Portland Arts & Lectures: Daniel James Brown

PORTLAND ARTS & LECTURES 2021/22

DANIEL JAMES BROWN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021

Please join honorary co-chair and “Boys in the Boat” author, Daniel James Brown in supporting the restoration of the historic WWI hangar that was their boathouse, the ASUW Shell House.

“No longer is the Husky crew just the University of Washington varsity.

Today it belongs to the nation.”

- Seattle Times, July 5, 1936

To learn more, visit www.asuwshellhouse.uw.edu 2

PORTLAND ARTS & LECTURES 2021/2022 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

EVENT UNDERWRITERS Daniel James Brown Thursday, October 14, 2021 The Eberwein Family

Richard Powers Thursday, April 21, 2022 Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund

Cathy Park Hong Thursday, January 27, 2022 Angeli Law Group

Edwidge Danticat Thursday, May 12, 2022 A to Z Wineworks

Brit Bennett Thursday, February 17, 2022 ZGF Architects

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DANIEL JAMES BROWN

Daniel James Brown image © Robin V. Brown

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aniel James Brown was born in 1951 and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. His father worked in the flower business, and his mother was a homemaker. As a youth, Brown struggled with anxiety and was the victim of bullying by his peers, so much so that he dropped out of high school. He completed his high school degree through a series of correspondence courses, which he worked on in the Doe Memorial Library at the University of California, Berkeley. Brown describes this time spent in the Berkeley library, studying on his own, as when he first became interested in books and reading.

After earning his high school degree, Brown attended Diablo Valley College, a nearby community college, and then transferred to

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UC Berkeley to finish his undergraduate studies. He went on to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned his master’s degree in English. After graduation, Brown taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford University.

Looking for new opportunities, Brown applied for a position as a technical writer and editor at the then-burgeoning Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington. In his role, Brown wrote and edited some of the first manuals and interactive tutorials for Microsoft Windows, and became adept at translating complex and technical subjects into something the average reader could easily understand. He worked there for twelve years before leaving to pursue a career writing narrative nonfiction.

Despite writing across a wide range of historical subjects, Brown’s books all celebrate courage and the human spirit. He’s said, “I’m always drawn to stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

That pretty much always involves some form of courage.” In 2006, Brown published his first book, Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894. In 2009, he released The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride.

Brown achieved wide recognition in 2014 with the publication of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The book shares the story of the American Olympic rowing team, and their triumph in Nazi Germany.

The Seattle Times said of the book, “The individual stories of these young men are almost as compelling as the rise of the team itself. . . . A story this breathtaking demands an equally compelling author, and Brown does not disappoint.” The Boys in the Boat served as the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of ’36, and an adaptation for young readers was released in 2016.

Tom Ikeda is the founding Executive Director of Densho, a nonprofit founded in 1996 to preserve and share histories of Japanese Americans incacerated during World War II. Tom is a Sansei (thirdgeneration Japanese American) who was born and raised in Seattle. He wrote the foreward to Daniel James Brown’s nonfiction work about Japanese Americans in World War II, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. Tom’s parents and grandparents were incarcerated during World War II at Minidoka, Idaho. In addition to leading the organization over the last 24 years, Tom has conducted more than 250

In May 2021, Brown released his second New York Times bestseller, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. The book tells the story of the men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the US Army: a brave group of Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) soldiers, who volunteered to serve even as the federal government uprooted many of their families from their West Coast homes and incarcerated them in camps across America. Ann Burroughs of the Japanese American National Museum praised Facing the Mountain, stating that: “Drawing on impeccable historic research, the narrative movingly shines the light of history on prejudice and discrimination and the unfinished struggle for a more just future.”

Brown lives in the Washington countryside with his wife, two daughters, and an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. A passionate outdoorsman, in his free time he enjoys birding, gardening, fly fishing, and reading American history.

video-recorded, oral history interviews with Japanese Americans. Prior to working at Densho, Tom was a general manager at Microsoft Corporation in the Multimedia Publishing Group.

Tom has received numerous awards for his community and historical contributions, including the Humanities Washington Award for outstanding achievement in the public humanities, the National JACL Japanese American of the Biennium Award, the Microsoft Alumni Integral Fellows Award, the Japanese American National Museum Founder’s Award, and the Robert Gray Medal from the Washington State Historical Society.

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Celebrating thinkers, makers and doers.

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THIS IS OUR STORY There is a thread that ties this broad community together, connecting us all —urban and rural, stranger and friend, through history and hardship, shared goals and personal dreams. It’s our story, as Oregonians, all in it together. And we at The Oregonian/OregonLive are proud to help tell that story every minute of every day.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS 132 households in the Portland Arts & Lectures audience made a gift of $200 or more to support our Youth Programs during the 2021/2022 season renewal period.

Together with the matching challenge of $11,000 generously put forth by Literary Arts’ Patron Advisory Council, the audience raised more than $60,000. Your generoisty will help more than 1,200 high school students attend this season’s lectures, both virtually and in-person at the concert hall, as part of our Students to the Schnitz program.

