Dear PDX directors and producers: just because your cousin’s friend’s aunt from Canada went to Sleep No More one time and told you about it, doesn’t mean you can slap the “immersive” label on any and all productions. Making an audience stand for a show that could have been done from a stage is like a meeting that should have been an email. Sure, standing and watching can be one part of an immersive experience, but it alone does not make something immersive. Let go of your need to control or maybe take a workshop or two. Maybe see what groups across the country are doing with an even smaller budget than yours. And stop name dropping Sleep No More in your advertising! If no one is allowed to touch a prop, the set might fall down at any second, no one can follow a character, gets any kind of interaction, or you don’t have characters that do something when they aren’t part of the main scene; you are not in the vicinity of that show. You’re creating a diluted embarrassment. Immersive can mean many things, but just standing around and occasionally facing a different direction is not it. Dream bigger. Do better.
The Oregon Department of Education, in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, has announced Oregon’s 2025-26 Regional Teachers of the Year.
SALEM, OR – Monday, the Oregon Department of Education joined with the Oregon Lottery in announcing Oregon’s 2025-26 Regional Teachers of the Year. The 16 regional winners have been notified through surprise announcement and local gatherings over the past two weeks in their respective communities.
“We are thrilled to recognize this year’s Regional Teachers of the Year – outstanding educators whose tireless dedication, creativity, and compassion enrich the lives of students and communities across Oregon,” said Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams. “Each recipient embodies the values of innovation, leadership, and inclusivity, and we are proud to honor, and learn from, their inspiring work. These extraordinary teachers remind us that great education transforms lives and strengthens communities.”
Regional Teachers of the Year are selected through a nomination, application, and selection process led by the regional Education Service Districts across Oregon. Applicants submit testimonials, essays, and letters of support, and are evaluated by regional panels on leadership, instructional expertise, commitment to equity, community involvement, understanding of educational issues, vision, and professional development.
The Oregon Lottery provides a $1,000 prize to each Regional Teacher of the Year, and all 16 will now be considered a semi-finalist in the selection process for the 2025-26 Oregon Teacher of the Year, which will be announced later this fall.
The Regional Teacher of the Winners are as follows:
Kimberly Agricola, Sunset Middle School, Coos Bay School District
Sarah Anderson, Dufur School, Dufur School District
Kacey Baxter, Newport Middle School, Lincoln County School District
Jennifer Bracken, Sutherlin East Primary, Sutherlin School District
Maria Crowley, Jefferson County Middle School, Jefferson County School District
Jason Galbraith, Sunset High School, Beaverton School District
Sally Golden, Community Transition Program, Springfield School District
Makenna Heffington, Fremont Elementary, Lake County School District
Amy Huffman, Little Explorers Preschool, Sherman County School District
Maximillian Jones, North Valley High School, Three Rivers School District
Jo Lane, Roosevelt High School, Portland Public Schools
Mona Mensing, Redmond High School, Redmond School District
Margot Peek, Willamette Primary School, West Linn-Wilsonville School District
Sena Raschio, Humbolt Elementary, John Day School District
Korrie Shull, John F. Kennedy High School, Mt. Angel School District
Marianne Smith, McLoughlin High School, Milton-Freewater School District
Nominations for the 2026-27 Oregon Teacher of the Year award are being accepted now at oregonteacheroftheyear.org.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 45-year-old man was struck and killed by a teen driver in Salem on Sunday, police say.
The crash took place on MLK Jr. Parkway near Broadway Street NE just before 8 p.m. on Sunday.
According to police, Andrew Hillier was riding “on the sidewalk along MLK Parkway when he entered the roadway and was struck by a southbound vehicle.” He was declared dead at the scene.
The driver called 911 and attempted to provide aid to Hillier after the crash, police said.
This was the seventh traffic fatality in Salem this year.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Authorities have identified a man who was killed in a shooting at a Southeast Portland bar earlier in September.
Just after 2 a.m. Sept. 18, Portland police said they responded to a reported shooting on Southeast Harrison Street.
On the scene, authorities found one man dead in the parking lot, now identified as 45-year-old Garvin Franklin Jr. of Portland. The medical examiner has ruled Franklin’s death a homicide by gunshot wound.
The day of the shooting, Portland police arrested the shooting suspect, identified as 37-year-old Brandon Lewis, who faces charges including second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree assault.
Authorities said a second man was injured in the shooting and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Portland Police Bureau said they are not releasing further details surrounding the shooting at this time.
If this year’s Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) had a goal, it might’ve been to twist our perceptions of the everyday. Angelo Scott’s Omni Rail turned the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) into an echoing instrument; Freddie Robins’ Apotropaic elevated cardboard and wool into high-concept reflections on folk ritual. San Cha’s Inebria me made religious fervor sexy and queer. Tahni Holt and Emma Lutz-Higgins danced to synth-pop with boulders in Horizon.
That reinventive spirit is classic TBA. The festival celebrated its 30th anniversary this year despite a significant funding withdrawal from the National Endowment for the Arts, and its performances were as freaky and alive as ever. Here are our final thoughts.
