This week on "State of Wonder," we remember the life and legacy of the ground-breaking writer Ursula K. Le Guin, and then we talk with Oregon's three Grammy nominees: Portugal. The Man, The Decemberists' side project Offa Rex, and Randy Porter and Nancy King.

Remembering Ursula K Le Guin

Portland lost a living legend this week. Ursula K. Le Guin passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in her Northwest home. Her writing not only spanned genres, it tore down the barriers that separated them, helping to elevate science fiction and fantasy into "literature" — to say nothing of opening up fiction to women writers and women protagonists. The worlds Le Guin created were places of refuge for those who felt like outsiders and places that challenged readers to think differently and expand their imaginations.

In this segment, we listen to:

2:04 - A remembrance from April Baer
5:50 - A conversation with Le Guin at Wordstock in 2015, shortly after the release of a new version of her guide to writing, “Steering the Craft,” in which she spoke about her writing process and what it means to “push back” as a woman writer.
13:57 - A conversation with Le Guin's eldest child, Elisabeth Le Guin, a professor of musicology at UCLA, about the inspiration that is her mother, and what it was like to sit around the dinner table with such a fierce woman. You can listen to the full interview here.
22:38 - A conversation with Molly Gloss, the author of numerous books including "The Hearts of Horses" and "Wild Life," who met Le Guin in 1981 and has been a close friend and writing peer since. You can find the full conversation on Think Out Loud.

Portugal. The Man's "Feel It Still" Is Up for Best Pop Group Performance - 29:17

“Feel It Still,” the first single from Portugal. The Man’s newest album, “Woodstock,” set new records at the top of multiple charts, becoming the biggest crossover hit since Gotye’s “Somebody that I Used to Know.” Now the song has snagged Portugal. The Man a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Last summer, the band played an exclusive live set at the OPB studio and sat down to talk about the album. You can watch videos of their opbmusic session here.

The Decemberists' Collaboration with Olivia Chaney Gets Nominated for Best Folk Album - 35:57

The Decemberists may have finally met their match. The band teamed up with British singer Olivia Chaney under the name Offa Rex — a reference to an Anglo-Saxon king. The album, produced by local whiz Tucker Martine, is called “The Queen of Hearts,” and it's up for the Grammy for Best Folk Album. We invited Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy into the studio, and got Chaney on the line from England, to talk about how this dream team came to be.

Randy Porter and Nancy King Contend for Best Jazz Vocal Album with "Porter Plays Porter" - 44:32

Last but not least in the trio of Oregon Grammy contenders is the jazz pianist Randy Porter. Porter was first exposed to the music of his namesake, Cole Porter, at age 20, when he worked on a revue of the great American composer’s work. Randy Porter has since become a successful pianist known for his impeccable technique, and now his trio has teamed up with one of the region’s jazz treasures, vocalist Nancy King, on the record “Porter Plays Porter with Nancy King.” It’s up for the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

This week on "State of Wonder," there are birds everywhere. We say goodbye to "Portlandia" as it enters its final season, hear new music from the Portland band Mimicking Birds, meet the Michelangelo of animal art, and raise a toast with MK Guth.

Time to Hang up Your Bird Stencil and Say Goodbye to "Portlandia"

“Portlandia” began its final season this week. Since its premiere in 2011, the sketch comedy show sometimes feels like it’s come to define Portland — or at least a particular cross-section of the city. It put us on the map as the capital of earnest urbanism at a time when words like “artisanal” and “locavore” were sweeping the nation. It was an image Portlanders embraced, but then came to struggle with.

Muralist on 82nd Avenue Faces Backlash for Depicting Diversity - 13:42

82nd Avenue is a marker for a diverse community that defies Portland’s reputation as one of the whitest cities in America. Reporter Ericka Cruz Guevarra met with Asian-American artist Alex Chiu whose mural depicting diversity was met with such backlash that supporters signed up to stand watch with him while he worked.

Live opbmusic Session with Mimicking Birds - 18:51

The music of the portland band Mimicking Birds is so beautifully composed that it’s easy to zone out the lyrics as just another gorgeous instrument. We don’t recommend it. Songwriter Nate Lacy probes our place in this great big universe with the soul of a poet and the eye of a scientist. The band's previous albums have turned them into an NPR favorite. We had them into the studio to play a few tracks from their new record, “Layers of Us,” which comes out Jan. 26, and talk about the new layers of instruments they’ve added to their sound.

