Matthew Stadler's Personal Weblog

During the week of February 16 – 23 was very eventful. As I stayed in Portland Oregon for what was one of the busiest weeks I ever had away from work. My flight was delayed but, going to the screening of the new movie “Zoo” was very interesting and informative. Also the night was just beginning as I was with two of the main pieces of the movie. Charles Mudede (writer) and the director Robinson Devor both very intriguing and very thought provoking suggested we head off to a local strip for some late night drinks. Which is something I haven’t done every since I got married. I had one to many drinks. As we discussed the movie, I felt kind of awkward while at the strip club and tried to block it out. The week just kept on getting very interesting yet exciting. I was also introduced to a famous political dissident, in the “West Hills” and to my surprise when I arrived there were two well known Oregon authors KEN KESEY and Merry Prankster. We were to have a lavish dinner severed with a fine wine that Ken Kesey brought over from his personal wine cellar. I was getting a lot of praise from Ken but, of course at this time he might have had one to many. He was commenting on one of my first and lesser know novels which at first I was a little uncomfortable but saw the humor because of how drunk he was and it was a learning experience. Before I left for the hotel Merry Prankster had a idea of volunteering at the local library and asked if I was interested. It was a local reading for elementary school students. And the topic of discussion will be “Marcel Proust”. I was asked my thoughts on “Marcel Proust” and what came to mind was “Every reader finds himself. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.”. Ken a little drunk still said he was impressed and said to make sure I’m at the library before 9am. That afternoon I decide to relax and take a walk through the forest. I was just ten yards into the forest and I could hear a kind of yelping but, at the same time a growing sound. So I decided to investigate where it was coming from. As I approached a bush in the clearing I came upon a wolf that was in severe pain and seemed to be stuck or trapped. I was very concerned but didn’t know what to do because of it being a wild animal and it severe pain and not wanting to take the risk of getting bitten. But, I couldn’t just leave the animal to die. Then all of a sudden I remembered I had my cell phone and called my friend I met from the other night at the screening. I gave Charles a call and since he knows the area better then me I asked him if he could call some type of animal rescue to help the wolf. After I had explained to him the situation, he called the local animal shelter and they took it from there. I waited until they came and set the animal free. I almost broke down in tears when they freed the animal. I really felt I made a difference in someone’s life. Well an animals at least. It was it such pain. They told me the wolf should be fine and they said it was more scared then injured. I felt really moved by this experience. Charles gave me a ride back to the hotel and joined me in the lobby for some drinks. I ordered us a couple of drinks and discussed the events of my very eventful week here in Portland Oregon. As we sat there and drank, Charles brought up the name William Stafford. He asked me what my thoughts were about what he has done in regards to poetry. I said Stafford’s poems are often deceptively simple and complex vision upon closer examination. I have to agree with James Dickey, writing in his book “Babel to Byzantium, notes that William Stafford’s natural mode of speech is a gentle, mystical, half-mocking and highly personal daydreaming about the western United States. Charles said he was also a little skeptical of some of his work and also on how deceptively simple but, that’s the genius of Stafford’s work. I responded with, to a certain extent that is true. As we finished our drinks we exchanged numbers so we could stay in touch because, I had an early flight in the morning to catch.