RiverSpeak

A Mother’s Prayer

Ira Gardner — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:53:00 +0000

As I sat in church this morning listening to a Mother’s Day sermon I was reminded of the portrait I made of Blanca Hernandez in October of 2001. She had come to my workplace to give a lecture about the history around the disappearance of more than 55,000 men and boys from the villages of Guatamala since a 1980 military take over of the government. Her own son is remembered in the portrait she is holding. He disappeared in 1984. She spoke of the mothers who were working together to pressure the government to release the location of the mass graves where they hoped to find the remains of their husbands and sons. More than 10 years later she is still working with other mothers as they continue to search and dig.

I remember being so moved by her story that I approached her after the lecture and asked her if she would permit me to make a photograph of her. We had to communicate through an interpreter. She asked “Why do you want to do this?” She was clearly still affected by fear and distrust. I responded by saying, “Because, when you leave here your story leaves with you, but if I make a portrait of you, each time I show the portrait your story will be retold again and we will remember how important your message is.” She smiled. She thanked me and said yes and asked me where we would go to make the portrait. I suggested St. Aloysius chapel near the votive candles where people come and light candles and pray and remember loved ones. It was a stretch to assume she was Roman Catholic, she was.

She brought her son’s portrait. I photographed her holding her son close to her as any mother would. Her expression was solemn and dignified, the same look that we all know from Dorthea Lange’s portrait Migrant Mother.

It was a moving experience. The image was made even more symbolic for Americans because it was made just a month after the September 11th attacks. She had planned her trip to Spokane well before this event, and when she was asked if she thought of cancelling her lecture she responded that she understood the pain America was experiencing and thought that we could all have a deeper understanding of one another through the shared experiences.

It was fitting that today’s sermon was delivered by Pastor Kate, and that it featured stories about mothers who have come together to fight against all odds against oppressive governments and societies to protect their children and the future generations. She spoke of the powerful force of love that mothers and grandmothers are throughout the world. If only we could remember this more than one day a year…

http://iragardner.blogspot.com/

The First Weeks of May

Travis Cadez — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:40:00 +0000

blog.kamikaze-cycling.com

Home Grown

Tiffany Patterson — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:24:00 +0000

My wife Jacinda is a magical doer. I don’t post about her often because she is shy, and likes her privacy. However, she is most boast worthy.

I found a photo I uploaded to facebook in 2010. Our entire yard was grass and two rotting 100 year old trees. Now just two years later it’s been transformed by one very diligent lady. It’s completely landscaped and includes clover, gardens, flower beds, fruit trees, rock walls, chicken pens, broken cement walkways, and a very cozy fire pit/social area out back. We’re even hosting a wedding for some dear friends at our place in a couple months!

Our Garden:
We are up to 11 raised beds now. The triangle one is my favorite! Jacinda figured out an extremely inexpensive method using cedar fence boards, and has been teaching our friends to build them too. (I plan to work with her and illustrate a ‘how-to’ for sharing at some point.)

I asked Jacinda to write a list of the things we are growing (so far) this year in our yard. We live in the city – but it’s a mini urban homestead for sure…complete with pet chickens and all.

The Perennials…
Fuji apple tree, gala apple tree, fruit cocktail tree (graft of plum, plumcot, nectarine), vanessa grapes, frontenac gris grapes, raspberries, rhubarb, horseradish, marionberries, asparagus, willamette hops, mount hood hops, aronia berry, goji berry, strawberry, jerusalem artichoke, lavender, and mint.

The Regular Garden (and she’s not finished)…
German butterball potatoes, sweet potatoes, french filet beans, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprout, artichoke, kale, peas, red onion, yellow onion, walla walla onion, hard neck garlic, lettuce, spinach, sunflowers, early girl tomato, roma tomato, zucchini, acorn squash, yellow squash, tobacco, carrots, beets, sweet corn, and a cornucopia of herbs for cooking and drying.

I can’t even tell you how delightful this year will be – sneaking out to harvest fresh ingredients for homegrown meals.

She amazes me.
…And now has properly been boasted about!
♥

uglyyellow.blogspot.com

Hush

Amia — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Awe-inspiring.

amiablogs.blogspot.com

Jonathan Potter and Travis Laurence Naught

Get Lit! — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane, WA is famous for bringing in amazing authors to read, discuss, and socialize with those interested in the writer’s craft. This Thursday, May 10, will be no different as both Jonathan Potter and Travis Laurence Naught visit Auntie’s to read from their work and share their views on the craft of poetry.

Jonathan Potter will be speaking about his first book of poems, House of Words. Published by Korrectiv Press, the poems laid upon these pages spin theories of words and of life–indeed, the whole book is dedicated to his wife and the celebration of their marriage. The simple gray cover of House of Words–a farmhouse settled in a quiet field–offers an eerie quality to the book, but there is nothing otherwordly about these poems, only images of beauty, struggle, and devotion are ignited once you begin to read.

The Virgin Journals depicts Travis Laurence Naught’s experiences on living life as a quadriplegic. His poems challenge the reader to forget about physical disabilities, about anything that can hold one back from what is truly beautiful in life. Separated into three elements–Life, Love, and the World–Naught is able to deliver truth in every word. His raw perspective of the world eliminates any sugar-coating, and he is unafraid and unapologetic throughout every piece.

~~~
Visit the blog: http://getlitprograms.blogspot.com/

getlitprograms.blogspot.com

Historic NYC Photos

Get Lit! — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:08:00 +0000

There’s something to be said about the simplicity of black and white imagery… It allows you to focus on the beauty of the actual image, rather than the added spectrum of color that can be distracting.

That being said, the following photographs were released by the New York City Municipal Archives. These pictures depict the ebb and flow of life in 20th-century New York City. Take a look at the soft light illuminating the Grand Central Terminal, or the brave workers suspended on cables above the Brooklyn Bridge, meticulously painting every inch of the cables without a safety line in sight.

Some of the images portray homicide scenes; others capture the “newsies” of New York at work, passing out their papers. Whatever image you come across, you can be sure to find yourself in awe, reveling at the monochromatic glimpse into the past.

~~~
Visit the blog: http://getlitprograms.blogspot.com/

getlitprograms.blogspot.com