Angelo Scott: Omni Rail
A sonic performance led by PNCA student Angelo Scott, Omni Rail opened TBA with a shriek and a rattle. Six musicians armed with mallets and metal chains dragged their tools over railings and across stairwell steps, sending a mix of shrill and delicate tones vibrating across three floors. Commonplace objects gave rise to a totally original soundscape, and Scott’s electronic drones filled the more hollow intervals.
On the ground floor, choreographer Muffie Delgado Connelly directed a dance ensemble’s responsive movement. This component at first felt like a layer of visual interest, rather than a fully realized counterpart. But as the dancers ascended to the building’s upper levels—tumbling, climbing, and weaving across each other—their presence became integrated and vital to the work.
Over 40 minutes, Omni Rail evolved into a layered percussive racket, both improvisational and precise. The piece felt smart in its relative simplicity.
Dancers respond to sound in Angelo Scott’s Omni Rail. JEREMY SEITH
Freddie Robins: Apotropaic
While checking out Freddie Robins’ Apotropaic at Reed College’s Cooley Gallery, I witnessed the taboo touching of a shaggy textile—depicting a giant eye—by another visitor. I’m not endorsing it, but I understood the impulse. Robins, a UK-based radical knitter and Royal College of Art professor, presents fuzzy fiber art flecked with metallic shimmer, mohair horses, and wool weavings evoking Sheila Hicks’ “minimes.” It’s kitschy work, but effective in its humble material usage—the alpaca forms made of cardboard and seashells stood out.
Apotropaic’s strongest successes are its imaginative animal sculptures and tabletop weavings, embedded with clay and flint. A large-scale photographic mural of Robins’ home studio held my interest for a bit, but I’d have loved to see something immersive and tangible, maybe even a recreation of the space itself. Still, the exhibition’s conceptual roots are compelling. Apotropaic’s title refers to protective charms, and Robins drew inspiration from the talismans English villagers once secreted beneath their floorboards. Learn more at her artist talk on September 30; the exhibition is on view through December 18.
Erika M. Anderson (EMA) and Tabitha Nikolai: Memory as a Rock Out of Reach
Projected onto PICA’s warehouse wall, virtual artist Tabitha Nikolai’s digital dreamscape opened with the charred shell of an old vehicle, a gutted laundry room, and pale horses at rest on a playground. As Nikolai navigated the video game-esque environment in real time, new media musician EMA layered in a collage of skewered sonics from her modular synthesizer. She mused aloud on memory’s shape and our place in the universe, her confessional voice drifting between synth drones and guitar.
Built with gaming technology designed for first-person shooters, Nikolai’s depictions of a deserted world felt eerie at first. But Memory as a Rock Out of Reach’s visuals turned toward nostalgia—a Polly Pocket heart inlaid with popcorn ceiling textures, a vintage commercial for workout equipment targeting young girls—and EMA’s experimental soundtrack gave the scenes crucial context. Her narration evolved into a meditation on the complexities of ’80s American girlhood, gendered violence, and femme identity. The material didn’t feel like new ground, but rather a raw, familiar vulnerability pulled to the surface.
Tabitha Nikolai navigates a digital realm in Memory as a Rock Out of Reach. JEREMY SEITH
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The City of Vancouver is getting a new flag and is moving closer to choosing it after narrowing down 138 different public submissions to 6 finalists.
The City formed the Vancouver Flag Committee and asked residents to come up with their interpretation of Vancouver’s identity. They chose 4 finalists…then used ideas from the submissions to create two composite flags.
The committee will lean on public comments, but will select the new Vancouver City Flag in late October…then adopt it in November.
Gresham police say arrests were made after a late-night lounge robbery.
GRESHAM, OR – Police say two people were arrested shortly after a late-night Centennial Neighborhood robbery. This happened just before midnight, September 21st, when Gresham officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a lounge in the 2400 block of SE 182nd Ave.
A responding officer said he later spotted the suspect vehicle on Division Street. When the officer attempted to stop that vehicle at the intersection of Division St. and Norman Ave., two people got out and and ran off, while the driver fled in the vehicle.
Officers said they quickly caught one of the people who ran, identified as Dante Jumpingbull, 35, of Portland. The second person, identified as Zackary Landreth,31, of Portland, ran into a nearby neighborhood. A perimeter was established, and a Portland Police K9 unit assisted with the search. The K9 unit led officers to Landreth after a trail of cash was located. Landreth was taken into custody allegedly with large amounts of cash in his pockets.
Jumpingbull and Landreth were booked into jail on robbery charges.
During the process of tracking down Landreth, another man, William Hicks, was seen leaving trying to leave the area and was detained. Officers said they do not believe Hicks was involved in the robbery, but they discover he had an outstanding for his arrest in an unrelated matter. He was also jailed.
