Dam Removal and Indigenous Issues in Disney's "Frozen"
Dam Removal and Indigenous Issues in Disney's "Frozen"
(Massive spoilers ahead for Frozen 2. Also Frozen. This should be fine because, to judge by ticket sales, you’ve probably already seen them.)
I have two daughters, but for the last few years, I’ve felt like I have four: Penny and Lupin, princesses of House Brewitt, and Anna and Elsa, princesses of Arendelle. I know I’m not alone in this—Anna and Elsa have joined many, many families. The first thing my older daughter wanted to be when she grew up was an Elsa. My younger daughter has only just turned two but demanded a toothbrush with Anna on it and totes around a stuffed Olaf (the snowman) instead of a teddy bear. I know all of the songs by heart. So of course, when Frozen 2 hit theaters, we (except for the two-year-old) went to see it immediately. I really liked it, but I did not expect it to be about environmental interest groups, political framing, and dam removal. Which is to say, my book.
Oregon Book Award Winner: Dangerous Subjects
Congratulations to OSU Press author Kenneth R. Coleman!
His first book, Dangerous Subjects: James D. Saules and The Rise of Black Exclusion in Oregon, won the Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction at the 2019 Oregon Book Awards.
Dangerous Subjectsexamines the history of black exclusion in Oregon through the story of James D. Saules, a black sailor who was shipwrecked off the Oregon coast in 1841. Coleman follows Saules’ story as he settles in Oregon and is faced with mounting dangers and racism from white settlers and the government as Oregon Trail emigrants arrive in the region.
Reflecting on Rivers, Part Two
Welcome back to Part 2 on our blog series on literature about rivers!
We're thrilled to feature this guest blog post by Peter Brewitt, author of Same River Twice: The Politics of Dam Removal and River Restoration.
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There’s always a dam.
The neighborhood where I live in South Carolina is built around a lake, created by a dam. The pond down the street from my wife’s home in Vermont? Plugged up by a dam. The environmental studies center where I teach? Just below one dam, which hides another, older dam – we see it when the water’s low. This afternoon I biked through Columbus, Ohio, where I attended the American Society for Environmental History conference earlier this month. In a brief ride I saw two dams.
Reflecting on Rivers, Part One
Here at the OSU Press office in Corvallis, we’ve been watching the high flows on the Willamette this week and rivers are on our mind. Today we’re featuring three recent Press books that tell the story of rivers, in Oregon and around the world.
Speaking for the River: Confronting Pollution on the Willamette, 1920s-1970s
Though the state of Oregon has a reputation for being green, one of its major rivers, the Willamette, has struggled with pollution throughout history and in the present day. James Hillegas-Elting looks to the past to explain the present, examining the complex political and technological issues that challenge this Or
New Book Alert! The Eclipse I Call Father
We were thrilled to debut this new book at AWP 2019 in Portland and excited to share that it is available for purchase online.
Memory, place, and experience intersect in David Axelrod’s new collection of essays, The Eclipse I Call Father.David’s writing is lyrical and observant, reflecting his identity as a poet and traveler. Though he has lived and worked abroad for periods of time, David calls the Northwest home, and home is a central image in the essays of this book. Take a look at an excerpt from the essay “To Live as We Dream”, one of the essays in The Eclipse I Call Father also featured online at Terrain:
Celebrating Women
We’re celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing powerful stories by and about women from our recent titles.
The Only Woman In the Room: The Norma Paulus Story is an inspiring look at the life and work of Norma Paulus, the first woman to be elected to state-wide office in Oregon. This book follows Paulus’ journey, which includes surviving polio, graduating from law school with honors despite not having a college degree, running for governor, and being elected Secretary of State. Paulus, who recently passed away, left behind a powerful legacy in Oregon politics.
Giving Back in Real Ways
Today on the OSU Press blog, we are looking at an important conversation that is happening in community-based research.
In Giving Back: Research and Reciprocity in Indigenous Settings, R.D.K. Herman pulls together twelve case studies in order to provide ways for researchers to move forward while working ethically in partnership with communities, and to identify areas where there is still work to be done. Below, read excerpts from contributor Maria Fadiman and R.D.K. Herman on the ethical issues researchers face when trying to give back to the communities in which they work.
OSU Press AWP Countdown Begins
It’s a wonderful time to be a writer or reader in the Pacific Northwest!
It’s March 1st, and in just a few short weeks the Association of Writers & Writing Programs will take place in Portland from March 27–30. We at OSU Press are thrilled to be part of this annual literary celebration along with several of our authors.
AWP can be overwhelming: there are so many authors, readings, panels, and booths to keep track of! Here’s a handy guide on how to connect with OSU Press at AWP:
Blazing a Trail
During the most recent midterm elections, there was a record number of women and diverse candidates who were elected into office. In light of these results and in honor of Black History Month, we'd like to highlight Avel Gordly, the first African-
American woman elected to the Oregon State Senate.
Gordly served three terms as a member of the House of Representatives, and was elected as State Senator in 1996, retiring from her position in 2008. During her time in office, she worked on tasks forces and committees as well as on legislation. In her foreword for Remembering the Power of Words, Charlotte B. Rutherford highlights that Gordly worked to remove racist language from Oregon’s constitution, renounce Oregon’s legacy of institutional racism, proclaim Juneteenth a day for statewide celebration, and require every county police force to be trained in the use of appropriate deadly force, among other essential political work.
From OSU Press, With Love
We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day in our own way at the OSU Press. We have a passion for literary projects that celebrate the earth and bring to light ecological issues, so what better way to show our love for eco-lit than by highlighting some recent and forthcoming books:
Speaking for the River: Confronting Pollution on the Willamette, 1920s-1970sby James V. Hillegas-Elting
Oregonians in search of a fascinating ecological history need look no further than the first book describing the causes and implications of the pollution of the Willamette River. This major Oregon river’s history of pollution and ongoing rehabilitation has affected local communities and ecosystems. In Speaking for the River,independent historian James V. Hillegas-Elting takes a close look at this ‘blot’ on the record of a state known for its commitment to environmental protection. Hillegas-Elting’s history of the iconic and imperiled Willamette focuses on the period starting in the 1920s through governor Thomas L. McCall’s push to clean up the river. Though progress has been made, protecting river quality, like love, takes constant care and maintenance.