Wanted:
A University journalism professor is bullish on
Oregon.
And if a recent media stampede is any indica
tion, "The Best of Outdoor Oregon" will be an in
teresting book even if its author, Ken Metzler, is a
Boring man.
That’s Boring as in Boring, Ore. And yes, he's
used to puns about his hometown.
In fact, his sense of humor helped prompt him
to begin writing the book, tentatively due out next
fall.
During a trip to New York, he was the butt of
some standard jokes about Oregon. He willingly
played along. “I told them I hadn’t seen the sun
shine in 37 years," says Metzler.
But other misconceptions are floating around
about the Beaver state, and the book will help
dispel some myths and confirm others held by non
Oregonians.
“Oregon has a mystique in the eyes of many
Easterners that’s second only to Alaska (among the
states)," says Metzler. "They think of it as a wood
sy, conservative kind of funky little state in a way.”
Even though Metzler’s latest effort is a depar
ture from the subject matter of his previous books,
the pre-publication media attention is surpassing
the response to any of his other projects.
Metzler’s previous books have mainly been
oriented toward journalism topics.
His search for the state’s "lonesomest” town
“seems to have run away with people’s imagina
tion. I’m astonished that people would be so in
trigued by this," he says of the hundreds of nomina
tions inspired by recent media reports.
He does put a restriction on the entries,
however. “At least one person has to live there,”
Metzler says, therefore ruling out the ghost towns
of Eastern Oregon.
“Some people have said, ‘Well, it has to be in
Eastern Oregon,’ ’’ says Metzler. “But there’s also
some rugged country along the Oregon coast,
some pretty inaccessible spots."
Metzler is seeking nominations for the hottest,
coldest, windiest, wettest and driest spots in
This rock building in Danner typifies the "lonesomest” kind of town in Oregon that journalism professor
Ken Metzler is researching for his new book, "The Best of Outdoor Oregon. ” Danner, a ghost town located
in southeastern Oregon, won't qualify, however. It has less than one resident.
Oregon.
For Willamette Valley residents, he’ll include a
list of “50 things to do on a rainy day."
While he has quipped that he “only has 47
more to go,” the ideas are actually rolling in a little
faster, including playing mud football, fishing,
scrunching under an umbrella with a friend,
building a campfire under tarps and storm watching
on the Oregon Coast.
Despite the book’s unusual aspects, Metzler
plans to concentrate on a more serious appraisal of
Oregon scenery, giving scores to areas much like
some books rate hotels and restaurants.
Another section will name “what I call the
seven natural wonders of Oregon,” including Crater
Lake.
Metzler's credentials as a commentator on
Oregon scenery go back to the late 1950s, when he
wrote “about 50" travel articles for Sunset
Magazine.
He plans to outline Oregon’s good honeymoon
beaches, the best city parks, hot fishing spots,
bicycle routes, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing,
hiking trails and “out-of-the-way kinds of places,”
Metzler says.
Not an expert on all those subjects, Metzler is
sending out hundreds of questionnaires to birdwat
chers, rangeland managers, fishermen, authors and
various other people who have “been in Oregon a
while," he says.
The book, now about four chapters old, may
take new directions by the time it’s finished.
“I’m having a lot of fun doing this, but I have to
admit I don’t know what the hell it’s going to turn
out to be,” says Metzler.
"It keeps you going as a writer.”
By Sean Meyers
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Winner of Hawk award
gives department trophy
‘ Richard Hanlin, a senior in rhetoric and communication and
the first recipient of the University’s Ray Hawk Award, plans to
donate the trophy to his major department for the >$ear.
"I just wanted to do something to show my appreciation to
the department," says Hanlin, who will graduate Sunday. “I
hope to start a tradition.”
Kanlin says the two-foot high trophy probably will be hous
ed in the rhetoric and communication department trophy case in
Villard Hall
.The award will be given each year to the outstanding Univer
sity senior in honor of Hawk, former vice president for ad
ministration and finance.
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