The Beautiful Creatures of Christopher Marley - 27:47

A couple years ago, we profiled a Salem artist who transforms poisonous snakes, tropical fish and exotic insects into works of art. His name is Christopher Marley, and he had just put out a New York Times bestselling book. He said at the time that his next big project was putting together a museum show with the goal of moving from high-end retail to the world of galleries and museums. Well, he’s done it. He’s mounted a major exhibition of some 400 works at the Weiner Museum of Decorative Arts and The Gallery of Amazing Things near Miami, Florida. We head down to his studio for an update.

MoviePass's Move Theater Subscription Service is Changing the Game for Moviegoers - 32:35

What if you could pay $10 a month and see a move a day in a theater? If you went once a week, you would only pay $2.50 a movie, and nothing would stop you from going all the time and paying pennies a shot. This is the pitch that MoviePass has been making, and it’s working. Since the company slashed its price over the summer, it’s grown from 20,000 customers to 1.5 million. But if – on average – people see even just two movies a month, how is MoviePass going to make money? And what will this mean for theaters?

Drinking Whisky with Artist MK Guth - 42:09

If you’ve ever thought that a visit to an art gallery could be enhanced by a stiff drink, MK Guth’s most recent installation at the Elizabeth Leach gallery (up through Jan. 27) might be right up your alley. “Instructions for Drinking with Friend” is just that — a bottle of whisky with instruction meant to incite deeper conversation and turn the observer into the performer. Guth is an artist fascinated by social interaction and the rituals of food and drink. Her past projects include private dinners, like "Dinner to Plan a Revolution," an experience that involves eating a hearty meal, drinking vodka, and following instructions to facilitate dialogue about change. A range of her work is now on display at a retrospective in Salem’s Hallie Ford Museum of Art titled “MK Guth: Paying Attention.”

This week on "State of Wonder," exclusive sessions with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and the epic band Typhoon, new ideas to preserve Portland's arts spaces, musician Laura Veirs branches into podcasting and children's books, and more.
City Council Seeks to Preserve Arts Spaces with New Proposals

So many Oregon cities are going through catalytic change because of rising real estate costs, and the front-line casualties include galleries, stages, clubs and artist studios. Most recently, Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland proposed selling half its building. At a work session this week, Portland City Council showed signs it may be ready to take action with a list of about two dozen recommendations for preserving arts and creative space, ranging from creating a new zoning category for creative spaces to an arts concierge in City Hall and giving arts groups priority pick of surplus city real estate.
Former RACC Director Eloise Damrosch on the Future of Portland Arts - 4:19

In the seventeen years that Eloise Damrosch was at the helm of the Regional Arts and Culture Council, she had a 10,000-foot view of the seismic changes in the city’s arts scene. She retired in 2017, paving the way for an executive search, now in its eighth month. It’s clear that the task ahead for the next generation of arts leaders is a heavy lift. Damrosch joined us this week to talk about her time at RACC and about this list of ideas on preserving creative space from commissioners Nick Fish and Chloe Eudaly.

Live opbmusic Session with Typhoon - 11:49

The band Typhoon is back this week with "Offerings," another record of songs made with finesse and ferocity. But this new release finds frontman and songwriter Kyle Morton going to strange and dark places, as it imagines one man’s descent into memory loss and madness. With as many as eleven musicians, this band has never lacked for ambition, but the high-concept music in “Offerings” raises the bar.

The Silent Film Classic "The Passion of Joan of Arc" Gets a Soaring Live Soundtrack - 25:10

For years, one of the worlds greatest films was thought lost, only to be discovered in a custodial closet in Norway. Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film, “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” will be screened at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Jan. 26 in a most unique way: Portland Youth Philharmonic’s chamber orchestra will perform Richard Einhorn’s oratorio “Voices of Light” live to accompany the film, along with a slew of soloists and vocal ensembles including the female vocal ensemble In Mulieribus and three Portland State University choirs. We spoke with the composer Richard Einhorn and PYP's musical director David Hattner, who conducted a similar production in New York City in 2006 to glowing reviews. The "New York Times" asked whether it was Einhorn's "Voices of Light" that accompanied the film, or the film that accompanied the music?

