Opb's State Of Wonder

This week, we’re trading in the familiar narratives for some new, previously-unheard ones: a plus-sized coming-of-age story, a pair of young poets of color and a lost classic of black female film making. Plus, a tribute to the late Dick Dale and a new weekly segment, replete with ideas for how to spend your weekend.

Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like we’re lacking in heroes. This week, we’ve got a collection of tales to prove valor is anything but dead. Meet the comic book writers investing in the tenacity of teens, an all-female string quartet playing the classics on their own terms, and a London-based musician keeping the demons at bay.

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that art can be a powerful, trailblazing force. Art is so much more than an oil painting hung on a gallery wall. We use art as a tool for imagining new possibilities, forging better lives. This week, we’re talking with folks who are expanding the boundaries of their field, from comics to radio to civic works.

This episode originally aired on November 3, 2018. If you’ve been feeling like the lines are blurring between the America you imagined and the America we all live with, take a listen. We found some incredible artists and writers addressing the magical thinking and fantasies that shaped our world.

In the age of ephemera, fleeting tastes and snapshots can leave the most indelible experiences. Artists reflect on what endures and what satisfies.

Luz Mendoza of the band Y La Bamba shares the inspiration for her new album, “Mujeres.” Portia Sabin talks to us about the KRS produced Bratmobile podcast series, "Girl Germs." Plus, some of the major players in the podcasting industry weigh in on their rapidly expanding medium.

It’s all about perspective. Does anything ever really change, or do we — the observers — merely shift our thinking? On this week’s show, we examine how Oregon’s artists, historians and public employees are rewriting our collective story. From pioneer history to contemporary arts policy, big changes are underway.

Ever found yourself in a room full of people, feeling totally and overwhelmingly alone? Don’t worry — there’s art for that. This week, we take a look at how local artists are exploring the meaning of longing and connection.

When the going gets tough (and we mean really, really tough) what pulls you back from the edge? For some folks, it’s revisiting a favorite poem; for others, it’s about finding something -- anything -- to laugh at, even when the circumstances are hardly humorous. From historic preservation to nuclear fallout, this week’s show proves there’s no one way to survive.

It may seem like the art world depends on gatekeeping: deciding what art goes in museums, which songs will get played, who gets the grants. But sometimes, the gates swing in ways we might not have expected. What seems like fringe turns out to be fundamental. This week, we take a look at the evolving standards of who and what is included in the world of art.

Don’t turn away. Sometimes even the most awkward situation can be spun into something wonderful. This week: cringe-worthy national events make for brilliant satire, a new play mines liberal guilt surrounding disability, and the story of the most bizarre art festival ever.

A soap opera in the string quartet. The #MeToo moment at the conservatory. And opera appreciation for the rest of us. This week, three tales both classical and modern.

We’re drilling down with the pros to find reads that challenge, reads that work in far-flung places, and reads that will stay in your head years after you put down the book.

As you contemplate the road ahead for 2019, listen to three amazing artists talk about their transformational journeys: some road trip medicine for heartbreak, a daughter emerging from a tightly-wound family cocoon, and a transatlantic odyssey involving more than one Ocean.

Interstellar intrigue on a Moroccan-inspired world? Strong female hero of color? Yes, please. We talk with one of the YA breakout stars of 2018 at the Portland Book Festival, Somaiya Daud. Also we meet one of Daud's early inspirations and catch up on the top publishing story of the week.

The year that was in jazz music, homegrown indie rock, comedy, and more. However 2018 has been treating you, we’ve got picks to help you celebrate the good things of the year.

The jobs that pay money. The jobs that pay out in other ways. The jobs that make art possible: Artist Jodi Darby talks about driving a big rig, comedian Amy Miller pierces the thin façade of success, Alicia Jo Rabins talks about deepening her spiritual practice through teaching, and drummer Ben Tyler, in search of fast cash, finds himself in some very fast company.

Tommy Orange’s breakthrough debut novel, titled, “There, There,” unites the stories of twelve Native people, brought together on one momentous day in Oakland. We meet Orange, and along with poet, Trevino Brings Plenty, discuss the depth and breadth of urban Native stories. This conversation was had live at the Portland Book Festival.

This week’s show takes us to Portland Book Festival, for conversations with three fascinating authors pondering birth, imminent environmental devastation, and...robots.

When we imagine artists at home over the holidays, it’s a pretty rosy picture: imagine musical clans like the Nevilles and the Wilsons singing around the table. (Why can’t our families be that awesome???) But let’s be real — life can be tough. This week, stories about how creative families do for each other, just in time for that seasonal visit with your kin.