A lot of us in Oregon are still dealing with snow and ice — but March is just around the corner. OPB producer Donald Orr sat down with All Things Considered co-host Tiffany Camhi to chat about a few events to check out in March.
Listen in or read a transcript of their conversation below.
Tiffany Camhi: So what is on your arts and culture radar for March?
Donald Orr: As part of the Everybody Reads program, the Multnomah County Library, The Library Foundation and Literary Arts presents a lecture from author Ruth Ozeki.
Everybody Reads is an annual communitywide project that promotes shared reading and discussion around a single book, with this year’s focus on Ozeki’s 2013 novel, “A Tale for the Time Being.” The novel is narrated by two characters: a teenager living in Tokyo who keeps a diary, and a Japanese American writer living on an island off the coast of British Columbia. The book reflects on the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Author Ruth Ozeki's book, "A Tale for the Time Being."
courtesy of Ruth Ozeki
Ozeki spoke with OPB Think Out Loud host Dave Miller about the novel in 2014:
Ruth Ozeki: “I had actually finished a draft of the book before the earthquake. I’d finished it in, you know, at the beginning of 2011. And I was doing that last critical phase — moving commas around before I submitted it to my editor when the earthquake hit. And you know, it was one of those events, the sort of catastrophic moments that sort of stops time. It draws a line in time. And suddenly there was the world before the earthquake, and then the world after the earthquake. And it was very clear to me that I had written a pre-earthquake, pre-tsunami, pre-Fukushima book. And now we were living in a post-world. And it was just simply — the book was no longer relevant. So, my husband at that point, we were talking about that. I was about ready to give up, and he was the one who suggested, maybe the thing to do is to actually break the fictional container of the novel and to step in there as a character yourself.”
Orr: That was Ruth Ozeki, speaking on OPB’s Think Out Loud in 2014. You can hear more from her and her novel at Literary Arts’ Everybody Reads event in Portland on March 16 at the Keller Auditorium.
Camhi: All right, that sounds like a cool one to check out. What else is happening in March?
Orr: The second season of OPB’s Superabundant is in full swing. Superabundant is OPB’s video series that highlights the food and ingredients that sustain the Pacific Northwest. Next month’s episode features chardonnay. Let’s listen.
Dirty Radish owner and sommelier, Chevonne Ball: “I think chardonnay for Oregon is just finally getting a little bit of its shine in the world of wine, and especially of chardonnay. Hands down for me, Oregon chardonnay has the best aromatics, and they’re so full of life. And you know that there’s something that’s going to be complex going into your mouth.”
Orr: March’s episode of OPB’s Superabundant drops on March 24. And you can watch the latest episodes on Dungeness crab, our region’s soil, and more — on OPB’s YouTube channel, and at OPB.org/show/Superabundant.
Camhi: Cool, it’s always great to see what the Superabundant team is getting up to. Is there anything else you’re looking forward to in March?
Orr: It may still be snowy now, but spring is just around the corner and folks can look forward to the waves of pink cherry blossoms our region has to offer. Portlanders may already be familiar with a stretch of cherry trees along Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
The steel bridge hides behind the cherry blossoms at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland.
Bryan M. Vance / OPB
Community activist Henry Sakamoto helped organize the campaign to build the Japanese American Historical Plaza along Portland’s northwest waterfront. He spoke on OPB’s Oregon Experience in 2019 about the connection between the cherry trees and the forced incarceration of Japanese American immigrants who settled here during World War II. Let’s listen.
Henry Sakamoto: “The Historical Plaza is dedicated to the history of people of Japanese ancestry in Oregon. It’s also called the Bill of Rights Plaza. [It] helps people think about the status of the immigrants that have settled in Portland, and still enjoying their life here. It’s a wonderful tribute. There were 100 Akebono cherry trees donated to the city of Portland by a Japanese trading group who had established branch offices here in Portland. We had the Japanese American Historical Plaza which was a perfect location. The cherry trees are symbolic of international friendship.”
Orr: There are other places folks can see cherry trees in the region. March 18 is officially recognized as Cherry Blossom Day in Salem. There are over 150 Akebono cherry trees at the Oregon State Capitol mall, in recognition of the impact and influence of Japanese culture on our state. People can also visit Portland’s Japanese Garden, with peak blooms anticipated around late March.
Camhi: That’s great. I know a lot of people look forward to the cherry blossoms, can’t wait for that. Donald, thank you so much for filling us in.
Orr: Thanks so much Tiffany.