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Even after her death on January 22, there continue to be new ways to appreciate the life and work of Portland author Ursula K. Le Guin. Yesterday saw Tin House's release of Conversations on Writing, a book collected from a series of interviews Le Guin did with Between the Covers podcast host David Naimon. The small book is separated into three sections, in which Naimon and Le Guin discuss three types of her writing: fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. There are also excerpts of some of the texts mentioned during their conversation throughout the book, enriching the discussion. I think it's worth listening to the audio of the complete interviews Naimon did with Le Guin that provided the material—they're up over at the Between the Covers web page—and it's wonderful to hear Le Guin's own voice, of course. But the book is another method of gathering her insight, and contains some worthwhile introductory context from Naimon (and a foreword from Le Guin herself); it's available now through Tin House.

Meanwhile, Literary Arts in conjunction with Le Guin's family have announced a special event on June 13 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin is going to be a celebration of her life and writing, with speakers and writers paying homage. The lineup has not been announced, but you can sign up for the mailing list to be notified when the free tickets become available.


RELATED: "Remembering the Extraordinary Ursula K. Le Guin: A Storyteller Who Defied Generalization" [Books, January 31, 2018]

RELATED: "Ursula K. Le Guin, Beloved Portland Author, Has Died" [Blogtown, January 23, 2018]


In other Le Guin news, the Hollywood Reporter says that a film adaptation Le Guin's 2000 book The Telling is underway, a project that began before Le Guin's death with her participation. Leena Pendharkar (20 Weeks, Raspberry Magic) is directing and actress Rekha Sharma (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Discovery) will appear onscreen. "The Telling is a humanistic science fiction film about a woman trying to find her way in a culture overrun by technology," says director Pendharkar. Filming will start in a few months with a release set for 2019.

Lastly, the label Freedom to Spend reissued the "soundtrack" album Le Guin and musician Todd Barton made to accompany Le Guin's 1985 novel Always Coming Home. It's a combination of electroacoustic new age music and imagined "indigenous" folk songs in an invented language—at times it's as daffy and weird as that sounds, but at others it's an interesting and heartfelt exercise. Music and Poetry of the Kesh, originally released as a cassette with first copies of Always Coming Home is now available on vinyl and to stream. ALSO: A special record-release celebration will take place this Friday, April 6 at Leaven Community Center (5431 NE 20th). It will feature performances from Barton, Elisabeth Le Guin, and Visible Cloaks, readings by Moe Bernstein and Caroline Le Guin, and a screening by Vanessa Renwick. It starts at 6:30 pm; tickets are $12 and are available here.

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