As for the driver who sped off in the suspect vehicle, police said they are not releasing information any additional information about either at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to call Gresham Police Tip-Line at 503-618-3066.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — More than a year after a devastating fire destroyed the Portland Mercado, the iconic hub for Latino-owned businesses is making a powerful comeback. Renderings of the new design have now been released, offering a glimpse at a space that honors the Mercado’s cultural roots.
For many in Portland’s Latino community, the Mercado has always been more than just a market. It was a vibrant symbol of culture, resilience, and identity—a place where food, music, and entrepreneurship came together to celebrate heritage. As plans for the rebuild move forward, the message is clear: the spirit of the Mercado is alive and well.
First look at the reimagined Portland Mercado cultural hub set to reopen in 2026 (Courtesy: Hacienda CDC)
“You can punch us, you can put us down,” said Ernesto Fonseca, CEO of Hacienda CDC, the organization that owns the Mercado. “But eventually, we are going to get up.”
That spirit of resilience is driving every detail of the Mercado’s reconstruction. Fonseca vividly remembers the day the fire tore through the building, displacing more than a dozen small businesses inside and around the market. But what he remembers just as clearly is the response from the community.
“They donated over $300,000 to rebuild the Portland Mercado and support small businesses,” Fonseca said. That outpouring of support helped fuel the vision for a new and improved space.
The new design will bring back the Mercado’s signature energy, featuring colorful architecture and expanded space for vendors and events. Among the most striking additions is a rooftop bar, which Fonseca says will offer a unique place to connect and celebrate.
One of the project’s architects, Sara Ruzomberka with Scott Edwards Architecture, says the new market hall will include peaceful and organic elements, while still embracing the bold energy that has always defined the Mercado. That energy will be reflected in every detail, including the eye-catching pink and turquoise exterior.
First look at the reimagined Portland Mercado cultural hub set to reopen in 2026 (Courtesy: Hacienda CDC)
“We knew we wanted the colors to be vibrant and culturally recognizable,” Ruzomberka explained, noting that every design choice was made with cultural significance in mind.
Set to open in early 2026, the rebuilt Portland Mercado will serve not just as a marketplace, but as a statement of identity—one that reflects the strength and perseverance of Portland’s Latino community. Fonseca believes that message is more important now than ever.
“We are part of the fabric of this country,” he said. “Because this will pass, and we will prevail.”
The estimated cost to rebuild the Mercado is nearly $3 million. While progress is well underway, Fonseca says they still need the community’s help to fully realize the dream.
I always figure that ten minutes early is the only way to be on time.
Apparently, not so much for embattled liberal Democrat Marie Perez, member of Congress.
Perez missed one of the most significant votes this year…the one that keeps the U.S. government from shutting down.
Now, Perez claims she was, in her words, “casting a vote, but my vote was not acknowledged.”
She missed the deadline because she couldn’t be bothered to show up on time for her job.
We all have deadlines. On the radio, you don’t have the freedom to be five minutes late. We call that “dead air.”
Video on Capitol Hill shows Perez sprinting onto the House floor in a vain attempt to make it in time.
About a year from now, Congresswoman Perez faces a tough re-election bid, and I figure State Senator John Braun will beat her in that election.
As the Washington State Standard points out, “Perez would have been the lone Democrat in the Washington delegation to join them. As it was, only one Democrat in the House, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted for the legislation.”
Perez is especially foolish because she wants to claim credit for voting “yes” on funding the government.
Her own hyper-liberal political friends in the Democratic Party will hate her for siding with Republicans… and Republicans are already calling her out for talking a good game but not showing up to play.
Oscar Villanueva holds a sign outside El Capitan Entertainment Centre, where the late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is staged, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
NEW YORK (AP) — ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials with the network said Monday.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” said a statement from the network.
ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Kimmel has hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.
Backlash to Kimmel’s comments about Kirk was swift. Nexstar and Sinclair, two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their stations. Others, including several fellow comedians, came to his defense.
President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.” He also called for other late night hosts to be fired.
Kimmel was asked in an interview with Variety this past summer if he was worried that the administration would come after comedians. He expressed concern that a crackdown could be on the way.
“Well, you’d have to be naive not to worry a little bit,” he said. “But that can’t change what you’re doing.”
Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with ABC and CBS over their coverage.
Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from NPR and PBS.
Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show over the summer
Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026.
Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names to an open letter Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Also Monday, ABC’s “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney’s decision.
Warmish days be damned, because Christian Girl Autumn has officially begun. This week offers many reasons to head indoors, like Spike Lee’s Kurosawa-inspired film Highest 2 Lowest, Amanda Lepore’s club kid glamour, and ’70s art rockers Sparks. Plus, Freddie Robins installs knitted horses at Cooley Gallery, and the storytelling show Be Gay, Do Crime centers icons of queer rebellion. Read on, and don’t forget your coat.
