Summer Reading

[July 14th, 2004] "I have a veiled romantic side that sometimes leaks out like urine," poet Mark Strand announced. The reading at Reed College by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, whose words were accompanied by the odd duck quacking, was an indication of the building success of Tin House's second annual Summer Writers Workshop.

This weekend's first round of events drew substantial audiences to hear Strand's poetry, as well as to eavesdrop on an intimate conversation about film between Todd Haynes and Gus Van Sant. In other words, the gang who run Tin House, the Portland- and New York-based literary magazine, have created a bibliophile's Mecca, well worth the schlep to Reed's Cerf Amphitheatre, nestled next to the duck pond that is the Johnson Creek swamplands.

Saturday, July 10: Martinis with Mark Strand and Christopher Merrill

Strand's mordant wit, always evident in his poetry, was on tap at his reading. Introduced by fellow poet Merrill, Strand read a few of his newer poems, while also treating his nearly 100 listeners to some of his older work. "It is easier for a needle to go through a camel than a poor man to enter a woman of means," Strand intoned. "Just go to the graveyard and ask around." After his reading, Merrill and Strand settled in to two Adirondack chairs for a conversation, in which Strand easily dismissed his work as a fiction writer but said the money aided him in his pursuit of poetry. He also, rather brazenly considering his venue, denounced workshops for writers. "The writing often seems formed by committee," Strand warned. "The very things that seem confusing to others may be your best work."

Sunday, July 11: Beer with Gus Van Sant and Todd Haynes

Portland's cinematic duo lounged about on the lawn discussing Van Sant's career, leading to the wrap-up of the forthcoming film Last Days, which Van Sant described as loosely based on Kurt Cobain's life. The movie finishes a loose trilogy that includes Gerry and the excellent Elephant. Van Sant admitted that he'd wanted to shelve Elephant to concentrate on Last Days, which he'd already started mapping out. But HBO and his most famous producer, Diane Keaton, convinced him to tackle the Columbine-inspired Elephant first. "I already had ideas about Last Days," confessed Van Sant, "some of which I diverted into Elephant." With their friendship on display, Haynes and Van Sant offered a good double act: "You really started new queer cinema," Haynes asserted. "Huh? I always felt like old queer cinema," Van Sant quipped.

The rest of the week at Reed offers much else to seek out. Playwright/ actor Wallace Shawn will speak with novelist Denis Johnson, 7:30 pm Wednesday, July 14. Writer Deborah Eisenberg will read from her work at 8 pm Thursday, July 15. Chris Offutt and Anthony Swofford will read from new work at 5 pm Friday, July 16, with Offutt following up by introducing novelist and award-winning poet James Salter at 8 pm. Tin House's own Elissa Schappell reads at 5 pm Saturday, July 17, with a reading by Denis Johnson following at 8 pm. Book a date.