Today we do some light shopping and price comparing, checking out a “slammed” (auto slang for radical lowering to achieve the optimal “stance”) pickup and an unusual trailer from North Carolina in the parking lot, drop by a local plant nursery (a seemingly habitual act by KAE) where I see a nice welded-sculpture bird-water-thing, and return home, where the front door is reassuringly guarded by the Terror Beast. One sentence.
A while back, we caught interviews on Charlie Rose, Fresh Air, the PBS NewsHour and elsewhere of Lynsey Addario, a “conflict” (i.e., war zone, etc.) photographer who has covered situations in almost every global trouble spot, from Africa to Afghanistan and much more) of the past fifteen or so years. Notified Friday by the local library that my special order of several weeks ago for her memoir had arrived, I eagerly picked it up, concluding my read yesterday and turning it over to Kim for a turn.
I soon got past my initial reaction that it was something of a self-serving (probably by definition what autobiographical work is intended to be) piece that had the benefit of hindsight, realizing that I had found a real page-turner. More than once, it inspired tears. I kept thinking that surely this one could be adapted as a movie, and, sure enough, last night a little research showed that Steven Spielberg is slated to direct, with Jennifer Lawrence to play Addario’s part. (Not sure when it is to be released.)
Discovering this book, by the way, came about shortly after we happened to watch “A Thousand Times Good Night”, a 2013 Norwegian/Irish film directed by Eric Poppe (and inspired by his own experience as a war journalist) and starring Juliette Binoche as an obsessed war photographer.
While we’re at it, you should know about the stunning “War Photography”, a 2001 documentary film on the work of acclaimed photographer, James Nachtwey.
Normally, this is the kind of post that I would limit to my photography blog, but it seems worthy of attention by a wider audience. Highly recommended.
See Addario’s website: http://www.lynseyaddario.com/
And learn more about her book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L9B7CSM/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
Because yesterday’s small harvest of mushrooms turned out to be so delicious, Ivi and Kim returned to the mountains today for an extended hunting & gathering session. By dinnertime, we realized that some key meal ingredients were needed, so a quick and determined trip was made to the market before the impending thunderstorm could cut loose.
This morning, it is a drive twelve miles out of town into the national forest area. Finding our intended destination not open until Memorial Day weekend, we hike along side roads. At one point we encounter weekend walkers with their own young aussie sheep dog (elusive; not pictured). And Kim penetrates deep into the shadows and unmarked zones to find some mushrooms that have emerged after the rains of this past week.
Today we visit the opening day of the local farmers’ market, then visit the library across the street.
A bit more. All unposed, candid, random and reckless. Maybe one or two will end up in the photo blog.
Walking the animal in inhuman, terrifying conditions …
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Vacating the Dorm
Marina left last night, so the rest of us redezvous with Ivi to clear out her dorm room and load the van. Somehow, miraculously, it all fits inside, but we still have a big shopping stop to make at Trader Joe’s.
Shandong
Lunch finds us at Shandong in the Hollywood District (3724 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR 97232 — this is an address you will want to know). Outstanding meal; easily worth a future visit.
Leaving Town
Ivi takes the helm. Incredibly, we also load three Trader Joe shopping bags full of goodies into the overstuffed vehicle. We cruise past some familiar Portland sights and hit the road.
Return Trip
Ivi insists on driving the distance, but time passes quickly, playing games invented by Nik and just talking. Windshield photography again comes into play. We arrive well before dark.
English Department Reception
The department hosts an excellent brunch, where we get to meet several of Ivi’s professors and advisors. Each has much to say about Ivi, and we will not repeat it here. We also hear an interesting spiel by one of the department faculty members, who is a trustee or an official for the Ralph Ellison estate collection of literature or something like that.
Around Campus
Fighting the heat and crazy midday sun-shadow interplay, we spend a good deal of time walking about and getting in some good conversation. We learn that Larkin will be able to drop in! (Photos below bracket both sides of the commencement time, and some include Larkin, who actually only appeared just minutes before commencement … commenced.)
Commencement
Lucky to secure seating in the shaded part of the stadium, we grind it out for 2.5 or 3 hours. Nothing compared to what the graduates must have endured in the open sun. But the time passed with some good speech-making and the where’s-waldo exercise of keeping our eyes on the antics or non-antics of Ivi and her classmates. (I was so distant from where Ivi was seated that I could hardly see her face or any details, but aimed at max zoom and shot in burst mode.)
Apres-Commencement
A cliche-avoiding English major would never say such a thing, but there was a palpable sense of relief throughout after the graduates were dispersed to various venues around campus. We sneaked into the Frank Manor House, discovering a quiet and cool room to relax and chat.
Downtown Portland
We determined to eat dinner downtown, so we drove through intense traffic (where cap-and-gowned grads blew past us on bicycles, and where I sneaked a no-look, over-the-shoulder shot of the back seat occupants, some legal, some not). Stashing the vehicle at the park blocks, we marched off under the guidance of Larkin’s GPS. Not finding the intended restaurant (or was it closed? I never was certain), we found a Plan-B Mexican restaurant known to Ivi. Good times, good food, and a sneak peak into its kitchen.
Larkin Departs
Almost no sooner than she appears, she must leave.
