Upcoming Oregon Originals Program
November 1, 2002 U.S. Bank Room, Central Library
Whatever Happened to Mary Carolyn Davies & Harlan Cozad McIntosh?
This will be a look at forgotten Oregon writers, a survey of individuals from our mysterious, too-little-examined literary roots.
Presenter: Brian Booth
For information contact:
Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission
Phone: (503)
285-8279 or (503) 292-6439
Fax: (503) 289-4179
E-mail:
ochcom@easystreet.com
Powell's and OCHC Team Up to Publish
Homer Davenport and Louise Bryant
Homer Davenport's mother foresaw her son
becoming a great cartoonist like her idol Thomas Nast. She urged her
husband from her deathbed to do whatever it took to make their 3-year
old grow into the genius of her dreams. Amazingly, the Silverton lad
fulfilled her dying reveries. At the dawn of the 20th century and the
height of his career, Homer wrote and illustrated The Country Boy,
which faithfully captures an archetypal small town American boyhood. On
its 1910 release, the Cleveland Leader said: "The Country Boy belongs
on the shelf with Mark Twain's books." In a more down-home response,
Salem's Capital Journal stated: "Homer Davenport, the young gentleman
from this state who has gained a national reputation as the best
cartoonist of the land, is not only being showered with honors but is
also taking in the cash."
Louise Bryant, a fanciful young woman mired in the provincial life of early 20th century Portland, followed native son John Reed to Greenwich Village, and then off to Russia, where they both recorded and made history. Her book Six Red Months in Russia, published in 1918 just following the Revolution, captures that amazing event in all its human complexity. Following her local tour stop in April, 1919, The Oregonian said: "Despite her exposure to the Russian Revolution, Louise has changed little… Aside from the George Sand haircut, she is the same little radicalist and vigorous performer that left Portland three years ago."
Louise Bryant Both volumes have long deserved
reissue, and they've now appeared as the introductory volumes in the
Powell's Press series produced in collaboration with Oregon Cultural
Heritage Commission, which arranged for introductions by knowledgeable,
enthusiastic writers. More Oregon volumes are "in the works." The
promotion of these and future volumes is part of the long-term effort
by OCHC to raise the profile of our region's creative figures and their
works.
The Davenport volume is given a lively introduction by poet, literary
historian, and OCHC Secretary Walt Curtis, who makes a strong case that
the cartoonist is "one of Oregon's most extraordinary celebrities."
Bryant biographer (Queen of Bohemia) Mary Dearborn of New York provides
a succinct preface to her work and life, urging readers to reconsider
the quality of Bryant's insights and writing, as well as her place in
history.
Response to the publishing collaboration has been highly positive.
Portland Tribune writer Mary Bellotti opened the Business section cover story (June 25, 2002): "Powell's Books, Portland's powerhouse bookseller, enters the publishing business this week using state-of-the-art digital technology to reprint two turn-of-the-century books with Oregon ties… To choose the first Powell's Press titles, coordinator of the publishing venture Miriam Sontz consulted David Milholland, president of the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission in Portland, who listed 15 books with historical ties to Oregon." Steffen Silvis in Willamette Week (August 7, 2002) called the two titles "forgotten gems" and said: "Davenport's tale of his pet goose is a powerful coming of age story to rival The Yearling… Louise Bryant's Six Red Months in Russia is also crack storytelling… Powell's Press is to be commended for reviving voices that had been sadly purged from publishing."
State Librarian Jim Scheppke wrote by email: "…the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission and Michael Powell are to be commended for their collaboration to bring back into print classics of Oregon literature… I hope Oregon librarians will support this effort by purchasing these books for your Oregon collections. These new editions would make good circulating copies if you already own older editions that you should preserve."
Both volumes can be obtained directly from OCHC as a postpaid premium for an annual membership donation of $35 or more. Please return the form on pages 8-9, which includes a selected list of additional titles, including the rare Mickey Hickman biography Homer, The Country Boy, which describes in detail Davenport's adventures and legacy as a father of the Arabian horse in the U.S. The Powell's Press books are also available directly from Powell's many stores, or from their website, www.powells.com.
In his Salem Statesman (August 11, 2002) review of these introductory volumes in the series, Dan Hays sums things up: "Both are nicely done trade paperbacks, well-printed and well-designed… We all owe a debt of gratitude to Powell's and the OCHC for getting these books back into print. Let's thank them by buying copies of the books."
David Milholland, OCHC President