Samia
Singer-songwriter Samia wrote a song called “Pool” around six years ago, releasing it as the first track on her debut album Baby in 2020. In it, Samia sings, “How long do I have left with my dog? ‘Til I start forgetting shit? ‘Til we’re rich and then we’re not and then we’re rich? How much longer ’til I’m taller? How much longer ’til it’s midnight? How much longer ’til the morning? Are my legs gonna last? Is it too much to ask?” Having seen her live, I can confirm that she puts as much emotion into her performances as her studio recordings, giving the audience goosebumps and keeping listeners hanging on to her every syllable. (Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8 pm, $36.05-$88.43, more info, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
Also worth it: Mac DeMarco, McMenamins Grand Lodge, SOLD OUT, more info The perennial indie interlocutor introduces his laid-back new album, Guitar.
Historical zines, Multnomah Arts Center, more info 70+ zines pulled from the Portland Zine Symposium archives are on view.
Freddie Robins: Apotropaic
UK textile artist and Royal College of Art professor Freddie Robins fuses kitsch, gender exploration, and a rebellious sense of expression into tapestries, tactile sculptures, and assemblages. A little insight into what this show might investigate: its name, Apotropaic, means “designed to avert evil” according to Merriam-Webster. It’s less “Keep Calm and Carry On” and more ritualistic, composed of knitted horses and studio remnants, among other curiosities. Curated by Stephanie Snyder, Robins’ solo exhibition brings her to Portland as Reed’s Stephen E. Ostrow distinguished visitor, and she’ll deliver an artist talk on September 30. (Douglas F. Cooley Memorial Art Gallery, Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock, Tues-Sat 12-5 pm through December 14, FREE, more info, all ages)LINDSAY COSTELLO
Freddie Robins’ mixed media works in Apotropaic. COURTESY LINDSAY COSTELLO
Highest 2 Lowest and Spike Lee film series
In 1963, the already globally recognized Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa released High and Low. It starred his long-time collaborator, the actor Toshiro Mifune, and is arguably one of the greatest movies made by anybody. Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest is the acclaimed contemporary director’s fanboy homage to this film, starring Lee’s long-time collaborator Denzel Washington. It is not one of the greatest movies ever made by anybody, but it is a perfectly good summer film. And if you have the foresight to watch High and Low before checking out Highest 2 Lowest, there’s real delight to be found watching the characters and plot lines in each film converge and diverge. Read the Mercury’s full review of Highest 2 Lowest here.(OMSI Empirical Theater, 1945 SE Water, September 23-October 5, times vary, opening night tickets $16-$21, individual tickets $7-$9, discounts for OMSI members, more info, R)HR SMITH
Jerrod Carmichael
Easily classifiable as both a comedian AND an artist, Jerrod Carmichael has a busy life and performing schedule, touring nationwide and creating fourth-wall-breaking TV specials such as HBO’s Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show and his latest screen outing Don’t Be Gay. After coming out in 2022, Carmichael’s comedy has become increasingly honest and introspective while still bringing the laughs, such as his bit about what is and is not considered gay: having a full-fledged boyfriend over just getting your “D” sucked… very gay. Splitting an Auntie Anne’s pretzel? Super gay! With Carmichael you can expect a night of great laughs, as well as getting a peek inside the artist’s mind as well. (Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, Sept 24-25, 7 pm, $36.88-$50.29, more info, 21+) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
A jazz club in 1949 Detroit is the setting of Paradise Blue, the kickoff production for Portland Playhouse’s 18th season. The Black Bottom neighborhood, which is home to the Paradise jazz joint, is on the precipice of gentrification, as the protagonist Blue—a deeply troubled trumpeter—fights to retain control over the club and come to terms with his own tortured history. Acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau’s immersive script is one of a cycle of productions documenting the Black experience in Detroit, and how the city and its residents are haunted by the decisions and mistakes of the past. (Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott, through Nov 2, times vary, $25-$59.95, Arts for All passes available, more info) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Amanda Lepore
Amanda Lepore graces the faggots, faeries, dykes, and daddies of Portland with her club kid glamour for one night—giving face, showing off the “world’s most expensive body,” and oozing downtown cool with every pose. This “Back-to-Werk” show sees Lepore invite the city’s buzziest queens to share the stage, like Mona Chrome, Ry Bred, Tomboy, and Mercury favorite Violet Hex. Those willing to splurge on VIP afterparty tickets can enjoy the homo DJ collective Jacques Strappe at a secret location only disclosed to buyers of the very VIP tickets. (X-Port Lounge, 1355 SW 2nd, 8 pm, $25-50, more info, 21+)NOLAN PARKER
Choice Cuts photobook release
Despite the fact that he’ll soon have a book out, Corbin C doesn’t think of himself as a photographer. He’s a music fan with a disposable camera in his pocket, hitting up several shows a week, capturing moments in mosh pits, amateur wrestling rings, and kiddie pools filled with creamed corn. Choice Cuts: Disposable Camera Archives was curated by Rich Perin of Buckman Publishing, who combed the artist’s archive, selecting snapshots and printing the artist’s remarks alongside. The photobook release boasts Karma Rivera as emcee, a live set from Dim Wit, music videos shot on HI8, and plenty of behind-the-photo tales. (Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $25, ticket includes a copy of the book, more info, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH
Peggy Chiang: barn burner
With a list of unexpected sculpture materials, including oil, wire hangers, bandsaw blades, shirt collars, roll-up gates, and bone(!), Peggy Chiang’s new exhibit barn burner is meant to be an exercise in destabilization. Objects hang, balance, tip, and are generally devoid of the standard narratives of physics. Chiang’s work is full of these “discrete objects that explore a distinctly American narrative” with the goal of subverting conversations around value, labor, and memory. (Adams and Ollman, 418 NW 8th, Wed-Sat through Oct 25, 11 am-5 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) BRI BREY
Peggy Chiang’s barn burner. COURTESY ADAMS AND OLLMAN.
