I’m filling in for frontline staff on a break. A customer approaches. Customer: I put a book on hold. Is it here? Me: Did you receive a notice that it is in? Customer: I don’t want to answer any questions. Just tell me if my book is in. Me: I
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wmtc: what i’m reading: how the word is passed by clint smith, a road trip through history and racism
Among the many recent titles published about racism, Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America is probably the most meaningful and accessible book I’ve read. Smith takes the reader on a journey to nine places that are potent with the legacy of slavery,
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: the red parts: a powerful, haunting memoir of trauma, loss, and the limits of justice
This is why I keep a running book list that is decades long. For more than 15 years, my list has included this note. The Red Parts – Maggie Nelson – murder of aunt she never knew The Red Parts was published in 2007. I never would have remembered it. But it
Continue readingwmtc: greetings from victoria, last post of the trip (days 13-15), plus the ethics of travel
Bluefin Tuna Yesterday morning we packed up, drove to one of the big drugstore chains, and bought a soft cooler case and ice. The leftovers from Asadero were just too good and too plentiful to leave behind! We’ll get good use out of the cold pack. I also bought a
Continue readingwmtc: steak, art, and tech failure in seattle (day 12)
On our last full day in Seattle, we set out in the morning with a plan for spending the day apart, then meeting up for dinner at the second place our friends (nephew and niece-in-law) recommended. A big part of the plan was arranging things so Allan could navigate to
Continue readingwmtc: history and sushi in seattle (day 11)
I’m writing this in the middle of the night, having crashed as soon as we got back to the cottage, then waking up a few hours later, wide awake. This is likely from drinking — very rare these days, and worth it. After breakfast and a lot of coffee, we headed
Continue readingwmtc: portland and on to seattle (days 9 and 10)
A man walks into a bookstore… Powell’s, and this time we mean it On Wednesday, we felt well enough to spend quality time in Powell’s. Not that anything could have kept Allan away. As on previous visits, I enjoyed myself for a few hours, where he can go all day
Continue readingwmtc: fun with flu in portland (day 8)
Portland is Food Truck City On Monday, while we were driving to Portland, Allan was already sick, and by the time we were settled in our room, I was sick, too. We both slept an insane number of hours, double the sleep I normally get, and felt like crap when
Continue readingwmtc: random notes from portland (day 7)
Allan and I are both sick, apparently with a flu or some other virus. I rarely get sick — it’s been more than four years — and this has hit us with both barrels. I’m concerned that I may have passed something along to my mother. The world’s smallest hamster
Continue readingwmtc: last full day in southern oregon (day 6)
The StoryCorps booth, New York City, 2004 Many readers have reached out here or on Facebook with thoughts and comfort about my mother. I appreciate it very much. I know you have experienced your family’s own version of this. My mother has been disappearing, bit by bit. My mom and
Continue readingwmtc: still in southern oregon (days 4 and 5)
The view from here The trip so far has been both busy and relaxing. Yesterday we visited a farm where some tiny piglets were a big attraction, as much for my mother as for our toddler grandnephew. There were various other farm animals, and my mom was in a state
Continue readingwmtc: greetings from talent, oregon (days 2 and 3)
After breakfast at Joshua’s, we hit the road, taking 101 South, which winds through the Olympic peninsula, following waterways — rivers, canals, sounds, bays — through tiny remote hamlets. Quilcene, Brinnon, Hamma Hamma, Potlatch, Eldon, Hoodsport, Skokomish — so many more. Each community is a few buildings on the roadside
Continue readingwmtc: greetings from port angeles, washington (day one)
The Lefties Mascot: Timber If you’ve been reading wmtc for a while, you know I can’t travel without writing about it. That’s how I process and preserve my travel experiences. I’ve also learned that a surprising number of people like to follow along. So if you’re one of those, thank
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: national indigenous people’s day 2024: an occasional series # 41
Libraries across Canada celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day, and at the Port Hardy Library, that celebration is especially meaningful. The local population is at least 40% Indigenous, and a huge portion of our regular customers identify as Indigenous. This year, the branch team collaborated to offer two very special events. Partners
Continue readingwmtc: happy birthday to me: retirement vs travel edition
Today I have been alive on this planet for 63 years. Last year I shared thoughts on aging and mortality. It was a popular post that resonated with many readers. Predictably — and in keeping with that theme — the next birthday came around in lightning speed. When we’re kids,
Continue readingwmtc: polarization is not the problem. the problem is fascism.
Art by Maaike Hartjes “The problem today is that society is so polarized. We need to come together and find common ground.” I hear and read this a lot these days. In this analysis, opposing points of view are characterized as “extreme”. The best option, it is said, lies in
Continue readingwmtc: the propaganda discrediting student protests is sad, frustrating, and incredibly hypocritical
The student movement opposing Israeli apartheid brings my heart so much joy. When I was in university, a similar movement calling for divestment from South Africa played a significant role in the fall of apartheid in that state. It has the potential to do the same now. Yet mainstream politicians
Continue readingwmtc: "strange fruit" documentary: a nexus of the past and present, and a personal sense of loss
We recently watched “Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song,” a documentary we found on Kanopy. Kanopy’s catalogue includes a vast number of documentaries, many of dubious quality; we’re skeptical every time we click on one. “Strange Fruit” was good — not great, but solid, and worth watching. Strange Fruit:
Continue readingwmtc: "i’m afraid to leave the house, because i’ll hear about another death": the ongoing crises and the toll on frontline workers
The branch supervisor of the Port Hardy Librarymade these, on her own initiative. We have givenaway more than 50 of these “crisis keychains” so far.Front and back pictured here. The Port Hardy community has been besieged with a series of untimely deaths, many of young people. This has been going
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: operation paperclip: the secret intelligence program that brought nazi scientists to america
Many years ago, I wrote about how the label conspiracy theory is used to shut down inquiry and squelch the questioning of authority: two words, part one, two words part two. */** Never have I been more aware of this than after reading two books about real events that could easily
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