Who We Were, Who We Are
Oregon Reads Stubborn Twig
By Suzi Steffen
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Good nonfiction can change lives, heal wounds, show us what a list of facts can never quite manage. When I taught writing and critical reading to first-year students at the University of Iowa. I liked to use well-researched books with strong narratives — including UO prof Lauren Kessler’s Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of a Japanese-American Family. I’d receive reading journals that described how much the 18-year-olds resisted the tale at first. But soon they’d be deeply drawn into the tale of the Yasui family of Hood River. A photo caption revealed information that Kessler concealed until later in the narrative, and the students complained furiously: Midwestern farm kids and kids from the Chicago suburbs cared so much about this literary book, a story about a family long ago and far away, that they wanted to write the publisher and demand a fix. Some of them, like me, cried as we read portions of the end.
So it’s no surprise that the selection for Oregon Reads 2009, the year of this state’s sesquicentennial, is Stubborn Twig (now reprinted by OSU Press and available all over the state). Kessler’s Oregon Book Award-winning reconstruction of the tale of successful and prosperous immigrants — and how their lives were nearly destroyed by Executive Order 9066 — is a superb choice, covering state history and national history in the tale of one complex, courageous family.
Oregon Read’s two choices for younger readers are also fabulous: the moving and fascinating Bat 6 by Oregon City’s Virginia Euwer Wolff for tweens and younger teens, and Deborah Hopkinson’s lively, smart Apples to Oregon for the kiddos.
Lauren Kessler reads from Stubborn Twig at 6 pm Friday, Feb. 6, at the Eugene Public Library.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519