Sparks
Sparks may not have been the most memorable band to emerge from the ‘70s glam rock scene, but their blend of synth pop and cheeky beats has endured for 50 years. The LA-based duo, founded by brothers Russell and Ron Mael, set the stage for the synth-heavy pop hits of the ‘80s while also managing to transcend the era with their avant-garde sensibilities. The Mael Brothers—who were sometimes confused for a British band—often saw their albums perform better in the UK than the US. Sparks’ 1974 album Kimono My House is still regarded as a cult classic. The band continues to craft their sound, put out records, and tour. You can catch them live Friday at Revolution Hall. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $56.33-$291.55, more info, all ages) COURTNEY VAUGHN
Yoshida Chizuko
Pioneering Japanese modernist Yoshida Chizuko gets her due in this first-ever major retrospective, which spotlights Chizuko’s paintings, woodblock prints, and rare monotypes, among other print mediums. Described as “quietly prolific” by exhibition organizer and curator Jeannie Kenmotsu, Ph.D., Chizuko’s avant-garde contributions to both the modernist movement and 20th-century Japanese printmaking have long been undersung in favor of male artists of the period. Featuring optical art, naturalist works, and experimental pieces, the exhibition traces the full arc of her career and restores overdue recognition to her legacy. (Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park, FREE–$25, more info, all ages) LC
Also worth it:
Matthew Bennett Laurents: Curiobloom, Carnation Contemporary,more info Gloopy coil-built vessels are a varied visual snack.
Atsuko Okatsuka
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka is memorable for her unbridled energy, physicality, and her iconic “bowl” hair cut, though you may have also noticed her rise to internet stardom with her invention of the viral #DropChallenge, in which she performs sexy (and hilarious) squats to Beyonce’s “Partition.” Now an acclaimed writer and actor, as well as a comedian, Okatsuka has launched her nationwide “Big Bowl Tour,” where you can expect her signature wacky, self-deprecating style of trying to navigate American culture, housework, marriage, teenagers, and much more, all while exhibiting infectious energy and boundless charisma. Oh… and expect to be surrounded by bewigged Okatsuka super fans, who only add to the charm. (Newmark Theater, 1111 SW Broadway, 7 pm, $51.50-$89.42, more info, 18+) WSH
Be Gay, Do Crime
One of the funniest (and most educational!) comedy shows in town, Be Gay, Do Crime features a storytelling format in which comedians share stories about their fave queer “rebel” icons throughout history. This month the special guests include Naomi Dixon (whose chosen topic will be iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer character, Faith Lehane), Esau World (on Freddie Mercury), and Juliet Mylan (on the Public Universal Friend… who was a 1700s preacher claiming to have risen from the dead to become a genderless evangelist). Co-hosted by Brian Govender and Jane Dillinger, Be Gay, Do Crime is instructional, goofy, and thoughtful, with an extra dash of fun provided by audience members who share their own past “crimes”—so get ready for a night of dirty, devilish, and despicable fun! (Fuse Ensemble Back Door Theater, 4319 SE Hawthorne, 7:30 pm, $25 or “GAYAF” [Give as you’re able, friend], more info, 14+)WSH
Centennial Celebration: Tangerine screening and Q&A with Sean Baker
Cinema 21 first opened its doors in 1925 with a live organ and a steady rotation of silent films. The theater celebrates its 100th birthday with a 10-day slate of films, one worth a loop around the block in Nob Hill: Sean Baker’s Tangerine (2015), which serves as an early example of his interest in depicting intersectional class struggle. The film follows a trans sex worker’s search for her cheater boyfriend across lo-fi Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. Fresh off his 2024 Best Director Oscar win for Anora, Baker will offer an in-person Q&A with former Oregonian film critic Shawn Levy. Read more on Second Run.(Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, Centennial Celebration Sept 19-28, pricing and times vary, more info) LC
Also worth it:
Portland Bread Fest, Avenue Portland, more info 30+ bakers and pastry chefs hawk treats at a farmer’s market-style festival.
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
I’ve been watching some of these Charlie Kirk videos that have been popping up since he died, and woah. He is not a reliable source of information, he just used shady debate tactics and bad argument logic against young people who didn’t know much so he could “win” debates. He actually thought drawing parallels of the MAGA movement to the Nazis’ treatment of minority groups was equivalent to drawing parallels between dog owners and Hitler just because Hitler was a dog owner. Worst false equivalency I have heard in my life.
