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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2010)
OREGON S LESBIAN/GAY/BI/TRANS/QUEER NEWSMAGAZINE OCTOBER I. 2010 23 . f o l FEATURE 11 ~ \ \ 0 ^ _ 0 \S o°^ & far from it. W ithin his first year, Cassell signed a diverse array o f big name clients in the Port land Metro area, including M others Bistro, Live Wire! Radio, Mississippi Studios and Bling Dental, among others. W ith consider ably less infrastructure to work with— Cassell has three freelance writers and one subcon tracted assistant— the company has amassed an enviable amount of street cred, a development noteworthy in that most, if not all, of Cassell’s business is acquired via word of mouth. For Cassell, his many referrals for PR work are due in part to conducting personal rela tionships with his clients— something he says is harder to do in a digital age. “Something a lot of businesses don’t do well, but people used to do really well before social networking and before the Internet, was culti vating relationships,” he says. “I felt like people weren’t connected with their clients, really didn’t know who their clients were or understand who their clients are. For me, it was always a matter of really knowing what makes them special, then knowing how to take that and put that out there, in the way that I see them.” Cassell’s job, by and large, centers around first igniting interest in whatever his client’s busi ness entails, then ensuring that the public re mains interested, or at least kept abreast of the goings on of said business. It helps that Missis sippi Studios is one of the best live music venues in the city as is, boasting a constant string of surefire indie music shows. And it doesn’t hurt that Live Wire! has become a Portland staple for its chameleonic programming, revolving door of enigmatic guests and its national pres tige following U.S. syndication. But why do I know this? W hy are these two facts— along with the rightful singing of praises for Cassell’s other clients— so easily ingestible? Well, because he told me. And I checked them out. And he was right. Chances are if you don’t care about something, you ought not to represent it professionally, and Cassell is aware of this approach more than most PR folks the media and public at large are used to dealing with. “I have to believe in the business,” says Cas sell. “If I don’t believe in the business, I don’t want to waste their time or mine. I ’m a very politically and socially conscious person. All o f my clients are. That makes a big difference to me, too; I don’t want to work with people who don’t care about their city, about their community. That doesn’t mean they have to be gay, and most of my clients are actually not gay. It just means they have to have an under standing o f the whole community, and that does include the gay community.” W ith a year’s worth o f toil behind him, Cassell is looking forward to expanding his business, without getting too big. His dream of being a “lifestyles boutique PR firm” ap pears as plausible as ever, and he’s not shy about recognizing those who’ve helped the dream along. “I just want people to know I’m really grate ful for the support o f the community,” says Cassell. “W ithout the support o f the commu nity, this place would not be here.” C assell C o m m u n ic a t io n s is located a t 3606 N . Mississippi A ve. For more inform ation , em ail stephen@cassellcomm unications.com. A PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV OR AT RISK WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR PARTNERS. Magic often gets a bad rap. Alternately feared as an evil art and ridiculed as silly su perstition, the practice has a rich cultural and spiritual heritage and connection to queer identity. Jes Rega, 33, owner of Fantasma: an altar space, wants to dispel the myths and make magic accessible to all who feel called to practice it. “I think sometimes occult shops or bo tánicas can be kind o f scary at first. There’s a lot o f mystery around it, and that was part of what protected it for so many years, but I think it’s time for the veil to be lifted a little bit,” Rega says. “There’s so many people who want to feel like there’s something bigger out there guiding them or that they have some control over their fate.” W hile Rega didn’t anticipate when she opened the store in July 2009 that her iden tity would be such a focus, she says that about three-quarters o f customers are queer. She attributes this in part to magic’s historical ties with queer spirituality and her efforts to create a space that emphasizes counsel over cash flow. “There is a special kind of magic in being queer. It goes back to ancient times when people who were thought to embody both male and female spirits were somehow blessed, and they were often looked to as shamans or leaders o f their tribe,” Rega explains. Rega opened Fantasma after losing her job in financial management. She had just returned from visiting family in San Fran cisco, who encouraged the single mother to F a n t a s m a is located a t 2 3 1 4 fí N E Alberta St. start her own business. “There was clearly a need here for some sort Hours are 11 a .m .-7 p .m . W ed.-Fri ., 11 a .m .-6 of place to get [magic supplies]. There’s Olean p.m . Sat.-Sun. For more inform ation , call 5 0 3 - Candle Co. but they’re pretty hoodoo [the 2 8 1 -1 S 0 9 or v isitfantasmastore.com. Grab a drink with your best friend PARTNERSHIP PROJECT D rop by S niff Cafe H appy H our (5 -7 p m ) w hile yo u r d o g plays fo r free in o ur in d o o r park. It’s b onding, w ith a tw ist. ' 4 ., sniff SUPPORTING HEALTHY OPTIONS FOR PREVENTION WWW.OHSU.EDU/PARTNERSHIP SUPPORTING HEALTHY OPTIONS FOR PREVENTION For a confidential intake, contact 503-230-1202 or m 1-877-795-7700 (Toll Free) PARTNERSHIP PROJECT practice o f voodoo in the United States] cen tric,” Rega says. “I wanted something broader than that, that was more accessible to a queer/ alternative community and to people who feel called to practice some sort of spirituality or magic but don’t know where to start.” Rega identifies as a queer witch but says she doesn’t follow any particular tradition. “I have not personally attached myself to any specific practice because I’m kind o f a polyamorous practitioner,” Rega explains, which is partly why Fantasma carries such a variety o f supplies, including hoodoo, Santería, pagan and W iccan tools. Fantasmas inventory ranges from familiar items such as candles and incense to those less familiar to the uninitiated— animal skulls, roots, eggshell powder. The store also carries oils, stones, books and tarot/totem decks, herbs and Mexican folk art. Rega says customers range from casual passersby to serious practitioners, with many falling somewhere in the middle. It is the cu rious but uncertain she hopes most to reach. Fortunately, Rega says, most people are more familiar with magic than they realize. “Think about how you decorate your win dow sill, how you decorate your cubicle for that matter. You’re building altars all the time,” Rega explains. “There’s something in grained deep in us that calls us to create sa cred space. I don’t think I’ve met a single person who doesn’t have a lucky charm. That’s magic.” Magic has been a part of Rega’s life since she was a child growing up in the Mission District. M any o f her family and friends practiced some sort o f witchcraft, whether it was hoodoo, Santería, Yoruba or brujaria. Some o f these family members are honored in the altars displayed throughout the store. W hile altars can serve many purposes and can exist on a grand or portable scale, Rega says it’s important to express gratitude. “That’s an important part o f practicing [magic],” Rega says. “You have to give thanks and honor the spirits that guide you.” Services available statewide SERVICIOS DISPONIBLES EN ESPAÑOL D O G H O TEL 1828 N W R a le ig h St. P o r tla n d , O R 9 7 2 0 9 &SCIENCE UNIVERSITY 5 0 3 208-2366 - s n iffd o g h o te l.c o m *To insure doggy harmony, all dogs must pass a tem peram ent test
