“My son doesn’t read anymore.” “My middle schooler needs more mature books, but I don’t know what to get him.” “Do you have anything that’s not a romance?” The challenge I encounter most often as a bookseller is recommendations for teen boys. As they age out of middle-grade (ages 9-12), it feels like all they […]
Culture Features
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DD Ranch
Working hard for a dream
Perhaps you’ve seen their beef at the local farmersmarkets, honey at Newport Market or even visited the ranch during their October pumpkin patches, but the true story behind DD Ranch nestled in Terrebonne is one of relentless work and unwavering determination. The Anspach family, owners of DD Ranch, not only manage to somehow maintain a […]
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In Praise of Getting Off the Couch
Netflix is nice, but human-to-human interaction can change your life
Rather than wax eloquent on the benefits of going to social gatherings, being vulnerable and experiencing life outside of your comfort zone, I actually got off my couch and attended (or attempted to attend) four different group activities in Central Oregon. It sounds cliché to say that these experiences changed my life, and yet they […]
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Building Connections Through Books
What we read can lead to improved humanity
Last week, in the span of a few days, my daughter and two friends reached out, asking, “What should I read next?” This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked for a book recommendation. I do work in a bookstore, after all, and yet, each time, I get a little thrill. Books are a matter […]
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“Welcome the Night”
High Desert Museum celebrates critters of the night
Several ecosystems begin to stir on land and in the air once the sun goes down. Most people don’t notice or are surrounded by too much artificial light to witness it. The High Desert Museum is offering a chance to “Welcome the Night.” The family friendly event on July 16 is an opportunity to discover […]
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Robopocalypse
A Musical Sci-Fi Puppet Invasion Hits Bend at the Domino Room
Music! Horror! Science Fiction! Puppets! Yes, puppets are coming to Bend on Aug. 7 to showcase their new musical, Robopocalypse and this isn’t your average puppet show! Fresh off their celebrated and widely popular national tour, Puppeteers for Fears, brings their premiere all-puppet horror and science fiction musical comedy troupe to Bend, presenting a terrifying […]
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Your Next Beach Read… A History Book
So many books expand horizons and educate along the way
As summer gets underway, you might be looking for the perfect beach read: a book that’s engrossing, entertaining and fun to read. Why not try a history book? History books are ideal for the beach or any other summer destination. Learn something new without sacrificing entertainment. In fact, David McCullough has a new book coming […]
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Fields Farm
A Bend legacy rooted in the soil
Perhaps you’ve driven by and noticed a large piece of wide-open space within the city of Bend along Pettigrew Road. This oasis, surrounded by a neighborhood and development, is Fields Farm, a quiet, nearly 10-acre plot of land that has been nourishing its community for more than three decades. Jim and Debbie Fields began farming […]
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Mystical Sidewalk Shrine
How a vintage refrigerator is creating unexpected bonds
What are you hungry for in life and community?” That’s one of many messages rotating on the front of a white, defunct Kenmore refrigerator sitting on the curb outside a home on Northwest Cumberland Avenue in Bend. Passers-by are invited to open the fridge and rummage through the treasures inside, which are constantly changing. On […]
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Shred Lightly: ‘A Field Guide to the Subterranean’
In a new memoir, Portland author Justin Hocking dismantles his outdoorsy machismo to discover a more sustainable modus operandi
From the kaleidoscopic pages of “A Field Guide to the Subterranean: Reclaiming the Deep Earth and our Deepest Selves,” a new memoir by Justin Hocking, tumbles the author’s ambition, as a young man, to be hard. He cultivated a stiff upper lip in his late teens by training to become a mountaineering guide in his […]