This piece was first published by our sister publication The Stranger.
Jeannie Vanasco has unintentionally built a reputation for an unusual degree of grace and forgiveness than your average human (me). Most notably, her second book, Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl, is one in which she investigates her rape and interviews her rapist. Over the course of the book, which she wrote in eight months (perhaps no coincidence that she moved through it quickly—can you imagine such an assignment?), she develops a working relationship with this man in search of understanding of what happened.
Vanasco’s third book, A Silent Treatment—a memoir about her mother’s chronic silence toward Jeannie while living in the basement apartment of the home she shares with Jeannie and her husband—is, again, an interrogation of her own anger, resentment, and handling of a very different but painful trauma.
When I interviewed Vanasco, she spoke about the core feelings behind the book. “I’m very anxious, and the silent treatment ratchets that way up,” Vanasco said. “I didn’t know what the rules were in the relationship. I wanted to make my mom happy, and I didn’t know how I could always do that. If she was unhappy, I would feel deeply unhappy. A friend recently asked, ‘Have you heard the term codependent?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I know. I know.’” Not sure what she’s being punished for, over and over again, Vanasco is sent into spins of obsessive reflection, seeking a reason, seeking freedom from the seeking, and trying to apply the rules of healing from codependency while utterly unable.
She sought advice via ongoing conversations with her Google mini smart speaker, therapists, colleagues, and dear friends about how to handle her mother’s many months-long silences waiting for her when she got home, active directly under her feet in the very room while she wrote this book. Her relentless search for a solution rings as true and as cyclical as any tumultuous relationship I’ve ever had. “I would read all these psychology studies and these rules about how to deal with someone who uses the silent treatment, especially somebody who inflicts it repeatedly,” Vanasco said. “How you’re not supposed to apologize or try to break it. But [I thought] maybe this advice wasn’t going to work for every person.”
We watch her hide in her car, reluctant to go inside her own home, struggling with every detail of how to approach or not approach. “At the beginning of the book when [my husband] Chris says, ‘Why don’t you just go down there?’” Vanasco said, “I make up all these excuses. From a craft perspective, I think it’s interesting. From a life perspective, it’s awful. But from a craft perspective, my inability to go down there to have a disagreement with her, confront her, that was interesting. Had I been able to do it, the story might have just ended, we’d have a different narrative arc. In storytelling, there’s often a tragic flaw for a character, and that tragic flaw is if they would just do or say this one thing, the whole story would end.”
A Silent Treatment is constructed in fragments surrounded by lots of white space, and an undiscerning reader might assume that this book is a journal, written in real time. That couldn’t be further from the truth, and she breaks that fourth wall over and over again to make it known. “I include the meta elements because it allows me to acknowledge that this is really hard. It wasn’t effortless, even though it may read that way. I want it to read like it unfolded in real time, but it definitely did not.
“It does matter to me a great deal how something reads. I wanted there to be a lyricism that didn’t necessarily come from each sentence on its own, but from how the book moved and how it enacted thinking. I wanted it to read as spontaneous. After I had a coherent draft, I went through and circled the nouns, objects that might come back, so the lyricism didn’t come from the individual sentence, but from the movement. I’m really interested in how to reproduce the mind. The parentheticals that enter almost as intrusive thoughts: I thought the repetition of those [and those particular objects] could provide some cohesiveness, because I would hear her words in different ways when they would repeat.”
Repetitive quotes from her mother and, as Vanasco mentioned, specific objects, do indeed create a movement inside the space of the house and in the book, but also a claustrophobia. The frequent white space allows us, the readers, to breathe. Vanasco is kind this way. I considered the rules she set for herself about repetition in this book because it so colored the structure for the story.
“My rules [for writing this book] kept changing. I figured out that I was going to contain it within a single silence. Of my mom’s silences, I’d count the days, though I wasn’t always quite sure when it started. The longer it went on, I’d lose track of time and just stop counting. I wanted the form and rules to reflect the experience, so the [recurring] parenthetical interrupts allowed me to move around in time. One rule was, how do I break out of time while still having [the story] seemingly unfold in [chronological] time? Some of what [my mother] said breaks out of the parentheticals and becomes an organizing device, because her words would get stuck in my head, and pretty soon they’d be dictating how I see myself.”
While she and her mother share a mailbox, furniture, even a name, we witness Vanasco’s squirming to either make peace with her once and for all, or try to ignore and remain unaffected by her silence.
What makes Vanasco unable to do either seems to be her commitment to giving others grace, and offering herself some understanding, same as she sought in her first two books. In this book, she’s upped the ante because she’s attempting all that from inside the pain, writing as it’s happening. If you have or have had an alcoholic or mentally ill parent, this agony will not be unfamiliar to you. And yet, she paints her mother generously. She tells us again and again of how her mother wants her to write this tale on her own terms. Her mother takes a very Anne Lammot stance: “If I didn’t want it written about me, I shouldn’t have done it.” The agony of mother-daughter love is the diva of this book—an agony that is inevitable and somewhat self-imposed. I’m a reader who simply couldn’t have given the room or grace to my particular mother that Vanasco afforded hers.
