[ Clàckamas Print
Arljj^Culture 9
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
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Upcoming
Sustainability
Events
è
Gardening
?oet shares
iterary works
stainability Project at Clackamas Community Col-
eg^draws attention to the challenges facing the planet
hr Sigh lecture, film and Earth-friendly events.
All events are free and open to the public. They will take
)lac«in the college’s McLoughlin Auditorium, unless oth-
rwise noted in the schedule that follows.
Tomorrow: Speaker: Dr. Mark Hixon, professor, depart-
nent of zoology, Oregon State University. “Ocean Warm-
ng: threats to the Pacific Northwest. ”11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
al
n
i
Wednesday, May 14: Speaker: Dr. Kirsten Sheeran,
conomics professor, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, on
ffects of planetary warming on the economy. 7 to 8:30
>.m.
L I
Thursday, May 15: Speaker: Vai McQuaid, CCC li-
>raritn emeritus. “Germany’s World Leadership in Green
rech^ology.” Noon to 1 p.m.
Thursday, May 15: Speaker: Dr. Ceiridwen Terrill,
writer, naturalist, professor at Concordia University in
"ortland, author of “Unnatural Landscapes: Tracking In-
) asive Species.” 3 to 4 p.m., Roger Rook 220.
le
Emily Walters Clackamas Print
Charles Goodrich gestures flamboyantly with his arms as he
reads a selection from his poetry and prose works.
Emily Walters
or more information, contact Jim Grabill at
m^c lackamas.edu.
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i The Alexander Gallery's new exhibit by Los Angeles-
artist Max Lesser, which features a series of new paint-
ing ^opened May 2. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday
thn Igh Friday. It is called "Between here and there is better
thfe (neither here nor there," and will be open until June 13.
1
ip BAY: The foreign language department and the college's
1Ä] wage clubs host the annual International Day Celebration
iO hich students, staff and community members participate.
P« Irmances will take place Jin the Community Center from
1® in. to 2 p.m. and include music, dancing and plays. Admis^
sior is free and open to the public. For more information, con-
tact the foreign language department at ext. 2381 or ext. 2813.
!
Ji ■
Ma 15 to May 30: The .Student Art Exhibitioh f or 2008 will be
pt inthe Pauling Gallery. Faculty will select the work for
j
the ihow 3 nd several
awards and scholarships will be hand-
ed I pt after being judged by an off-campus Curator. Student
prk is now being accepted in the Art Center Lobby until
ly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Art must have been com-
pl in conjuction with an art department class within the
rear. "
Arts & Culture Editor
Lit only by rare bright sun
beams flowing through the win
dows in the high ceiling, room
220 inside Roger Rook Hall com
fortably seated 18 audience mem
bers in swirling purple armchairs
Thursday, May 1. Attendees came
to listen to a self-described “life
time gardener.”
From 11 a.m. to approximately
12:30 p.m., creative writer Charles
Goodrich shared pieces from his
written works, all inspired by his
avid pursuit of gardening.
Goodrich is currently a leader
of the Spring Creek Project at
Oregon State University, which
he said seeks to “bring together
creative writers and scientists” to
explore nature.
Over his many years of working
as a gardener - or simply doing.it
as a stress-relieving pastime that
also happened to. provide him with
fresh produce - he has found that
his very perception of life has been
altered.
“You begin to see the world
through that lens,” he said. “I
would get materials for my writ
ing.”
Goodrich started off by reading
from a short selection of poems
that he titled “Dispatches from the
Garden.
Animatedly waving his arms,
he first perused “Black Tomato,”
which described his relief at the
frost killing off his dwindling gar
den and sparing him from eating
vegetables that had ceased to taste
fresh. He followed it with “The
Boss,” a piece of a similar sub
ject.
“Erosion” was inspired by a
realization Goodrich experienced
while in his garden one day: a -
correlation between his plants and
his brother’s then-recent surgery.
Perhaps the ’ most interesting
poem was the last .one he read, in
which he relayed how he took to
the garden after hearing about the
planes hitting the Twin Towers on
September 11.. He channeled his
anguish into destroying weeds and
overgrown plants.
Goodrich then took a 20-minute
hiatus from his personal work so
that two students from Clackamas
could present a few of their own
poems concerning nature.
Nate Qourtney went first, read
ing three pieces.
The subject matter was the
“spirituality of nature,” and the
poetry seemed to be a little too far
removed from sustainability of the'
planet, focusing more on animal
rights than “green” matters;
Rose Lefebvre stepped up to the
podium next, with five poems for
her sampling of work. The subjects
ranged from the ocean to dancing
in the rain with her son.
Goodrich finally retook his
place to commence the readings
with a bit of prose written about
his community’s land-use battle
with developers who wanted to
expand a fiberglass factory down
the street on which he lived.
Some of his published works
may be found in the books “Insects
of South Corvallis,” “The Practice
of Home” and his most recent, “In
the Blast Zone,” a- collaboration
with a few other members of the
Spring Creek Project that is set to
launch at Powell’s, in Portland, on
May 18.
Additional information regard
ing the Spring Creek Project may
be found at http://springcreek.ore-
gonstate.edu.