Jill & Ken Abere Carol Adelson Sally & John Anderson Anonymous Karin Barber Kim & Rosie Batcheller Robert & Leslie Bentley Kim & Daniel Bissell Mayno Blanding Kim & Randy Boehm Kimberly Boothe Larry & Jan Bruton Dr. Sonia Buist Ellyn Bye Christine Carr Nancy & Richard Chapman Diane Cherry Howard & Rosemary Cohen Liana Colombo Rick Comandich Anne Conway Elizabeth Cook Ginnie Cooper & Rick Bauman Joan Corcoran Marian Creamer Martha Hunt Curry Martin & Anne Davidson Sharon Dawson Rebecca & Michael DeCesaro Susan Denman Terrence Dolan & Catherine Blosser Anne E. Draper Paul Duden & Francesca Stevenson Justin Dune & Carol Sanders

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Penny & Ken Durant Tina Edlund & Sydney Edlund-Jermain Sue & Ed Einowski Ann & Ron Emmerson Kathie E. England Ellen Fader David & Kendra Farris Jeanette Feldhousen Miriam Feuerle Jennifer Froistad Mary Wills Fulton Sarah & Kurt Gibbon Linda & Ronald Greenman Emily Groth Susan HathawayMarxer & Larry Marxer Mary Patt Hawthorne Betsy & Tom Henning Earl Hines Mary E. Hirsch Janet Hoffman & John Harland Lynette & Donald Houghton Cecelia & Robert Huntington Patricia Hurst David & Apricot Irving Sandra Jackson Steven Jacobson Laura Jones & David Livermore Susan A. Kass & Wayne Englander Aphra Katzev Maurice & Dori King Ines Koerner Paula Kurshner Robert & Susan Leeb

Jon & Sheila Levine Stacy Lewis Jody J. Little Stephanie & Kevin Lynch Kathryn Madison & Jeffrey Wertz Linda Maletis Phillip M. Margolin Don Koski & Gail Marten Robert Matheson Pete McDowell Charles & Kathy McGee Carolyn & Larry McKinney Judith Meredith Ruth Metz Violet Metzler Lora & Jim Meyer Barbara Niedermeyer Katherine O’Neil & Toby Graff Amy O’Neill & Larry Staver Corrine Oishi & Lindley Morton Jan & Steve Oliva Wendy Beth Oliver Irja Orav Carole Orloff Nancy Orr Jo Ellen Osterlind Karen Paulino & Eliot Spindel Karen Pemberton Kelly Perlewitz Diane Ponti & Ward Greene Lorraine Prince Bonnie & Pete Reagan

Leslie Rennie-Hill & Ken Hill Janine Robben Charles Rosenblum Ruth Roth Jean Roth Ellen Rubinstein & Joshua Baudhuin Halle & Rick Sadle Bob Scanlan Kathleen Schmidt Lew & Jill Seager Barb & Norm Sepenuk Jaymi Sladen Ellen & Charles Stearns Kathleen McCarthy & Stephen Scherr Bonnie Pomeroy Stern Patricia & Marvin Straughan Donald & Roslyn Sutherland John & Sandra Swinmurn Harry Tachiki & Bonnie Bonnice Marjorie Terdal Debra Turner Hatcher Ellen Vanderslice & Scott Parker Debra Vassallo Stephanie & John Volkman Christina Wagner Kristi Wallace Knight & Eric Wallace Kim Weyler Carl Wilson & Evan Boone Jeff & Lynn Wolfstone Lisa Wyatt Steven & Deborah Hewitt Wynne

literary-arts.org/PBF

VIRTUAL FESTIVAL: IN-PERSON FESTIVAL: This year’s Portland Book Festival will present virtual programming, brought to you by Bank of America, the week of November 8–12, 2021, and in-person events on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at Portland Art Museum and Portland’5.

Virtual pass sliding scale $0+ | Advance in-person pass $15 | Day-of in-person pass $25 Youth 17 & under (or with a valid high school ID) FREE

APPEARING IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL:

Lineup subject to change.

SPONSORS:

Tim & Mary Boyle

Joan Cirillo & Roger Cooke

Edwards Lienhart Family Foundation

Josie G. Mendoza & Hugh Mackworth

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ABOUT LITERARY ARTS Our mission is to engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature.

ENGAGE READERS: Portland Arts & Lectures brings the world’s most celebrated writers, artists, and thinkers to our community and connects readers and writers of all ages through classroom visits and workshops.

Portland Book Festival brings writers and readers of all ages together to celebrate a shared passion for books. This year’s festival will be a hybrid festival, with virtal events happening November 8–12, 2021, and an in-person Festival day on Saturday, November 13, 2021. Learn more at literary-arts.org/PBF. Delve Readers Seminars cultivates community around the shared experience of reading.

By gathering around books, we engage in dialogues with authors we love, and artists who show us new perspectives.

The Archive Project Radio Show and Podcast features the most sought-after recordings from our Portland Arts & Lectures series, the Portland Book Festival, and other community events.

Each week, new episodes are available to stream for free. Listen on OPB Radio Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m., on our website at literary-arts.org/archive, or wherever you get your podcasts.

