Writing about Home from 3 perspectives

Lucette Wood introduced writers George Estreich, Marjorie Sandor and Charles Goodrich, who gave presentations from their books with three different perspectives about their lives (Charles Goodrich, starting a new life after divorce, Marjorie Sandor, moving into a new home with new partner, and George Estreich, struggling with disabled child and new position in the home) which is entitled Visions of Home to an audience of about 100.

Robin Havenick, Linda Spain & Paul Hawkwood enjoy home perspectives.

The Valley Writer's Series, coordinated by Jane White and Lucette Wood, set up the meeting in the Fireside Room in the Calapooia Center on Wednesday, April 18 from noon to 2 p.m.

Charles Goodrich reads from The Practice of Home.

Charles Goodrich  bibliography states that he "has worked for twenty-five years as a professional gardener and has also worked as a correctional work crew supervisor, a short-order cook, and a carpenter, and now serves as Program Director for the Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and the Written Word at Oregon State University."

  Reading excerpts from his book, The Practice of Home, Goodrich told about his adventure in building a new home for his new hermit solitary lifestyle but neighbors came to see what the racket is about and to talk to him.  Goodrich, finally, accepted that he could not be alone.

Kathleen Dean Moore, author of The Pine Island Paradox said, “Charles Goodrich brings his poet's sense of rejoicing and his gardener's sense of hope to a patch of thistle-infested land. Gently, brilliantly, he showed us that home is a way of life. Anyone who has searched to find a place on earth--which is to say, everyone--will find comfort and laughter in this book, and new understanding of what it means to be a human being.”

"Marjorie Sandor is the author of four books, including the forthcoming memoir, The Late Interiors: A Life Under Construction, and the 2004 Winner of the National Jewish Book Award in Fiction, Portrait of my Mother, Who Posed Nude in Wartime: Stories. Her earlier book of personal essays, The Night Gardener: A Search for Home, won the 2000 Oregon Book Award for Literary Nonfiction.

In her new book, Sandor moved into a new home, a new marriage, and found that urban development was threatening her own backyard.  While her lover was in the hospital, having double bypass surgery, Sandor puttered around in her garden and in her writing she said “I putter, make little gestures in a disorganized way, … and eventually … something appears.”

Marjorie Sandor and George Estreich listen to Charles Goodrich, along with Lucette Wood.

George Estreich gave up a teaching career to stay homes and take care of his two children, Ellie and Laura, as his wife, Theresa Filtz, is an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University.  Laura has down syndrome and Estreich has written not only about the joy, trial, and tribulations of raising a child with down's syndrome, but Estreich says, "it touches on many other things, including fly-fishing, heart surgery, family, the history and meaning of “Mongolian idiocy,” genetic engineering, prenatal diagnosis, what it’s like to be stared at, feeding a child with a tube, made-up signs for French fries."

"Estreich is raw and honest and draws us each into a new view of what it means to be 'human’ and what it means to be ‘different," said Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D., Chairman & CEO of Special Olympics.

Listening to the evocative readings was enjoyed by all, if the effusive laughter and applause of the audience is any indication. 

At A Glance:

Charles Goodrich introduced his book, The Practice of Home, which tells about his adventure in building a new home for his new hermit solitary lifestyle .

Marjorie Sandor read from her new book, The Late Interiors, about her move into a new home, a new marriage, and finds that urban development is threatening her own backyard.

and
George Estreich talked about the joy, trial, and tribulations of raising a child with down's syndrome, and  fly-fishing, heart surgery, family, the history and meaning of “Mongolian idiocy.