It should be clear by now that Vanasco paints herself as much as the antagonist in this memoir as she does her mother. At the same time, the scenario begs the question: How much is too much grace? Or, more accurately, when does grace cross over into doormatting yourself? Where do our responsibilities, our kindnesses, our mutual obligations to each other begin and end? How do we care for each other, and how do we know when we have to stop or destroy ourselves? When it’s costing too much? In her relationship with her mother, Vanasco did eventually find a stopping point.
“I was angry. It was really hard for me to acknowledge that. I feel bad being angry at my mom because she was in pain, circumstances were tough for her, and she was living in the basement. I could see why she was behaving the way she was. So it took me a while to acknowledge, ‘Okay, this is not fair. She can be upset, but she doesn’t have to treat me this way.’”
And yet, she confessed that guilt and shame are inspiration for her. These terrible feelings drive her. “Guilt and shame give me momentum. Each of my books has been for someone, even if it’s not portraying somebody in the best light. But it’s really hard for a book to be for and about someone. If you’re being honest and you’re portraying somebody in all their complexity, you’re including their flaws. I wanted to do this for [my mother]. But I felt guilty. I’m aware that I need to show and acknowledge flaws. Even though my mom says, ‘Nobody’s perfect, you have to include the bad stuff.’”
The way we get no tidy, perfect growth or ending in this book had me wondering what was next for Vanasco. “The next book deals with mental health. It’s under contract with Tin House. It was something that I realized I’d never written about. I’ve written about mental health, of course, but I’d never written about being on social security disability for more than a year. And living through this time, when so many people are losing access to care, losing access to insurance, getting kicked off Medicaid: that’s all very much on my mind. I don’t know what I would have done without it. It was an extremely hard time, being in and out of the hospital. I needed that time away from having to work multiple jobs so that I could find doctors and figure out the medication. I’ve never written about that.”
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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋
Alright, meteorologists! You can take the week off, because we’re kicking off the fall season with a week of mostly sunny skies with the highs in the upper 70s and topping out at 85 on Tuesday. However! Meteorologists still need to stay up on current events, so they should definitely stick around for today’s NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• As you recall from last week, Mayor Wilson announced that the city will be delivering a land use violation notice to ICE who has been using their Southwest Portland rental property to violate city rules and detain immigrants for more than 24 hours at a time. An investigation revealed they have broken this rule a whopping 25 times (that we know of), and if they choose not to rectify the situation there’s the chance they could be evicted. ANYWAY! When asked for their response, ICE spouted a bunch of ridiculous, Trump-style bullshit. “Another day, another sanctuary politician attempting to prevent the brave men and women of ICE from removing the worst of the worst, including rapists, murderers, pedophiles, and gang members from the U.S.,” squealed the clearly delusional federal racists. Oh, and while the Oregonian chose to simply repeat the feds’ clearly false and deeply immoral statement without any fact checking or pushback, our Taylor Griggs expertly dissected their many liesand supplied the receipts. (So you can probably guess which version of this article I think you should read.)
• Meanwhile, the people protesting ICE at their Portland facility have now become experts at fishing for pigs.
• Trump won’t keep Portland’s name out of his mouth, spouting off once again about our city last Friday. When asked by reporters what he planned to do next in his recently announced war against antifa (or people like your grandparents who fought against fascism), he gurgled “Have you taken a look what’s happening in Portland? This has been going on for years. People out of control and crazy. We’re going to stop that pretty soon.” I mean, he’s right! This weekend alone, I saw at least 13 families riding by on their bikes, kids playing football in the park, and a family of ducks pecking at fallen nuts from the trees! THAT IS OUT OF CONTROL AND CRAZY. So as you can clearly see, even though crime stats are way down in Portland, and protesters at the city’s SW ICE facility are peaceful, Trump is not the delusional one… YOU ARE! (This message has been brought to you by “media companies who are now too scared of Trump to do their jobs and tell the truth.”)
• Oregonians are currently not feeling great about the economy and their personal finances, as a new poll from Oregon Consumer Justice and the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center finds that a full third of the state’s residents would not be able to cover a $400 emergency expense. That reflects a national trend as well, as 37 percent of Americans also say they’d probably have to borrow money if a several hundred dollar emergency arose. In Oregon, that breaks down among racial lines as well: 44 percent of white residents say they could afford a sudden $400 bill, while only only 28 percent of nonwhites say they could.
Here we go:
“One Washington lawmaker is even suggesting that the project may need to be ended or dramatically narrowed, and has contacted the Trump administration to suggest pulling back previously awarded federal funding.”