Musician Laura Veirs on Her Children's Book and New Podcast - 35:08

In 2018, Portland singer-songwriter Laura Veirs puts down her guitar and picks up the interview mike for a new podcast, "Midnight Lightning," where she talks to musician moms, charting all the insane things they do to keep their careers and families on track. From rootsy pickers to funk rockers, there’s one thing they all have in common, she says: “Guilt. That was the main thing everyone said. They feel guilty. Especially the touring moms. And then gratitude. ‘I’m grateful I get to do this.’” Veirs also tells us about the children’s book she just published about an early folk singer, “Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten.”

Josh Ritter Plays Sisters - 44:46

Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter is coming to Central Oregon for a concert at the Sisters Folk Festival Winter Concert Series on Jan. 23. The Idaho native’s a big get for them. In addition to his accomplishments as a musician, Ritter also...

Kyle Morton and his band join us for an opbmusic studio session in front of a live audience. The new record, "Offerings" is the tale of a disturbing personal journey , tracking personal and cultural memory loss.

This week on "State of Wonder," the comedian Maria Bamford on her hit Netflix series, author Daniel Handler on his best-selling "Series of Unfortunate Events" books, and the man who pretty much invented the photography book, Robert Frank.

Hard Times For Artists Repertory Theatre

The year got off to a hard start for Portland’s oldest theater, Artists Repertory. Founded in 1982, the mid-sized company performs high-octane work by hot playwrights, tackling subjects like racism, the Great Recession, and climate change. As OPB’s April Baer reports, the company announced plans to sell half its building to retire its debt and set it on a sustainable path, as well as the departure of its managing director.

Comedian Maria Bamford - 6:38

Comedian Maria Bamford is cruising back through Oregon next week for shows at Eugene’s McDonald Hall Jan. 12 and at Portland's Revolution Hall Jan. 13. She’s been cranking out the work lately. Last year she released a Netflix special, "Old Baby," where she's performing in front of all different kinds of crowds: clubs, neighborhood streets, a bowling alley with a bunch of complete strangers. She also kicked out a new web series, "Ave Maria Bamford" — sort of a self-help for the holidays missal — and her series on Netflix, “Lady Dynamite,” has wrapped a second season. In it, she plays a fictionalized version of herself, and tells stories about rebooting her career after a serious mental health crises breakdown in 2010.

Nick Delffs Live at opbmusic - 18:20

Nick Delffs was a longtime part of the Portland music scene, fronting the shaggy indie rock band The Shaky Hands and collaborating with Luz Elena Mendoza and Ali Clarys in the group Tiburones, before moving to Boise, Idaho, several years ago. Delffs went back on the road to promote the release of his first solo album, “Redesign,” and, no surprise, it’s a collection of songs about reinventing yourself.

A Conversation With Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket - 22:40

Beginning in 1999, a writer under the pen name Lemony Snicket began “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” a thirteen volume collection of blockbuster children’s books that have been turned into a movie and a Netflix series. They told the story of the Baudelaire children, who lost their parents in a fire and became the wards of their evil Count Olaf. The books struck a chord with kids because they didn’t moralize or try to make the world seem better than it was; instead, they confronted the fact that bad things happen, often for no reason at all.

Lemony Snicket was later revealed to be the author Daniel Handler. He has since written many works under his own name, ranging from poetry to plays. Last fall, he released both the novel “All the Dirty Parts” and the children’s book “The Bad Mood and the Stick.” He spoke at Wordstock in November with "New York Times" TV critic Gilbert Cruz.
Remembering Violinist Robert Mann - 32:36

This week, a giant in the classical world — with Portland roots — passed away. Robert Mann, a founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet, died Monday at age 97. We take a moment to remember Mann, and the contributions he made to classical music, including the symphony where he got his start: the Portland Youth Philharmonic.

Art Publisher Gerhard Steidl on Photographer Robert Frank - 35:11

Robert Frank has been called the father of street photography because he was the first person to shoot everyday life with a raw, shoot-from-the-hip aesthetic, but "street photography" is an understatement. His photos of people around the world are really documentary works that tell complex stories, and his book "The Americans" (with an introduction by Jack Kerouac) basically invented the photography book as we understand it.

Now the world’s preeminent publisher of photography books, Gerhard Steidl, is in town for an exhibition of Frank's...

Best-selling novelist Tom Perrotta has a flair for finding humanity in talks about thinking through the social and spiritual dimensions of inetrnet porn for his bittersweet satire, "Mrs. Fletcher". We also discuss famous film and video adaptations of his other works, like "Election" and "The Leftovers".

