‘Trickster’ Chautauqua At Three Baker County Libraries In July

Baker County, OR - The trickster is a central character in stories told around the world, and in the religions of many cultures. Whether assuming the name of Hermes, Prometheus, Loki, Ananse, Eshu, Juha, Old Man Coyote, Wile E. Coyote, or the Trix cereal rabbit, the trickster is the original boundary crosser who traverses physical and social barriers, and blurs distinctions between right and wrong, male and female, the living and the dead.

In Trickster at the Crossroads of the World, Curt Yehnert, Professor of English at Western Oregon University, analyzes trickster tales from around the world to show how in making fun of social values they reinforce those values and in profaning sacred beliefs they focus attention on the nature of such beliefs. More than rude mockery, the tales reaffirm the rules of society by demonstrating what happens if those rules are not observed. Ultimately, these tricksters from around the world serve as symbols for the transformative power of the human imagination and vehicles for transcending the human condition.

Baker County Library District is pleased to host this Oregon Chautauqua program from the Oregon Council for the Humanities at three of its community branches. This free, public program will take place at the Sumpter Library on Tuesday, July 14th at 7:00 p.m.; at the Halfway Library on Wednesday, July 15th at 7:00 p.m.; and at the Huntington Library on Thursday, July 16th at 7:00 p.m.

OCH is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that is dedicated to the belief that knowledge and ideas are fundamental to the health of our communities. More information about OCH’s programs and publications, which include Oregon Chautauqua, Humanity in Perspective, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at www.oregonhum.org.

Chautauqua programs in Baker County are also made possible by support from Libraries of Eastern Oregon (LEO) and local Friends of the Library groups.  For more information about the programs for to learn how to contribute to, or volunteer for, library events please contact Library Director Perry Stokes at 541.523.6419.