JUNE 23, 2016 // 7
Diversity Dialogues series
to discuss transphobia,
misogyny on June 24
Blues guitarist to perform in Long Beach
ASTORIA — The Lower
Columbia Diversity Project
and Astor Library Friends
Association present Diver-
sity Dialogues, a series of
discussions and presenta-
tions focusing on topics
related to diversity. The irst
event in the series is “Mi-
sogyny and Transphobia,”
a community conversation
facilitated by Drew Herzig
of the Lower Columbia
Diversity Project. The event
will take place at 6 p.m. Fri-
day, June 24 at the Astoria
Public Library, located at
450 10th St. Admission is
free.
Transgender issues have
been in the news lately. The
civil rights of the transgen-
der community are being af-
irmed, but the backlash has
been intense. What’s going
on? How does the contro-
versy about transgender
rights, especially the rights
of transgender women,
relect our society’s view of
women in general? How is
our cultural misogyny shap-
ing the conversation? What
do terms such as gender
identity and gender expres-
sion mean? And what’s the
big deal about bathrooms?
LONG BEACH, WASH. — Ore-
gon blues guitarist and song-
writer David Jacobs-Strain
will perform at 7 p.m. Satur-
day, June 25 at the Peninsula
Arts Center.
A ierce slide guitar play-
er, Jacobs-Strain is known
for his virtuosity and spirit of
emotional abandon; his live
show moves from humorous,
subversive blues, to delicate
balladry, and then swings
back to swampy rock ’n’ roll.
It’s a range that ties Ja-
cobs-Strain to his own gener-
ation and to guitar-slingers
like Robert Johnson and
Jackson Browne.
“I try to make art that
you can dance to, but I love
that darker place, where
in my mind Skip James,
Nick Drake, and maybe
Elliot Smith blur together,”
Jacobs-Strain said.
Jacobs-Strain began play-
ing on street corners and at
farmers markets as a teenag-
er and bought his irst steel
guitar with the quarters he
SUBMITTED IMAGE
Between the recognizable
gendered bathroom signs is
a trans-inclusive symbol.
Questions such as these will
be the focus of the June 24
event.
The mission of the
Lower Columbia Diversity
Project is to engage proac-
tively with diversity issues
in the region, educate the
community on the beneits
of diversity, tolerance and
inclusion, and provide a fo-
rum through which individ-
uals, groups and organiza-
tions may address concerns
relating to diversity in the
community.
The Astoria Public
Library, a department of the
City of Astoria, is guided by
the mission statement, “Ex-
plore ideas, engage minds,
excite imagination.” For
more information, contact
library staff at 503-325-
7323 or visit astorialibrary.
org
Pla ying to da y’s best m usic
Peninsula Arts
Center welcomes
David Jacobs-Strain
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY TARA LAIDLAW
David Jacobs-Strain will perform at the Peninsula Arts Center.
saved up. Before he dropped
out of Stanford to play
full time, he had already
appeared at festivals across
the country, often billed as a
blues prodigy, but he had to
ight to avoid being a novel-
ty act: “I wanted to tell new
stories; it just wasn’t enough
to relive the feelings in other
people’s music,” he said.
Jacobs-Strain has
appeared at festivals from
British Columbia to Aus-
tralia, including Merlefest,
Telluride Blues Festival,
Philadelphia Folk Festival,
Bumbershoot, and Blues to
Bop in Switzerland. He’s
taught at Jorma Kaukonen’s
Fur Peace Ranch, and at 15
years old was on the faculty
at Centrum’s Blues and
Heritage workshop. On the
road, he’s shared the stage
with Lucinda Williams, Boz
Scaggs, Etta James, The
Doobie Brothers, George
Thorogood, Robert Earle
Keen, Todd Snider, Tommy
Emmanuel, T-Bone Burnett
and Del McCoury.
His 2013 album, “Gen-
eseo,” speaks of open roads,
longing hearts and lash-
backs of Oregon — a record
of emotions big and small,
and lyrics that turn quickly
from literal to igurative.
“I’m fascinated by the way
that rural blues inscribes
movement and transience,”
Jacobs-Strain said. “The mu-
sic that frees a singer keeps
them on the run; there’s a
crossroads where a thing can
be enchanting but dangerous;
damaging but beautiful.”
On “Geneseo,” old
sounds become new, the
blues takes an unexpected
turn, and Jacobs-Strain
moves further into his own
territory. The record was
funded by fans; over 200
people pitched in on Kick-
starter to pay for the album’s
mixing and promotion.
The Peninsula Arts
Center is located at 504
Paciic Ave. N. Admission
is $12 at the door or online
through Brown Paper Tick-
ets, or call Bill at 360-901-
0962. Wine, beer, and other
refreshments are available
for purchase.
Concerts beneit the
Long Beach Peninsula
Acoustic Music Association,
a 501(c)3 nonproit charita-
ble organization.