Past River Talk Series
~A River of Bronze~
The O’Brien Memorial Library has risen from the ashes of the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020. In celebration, the public is invited to the unveiling of a bronze sculpture of Frances O’Brien by Peter Helzer. The artist will share his creative process with audience and answer questions.
“The Healing Power of a River” By Kathleen Dean Moore renowned ecologist, philosopher, and essayist.
“I’ll call my talk, “The Healing Power of a River.” With stories and essays, let’s think together about all the ways a river can heal. On a personal level, the solace of rivers. On an ecosystem level, the reweaving of rivers and forests. On a moral level, the power of rivers to undo the harms done them and begin the great healing of the self-imposed loneliness of the human spirit. At a hinge point in Earth history, what is our own healing work and how can that change our lives?”
The third of our River Talks will be a journey downriver expertly guided by eminent local historians Margaret Beilharz and Randy Dersham.
FLOATING THE RIVER OF TIME: A HISTORY OF BLUE RIVER will explore through images and stories what our town has been, and is becoming. From settlement days, through its lumber
and mining heyday, to the source of our drinking water and electricity, the river has been harnessed for its power. And its power to inspire.
Margaret Beilharz has lived in Rainbow since 1960 when her father was hired as an engineer on the Carmen Smith Hydropower Project. Her interest in the river and forest led her to earn a degree in freshwater ecosystems, then to work as a hydrologist at five national forests from California to Alaska. She returned to Rainbow in 2002 and, since retiring, has been collecting and sharing, through photographs, maps and stories, the history of the upper McKenzie.
Randy Dersham’s diverse career reflects a deep commitment to storytelling, whether through interactive media, film, and lately preserving our area’s rich heritage of river culture. His
documentary, “Oregon’s Boat: The McKenzie River Drift Boat,” celebrates the evolution and cultural significance of an iconic watercraft that originated on the McKenzie. It was the winner
of the Best Feature award at the 2025 Oregon Documentary Film Festival.
Supported by a grant from Oregon Humanities, the event is free and open to the public.
In the fourth of our seven River Talks hosted by the O’Brien Memorial Library, Dr. David Lewis
will speak on the meaning of the river in the lives of Native people of our region. A member of
the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, David Lewis has for twenty years been passionate
about recovering and augmenting the incomplete histories of Kalapuyans and other Western
Oregon tribes. One result of his research is the recently published Tribal Histories of the
Willamette Valley.
Underwritten by a grant from Oregon Humanities, the event is free and open to the public.
Dear Adam,
Last Saturday, I was at the O'Brien Memorial Blue River Library to read river poems with Charles Goodrich for one of the programs in the River Talks' series, organized and hosted by John Witte and underwritten by Oregon Humanities.
What an honor. What a privilege. '
When I was Oregon Poet Laureate, I had the great good fortune of making "appearances" at 79 of Oregon's libraries. Lucky, lucky me. But before this last Saturday, I'd never been to the Blue River Library.
Driving east from I-5, following the MacKenzie up river, I saw the devastating results of the MacKenzie fire. Whole forests of blackened ghost trees line the little highway on both sides. But the understory is lush. The terrain is sending out green growth. And in the little town of Blue River, a brand new library has replaced what was burned to the ground. A lovely, beautifully equipped community library. Hosannah.
Being there to help celebrate that new library was moving. The group of community members who attended our gathering was moving. To a person, they were marvelously attentive and appreciative.
John Witte told me all about OH's support for this Blue River series. Please know that your support means a great deal to that community. Your support means a great deal to all of Oregon. Your support means a great deal to this once-laureate.
With gratitude,
Paulann
The newly opened O’Brien Memorial library will host the next of its River Talks on
Saturday, July 26. Paulann Petersen and Charles Goodrich, two of Oregon’s most
admired poets, will explore the confluence of poetry and the river.
Paulann Petersen was Oregon’s sixth Poet Laureate, has won numerous awards, and is
often described as “beloved.” Even the titles of her books suggest why, including Wild
Awake, Kindle, and The Voluptuary, among many others.
Charles Goodrich is Oregon’s poet of the earth, and its creatures. He was for twenty-five
years a professional gardener before directing the Spring Creek Project, bringing
together writers, artists and scientists to explore the intersections of art,
environmentalism and ethics.
What the River Brings is the fifth of seven River Talks taking place each month through
September. These events are underwritten by a generous grant from Oregon
Humanities, and are free and open to the public.