Spring 2018
I find it difficult lately not to be deflated by the headlines of the day. With the polarization and politicization of so many things, it’s sometimes hard to sift through it all and feel cheery. As spring began to drop hints of its arrival, I wanted more of the optimism that the longer days, the emerging wildflowers, the ever-warming sun brought.
And here is where I found it: in the stories that make up this issue of the magazine. Stories about people like Rachel Harry, Hood River’s very own Tony Award-winning high school theater teacher, whose passion for teaching kids is inspirational. And Shannon Red Cloud, who teaches yoga classes to inmates at NORCOR and just may be helping some of them learn how to better cope with the pressures of the world when they get out of jail. And Bob Dill, who crafts astoundingly beautiful guitars that are something to behold, and still more to hear played. And David Lamoreaux, dedicated to working with people with developmental disabilities, helping them express themselves through art.
This being our annual Arts Issue, the stories of the professional artists we’re featuring lifted me up, as well. There’s James Diem, who makes beautiful ceramics and knows that simply holding, say, a hand-made coffee cup offers the opportunity for contemplation. There’s Leah Hedberg, whose curiosity about the natural world inspires her photography, which is often stunning in its simplicity. And there’s Jenny Loughmiller, who hit a personal low point a couple of years ago and turned to her art to climb back up. The journey led her to create the Hundred Hearts Project, an ongoing endeavor in which she’s painting hearts for 100 women in her life for whom she’s grateful — and helping others find ways to express their own gratitude. “Art and gratitude completely changed my life,” she told me. “I don’t say that lightly. It changed everything. Every. Thing.”
It’s powerful stuff, these stories about people in the Gorge doing what they do every day, and making the world better for it. It doesn’t change the headlines, but in their way, they’re making their own. Taking a page from Jenny Loughmiller’s book, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of you whose stories inform and inspire and help make the Gorge such a special place. And thank you to our writers and photographers for working hard to tell those stories. To our readers, thanks for being here. May you find inspiration and optimism in this issue, too.
—Janet Cook, Editor
