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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 2019)
February 4, 2019 COMMUNITY / A.C.E. THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 17 This issue’s Community Calendar is brought to you by: I Used to Be a Miserable F*ck Feb 6, 7:30pm, Powell’s City of Books (1005 W Burnside St, Portland). Join John Kim as he presents I Used to Be a Miserable F*ck. Deep in post-divorce soul searching, Kim came to an astonishing realization: He was a miserable f*ck who might just be to blame for the problems in his life. Armed with this new insight, he began The Angry Therapist blog — an admission that, while he was a licensed therapist and life coach, he was no better than the people who sought his advice. For info, call (503) 228-4651 or visit <www.powells.com>. “Women in Leadership” Feb 7, 11:30am-1:30pm, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower (921 SW Sixth Ave, Portland). Attend “Women in Leadership: Stories of Success Across Sectors,” an event hosted by the Japan-America Society of Oregon’s Women’s Leadership Council. For info, or to buy tickets, call (503) 552-8813 or visit <www.jaso.org>. Kodo, a percussion ensemble that explores the limitless rhythmic possibilities of the traditional Japanese taiko drum with an exhilarating blend of rhythm, athleticism, and theater, performs February 5 at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. (Photo courtesy of Kodo) Dr. Jamsheed Choksy Feb 7, 7pm, Oregon State University, Memorial Union, Horizon Room (2501 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Ore.). Attend the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Lecture with Dr. Jamsheed Choksy of Indiana University Bloomington. The talk, titled “The Spread of Islam: New Ways of Understanding Conquest and Confessional Change in Iraq, Iran, and Central Asia,” addresses the impact of faith on politics, international relations, and security. For info, call (541) 737-1000 or visit <https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/phi-beta-kappa>. For accommodations for disabilities, call (541) 737-6522 or e-mail <events@oregonstate.edu>. Melissa Iwai & Denis Markell Feb 11, 7pm, Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, Ore.). Join illustrator Melissa Iwai as she presents Thirty Minutes Over Oregon (written by Marc Tyler Nobleman), a book that tells the important and moving true story of reconciliation after war, in which a Japanese pilot bombs the continental U.S. during World War II — the only enemy ever to do so — and comes back 20 years later to apologize. Also presenting at the event is Denis Markell, author of The Game Masters of Garden Place, a quirky Dungeons & Dragons-inspired adventure for middle readers. In addition to a reading of their respective books, Iwai and Markell also discuss being a household of children’s book creators. For info, call (503) 643-3131 or visit <www.powells.com>. Rising Son Feb 12, 7pm, Ravenna Third Place Books (6504 20th Ave NE, Seattle). Learn about Rising Son, a book by author Sandra Vea that tells the story of Masao Abe, a second-generation Japanese American who served in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II. Abe was one of only 10 Japanese Americans in a division that included some 25,000 soldiers. His assignment was to convince Japanese Imperial soldiers to lay down their arms, and to read and translate captured documents. Perceived as an enemy himself by his fellow countrymen, he went to war with a bodyguard because his commanders knew he wore a target on both his front and back. The book also weaves in Abe’s wife’s experience in Honolulu during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as well as his extended family in Washington and California who were incarcerated in internment camps. For info, call (206) 525-2347 or visit <www.ravennathirdplace.com>. “Postwar Constitution of Japan” Feb 12 & Mar 5, 6pm, Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union (1825 SW Broadway, Portland). Attend free winter lectures presented by Portland State University’s Center for Japanese Studies. The theme of the series is “Postwar Constitution of Japan.” Topics covered include “The History of Religious Freedom and Separation of Religion from State Under the Constitution of Japan” (February 12, room 327/328) by pro- fessor Helen Hardacre of Harvard University and “The History of Article 9 (the no-war clause) of the Postwar Constitution of Japan: Its Establishment, Evolution, and Hollowing Out” (March 5, room 327/328) by Katsutoshi Takami, professor emeritus at Sophia University. For info, or to reserve space, call (503) 725-8577 or visit <www.pdx.edu/cjs/events>. American Sutra Feb 15, 7pm, Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, Ore.). Join Duncan Ryuken Williams as he presents American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War, a book that tells about the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II that was not only a tale of injustice but a moving story of faith. In American Sutra, the author reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese- American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious freedom in U.S. history, insisting that they could be both Buddhist and American. In the face of discrimination, dislocation, dispossession, and confinement, Japanese Americans turned to their faith to sustain them, whether they were behind barbed wire in internment camps or serving in one of the most decorated combat units in the European theater. For info, call (503) 643-3131 or visit <www.powells.com>. ONGOING EVENTS “APEX: Avantika Bawa” Through Feb 10, 10am-5pm (Tue-Wed & Sat-Sun), 10am-8pm (Thu-Fri), Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Ave, Portland). View a new body of work by Portland-based artist Avantika Bawa as part of the Portland Art Museum’s “APEX” exhibit. Looking at a singular Portland architectural structure, Bawa presents her ongoing series of drawings, prints, and large panel paintings of Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In the display, the artist combines her long interest in architecture and geometry as a subject in her work with a focus on the modernist building of the International Style. Designed by the architectural firm of Skidmore Owings and Merrill, the coliseum was completed in 1960. For info, call (503) 226-2811 or visit <www.portlandartmuseum.org>. “Noble Splendor: Art of Japanese Aristocrats” Through Mar 3, 10am-5pm (Wed & Fri-Sun), 10am-9pm (Thu), Seattle Art Museum (1300 First Ave, Seattle). View “Noble Splendor: Art of Japanese Aristocrats,” an exhibit of paintings that illustrate activities of Japanese aristocrats, ceramics commissioned by feudal lords for personal use or as gifts, and masterfully produced metalwork crafted with lavish materials and exquisite decorations. As the primary patrons of the arts in premodern Japan, aristocrats — both the imperial court nobility and the military elite — significantly shaped their country’s art history. For info, call (206) 654-3100 or visit <www.seattleart museum.org>. “Wham! Bam! Pow!” Through Apr 14 (Tue-Sun), 10am-5pm, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (719 S King St, Seattle). View “Wham! Bam! Pow! Cartoons, Turbans & Confronting Hate,” an exhibit of illustrations by Vishavjit Singh, whose cartoons emerged from a tragedy: the 9/11 attacks. A Sikh American with a turban and beard, Vishavjit was a target of fear, anxiety, and ignorance after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Verbal insults and threats fluctuated depending on news coverage, and concerned for his personal safety, he turned to humor and comics — one of his childhood loves — to create Sikhtoons. His simple imagery often has an edge that pierces stereotypes, prompts self-reflection, and promotes action while adding a missing perspective to the comic-book genre. For info, call (206) 623-5124 or visit <www.wingluke.org>. “BAM! Glasstastic” Through Apr 14 (Wed-Sun), 11am-5pm, Bellevue Arts Museum (510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, Wash.). View pieces featured as part of the “BAM Biennial,” a signature exhibit of the Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM). Artwork created by more than four dozen artists, including Fumi Amano, Keiko Hara, Etsuko Ichikawa, and others, are highlighted in “BAM! Glasstastic.” For info, call (425) 519-0770 or visit <www.bellevuearts.org>. UPCOMING EVENTS Kodo: Evolution Feb 5, 7:30pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (1037 SW Broadway, Portland). Enjoy Evolution, a performance by Kodo, a percussion ensemble that explores the limitless rhythmic possibilities of the traditional Japanese taiko drum with an exhilarating blend of rhythm, athleticism, and theater. For info, or to buy tickets, call (503) 228-1353 or visit <www.orsymphony. org>. Here On This Bridge: The –Ism Project Feb 7-10, 7:30pm (Thu-Sat), 2pm (Sun), Portland State University, Lincoln Hall, Boiler Room Acting Studio (1620 SW Park Ave, Portland). Attend Here On This Bridge: The –Ism Project, a performance directed by Catherine Ming T’ien Duffly. The show highlights six stories: A Black tradeswoman negotiates the complicated terrain of diversity training; an Iraqi refugee woman reacts to news of shootings and child safety; a gay young man honors his Lao refugee mother’s strength and details the painful moments of coming out to her; a Latina recalls the harrowing story of her mother escaping hardship and violence coming to America by crossing the Rio Grande; a Black middle-class woman experiences racial profiling in Oregon; and an Asian American reflects on four generations of family who lived through Oregon’s exclusion laws. For info, call (503) 233-2919. To buy tickets, visit <www.theatrediaspora.org> or <www.mediarites.org>. No Refunds Feb 7-28 (daily), 11am-7pm; Feb 7, 6-8pm (release party); Floating World Comics (400 NW Couch St, Portland). View a group exhibit featuring works by contributors to No Refunds, the newest anthology from Unversed Comics. The display includes works by Jonathan Hill, Sarah Hickey, Grayson Bear, Skylar Kardon, Tandy Kunkle, Maria Frantz, and Krissy Little. For info, call (503) 241-0227 or visit <www.floatingworldcomics.com>. Russell Peters Feb 8, 8pm, Keller Auditorium (222 SW Clay St, Portland). Listen to funnyman Russell Peters in Portland on his World Deported Tour. The global comedy superstar performs his unique and sometimes controversial brand of humor in his current show. For info, or to buy tickets, call (503) 248-4335 or visit <www. portland5.com>. To learn more, visit <www.russellpeters.com>. Origami workshop Feb 10, 1:30-4:30pm, Belmont Library (1038 SE César Chávez Blvd, Portland). Learn a new origami project from local origami instructors at Portland Oregon Paper Shapers (POPS). Adults, teens, and children younger than 13 years old accompanied by an adult are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring origami paper. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit <events.multcolib. org>. Creative Writers Series Feb 13 & 27, Mar 27 & Apr 10, 6pm, Washington State University Vancouver, Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110 (14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, Wash.). Listen to creative writers and scholars speak as part of Washington State University Vancouver’s 2019 Creative Writers Series. The featured guests include Melba Joyce Boyd (February 13), Qwo-Li Driskill (February 27), Debbie Lee (March 27), and Abbey Gaterud (April 10). The presentations, which are free and open to the public, are followed by question-and-answer sessions. For info, call Pavithra at (360) 546-9732, e-mail <pavitraa@wsu. edu>, or visit <www.wsu.edu>. Japanese stab bound pocketbooks Feb 16, 2-5pm, Belmont Library (1038 SE César Chávez Blvd, Portland). Learn how to bind books using four different styles and techniques of Japanese stab binding. Participants create four handmade notebooks to take home. For info, call (503) 988-5123 or visit <events.multcolib.org>. Soprano Helen Huang Feb 19, 7pm, Portland Art Museum, Northwest Film Center, Whitsell Auditorium (1219 SW Park Ave, Portland). Join the Portland Opera for a community recital featuring soprano Helen Huang. The event highlights Chinese folk and art songs with a focus on works by female composers and poets. Huang is in her second year as a resident artist with the company. Admission to the recital is free; reservations are highly recommended. For info, or to reserve space, call (503) 241-1802 or e-mail <EventRSVP@portlandopera.org>. ANICCA | Impermanence Feb 21-24, 7pm (Thu-Sun), 2pm (Sat-Sun), Reed College, Performing Arts Building, Massee Performance Lab (3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland). Watch ANICCA | Impermanence, a performance by Minh Tran & Company. For info, call (503) 998-0381 or visit <www.mtdance.org>. To buy tickets, visit <www.aniccareed.eventbrite.com>. Oregon Koto-Kai Mar 3, 2:30pm, Portland State University, Lincoln Perfor- mance Hall (1620 SW Park Ave, Portland). Attend “So-Shun (Early Spring),” a koto performance by Oregon Koto-Kai. To buy tickets, call (541) 513-6417 or visit <www.oregonkotokai.org>. Reema Zaman Feb 17, 7:30pm, Powell’s City of Books (1005 W Burnside St, Portland). Join writer, author, and speaker Reema Zaman in conversation with Lidia Yuknavitch, the author of The Book of Joan. From childhood in Bangladesh to life around the world in Thailand, New York, and Oregon, Zaman’s book, I Am Yours, plunges into her fight to harness her voice as she learns to release societal and cultural restrictions that plague her and other women. For info, call (503) 228-4651 or visit <www.powells.com>. Submit your Asian-related calendar listings to: The Asian Reporter, Attn: Events Calendar, 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217 News Department e-mail: news@asianreporter.com w Fax: (503) 283-4445 Submission Format: List event title, date, time, location with address, 2 to 3 brief sentences describing the event, and a contact phone number (required) that can be published. High-resolution photos, if available, may also be included. Submission Deadline: Monday prior to the next issue date.