Best-selling novelist Tom Perrotta has a flair for finding humanity in talks about thinking through the social and spiritual dimensions of inetrnet porn for his bittersweet satire, "Mrs. Fletcher". We also discuss famous film and video adaptations of his other works, like "Election" and "The Leftovers".

Twenty years ago, Elliott Smith opened a door into a hypnotic new world. The album “Either/Or,” released on Kill Rock Stars, marks a turning point in Smith’s transition from Portland rock journeyman to international star. This time had enormous consequences for Smith personally and professionally, but it also gave us heart-stopping music that continues to inspire fans and musicians all over the world.

Last March, we sat down with Smith’s friends, peers, and a live studio audience to talk about “Either/Or” and Smith’s legacy.

Smith’s ultra-reflective songwriting and well-honed recording style represent an apex of the DIY sound that made Portland’s name during its intensely fertile 1990s. His music continues to inspire people like Frank Ocean, Ben Gibbard, Wayne Coyne and many others.

Our Guests

Larry Crane of Jackpot Recording Studio was a longtime friend and collaborator and has assumed the role of archivist of Smith’s catalogue. He tells us about what he’s observed of the record through the years, leading up to the re-release of a re-mastered, extended edition of “Either/Or.”
Slim Moon, founder of Kill Rock Stars, worked with Smith to release two studio records, including “Either/Or.” The label also shepherded the release of some posthumous material. Moon’s perspective puts Smith in the context of a constellation of regional and national artists of the time.

Loving Covers By

Luz Elena Mendoza and Ali Clarys (Y La Bamba, Tiburones): “Speed Trials” - 00:10
Catherine Feeny + band: “Between the Bars” - 13:31
Amit Erez (The Secret Sea): “Angeles” [15:51] and “Southern Belle” [26:03]
Matt Drenik: “2:45 AM” - 32:08
Sean Croghan: “Alameda” - 39:30

This week on "State of Wonder," we discuss the legacy of former mayor and arts booster Vera Katz, the best music of 2017, and get a glimpse into Portland's past through the photos of Minor White.

Remembering Beloved Former Mayor, Vera Katz - 1:24

This week, Former Portland Mayor and Oregon House speaker Vera Katz died. A trailblazer who steered Portland into an unprecedented period of growth and vitality (see: Pearl District, South Waterfront, East Bank Esplanade, etc), she always had her eye on how arts and creativity could enrich public life.

We look back on Katz's legacy and then sit down with two arts leaders who worked during Katz tenure: Eloise Damrosch, the long-time head of the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and Linda K. Johnson, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher who brought many projects to life inside and outside the public sector, including an Artist-in-Residency program in the early days of the South Waterfront.

The Year In Jazz With KMHD - 16:35

We’re going to take some time to look back at the year that was in music. First up, we talk the ever-widening world of jazz with the mighty triumvirate behind KMHD Jazz Radio: program director Matt Fleeger and hosts/producers Isabel Zacharias and Derek Smith.
They talk some of the best albums and best concerts of the year (hey, Solange!) that remind us why jazz continues to be so important — it uplifts, inspires, reflects and makes space for honesty.

opbmusic's Favorite Music Of 2017 - 26:35

It's been a big year for local pop, rock, and hip-hop artists. opbmusic's Jerad Walker joins us to talk the two biggest songs to come out of Portland maybe ever: Portugal. The Man's "Feel It Still" and Amine's "Caroline" (don't miss Portugal's performance of their whole album live in the OPB studio). Then we move onto some of the year's other breakouts and best live opbmusic sessions, including The Last Artful, Dodgr, Kelli Schaefer, and Wild Ones.

Bullseye Glass: The Heavy Metal Saga Continues - 34:46

Bullseye Glass came under heavy state and county scrutiny last year after scientists found heavy metals in air and plants near the art glass maker’s southeast Portland headquarters. The company has since spent millions of dollars to comply and now has now sued the state for civil rights violations, claiming Governor Kate Brown’s actions were arbitrary and capricious, and violated the company’s right to due process.

City Council Approves Portland Art Museum's Expansion - 37:49

Last year, the Portland Art Museum announced plans for a new entrance called the Rothko Pavilion that would connect the museum’s two existing buildings and fix its notoriously inaccessible layout. However, advocates for disability, pedestrian and bicycle rights argued that the expansion would obstruct the current pedestrian passage along Madison Street. This week, the council voted 3-1 in favor of the museum.

