posted by laurabecker

man, i love portland. the beers, the books, the blissful progressive spirit and the beauty that is the pacific northwest. combine all that with the fact that this seems like the only part of america that isn't melting as we speak - and really, what's not to love?

i feel like every summer when i return to these typepad pages, things around us just keep getting worse. last year it was katrina, before that it was the foreboding doom of the re-(stealing of the) election, and this year - well this year it's just a major global shitstorm.

but, but (thank god there's a but) for ten days our city that i am so proud of and so in love with gets to welcome our national and international cohorts, protect them and ourselves in an artistic shield of inspiration, imagination and energy, and use our creative surge of perspective to think back and look ahead with balance and an increased sense of community.

people, this is a good thing.

as each year i rely more and more on tba to get me through the dark clouds of craziness around us i just feel so lucky to have it to look forward to and remember all year long. whether it's a secret smile about those crazy lone twins, or a shudder of excitement for a dance performance that requires night vision goggles (!!!), i just can't focus enough on time based art - as both a fun distraction and as an annual treat for some serious pondering. cause really, there's not much else i wanna ponder (or can even deal with) right now.

i don't want to miss one moment of it. cause when the times are telling you to live life to the fullest, these are the moments that they mean.