• Thousands of Blazer fans showed up at Pioneer Courthouse Square this weekend to welcome the return of Damian Lillard to the Portland Trail Blazers. “I’m excited to be back,” Lillard told his rabid fans as he took the stage for this welcome back event. “The love never changed and it’s going to continue to grow.” While Lillard will most likely sit out the upcoming season due to a torn Achilles tendon, he’s expected to still contribute by mentoring the younger players and buoying the spirits of the struggling team.
PDX Pop Now! turned 21 last weekend! We need free, all ages fests like this now more than ever! The three-day event was packed with a kooky-good lineup of local music, food, and activities 😍 Check out our breakdown of last weekend’s party below, see you next year 😎
• White Christian Nationalists are using the murder of transphobic antisemite Charlie Kirk to label the right wing commentator as a martyr and to build even more power within the Republican party. As proof, thousands (including President Trump, Veep JD Vance, and Elon Musk) showed up for a public memorial service for Kirk in Arizona over the weekend, and while some speakers called for unity and forgiveness, others—like the ghoulish Nosferatu of the Trump administration, Stephen Miller—called for vengeance. (Trigger warning: The following quote may make you gag.) “The day that Charlie died, the angels wept, but those tears have been turned into fire in our hearts,” Miller said. “And that fire burns with a righteous fury that our enemies cannot comprehend or understand.” 🙄 (Is it just me, or does Stephen Miller seem like the type of guy who always smells like onions?)
President Donald Trump once again appeared to confuse countries in a boast over the weekend about how many wars he has supposedly ended and how deserving he is of the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Meanwhile in other King Fool news: Trump continue to pressure his woefully unqualified Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and punish all his enemies. When asked to name those who should be held accountable, he simply said, “Everybody.” [Smash cut to Bondi, who stared off into the distance as her soul slowly seeped from her body.] In other news, Trump—who could have been a doctor, and the best doctor there ever was—is also expected to announce today that Tylenol should not be taken by pregnant women because he (wrongly) thinks the drug is tied to autism. Naturally, a recent study by actual scientists and doctors on this very subject denies that claim… but in Trump’s defense, he’s a drooling moron. That’s it… that’s the defense.
• Trump’s new money-making scheme is causing a lot of confusion for documented immigrants. After the administration announced that he would be charging skilled foreign tech workers a $100,000 fee to purchase a H-1B visa so they could work in this country—because that’s what we need… fewer skilled workers—many documented immigrants working outside the country feared they wouldn’t be let back in without paying the exorbitant fee. This inspired the feds to slip on their Christian hand puppet, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, to clarify the rule and tell these workers they would not be charged. (But quick! Get back into the country before they change their minds in 23 seconds!)
Tom Holland suffers concussion on set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
• Today in utter and blatant corruption: The federal investigation into Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has reportedly been shut down by the administration—even though he was caught red-handed accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents last year. While Homan was caught on video accepting the bribe, FBI Director Kash Patel announced he was shutting down the investigation because they “found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.” 😑😑😑
• And finally… this is the vibe I’m asking everyone in Portland to commit to as we enter the work week.
Over the weekend, the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals voted almost unanimously to go on strike against Kaiser Permanente. 97 percent of union workers were on hand to vote over the weekend and 92 percent of them voted for a stoppage.
Clarissa Charlier with OFNHP says nearly 4,000 healthcare workers will be affected.
“This doesn’t just involve nurses,” Charlier said. “It’s providers and therapists and social workers and lab professionals and dental hygenists.”
Charlier also says that there is still room for negotiation with Kaiser officials.
“The strike is where we are left, unfortunately,” Charlier said. “It’s the last thing that we want to do.”
“We’ll try to continue to meet with management to work on our contract and find some solutions,” Charlier continued.
The contracts between Kaiser and its workers’ union expires next Tuesday. The vote authorizes OFNHP leaders to strike anytime after September 30th with at least 10 days notice.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Monday marks the first day of fall. So, happy pumpkin spice everything!
But sweater weather is not quite here at least during our afternoon hours. (Go ahead and wear them in the mornings, though.)
We are going to start fall with plenty of sunshine and dry skies. And that’s after we saw .26 inches of rainfall here in Portland on Sunday. Salem registered .17 inches of rain Sunday morning.
But this new week, it’s back to mostly sunny skies and highs maxing out in the mid- or high-80s on Tuesday and Wednesday as above seasonal temps return to our region. Portland’s daytime highs will then return to our normal average at 75 degrees later in the week.
The big weather storyline for this week, though, is that on Tuesday we are expecting to have a more summer-like day and reach the upper 80s around the metro area.
As for Portland’s overnight lows, expect the temp to drop into the low- to mid-50s. Be sure to grab your jacket as you head out the door this week.
Weather Alerts
There is a Frost Advisory in effect for portions of southern Oregon until 8 a.m. Monday with temperatures as low as 33 degrees. This advisory is in place for the Klamath Basin and Siskiyou.
Back here in the Rose City, enjoy this week of a nice mix of sunny and summery weather to sunny and more fall-like temps.
Stay with the KOIN 6 Weather Team for the latest on the forecast across the Pacific Northwest.