SUPPORT WRITERS: Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships supports, promotes, and celebrates Oregon’s writers and publishers. In addition to awards and fellowships for emerging and established writers, the program also offers writing classes and literary events and produces the Oregon Book Awards Author Tour, which connects writers and readers throughout the state. In 2020, we awarded 150 Oregon writers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic emergency funds of $1,000 each, with priority given to BIPOC writers.

INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION: Youth Programs inspires public high school students to write, publish, and perform their own creative writing. Writers in the Schools residencies bring working writers into classrooms.

Students to the Schnitz gives young people access to great books and influential authors.

The College Essay Echange pairs mentors with college applicants. And the annual Verselandia!

Youth Slam Poetry Championship showcases high school spoken word artists.

For more information, or to make a gift in support of our programs, visit our website at literary-arts.org.

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WHO WE ARE Literary Arts Staff Andrew Proctor, Executive Director Sophie Albanis Maggie Allen Amanda Bullock Lydah DeBin Jennifer Gurney Olivia Jones-Hall Brandon Lenzi Hope Levy Allegra Lopez Jessica MezaTorres Susan Moore Jules Ohman Liz Olufson Jyoti Roy Karin Taylor Literary Arts Board of Directors Amy Prosenjak, Chair Jill Abere David Angeli Joan Cirillo Amy Donohue Ann Edlen Sarah Gibbon Betsy Henning Jonathan Hill Mitchell Jackson Maurice King Anis Mojgani Justice Adrienne Nelson Corrine Oishi Katherine O’Neil Ramon Pagan Bob Speltz Dennis Steinman Geoffrey Tichenor Chabre Vickers Amy Wayson

Strunk & White Society An honorary society of distinguished advisors Gwyneth Gamble Booth Nancy Bragdon Larry Colton Ginnie Cooper Jodi DelahuntHubbell Theo DownesLe Guin Bart Eberwein Brian Gard Molly Gloss Carrie Hoop Cecelia Huntington Susheela Jayapal Julie Mancini Brenda Meltebeke Jessica Mozeico Diane Ponti Michael Powell Per Ramfjord Halle Sadle Steven Taylor Jacqueline Willingham Thomas Wood Steve Wynne Development Council Bob Speltz, Chair Jill Abere Joan Cirillo Ginnie Cooper Sara Guest Maurice King Jan Oliva Andrew Proctor Amy Prosenjak Geoffrey Tichenor Chabre Vickers Jacqueline Willingham

Carl Wilson Ben Wood Patron Advisory Council Katherine O’Neil, Chair Jill Abere Seth Alley Kim Bissell Marian Creamer Kieran Curley Rebecca DeCesaro Julie Frantz Sarah Gibbon Mackenzie Harrington Susan HathawayMarxer Earl Hines Paula Kurshner Phillip M. Margolin Katherine McCoy Carolyn McKinney Vanessa McLaughlin Lora Meyer Abby Nixt Nancy Ponzi Anna Raman Jim Reinhart Barbara Sepenuk Roslyn Sutherland Margaret Tuchmann Kate Tuominen Kristi Wallace Knight Kim Weyler Marcia Wood Oregon Book Awards & Fellowships Advisory Council Anis Mojgani, Chair

Tom Booth Nancy Boutin Julie Dixon Abbey Gaterud Betsy Henning Rhonda Hughes Cecelia Huntington Linda Leslie Meghan Moran Jyothi Natarajan Corrine Oishi Dennis Steinman Armin Tolentino Youth Programs Advisory Council Jonathan Hill, Chair Carmen Bernier-Grand Sandra J. Childs Jacque Dixon Bob Geddes Andre Goodlow Mary Hirsch Maurice King Briana Linden Andre Middleton Deidra Miner Anis Mojgani Joanna Rose Karena Salmond Nancy Sullivan Catherine Theriault Amy Wayson Tracey Wyatt Sharon Wynde

Liz Crain Sarah Gibbon Kathi Inman Berens Kisha Jarrett Elina Lim B. Frayn Masters Josha Nathan Justice Adrienne Nelson Katherine O’Neil Craig Popelars Sarah Rothenfluch Rob Spillman Alicia Tate Sage Van Wing Lidia Yuknavitch Gail Zuro Vision Plan Committee Ann Edlen, Chair Joan Cirillo Ginnie Cooper Lydah DeBin Amy Donohue Theo DownesLe Guin Greg Goodman Susheela Jayapal Corrine Oishi Andrew Proctor Amy Prosenjak Jon Raymond Nathan Sasaki Jill Sherman Bob Speltz Dennis Steinman Chabre Vickers Tom Wood

Portland Book Festival Advisory Council Joan Cirillo, Chair Edward Ash-Milby Katie Boland Julie Bunker

Literary Arts: 925 SW Washington Street, Portland, OR 97205 Phone: 503-227-2583 Online: literary-arts.org Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @literaryarts.

Literary Arts is supported in part by:

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MAINSTAGE IN PORTLAND

Tuesday, December 14 | 7:30 p.m. PST ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL

Tickets start at $18 | Portland5.com

SPONSORS: