Oregon Reads Finishes Big with Author at Baker Library

Oregon Reads 2009 programming at the Baker County Public Library wraps up over the next two weeks with documentary films on Saturdays and the big finale of a visit by Stubborn Twig author, Lauren Kessler

Kessler’s appearance will be at the Baker County Public Library on Wednesday, April 15th at 7:00 pm.  Along with Pendleton, Baker was chosen by the Oregon Reads planning committee to be one of only two stops in Eastern Oregon for Kessler’s Oregon Reads tour. She is expected to read from, and reflect about, her award-winning book, STUBBORN TWIG, chosen as the Oregon Reads main selection by the Oregon Library Association.  Participants in the Oregon Reads project have explored Oregon 150 years of statehood and American identity through Kessler’s book which chronicles the lives of three generations of Yasuis, a family that first immigrated to the US from Japan in the early 1900s, made their home in Hood River, suffered through the detentions of WWII, and struggled to balance preservation of a rich ethnic heritage with integration and acceptance into American culture.  

Prior to Kessler’s visit, the final two movies of the Oregon Reads Film series at the Baker County Library will explore the theme of “Our Natural Resources Heritage.”  Saturday, April 4th features the 2008 documentary film “Clear Cut: the Story of Philomath, Oregon” at 6pm.  This movie illustrates how the small logging town of Philomath became the battleground of a dramatic culture war when progressive ideas introduced by newcomers ran into opposition from the town's traditional residents. For years, every graduating high-school student in Philomath was assured of a college scholarship endowed by a local lumber baron. However, when a new school superintendent from Chicago introduces some controversial changes, the threat of withdrawing the scholarship is used as a weapon to seek his removal.

The final film of the series will be “Source to Sea: the Columbia River Swim,” which will be shown on April 11th at 6pm.  It follows Christopher Swain on his journey to become the first person to swim the entire 1,243 mile length of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest in 2003. Swain’s landmark swim brought stories about the river's disrupted ecosystems and dislocated peoples to over twenty-thousand North American schoolchildren, and to a worldwide media audience of over one billion people.  The film includes pre-inundation footage of Celilo and Kettle Falls, as well as a broad spectrum of interviews with tribal members, agency representatives, fishers, authors, nonprofit leaders, and citizens who trace the natural history and present-day challenges of the Columbia River in their own words. After seeing the film, one educator described it this way: "The interviews weren't just riveting; they made this grown man cry."

All events are free to the public. Film attendees are welcome to bring their own drinks, snacks, or comfortable seating.  The Friends of Baker County Library will provide some refreshments on site for purchase.

Oregon Reads in Baker County has been supported by the Oregon Library Association, Oregon Cultural Trust, Libraries of Eastern Oregon, Baker County Cultural Coalition, and Baker County Library District.  It has generated partnerships and the support of sponsors statewide such as the James & Marion Miller Foundation, Starseed Foundation, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Oregon Historical Society and Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Perry Stokes, Library Director for Baker County Library District, says “We have had such wonderful participation in the Oregon Reads project from the community.  I want to thank and commend everyone for their support.  It’s been a delight to watch people becoming inspired to learn more about Oregon history during the sesquicentennial, and to hear so many come away the message that striving for justice and tolerance is essential to our national character--especially important as our communities evolve and economic or security challenges.”