12:45 B-2 Flyover (August 18th Only!) 1:00 Carol Pilon Wing Walker (Rob Holland / Pilot) 1:30 Jim Parker Salto H101 Sailplane 1:45 F4U Corsair (Dan McCue / Pilot) 2:00 U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet Demo Team East 2:15 Legacy Formation / F-18/F4U 2:30 P-40 Warhawk Demonstration 2:45 NH Army Guard Helicopter Ground Assault Demo 3:00 Rob Holland Airshows / Ultimate 20-300s N8UB 3:15 Lockheed T-33 "Shooting Star" 3:30 F-86 Demonstration (Ed Shipley / Pilot) 3:45 U...

Bends Toward Justice

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