Minor White's Photographs Of The Portland Before Old Portland - 39:18

We talk a lot about how much Portland has changed in the last few decades, but if you want to really blow your mind, look at the city compared not to the 1990s, but to the 1930s. Talk about a whole different town. The artist Minor White spent several years photographing Portland for the Works Progress Administration.
Now there’re two exhibitions of his work: "In the Beginning: Minor White’s Oregon Photographs" at the Portland Art Museum and "Parting Shots: Minor White’s Images of Portland, 1938-1942" at the Architectural Heritage Center. Eric Slade dropped by to discuss Oregon Art Beat's recent profile of White.

Explode Into Colors Are Back In The Music Game - 43:56

The reunion of Explode Into Colors for two epic live shows last fall fall — and an opbmusic studio session — had Portland music fans in ecstasy. They liked playing together so much that they’re...

This week on "State of Wonder," we talk to Todd Haynes about his newest film, "Wonderstruck," and the fall of Harvey Weinstein; we explore Christian Scott aTunde Adjua's groundbreaking contemporary jazz; and discover the story of a painting that saved a family's lives during the Holocaust.

Embers, the Iconic Portland LGBT Bar, Closes Its Doors - 1:32

Another landmark of old Portland has closed. The downtown bar and dance club Embers opened almost half a century ago when the world was — to say the least — a very different place for gay men and lesbians. Last week club managers announced on social media that owner Steve Suss had suffered a massive stroke and that Embers must close almost immediately. Kevin Cook, who performs as Poison Waters, took part in the final party as one of the club’s hall of fame drag performers and talked with us about the club's legacy.

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Stretches Jazz: 5:15

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's newest three-LP release, “The Centennial Trilogy,” includes post-bop harmonic foundations, boom-bap hip-hop feels, Afro-Cuban percussion and the electric beat manipulations of trap music — all while sounding unmistakably his. “The Centennial Trilogy” bears all the markings of a landmark jazz release, while itself marking a historic milestone: this year is the 100th anniversary of the first-ever jazz recording. Not that Scott is a big fan of that word, “jazz.” He prefers the term “stretch music” to describe his genre and its boundlessness.

Eleri Harris on the Tasmanian Murder of the Century: 14:16

On the other side of the world, in a city roughly the size of Corvallis, a murder mystery has kept news watchers and voyeurs on the edge of their seats for eight years. A wealthy scientist from Hobart, Tasmania disappeared in 2009. The ensuing investigation was, in Tasmanian terms, the trial of the century.
Portland-based artist Eleri Harris wanted to bring out the tragic family story behind the case in her seven-part serialized comic, “Reported Missing.” This gorgeously rendered, and binge-worthy story lays out the case in patient detail, as well as the surprising developments that keep the case alive to this day.

Phoebe Bridgers' Profoundly Melancholy Debut - 23:48

Phoebe Bridgers' new album, “Stranger In The Alps,” is a profoundly melancholy offering packed with heavy songs about grief and breakups. It even contains a number called "Funeral" — and yes, she really was once hired to play at a funeral. Like the artist herself, the music has a well-developed and wry sense of dark humor running through its core, making for an impressive and surprisingly mature debut from the 23-year-old LA musician.

Bridgers and her band stopped into the OPB studios earlier this fall before a gig opening for The War On Drugs. You can see the videos here.

Filmmaker Todd Haynes Pivots to Children's Cinema - 32:55

Portlander filmmaker Todd Haynes might seem an unlikely director to make a children's movie. He first attracted attention and controversy with a film where Barbie dolls acted out the life of singer Karen Carpenter. That was followed by melodramas, including 2015's "Carol," which conjures a forbidden lesbian affair in the 1950s. Now Todd Haynes has taken a turn into entirely new territory with his film "Wonderstruck," where you'll find wide-eyed children chasing around the magical dioramas of New York's Museum of Natural History. Haynes spoke with Rene Montagne about the film, as well as the accusations against Harvey Weinstein, who has distributed some of Haynes’s films.

Searching for the Painting One Jewish Family Traded for Escape from the Holocaust - 41:01

This story is about the power of art — or the power of one painting in particular. In the fall of 1938 in Munich, Germany, the Nazis rounded up thousands of Jews and sent them to concentration camps. A...