Fortiani» ©bserucr
M ay I, 2013
Page A 19
P o w e rof the Pen
c o n t i n u e d f r o n t p a g e A3
the emotions of her enormous losses. “When
I first started writing I dedicated my writing to
them [her family], because I didn’t even have
enough willpower to really want to live” Glass
said. But after a few weeks of sharing her stories
and listening to others share theirs at the work­
shop, she began to take some comfort in the fact
that she was not alone in her struggle.
That familial structure Write Around Port­
land offered was something Glass was yearn­
ing for. The 57-year-old Glass then began writ­
ing more stories of family and heritage.
“I’m a believer that you can’t know where
you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve
been,” she said.
Her story, “Aunt Lorene’s Birthday” is one
of her favorites and was published by Write
Around Portland in a collection of works crafted
SUNDAY
by fellow workshop-goers. It is the tale of her
hardworking aunt who seemingly never missed
an opportunity to make a friend or make some­
one feel welcomed in her presence.
When her aunt passed later that summer Glass
took the news hard; she was bom into her arms.
To combat the grief, Glass began reaching out
to family whom she had long known about but
never knew personally. When her lost relatives
heard how she had honored her aunt Lorene in
her work, they were quick to send her a gift; a
book complete with photos and anecdotes of
family members long passed.
It’s a gift Glass has taken great pride in. Her
next dream is to learn how to use a computer so
she can discover more about her family history;
she hopes this will help her become a better
writer. Until then, she has to find a new journal
to write in because the pages of the old one
have all been filled.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
photo by D onovan M.
S mith /T he P ortland O bserver
l/Vrzfe Around P ortland graduate Verna Glass finds healing in h e r own words.
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
3
Space Day
5
6
Leo Lionni bom, 1910
C in c o d e M a y o
Eiffel Tower opens to
the public in 1889
Children's Day In
Japan
National Teacher Day
1 st Stamp Collection
Started
13
Tulip Day
1804Lewis&
International Nurses
Day
Biophllic Design,
The Architecture of Life
Kite Day
512
Limerick Day
N.
K illingsworth Li­
9
10
20
Circus Day The
Ringling Brother's
Circus opened in 1884.
Victoria Day
Celebrated in Canada
Lindbergh Flight Day
in 1927
21
American Red Cross
Founded Founded by
Clara Barton in 1881.
No Socks Day
First Newspaper
Cartoon In the USA
in 1754.
Christopher Paul
Curtis bom, 1953
Mark Lupica (BDay)
15
Norma Fox Mazer
bom, 1931
Frank L. Baum
Author of The Wizard
o fO z -b o m in 1856.
16
First US Nickel
Minted In 1866, called
the'Shield Nickel’.
22
Peter Sis bom, 1949
17 ©
First Kentucky
Derbyin 1875
Gary Paulson bom,
1939
27
Memorial Day
Golden Gate Bridge
Opens in 1937
•
Masking Tape
Patented in 1930
23
Arnold Lobel bom,
1933
Margaret Wise
Brown bom, 1910
Buy-A-Musical
Instrument Day
Scott O' Dell bom,
1898
Mary Pope Osborne
bom, 1949
. 26
Penny Day
28
Jim Thorpe Bom
in 1888
11
Twilight Zone Day
brary Portland, Or 9 7 2 1 7
19
Blueberry
Cheesecake Day
National Weather
Observers' Day
Clean Up Your
Room Day
Clark Expedition
County Library -6 :0 0 p m
Constitution Memoria
Day in Japan
Eleanor Estes bom,
1906
| ¿ j.
Multnomah
National Sun Day
Kentucky Derby takes
place today
National School
Nurse Day
Pulitzer Prize Estab­
lished (1917)
12
M o t h e r 's D a y
8 •
7
4
29
John F. Kennedy
Bom in 1917
Andrew Clements
bom, 1949
24
Mary Had A Little
Lamb Published in
1830.
First Morse Code
Message Sent
30 »
Ice Cream Freezer
Patented In 1848 by
William Young.
31
Jay Williams bom,
1981
World No
Tobacco Day
18
Armed Forces Day
International Museum
Day
Visit Your
Relatives Day
O
25
Martha Alexander
bom, 1920
National Missing
Children's Day