Winter Reading
Selected New Books From Oregon Authors
Terrorists, Dragons and Survival
The World, Changing and Changed
Selected New Books From Oregon Authors
by Molly Templeton
In The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia and Laser Hair Removal (Villard, $20), self-deprecating humor essayist (and Eugenean) Laurie Notaro takes on just what her subtitle promises — as well as the quirks of house-selling and the irresistible urge to spy on one’s neighbors while on vacation.
Springfield’s Elizabeth Lyon, the author of an impressive list of writing guides, offers vital advice on style, character, structure and more in Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore (Perigree, $14.95).
Corvallis teacher John Addiego’s debut novel, The Islands of Divine Music (Unbridled Books, $24.95), follows the Verbicaro family from Italy to San Francisco to the Yucatan, its perspective skipping through family members over the course of a century.
With Barbara Scott, her neighbor on Portland’s Sauvie Island, Eileen O’Keeffe McVicker recounts her childhood on a ranch in Oregon’s desert in the coming-of-age memoir Child of Steens Mountain (OSU Press, $16.95).
Portlander Willy Vlautin, who does double creative duty as the singer-songwriter of the band Richmond Fontaine, follows up his 2007 debut The Motel Life with Northline (Harper Perennial, $14.95), the story of a young woman making a new life for herself in Reno. The book provides its own soundtrack: a CD of songs by Vlautin and his bandmate Paul Brainard.
Former Oregonian staff writer Nena Baker explores The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-Being (North Point Press, $24), finding dangerous chemicals in ordinary things from water bottles to dental floss to microwave popcorn.
In the oversized, unusually designed Caught Falling: The Confluence of Contact Improvisation, Nancy Stark Smith, and Other Moving Ideas (Contact Editions, $33), David Koteen and Nancy Stark Smith offer interviews, photography, “talk bubbles,” anecdotes and more in their exploration of the “art-sport” of contact improvisation.
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