GUYS! Did you see the Star Wars trailer? What am I saying? Of course you did. You’re reading a goddamn Game of Thrones recap. You like Star Wars. Well, according to totally unsubstantiated rumors from the Intenet that may or may not be true, Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) might be playing the character in […]
Joe Streckert
Joe Streckert is the author of Storied & Scandalous Portland, Oregon: A History of Gambling, Vice, Wits, and Wagers. He writes about books, history, and comics.
Posted inTheater & Performance
This Sunday: Portland’s History of Radical Theater
I got handed an unusual gig earlier this year. Triangle Productions hired me to research Storefront, an old Portland theater company, and give a pair of lectures about it. This is a bit outside my normal wheelhouse. I am very much a local history nerd, but most of what I get into has to deal […]
Posted inArtsy
From Trauma to Print: Art by Veterans at the Ash Street Project
This past weekend, I saw political messages and images of violence printed on pulped military uniforms. Ash Street Project’s Deconstructing the Divide featured prints and other art from Iraq War veterans, much of it printed on what the artists and exhibitors call “combat paper”—some of the veterans pulped their own uniforms, turned them into paper, […]
Posted inTV
Game of Thrones Recap: Professional Cuddles Edition
It’s time for another season of dragons, nudity, swords, and fake politics. Game of Thrones fifth season debuted last night, and the show is in an odd place right now. Earlier this year the showrunners and George R. R. Martin up and admitted that the show is going to pass up the books in terms […]
Posted inArtsy
Portland Crime Stats, Art-ified
At last night’s First Thursday, I stumbled in by chance to one of the most aesthetically pleasing examples of Portland data that I’ve ever seen. Diode Gallery for Electronic Art is currently hosting an exhibition by San Francisco artist Doug McCune that makes Portland crime stats look good. For instance, this map of Portland DUIs […]
Posted inTransportation
Take a Look at TriMet’s Brand Spankin’ New MAX Cars!
TriMet showed off one of their new MAX trains to the press and public earlier today. The 18 “Type 5” MAX cars will serve on the new Orange Line and throughout the service area The last time Portland got new MAX trains, it was something of a letdown. The Type 4 MAX cars, with their […]
Posted inBooks
On a Boat: John Benditt’s First Novel is a (Nautical) Study in Minimalism
Minimalism is hard. Writing a torrent of words, overpowering the reader with gushes of adverbs and metaphors, and generally drowning one’s writing in purple extravagance is easy to do. (Exhibit A: that last sentence.) But paring down prose to its most basic elements takes far more skill, and The Boatmaker, the debut novel from John […]
Posted inBooks
Spare and True
John Benditt Out-Minimalizes Minimalism in The Boatmaker
John Benditt out-minimalizes minimalism in The Boatmaker.
Posted inSports
The University of Oregon’s Lost Mascot: RoboDuck
The Oregon Ducks are taking on Ohio State Buckeyes tonight (what the hell is a Buckeye?) and my various social media feeds are awash in football-ian enthusiasm. The ducks, of course, have one of the most amiable and jolly of all college mascots: Rather than having something pointy, ferocious, or clichéd like a wildcat or […]
Posted inPodcast
Best Buy and Mail Chimp: The Serial Finale… Reviewed!
Serial, This American Life’s teen drama murder mystery for NPR people, ended its first season today. The podcast has been the Most Popular Thing Ever for the past thirteen weeks, and has gotten a population of Morning Edition fans who would never in their lives pick up an embossed cover true crime book deeply interested […]
Posted inArt
Ruined Refuge
Rose Bond Shines a Light on the Society Hotel
Animator and media artist Rose Bond shines a light on the Society Hotel.
Posted inTV
Some Thoughts on Marco Polo, Netflix’s New Series For People Who Like Boobs and Swords
Netflix released Marco Polo, a new, ten-episode original series on Friday. I’m pretty sure that I’m the target audience. I listen to approximately seven billion different history podcasts, for instance. I fenced in college. [AHAHAHAAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!—editors] I own multiple editions of the Monster Manual. I will watch basically anything with Kung Fu in it. I am […]