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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2011)
Books Sen. Avel Gordly Appears Feb. 27 for ‘Power of words’ “R emembering the Power of Words,” former State Sen. Avel Gordly’s memoir, recounts the personal and professional journey taken by the first African American elected to the Oregon State Senate. Gordly will be holding a book signing at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave. The book is the first in a planned series “Women and Politics in the Pacific Northwest.” Gordly served in the state senate from 1991 to 2008. She’s received numerous awards from the commu- nity that she served including the Black United Front, the American Friends Service Committee, the Urban League of Portland, and the House of Umoja. In “Power of Words” she shares the chal- lenges and struggles she faced growing up Black in Portland in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as her determination to attend college, the dedication to activism that took her from Portland to Africa, and her eventual deci- sion to run for a seat in the state legislature. That words have power is a constant undercurrent in Gordly’s account and a truth she learned early in life. “Growing up, find- ing my own voice,” she writes, “was tied up with denying my voice or hav- ing it forcefully rejected and in all of that the mem- ory of my father is very strong. To this day—and I am today a very experi- enced public speaker— preparation to speak takes a great deal of energy.” That this memoir has its origins as an oral history is fitting since Gordly has used her voice, out loud, to teach and inspire others for many years. Additional appearances include: March 9, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble at the Lloyd Center in Portland March 27, 12:30 p.m., Highland Christian Center Bookstore, 7600 NE Glisan April 4, 7:30 p.m., Powell’s City of Books in Portland Portland Researcher Chronicles New Approach to Eating disorders W hile there is much concern about childhood obesity in this country, there are also many children who suffer from the opposite condition – food intake disorders. In her new book “Give Food a Chance: A new view on child- hood eating disorders” Portland-based doctor and Reed College grad- uate Dr. Julie O’Toole, MD, MPH, draws from over a decade of clini- cal experience treating eating disorders in chil- dren and young adults. O’Toole rejects former theories that claim such disorders are caused by poor parenting, issues of control, rejection of adulthood or society’s oppression of women. Instead, the author says that anorexia, in particular, is a chronic, highly heritable brain disorder. O’Toole works at the Kartini Clinic in Portland, which led her to her new approaches for these common and destructive disorders. “I initially wrote ‘Give Food a Chance’ as a detailed guide for clinicians who care for children with eating disor- ders,” O’Toole said in a typed release. “It seemed to me at the time that a technical book written for doctors and nurse practitioners would best serve to spread the message of a new treatment para- digm. On reading it, my son Morgan suggested that my audience was all wrong. Write for those who care the most, he told me, write for par- ents. Parents, he sug- gested, will care most passionately about the details, will be most motivated to spread the word. Speak to them and they will speak to the doctors. Speak to them and the children will best be served.” http://www.perfscipress.com/give- food-a-chance/ N ew Fe at u r e Online ow you can post your announcements directly, using The Skanner.com ‘YOUR BEAT, Eyes on the Street’. Page 16 The Portland Skanner February 23, 2011
