Saturday Scoundrels
What makes a good answer to a question?
Being correct seems important, but is that enough? What makes a response useful, illuminating, persuasive, or worth continuing to think about?
This week, Scoundrels considers what we are doing when we respond to one another, with some help from Habermas, Dewey, and Wittgenstein.
Scoundrels is Philosofarian’s weekly philosophical conversation. Bring your curiosity. No reading or philosophy background is required.
Saturday Scoundrels
What is a conversation?
This question follows our first Wit & Wisdom of the year, where John Nygaard and Seth Tichenor revisited a conversation they first presented in 2019 about what conversation asks of us, and what gets harder when the world around us grows more divided.
For Scoundrels, we’re looking at the foundation of the question. What actually makes something a conversation?
Saturday Scoundrels
Why is ritual important?
Birthdays. Funerals. Holidays. Handshakes. Morning coffee. Religious observance. Stadium chants. Humans keep inventing things to do again and again in really specific ways.
What does ritual accomplish that an ordinary action does not? Does repetition change us? Can ritual connect people, preserve memory, mark change, or outlive its usefulness?
Join Scoundrels for a conversation about why humans keep returning to ritual.
Saturday Scoundrels
Can nonhuman intelligence ever be understood by humans?
We encounter forms of intelligence that do not think, perceive, communicate, or inhabit the world as we do. Animals see colors we don’t, dance maps, and sense the magnetic fields of the planet. Plants eat light and can call the predators of their own pests. And Artificial intelligence pushes us to consider what we actually mean by the word “intelligent.” What would it mean to understand an intelligence whose way of knowing may be fundamentally unlike ours?
Scoundrels is Philosofarian’s weekly philosophical conversation. No special expertise required. Just come ready to think with other people.
This project is funded in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities.
The 1930s Jackson County Rebellion
Author, archaeologist, and historian Jeff LaLande will share the study of a fascinating and insightful political movement in 1930s Southern Oregon. The Jackson County Rebellion explores a dramatic if little-known populist insurgency that captured national attention as it played out in rural Oregon. LaLande traces the rebellion’s roots back to the area’s tradition of protest, including the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, then focuses on Jackson County’s politics of upheaval during the worst days of the Great Depression. The broad strokes of the episode may be familiar to contemporary readers, with demagogues fanning rage and relentlessly accusing an elite of corruption and conspiracy.
Echo’s Story: A Museum Open House
Echo’s Story: A Museum Open House will invite community members to explore and celebrate Echo’s local history. The event will feature local historians and community volunteers sharing stories, discussing Echo’s past, and helping visitors learn more about artifacts in the Echo Museum. A children’s scavenger hunt will encourage younger visitors to explore the museum, and refreshments will be available outside. The open-house format will allow visitors of all ages to come and go, ask questions, share their own memories, and connect with Echo’s history and one another.
The Telling of Stories
Survivor centered storytelling in a safe and compassionate environment. A gathering to raise awareness, honor lived experiences and share community resources. Speakers include Rhonda Berry and Carolina Rios.
This event is supported by a Public Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.
The Telling of Stories
Survivor centered storytelling in a safe and compassionate environment. A gathering to raise awareness, honor lived experiences and share community resources. Speakers include Jolanda Ingram, a deputy district attorney for Del Norte County, and domestic violence service provider expert Lea Sevey.
This event is supported by a Public Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.
Declaration 250: Reading with Lois
Read together with former Oregon History Teacher of the Year Lois MacMillan as our community explores The American Revolution and the Fate of the World by Richard Bell in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Book copies are available for checkout at the library. A community book discussion will take place on September 3.
This program is supported by a Mini Grant for Libraries from Oregon Humanities.
Recovering from the Fire with Debra Gwartney
Debra Gwartney lived for many years on the McKenzie River in Western Oregon with her husband and cat. Her newest book is the memoir I Am a Stranger Here Myself. She will share and discuss her latest essay about recovering from the Holiday Farm Fire.
This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Rural Libraries from Oregon Humanities.
Molly Gloss on "The Jump-Off Creek"
Oregon author Molly Gloss will lead a discussion of her novel The Jump-Off Creek.
This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Rural Libraries from Oregon Humanities.
Voices of Gresham Season 2 Launch Party
Gresham Historical Society presents a launch party for season 2 of its original podcast, Voices of Gresham. This party will include a short talk by host Stephanie Vallance followed by a presentation of the first episode and a Q&A. Enjoy snacks and drinks while you listen.
Voices of Gresham is a lively, one-of-a-kind podcast based on oral history recollections of Gresham residents past and present. Using interviews conducted from the 1980s to the present day, hosts Stephanie Vallance and Melissa Bevency explore themes from local history including the main arc, "Coming to Gresham," and shorter arcs exploring the history of libraries and live music.
This podcast will be available for free on all major platforms starting September 30. Season 2 will consist of ten episodes, with new episodes released weekly.
This event and the podcast are supported by a Public Programs Grant from Oregon Humanities.
Wilderness Treasures with William L. Sullivan
William Sullivan is the author of many books and articles about Oregon. In this talk, moderated by John Witte, he will discuss the many wilderness treasures of the Upper McKenzie region in Oregon.
This event is supported by a Mini Grant for Libraries from Oregon Humanities.
Past and Future Cultural Lifeways of Western Oregon Tribes
The Willamette Valley is rich with history that has been largely unrecorded—its riverbanks, forests, and mountains have been home to the tribes of Kalapuya, Chinook, Molalla, and more for thousands of years. Please join us for a presentation by OSU Professor and Indigenous scholar David Lewis, who will highlight Native perspectives on the history of the region and take us through a journey from then to now. Dr. Lewis is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and author of the book Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley.
Beyond 250 Community Dinner
Join Echo Public Library for a free community dinner provided by H&P Cafe and a guided conversation exploring ideas of equality, liberty, and the future of our community as part of Oregon Humanities' Beyond 250 initiative. This event brings people together to share a meal, listen, and reflect on the next 250 years. Anna Lemmon will facilitate the conversation.
Tertulias...¡de película! en Español: "Malamadre"
Tertulias… ¡de Película! Es un encuentro trimestral en español donde exploramos cortometrajes, documentales y películas, y conversamos abierta y sinceramente sobre las ideas y emociones que nos despierta el cine. Es un espacio para conectar, aprender y compartir, pensado para personas hispanohablantes que desean vivir historias a través del cine.
Grant Recipients
Organizations that have received grant support from Oregon Humanities since 2017
Mini Grants for Libraries
A grant for Oregon libraries to create and host events in their communities
Public Program Grants
Oregon Humanities awards annual Public Program Grants in support of programs across Oregon that explore challenging questions and strive for just communities.
Grants
Oregon Humanities awards grants in support of programs that help Oregonians connect, reflect, and learn from each other.
COVID-19 Emergency Fund Grantees
A responsive review panel composed of staff and board members redistributed $452,500 for general operating and programmatic support to sixty-one organizations throughout the state in late May as part of the CARES Act.