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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2004)
40 January 9.2004 eatingout eatingout eatingout BOOKS eatingdut Family secrets eatingout Lesbians go exploring the landscapes of the earth and mind TREAT YOURSELF! 2 0 3 N W G I isan 2 6 5 5 NEL ^ ro ad w ay O p cn 5 cvcn D a y s A W e e k lOam to lOpm ( ^ 0 > ) 2 2 1 .2 1 I I by ( 5 0 1») 2 6 5 . 10*5 (L.ha! CLEa! ( 2 Y\s\ I (505) i?+ .oo 77 f\]ow Located in AH Tour C ornerà o f forti and! _______________ Pizza, Salad, Sandwiches, and Oregon Microbrews sold here Free Delivery (6 0 th -R iv c r, Glisan-Woodstock) t rat t ori a 5 enoteca Warm, Rustic & Romantic Neighborhood Dining 3701 SE Hawthorne 5 0 3 -2 3 1 -0 9 0 1 ________ H A L IB U T P A R M E S A N s> & L» 2 %>fclG£. 1501 NE Fremont - W il d S il e n c e S o u th lan d 1 006 A i l B y b ee 5 U ( j o > ) 2 5 2 .0 4 7 7 7742 SE 13th Avenue Reservations 503 *232 *6151 h is by Lucy Jane Bledsoe; Alyson Publications, 2003; $13.95 softcover by Nina Revoyr; Akashic Books, 2003; $15.95 softcover aqueria i M exican T 1 ay I l ^ e D \V oth A ve T i K athy B elge A Freshest available halibut fillets parmesan breaded and grilled and served on an ala menu garlic ft cream sauce. 5 0 3 -282 -0 956 R e s t a u r a n t Tu F r i l O a m 9 p m , S a t b a m 9 p m , Sura 8 a m 2 p m L o u n g e Tu T h u r t O a m I Q p m , F r i & S a t I Q a m U p m , S u n 8 a m 5pti castagna open 7 nights a week friday, Saturday late F amily secrets— we’ve all got ’em. Sometimes we hold them inside, sure that their revelation will some how violently disrupt our world. But sometimes the dis covery of them can open up our lives in ways we never dreamed, like finding out that your favorite “old maid” aunt was really a lesbian. Two recent novels explore the theme of family secrets and the new world of possibili ties when those secrets are uncovered. This Wild Silence is the story of two adult sisters haunted by the disappearance of their brother 30 years ago. Lucy Jane Bledsoe, whose other titles include sports dyke fiction and lesbian travel studies, leads us this time on a journey of the psyche when the novel’s sisters embark on a winter camping trip where they are not only physically and mentally chal lenged hut forced to face the rmth of what happened the day brother Timothy disappeared. Younger sister Tina, a dyke doctor in San Francisco’s tenderloin district, muddles her way through medical schtx)l, love and life, always haunted by the past. Big sister Liz seems to have moved on, and Tina holds this against her. The novel culminates high in the Sierras as their trip takes a sudden had turn. Bledsoe’s crisp writing flows well in this harsh environ ment. The story reaches hack and forth in time as Tina confronts a series of failed relationships and attempts to solve the mystery of her broth er’s disappearance. Against this stark backdrop, Lenny, a teen-ager they’ve brought along, offers much- needed comic relief. The story is engaging enough, hut ultimately it’s Bled soe’s writing that keeps you turning the pages with mood setting description: “The morn ing’s horizon is violent with the colors of dawn. Blood red. Fire orange. Bruise purple. Smeared like pain across the sky, over the mountains and frozen lake. It’s a raw morning, new as an egg....” ven more of a page-turner is Southland, which is the kind of skillful mystery that keeps you reading late into the night. Author of the popular The Nec essary Hunger, Nina Revoyr does not disappoint with her sophomore novel. Japanese American lesbian lawyer Jackie Ishida sets out to uncover the secrets of her grandfather’s past when, after his death, she discovers a mys terious will among his papers. Who is this person her grand father willed his store to? Although the store is no longer in the family, it was part of a rich and vibrant multicultural Los Angeles between the 1930s and 1960s. From Japanese intern ment camps to the Watts riots to modern-day segregated Los Angeles, the novel reaches hack and forth through time as Jackie discovers the truth of her grandfather’s life. In the process she discovers a part of herself she didn’t know was missing. Part mystery, part historical fiction, Southland is one of those Ux>ks that stays with you long after you put it down. Not your typical lesbian mystery, its thoughtful story and beautifully ren dered words will appeal beyond a lesbian audi ence; in fact, I’m planning on sending a copy to my father, who is always lextking for a gtxxl kx)k. Both these novels of journey into family will find you questioning your own history and whether the truth is always what you think. jR N E 28th & Davis 5 0 3 - 2 3 8 -3 7 7 7 castagna Wednesday...Saturday talc castagna 7 nights a week dinner reservations for 6 or more private dining room available 50J.2JI.7J7J 1752 sc hawthornc. Portland t * K S ushi C o m e in f o r o u r $ 5 L u n c h ! G r e a t T a s t e w it h a F a m i l y T o u c h L unch T u esd a y -S aturday D in n e r T u e s d a y - S u n d a y P a r k in g A v a il a b l e Expanded Lunch Menu—Full Bar Breakfast A ll Day Every Day Mon-Fri 6am to 2:30pm 2015 N E B r o a d w a y 5032810815 Sat-Sun 7am to 3pm Now at 1801 NE B road w ay • 5 0 3 .2 8 7 .4 7 5 0
